US2549772A - Sheet metal feed device - Google Patents

Description

April 24, 1951 F. v. CARROLL 2,549,772

SHEET METAL FEED DEVICE Filed June 18, 1945 l "Willi l I'hlmlllll l Patented Apr. 24,Y 1951 SHEET METAL FEED DEVICE Frank V. Carroll,

signor to 2 Claims.

This invention relates to a sheet metal feed device, and more particularly to a very simple and eiective means for feeding tin plates and the like to a stacker so that alternate sheets will have their list edges at opposite sides of the pile.

As is well known, any metal sheet which has been coated with a hot dipped metal, such as tin, acquires a thickening at the list or drip edge thereof due to an accumulation of metal at that edge as the sheet is lifted from the molten metal bath. This thickness is such that if the metal is stacked with the list edges of the sheets all at one side of the stack be very much thicker than the other.

Munster-Hammond, Ind., as- Inland Ste el Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application June 18, 1945, Serial No. 600,092

or pile, that side will be In prac-"i tice heretofore the sheets have been stacked with j all of the list edges on one'side, after which they are divided by hand labor, usually a certain numi ber of sheets being counted off and turned 180"` in a horizontal plane, after which an equal number of the sheets is added without turning so that when the stack is complete the edge portions are of even height, with the center of the stack lower than either side. This is an expensive and cumbersome operation, and the present invention eliminates all need for it by turning alternate sheets as they emerge from the plating bath.

The invention is illustrated in which,

Fig. 1 is a side a plating bath of the usual type and having applied Vat the top thereof the feeding device which is the basis for this invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the alternator.

In accordance with the II) are fed seriatim through the bath of molten metal` II in any conventional manner. They are then fed upwardly by rolls I2 through the bath of palm oil I3 between the guides I4 and the rolls I5. In conventional operation, the sheets at this stage are as the cone I6 onto the slide I1 from which they pass to a conveyor and are drawn through the bath 4I8 to a conventional stacking apparatus. In the present structure, however, the sheets come into contact with one surface of the alternator which is providedwith two concave cam surfaces 2I and 22 which converge in the elongated point 23. This alternator is pivotally mountedl as'on a pin in the cone I6 and may rock from one position, shown in Fig. l, to the other, its position being limited by the pins 26 and 21 which engage the sides of the cone IB at their respective limits of position.

Assuming that the the drawings in alternator is in the position elevation partly in section of invention, the sheets f directed by a guide such shown in solid lines in Fig. 1 a sheet emerging from the rolls I5 contacts the surface 2| at a point near the bottom thereof. As the sheet rises it rocks the alternator toward the position shown in dotted lines. As it does so the sheet bends toward the right, while the point 23 is brought toward or near the back of the sheet. In some cases the point will actually move the sheet somewhat toward the right. As the sheet rises the weight of metal above the cam surface 2| gradually increases and, therefore, changes the curvature of the sheet and this permits the alternator to gradually reach the position shown in dotted lines as the movement of the sheet to the right frees the point 23 for such movement. As the sheet emerges from the rolls I5 it falls upon the slide 30 and then passes under the influence of gravity underneath the alternator and above the next oncoming sheet over onto the slide I1 from which point it pursues the conventional course.

The succeeding sheet nds the alternator in the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1 and the process is repeated except that this sheet is directed to the left and falls immediately upon the slide I1. It forces the alternator back to the position shown in solid lines in Fig. 1.

It will be observed that the sheets which will fall upon the slide I1 will have their list edges toward the right of the drawing, whereas the sheets which fall upon the slide 30 will have their list edges to the left of the drawing, and this relationship is carried through into the final stack.

It has been discovered that the speed of movement of the sheets from the slide 30 is sufliciently rapid that there isr no interference with the normal and conventional feeding of the sheets from the machine.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. In a feed device for metal sheets, means for feeding sheets seriatim in an upward path, a first slide directed downwardly from the upward path, a second slide directed upwardly from the upward path and so positioned and arranged that sheets dropping thereon are passed by gravity onto the first slide, and rock means in the path having a cam surface facing each slide and adapted alternately to guide one sheet to one slide and the succeeding sheet to the other slide, said rock means being shaped and positioned so that each sheet contacting one of the cam surfaces thereof deflects the rock means to bring the other cam surface to the sheet engaging position.

2. A feed device for metal sheets, comprising, means for feeding sheets seriatim in an upward path, a slide directed downwardly from one side of said upward path, an upwardly directed slide immediately opposite the rst mentioned slide so positioned and arranged that sheets dropping 10 thereon are passed by gravity onto the rst slide, and a triangular directing alternator pivotally mounted between the two slides, said alternator being constructed and arranged so that twoadjacent generally upright sides alternately engage 15 the sheets as they are fed upwardly in said path and each of said sides being shaped soY that engagement of an upwardly moving sheet therewith gradually rocks the alternator to a position with the other of said sides in said path, whereby said alternator directs succeeding sheets rst to one of said slides and then to the other.

FRANK V. CARROLL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 13,287 v Stiner et al. Aug. 29, 1911 772,406v Eckstein Oct. 18, 1904 822,698 Steele June 5, 1906 943,264 Niedringhous Dec. 14, 1909 2,278,544 Gaskill et al. Apr. 7, 1942 2,279,166 Hodil et al Apr. 7, 1942 2,328,949 Bradley Sept. 7, 1943

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