US2470557A

US2470557A - Gathering machine

Info

Publication number: US2470557A
Application number: US16731A
Authority: US
Inventors: Herrmann John George
Original assignee: Conveyor & Machinery Manufacturing Inc
Current assignee: Conveyor & Machinery Manufacturing Inc
Priority date: 1948-03-24
Filing date: 1948-03-24
Publication date: 1949-05-17
Anticipated expiration: 1966-05-17

Description

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR J 0HN GEORGEHERRMANN @TTORNEY May 17, 1949. J. a. HERRMANN GATHERING MACHINE Filed March 24, 1948 ob nu llll lllll ll.

y 1949- J. G. HERRMANN v2,470,557

GATHERING MACHINE Filed March 24, 1948 2 Sheets$heet 2 I INVENTOR JOHN Games HERRMAM ATTORN EY Patented May 17, 1949 GATHERING MACHINE John George Herrmann, Baldwin, N. Y., assignor to Conveyor & Machinery Manufacturers, Inc.

New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application March 24, 1948, Serial No. 16,731

18 Claims.

This invention relates to gathering machines for collecting cards or sheets and distributing them in groups or stacks upon a conveyor collector.

It is primarily within the contemplation of my invention to provide an apparatus, in a machine of the above-mentioned category, that will assure the correct predetermined number of cards in each group or stack operatively assembled'by the machine. More particularly, it is an object of my invention to provide the said apparatus in combination with gathering machines such as those disclosed in the patent applications Serial No. 742,891 and No. 4,100, filed April 4, 1947 and January 24, 1948, respectively.

In the above-mentioned aspect of my invention, it is an important object to attain the said objective by means of a positive and continuously operating stop-motion and/or signalling device which will be automatically set into operation upon the failure of the machine to deliver a card in accordance with a predetermined timing sequence-which is economical of space, and which will not interfere with the normal operation of the machine.

It is also an object of my invention to provide a self-contained gathering, distributing, and stop-motion and signalling unit, of simple and compact design, that will be capable of effectively accomplishing the aforesaid objectives.

Other objects, features and advantages will appear from the drawings and the description hereinafter given.

Referring to the drawings,

Figure 1 is a plan view of a preferred form of self-contained unit including my invention, fragments of the delivery hoppers and of the table being broken away for clarity, the boxes for receiving the stacks of cards being shown by dotdash lines.

Figure 2 is a semi-schematic perspective of the drive means for the conveyor portions of the device of Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a somewhat enlarged front view of the left end of the unit of Fig. 1, looking from line 33.

Figure 4 is a somewhat enlarged front view of one of the stop-motion sections of the unit of Fig. 1, the view being taken looking substantially from line 4-4.

Figure 5 is a vertical section of the machine taken substantially along line 55 of Fig. 4, the oscillating transfer arm being shown in its retracted position operatively feeding a card to the discharge rollers.

Figure 6 is a section like Fig. 5, the oscillating transfer arm being shown in its forward delivery position and the discharge rollers in the process of discharging a, card.

Figure 7 is a section like Fig. 6, but with no card being delivered, and with the detecting finger of the stop-motion apparatus in its circuitopening position, and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary section of Fig. 4 taken substantially along line 8-8, showing a cam-type of actuator for oscillating the transfer arm.

Figure 1 shows an arrangement of two delivery hoppers l0 and I! containing banks of cards I2 and I3, respectively, the lowermost card in each bank being adapted for removal by the adjacent pair of constantly rotating rubber-faced transfer rollers I4 and I5 (see also Figs. 4-7) mounted on the oscillating transfer arms l6 pivotally carried by shaft lleach removed card I8 being delivered to a discharge member including two coacting discharge rollers l9 and 20 for discharge into intermittently moving boxes 2| (to be hereinafter again referred to) -the operation of the transfer and discharge rollers being substantially in accordance with the machine described in the aforesaid patent application, Serial No. 742,891. The said transfer arms I6 oscillate between two limiting positions-the retracted position shown in Fig. 5 where the transfer rollers l4 and I5 receive the cards from the hopper, and the forward or discharge position shown in Figure 6 where the discharge rollers l9 and 20 receive the cards from the transfer rollers l4 and I5.

In the particular embodiment illustrated, the members above-referred to are part of a selfcontained unitary structure including a table with receiving and discharge ends, box conveyors and pushers, drives for the conveyor and other moving mechanism, and structure supports therefor, all as will more clearly hereinafter appear. Disposed below the said hoppers Ill and I I and extending also forwardly therefrom is the table 22 containing the loading platform 23 and the discharge portion 24. The said loading platform is disposed at right angles with respect to the body of the table, and has a continuous conveyor loading belt 25 moving at right angles to the longitudinal extent of the table. Flanking said loading conveyor 25 are the tWo parallel guides 26 and 21 secured to loading table 23 for guiding boxes 2i that are operatively placed upon said conveyor 25. When boxes 2! (which are subsequently to receive stacks of cards) move rearwardly towards the table, they are intercepted by the longitudinal rear guide wall 28, thereby positioning the boxes to be engaged by the box pusher bars 29 moving longitudinally within slot 38 of the table 22, said slot being disposed substantially midway between the said rear longitudinal guide wall 28 and the front longitudinal guide wall 3|. There are a plurality of said bars 29 in predetermined spaced relationthe spacing being determined in accordance with a predetermined relative timing between the loading belt 25, the speed of said bars 29, and the movement of the oscillating transfer levers IG all as will more clearly hereinafter appear. The boxes 2| are carried along the table, in spaced relation, by the pusher bars 29, which move intermittentlythe arrangement being such that there is always a box operatively in front and below each of the hoppers Ill and II to receive a predetermined succession of cards of stacks l2 and I3, respectively. As the boxes continue their travel along table 22, they finally land on discharge table 24, from which they aremanually or otherwise removed. It is thus apparentthat by successively loading boxes on belt 25, the boxes are brought to the main or body portion of table 22, intermittently carried therealong to predetermined card receiving stations, are held at such stations until a predetermined number of cards are delivered, and then are moved towards the discharge end of the table. During this entire operation, the transfer rollers l4 and l5anddischarge rollers I9 and are continuously rotating, and the. transfer arms It are operatively oscillating to receive the dischargecards from the hoppers, all in a manner describedin said prior application Serial No. 742,891.

Figures. 1, Zand 3 indicate the drive mechanism for the apparatus above-described. A source of power, notshown cohhected to belt 32 drives pulley 3 3 which is keyed on to shaft 3.4. The latter is connected through pulley 35 and belt 35 to belt 31 which drives the discharge roller shaft 38, the coactingdischarge roller shaft 39.

being similarly drivenv by adlfive. not shown. The shaft 34 is alsoconnectedthrough gears and 4| to shaft 42,, supported-by bearing 43.the said shaft 42 having keyed thereon the fixed sprocket wheel 44, the intermittentsprocket wheel and drum 45 being loosely mounted over said shaft 42, the forward portion of ,which is supported by bearing 45. The -continuously moving chain 41 is also in operative engagement with sprocket wheels 48 and 49, the latter being keyed to shaft 50 the forward end of which contains the fixed sprocket wheel 5! connected by chain 52 to the sprocket wheel 53 driving shafts 54 and 55 through gears Elie-said shaft 55, carrying the roller 5! on which thesaid loading conveyor belt 25 is operatively mounted. It is thus apparent that chain 41 is continuously moving, causing the said loading belt 25. also to be. in continuous motion. Thesaid

discharge roller shafts

38 and 39 are also continuously moving, through their connection with suitabledrive mechanisms. The drive mechanism for the, reciprocating transfer arms l6 and the

transfer rollershafts

58 and 59 is similar to that described in the aforesaid patent applicationserial No. 742, 891, and could bev driven byany driving, mechanism known. in the art.

Attached to and extending forwardly from said link chain 4'! arethe spaced bears 50, these coming successively into engagement with the four lugs xtendi ee wardly omt e m portion 62 ofthe sprocket wheel 45 The said '64 and 66 being affixed to shaft 67.

bars 60 thus cause the entire sprocket Wheel 45 to rotate intermittently, that is, only during the period of such engagement-the engagement terminating when the bars 60 tangentially slip off the lugs upon reaching the vertical portion of their path of travel, as indicated at 63 in Fig. 3. This rotation of sprocket wheel 45 caused by the above described action .of bars 60 causes the sprocket wheel 64 to rotate through interconnecting chain 65 and sprocket wheel 66-wheels Mounted over sprocket wheel 64 is the intermittently actuated box moving chain 68 in engagement with the oppositely. disposed sprocket wheel 69 loosely mounted over; said shaft 50. The said chain 68 carriesthereon theabove-mentioned pusher bars 29, these preferably each consisting of a vertical arm 10 anda base portion H constituting a link inthe said chain 68. It is thus apparent that although the said pusher bars 29 are adapted to actuateboxes with Whichthey come into engagement, in,the manner above described, they nevertheless are t. ri l mounted, bein slightly movable due to the general flexibility tov the chainfiB. This constructionenables each pusher bar to yield slightly when contacting a. ox, hereby. e i inat ng the dan er of. marrin or mutilating the boxintheeyent ofa sudden engagement therewith.

The -,arrangement ,aboye. described accordingly enables the. continuously moving. sprocket chain. 41 to impart. an. intermittent movementtothe cha nv 6.8. ndthepusher bars -carried. thereby- The pitch of tile-lilies.Si t-e barsZS as well as that of the bars 60 on chainvfl is,predetermined.so as tepermit he boxes to be pushed. aprcdeterin d di t nc ong thetablenso that each.

box willbe,successivelybrought into operative registry with thehop-pe fs. lo. and! lthe pitch, or the said bars 60 determining the intervalsbew n ncr nts.

from the hoppers, and the more cards will be fed into each box.

ttache to the ame, 12 0f the machin i he t 9narv sho 1.3;..constitutin a part of. the.

and forwardly inclined, the foremost terminalportion 15 being preferably slightly below and e nd, up ermost.. entral disch rs point 16 ofthe lowerrolierlfl... Aflixed .to the said trans.-

fer. a ms r.e..the brackets these carryin the shaft Nippon, which are rotatively mounted;

e et c or. finserSJS... .Rotatively mounted on each said frame 12 is the switch-actuator lever.

mounted at 81 and having anv upper arcuate portionv 8. isposed. partiall around shaft 39. The said lever rests upon the springswitch arm 83 operatively attached-tattle micro-switch 8.4.

In thengrmal condition of thgmicro-switch 84,. the said spring arm 83' thereof is inclined away from. the switch asshownwin Figs. 5. andfi, and

yi ldably holds the saidvlevernflllinits normally. retracted positipn.,-shown.in said Figs. 5 and 6.v When the said lever 80 isyoperativelymoved into.

its... projectedor forward position (in a manner to. be hereinafter described) shown in, .igur,e--'7,

the lever willengage ar fiaandmove ittowardsthe micro switch. 84., taopgerativelyaotuata the. switch. The micro-switch 84.. i -.in..series with,

Obviously, the greater the, distance betweenbars 60; the longerthe period, a h box w llr r ain in po i ionto receive cards.

a circuit containing an electric motor which in turn operates the belt 32 and drives the conveyor mechanism above described. The drawings do not illustrate the wiring diagram nor the switchs connection with the motor since such a circuit is old in the art and need not be described other than to state that the micro-switch 84 is connected to a motor-controlling circuit. Similarly, the said micro-switch can be connected to an electric light signalling device.

It is preferred that the terminal 85 of the switch actuator lever 88 be disposed rearwardly of the center line 86 joining the two centers of

shafts

38 and 39. The length of the detector finger it is such that when the transfer arm i6 is in its retracted position as shown in Fig. 5, the terminal of finger 19 will be directly above and engageable with the wall 74. However, when the transfer arm I8 is in its forward position, as shown in Fig. 7, the terminal of the finger 19 will drop within the space between the terminal 76 of the wall "M and the terminal 85 of the lever 8|], and will engage said terminal 85 of the lever to bring it into the projected position shown in Fig. 7 where it actuates the micro-switch 84.

When a card or other sheet of paper is, during its path of travel, operably supported between the transfer rollers I4 and i5 and the wall 14 of the shoe 13 or the lower discharge roller 26, the said finger l9 will rest upon said card N3, the card constituting a barrier between the finger 79 and lever 80. And in this position, the lever 38 is in its retracted position shown in Figs. 5 and 6, and yieldably held in such position by the arm 83. However, in the event the transfer rollers l4 and it fail to take up a sheet from the coacting hoppers E8 or ii, there will be nothing to support said finger it when the transfer arm i5 is in its forward position, and accordingly the finger will enter the space between the terminals of wall 14 and the lever 80, and actuate the lever and the micro-switch 84, to stop the machine, or flash on a signal. However, under normal operating conditions, when cards are continuously being transferred in their intended sequence, there will be no such actuation of the switch and consequently no interruption to the operation of the machine.

Obviously, when the machine stops, the chain 4'! will cease its operative movement, and matters will remain at a stand-still until the trouble has veen located and remedied. In other words, there is no possibility whatsoever that any of the boxes 2i will contain less than the predetermined amount of cards in each stack, since a single skip will stop the machine. Nor can the boxes contain more than the predetermined amount of cards in view of the fact that the spacing of bars 60 determines the period during which cards can be fed at a known rate of feeding.

It is necessary that the said terminal 85 of the switch actuator lever 80 be below the discharge point between rollers l9 and 2llthat is, below the uppermost point 16 on said roller 28. With this arrangement, a card l8 being transferred from rollers M and [5 to discharge rollers l9 and 26 will have an unobstructed path except for the detector finger 19, and each of these is sufliciently light in weight to enable the forwardly moving card 8 to lift it in the manner above indicated. The card 18 thus can not possibly contact the lever 80, and it is only the detector finger 19 which can actuate said lever 80 when there is no card present to lift said finger above the terminal 85 of the lever.

In the above description, the invention has been disclosed merely by way of example and in preferred manner; but obviously many variations and modifications may be made therein which will still be comprised within its spirit. It is to be understood, therefore, that the invention is not limited to any specific form or manner of practicing same, except insofar as such limitations are specified in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a gathering machine of the type having a movable card-transfer member for moving a card to a predetermined discharge position, a discharge member disposed forwardly of said card-transfer member and spaced therefrom for receiving and supporting a card being operatively moved by said transfer member toward said discharge position, an electric switch, a lever operatively engageable with said switch and movable between a predetermined switch-actuating position and a nonswitch-actuating position, a movably mounted detector finger adjacent said lever and adapted to engage the lever for operatively moving it into its said switch-actuating position, said lever being normally yieldably held in its said nonswitch-actuating position, the path of said card in moving towards said discharge position being between the said lever and said finger, whereby the card will constitute a separating barrier between the lever and finger.

2. The combination according to claim 1, the discharge member including two coacting rotating rollers for operatively receiving therebetween the said card, the peripherally coacting portions of said rollers being disposed at said discharge position, the said lever being spaced from said coacting portions of the rollers, whereby the lever will be out of the path of said card.

3. The combination according to claim 2, said rollers being positioned one above the other. said lever being spaced below the level of said discharge position, said finger being pivotally mounted behind said discharge member, the pivotal mounting for the detector finger being above the level of said discharge position.

4. The combination according to claim said finger being of a length sufficient to extend below the level of said discharge position for operative engagement with said lever.

5. The combination according to claim 4, said finger being attached to said movable card-transfer member.

6. The combination according to claim 1, the discharge member including a stationary wall spaced rearwardly from said lever for slidably supporting said card, the said finger and its mounting being movable between predetermined forward and retracted positions, the finger being engageable with said wall when in its said retracted position and with said lever when the finger is in its said forward position, whereby in the absence of a card the finger will concomitantly acuate said lever and switch.

'7. The combination according to claim 6, the discharge member further including two coacting rotating rollers for operatively receiving therebetween the said card, the peripherally coacting portions of said rollers being disposed at said discharge position, said rollers being positioned one above the other, said lever being spaced below the level of said discharge position, said detector finger being pivotally mounted the pivotal mounting for the detector finger being above the level of said discharge position, said finger being of a discharge. position and adjacentthecommon vein tical center: lineof Jthe bWOxl'OllEl'S;

10;The combination according to cl-aim= 9, the

discharge membei further including a stationarywall-spaced: rearwardly from the lever and having aforward upper terminal-edge-spaced a=predetermined distancerearwardly-from-the said ter minal ofthe lever:

-11.- Thecombination according to claim 10; the

said finger and its mounting being movable be tween predetermined forward and retractedpositions, the fingerbeing of asuflicient length to enter thesaidspacebetween the-saiddever and wall terminals to operatively -engage the lever terminal whenthe finger is-in-itssaid forward position, the fi-n-ger being engageable with the said wall when it is in said retracted-position.

12. The combination according toclaim 11, the said wall being slightlyupwardiy-andforwardly inclined, the forward terminal of l the wall being above the said terminal of the lever;

13. In a gathering machine of the typehaving a hopper for feeding cards to'a card-transfer member, the combination era-movabletransfer armmovable between predeterminedforw-ard dis charging and retracted recei-vingpositions, a-pair of transfer rollers rotatably'mountedthereonfor operatively receiving a a card i from said hopper and moving it forwardly, a-dischargemember disposed forwardly of said transfer armate-predetermined discharge position and-spaced from said arm for receiving and supporting -a-card' being operatively moved by'sa-id transfer rollers toward said dischargeposition, an electric switch, a lever operatively engageable witlrsaid switchand movable between a predetermined switchactuating position and a non+switoh-aetuating position, a detector finger pivotallyvmounted onsaid transfer arm, said finger "being adapted-to engage the leverfor operatively movingit irrto" its said switch-actuating position when-the trans fer arm is in its said forward-.Eposition-and being out of engagement therewithwhenthetranster arm is in its said retracted position', said lever- 8 being; normally yieldably. heldin its said 1 none switch-actuating position, the pathofsald cardin movingatowards said discharge" position-beingbetween the said lever and-said: finger, wherebythecard will constitute a separating barrierbc tween the lever and finger.

14. The combination according toclaim13'; the-said transfer arm'beingplvotally mounted;

the-said discharge member including two coast ing rotating rollers-for operatively receiving therebetween the said card, the peripherally coactlng portions of said rollers being disposed-at said discharge position, a stationary frame spaced forwardly from said transfer arm, said-lever being pivotally mounted on the-frame.

15. The combination according to claim 14;- said switch 1 being attached to the frame, theswitch having aspring arm normallyyieldablyholding the lever position.

16. The combination according to-cl-aim 15;

in its said non-switch-actuating said discharge member further including :3. --sta tionarywall affixed to said frame-behind"said" disoharge rollers, said wall-being adapted to slid ably support a card operatively moving between the-transfer and dischargerollers, said finger being-adapted to engage said wall'when thetransforum is in its said retracted position.

1'7. The combination according to claim 16,

- eachpair of said rollers being insubstantial-vertical alignment, wherebythe path of travel of the card will be substantially horizontal, thepivotal mounting of-the finger being above 'the' said path of travel, whereby-the-detecting-finger :wlll--gravitationa1ly rest upon the card moving;

along said path of travel.

18'. The combination according to claim 1-3;

further-providedwith a table extending below"- and forwardly of said hopper, a longitudinally slotted portion therealong, an intermittently moving conveyorchainbelow-the table-and containing-spaced pusher bars extending vertically through said slotted portion, said'pusher barsbeing yieldablymounted on said chain and being;

adapted to engage-boXes-disposed on' sald table,

and-drivingmeans connected to the conveyorchain andthe said transfer-rollers.-

JOHN GEORGE HERRMA-NN;

REFERENCES CITED The following. referencesareof recordinthe:

file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,109,127 Juengst Sept. 1,1191'4. 1,738,180 Frazier Dec. 3,1929 2,020,027 Gore Nov. 5,193,551 2,058,005 Donnellan Get. 20, 1936'. 2,165,535 Brownsey July 11, 1939"