US399884A - Apparatus for filling and packing cans - Google Patents

Description

(No Model. 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

S. L. GREGG. v

APPARATUS FOR FILLING AND PAOKING CANS. No. 399,884. fl'igaented Mar. 19, 1889.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

S. L. GREGG.

APPARATUS FOR FILLING AND PACKING CANS.

' No. 399,884. Patented Mar. 19, 1889..

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' (No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 3. S. L. GREGG APPARATUG FOR FILLING AND PAGKING CANS. No. 399,884.

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mvtmeo w I g! UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SOLOMON L. GREGG, OF GREENE, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOR FILLING'AND PACKING CANS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 399,884, dated March 19, 1889.

Application filed April 19, 1888. Serial No. 271,142. (No model.)

' corn and other vegetables; and it consists in the peculiar construction and combination of devices, that will be more fully set forth hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is perspective view of a can filling and packing machine embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a central vertical longitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a central 'crtical transverse sectional view of the same.

A represents a table or base, which is provided at its corners with supportingdegs B. From opposite sides of the said table or base, at the center thereof, proj ectapair of vertical standards, 0, provided with vertical slots D, which extend a considerable distance downward. from their upper ends.

E represents a vertical standard which projects from the upper side of the table at a point midway between and 1n line with the standards O. The said standard E is provided with a vertical central bore or opening, in which is journaled the lower portion. of a vertical shaft, F, the end of the shaft projecting through the said standard and the table, as clearly shown.

G represents a circular platform, which is secured on the standard E, and is provided on opposite sides with vertical circular openings H. l

1 represents a hub which is rigidly secured to the shaft F, and is arranged above the platform G. The said hub is provided with aseries of outwardly-proj ecting curved engagingarms K, which are adapted to sweep over the platform G when the shaft F is rotated, for the purpose to be hereinafter described.

L represents a circular platform, which is arranged on the upper end of the hub, and has a central opening through which the shaft F extends. Opposite sides of the said platform L are secured to the standards 0, and thereby the said platform is securely held against rotation.

M represents a revoluble measuring and filling head, the construction of which is as follows:

N 0 represent an upper and lower circular plate, respectively, which have their central portions connected by a hollow vertical sleeve, P, and are connected near their outer sides by a series of vertical measuring and filling tubes, R, which are arranged in a circle and the ends of which extend entirely through openings in the upper and lower plates. The lower plate, 0, is provided around its edge with an annular series of gear-teeth, 2,which are engaged by a pinion, 3, on the inner end of a shaft, 4, journaled transversely in one of the standards O, and having its outer end proj ected beyond said standard, and provided with a crank-handle, 5, as shown. The purpose of this pinion and series of gear-teeth will hereinafter appear.

S represents a circular hopper, which is arranged on the upper side of the plate N, and has opposite sides rigidly secured to the standards C, said hopper being thereby firmly secured between the said standards. The bottom of the hopper is provided at diametrically-opposite points with openings T, with which the upper ends of the tubes R successively register as the measuring-head rotates. A transverse plate, U, is arranged 011 the bottom of the hopper, and is provided near its ends with openings V, which are arranged midway between the openings T and communicate with similar openings in the bottom of the hopper. The said plate 'U is provided at its center 011 opposite sides with a pair of central vertical ears, W, having bearings at their upper ends, in which is journaleda shaft, X. At the ends of the said shaft are stirringwheels Y, and at a suitable distance from the center of the said shaft is abeveled wheel, Z, which meshes with a somewhat larger wheel, A, on the upper end of the shaft F. The stirring-wheels Y are arranged directly over the Openings T, as shown.

B represents across-head, which has its ends guided in the slots D of standards C;

The said cross-head is provided at its ends with projecting studs C to which are pivoted the upper ends of a pair of depending arms, T) one of said arms being provided. with a suitable transverse opening, so that it can clear the shaft l, as will be readily understood. The lower ends of the said arms are enlarged and widened to form frames E, which. are provided on their inner sides with vertical racks F G, and are provided at their upper and lower ends with racks It and I, respectively. From the outersides of the standards 0, near the lower ends thereof, project spindles or studs K, on which are journaled spurwheels L", the said spur-wheels being arranged in the frames E and of such diameter that their teeth can only engage one set of the rackteeth at a time, the arms D being thereby allowed a slight oscillating motion. From the cross-head l3 depend a pair of rods, M, having plungers N at their lower ends, which normally fit in the openings V, and are adapted to be forced downward through one pair of the tubular fillers and measurers R when the cross-head descends.

0 represents a shaft, which is arranged transversely under the table A, and is journaled in suitable bearings that depend from the said table. One end of the said shaft is provided with a fast driving-pulley, P, and a loose pulley, R, and the said shaft is further provided with rigid spur-wheels S, which are adapted to engage the pinions L, and near the center of said shaft is a beveled gearwheel, T.

The lower end of the shaft F depends from the table A, is provided with a double pulley,

. U, and has a beveled wheel, V, at its end that is adapted to be engaged by the wheel T.

The wheels S are each provided with peripheral teeth, which extend around 2 vothirds the circumference of the wheels, the said peripheral teeth on each wheel being separated by open spaces W, each of which is equal to one-sixth of the circumference of the wheel. One side of the periphery of the wheel T is also plane-that is to say, the teeth of tin said wheel do not extend entirely around the circumference thereof. On the inner side of one of the wheels S are crownteeth X.

Y represents a shaft, which is arranged longitudinally under one side of the table A and is journaled in bearings Z that depend from the said table. The said shaft is provided with a spuravheehA that engages the crown-teeth X of one of the wheels S, and to one end of the said. shaft is secured a pulley, B

In suitable bearings, which project from opposite edges of the table A, at the center thereof, are journaled longitudinal rollers 0 The said rollers are connected by transverse endless belts or aprons D and said rollers and said belts or aprons constitute endless conveyers, which are arranged under the platform G. One of the rollers U is connected to the pulley B by means of an endless belt, E and thereby power is conveyed from the shaft Y to the conveyers, so as to cause the latter to operate, may be readily understood.

F represents a pair of circulartables, which are supported on the upper ends of shaftsG' that project from the upper side of table A. The said tables F are arranged on opposite sides of the platform G and have their inner opposing edges extending a slight distance over the said platform. The shafts G are provided at their lower ends with pulleys H which are connected to the double pulley U by means of endless belts I Partially surrounding each table F is a flange or side, K separate therefrom and supported by vertical standards L that project from the upper side of table A. The said flanges K extend nearly around the tables F and leave the inner edges thereof open, as shown. Each table F is further provided with a curved flange, M which is secured to and extends inward from the flange K and forms a guide, the outer side of which is parallel with the opposing opposite side of the flangeK These flanges M guide the cans into the path of the arms K when the machine is in operation.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The cans a to be filled with corn or other vegetable are placed on the tables F and the corn or other vegetable to 'be filled into the said cans is placed in the hopper. The machine is then put in motion, which causes the shaft F to rotate and thereby impart motion to the shaft X, so that the stirring-wheels Y are caused to revolve in the hopper, so as to prevent the corn or other material from becoming lodged therein. The capacity of each tube R is equal to the capacity of one of the cans, and the said tubes are caused to register successively with the openings T and V by rotating the pinion 3 by means of the shaft 4 and crank-handle 5, and thereby turning the plate 0 and revolving the head. The platform L has a pair of openings which are in line with the openings V, and hence it will be understood that the lower ends of the tubes R which are not over the said openings will be closed by the said platform. The rotary motion of the shaft F is communicated to the hub I and the sweep arms K thereof by reason of said hub being fast to the shaft F, and the rotary motion of said shaft F is also communicated to the tables F by reason of the double pulley and' endless belt previously described. The teeth of the wheel T remain in gear with the teeth 'lVhile the tubes R are under the openings T they become filled with the corn or other material from the hopper, and when the head singly.

begins to revolve the tables F and the sweeparms K also partly rotate, thereby causing the tables to each move one can within the path of one of the arms K, and the said arms sweep the said cans from the tables F onto the platform G and range the said cans directly under the openings in the platforms L and in vertical alignment with the openings V. By the time the filled tubes R are carried over the said cans the teeth on the wheels S come into engagement with the pinions L, and the cross-head being at the upper limit of its movement, with its racks F in engagement with the pinions L, the rotary motion of the latter causes the arms D to be drawn downward, and the cross-head descends and forces the plungers N clownward through the filled tubes, so as'to discharge the contents of the said tubes into the cans. At this instant the upper racks, H, engage the pinions L and the rotary motion of the latter causes the arms D to move laterally, so as to disengage the rack-bars F from said pinions and bring the racks G into engagement therewith, and said pinions thereby move the arms D upward and consequently cause the cross-head to withdraw the plungers from the tubes R, at which instant the pinions L come into engagement with the racks l and thereby swing the arms D back to their initial position, with the lower ends of the racks F in engagement with the pinions L. At this instant the toothed portion of the wheel T comes in engagement with the wheel V and thereby causes the hub having the arms K to partly rotate, so that the cans which have been filled will be carried by a pair of arms, K, over the platform G to the openings H and dropped through the said openings onto the conveyers D Said conveyers carry the filled cans to one side of the table, where the cans are removed by an attendant and sealed. The flanges M prevent the cans passing onto the platform G, except bypassing across the end of the flange, so that the cans must pass onto the said platform As the tables F rotate, the cans will be brought against the curved ends of these flanges and thereby directed onto the platform G.

It will be readily understood, of course, that in practice the rods 1 and the racks F G will be about equal in length to the height of the measuring-tubes in order to secure the proper operation of the machine; but in the accompanying drawings I have been forced, in order to economize room, to illustrate these rods and racks somewhat shorter than the tubes.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. The combination of the platform L, having the openings, the revoluble head, comprising the upper and lower circular plates and the tubes extending vertically between the same and adapted to align successively with said openings, and the hopper arranged above the revolving head and having the openings with which the tubes successively register, substantially as described.

2. The combination. of the stationary platform G, having the openings H, the revoluble hub having the arms K, and the revoluble tables F having the guides adapted to direct cans placed on said tables into the path of the arms K, substantially as describe-d.

The combination of the revoluble head, comprising the plates N and O and the vertical tubes R, the hopper at the upper end of the head having the openings T and V, with which said tubes successively register, the platform L under the revoluble head, having the openings with which the tubes successively register, and the vertically-movable plungers adapted to pass through the tubes when the latter register with the openings V, substantially as described.

4. The combination of the revoluble shaft F, the revoluble head comprising the upper and lower circular plates and the tubes extending vertically between said plates, the wheel A at the upper end of said shaft, the hopper at the upper end of the revoluble head, having the openings T, with which the tubes successively register, and the shaft X, journaled in the hopper, having the wheel Z, engaging wheel A, and provided with the stirrers Y, arranged over the openings T, substantially as described.

5. The combination of the revoluble head, comprising the plates N O and the tubes R, the stationary platform under said head having the openings with which the tubes successively register, the hopper at the upper end of the revoluble head, having the openings T and V, with which the tubes successively register, and the vertically-movable cross-heads having the plungers adapted to pass through the tubes which register with openings V, substantially as described.

6. The combination of the driving-shaft O, the revoluble measuring-head comprising the plates N O and the tubes R, the platform L under said head having the openings for the purpose set forth, the hopper at the upper end of the revoluble head having the openings T V, the vertically-movable cross-head having the plungers guided in the openings V, the oscillating depending arms D, connected to the cross-head and having the frames at their lower ends provided with the racks F, G, H, and I, and the pinions L, adapted to engage said racks and geared to the shaft 0, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SOLOMON L. GREGG.

Witnesses:

FELIX R. SULLIVAN, JAMEs O. G. UNDRIOH.

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