US2614679A - Conveyer and transfer mechanism for wrapping machines - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 21, 1952 o. SANDBERG 2,614,679

CONVEYER AND TRANSFER MECHANISM FOR WRAPPING MACHINES Filed May 2, 1949 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 .L L I I 0. SANDBERG Oct. 21, 1952 CONVEYER AND TRANSFER MECHANISM FOR WRAPPING MACHINES 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 2, 1949 Oct. 21, 1952 O- SANDBERG v CONVEYER AND TRANSFER MECHANISM FOR WRAPPING MACHINES Filed May 2, 1949 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 W lll q &

Oct. 21, 1952 o. SANDBERG 2,514,679

CONVEYER AND TRANSFER MECHANISM FOR WRAPPING MACHINES Filed May 2, 1949 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 "mail!" "H M-l.

By 9 2W jigs.

Oct. 21, 1952 o. SANDBERG 2,614,679

CONVEYER AND TRANSFER MECHANISM FOR WRAPPING MACHINES Filed May 2, 1949 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 gg 24b o. SANDBERG 2,614,679

TRANSFER MECHANISM FOR WRAPPING MACHINES Oct. 21, 1952 CONVEYER AND 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed May 2, 1949 0.scar 47252497 I u I I I l 1 v I 1. I I I lllllllllllillllfl n h l s l l l I u I h N o. SANDBERG ,614,679

CONVEYER AND TRANSFER MECHANISM FOR WRAPPING MACHINES Oct. 21, 1952 8 Sheets-Sheet '7 Filed May 2, 1949 imHr HIM HIT) Oct. 21, 1952 V o. SANDBERG 2,614,579

CONVEYER AND TRANSFER MECHANISM FOR WRAPPING MACHINES Filed May 2, 1949 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 flzziyi Patented Oct. 21, 1952 ooNvEYEa AND TRANSFER MECHANISM FOR WRAPPING MACHINES I 7 Oscar Sandberg, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to Lynch Corporation, Anderson, Ind.,

a corporation of Application May 2 1949, Serial No. 90,990

This invention relates to a means for feeding articles to an intake conveyor of a wrapping machine and particularly articles such as cookies, or sandwiches so that they can be placed in a feeding conveyor, the feeder mechanism being operable to remove a predetermined numberlor stack of the cookies or sandwiches at a time and position them where they can be engagedby a former plate and lowered into the pocket of a pocket conveyor which conveys the stack to a position where it can be engaged by a vertical rain for moving it into the wrapping mechanism of the wrapping machine.

One object of the invention isto provide an in clined feed conveyor and ameasuringmeans to permit the advance of only a predeterminednumber'or stack of articles to a position where they may be engaged by a horizontal ram-which moves them away'from the feed conveyor to a position for introduction into a pocket conveyor, a reciprocating former plate adapted to then engage the stack of articles at this position andrshift the cookies of the stack to an aligned position prior to moving them into a pocket of the pocket conveyor so that they 'rest in proper position therein for beingconveyed to the Wrapping mechanism.

Another object is to provide a means for adjusting the measuring device and parts of the feeder mechanism to accommodate a different number of articles with a minimum of operations necessary to convert from one size stack of articles to another.

Still another object is to provide a feed conveyor delivering'articles at right angles over a pocket conveyor with a measuring rod recipro- 1 Claims." (01. 198-24) ure 3 showing certain parts conveyor, this ram moving the predetermined number or stack of articles to a position out of alignment with the feed conveyor where they may be engaged by a former plate and moved into a l indicated by the line. I0l 0; and

Still a, further object is to provide acontrol' lever for controlling the reciprocation of the measuring rod so as to stop its operation when desired; the control lever arrangement being designed to permit stopping of the measuring rod only in the position it assumes when extended into the feed conveyor for preventing the articles from beingfed thereby to a position in front of theram. v With these and other objects in view,vmy feeder for wrapping machines consists in' the construction,'arrangement and combination of the various parts of which it is composed whereby the,

objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my:claims and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings in which: I v

Figure l is a left side elevation ofipart'of a Wrapping machine such as shown in my copending application above referred to andvto. which my present feeder has been applied;

Figure 2 is a similar left side elevation and is a continuation of the right hand end of Figure 1; this figure showing most of the mechanism of the feeder; l :,v

Figure 3 is an enlarged rear end view as viewed from the righthand end of Figure 2, some of the operating parts being'omitted as they are shown in later figures;

of Figure 3 showinglan automatic release mechamsm; i .v l 1 Figure 3 is a, similar View :of'a portion of Figthereof in avvdiiferent position;

" Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view on the line i-4 of Figure l, the scale however vbeing somewhat smaller than Figure 3; Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 55 of Figure 2, the scale being the same as Figure 3 Y Figure 6 is a plan View looking forward (toward the left Figure 2) and showing the feed con- VBYOI', the scale being the same as Figure 2;

Figure 7 is a rear elevation of Figure 6 as taken on the line 55 of Figure 2;

Figure 8 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 88 of Figure '7; i

Figure 9 is a sectional view on the line 99 of Figure 8; p V

Figure 10' is 1 an enlarged plan view looking forward and showing theportion of Figure2- Figure 11 is a sectional view on the line ll-ll nalled in bearings supported by the frame mem ber I6 and a cross shaft 32 '(Figure 2) isjournalled in bearings supported by the rods 22 and 24. Sprockets 34, 36 and 33 are mounted on the shafts 28, 30 and 32, respectively, and a chain 40 extends around the three sprockets and passes over an idler wheel 45 (Figure2), supportedby 1 brackets 41 and 49 and fittings I and 53 on the rods 22 and 24. Periodically spaced "on the chain 40 are channeled shaped pockets 42 adapted to receivestacks'of articles to be wrapped.

Adjacent the sprockets 34 and 36 (Figure 1) a vertical ram 55 is provided for elevating articles from the pocket conveyor into a rotary head 5! journalled on a shaft 59 in a pair of side frames M which are mounted on the table 20. This rotor includes pockets (not shown) to receive the articles and wrap them as .fully disclosed in my above mentioned copending application. The ram head 55 is mounted on a cross head 63 which is vertically slidable on stationary guide rods 65 and is reciprocated by means of an arm H on the rock shaft H4 operatively connected by links I3 with the cross head.

The pocket conveyor 40-42 is driven by a Geneva movement including a notched disk 43 on a shaft 44 and an arm 46 having a roller 48 to coact therewith, the arm being mounted on a continuously rotating shaft 50 which ro- '62 and an idler pulley 64. The belt slides on a.

supporting plate 66 connected at its left end to a supporting rod 68 extending between brackets and I2 which, as shown. in Figure '7, are mounted by means of hubs I4 surrounding the supporting rods 22 and 24. Y

The outer end of the plate 66 is supported by a yoke 16 connected with a strut I8 which in turn is connected with a bracket 80 secured to abase plate 82 of the machine. The feed conveyor further includes a pair of side plates 84 supported by rods 86 in hubs 88 of brackets 90. Set screws 92 areused to retain the rods in various adjusted positions so that the side plates 84 can be adjusted to accommodate cookiesor clamp screws'being threaded into the plate 66.

For propelling the conveyor belt 60, I provide a ratchet wheel I00 operatively connected with "the drive pulley 62-a'nd actuated by a pawl I02. The pawl is engagedwith the teeth of the ratchet wheel by a spring 104 and is' carried by an oscil- 4 latable arm I06 which in turn is connected by a link I08 with an arm H0 on a driven rock shaft H2.

Referring to Figure 2 the driven rock shaft H2 is actuated by a drive rock shaft H4. The rock shaft H4 in turn is actuated as disclosed in Figure 4 by an arm H5 depending therefrom and connected by a link H1 with a crank H9 on a main drive shaft I23. The shaft I23 is suitably connected by bevel gears and a chain connection I23. as disclosed in my Patent 2,283,097 with the shaft 50 whereby the shaft 50'rotates at the same speed as the shaft I23 which is once per cycle of operation of the wrap- I ping machine.

The driven rock shaft H2 is then oscillated from the drive rock shaft H4 through a clutch mechanism including a disk H6 on the shaft H4 and a companion disk H8 on the shaft H2. A pin I20 is slidably mounted in the disk H8 and is adapted to enter a socket I24 in the disk H6, the pin being spring biased to a position out of the socket by a spring I48 at the rear of the feeder to be described later.

Means is provided to force the pin into the socket I24 at the will of the operator comprising a bracket I28 attached to the rock shaft H2 and having a projection I30. The pin I26 is also slidable through the projection I30 and is threaded in a fitting I32 which is connected by a pivot pin I34 to a link I36. A collar I38 is provided on the pivot pin I34 to permit pivoting action, but prevent the pin I34 from dropping out of the fitting I32.

The link I36 is connected by a pivot pin I40 to a clutch lever I42. The clutch lever is pivoted at. I44.to a bracket I 46and extends upwardly at an angle as shown in Figure 3 to terminate at a position at the right side of the machine where it is convenient to be engaged by an operator standing in position to place articles in the .feed conveyor. The spring I48 is connected with the lever I42 and with the frame member 26 for the purpose of biasing the lever toward the frame member, thus tending to withdraw the pin I20 from the socket I24 of the disk H8.

A latch bar I50 best shown in Figure 3 is pivoted at-I52 to the frame member 26 and is biased upwardly toward the clutch lever I42 bya spring I54; The latch bar has a notch I56 normally receiving the clutch-lever and a fingerI-58 of an arm I60 is adapted to engage and depress the latch bar I50 each cycle of operation. The arm I60 is mounted on the driven rock shaft H2 by meansof a-second arm I62 (see Figure 3), a stud I64 carried thereby and a clamp screw I66 adapted to clamp the arm I60 at a desired adjusted position on the stud I64.

The arm I62 is also provided with a clamp screw I63 so that both the angular relation of the finger I58 to the rock shaft and its distance therefrom may be adjusted by loosening the screws I63 and I66 and retightening them after the adjustment is made. Additionally, the finger I58 is carried by a plate I59 having a slot I6I through which a clamp bolt I extends so that the finger can be adjusted up or down on the bracket I60.

The rock shaft I I2 is normally held in the position shown in Figure 3 by a spring I68 connected at one end therewith and at its other end to a strap I10 secured at [12 to the frame member 26.

A' manually releasable latch lever I74 is provided for the clutch lever [42, this lever being pivoted to the frame member 26 at I16 as shown inFigureZ The latch lever I14 has a notch I18 to r'ecei've theclutch lever as illustrated in this 'I-hec'ookiesor sandwiches which are placed on the conveyor'belt' 66 are moved toward the ratchet wheel "IE9 .(to-the left'in Figure 7) by the belt to a position-a'g'ain'st a plate I39. This plate as shown in Figure 10 is adjustably supported by me'ans-of rods 182 and I8 lwhich' are 'slidable in bossesof' 'a bracket I86'and the bracket 10 respectively. The bracket I86 is supported on the rod 68. 'Set screws I88 are provided to retain the rods I82 and" 'I M in their adjustedpositions. Th'e belt '66 "is'o'perated'at a speed slightly greater than that necessary to bring the desired number ofcookies or sandwiches into "position against the plate I 8!] for being engaged by a horizontal ram shown in'Figures 10 and 11. Theram just'referred' to is in the form of a plate I90 slidable in guides I92 and a second plate I94 secured thereto with a spacer I96 betweenthem as shown in Figure 11 in orderto provide a ram that properlycontact's with the cookies or sandwiches 94 asshownwithout interfering with a measuring rod 259 between the plates and which will 1 be described in detail later in the specification. The retracted position of the ram is illustrated bydot and dash lines in this figure. a

The horizontal ram IS-Ei-HM is operated "by a lever I98 (see Figure 10)-connected with the ram by a-link 20B and pivotally mounted at 292 on an *extension' 284' of the bracket I2 as shown in Figure 2. The other end of the lever I98 has a link ZOBconnectedthereWith which extends forwardly andispivoted at 208 to a crank-arm 2 I as shown inFi'gure" 1. v shaft 2I2journalled on the table 28 and provided with asprocket 2 I 4 which is oper'atively connected by a chai n 2I6 with a sprocket 2| 8 on the shaft The crank arm 2w issecured to a 5E1. This. chain extends around idlers 220 and 22-2.:JThe horizontalram I 9liI9i is thereby reciprocat'ed'once each cycle of the wrapping machine.

The ram Hill-lei pushes the stack of cookies or sandwiches containing the. desired number 'from..alignrnent with the belt conveyor 60 to'a position just ahead of the belt, such position being shown-at M in Figure 10. A former plate 224 (see Figure 5 also) is adapted at this position to engage the stacker sandwiches and force them down into a pocket 42 of the pocket'conveyor. 'The cook'ies are held at this position before the for-mrplate engages'them by means of the plate "Isaand a plate 226 (see Figure having its "r'e' 'a'r'end pivoted b'y-means of hook lugs 228 to a f stationary plate 2 3i The forward endfo'f the pivoted plate 22 6'carries a rod 232 which is slidabl-inthestationary plate 230, and has, a collar 234' to engagethe plate 230. A second c'o1lar'236 is securedtothe-rod and connected by a spring The asthey'enter the pocket'of the pocket conveyor. The former plate 224 is carried by a rod 240 -slida'ble in a guide 242 supported'by an extension .:-244.of the bracket I9 as shown in Figure 5. The

upper end of the rod 240 is connected by means of la-pivotpm 246 to a link 248, the'connection' sbeing of the ball and socket-type. The lower end of the link 2248 is connected by a combined pivot and clamp bolt 250 to'an arm 252 extending from the rock shaft H2. This'arm is slotted as indi- 'cated at 254 so that the stroke of the former plate 224 may be adjusted.

' A measuring-or stroke regulator rod 256 is provided as shown in Figure 5 having its left end pivoted to an arm-258 on the rock shaft I I2 and its other end slidable in a guide tube 280. This tube is weldedor otherwise suitably secured to the plate I80.

Practical operation In the operation of my feeder for wrapping machines an attendant places the cookies or sandwiches on the conveyor belt 62) and they are propelled toward the left in Figure 5 to a position against the measuring rod 256, it being'in the dotted position the major portion of a cycle of operation. V v p Periodically the rodZSt is retracted to' the position shown by solid lines during which time the conveyor belt is propelled by the ratchet'mechanism IMIG5 and therefore advances the row of sandwiches causing them to follow the measuring rod 256. After this rod reaches the full line position the horizontal-ram I90l94 moves forwardly from the dot and dash line' position illustrated in Figure 11 to the full line position shown therein, this position also being shown in Figure 10. This advances the stack of sandwiches to a positionunder the former plate 22d at which position they are heldsuspended above a pocket of the pocket conveyor by the spring pressed plate 226.

The feeder is shown adjusted for foursandwiches (one sandwich being two cookies or crackers with a filling between them) but by adjust ing the .pivot 251 upwardly in the slot 259 of the arm 258 it can be adjusted for five sandwiches since its travel will be longer in a direction toward the left in Figure 5, that is the solid; line position will be one sandwich farther to the left. Adjustment ofthe feeder for five sandwiches also requires that the plate I80 be adjusted'tcward the left and this is accomplished by loosening the set screws I88 to permit the rods" E32 and H84 to beslid toward the left to accommodatethe additional sandwiches. The pocket conveyor and the wrapping mechanism are also similarly adjusted but this forms no part of'my present invention.

At this time in the cycle of operation the former plate 224 lowered for leveling up the stack of sandwiches and moving them from position 94 in Figiires'lO and 11 downwardly to the dot and dash line position 94* in Figure 11. This of course is during the time the pocket conveyor is stationary. travels forwardly between side plates '61 of the pocket conveyor and eventually reaches the position in alignment with the ram head 55 in "Figure 1. The ram is then elevated throu gh a hole 69 in the bottom of the pocket forelevating the stack of sandwiches into the rotary wrapping head 57.

The stack of sandwiches thenv the feed conveyor or whenever broken sandwiches are to be removed therefrom. For this purp se, the clutch lever I42 is provided and is retained in the operative position of Figure 2 against the bias .of the spring I48 by the manual latch lever I74 and particularly the left side of the notch I13. To stop, the feeder it is merely necessary to lift, the latch lever I14, whereupon the spring I48 pulls the lever I42 toward the frame member 26 thereby tending to retract the link I36 and accordingly retract the pin I from the socket I24. The latch bar I50 however holds the lever I42 against such movement as evident from an inspection of Figure 3 except when the finger I58 depresses the latch bar as in Figure 3 when the rock shaft I I2 reaches its clockwise limit of movement (counter-clockwise limit shown in Figures 3 and 3 Thus if the measuring rod 256 is not at its farthest in limit of movement relativeto the feed conveyor 60 when the latch lever I14 is lifted, the latch bar I50 will hold the lever I42 against movement (dotted position of Figure 3 to retract the pin I20 and such retraction will occur only when the finger I58 depresses the latch bar I50 to the full line position in this figure. This operation prevents the pin I20 being withdrawn from the socket I24 except when the spring IE8 is stretched least and eliminates the possibility of the spring slamming the parts to the clockwise limit of oscillation of the rock, shaft I I2.

Also in order to stop the measuring rod in the dotted line position of Figure 5, it is desirable that the clutch pin I20 is not retracted until the clockwise limit of oscillation of the rock shaft H2 is 4 reached at which position it is held by the spring IE8. This is accomplished by the proper relation of the finger I58 with respect to the latch bar I50 so as to engage the latch bar and lower it at the clockwise limit of oscillation.

Subsequently when it is desirable to cause operation of the rock shaft I I2 again the lever I42 is swung rearwardly to the full line position of Figure 2 and latched by gravity acting on the latch lever I14. This forces the pin I20 into the socket I24 whenthe socket reaches a'position of alignment with the pin for connectingthe driven rock shaft I I2 with the drive rock shaft I I4. The feeding mechanism is thus under instant control of the attendant but the declutch action is automatically withheld until the proper time in the cycle of operation of the machine.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts of my device-without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention,and it is my intention to cover by my claims any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim:

1. In a feeder for wrapping machines, a feed conveyor, a ratchet drive therefor; a measuring rod, a guide-tube therefor, means for reciprocating said measuring rod in said guide tube for contacting a row of articles-in said feed conveyor, means for operating said ratchet drive for causing the articles in the feed conveyor to follow said measuring rod when it moves in a feeding direction, a ram adapted to engage a predetermined number of the articles and move them out of alignment with said feed conveyor after said measuring rod has reached its outer limit of movement, spring biased plates betweenv which said plurality of articles are moved by said ram, a reciprocable former plate adapted to engage said p urality of articles and m -them from their position between said plates into a pocket of a pocket conveyor, and means for operating said, measuring rod comprising adrive rock shaft, a driven rocl; shaft, a pin type clutch for connecting said driven rock shaft to said drive rock shaft, a clutchlever for engaging said pin, a

springfor disengaging it, said clutch lever Controlling the engag ment and disengagement, a latch lever for, said clutch lever in the engaged position, a latch bar for said clutch lever in the engaged position, said latch lever being manually releasable, and said latch bar being normally engaged but periodically disengaged each cycle of operation of the wrapping machine for permitting said spring to effect disengagement only when said measuring rod is at its inner limit of movement, and a second spring fornormally biasing said measuring rod to said limit of movement. r

2.. In a feeder for wrapping machines, a feed conveyor, a measuring rod, a guide tube therefor, means for reciprocating said measuring rod in said tube for contacting a row of articles in said feed conveyor, a ram adapted to engage a predetermined number of the articles and move them out of alignment with said feed conveyor, spring biased plates between which said plurality of articles are moved by said ram, a reciprocable former plate adapted to engage said plurality of articles and move them from their position between said plates into a pocket of a pocket conveyor, and means for operating said measuring rod and said feed conveyor comprising a drive rock shaft, a driven rock shaft, a pin type clutch for connecting said driven rock shaft to said drive rock shaft, a clutch lever for engaging said pin, a spring for disengaging it, said clutch lever controlling the engagement and disengagement, a latch lever for said clutch lever in the engaged position, a latch bar for said clutch lever in the engaged position, said latch lever being manually releasable, and said latch bar being normally engaged but periodically disengaged each cycle of operation of the wrapping machine for permitting said spring to effect disengagement only at a predetermined position of the parts.

3. In a feeder for wrapping machines, a feed conveyor, a measuring rod, a guide tube therefor, means for reciprocating said measuring rod in said tube for contacting a row of articles in said feed conveyor, a ram adapted to engage a predetermined number of the articles and move them out of alignment with said feed conveyor, spring biased plates between which said plurality of articles are moved by said ram, a reciprocable former plate adapted to engage said plurality of articles and move them from their position between said plates into a pocket of a pocket conveyor, means for operating said measuring rod and said feed conveyor comprising a drive rock shaft, a driven rock shaft, a pin type clutch for connecting said driven rock shaft to said drive rock shaft, a clutch lever for engaging said pin, and a spring for disengaging it.

4. In a feeder for wrapping machines, a feed conveyor, a measuring rod, a guide tube therefor, means for reciprocating said measuring rod in said tube for contacting a row of articles in said feed conveyor, a ram adapted to engage a predetermined number of the articles and move them out of alignment with said feed conveyor, means for operating said measuring rod and said feed conveyor comprising a drive rock shaft, a driven rock shaft, a pin type clutch for connecting said driven rock shaft to saiddriverock shaft, :a clutch lever for engaging said pin, a spring forhdise'n gaging it, said clutch lever controlling the engagekment and disengagement, a latch lever forsaid conveyor, a measuring rod, means for reciprocating said measuring rod throughout a limited porj 'tion of the discharge end of said feed conveyor for contacting the discharge end of a row of articles in said feed conveyor, said limited portion substantially corresponding to the height of a stack of said articles to be wrapped, means for operating said measuring rod and said feed conveyor simultaneously in a feeding direction, a ram to engage a predetermined number of the articles and move them out of alignment with said feed conveyor after said measuring rod has reached its outer limit of movement, means to receive said plurality of articles moved by said ram, a reciprocable former plate adapted to engage said plurality of articles and move them from their position received in said last means into a pocket of a pocket conveyor, said means for operating said measuring rod and said feed conveyor comprising a drive rock shaft, a driven rock shaft, a pin type clutch for connecting said driven rock shaft to said drive rock shaft, a clutch lever for engaging said pin, and a spring for disengaging it, said clutch lever controllingthe en gagement and disengagement. I

6. A feeder for a wrapping machine having a pocket conveyor comprising a feed conveyor for delivering articles thereto, a measuring rod reciprocable in said feed conveyor, said feed conveyor traveling at right angles to the pocket conveyor, means for stacking the articles and placing a stock ineach pocket of the pocket conveyor comprising a rain for engaging a stack of the articles and moving them in a direction at right angles to the feed conveyor, squeeze plates between which the stack is held when moved by said ram, a movable former for engaging the stack and moving it from'between said squeeze plates into a pocket of the pocket conveyor,

means for cyclically operating said feed conveyor, ram and former, means for operating said measuring rod and said feed conveyor comprising a drive rock shaft, a driven rock shaft, a pin type clutch for connecting said driven rock shaft to said drive rock shaft, a clutch lever for engaging said pin, and a spring for disengaging it, said clutch lever controlling the engagement and disengagement, a latch lever for said clutch lever in the engaged position, a latch bar for said clutch lever in the engaged position, said latch lever being manually releasable, and said latch bar being normally engaged but periodically disengaged each cycle of operation of the wrapping machine for permitting said spring to effect disengagement only at a predetermined position of the parts.

7. A feeder for a Wrapping machine having a pocket conveyor comprising a feed conveyor for delivering articles thereto, said feed conveyor traveling at right angles to the pocket conveyor, means for stacking-the articles and placing a stack in each pocket of the pocket conveyor comprising a horizontal ram for ,engaginga; stack of the'articles and moving from alignment with said feed conveyor, squeeze platesfor holding the stack when moved by said ram, a vertically movable former for engaging the stack and moving it from between said squeeze plates-into a pocket of. the pocket conveyor, and means for cyclically operating said feed conveyor, ram-and former comprising a drive rock shaft,- adriven rock shaft, a pin type clutch for. connecting said driven rock to said drive rookshaft; a clutch lever for engaging said pin, a springcfor disengaging it, a latch lever for said 'clutcli l'e'ver' in the engaged position, a latch-bar for the, clutch lever in the engaged position, saidilatch' lever being manually releasable, and said latch bar being normally engaged but periodically disengaged each cycle of operation of the wrapping machine for permitting said spring to effect disengagement only at a predetermined position of the parts.

8; A feeder for a wrapping machine having a pocket conveyor comprising a feed conveyor for delivering articles thereto, said feed conveyor traveling at right angles to the pocket conveyor, means for stacking the articles and placing a stack in each pocket of the pocket conveyor comprising a ram for engaging a stack of the articles and moving them in a direction at right angles to the feed conveyor, squeeze plates between which the stack is moved by said ram, a vertically movable former for engaging the stack and moving it from between said squeeze plates into a pocket of the pocket conveyor, and means for cyclically operating said feed conveyor, ram and former, said last means comprising a drive rock shaft, a driven rock shaft, a pin type clutch for connecting said driven rock to said drive rock shaft, a clutch lever for engaging said pin, a spring for disengaging it, means to insure disengagement only at a predetermined position of the parts, and a second spring for normally biasing said parts to said predetermined position.

9. In a feeder of the character disclosed, a feed conveyor for articles to be fed in stacks to a alignment with said measuring rod to a secondary position, a pair of squeeze plates which hold the stack at the position assumed by reason of the operation of said ram, said ram being bifurcated to straddle said measuring rod and thereby permit operation of the ram when the rod is in its inner limit of movement, means for operating said measuring rod each cycle of operation of the wrapping machine, means for operating'said ram only when it is desirable to feed articles to the wrapping machine, said last means including a drive rock shaft and a driven rock shaft, a clutch connection between the two and control means for said clutch connection disengageable only at a predetermined position of the parts when said measuring rod is at its inner limit of movement,

and a. spring for holding said rod at said limit except when said clutch connection is engaged.

10.In a feeder of the character disclosed, a feed conveyor for articlesto be fed'in stacks to a wrap-ping machine, a measuring rod reciprocable into and out of said feed conveyor, drive means for saidi'eed conveyor interconnected with said measuring rod to operate the feed conveyor only as the measuring rod-is retracted from said conveyo a-ram adapted to engage a stack of articles and move them from position in alignment with said measuring rod to a secondary position, means .tohold the stack at the position assumed by reason'of the operation of said ram, said ram being bifurcated to straddle said measuring rod and. thereby permit operation of the ram when the rod is in its inner limit of movement, means for reciprocating said measuring rod into and out dftsaid feedconveyor each cycle of operation of the wrapping machine, and means for operating psaid ram only when'it is desirable to feed articles to the wrapping :machine, said last means includ- 12' mg a drive rock shaft and a :driven rock shaft, 2. clutch-connection between the two, and control means for said clutch :connection .to permit dis- The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,818,496 Milmoe Aug. 11, .1931 2,315,670 Tascher et al .Apr. 6,1943

2,345,310 Willoughby c -Mar. 28, .1944

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