US2628754A - Article-traying unit - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 17, 1953 Filed July 24, 1947 J; B. ALHINO 2,628,754

ARTICLE-TRAYING UNIT 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 343? 23 r 15 35 o\ I I 4 m H 4114/ "W r/M -fjf'r :l

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2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 J. B. ALHINO ARTICLE-TRAYING UNIT Feb. 17, 1953 Filed Jul 24, 1947 Patented F eb. 17, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ARTICLE-TRAYING UNIT John B. Albino, San Leandro, Calif.

Application July 24, 1947, Serial No. 763,358

operative can-traying unit of the character described which may be arranged for manual actuation at will and without requiring the use of tools.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth or be apparent in the following description of a typical embodiment of the unit and in the accompanying drawings in which,

Figure 1 is a plan view of a unit which is conditioned for the automatic traying of cans therewith.

Figure 2 is a left-side elevation of the structure and arrangement of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the unit as it is conditioned at the end of a can-trayin operation thereof.

Figure 4; is a fragmentary section at the line 44 in Figure 3.

. Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken at the line 5-5 in Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a sectional elevation taken at the line 6 -6 in Figure 1.

Figure 7 is a sectional elevation taken at the line 1-4! in Figure 3.

1 Figure 8 is a'perspective view of a manually settable control element of the unit.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary section taken at the line 9-9 in Figure 3.

,Figure 10 is an enlarged showing of the right side portion of a ramp member of the unit dis-.- posed as shown in Figure 6.

t Figure 11 is a section taken at the right end of the ramp member as shown in Figure 10.

Essentially, an article-traying unit l5 of my invention comprises a suitably supported bedplate lficarrying the mechanism of the unit and providing a front tray-supporting plate I! and a transfer-plate I8 extending from and along the rear edge of the plate I1. The transfer plate I8 is arranged to receive from one side thereof cylin' drical articles comprising, in the present instance,

cans C having their bottoms resting on the plate for a sliding of the cans across the plate for an initial alignment of the received cans along theplate and a subsequent forward movement of the cans into a tray T positioned upon the plate I];

the tray T is of a usual structure having a bottom T from which side members T" and a connecting front member T extend, no rear side being provided. The lateral transfer of a completed line of cans from the plate I8 onto the tray bottom is arranged to be effected by reason of theforward movement of an upright push plate l9 against the line of positioned cans on the plate E8 to push the latter onto the tray while the supply of cans is held back.

Cans may be supplied to the transfer plate 18 by any suitable means which maintains the supply of cans in appropriate position for their feeding movement over the plate. In the present structure, a lip extension 18" of the plate It is cooperative with a continuous conveyor belt -B- for receiving cans from the belt for movementtherefrom to the transfer zone of the plate |8 when such movement is permitted; when a forward movement of the cans is prevented, the belt slides beneath their bottoms to constantly urge a forward delivery of the line of cans. Appropriately spaced guide plates B extend from the conveyor assembly at opposite sides of the belt and the lip I8 for maintaining the feeding alignment of the supported cans while the same are either static or moving.

Preferably, and as shown, the transfer plate l8 has its upper face I8 offset upwardly from the upper face ll of the tray-supporting plate I! at the common line of the plates, the step thus provided having a height which equals or exceeds the thickness of a tray bottom T. In

the present structure, the plates l1 and [8 are parts of a single bed-plate member whereby the step between the upper plate faces I1 and I8 is defined at an upright shoulder 2| which is ar-' ranged to be engaged by the inner edge of a tray bottom as a positioning stop for the tray; the

arrangement is generally such that cans may be" pushed from the transfer plate l8 onto a tray bottom T without tilting. For a reason which edges, and support legs l6" extend from the bedplate corners.

The push plate I9 is mounted on and between mutually parallel support rods 22 of uniform cross-section and which are longitudinally slidable in complementary bores provided by tubular guideway members 23 supported from the rear portion of the bedplate 16 on support blocks 24 fixed to the bedplate. The forward ends of the guide members 23 are so spaced from the shoulder 2| that they permit .a disposal of the push plate [9 in generally coplanar relation with the rearward guide plate B of the conveyor assembly. A handle 25 is provided for use in manually actuating the push plate 19; as particularly shown, the handle 25 comprises a U-shaped member having its ends downturned and fixed to the back of the plate [9, and having its intermediate portion 25 extending above the top of the plate in spaced parallel relation thereto for grasping by the hand of an operator positioned at the front of the unit for reciprocating the push plate to deliver a line of cans from the transfer plate l8 upon a tray bottom T and for returning the plate to its initial position. Stop collars 26 are adjustably mounted on the rear ends of the rods 22 for limiting the forward movement of the push plate to the alignment of its working face with the shoulder 2|.

It will now be noted that the push plate !9 is provided with a rearwardly extending member 27 at the end thereof nearest the receiving end of the transfer plate l8, and that said member comprises an arm which is arranged to function as a stop or gate against a movement of cans onto and along the plate while the push plate is disposed forwardly of its position in which the disposal of cans in front of it may be effected from the conveyor belt B or another source of cans to be trayed. The action of the member 27 is such that when the push plate l9 has moved forwardly from its position of Figure l to its position of Figure 3, the cans in front of it are pushed laterally from the transfer plate 18 onto a tray bottom T while the next can in the supply line is engaged by the member 21 for holding back the supply of cans until the push plate has been restored to its starting position. As particularly shown, the stop, or gate, member 2! comprises an integral turned-back extension of: the push.

plate I9.

Means are provided for mechanically efiecting reciprocative cycles of the push plate I9. As particularly shown, a, crankshaft 28 is journalled in suitable bearings, provided rearwardly of, and at the level of, the push plate It, and said crankshaft has its crankpin 29 connected to the plate I9 by a connecting rod 3| whereby each rotation of the shaft from a position in which the crankpin 29 is disposed in its rearmost position will efiect the previously described reciprocation cycle of the push plate. The connecting rod 3| is releasably connected to the push plate 19 at the rear thereof whereby when it is disconnected from the plate, the plate may be reciprocated by hand for the described purposes. In the present structure, mutually spaced and opposed ears 32 extend rearwardly from the push plate I9 intermediately thereof and carry a wrist-pin 3.3 between them with which a hook-shaped forward end 31 of the connecting rod 3! may be gravitally held and releasably engaged; in this manner the crankshaft 28 may be rendered inoperative with respect. to the push plate H9: at will and without requiring the use of any tools for making or releasing the plate-operating connection provided by the connecting rod.

As particularly disclosed, actuations of the crankshaft 28 are arranged to be effected by means of an electric motor 34 connected to one shaft 'end through suitable reduction gearing housed in a casing 35, said casing and a standard 3% providing the bearing for the crank-shaft; the motor 36 and standard 36 are shown as mounted on a shelf 3! which extends. from and between the rear support legs l6" for the bedplate l6. Recalling that the stroke of the push plate E9 is twice the throw of the crank-pin 29, means are provided for so controlling the operation of the motor 34 that the push plate I9 is normally disposed in its rearmost position and is reciprocated from and to such position between predetermined periods of quiescence during which a line of cans may be provided on the transfer plate I8 or a filled tray may be replaced by an empty tray.

A motor control switch 33 is provided on the bedplate IS in line with a row of cans C on the transfer plate is and provides a normally extended push pin 39 for axial displacement by the first can of a line of cans moving along the transfer plate l8 to finally make contact for closing the motor circuit. As particularly shown, the push pin 39 has a conically tapered tip 39 which is arranged for engagement by the leading can of a line of cans delivered upon the plate 18 to axially displace the pin to a switch-closing position thereof for actuating the push plate l9 in a cycle of fore-and-aft movement thereof. As indicated in Figure 1, the motor 34 is arranged to receive its actuating power through a circuit including the switch 38 and from a supply switch 40 which is mounted at a side point of the bedplate within ready reach of an operator positioned in front of a mounted tray.

An arm 4! extends forwardly from the push plate l9 at the opposite end thereof from its gate member or arm 2?, and has its forward edge bevelled for a wedging engagement. with the pin tip 39' while the push plate I9 is disposed forwardly of its normal position. As particularly shown, the arm t! comprises a flat bar which is mounted on a rearwardv terminalextension 42 of the plate. [8, said arm being preferably adjust.- able on the extension in a fore-and-aft. direction. In the present structure, the arm 41 carries a clamp bolt 4 which engages through a longitudinal slot providedin the. extension 42, and the under edge of the arm 41. may rest on a. pin 45 extending beneath it from said extension, When the nut 4d of the clamp bolt 44' is. loosened, the arm 4| may be longitudinally adjusted on the extension and set in its adjusted position.

The arrangement and relation of the push pin 39 and arm 4! is such that when the leading can of an array on the transfer plate, I8 has pushed back the pin 39 for an engagement. of the can with the inner side 4! of the arm 4 I1 which faces it, the switch 38 then being closed, the subsequent forward movement of the arm 4! by reason of the action of the energized motor 34' to move the push plate l9 forwardly will wedgedly and further displace the pin for the riding of its tip upon and along the outer face 4|" of the arm to generally maintain a closed condition of the switch while the push plate is being advanced and retracted in its operative. cycle. It will be understood that, because there are no cans engaging the push plate during its return stroke, the movement of the arm 41 from in front. of the push pin 39 will permit the full switch-opening extension of the pin and so cut off the power to the motor for its stopping as the plate reaches its rearmost position. Owing to the inertia of the rotor of the motor and of the crank-shaft and connecting rod, the motor circuit must be opened at a predetermined time interval before the push plate reaches its rearmost position; the adjustment of the arm 4! on the extension 42 permits any necessary adjustment to insure this relation and action.

Since the complete rearward disposal of the push plate l9 permits the provision of a new line of cans on the transfer plate H! to again close the switch 38, the delivery cycle of the push plate is automatically repeated until a line-at-a-time loading of the tray is completed, after which the automatic succession of loading cycles must be stopped until the filled tray can be replaced by an empty tray. In the present structure, means are provided for stopping the delivery of cans upon the transfer plate [8' at the will of the operator, and necessarily when a tray has been filled. As is particularly brought out in Figs. 1 and 3 and 5 to 8, a gate or stop plate t! is provided for disposal across the supply line of cans in the plane of action of the-gate member 27 which is carried by the push plate, the gate 47 being disposed below the gate 21 which extends for only the upper part of the depth of the plate which is notched inwardly from its'end below the gate 21 to permit an independent operative positioning of the gate ll for all push plate positions. The present gate 41 is supported from a support plate 48 fixed on the bedplate i5 rearWa-rdly of the used portion of the transfer plate IE8 and below the line of travel of the gate 21, the top face of said plate being shown as flush with the tops of the support blocks 24, and the plate being provided with a guide slot 49 below said line.

The present gate 41 is fixedly carried by a base member 5| from which it extends upwardly and forwardly, and the member 5! is of T section having its head flanges 5| slidable along the top of the plate 48 while its stem 5 i depends slidably through the slot 49 and through an underlying slot 50 in the transfer plate I8 to a pivoted connection with the rearward end of a push-and-pull rod 52. As shown, the rearward end of the rod 52 provides a fork 52 which receives the stem portion 5|" of the base 5| to which it is attached by a pivot pin 53, and the rod 53 is of rectangular section and extends forwardly from the base through a supporting guide opening 54 provided beneath the tray-supporting plate I! adjacent the shoulder 2|.

A- forward portion 52" of the rod 52 is turned outwardly beyong the edge of the bedplate for its manual engagement as a handle to move the stop plate 41 forwardly (as in Fig. 1) to hold back the supply of cans independently of the position of the gate 21, or be pushed back to its inoperative position as in Fig. 3. It will be understood that the stop plate 41 may be operatively disposed by the operator independently of the disposal of the push plate l9, and would be so disposed while a filled tray is being replaced with an empty tray. Recalling the desirability of having cans advancing onto the transfer plate I8 in constant guided engagement with the working face of the push plate l9, and that the downward slope of the top face l8 of the transfer plate from the shoulder 2| is operative to urge such a relation, means are provided for action to further maintain the desired alignment of the cans against the push plate. As particularly shown, a plate member 56 is hingedly connected to the bedplate 16 at the shoulder2l, and is normally held in a limiting i upright position by means of springs 51 which are appropriately cooperative between it and the bedplate. While erect, the plate 56is operative as the forward side of a guideway for cans moving across the transfer plate to engage the push pin 39 of the switch 38, its function being to prevent an undue buckling of the cans in their line as they move to the position from which the push plate [9 is to shift them onto the tray bottom T, When the push plate I9 is operatively actuated, it is arranged to push the cans against the plate 56 to swing the latter downwardly as a ramp over which the cans may move to their delivered position upon the tray bottom, the ramp p1ate 56 being so related to the shoulder 21 that its canengaging face provides a smooth continuation of the upper transfer plate face.

It will now be noted that the present tray-loading unit may be manually manipulated if and when desired merely by rendering the motor drive inoperative by opening the motor circuit at the main switch 49, and by unhooking the connecting rod 3! from the wrist-pin 33 and swinging it back and out of the way. Having the push plate l9 disposed in its forward position of Figure 3 whereby its gate extension 21 holds back the cans C in the supply line thereof, a manual reciprocation of the push plate l9 may be effected for transferring successive groups of cans C from their supply line into a tray T which is positioned on the plate I! for its loading. Having the present unit so conditioned, an operator standingat the front ofthe unit may grasp the handle 25 of the forwardlypositioned push plate l9 and push back said plate until it is disposed at or beyond the plane of the rear guide plate B to permit a movement of cans longitudinally along the transfer plate. 18 until the leading can engages the arm 41* which extends forwardly from the push plate as a stop means. The push plate may then be pulled forwardly to its original position to deliver the line of cans in front of it upon the back portion of the tray bottom T while disposing the gate extension 2'6 for its operation against the cans not shifted from the supply line. This reciprocation cycle is repeated until the tray is fully loaded, whereupon the filled tray may be replaced by an empty tray and the process repeated.

If the present can-traying unit is to be used solely manually, the motor 34 with its electrical and mechanical connections may, of course, be entirely omittel. Also, the gate 4! is of no particular use and may also be omitted from a present can-traying machine which is to be actuated solely manually.

While the present unit has been particularly shown and described as arranged for the traying of cylindrical containers, it will be understood that it is equally usable for the orderly traying of like-sized cylindrical articles generally. Also, containers trayed by the present unit may be either open or closed at the top during their traying, the unit therefore being particularly valuable in the food canning art.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the advantages of the present article-traying unit will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains. While I have described the principle of operation, together with arrangements which I now consider to be a preferred embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the showings are primarily illustrative, and that such changes and developments may be made, when. desired, as. fall within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

I. In combination with a conveyor providing a supply line of articles: to be loaded upon a tray, a bed-plate. having slide-transfer and tray-supporting surfaces meeting at a common straight line and having said transfer surface aligned with the delivery line of the conveyor for receiving av line'of articles fromthe conveyor, a normally withdrawn push member operative laterally against the positioned articles on the transfer plate in a line parallel to said first line to slidably move themf-rom the latter onto the bottom of a tray disposed on the tray-supporting surface, a gate member carried by the push member in rigid relation thereto and-operative directly through the supply line of articles to preventtheir advancement into the zone of operation of the push member while the push member is operative, and a second gate-member directly and shiftably carried by the bed-plate and operative as and independently of the first gate.

2. In. combination with a conveyor means op erative to provide an advancing supply line of articles tobe loaded upon a tray, a bed-plate providing fixedly related coterminous slidetransfer and tray-supporting surfaces and having said trans-fer surface aligned with the said line of the conveyor for receiving a line of articles. from the conveyor, a normally withdrawn push member operative laterally against the positioned articles on the transfer plate in a. line parallel to said supply line to slidably move the articles fromv thetransfer surface directly onto the bottom of a. tray disposed on the tray-supporting surface, means for actuating said push member in working and return strokes thereof, an electric control circuit for said actuating means including a. nor-- mally open switch, a switch-closing element directly displaceable by the leading article of a lineof articles upon the transfer surface to close said switch when the line is completed whereby to initiate an actuation of the push member, and

means on the push. member engageable with said switch-closing member to maintain its switchclosing displacement during the subsequent working and return movements of the push member.

3. In combination with a means operative to provide an advancing supply line of articles to be loaded upon a tray, a bed-plate providing a slide-transfer surface receiving a line of the articles and providing a tray-support laterally of said transfer surface, a normally withdrawn push member operative laterally against the line of positioned articles on the transfer plate to slidably move the articles from the transfer surface directly onto the bottom of a tray fixedly positioned on the tray-supporting surface, an electric motor mechanically connected with said push member for actuating the. same in working and return strokes thereof, an electric power circuit for said motor including a normally open switch, a switch-closing element directly displaceable by the leading article of a completed line of articles upon the transfer surface to close said switch for energizing the motor to actuate the push member, and means on the push member engageable with said switch-closing to maintain its switch-closing displacement for a continuous period during, and solely during, the subsequent working and return movements of the push member.

JOHN B. ALHINO.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,247,722 Rogers et al Nov. 27, 1917 1,515,589 Beckmann Nov. 18, 1924 1,673,014 Morrison June 12, 1928 1,711,098 Kyler Apr. 30, 1929 2,024,503 Bickford Dec. 17, 1935 2,324,930 Joa July 20, 1943 2,470,795 Socke- May 24, 1949

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