US3841946A

US3841946A - Helical feed screws for container processing machinery

Info

Publication number: US3841946A
Application number: US00315795A
Authority: US
Inventors: S Carter
Original assignee: ATO Inc
Current assignee: Scott Technologies Inc
Priority date: 1972-12-18
Filing date: 1972-12-18
Publication date: 1974-10-15
Anticipated expiration: 1991-10-15
Also published as: BE823420A

Abstract

1. Apparatus comprising in combination with a station at which there are instrumentalities for applying labels to containers, a containers to the station and a pair of spaces parallel side-by-side helical screws supported above the conveyor for rotation about horizontal axes in longitudinally spaced fixed bearings, the helices of said screws cooperating to arrange the containers on the conveyor at a predetermined spacing as they travel along with the conveyor, drive means common to both screws for effecting rotation thereof in the same direction, first manually operable means connected with said common drive means operable to rotatably adjust the helices of the screws in consonance about their axes relative to said station and second manually operable means connected with said common drive means operable to rotatably adjust the helices of one of the screws relative to the other.

Description

Oct. 15, 1974 3,841,945

HELICAL FEED SCREWS FOR CONTAINER'PROCESSING MACHINERY s. T CARTER 4 Sheds-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 18, 1972 Oct. 15, 1974 5, T, A 3.841 945 HELICAL FEED SCREWS FOR CONTAINER PROCESSING MACHINERY Filed Dec. 18, 1972 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIGAA "I Oct. 15, 1974 s. T. CARTER v ,3

HELICAL FEED SCREWS FOR couunma PRQCESSING mcflmsny Filed Dec. 18, 1972 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 0 =t.15.1974 5.1mm i 3.841.

HELICAL FEED SCREWS FOR CONTAINER PROCESSING MACHINERY Filed Dec. 18, 1972 4 Sheets-Sheet 4;,

United States 1 Patent ()fficel 3,841,946 Patented Oct. 15, 1974 3,841,946 HELICAL FEED SCREWS FOR CONTAINER PROCESSING MACHINERY Sidney T. Carter, Shrewsbury, Mass, assignor to A-T-O Inc., Cleveland, Ohio Filed Dec. 18, 1972, Ser. No. 315,795 Int. Cl. B65c 9/06 US. Cl. 156-566 13 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The combination with labeling apparatus, of a pair of spaced parallel helical screws mounted in fixed bearings cooperative to arrange containers, moving along on a conveyor to a labeling station whre there are labeling instrumentalities, at a spacing corresponding to the intervals between labeling operation and driving connections connecting the two screws to a source of power for effecting rotation of the screws, said driving connections being adapted, on the one hand, to displace the helices of the screws in consonance relative to the station to advance or retract the line of containers relative to the operating station and, on the other hand, to displace the helix of one screw relative to the other to orient the containers about their vertical axes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The use of helical screws for spacing containers in predetermined spaced relation while travelling along on a conveyor toward an operating station, for example a station for applying labels to bottles or containers, is wellknown in the art. Ordinarily such screws are mounted in fixed bearings and when it becomes necessary to change the timing of presentation of the containers to the labelapplying instrumentalities, for example, to shift the position of application of labels to the containers, it is necessary to unbolt these hearings and reposition them, an operation which is time consuming and results in downtime in the use of the machine. Additionally, because the containers may not be of symmetrical cross-section it may be necessary to adjust one of the screws relative to the other that is, to advance the helix of one screw relative to the helix of the other to properly accommodate the unsymmetrical shape of the containers to the space between helices and when this is the case there is the added problem of not only detaching the supporting bearings for the screws but also of shifting them relative to each other. The purpose of this invention is to make it possible to move the helices of the two screws relative to the support on which the containers are travelling to advance or retract the line of containers relative to the labelapplying station to enable adjusting the arrival of the containers at the label-applying station with the opera tion of the label-applying instrumentalities at the station without having to dismount the screws and also to enable adjusting one screw relative to the other for containers of different non-symmetrical cross-section.

SUMMARY As herein illustrated, the invention comprises spaced parallel helical feed screws cooperative to arrange containers moving along a support in single file at a predetermined spacing, means supporting the screws between longitudinally spaced fixed bearings at their ends, drive means connected to the screws for effecting rotation thereof, and means associated with the drive means for efiecting longitudinal displacement of the helices of the two screws relative to the support and to each other. The support comprises a conveyor for moving the containers to a station, for example, for the application of labels thereto wherein the screws are arranged above the support and the means embodied in the drive for moving the helices on the screws relative to the station is for the purpose of adjusting the arrival of the containers at the statlon in timed relation to the label operation and for movement relative to each other for the purpose of orienting the containers about their vertical axes. The screws are rotated by driven sprockets drivingly connected thereto, a drive sprocket, a chain extending about the sprockets, an idler sprocket yieldably supported between one of the driven sprockets and the drive sprocket over which a loop of the chain passes on its way from the one driven sprocket to the drive sprocket, and means mounting the drive sprocket for vertical movement relative to the driven sprockets. There is an idler sprocket situated intermediate the driven sprockets over which the chain travels from one of the driven sprockets downwardly to the idler sprocket and from which it travels upwardly to the other driven sprocket, and there is means mounting the idler sprocket for vertical movement relative to said driven sprockets.

The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the screws in their relation to the label-applying apparatus and a conveyor on which the containers are advanced to the label-applying apparatus for the application of labels;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary elevation showing displacement of the helices of the screws forwardly relative to the label-applying instrumentalities;

FIG. 3 is a view corresponding to FIG. 2 showing the helix of one screw advanced forwardly relative to the helix of the other screw;

FIG. 4 is a view taken on the line 44 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4a is a fragmentary elevation showing the bearing at one end of one of the screws and the aligning marks thereon;

FIG. 5 is a view taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a section taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an elevation taken on the line 7-7 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary plan view taken on the line 8-8 of FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is an elevation taken on the line 9-9 of FIG. 8.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 4, there is shown the upper run 10 of a conveyor supported above a table 12 for movement toward labeling instrumentalities 14-14 mounted on the table at opposite sides of the conveyor for applying labels to containers, advanced thereto by the conveyor 10. The label-applying instrumentalities include magazines 16-16 from which labels are picked by picking means 18-18 which pick the labels from the magazine and supply them to turrets 20-20 which carry the successive labels past adhesive-applying rollers 22-22 for application of adhesive to their surfaces and then into engagement with the containers on the conveyor. The label-applying instrumentalities 14-14 are positioned at both sides of the conveyor so as to apply labels to both sides at the same time.

In order to present the containers to the label-applying instrumentalities in predetermined spaced relation a pair of helical screws 24-24 are mounted above the conveyor 10 on spaced parallel, longitudinally extending shafts 26-26. The shafts 26-26 are journaled at their opposite ends in fixed bearing members 28-28 and 30-30. The bearing members 28-28 are mounted above the table at the upper ends of plates 29-29 and the bearings members 30-30 are mounted at the upper ends of plates 31-31. 7

One of the screws 24 (FIG. 1) is shorter than the other to provide for leading the containers into the space between the screws. The longer screw has at its receiving end a conical portion 32. Opposite the conical portion 32, at the receiving end of the shorter screw and confronting the conical portion 32, there is a yieldably mounted guide plate 34 which provides means for conducting the containers from the preceding operation into positions between the successive helices on the longer screw before they are moved into engagement with the helices on the shorter screw. The guide plate 34, as shown in FIGS. and 6, has studs 35 fixed to its rear side provided with eyes 36 by means of which the guide plate 34 is mounted on pins 38 fixed to the upper ends of posts 40. The posts 40 extend downwardly through a plate 41 at the top of a rigid frame 44 mounted on the table and are pivotally supported at their lower ends in studs 37 fixed to the frame which have eyes 42, in which the lower ends of the posts are pivotally supported by means of pins 43 at the lower ends of the posts. A base plate 46 at the lower end of the frame 44 provides means for fastening the frame to the table. The plate 41 contains openings 52 through which the posts project. Springs 54 connected at their lower ends to pins 56 fastened to the posts and at their upper ends to the frame 44 bias the posts in a clockwise direction as shown in FIG. 6 toward the conical portion of the screw so as to hold the guide surface at a predetermined distance from the screw which will lead the containers into the helix of the screw and which will yield in the event that any container becomes jammed. The spacing is determined by engagement of the posts with the ends 58 of the openings 52.

The screws 24-24 (FIG. 1) have helical threads 60 and these threads as the screws are rotated in the same direction serve to space the containers at a predetermined uniform spacing.

The screws 2424 are driven by meshing gears (FIG. 4) comprising gears 6262 fixed to the shafts 2626, gears 6464 fixed to the shafts 66--66 mounted in the bearing members 28-28, driven sprockets 68.-68 fixed to the gears 64-64 and a common drive sprocket 70 which is driven by a shaft 72 (FIG. 7) mounted in a bearing block 74, the latter being mounted for vertical movement in a vertically extending track 76 provided at one side of a post 78 fixed at its lower end to the base of the machine and at its upper end to a bearing plate 80 fastened to and extending downwardly from the underside of the table 12. The shaft 72 contains a flexible coupling 71 (FIG. 7) which permits the bearing block 74 and hence the sprocket to be moved up and down the required amount without interruption of the drive. The bearing block 74 is adapted to be moved vertically by means of a screw 82, the upper end of which is threaded into the bearing block 74 and the lower end of which has fastened to it a sprocket 86 (FIGS. 4 and 7) about which one end of a chain 86a (FIGS. 8 and 9) is entrained. Rotation of the driven sprockets 68-68 is effected by a chain 88 entrained about these sprockets, the drive sprocket 70 and a number of idler sprockets, the latter comprising an idler sprocket 90 (FIG. 4) mounted at the underside of the table midway between the

sprockets

68,68 and two pairs of idler sprockets 92-92 and 94-94 also mounted at the underside of the table 12 at opposite sides of the idler sprocket 90 and symmetrically with respect thereto. The portions of the chain 88 entrained about the sprockets 6868 travel downwardly through suitable openings in the table between the

sprockets

92, 94 of the pairs of sprockets, the inner runs comprising a continuous loop which extends about the outer sides of the sprockets 9494 and the sprocket 90. The outer runs extend from the sprocket 68 at the right-hand side of the machine, as shown in FIG. 4, directly downwardly about the inner side of the sprocket 92 and around the drive sprocket 70. The outer run of the chain at the left-hand side also extends downwardly about the inner side of the sprocket 92 but in contrast to that at the righthand side travels about a yieldably mounted sprocket 96 and a fixed sprocket 97 on its way to the drive sprocket 70 so as to form a loop in the chain between the sprocket 92 and the sprocket 70. The sprocket 96 is mounted on a block 98 which is slidably mounted at the distal end of a rod 100. The rod 190 is pivotally mounted at its proximal end on a stub shaft 102 on which there is also mounted the sprocket 97. A coil spring 104 on the rod holds the sprocket 96 at the distal end thereof.

The idler sprocket (FIGS. 4 and 9) is supported by a block 106, the upper end of which is connected to the lower end of a screw 108. The upper end of the screw is threaded into the hub of a sprocket so that by rotation of the sprocket 110 the screw 108 can be moved vertically and thus etfect vertical movement of the idler sprocket 90.

When the drive sprocket 70 is moved vertically the yieldably mounted sprocket 96 which is spring-loaded allows the entire chain to be moved in one direction or the other. Downward movement rotates the sprockets 64-64 in a clockwise direction which advances the helices of the screws 2424, as shown in FIG. 4. When the drive sprocket 70 is moved upwardly the sprockets 6464 are rotated in a counterclockwise direction and this retracts the helices of the feed screws. T he displacement of the helices forwardly advances the entire line of containers forwardly relative to the label-applying station and displacement of the helices rearwardly retracts the entire line of containers relative to the label-applying station.

When the idler sprocket 90 is moved up and down only the sprocket 64 at the left side is rotated. Upward movement rotates the sprocket counterclockwise thus retracting the helix of the screw at that side and downward movement rotates the sprocket clockwise thus advancing the helix of the screw at the spring takeup side as shown in FIG. 3. The relative displacement of the helices of the screws rotates or twists the containers about their vertical axes in one direction or the other to accommodate the containers to the space between the helices.

Adjustment of the screws while the machine is moving is effected by control knobs 113, (FIGS. 8 and 9) on the table connected to the

respective sprockets

86 and 110 by means of chains 86a, 90a and sprockets 86b, 901).

When installing the screws at the infeed position on the machine it is advantageous that both

sprockets

70 and 90 be in the midposition. This allows adjustment in either direction. Usually a mark a on each feed screw is lined up with a stationary mark b on one of the bearings (FIG. 4a). A hand wheel H (FIG. 7) is provided on the main shaft 109 (FIGS. 4 and 7) which is graduated in degrees for a specific set of screws. The shaft 109 is drivingly connected to the shaft 72 by gearing 111, 112 so that by turning the shaft 72 the screws may be turned to align the marks a thereon with the bearing marks b (FIG. 4a). Since it is not possible to always be exact in marking these adjustments final adjustments are made by advancing or retracting the screws by means of the

aforesaid control knobs

113, 115.

As illustrated in FIG. 2 containers or bottles being advanced in random to the labeling apparatus will not always match the lead thread of the screw and if a com tainer should ride onto the middle of a thread it will displace the yieldable plate 34 which actuates a switch S to stop the machine.

While the adjustment of the screws has been described for use in combination with a label-applying machine it is within the scope of the invention to use it in combination with any machine requiring that containers be delivered thereto at a predetermined spacing and at a predetermined timing.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents falling within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus comprising in combination with a station at which there are instrumentalities for applying labels to containers, a conveyor for moving the containers to the station and a pair of spaced parallel side-by-side helical screws supported above the conveyor for rotation about horizontal axes in longitudinally spaced fixed bearings, the helices of said screws cooperating to arrange the containers on the conveyor at a predetermined spacing as they travel along with the conveyor, drive means common to both screws for effecting rotation thereof in the same direction, first manually operable means connected with said common drive means operable to rotatably adjust the helices of the screws in consonance about their axes relative to said station and second manually operable means connected with said common drive means operable to rotatably adjust the helices of one of the screws relative to the other.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said means for effecting rotation of the screws comprises first gears fixed t the screws, second gears meshing with the first gears, driven sprockets fixed to the second gears, a drive sprocket, a chain extending about the sprockets, an idler sprocket yieldably supported between one of the driven sprockets and the drive sprocket over which a loop of a chain passes on its way from said one driven sprocket to the drive sprocket and means mounting the drive sprocket for movement relative to the driven sprocket and wherein the first manually operable means operates to effect movement of the drive sprocket relative to the driven sprocket.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said means for effecting rotation of the screws comprises driven Wheels, rotation of which efiects rotation of the screws, a drive wheel, a continuous elongate flexible member entrained about said wheels, rotation of the drive wheel being operable by way of said flexible member and driven wheels to impart rotation to said screws in the same direction, a yieldably mounted idler wheel situated between one of the driven wheels and the drive wheel about which a loop of the endless member is entrained and means supporting the drive wheel for movement relative to the driven wheels and wherein said first manually operable means operates to effect movement of the drive wheel relative to the driven wheels.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the means for effecting rotation of the screws comprise gears, rotation of which effect rotation of the screws in the same direction, sprockets for effecting rotation of the gears, a drive sprocket, a chain entrained about said sprockets, a yieldably supported idler sprocket situated between one of said sprockets and the drive sprocket over which a loop of the chain passes and means for supporting the driven sprocket for movement relative to said one sprocket and wherein the first manually operable means operates to move the drive sprocket relative to said one sprocket.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said means for effecting rotation of the screws comprise pairs of meshing gears, one gear of each pair being fixed to one of the screws, a driven sprocket fixed to the other gear of each of the pair of gears and a drive sprocket, a chain entrained about the sprockets, an idler situated between the sprockets about which a portion of the chain travels such that equal lengths of the chain run downwardly from one driven sprocket about the idler and upwardly from the idler to the other driven sprocket, a yieldably mounted idler sprocket situated between one of the driven sprockets and the drive sprocket about which a loop of the chain is entrained, and means for moving the drive sprocket re1ative to the driven sprockets, said means comprising said first manually operable means.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said means for effecting rotation of the screws comprise pairs of meshing gears, one gear of each pair being fixed to one of the screws, a driven sprocket fixed to the other gear of each pair, a drive sprocket, idler sprockets supported between the first sprockets in symmetrical relation thereto such that equal lengths of chain extend from one of the driven sprockets to the idler sprocket and from the idler sprocket to the other of the driven sprockets, a yieldably mounted idler sprocket situated between one of the driven sprockets and the drive sprocket about which a loop of the chain passes, and means for effecting movement of the drive sprocket relative to the driven sprockets comprising said first manually operable means.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the means for effecting rotation of the screws comprise pairs of meshing gears, one gear of each pair being fixed to one of the screws, first sprockets fixed to the other gears of each pair, a drive sprocket, second sprockets situated be tween the first sprockets about which the chain travels from one of the first sprockets to the other of the first sprockets, said second sprocket being so arranged that equal portions of the chain travel from one of the first sprockets to the second sprockets and from the second sprockets to the first sprockets, third sprockets situated between the first sprockets and the drive sprocket over which portions of the chain extend from the first sprockets to the drive sprocket, a yieldably mounted idler sprocket situated between one of the latter sprockets and the drive sprocket about which a loop of the chain travels, and means for effecting movement of the drive sprocket relative to the first sprockets, said means comprising said first manually operable means.

8. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said means for effecting rotation of the screws comprises a driven sprocket connected to each of said screws such that rotation of a driven sprockets efi'ects rotation of the screws, a drive sprocket, a chain entrained about said sprockets, such that rotation of the drive sprocket efiects rotation of the driven sprockets in the same direction, a first idler sprocket situated between the driven sprockets about which the chain passes from one to the other, a yieldably mounted second idler sprocket situated between one of the driven sprockets and the drive sprocket over which a loop of the chain passes and means for effecting movement of the first idler sprocket relative to the driven sprockets, said means comprising said second manually operable means.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein there is means mounting the first idler sprocket for movement relative to the driven sprockets and said second manually operable means effects movement of said mounting means.

10. Appaartus according to claim 2, wherein said means for effecting rotation of the screws comprises a driven sprocket connected to each of said screws such that ro tation of the driven sprockets effects rotation of the screws, a drive sprocket, an endless chain entrained about the sprockets such that rotation of the drive sprocket imparts rotation to the driven sprockets to rotate the screws in the same direction, a first idler sprocket situated between the driven sprockets, about which a length of chain passes, so located that equal lengths of the chain extend from one driven sprocket to the idler and from the idler to the other driven sprocket, a yieldably mounted second idler sprocket situated between one of the driven sprockets and the drive sprocket about which a loop of the chain passes from the one driven sprocket to the drive sprocket and means for mounting the first idler sprocket for move ment relative to the driven sprockets and wherein the second manually operable means is operable to effect movement of said mounting means.

11. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first manually operable means efi'ects movement of the drive sprocket relative to the driven sprocket.

12. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a rod supports the yieldably mounted idler sprockets, said yieldably mounted idler sprocket being slidable along the rod toward the drive sprocket and a spring yieldably holds the idler sprocket at the distal end of the rod.

13. Apparatus comprising in combination a conveyor for moving containers along a predetermined path and a pair of spaced parallel feed screws supported above the conveyor and parallel thereto for receiving and leading containers moving along the conveyor in single file at a predetermined spacing, drive means connected to the screws for eflecting rotation thereof in the same direction, first manually operable means operable to rotatably w adjust the helices of the screws in consonance about their axes to effect longitudinal displacement of the helices relative to the conveyor and second manually operable means operable to rotatably adjust the helix of one of the screws relative to that of the other.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS CHARLES E. VAN HORN, Primary Examiner I. W. MASSIE, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R.