US3620348A

US3620348A - Magazine feed storage conveyor

Info

Publication number: US3620348A
Application number: US869077A
Authority: US
Inventors: William Kursinczky
Original assignee: General Cable Corp
Current assignee: General Cable Corp
Priority date: 1969-10-24
Filing date: 1969-10-24
Publication date: 1971-11-16
Anticipated expiration: 1988-11-16

Abstract

This magazine feed storage conveyor is for reels of electric cable which are too heavy for a man to lift. Reels of cable are brought by shuttle cars to either end of a long frame which is open at both ends. The cars are tilted to roll the reels off and into the storage magazine formed by the frame. A conveyor belt has elements which contact with the reels above their center axes to roll the reels selectively into and out of the magazine and to advance them in the magazine to make room for additional reels. Automatic switches at each end of the frame condition the motor circuit to operate the conveyor in one direction or the other, depending upon which end a reel approaches from. Limit switches determine how far the conveyor moves with each operation.

Description

United States Patent [72] Inven or Willi m Kursinczky 2,726,753 12/1955 Bee 214/16 B X Woodbridge, NJ. 2,856,082 10/1958 Foster, Jr.. 2 14/16. 14 E. [2]] App]. No. 869,077 2,958,413 11/1960 Nicolaus... 198/135 X [22] Filed Oct. 24, 1969 3,219,206 11/1965 Cocker 2 14/1 6.4 [45] Patented Nov. 16, 1971 [73] Assignee General Cable Corporation g'"".' :oflenza New York NY. Assistan xammer o ert J. par

AttorneySandoe, Hopgood & Cahmafde [54] g gggi fggi g CONVEYOR ABSTRACT: This magazine feed storage conveyor is for reels g of electric cable which are too heavy for a man to lift. Reels of [52] U.S. Cl 198/75, cable are brought by shuttle cars to either end of a long frame 198/81, 198/135, 198/172, 214/16 B which is open at both ends. The cars are tilted to roll the reels [5]] Int. Cl B65g 19/02 of! and into the storage magazine formed by the frame. A con- [50] Field of Search 198/172, veyor belt has elements which contact with the reels above 174, 135, 75; 214/16 B their center axes to roll the reels selectively into and out of the magazine and to advance them in the magazine to make room [56] References cued for additional reels. Automatic switches at each end of the UNITED STATES PATENTS frame condition the motor circuit to operate the conveyor in 601,658 4/1898 Kaestner 198/174 one direction or the other. depending p which end a reel 2 422 763 /1947 Benn u 214/ 3 3 approaches from. Limit switches determine how far the con- 2,717,54s 9/1955 Blair, Jr. 198/172 x veyor moves with each Operation- 1 785 42 4 72 f 8 4 2 7 I Z 4 35 12a 132 '20 o o 98 I007 50 I6 50 201 44 I 144 so 9- l 4 102 i 5 I42 M: Emu. If, Qll 32% MAGAZINE FEED STORAGE CONVEYOR BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention provides a storage magazine for reels of electrical cable. The reels roll into the magazine without having to.

be lifted, and the magazine is long enough to hold a substantial number of reels located one behind the other in a row along a track or supporting guide at the bottom of the storage space within the magazine.

The magazine is equipped with a conveyor for moving reels into it or for ejecting reels when they are to be removed from storage. The conveyor also shifts the reels in the storage space along the length of the space to make room for the introduction of additional reels into the space.

In the preferred construction, reels can be put into the magazine from either end and can be withdrawn from either end, and the conveyor is reversible to accommodate the apparatus to the direction from which a reel approaches the magazine. There are proximity switches in the path of reels approaching the storage magazine from either direction, and these switches reverse the direction of movement of the conveyor to accommodate it to whichever end of the magazine the reel approaches from.

Along the path of movement of the conveyor, limit switches are located at distances corresponding to the diameter of the reels with which the apparatus is used. These switches can be set to stop the conveyor after movement which is long enough to accommodate one or a multiple of reels for any particular operation of the apparatus.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING In the drawing, forming a part hereof, in which like reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic, isometric view of a magazine feed storage conveyor made in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of one end of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a greatly enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1 and FIG. 4 is a wiring diagram for the apparatus shown in the other views.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The magazine feed storage conveyor shown in FIG. 1 includes a frame made up of a side assembly having vertical posts spaced from one another lengthwise of the apparatus, and longitudinal frame elements 12, 14 and 16 attached to the vertical posts. There is a similar side assembly of the far side of the apparatus with corresponding parts indicated by the same reference characters as the parts of the nearer assembly but with a prime appended. The side assemblies are connected together at their upper ends by crossties 20. Ordinarily no crossties are necessary at the bottom of the apparatus since the posts 10 are connected with the floor or other support underlying the apparatus.

The longitudinal frame elements 12 are angle sections with one leg resting on the floor and one leg extending vertically for connection with the post 10. These angles face one another and combine toform a support or reel guide channel on which reels 24 of electrical cable rest in the magazine space enclosed by the side assemblies and the crossties at the top of the side assemblies. The structure thus far described comprises a fixed magazine wide enough to receive cable reels 24 of the size for which the magazine feed storage conveyor is intended, and long enough to hold a substantial number of reels in storage, for example 10 or 12 reels, or such other number as are likely to be stored at a particular location. Where a very long magazine is objectionable because of the layout of a warehouse, several magazine feed storage conveyors can be located side by side to accommodate as many reels as desired within a narrower building.

The apparatus is constructed to receive reels from either end and to discharge reels from either end. The reels 24 are brought successively into position to enter the magazine by shuttle cars 28, each of which holds s single reel 24. These shuttle cars can be operated by a towline or chain 30 which can be stopped as each shuttle car reaches a position in alignment with the guide channel formed by the frame elements 10 and 10'. The shuttle car 28 can be tilted by hydraulic means 29 or other suitable mechanism to permit the reel 24 to roll off onto the floor at the end of the frame elements 10 and 10', and the reel rolls part way into the magazine as it comes off the tilting shuttle car.

A proximity switch 34 is buried in the floor across which the reel 24 rolls into the magazine; or is otherwise located close to the path of the reel 24 so as to operate in response to passage of the reel 24. The operation of the proximity switch 34 conditions the circuit of a conveyor to make the conveyor move in the correct direction to accommodate a reel approaching from the shuttle car 28 at the left-hand end of the magazine.

There are similar shuttle cars 28 at the righthand end of the magazine and there is a proximity switch 34' buried in the floor along the path of movement of a reel 24 discharged from a shuttle car 28' for reversing the direction of operation of the conveyor when the reel 24 approaches from the right-hand end of the magazine.

The cable reels are moved into and out of the space within the magazine by a conveyor indicated generally by the reference character 40. This conveyor 40 includes and endless belt 42 associated with the nearer or forward side assembly of the frame and another endless belt 42' associated with the further or rearward side assembly of the frame. In the preferred construction, each of the endless belts 42 and 43. is a roller link chain and the endless belts will be so described in explaining the operation of the conveyor.

The longitudinal frame element 14 is a channel attached to the posts 10 and facing inward toward the magazine space. This channel 14 serves as a guide for the chain 42 and maintains the lower run of the chain 42 in a horizontal line at a location somewhat above the center axes of the reels 24. These center axes, designated by the reference characters 46, are the axes of rotation of the reels 24 as they roll along the support provided by the lower frame elements 10 and 10'. At each end of the longitudinal frame element 14, the frame element is bent upwardly to provide extended

chain guide sections

48 and 48. The rearward longitudinal frame element 14' is of similar construction to that described for the forward frame element 14 and serves as a guide for the chain 42'. The lower run of both chains is supported at the same height above the supports provided by the lower frame elements 10 and 10' and there are shafts 50 connected at opposite ends to the

chains

42 and 42 at spaced locations along the chains.

The shafts 50, as illustrated in FIG. 3, are of composite construction and include a center rod 52 connected to the chain 42 by a bolt 54 which extends through side plates 56 of the chain at the pivot connections between successive side plates of the chain. The chain has rollers 58 which roll on the bottom wall of the chain guide 14'.

The shaft 50 includes an outer sleeve 60 which rotates on ball bearings 62 located on the center rod 52 at opposite ends of the shaft 50. A washer 64 is held in place by a spacer 66 hearing against a side plate 56 of the chain at one end and holding the washer 64 against a shoulder 68 on the rod 52 at the other end.

As the conveyor 40 operates, each shaft 50, which is behind a reel, pushes that reel 24 lengthwise of the magazine. The spacing of successive shafts 50 from one another lengthwise of the conveyor is equal to or slightly greater than the diameter of the flanges of the reels 24. This spacing is preferably slightly greater than the diameter of the flanges so that the reels are not close enough together for the flanges to rub on one another. Such rubbing would cause substantial friction, since the rubbing surfaces would be moving in opposite directions.

Because of the provision of bearings for the shafts 50 to rotate, as already described in connection with FIG. 3, the contact of the shafts 50 with the flanges of the reels 24 is a rolling contact with minimal friction. Experience has shown that the conveyor rolls the reels 24, with the least amount of force required of the conveyor, when the shafts 50 are located above the axis of rotation of the reels by a vertical distance equal to approximately 23 percent of the radius of the reels. At this location, the shaft 50 provides a force which not only tends to move the reel forward but which also tends to rotate the reel in the direction in which it must rotate in order to roll forward. Although this 23 percent elevation has shown the best results, the benefit is obtained at an elevation somewhat above and below this ideal and a good combination of forward thrust and tangential thrust to advance the reel and to facilitate its rolling movement is obtained as long as the elevation of the shaft 50 is at a distance above the supports and 10' equal to 124 percent of the radius of the reel.

At each end of the magazine the chains 42 and 42' curve from a horizontal run to a vertical run, or vice versa, as a result of the curves in the frame element 14 to form the vertically extending portions 48 and 48'. At the left-hand end of the magazine, the chains 42 and 42' pass around

sprocket wheels

72 and 72; respectively, located above the vertical portions 48 and 48' of the chain guide. These sprocket wheels 72 and 72' are supported by an axle 74 which rotates in bearings 76 located on beam sections from a bracket78 shown at the forward side of the machine in FIG. 1, and a similar bracket 78 at the rearward side.

Other sprocket wheels 92 and 92, on an axle 94 which rotates in bearings 96, reverse the run of the chains 42 and 42', respectively. FIG. 1 shows the forward bearing 96 connected to the bracket 78 by bolts 98 which extend through slots 100 in the bracket 78. These bolts 98 can be adjusted to permit movement of the bearing 96 lengthwise of the slots 100 to eliminate any undesirable slacking in the conveyor.

The conveyor chains 42 and 42' again reverse their direction around other sprocket wheels 102 and 102' supported by an axle 104 that rotates in a bearing 106, one of which is shown on the forward bracket 78 and it will be understood that there is a similar hearing at the rearward side of the structure.

After passing around the sprocket wheels 102 and 102', the

chains

42 and 42 extend along the upper longitudinal frame elements 16 and 16', which are preferably guide channels for the chains.

At the right-hand end of the magazine, the chain 42 passes around a sprocket wheel 112 and downward into the chain guide section 48'. There is a sprocket similar to the sprocket 112 for the chain 42' and these sprockets are secured to a driving axle 114 which causes both of the chains to move in unison. The shaft 114 is rotated by another sprocket wheel 116 which is driven by a chain 118 from a smaller sprocket wheel 120 at the low speed end of a speed reducer 122 mounted on a bracket 124 on top of the magazine frame. The high-speed end of the speed reducer 122 is connected with a motor 128 through a magnetic torque drive 130 and a flexible coupling 132.

Since the reels 24 in the magazine have considerable inertia when they are rolling, the conveyor is provided with a magnetically operated brake 136 and this brake is located on the high-speed shaft of the speed reducer 122 so as to obtain a substantial mechanical advantage for stopping the conveyor whenever further movement of the reels is to be prevented.

There are

limit switches

142 and 144 located along the path of movement of the chain 42 near the right-hand end of the conveyor. The limits which 142 may be operated by the heads of the bolts 54 (FIG. 3) or the other protuberances attached to the chain, when the chain is moving in a direction to receive reels into the lefi-hand end of the magazine; and the limits which 144 is operated by the bolts 54 when the chain is mov ing in the opposite direction for delivering reels from the lefthand end of the magazine. There are corresponding limits which is 142 and 144 near the right-hand end of the magazine. All of these switches are automatic stop switches for the conveyor and they are located so that movement of the conveyor chain for the distance necessary could receive or deliver one reel by the time the next bolt 54 passes the switch. Other arrangements can be made to operate limit or automatic stop switches after two, three or any decided number of reels have been received or delivered.

H0. 4 shows a simplified, block-wiring diagram for the conveyor of the magazine. The proximity switches 34 and 34' operate a reversing switch 146 which causes the motor 128 to drive the conveyor in a direction to receive reels from the end at which the proximity switch 34 and 34' has been operated. If the proximity switches 34 and 34 are close enough to the entrance of the magazine, these switches can be used to start the motor 128; but in FIG. 4 the motor is started by a starting switch 150 which supplies power to the motor 128 through the automatic stop switches 142 and 142'.

The motor 128 is shown in FIG. 4 with other controls for operating the motor to deliver reels from the magazine. A switch 154 is moved into selected positions to drive the motor 128 in a direction to deliver reels from either the rightor lefthand end of the magazine. This direction control switch 154 supplies power to the motor 128 through limit or

automatic switches

144 and 144. These switch combinations are representative of means for operating the magazine conveyor to receive or deliver reels from either end of the magazine and with automatic stops.

The preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, and the invention is defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A magazine feed storage conveyor for electrical cable reels that have flanges at both ends thereof, including, in combination, a frame defining a magazine storage space, reel-supporting means including a pair of laterally spaced support surfaces on which the flanges of the reels roll to move into and out of said space and to move along said space from one end toward the other, a conveyor supported by the frame and including endless belts on opposite sides of the storage space, the endless belt on each side having a substantially horizontal run at a substantial distance above said support surfaces on which the flanges roll, and including elements that extend transversely of said space in directions normal to the direction in which the reels roll in said space, said elements of the conveyor being shafts longer than the width of the reels and spaced from one another in the direction of travel of the reels by a distance at least as great as the diameter of the flanges of the reels, the opposite ends of the shafts being connected with the runs of the endless belts that are at a substantial distance above said support surfaces, and each of said shafts extending in a direction normal to the direction of travel of the reels, and in position to contact simultaneously with the flanges at both ends of the respective reels to roll the reels on said support surfaces, motor means for driving the conveyor, and control means for stopping and starting said conveyor.

2. A magazine feed storage conveyor for reels of electrical cable including, in combination, a frame defining a magazine storage space, a support on which the reels roll to move into and out of said space and to move along said space from one end to the other, an endless belt conveyor supported by the frame and including elements that contact with reels in the magazine storage space to roll the reels on said support, motor means for driving the conveyor and control means for stopping and starting said conveyor characterized by the elements that contact with the reels being shafts that extend across the magazine v storage space transversely of the direction of travel of the reels along said support, the shafts being spaced from one another in the direction of travel of the reels by a distance at least as great as the diameter of the flanges of the reels, and the shafts being in position to push against the flanges of the reels in said magazine storage space when the conveyor is in operation, characterized by each of the shafts being spaced above the support on which the reels roll by a distance between 122 percent and 124 percent of the radius of the reel and being moved along the length of the magazine at said height whereby each shaft pushes against its associated reel from a location above the level of the axis of rotation of the reel.

3. The magazine feed storage conveyor for reels described in claim 2 characterized by the shafts being spaced above the support on which the reels roll by a distance equal to approximately 23 percent of the radius of the reels.

4. The magazine feed storage conveyor for reels described in claim 1 characterized by each of the shafts being a roller, and bearings by which the shaft is supported from the part of the conveyor that moves the shaft in the direction to propel the reels.

5. The magazine feed storage conveyor for reels described in claim 4 characterized by the frame having side assemblies on opposite sides of the magazine storage space and each of the said side assemblies including a chain guide open on the side facing the other chain guide across the storage space, the endless belts of the conveyor being chains with rollers, there being a different chain for each side of the magazine storage space, each of the chains having a run thereof located in one of the chain guides and supported along the length of said run at substantially the same level above the support on which the reels roll, and each of the shafts being connected at its opposite ends to a different one of the chains.

6. The magazine feed storage conveyor for reels described in claim 5 characterized by at least some of the rollers of each of the chains being of a diameter larger than the height of the connecting links of the chain so that the rollers roll on the chain guides that support runs of the chains, the shafts being connected with the chains at locations in axial alignment with rollers that have diameters larger than the height of the connecting links of the chains.

7. The magazine feed storage conveyor for reels described in claim 5 characterized by the chain guides being channels with their open sides facing each other across the magazine storage space and there being at least two channels in each of the side assemblies at different levels and each facing a complementary channel at the same level on the other side of the magazine storage space, the lower channels supporting the runs of the chains moving in one direction and the upper channels supporting the runs of the chains moving in the other direction, sprockets about which the chains pass to change their direction of travel, and means for adjusting some of the sprockets to take up slack in the chains.

8. The magazine feed storage conveyor for reels described in claim 1 characterized by switch means at a location along the path of movement of the conveyor, and an actuator on the conveyor and that travels with the conveyor for actuating the switch means to stop the conveyor when the conveyor has moved a predetermined distance.

9. A magazine feed storage conveyor for reels of electrical cable including, in combination, a frame defining a magazine storage space, a support on which the reels roll to move into and out of said space and to move along said space from one end to the other; an endless belt conveyor supported by the frame and including elements that contact with reels in the magazine storage space to roll the reels on said support, motor means for driving the conveyor, and control means for stopping and starting said conveyor, characterized by switch means at a location along the path of movement of the conveyor, and an actuator on the conveyor and that travels with the conveyor for actuating the switch means to stop the conveyor when the conveyor has moved a predetermined distance, characterized by the motor means including electric motor, a reversing switch for the motor, for causing the motor to drive the conveyor selectively in opposite directions, other switch means responsive to reels operating the magazine at each end of the magazine for operating the reversing switch to cause the conveyor to operate in the direction for receiving reels from the end from which a reel is operating, and automatic stops for the motor including switch means at a location along the path of movement of the conveyor for stopping the conveyor after a predetermined movement in either direction.

10. The magazine feed storage conveyor for reels described in claim 1 characterized by a guide channel that steers the course of the reels as they move along the length of the magazine, the guide channel being part of the support on which the reels roll.

11. A magazine feed storage conveyor for reels of electrical cable including, in combination, a frame defining a magazine storage space, a support on which the reels roll to move into and out of said space and to move along said space from one end to the other, and endless belt conveyor supported by the frame and including elements that contact with reels in the magazine storage space to roll the reels on said support, motor means for driving the conveyor, and control means for stopping and starting said conveyor, characterized by the frame being open at one end for receiving and discharging reels, shuttle cars movable along a course for shifting successive reels to or from the open end of the magazine and means for tilting the shuttle cars to slope them downward to bring a side of each shuttle car that is nearest to the magazine into a position adjacent to the support on which the reels roll.

12. The magazine feed storage conveyor for reels described in claim 1 characterized by guide means along which the runs of the conveyor travel in different directions, one of the guide means being at a low level which locates the shafts at a level above the axis of rotation of the reels but below the tops of the reels and the other of the guide means being at a higher level above the reels so that the shafts do not contact with the reels on their return movement lengthwise of the magazine, and the guide means including a section to which each shaft moves downward from the upper level at a location spaced from the preceding shaft by a distance at least as great as the diameter of a reel with which the magazine is intended to be used.

13. Storage apparatus for reels of electrical cable including a frame defining a magazine storage space, a conveyor for rolling the reels toward one end or the other of the storage space, reversible motor means that operate the conveyor, and automatic motor control means including an element responsive to the movement of the reel toward either end of the apparatus for initiating operation of the motor means in a direction to receive the reel into the end of the magazine storage space from the direction in which the reel approaches said end of the magazine storage space, the control means including a proximity switch located under a surface over which the reel rolls in approaching the magazine storage space from one end and another proximity switch located under a surface over which the reel rolls in approaching the magazine storage space from the other end, the proximity switches being part of the automatic control means and effective to reverse the direction of rotation of the motor when the different proximity switches are operated alternately.

Claims

1. A magazine feed storage conveyor for electrical cable reels that have flanges at both ends thereof, including, in combination, a frame defining a magazine storage space, reelsupporting means including a pair of laterally spaced support surfaces on which the flanges of the reels roll to move into and out of said space and to move along said space from one end toward the other, a conveyor supported by the fRame and including endless belts on opposite sides of the storage space, the endless belt on each side having a substantially horizontal run at a substantial distance above said support surfaces on which the flanges roll, and including elements that extend transversely of said space in directions normal to the direction in which the reels roll in said space, said elements of the conveyor being shafts longer than the width of the reels and spaced from one another in the direction of travel of the reels by a distance at least as great as the diameter of the flanges of the reels, the opposite ends of the shafts being connected with the runs of the endless belts that are at a substantial distance above said support surfaces, and each of said shafts extending in a direction normal to the direction of travel of the reels, and in position to contact simultaneously with the flanges at both ends of the respective reels to roll the reels on said support surfaces, motor means for driving the conveyor, and control means for stopping and starting said conveyor.

2. A magazine feed storage conveyor for reels of electrical cable including, in combination, a frame defining a magazine storage space, a support on which the reels roll to move into and out of said space and to move along said space from one end to the other, an endless belt conveyor supported by the frame and including elements that contact with reels in the magazine storage space to roll the reels on said support, motor means for driving the conveyor, and control means for stopping and starting said conveyor characterized by the elements that contact with the reels being shafts that extend across the magazine storage space transversely of the direction of travel of the reels along said support, the shafts being spaced from one another in the direction of travel of the reels by a distance at least as great as the diameter of the flanges of the reels, and the shafts being in position to push against the flanges of the reels in said magazine storage space when the conveyor is in operation, characterized by each of the shafts being spaced above the support on which the reels roll by a distance between 122 percent and 124 percent of the radius of the reel and being moved along the length of the magazine at said height whereby each shaft pushes against its associated reel from a location above the level of the axis of rotation of the reel.