US3347400A

US3347400A - Apparatus for depanning bread loaves

Info

Publication number: US3347400A
Application number: US530000A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ridder William De
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1965-02-27
Filing date: 1966-02-25
Publication date: 1967-10-17
Anticipated expiration: 1984-10-17
Also published as: NL6502531A

Description

' Oct. 17, 1967 w. DE RIDDER APPARATUS FOR DEPANNING BREAD LOAVES Filed Feb. 25, 1966 United States Patent 3 347 400 APPARATUS FOR DEPABINING BREAD LOAVES William de Kidder, Bachlaan 1, Voorschoten, Netherlands Filed Feb. 25, 1966, Ser. No. 530,000 Claims priority, application Netherlands, Feb. 27, 1965, 65- 31 5 Claims. (Cl: 214-314) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An apparatus for depanning bread loaves, comprising a delivery conveyor for the pans to be emptied, a turnover device in the path of the delivery conveyor adapted to move in a vertical plane so as to be swung into a position above a discharge conveyor, a second discharge conveyor for the empty pans, and a rotary roller, having its axis parallel to the shaft of the turnover device, between the turnover device and the first discharge conveyor, adapted to cause the bread loaves falling on it from the pans in the dumping position of the turnover device to turn further into their upright position on the discharge conveyor.

Background of the invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for depanning bread loaves, comprising a delivery conveyor for the pans to be unloaded, a turnover device in the path of this delivery conveyor adapted to move in a vertical plane so as to be swung into a position above a discharge conveyor, and means for putting the empty pans on a second discharge conveyor.

In a well-known apparatus of this kind, the bread loaves, while being turned over and inverted, are allowed to fall on a fixed inverter bar causing them to retake their upright position before they get into the discharge conveyor. Due to the fact that the bread loaves do not always leave the respective pans at the same time during the turnover movement the inverter bar is less reliable in its function to cause the bread loaves to, retake their upright position.

Summary of the invention It is thus an object of this invention to provide an apparatus of the kind referred to, having an improved inverter member which is more reliable in its function to invert the falling bread loaves into their upright position.

It is a further object of this invention to provide means which will prevent the depanned bread loaves from falling into the space between the shaft of the turnover device and the inverter member.

The improved inverter member of this invention comprises a rotary inverter roller, which ensures a smooth inverting movement of the depaned bread loaves falling on it and will assist those bread loaves which are cleared rom the pans in a rather late stage, e.g. at the time the turnover device is already returning to its initial position, to pass the dead center in the require-d inverting movement.

The means for preventing depanned bread loaves from falling in the space between the shaft of the turnover device and the inverter member may comprise a cover member bringing said space. Preferably said cover member is connected to the turnover device so as to assist any bread loaf falling on the cover member to pass the said dead center, when the turnover device is returning to its initial position.

In a preferred embodiment the inverter roller is loaded as by spring action in a direction corresponding with the turnover direction of the bread loaves falling on it, whereas the said cover member is a flexible mat connected 3,347,400 Patented Oct. 17, 1967 to the turnover device and the inverter and adapted to be wound on the inverter roller when the turnover device is swinging upwardly and to be unwound from the said roller when the turnover device is swinging back to its initial position.

Brief description 0 the drawings Description of the preferred embodiment With reference to the drawings 1 designates a delivery conveyor for the bakery pans with the bread loaves contained therein and 2 indicates a discharge conveyor for the empty pans. Between the two

conveyors

1 and 2 there is provided a turnover device 3, comprising an arm 3a which may swing upwardly and laterally with the shaft 6 disposed parallel to the direction of movement of the delivery conveyor 1. Adjacent the shaft. 6 the arm 3a is provided with a fixed clamping jaw 4, and a second clamping jaw 5 mounted at the free end of the arm may be moved towards and away from the jaw 4. The clamping jaw 5 is mounted on the outer end of a rod member 5a which is slidably contained in a through bore of the arm 3a and carries a cam member 7 at its inner end extending beyond the arm 3a adjacent the shaft 6. A coil spring (not shown in the drawings) being within the hollow arm 3a around the rod member 5a tends to move the clamping jaw 5 towards the fixed jaw 4. This type of arrangement is shown in more detail in the applicants copending application :Serial No. 366,014, filed May 8, 1964, now Patent No. 3,257,017, issued June 21, 1966. The cam member 7 cooperates with a fixed abutment 8. When the turnover device 3 is in its horizontal position shown by dotted lines in FIGURE 1, the cam member 7 is in contact with the abutment 8 due to which contact the clamping jaw 5 takes its outermost position with respect to the fixed jaw 4.

Between the turnover device 3 and the discharge conveyor 12 for the loaves an inverter roller 11 is rotatably supported in bearings 15, the axis of which is parallel to that of the shaft 6. The roller 11 is spring loaded in the direction indicated by the arrow x by means of a spring not shown in the drawings. The space between the shaft 6 and the roller 11 is bridged by a flexible mat 10, one end of which is connected to the turnover arm 3a adjacent the shaft 6 and the other end of which is tangentially connected to the roller 11.

In operation the pans to be unloaded, usually united into groups or couples of four pans, are supplied by the delivery conveyor 1 between the clamping jaws 4 and 5 of the turnover device, while the latter is in its horizontal position. When the turnover device 3 is swung upwardly from its horizontal position into the position shown in full lines in FIGURE 1 the cam member 7 becomes free from the abutment 8 so that the jaw 5 is permitted to move towards the fixed jaw 4 the pan couple thus being firmly clamped between the two jaws. During this upward movement of the turnover device the roller 11 is permitted to turn in the direction indicated by the arrow x and the mat 10 is wound on it. At the end of the upward movement the bread loaves are dumped onto the roller 11 which causes them to make a further half of a revolution into their upright position onto the discharge conveyor 2.

The mat 10 is unwound from the roller 11 when the turnover device 3 is swung back to its horizontal position, preventing any bread loaf from falling between the shaft 6 and the roller 11 when it leaves the respective pan only "in a rather late stage.

I claim as my invention:

1. An apparatus for depanning bread loaves, comprising a delivery conveyor for the pans to be emptied, a turnover device in the path of this delivery conveyor adapted to rotate in a vertical plane so as to be swung into a position above a discharge conveyor, means for putting the empty pans on a second discharge conveyor, and an inverter member between the turnover device and said first discharge conveyor adapted to cause the bread loaves, falling on it from the pans in the dumping position of the turnover device, to turn further into their upright position onto the said discharge conveyor, said inverter member being a rotary roller having its axis parallel to the axis of rotation of the turnover device.

2. An apparatus for depanning bread loaves according to claim 1, comprising a cover member bridging the space between the turnover device and the inverter member.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, in which the said cover member is connected to the turnover device at a 4 point adjacent to but spaced from the axis of rotation of the latter.

4. An apparatus according to claim 2, in which the said cover member is a flexible mat having one end connected to the turnover device at a point adjacent to but spaced from the axis of rotation of the latter and the other end connected to the inverter member.

5. An apparatus according to claim 2, in which the said cover member is a flexible mat having one end connected to the turnover device at a point adjacent to but spaced from the axis of rotation of the latter and the other end connected to the inverter member, and in which the inverter member is a rotary roller having its axis parallel to the axis of rotation of the turnover device and being spring loaded in the inverting direction so as to wind the mat on it when the turnover device is swinging upwardly.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS r HUGO O. SCHULZ, Primary Examiner. 0

Claims

1. AN APPARATUS FOR DEPANNING BREAD LOAVES, COMPRISING A DELIVERY CONVEYOR FOR THE PANS TO BE EMPTIED, A TURNOVER DEVICE IN THE PATH OF THIS DELIVERY CONVEYOR ADAPTED TO ROTATE IN A VERTICAL PLANE SO AS TO BE SWUNG INTO A POSITION ABOVE A DISCHARGE CONVEYOR, MEANS FOR PUTTING THE EMPTY PANS ON A SECOND DISCHARGE CONVEYOR, AND AN INVERTER MEMBER BETWEEN THE TRUNOVER DEVICE AND SAID FIRST DISCHARGE CONVEYOR ADAPTED TO CAUSE THE BREAD LOAVES, FALLING ON IT FROM THE PANS IN THE DUMPING POSITION OF THE TURNOVER DEVICE, TO TURN FURTHER INTO THEIR UPRIGHT POSITION ONTO THE SAID DISCHARGE CONVEYOR, SAID INVERTER MEMBER BEING A ROTARY ROLLER HAVING ITS AXIS PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF THE TURNOVER DEVICE.