US3005474A - Dual tank lamp base filler - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 24, 1961 c. o. MERCHANT 3,005;474

DUAL TANK LAMP BASE FILLER Filed July 21, 1958 4 sheets-sheet 1 INVENTOR. CHESTER O. MERCHANT Mimi ATTORNEY 1961 c. o. MERCHANT 3,005,474

DUAL TANK LAMP BASE FILLER Filed July 21, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 )lo IZZ g :t;:,L

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INVENTOR.

CHESTER QMERCHANT MZM ATTGRNEY Oct. 24, 1961 c. o. MERCHANT 3,005,474

DUAL TANK LAMP BASE FILLER Filed July 21, 1958 4 Sheets-Shget 3 FIG. 6

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CHESTER O. MERCHANT ATTORNEY Oct. 24, 1961 c. o. MERCHANT DUAL TANK LAMP BASE FILLER 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed July 21, 1958 FIG-.7

INVENTOR. CHESTER O. MERCHANT ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,005,474 DUAL TANK LAMP BASE FILLER Chester 0. Merchant, Harborcreek Township, Erie County, Pa, assignor to Swanson-Erie Corporation, a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed July 21, 1958, Ser. No. 749,900 Claims. (Cl. 141104) This invention relates to processing machines and, more particularly, to machines for depositing cement in lamp bulb bases.

()ne of the purposes of this invention is to overcome the production loss and the high maintenance cost resulting from the use of previous machines for depositing cement in lamp bulb bases, radio tubes, and other similar items sometimes referred to as receivers. Since the cement is highly viscous, pressure is required to extrude the required amount of cement from the depositing machine into the base in as short a time as possible. This pressure was previously derived in two different manners. First, a screwthread circulating pump with a metered bypass control delivered cement under pressure to the nozzle. This system is expensive to maintain due to rapid wear of the scr w and the sleeve in which it rotates. This is because the cement contains materials which are abrasive. This system has the advantage that it permits the addition of cement to the tank as required without stopping the filler machine.

Another method for filling cement bases is to provide a pressure tank in which the cement is exposed to air pressure which exerts sufiicient pressure on the cement to cause it to flow out of the nozzles at the required rate. This method eliminates the high maintenance cost on machinery encountered in the use of the screw type pressure applying means but this method requires shut-down of the machine and pressure release to open the tank and refill the tank with cement.

The double tank apparatus disclosed herein employs a plurality of tanks with a special hardened selector valve which, in the case disclosed, is a two-way valve with which cement may be selectively drawn from either tank. A flexible hose of sufficient size to permit the free flow of cement to the head is provided and the head contains one or more dispensing nozzles to extrude the cement to the bases. The nozzle arrangement in this head is operated either by individual pistons built into the head or it may be actuated by a single cylinder externally of the head. The pistons connected to the nozzle rod are subjected to the same air pressure on the lower side as is applied to the tank. This creates an upward pressure as great or greater than the downward pressure on the top of the poppet valve which makes up the nozzle so that the spring which maintains the nozzle closed does not have to be of great strength.

The operating rods are sealed by rubber like tubes connected to the lower rod guiding bushings and the lower end of the rod and the head of the valve. This prevents the cement from wearing the rods and bushings. The method disclosed herein permits continuous operation of the filler machine since one tank may be filled while the machine is using cement from the other tank and an instantaneous change may be made from one tank to the other by means of a two-way valve. Therefore, the tank method disclosed herein has overcome the objectionable features of both previously known methods.

The tanks are also mounted on linear slidable members to facilitate the connection of the hose and the disconnection thereof for cleaning purposes. A removable plate on the front of the head permits access for the cleaning of the inside of the head or for the replacement of the rubber sleeve over the valve rod.

More specifically, it is an object of this invention to "ice overcome the difiiculties and disadvantages in prior machines of the type described herein and, more particularly, it is an object to provide a machine which is s mple in construction, economical to manufacture, and simple and efficient in operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide an 1mproved nozzle arrangement in a cement dispensing tank for dispensing cement into lamp bulb bases.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved machine having the ability to rapidly change from one supply tank of cement to another without interrupting production.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved dispensing machine.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consists of the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the'accompanying drawings and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the form, size, proportions, and minor details of construction without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 isa front view of a machine according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the machine shown'in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged front view of a part of the machine;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the enlarged part shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 2; v

FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 5 of the valve for selectively connecting the tanks according to the invention;

FIG. 7 is a side view of the machine;

FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view taken on line 8-8 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 9 is a piping diagram; and

FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the nozzle shown in FIG. 8.

Now with more specific reference to the drawings, a machine having a support 10 is shown having cement tanks 11 and 12. The tanks 11 and 12 have support portions 13 and 14, respectively, which are provided with outwardly extending support castings 15 and 16. The support castings 15 and 16 are provided with bored bosses 17 and 18 which receive shafts 20 and 19. The shafts 20 and 19 are supported on pillow blocks 21 and 22 which rest on the machine frame. The pillow blocks 21 and 22 are provided with grease fittings 2 and 25 by means of which the surface between the shafts and the pillow blocks 21 and 22 may be lubricated. The castings 15 and 16 slide horizontally on the shafts 20 and 19 so that the connecting and disconnecting of a flexible hose 27 for cleaning and otherwise will be facilitated. It is evident from FIG. 2 of the drawings that while the hose 27 is flexible, it is of sufiicient rigidity due to its size that it holds the tanks 11 and 12 spaced a definite distance from the element 75.

The support portions 13 and 14 are each provided with a groove 29 which receive the lower ends of drums 30 of the cement tanks 11 and 12 and the upper end of each of the drums 30 is received in grooves 32 in rim members 33. The drums 30 are squeezed into sealing engagement with suitable gaskets 34 and 35 located in the grooves 29 and 32, respectively, by means of rods 36 which are provided with suitable nuts 37 for drawing the rods 36 tightly and applying a tensile force thereon. This tensile force is transmitted to the rim members 33 and the support portions 13 and 14 to hold the drums 30 firmly therebetween.

Covers 39 and 40 are clamped in position on the tops of the rim members 33 by means of handwheels 41 and 42. The handwheels 41 and 42 engage threaded members 43 and 44. The threaded members 43 and 44 are swingably connected to the rim members 33 by means of pins 45 and 46 which extend through cars 47 and 48 on the covers 39 and 40 to firmly hold the threaded members 43 and 44 therein. The covers 39 and 40 are provided with handles 49 and 50 which are convenient means for lifting the covers 39 and 40.

Air from a line 200 flows through a regulator R1 to a cam operated valve 155 and thence to the space above a piston 84 at a given pressure when the cam operated valve 155 is opened. Air also flows from the line 200 through a regulator R2 to a line 51 at a lesser pressure.

The line or air pipe 51 supplies compressed air to a port 92 connected to a space 83" below the piston 84 and to the inside of the tanks 11 and 12 onto the top surface of the cement disposed in the tanks 11 and 12 and forces the cement downwardly through a valve .53 which is shown open toward the tank 11 in the position shown and out through the hose 27. A valve 84B supplies air from a valve 141 to the space above the piston 84. The air may be shut otf from the tank 11, by a three-way valve 135 and from the tank 12 by a three-way valve 136. The valve 135 passes air from the pipe 51 in one position to the tank 11 and exhausts the tank 11 through a port 138 in the other position. The valve 136 passes air through the pipe 51 to the tank 12 in one position and exhausts the tank 12 through a port 138' inits other position.

The valve more particularly shown in. FIG. 6 is provided with an outside support housing 55 which is an integral part of the support castings 15 and 16. The outside housing 55 is bored to receive a valve body 57 and the valve body 57 is in the form of a cylindrical member having flanges 58 on one end thereof. The flanges 58 are clamped between a clamping ring 59 on the end of the valve by means of screws 60 which threadably engage the support housing 55. The other end of the valve body 57 is held in abutment with a ring 61 which has peripherally spaced holes receiving studs 62 which threadably engage the support housing 55. A threaded bore 63 receives a nipple 64 and a flattened surface 65 is formed thereon for convenience in attaching a wrench thereto. The hose 27 is connected to the nipple 64. The pillow blocks 21 and 22 are supported on the support by means of bolts 67 and 63.

A cylindrical plug 168 of the valve has a handle 169 fitted into a hole in a member 69 and held by a set screw 170 for rotating the plug 168 of the member 69. The member 69 is integrally attached to the plug 168 and a bore 70 extends axially and through one end of the plug 168 concentric thereto as particularly shown in FIG. 5. A port 72 of the plug 168 may be turned to align with a port 71 in the valve body to connect the tank 11 or the plug 168 may be rotated ninety degrees to align the port 71 with a similar port (not shown) to connect the tank 12 With the hose 27.

The dispensing headis made up of a hollow casting 75 which has an upwardly extending flange 77 disposed at right angles to and integrally attached to a web 78 for supporting an alcohol drip tank 172. A cylinder 83' is supported on top of the head casting 75. The cylinder 83' has a bore therein which slidably receives the piston 84. A hole in the lower end of the cylinder 83' registers with a hole 80 in the top of the casting 75. A piston rod 86 extends through thehole 80 into the cylinder 83' and makes sealing engagement with the lower end of the cylinder 83' around the hole 80.

An upper end 87 of the piston rod 86 extends through a hole in the top of the cylinder 83' and up through a' sleeve 88 and into a cap 90. The sleeve 88 rests on top of the cylinder 83' and has a collar 89A attached thereto. A spring 89 is disposed around the sleeve 88 and rests at its lower end on the collar 89A and its upper end engages the cap 90. The cap 90 is attached to the piston rod 86 by a nut 91 which urges the cap 90 and piston rod 86 attached thereto upwardly, urging a valve 94 to a closed position. The piston 84 has a ring 85 in a groove 82.

A valve head 106 dispenses the cement. The valve head 106 is attached to the piston rod 86. A rib is fixed to inside walls 76 of the casting 75 and the rib 100 has a. bore which receives the lower end of a pilot tube 101. The pilot tube 101 receives the valve rod 86 and extends up into the hole 80 and forms a tight fit in a counterbore 80a in the cylinder 83' above the level of cement in the head 106.

A resilient tube 99 is disposed around the lower end of the rod 86 and attached to the valve head 106 at 102 and to the rib 100 at the upper end of the tube 99. Thus, the cement is kept from contact with the rod 86 where it passes through the rib 100. This facilitates the operation of the valve since the rod 86 does not become eucrusted with cement.

As shown in FIG. 10, a sleeve 104 is disposed concentric to the valve head 106 with a seating surface engagin the seating surface on the outer periphery of the valve head 106. The sleeve 104 is held in place by an upper ring 108' which is clamped to the casting 75 by studs 108 and a lower ring 133 which is clamped to the upper ring 108 by studs 133. The lower ring 133 has a counterbore 160 which receives a collar 165 of the sleeve 104.

A radial bore 164 is formed in the ring 133 which communicates with the counterbore 160. Alcohol from the tank 172 flows through a pipe 166 and around the collar 165 in the coutnerbore 160 and thence flows over the outer surface of the sleeve 104. This washes excess cement 011 of the outside of the sleeve 104 and prevents it from caking thereon.

In order to successfully dispense some cements which are used in lamp bases, it is necessary that the valve head 106 be of a given thickness. This must be established by tests, depending upon the consistency of the cement to be dispensed.

A plate 189 is disposed on the front of the casting 75 and held in place by means of bolts 110 to hold the plate 109 in place by means of which the plate 109 can be removed to inspect or clean the casting 75 and the hose 27. A connecting member 114 on the casting 75 is provided with a cylindrical portion 115 and a flanged portion 116. The flanged portion 116 has spaced holes 117 to clamp the flange 116 to the opening in an end 119 of the head casting 75. The hose 27 is connected to the connecting member 114. A boss 121 is integrally attached to the casting 75 and supports a roller 122 by means of an axle 123 attached to the frame by means of a bolt 124. The bolt 124 is provided with a nut for locking it in place.

The support 10 is provided with an article advancing mechanism and a lifting mechanism. A cam engages the roller 122 and raises and lowers the casting 75. Meanwhile, a shuttle mechanism advances the articles to position under the head 106. The piston rod 86 is connected by means of the solenoid valve 141 to the air line 200 and actuated by an air valve.

The casting 75 has laterally disposed bosses 126 which are bored to receive fixed column members 127 extending outwardly from opposite sides thereof which are fixed to the frame by means of blocks 128. The blocks 128 are supported on the machine 10 at 129. The casting 75 can move up and down on the column members 127.

The bases for the lamps to be fed are contained in a vibratory parts feeder 132 which is of the style shown in Patent No. 2,609,914. The bases are fed down a track 133a in the manner described in the said patent to a suitable indexing device which will move the bases successively under the surface 105.

When two lamp bases have been moved into position under the dispensing heads, the dispensing heads are lowered by means of the lowering mechanism made up of a cam member 134 which engages the roller 122 and the casting 75 is lowered onto the bases to bring the top of the base into sealing engagement with the studs 133'. Then air pressure is applied in a space 92' above the piston 84 by air from the regulator R1 at a time when the cam operated valve 155 is opened by a cam 137, the cam 137 being connected to a suitable driving mechanism on the support operated in synchronism with the lowering mechanism for the casting 75.

In practice, the earn 137 is driven by the shaft. The valve 155 may also be a solenoid operated valve actuated when the cam 137 closes a switch. The valve head 106 opens and a washer shaped slug of cement is forced out between the sleeve 104 and the surface 105 into the lamp base. The slug is concentric with the base. Then the cam 137 moves away from the actuating device of the valve 136 and the sleeve 104 is forced closed by air pressure below the piston 84 and the force of the spring 89.

When the cam 137 opens the valve 155, air is applied from the regulator R1 to the space 92' above the piston 84 and since the regulator R1 delivers air at from fifteen to twenty pounds per square inch more than the regulator R2, the pressure abovethe piston 84 overcomes the sum of the forces of the air below the piston 84 and the force of the spring 89 and the piston 84 moves downwardly.

The foregoing specification sets forth the invention in its preferred practical forms but the structure shown is capable of modification within a range of equivalents without departing from the invention which is to be understood is broadly novel as is commensurate with the appended claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclu- 1sive property or privilege is claimed are defined as folows:

1. A machine for dispensing material in a semi-fluid state comprising a machine support. a hollow head spaced laterally from said machine support, a pair of spaced, vertically extending column members supported on said support, means on said head receiving said column members for up and down movement thereon, valve means on said head, means for supporting receivers to receive said material from said head under said valve means, said valve means comprising a valve sleeve movable in said head when said head is moved down. a valve head disposed in said sleeve, a valve rod attached to said valve head, an air piston on said valve rod, a cylinder, said piston being slidable in said cylinder, air means connected to said cylinder to move said piston to open and close said valve head whereby a ring of said material is dispensed in one said receiver each time said piston opens said valve head, two tanks, spaced track members supported on said support, said tanks being slidably supported on said track members, a flexible hose, said hose connecting said tanks to said hollow head and allowing said head to move relative to said tanks, and a selector valve, said selector valve being disposed between said tanks and said hose and selectively connecting each said tank to said hose and said head, and air pressure means to apply air pressure to cement in said tanks to force said semi-fluid material through said hose into said valve head and out said valve means.

2. A machine for dispensing cement in a semi-fluid state into bases for lamp bulbs comprising a support, a plurality of tanks, spaced horizontally disposed track members on said support supporting said tanks for horizontal movement thereon, a generally straight, flexible hollow hose, valve means selectively connecting said hose to the bottom of either for said tanks, a dispensing head rigidly supported on said support and spaced laterally from said tanks and connected to said hose to receive said cement from said tanks, said hose holding said tanks and said head at a generally constant spacing and at a position intermediate the ends of said track members, column means supporting said head for movement up and down relative to said tanks, said head being movable upwardly to allow receivers to move thereunder and movable downwardly on said column means to engage said receivers whereby said receivers may receive said cement from said head, and second valve means for dispensing said cement from said head into said receivers.

3. A machine for dispensing cement into lamp bulb bases comprising a support, a plurality of cement filled tanks, a head, said tanks being spaced laterally from said head and being slidably supported on said support, dispensing valve means on said head, a flexible hose connecting said tanks to said head, valve means for selectively disconnecting each of said tanks from said hose, means to move bases to be filled under said head, means to move said head vertically down toward said bases and up away from said bases while said bases are being moved thereunder, said dispensing valve means comprising a cylindrical valve casing attached to said head and movable into the open end of each of said bases, and a valve member in said valve casing closing said casing when in closed position, said valve member being movable outwardly to define a ring shaped opening with said casing to allow a ring shaped quantity of cement to be forced therethrough from said head, said valve member having means to close it to limit the flow of cement therefrom.

4. The machine recited in claim. 3 wherein a valve rod is connected to said valve means, a cylinder is disposed on said machine with a piston therein, said valve rod being connected to said piston, said cylinder being disposed outside said head and said rod extending therethrough, and a flexible sleeve is attached to said valve rod adjacent said valve member and connected to the inside wall of said head adjacent said cylinder whereby said cement is kept out of engagement with said rod.

5. A machine for dispensing cement into lamp bulb bases comprising a head, a support for said head, means to move bases to be filled under said head, means to move said head up and down into engagement With said bases, two cement filled tanks spaced laterally from said head, means supporting said tanks for horizontal sliding on said support, flexible hose means connecting said tanks to said head, air pressure means in said tanks for forcing cement therefrom into said head, selector valve means selectively disconnecting either of said tanks, said valve means comprising a hollow cylindrical member attached to said head and extending therefrom, a valve head in said cylindrical member forming a closure therefor, and means moving said valve head out of said cylindrical member to define a ring shaped opening therebetween, said air pressure means forcing said cement through said opening.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 625,665 Franc May 23, 1899 721,854 Beiser Mar. 3, 1903 1,072,290 Wood et al. Sept. 2, 1913 1,681,929 De Armond et al. Aug. 28, 1928 1,822,117 Travis Sept. 8, 1931 2,075,931 Eades Apr. 6, 1937 2,118,704 Gruntkowski May 24, 1938 2,160,683 Spaeth May 30, 1939 2,167,438 Kaufman July 25, 1939 2,548,003 Davidson Apr. 10, 1951 2,688,423 Davis Sept. 7, 1958 2,851,198 Rasmussen Sept. 9, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 861,850 France Nov. 12, 1950

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