US3215289A

US3215289A - Apparatus for automatically depalletizing ferrous metal cans

Info

Publication number: US3215289A
Application number: US195229A
Authority: US
Inventors: Fred C Gleason
Original assignee: American Home Products Corp
Current assignee: Wyeth LLC
Priority date: 1962-05-16
Filing date: 1962-05-16
Publication date: 1965-11-02
Anticipated expiration: 1982-11-02

Description

Nov. 2, 1965 F. c. GLEASON APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY DEPALLETIZING FERROUS METAL CANS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 16, 1962 ATTORNEY 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR FRED C.GLEASON Nov. 2, 1965 F. c. GLEASON APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY DEPALLETIZING FERROUS METAL CANS Filed May 16, 1962 ATTOR NEY Nov. 2, 1965 F. c. GLEASON APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY DEPALLETIZING FERROUS METAL CANS Filed May 16, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR FRED C. GLEASON ATTORNEY m Nm ma:

Q\ N: E:

8+1: mm om H Nov. 2, 1965 ,F. c. GLEASON APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY DEPALLETIZING FERROUS METAL CANS 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May 16, 1962 INVENTOR FRED QGLEASON MM 1.1M

ATTORNEY.

Nov. 2, 1965 F. c. GLEASON 3,215,289

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY DEPALLETIZING FERROUS METAL CANS FIGS.

INVENTOR FRED C. GLEASON ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,215,289 APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY DEPALLET- IZING FERROUS METAL CANS Fred C. Gleason, Cannondale, Conn., 'assignor to American Home Products Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed May 16, 1962, Ser. No. 195,229 4 Claims. (Cl. 214-85) This invention relates to a method and apparatus for automatically depalletizing ferrous metal cans. More particularly it relates to such a method and apparatus according to which ferrous metal cans stacked on a pallet in a plurality of layers separated by non-metallic sheets, each layer consisting of a plurality of parallel rows of cans, are lifted from the pallet row by row by the action of an overriding magnetic belt, moved forward by the travel of the magnetic belt to a flexible guide tube, projected into and forced through the guide tube, and ejected from the guide tube onto a take-away conveyor belt for transfer to a packing station, the inlet end of the flexible guide tube being moved successively into registry with one of the parallel rows of cans.

The removal of small tinplate cans from a pallet and placing them in position for filling with the commodity for which they are intended has usually been done manually. Even with skilled operatives, this has entailed high labor costs.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for carrying this operation out automatically and at a high speed with a minimum of human intervention.

My invention is illustrated in the following description and in the accompanying drawings as applied to small flat ferrous metal cans with hinged covers adapted to contain, say 12 to 30 pharmaceutical tablets. As it will be obvious, however, that the apparatus may be adapted to ferrous metal cans of different shapes and sizes by minor modifications, the description and drawings are intended to be illustrative only and not to limit my invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims.

Can manufacturers deliver cans of the above mentioned type stacked in layers with the lids open on a standard pallet with chip board or similar sheets separating the layers. The cans in each layer are arranged in parallel rows. As many as 50,000 to 60,000 cans constitute a pallet load, divided into, say, 100 to 150 layers. The loaded pallets are wrapped when received from the can manufacturer.

For use in my device, each pallet is unwrapped and deposited, by means of a fork truck or otherwise on a vertically moveable platform. A laterally moveable and vertically adjustable magnetic conveyor belt is mounted above the platform in a position such that its bottom run will pass over and along one row of cans on the pallet, its lateral moveability Will permit it to be moved to a position over an adjacent row of cans, and its vertical adjustability will permit it to be lowered to a position Where its magnetic field will attract and hold a row of cans on its bottom run and then to be raised a sutficient amount to lift the row of cans from the pallet.

Power and automatic control means are provided to move the belt over a pair of pulleys, to move the belt laterally and to adjsut it vertically in a repetitive cycle.

Operation of the belt is arranged to pick up a row of cans and advance them to the mouth of a flexible inverted U-shaped tube and to force them up the first vertical leg of the tube, aided by a constantly rotating magnetic pulley mounted near the mouth of the tube. The cans pass over the top of the tube and descend the second vertical leg to a controlled loading device for feeding 3,215,289 Patented Nov. 2, 1965 the cans one by one onto a compartmented take-away belt.

The cross section of the inverted U-tube is such as to receive and pass on a can and associated opened hinged cover in a flat position and retain it thus oriented during its passage through the tube. Since the cans are usually delivered by the manufacturer with open side down on the pallet, and it is desired to feed them to the take-away belt open side up, provision is made for inverting them. This may be done by incorporating a twist in the inverted U-tube or, alternatively, by directing the exit end of the tube back towards the inlet end.

At the inlet end of the inverted U-tube means are provided for keeping the end of the tube in registry with the magnetic belt during its lateral movement. The exit end of the tube is mounted in a fixed position.

At the exit end of the inverted U-tube escapementoperated pusher means are provided to eject cans from the tube one by one onto a compartmented take-away belt. The travel of the latter is conveniently perpendicular to the direction of travel of the magnetic belt and may be in either direction. The purpose of the takeaway belt is to transport the cans open side up to a loading station where the cans are filled with their destined contents.

Power and regulating means are provided to operate the pusher means and take-away belt in synchronism with the supply of cans.

After removal of one layer of cans from the pallet has been completed, the sheet of chip board or similar material covering the next lower layer of cans must be removed. In my machine means for doing this are provided consisting of suction cups aflixed to a frame attached to the carriage on which the magnetic belt is mounted. These cups are so positioned that, when the belt has completed a traverse of the pallet, they overlie the exposed and empty chip board; activation of the suction cups then raises the chip board which is transported along with the carriage as the latter returns to its original starting position. At this point the magnetic belt overlies the first row of cans in the newly exposed layer on the pallet, and the supported chip board, having cleared the pallet, is dropped clear of the carriage for removal by release of the suction in the cups.

Before the ensuing pick-up cycle begins, the pallet is raised by automatically controlled power means a distance equal to the height of one layer of cans plus the thickness of one chip board.

A better understanding of the invention will be had upon reference to the following description of a specific embodiment thereof.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view "of my apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation partly in section along the line 22 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end view sectioned along the angled line 33 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a partial view similar to FIG. 3 showing an alternative arrangement of the flexible tube;

FIG. 5 is an illustration in perspective of a can as handled by this apparatus;

FIG. 6 is a detail, partly in section along the line 66 in FIG. 1, illustrating the escapement mechanism for ejecting cans onto the take-away belt;

FIG. 7 is a diagram of certain electric power and control circuits; and

FIG. 8 is a diagram of electric circuits controlling the suction pick up and release of chip boards.

Pallet and magnetic pick-up belt assembly In the drawings a rectangular supporting frame 1 is shown consisting of side girders 2 and end girders 3 supported on posts 4 mounted on a stable concrete foundation or floor 5. Girders 2 are provided with upstanding flanges 6 and serve as rails for supporting a movable carriage.

The movable carriage 7 comprises two side members 8 and two end members 9 forming a rectangular frame at the four corners of which supporting rollers '10 are rotatably mounted. These rollers ride on girders 2, being retained on them by flanges 6.

At one end of the carriage is mounted a framework 11 for supporting a magnetic pick-up belt 12 and accessory equipment. This framework comprises a bottom plate 13, side walls 14, and an end wall 15. Opposite end wall 15, the side wall spacing is maintained by bars 16. Lengthwise of the carriage, intermediate the side members 8 and supported at their ends on end members 9 are mounted bars 17 serving as supports for suction cups 18.

Magnetic pick-up belt 12 is of conventional construction built to furnish a permanent magnetic field emanating from its outer surface. This belt is supported by and runs on two

pulleys

19 and 20. Pulley 19 is rotatably mounted at 21 between the ends of a pair of lever arms 22 which at their other ends 23 are pivotably mounted on side members 14. Pulley is also rotatably mounted between the ends of two lever arms 24, each in the form of a bell crank, supporting pulley 20 at 25 and pivoted on side members 14 at 26. Each bell crank lever has a side arm 27. A spacing rod 28 with turnbuckle adjustment 29 maintains tension on belt 12 and keeps the distance between 21 and 25 constant.

A sucking solenoid 30, fixedly mounted between side members 14, is provided with a plunger 33 connected by an extension 31 to the outer end of arms 27 at 32. Plunger 33 is also provided with an extension 34 slideably mounted in bearing block 35 affixed to wall 14. Fixedly attached to extension 34 is an abutment plate 36. Surrounding plunger 33 and extension 34 is a helical compression spring 37, the right hand end of which (as seen in FIG. 3) bears on plate 36 and the left hand end of which bears on the casing of solenoid 30. The solenoid assembly is so arranged that, when the solenoid is energized, link 31 will be drawn to the left as indicated by the arrow, compressing spring 37, and

rotating levers

24 and 22 counterclockwise around their pivot points 26 and 23, thus lowering belt 12 to a position where its lower run is close enough to the cans on the pallet to attract and hold them by virtue of its magnetic field. On deenergization of the solenoid, spring 37 returns belt 12 to its original position. The raising and lowering of this belt may be of the order of 13 inches. In FIG. 3, belt 12 is shown in raised position by solid lines and in lowered position by broken lines.

The motor for driving the magnetic belt is shown at 80 arranged to drive pulley 19 through a conventional clutch (not shown) and drive belts and pulleys 81. Motor 88 runs continuously. Extension 34 of plunger 33 is mechanically connected to a clutch-operating lever, as shown at 82 so arranged that when plunger 33 is drawn into solenoid 30 and belt 12 is depressed, motor 80 is disconnected from the belt drive 81, and belt 12 comes to rest. When belt 12 is again raised, as described above, the clutch is again engaged and belt is again set in motion.

A reversing motor for traversing carriage 7 across pallet 40 is shown at 83. This motor is connected to a sprocket on roller 10 by chain 84.

Pallet 40, of conventional type, rests on platform 41, which in turn is adjustably supported by four jack screws 42 at or near its four corners. Operation of these jacks raises or lowers platform 41 and pallet 40 as required by the operation described below. Motor drive for the jacks is shown at 85 (FIGS. 1 and 3). Motor 85 drives through reduction gear 86, bevel gear 87 and chain 88. The latter passes over sprocket wheels 89 on bevel gear 87 and on a jack screw 42. The four jack screws 42 are interconnected by chains and sprockets so as to turn simultaneously.

As stated above, cans 43 are stacked on the pallet in successive layers 44 separated by chip board sheets 45, the cans in each layer being arranged face down with hinged covers open in rows parallel to the run of magnetic belt 12. The cans consist of a body 46 and a cover 47 attached to the body by hinge 48 ('FIG. 5).

The jack screws 42 are intermittently and simultaneously turned to adjust the height of pallet 40 so as to maintain the top layer 44 of cans 43 in operating range of belt 12.

The flexible inverted U-tube The flexible inverted U-tube 60 is suspended from an overhead hanger 15 3 attached to the ceiling and comprising a trolley 93 sliding freely in rails 94 and provided with a swivel 95. The tube is of flat approximately rectangular cross section designed to receive one can at a time with open cover and to maintain successive can-s with constant orientation during their passage through the tube. The tube itself is constructed of a fiat-wound non-magnetic stainless steel ribbon.

The delivery end of tube 60 is fixed at 70 in support 71 in a position to permit discharge of cans onto a takeaway belt as described below. The receiving end 72 of the tube is maintained in registry with the end of magnetic belt 12 to permit the tube to receive cans brought to it by belt 12. This registry is secured by supporting end 72 of the tube on a bracket 73 attached to member 16. End 72 of tube 60 may be somewhat flared horizontally to facilitate entrance of cans. A permanent holding magnet 79 is fixedly mounted close to the belt near its receiving end to prevent backfiow of cans in case the supply of cans from belt 12 is interrupted.

Since the cans must be inverted from a face-up to a face-down position for delivery to the take-away belt, a 180 twist is incorporated in the tube as at 74.

In the operation of this apparatus as described below, end 72 of tube 60 travels from one extreme position shown by solid lines to another extreme position shown by dotted lines in FIG. 1. In order to achieve this degree of flexing without bind-ing the cans passing through the tubes, the height of the support of the apex of the inverted U above ends 70 and 72 must be adequate. For cans measuring A1. to thick and 3" to 4 /2" long and 2" to 3" wide horizontally, including open covers, and with a horizontal travel of end 72 of 40", a height of 8 to 10 feet is adequate.

Instead of the 180 twist in tube 60, which may offer some resistance to passage of the cans, the arrangement shown in FIG. 4 will invert the cans. In this figure a fragment of the left-hand part of the pallet and magnetic pick-up belt assembly is shown as in FIG. 3, including moving end 72 of a flexible inverted U-tube 160. This tube, however, has no twist 74 in it, but instead, its fixed end 170, supported in fitting 171 is brought around in a curve look-ing towards end 72, instead of away from it as with tube 60. Diagrams a, b, c and d indicate how this arrangement also inverts cans 43. Associated with the movable end 72 of tubes 60 or is a conventional magnetic pulley '75 having magnets 76 rnounted in its periphery. This pulley is journaled at 77 111 a pair of brackets 78 supported on side plates 14. This pulley is rotated continuously in the direction indicated by the arrow and aids in forcing cans delivered by belt 12 up the riser leg of tube 60 or 160. Power for rotating the pulley is supplied by motor '96 and belt 97 mounted on carriage 7. The cans descend by gravity in the downcomer leg of the inverted U-tube.

T aka-away belt and associated devices As will be described in more detail below, travel of belt 12 delivers cans from the pallet to inverted U-tube 60 or 160 through which they are forced and from which they are delivered one at a time to a conventional pocketed take-away belt. This belt 90 is provided with a series of pockets or recesses 91, each of a size to receive an open can and cover 43. This belt is supported by and passes over two pulleys only one of which 92 is shown. Pulley 92 is journaled in supports '93. Power means comprising motor 98, sprockets 98' and chain 99 are provided to drive pulley 92' to impart travel to the belt in the direction indicated by the arrows in 'FIG. 6.

Pulley '92 positively engages belt 90 so as to drive it without slippage, as by sprocket teeth or other conventional means. Belt and pulley may be run continuously or intermittently and be manually or automatically controlled by well known means.

Means are located adjacent end 70 of tube 60 for ejecting cans one at a time from tube 60 int-o pockets 91 of the belt. The ejecting means comprise a housing 100 in which is slideably mounted a plunger 101 attached to the rear wall of the housing by tension spring 102. Pivoted at 103 on the axis of pulley 92 and extending upward parallel to the side face of the latter is -a straight lever arm 104. The upper end of this lever has a slot 105 in which is engaged a stud 106 fixed in the side of plunger 101. A hooked gathering pawl 107 is pivoted on lever 104 at 108 between slot 105 and axis 103. On and perpendicular to the side face of pulley'92 is afiixed a Series of studs 109, the number of studs and their angular spacing around axis 103 being so chosen as to correspond to the angular spacing of pockets 91 surrounding the driving half of the periphery of pulley 92 as shown in FIG. 6. On rotation of pulley 92, studs 109 successively engage hook 110 on pawl 104 and carry it to the left until cam surface 111 engages a fixed cam or stud 112. The effect of this engagement is to raise pawl 107 and release it from the stud. The action of the stud on the gathering pawl carries lever 104 to the left and thus advances plunger 101 to the left against the tension of spring 102. The ensu- When plunger 101 is advanced as described, it ejects the arrested can into a pocket 91 of belt 90, fixed can-seating spring 113 assuring its retention in the pocket. On retraction of the plunger, a new can drops into the place of the ejected can. The cans ejected onto belt 90 are transported by it to a loading station where they may be handled further in any desired way.

Automatic controls Four automatic circuits for controlling the operation of my apparatus are illustrated diagrammatically in FIGS. 7 and 8.

In FIG. 7 circuit A, comprising

switches

124 and 125 and reversing motor 85, controls the raising and lowering of pallet platform 41; circuit

B comprising switches

124 and 131 and reversing motor 83, controls the traverse of belt 12 in framework '11 on rails 2; and circuit C, comprising

switches

124, 138 and 131, time-delay relay 140 and solenoid 30, controls the raising and lowering of belt 12.

In FIG. 8 circuit D, comprising solenoid 144, solenoidactuated air valve 141 and reversing limit switch 145, controls the pick up and removal of empty chip boards.

Circuit A.It will be seen that switch 124 is included in all three circuits A, B and C. This is a can-sensing proximity switch so located that the presence of tin cans on an uppermost chip board causes the switch to close to the right as seen in the figure. This cuts off circuit A and provides the way for energization of circuits B and C.

If no can is within range of switch 124, it is arranged to close to the left, thus permitting energization of motor through switch provided lever 127 is appropriately positioned. Switch 125 is a 3-position limit switch arranged so that fee'ler finger 127 is pushed to the descend position when the pallet platform 41 reaches the top of its travel and be pushed to open position when the pallet platform reaches the bottom. After unloading .and reloading platform 41, the switch may be manually set in the ascend position. The new loaded pallet will then be raised until the top layer of cans is brought in range of switch 124.

Circuit B.Switch 129 is a reversible limit switch controlling the energization and direction of rotation of reversing motor 83 by the position of lever 133; the latter is arranged to contact suitable pins at the extremes of travel of framework 11. Switch 131 is a can-sensing proximity switch arranged to close to the left when no cans are alined under belt 12 and hence energize motor 83 (switch 129 being suitably positioned), and to close to the right when belt 12 has been moved to a position over a row of cans, thus stopping motor 83 and providing for the energization of circuit C. The effect of this arrangement is to arrest belt 12 over each successive line of cans in a pickup position and move the belt on and arrest it over the next row of cans after the previous row has been {)emcged as long as cans are present on the topmost chip oar Circuit C.Switch 138 is a proximity demand switch located on the descending leg of tube 60 or 160 and arranged to open when cans are present in this leg, thus preventing the energization of solenoid 30 and preventing further feed of excess cans. A time-delay relay 140, is adjusted to close circuit C for a fixed preselected period, say 6-8 seconds, sufficient to permit belt 12 to be lowered, to pick up a line of cans, to be raised and to deliver its load of cans to tube 60 or 160.

Circuit D (FIG. 8) is independent of circuits A, B and C and is arranged to control the removal of empty chip boards.

The chip board pick up illustrated diagrammatically in FIG. 2 is controlled sequentially as follows: Suction cups 18 mounted on bars 17 are individually connected with air manifold 141 by flexible air hoses 142, the manifold being fixedly secured to the ceiling or an elevated support. Connected to manifold 141 is an air suction supply pipe 143. Access of air from cups 18 through hoses 142 and manifold 141 to air suction pipe 143 is controlled by solenoid-actuated air valve 144 so arranged that when the solenoid is energized the valve is opened against the bias of a spring (not shown), and when it is deenergized the valve is closed by the spring.

Operation of valve 144 is effected at appropriate times by means of a limit switch 145 mounted on one of rails 2 and provided with a finger 146 adapted to make contact with either of two

studs

147 and 148 fixedly mounted on one of carriage side members 8 adjacent the path of travel of carriage 7. The studs and switch are so located and arranged that as carriage 7 reaches the limit of its travel to the left as shown in FIG. 2, stud 147 moves finger 146 to the left to close switch 145 and thus open valve 144 by energizing this valve through leads 147. The consequent rush of air into cups 18 lifts the uppermost sheet of chip board 45, now bare, and holds it against the cups during the ensuing travel of carriage 7 to the right. When carriage 7 reaches its extreme right hand position (dotted lines), stud 148 moves finger 146 to the right, opening switch 145 thus closing valve 144 and shutting off the suction. This allows the suspended chip board to drop clear of pallet 40 for disposal as desired.

When a pallet has been emptied and the pallet platform 41 has been lowered, the empty pallet may be removed and a loaded pallet may be placed in position manually or mechanical means of conventional type may be employed for this operation.

The proximity and limit switches referred to are of conventional types such as are cataloged by several manufacturers, e.g. The Micro Switch Division of Minneapolis- Honeywell Regulator Co., Freeport, Illinois, Peco Corporation, Mountain View, California, and others.

In FIGS. 1-6, electric leads are omitted for simplicitys sake, since their location is a matter of conventional engineering and will vary in different localities. In FIG. 7 it is shown that motor 85 receives power from lines 122 and 123, motor 83 from

lines

122, 128, 130 and 123, and solenoid 30 from

lines

122, 128, 137, 136 and 123, when the appropriate switches are closed. In FIG. 8 solenoid 144 is powered through lines 147 and 147'.

In FIGS. 1-6

switches

124, 127, 129, 131 and 140 are not precisely located, since this is a matter of mechanical design subject to variation with structural details and would unduly complicate the figures.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for automatically depalletizing ferrous metal cans and delivering them to a take-away belt or other removal means in a uniformly oriented position comprising in combination: a vertically adjustable pallet platform adapted to receive a pallet loaded with separated layers of ferrous metal cans arranged in lines; power and control means for adjusting the height of the platform; a magnetic conveyor belt mounted above the pallet platform and furnishing a magnetic field on its outer surface suflicient to attract and retain ferrous metal cans when in close proximity to them; pulleys rotatably supporting said magnetic belt, the axes of the pulleys being mounted in vertically movable supports, power means to drive said belt-supporting pulleys; power and control means for lowering and raising said pulley supports, whereby the lower run of the magnetic belt may be brought into close proximity to ferrous metal cans arranged on a pallet on said pallet platform and thereafter removed from such close proximity, whereby cans retained on its lower run may be delivered to a receiving means; means for traversing the magnetic belt perpendicularly to its run across a pallet on said pallet platform, said means comprising a wheeled carriage, horizontal carriage-supporting rails perpendicular to the run of the magnetic belt, a framework fixedly mounted on said carriage and adapted to support said magnetic belt, said belt pulleys and said pulley supports in spaced operable relation, power means arranged to traverse said carriage in either direction across said pallet platform, and control means adapted to arrest and initiate traverse of said carriage in either direction as required; a can-receiving means comprising a flexible transfer tube having a cross section adapted to receive and maintain in uniform orientation ferrous metal cans delivered by the magnetic belt, the receiving end of said tube being maintained in alinement with the delivery end of the magnetic belt by a tube support afiixed to said carriage whereby cans carried by the magnetic belt are entered into the tube, means for urging the delivered cans through the tube, the delivery end of the transfer tube being fixedly mounted adjacent a removal means and ejection means mounted adjacent the delivery end of the transfer tube adapted to eject cans one by one from the transfer tube onto the removal means in undisturbed orientation.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1: (1) in which the vertically movable supports for the magnetic-belt pulleys comprise a pair of lever arms for each of two belt supporting pulleys, the respective ends of the axle of each pulley being mounted in one end ofeach of its supporting lever arms, the opposite ends of the lever arms being rotatably mounted in fixed pivots, the pivots for one pair of lever arms being spaced from the corresponding pivots for the other pair of lever arms a distance equal to the distance between the axes of said pulleys and the distance between said axes being maintained constant by a compression member, whereby the magnetic belt may be raised or lowered parallel to itself by rotation of said lever arms about said fixed pivots; (2) in which the power means to drive the belt-supporting pulleys comprises an electric motor, an electric power source for driving said motor, and driving means including a releasable clutch connecting said motor to at least one of said pulleys; and (3) in which the power and control means for raising and lowering said belt comprises a sucking solenoid the armature of which is connected at one end to at least one of said lever arms to effect rotation thereof when the solenoid is energized, which armature is spring biassed to return it and the associated lever arms to a neutral position when the solenoid is deenergized, and a source of electric power connected to the solenoid through a time-delay relay arranged to maintain the energization of the solenoid for a limited preselected period of time, the said armature being operably connected to release means on said releasable clutch so arranged that in one position of the armature the clutch is engaged and in the other position the clutch is released.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which the power and control means for traversing the carriage across the pallet platform comprise a reversible electric motor, a source of electric power for driving said motor, a reversing switch in circuit with the motor and power source, and a proximity switch sensitive to the presence of ferrous metal cans in said circuit and so arranged as to arrest traverse of the carriage when the magnetic belt overlies a row of cans.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which the flexible transfer tube is in the form of an inverted U and the means for urging the cans through the tube comprises a pulley adjacent the intake end of the tube, the pulley having magnets attached to its periphery and being rotated in such sense that the magnets close to the tube provide a continuous rising magnetic field in the tube effective to urge upwards ferrous metal cans in the tube at or near its intake end.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner.

MORRIS TEMIN, HUGO O. SCHULZ, Examiners.

Claims

1. APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY DEPALETIZING FERROUS METAL CANS AND DELIVERING THEM TO A TAKE-AWAY BELT OR OTHER REMOVAL MEANS IN A UNIFORMLY ORIENTED POSITION COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: A VERTICALLY ADJUSTABLE PALLET PLATFORM ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A PALLET LOADED WITH SEPARATED LAYERS OF FERROUS METAL CANS ARRANGED IN LINES; POWER AND CONTROL MEANS FOR ADJUSTING THE HEIGHT OF THE PLATFORM; A MAGNETIC CONVEYOR BELT MOUNTED ABOVE THE PALLET PLATFORM AND FURNISHING A MAGNETIC FIELD ON ITS OUTER SURFACE SUFFICIENT TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN FERROUS METAL CANS WHEN IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THEM; PULLEYS ROTATABLY SUPPORTING SAID MAGNETIC BELT, THE AXES OF THE PULLEYS BEING MOUNTED IN VERTICALLY MOVALBE SUPPORTS, POWER MEANS TO DRIVE SAID BELT-SUPPORTING PULLEYS; POWER AND CONTROL MEANS FOR LOWERING AND RAISING SAID PULLEY SUPPORTS, WHEREBY THE LOWER RUN OF THE MAGNETIC BELT MAY BE BROUGHT INTO CLOSE PROXIMITY TO FERROUS METAL CANS ARRANGED ON A PALLET ON SAID PALLET, PLATFORM AND THEREAFTER REMOVED FROM SUCH CLOSE PROXIMITY, WHEREBY CANS RETAINED ON ITS LOWER RUN MAY BE DELIVERED TO A RECEIVING MEANS; MEANS FOR TRAVERSING THE MAGNETIC BELT PERPENDICULARLY TO ITS RUN ACROSS A PALLET ON SIAD PALLET PLATFORM, SAID MEANS COMPRISING A WHEELD CARRIGE, HORIZONTAL CARRIAGE-SUPPORTING RAILS PERPENDICULAR TO THE RUN OF THE MAGNETIC BELT, A FRAMEWORK FIXEDLY MOUNTED ON SAID CARRIAGE AND ADAPTED TO SUPPORT SAID MAGNETIC BELT, SAID BELT PULLEYS AND SAID PULLEY SUPPORTS IN SPACED OPRABLE RELATION, POWER MEANS ARRANGED TO TRAVERSE SAID CARRIAGE IN EITHER DIRECTION ACROSS SAID PALLET PLATFORM, AND CONTROL MEANS ADAPTED TO ARREST AND INITIATE TRAVERSE OF SAID CARRIAGE IN EITHER DIRECTION AS REQUIRED; A CAN-RECEIVING MEANS COMPRISING A FLEXIBLE TRANSFER TUBE HAVING A CROSS SECTION ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AND MAINTAIN IN UNIFORM ORIENTATION FERROUS METAL CANS DELIVERED BY THE MAGNETIC BELT, THE RECEIVING END OF SAID TUBE BEING MAINTAINED IN ALINEMENT WITH THE DELIVERY END OF THE MAGNETIC BELT BY A TUBE SUPPORT AFFIXED TO SAID CARRIAGE WHEREBY CANS CARRIED BY THE MAGNETIC BELT ARE ENTERED INTO THE TUBE, MEANS FOR URGING THE DELIVERED CANS THROUGH THE TUBE, THE DELIVERY END OF THE TRANSFER TUBE BEING FIXEDLY MOUNTED ADJACENT A REMOVAL MEANS AND EJECTION MEANS MOUNTED ADJACENT THE DELIVERY END OF THE TRANSFER TUBE ADAPTED TO EJECT CANS ONE BY ONE FROM THE TRANSFER TUBE ONTO THE REMOVAL MEANS IN UNDISTRUBED ORIENTATION.