US3210130A

US3210130A - Air lift chute for light rectangular articles

Info

Publication number: US3210130A
Application number: US305394A
Authority: US
Inventors: James G Kelly
Original assignee: American Tobacco Co
Current assignee: Brown and Williamson Holdings Inc
Priority date: 1963-08-29
Filing date: 1963-08-29
Publication date: 1965-10-05
Anticipated expiration: 1982-10-05

Description

AIR LIFT CHUTE FOR LIGHT RECTANGULAR ARTICLES Filed Aug. 29, 1963 J. G. KELLY Oct. 5, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 R O T N E v BY James G. Kelly f fl onmzvs J. G. KELLY 3,210,130

AIR LIFT CHUTE FOR LIGHT RECTANGULAR ARTICLES Oct. 5, 1965 Filed Aug. 29, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3

INVENTOR James G. Kelly 42M, fi/% NEYS ATTO

Oct. 5, 1965 J. G. KELLY 3,210,130

AIR LIFT CHUTE FOR LIGHT RECTANGULAR ARTICLES Filed Aug. 29, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 5

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INVENTOR BY James G. Kelly ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,210,130 AIR LIFT CHUTE FOR LIGHT RECTANGULAR ARTICLES James G. Keiiy, Richmond, Va., assignor to The American Tobacco Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Aug. 29, 1963, Ser. No. 305,394 13 Claims. (Cl. 30236) This invention relates to air lift devices for handling small light weight articles and particularly to devices for receiving such articles at a level somewhat above the floor and raising or elevating them to any desired point such for example as onto an overhead conveyor.

In plants where small light articles are made in quantity by automatic machines, it is necessary to assemble or collect the product of the various machines and deliver the articles at a central point, for further processing, or packaging. This applies to the manufacture of cigarettes, cotton tipped swabs and other articles where the individual articles are assembled in small packs or packages.

In the manufacture of cigarettes, after the cigarettes are placed in paper wrappings, each wrapper is covered with cellophane and it is then customary to place a seal or stamp centrally over one end and adjacent side margins. These operations are performed in what is known as a cellophane machine. A number of such machines may operate on the same floor but spaced somewhat apart from one another. The individual packs discharged from these machines may be transferred by the air lift chute of the present invention to a horizontal overhead belt conveyor which may be arranged to handle the packs from a considerable number of the air lift chutes and convey these packs to the packaging machine where the packs are encased in cartons.

In accordance with the invention the air lift chute comprises an upright duct, the cross-sectional area of which corresponds rather closely to the dimensions of the article to be handled such as cigarette packs. The lower end of this duct is connected to a source of air under suitable pressure, and such air flow is passed through a venturi device near the lower end of the duct, immediately above which, or in cooperation with which, there is an article entrance box or casing which projects laterally from an opening in one side of the rectangular duct. Advantageously an article feed chute inclined at an appropriate angle to the horizontal extends upwardly from the outer end of such casing and is in alignment therewith so that the rectangular articles or packs supplied successively to the upper end of the feed chute slide down the chute and into the entrance casing. However, it will be appreciated that other means may be used to supply the articles to the proper point in the entrance casing, such as the midpoint, whence to be carried forward and upward by suction. The entrance casing is provided with suitable members properly curved in the direction of movement of the articles to receive and guide them into the upright duct.

An air baffle is provided in this duct to form the venturi device having a converging entrance just below the opening through which the packs enter the duct, and a venturi throat which is located at about the level of such entrance, or slightly below. One of the article guiding members within the entrance casing serves the double purpose of initially directing the forward end of each pack upwardly and of also cooperating with the air baffle member to form the venturi throat. The air discharged at increased velocity through this throat is directed against an upwardly curved portion of the air baffle member which serves both to continue the reorientation of the packs in the upward direction and also to direct the air stream upwardly in line with the upright duct.

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The entrance casing is provided with an article baffle member which constitutes the roof of this casing. Such member has a lower surface forming the roof which is curved, advantageously semi-circular in form, and convex towards the floor of the casing. This member is mounted on the cover of the entrance casing and the mounting provides for lengthwise adjustment for such baflie member in order to accommodate packs of different lengths. The baflie is also vertically adjustable in position on the cover to accommodate the desired thickness of the pack The bafiie is angularly adjustable to obtain the best functioning. The cover member is hinged at its inner end adjacent the upright duct to facilitate cleaning of the entrance casing. Both the cover and the sides of this casing are advantageously made of transparent material such as Plexiglas so that any jamming of the packs may be observed and corrected.

Each pack as it enters the upright chute from the entrance casing moves under the suction efifect of the venturi device, causing the article to enter the upward air stream in the duct. The arrangement is such that as soon as the article has passed the trailing end of the article bafile it fits rather closely the cross-sectional dimensions of the upright duct and is forced upwardly by the air stream somewhat in the manner of a piston.

The upper end of the upright air duct is connected with the horizontal conveyor by means of a curved channel which is open on its outer or upper side and provided with a pair of rails along which the articles slide. The air pressure behind each article is relieved at a point at the upper end of the upright duct or at a point somewhat beyond it, and from that point on the articles are carried by their own momentum to the point of discharge on to the horizontal conveyor.

The invention will be understood in greater detail by a consideration of the accompanying drawings and the description following.

In these drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the air lift chute and a portion of the horizontal conveyor.

FIG. 2 is a view in elevation partly cut away and shown in vertical section of a portion of the upright air duct, venturi device, entrance casing and inclined feed chute.

FIG. 3 is a horizontal section taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a vertical section taken on broken line 4-4 of FIG. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of the curved open channel and the upper end of the air duct.

FIG. 6 is a detailed horizontal section taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view of a part of the curved open channel of FIG. 5 indicated by arrows 77; and

FIG. 8 is a view in transverse section taken on line 88 of FIG. 7 and shows a cross-section of the curved channel.

Referring first to FIG. 1, the upright duct is indicated at 10, the curved open connection channel at 11 and the horizontal conveyor to which the articles are delivered at 12, only the housing being visible. Air is supplied under suitable pressure to the lower end of duct 10 by means of a motor driven blower 13 which is connected to fed to this chute by means of an endless conveyor 19 which receives the packages from a cellophane wrapping machine as previously referred to.

Each article has an outside wrapping of cellophane and one end of the pack is secured by means of a stamp or seal 20. The different angular positions which may be assumed by each pack or article at different points in its passage are shown by a series of perspective views in FIG. 1 placed alongside of the part of the apparatus by which the article is being moved. Thus while travelling along the conveyor 19 the packs 18 move with the stamp or seal 20 at their left ends. However, the stamp does not have to be located at the trailing end of the packages as shown; the pack, as it leaves conveyor 19 may be placed ofl balance at either of its ends so as to allow the stamp to trail or lead, as desired.

As indicated in FIG. 1, the arrangement of the curved upper portion 21 of feed chute 17 is such that each pack descends by gravity, with the stamp 20 at its trailing end. If desired a duct or straight feed chute, with the curved upper portion 21 eliminated, may be used. This would be the arrangement where it is desired to locate conveyor 19 in direct alignment with feed chute 17 instead of at right angles thereto. The packs 18 could be delivered by such conveyor either sidewise or endwise, that is lengthwise, into such a direct feed chute. In FIG. 1 it will be seen that the packs move lengthwise in feed chute 17 and entrance casing 16 as well as the upright duct and curved channel 11.

Referring now to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 the entrance casing 16 is secured to the left side of the upright duct 10, by means of a metal bracket member 22, with its open right end opposite an entrance opening 23 in the adjacent wall of duct 10, its opposite or left end projecting for example some 7" from the upright duct and receiving the lower end of feed chute 17.

The entrance casing comprises a sheet metal bottom 24 having flanges 25 turned up at its opposite sides. Sheets of transparent plastic, such for example as Plexiglas sheets 26, are secured by screws and nuts as indicated in FIGS. 2 and 4 to form the side walls of the entrance casing. The top of the entrance casing is closed by cover member 27 of similar material which is secured in position by means of a hinge 28 extending continuously throughout its width as shown in FIG. 1.

The feed chute 17 is somewhat narrower than the width of the entrance casing on account of the thickness of the plastic walls 26 (FIG. 3) and the side walls at the lower end of the chute are offset and widened to provide cheeklike projections 29 to enclose the outer end portions of the side walls 26 of the entrance chamber.

In the lower end of theupright duct 10, just below the entrance casing 16, there is an air baflie member 30. This is a member having a right-hand vertical wall 31 in contact with the inner surface of the wall of duct 10 which is opposite from the entrance casing, an upwardly inclined surface or wall 32 and an upwardly and outwardly curving surface or wall 33. The two

inclined walls

32 and 33 meet at an apex 34 which is disposed approximately at the same level as the floor of entrance casing 16. This point, however, is adjustable vertically inasmuch as baffle member 30 is secured in position by means of a sheet metal screw 35 which passes through a vertical slot 36 in the outer wall of duct 10. Also adjacent apex 34 there is an article deflecting member 37 which is formed by theright marginal end portion of bottom member 24. This deflecting member 37 is adjustable to a limited extent by bending for the purpose of not only assisting in guiding the packs as will be presently described but also to enable 'it to properly cooperate with the apex 34 in forming the venturi slot-like throat and in directing the stream of air towards the curved surface 33..

The wall 32 forms with the left wall of duct 10 the converging entrance of the venturi so that the velocity of d the air is increased as it is forced upwardly through the venturi throat. This increase in velocity produces a suction effect at the left side of the air stream which extends across the entire width of duct 10 on account of the slot-like throat.

The articles 18 descending through the feed chute 17 are guided in their passage through the entrance casing 16 by means of three guiding members. The first is the lower end of the lower end portion 38 of the floor of chute 17 which is vertically curved as shown in FIG. 2. The second is article baffle 39 which has a lower semicircular downwardly convex surface for guiding the upper surfaces of the articles. The third article guiding memher is deflecting member 37 which gives to the articles the initial upward direction into the air stream.

The maximum suction produced by the venturi occurs at the low point of article bafiie 39 which is indicated by the line A--A in FIG. 2. Advantageously an inclined chute, such as feed chute 17, is used to deliver the articles into entrance casing 16 and near to this point AA, where the suction commences to carry the articles forward over the deflector 37 and upwardly curved surface 33 and into the air stream within duct 10, but it will be appreciated that other means may be used to deliver the packs near to the point AA, thence to be carried forward by the suction. As an example of such other means the conveyor belt 19, or other belt, may be positioned to deliver the articles directly into entrance casing 16, or to the point A-A.

Article baflle 39 is adjusted to produce maximum suction for a given size of pack, and to allow proper turning into the upright duct. Thus article baflie 39 has two upright opposite side portions 40 by which it is supported on the underside of the cover member 27 of the entrance casing. The connections between this cover member and each of sides 40 are provided by means of two angular bracket members 41 which are secured to cover member 27 by screw and nut connections 42 and which are secured to the respective sides 49 by somewhat similar screw and nut connections 43. These latter pass through vertical slots 44 in the members 41 to allow for angular adjustment of the article baflle 39 the upper edges of the side members 40 being sloped in opposite directions as shown in FIG. 2. Screw and nut connections 42 pass through slots in cover 27, indicated at 45 in FIG. 3 in order to provide for adjustment of baffle 39 lengthwise of the entrance casing.

The right end portion of article baffle 39 is arranged to have a horizontal prominence or ridge 46 extending crosswise of duct 10 just within opening 23. By lengthwise adjustment of the baflie member the distance of this prominence from the opposite wall of duct 10 can be adjusted according to the thickness and length of the rectangular articles or packs being handled.

The duct 10 is formed of sheet metal bent into a U formation as shown in FIG. 6, and having side flanges 47. The right-hand wall of the duct, from a region indicated by numeral 48 slightly above the entrance casing 16, to the lower end of the curved channel portion 11, is formed by a sheet 49 of transparent material such as Plexiglas. This sheet is removable for the purpose of cleaning the interior of the duct. In order to removably secure sheet 49 in position it is clamped to the flange members 47 by means of continuous spring clamps 5%), one on each side and extending substantially throughout the length of duct 10. The upper end of the strip or sheet of plastic 49 is beveled as indicated at 51 in FIG. 5 and wedged beneath the lower portion of a metal strip 52.

In travelling through the curved channel portion 11 the packs slide along two curved metal rods 53. Rods 53 are supported by a series of cross bars 54 which are bolted to the flanges of the channel member 11 as shown in FIGS. 5 and 8. Rods 53 are secured to the mounting bars 54 in any suitable manner such as by welding.

In view of the fact that the curved channel member 11 is open along its outer edge, the air pressure behind the packs escapes to the atmosphere in the neighborhood of the top of the upright duct so that the packs from thereon move on their own momentum. The point at which the air pressure is reduced or cut off is determined by the location of the upper end of strip 52 which forms a continuation of the outer wall 49 of duct 10 and serves to close the lower portion of the open channel 11 (FIG. 8). Strip 52 is mounted beneath the mounting bars 54, and by varying the length of strip 52 the point of cut-01f of air pressure can be adjusted to suit any particular in stallation. The curved channel 11 may be constructed to turn or swing to the right instead of to the left and thus assure that the printing at the base of the pack is not upside down.

The horizontal conveyor 12 to which the articles are delivered by the curved channel 11 may be an endless belt conveyor or a conveyor of any suitable type which is mounted within the housing shown at the top of FIG. 1.

It is to be understood that the term duct as used in this specification and the appended claims refers to a tubular structure which is enclosed on all sides.

I claim:

1. An air chute for elevating small light articles comprising a duct mounted in upright position, means for supplying air to the duct through a venturi device at the lower end of the duct, an entrance opening in the side of the duct immediately above the venturi device, an article-entrance casing extending laterally from said opening for guiding and delivering into the duct individual articles in succession, an article baflie within the entrance casing having a downwardly convex lower surface extending lengthwise of the casing for guiding the successive articles therethrough, a deflector plate on the floor of the casing for cooperating with the bafile in directing the articles upwardly through said opening into the air stream issuing from the venturi device, and means for supplying articles successively to the entrance casing, the suction produced by the venturi device causing the articles to be delivered into the air stream of such device so as to be carried upwardly by the stream through the duct.

2. An air chute for elevating small light articles as set forth in claim 1 wherein the article supplying means delivers the articles at the lowest point of the article baflle within the entrance casing.

3. An air chute for elevating small light rectangular articles as set forth in claim 1 wherein the venturi device includes an upwardly sloping surface making an apexforming intersection with an upwardly curving surface. the upwardly sloping surface cooperating with the wall of the duct below the entrance casing to form a converging venturi entrance area, the venturi throat being formed by said wall and said apex-forming intersection, the upwardly curved surface serving to continue the guiding of the articles upwardly into the air stream issuing from the venturi throat.

4. An air chute for elevating small light rectangular articles as set forth in claim 3 in which the venturi throat is disposed substantially at the level of the floor of the article entrance casing, the deflector plate within the entrance casing being mounted on said floor at the venturi throat and extending partially into the upright duct, said guiding member being adjustable vertically with respect to the deflector plate to direct the air stream issuing from the venturi throat against the upwardly curved surface of the venturi device.

5. An air chute device for elevating small light articles as set forth in claim 1 wherein an extension is provided on the discharge end of the upright duct, said extension comprising a curved open channel member extending through an angle of approximately 90 to deliver the articles horizontally, said channel member having a pair of curved rods extending lengthwise of its open side so as to permit the exhaust of the air from the upper end of the upright duct, the articles sliding along the inner surfaces of these rods under the momentum received during their upward travel in the air duct.

6. An air chute for elevating small light rectangular article comprising a duct rectangular in cross-section mounted in upright position, a venturi device having a slot-like throat which extends crosswise of the lower end of the duct, means for supplying air to the venturi device, an entrance opening in the side of the duct immediately above the slot-like venturi throat, an article-entrance casing extending laterally from said opening for guiding and delivering into the duct individual articles in succession, an article baflle within the entrance casing having a downwardly convex lower surface extending lengthwise of the casing for guiding the successive rectangular articles therethrough, a deflector plate on the floor of the casing for directing them upwardly through said opening into the air stream issuing from the slot-like venturi throat, and means for supplying articles successively to the entrance casing, the suction produced by the venturi device causing the articles to be delivered into the air stream of such device so as to be carried upwardly by the stream through the upright duct.

7. An air chute for elevating small light rectangular articles as set forth in claim 3 wherein the article-baffle member in the entrance casing has a semi-circular convex lower surface extending from side to side of the casing in spaced relation to the casing floor and extending lengthwise from near the article supply means to the upright duct, the position of the low point of the semi-circular surface determining the point within the entrance casing where maximum suction is developed, and wherein means are provided for mounting the semi-circular bafile member for adjustment vertically, longitudinally and angularly within the entrance casing.

8. An air chute device for elevating small light rectangular articles as set forth in claim 7 wherein the semicircular bafile member is provided with a horizontal prominence extending crosswise of the upright duct below the top of the entrance casing, the lowermost point of the baflle member being adjusted with respect to the floor of the casing to correspond to the minimum dimension of the articles, and said prominence being adjusted in a similar manner with respect to the opposite wall of the upright duct.

9. An air chute for elevating small light rectangular articles as set forth in claim 6 wherein the venturi device includes an upwardly sloping surface intersected by an upwardly curving surface to form a horizontal apex, the upwardly sloping surface cooperating with the wall of the duct below the entrance casing to form a converging venturi entrance area; the venturi throat being formed by said apex and the adjacent wall of the upright duct, the upwardly curved surface serving to continue the guiding of the articles upwardly into the air stream issuing through the venturi throat.

10. An air chute for elevating small light rectangular articles as set forth in claim 9 in which the venturi throat is disposed substantially at the level of the floor of the article entrance casing, and one of the guiding members within the entrance casing is mounted on said floor opposite the apex of the venturi member and extends partially into the upright duct above the venturi throat, said guiding member being adjustable vertically to direct the air stream issuing from said throat against the upwardly curved surface of the venturi device.

11. An air chute for elevating small light rectangular articles as set forth in claim 6 wherein the upright duct is a metallic member U-shaped in cross-section, the open side of which is closed by means of a sheet of transparent material, means being provided for removably mounting such sheet on the duct comprising a continuous clamping member extending along each side edge of the transparent sheet and having one portion engaging the margin of such sheet and its opposite portion engaging a flange extending along the duct member.

12. An air chute device for elevating small light rectangular articles as set forth in claim 6 wherein an extension is provided on the discharge end of the upright duct, said extension comprising a curved open channel member extending through an angle of approximately 90 to deliver the articles horizontally, said channel member having a pair of curved rods supported throughout its open side to guide the articles and to permit the exhaust 10 of the air from the upper end of the upright duct, the articles sliding along the inner surfaces of these rods under the momentum received during their upward travel in the air duct.

13. An air chute device for elevating small light rectangular articles as set forth in claim 12 wherein there is provided a closure strip for the open channel between 8 the curved rods, the length of said strip determining the beginning of the exhaust of the air and thus the velocity of the articles as they commence to slide along the curved rails References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,073,445 9/63 Snelling 302-15 2,342,680 2/44 Melzer 302-2 2,929,112 3/60 Massey 30259 FOREIGN PATENTS 511,611 4/55 Canada.

15 SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner.

ANDRES H. NEILSEN, Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No 3 ,210 ,130 October 5 1965 James G. Kelly It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 6, line 5, for "article" read articles line 25, for the claim reference numeral "3" read 6 Signed and sealed this 17th day of May 1966.

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER EDWARD J. BRENNER Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents

Claims

1. AN AIR CHUTE FOR ELEVATING SMALL LIGHT ARTICLES COMPRISING A DUCT MOUNTED IN UPRIGHT POSITION, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING AIR TO THE DUCT THROUGH A VENTURI DEVICE AT THE LOWER END OF THE DUCT, AN ENTRANCE OPENING IN THE SIDE OF THE DUCT IMMEDIATELY ABOVE THE VENTURI DEVICE, AN ARTICLE-ENTRANCE CASING EXTENDING LATERALLY FROM SAID OPENING FOR GUIDING AND DELIVERING INTO THE DUCT INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES IN SUCCESSION, AN ARTICLE BAFFLE WITHIN THE ENTRANCE CASING HAVING A DOWNWARDLY CONVEX LOWER SURFACE EXTENDING LENGTHWISE OF THE CASING FOR GUIDING THE SUCCESSIVE ARTICLES THERTHROUGH, A DEFLECTOR PLATE ON THE FLOOR OF THE CASING FOR COOPERATING WITH THE BAFFLE IN DIRECTING THE ARTICLES UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID OPENING INTO THE AIR STREAM ISSUING FROM THE VENTURI DEVICE, AND MEANS FOR SUPPLYING ARTICLES SUCCESSIVELY TO THE ENTRANCE CASING, THE SUCTION PRODUCED BY THE VENTURI DEVICE CAUSING THE ARTICLES TO BE DELIVERED INTO THE AIR STREAM OF SUCH DEVICE SO AS TO BE CARRIED UPWARDLY BY THE STREAM THROUGH THE DUCT.