US590788A - Can-filling machine - Google Patents

Description

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

C. S. BUGKLIN.

GAN FILLING MACHINE.

Patented sept.28,-1897.

ATTDFINEY.

TME Noam PETERS o0., PNOTCLLITND.. wAsHmmoN, D. c.

2 Sheets-,Sheet 2.'

(No Model.)

C. S. BUGKLIN. GAN FILLING MACHINE.

Patented Sept. 28, 1897..

y INVENTDR WITNEESEEI ATTORNEY.

`1o and fruits into cans.

UNITED STATES `.PATENT Prion.

CAN-FILLING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 590,788, dated September 28, 1897.

Application filed May 20,1896.- Serial No. 592,286. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES S. BUCKLIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Can- Filling Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an automaticallyacting machine for filling certain vegetables Peas, beans, whortleberries, and perhaps other similar articles are handled while theyare damp and moist, which condition gives rise to some difficulties in employing machines.

One object of the/invention is to provide mechanism to measure the vegetables or berries, so as to insure that each can filled shall have the same uniformquantity and to provide for certainly removing all t-he vegetables I zo or berries from the measuring-receptacles at each measurement.

Another object is to provide for delivering the contents of the measuring-receptacles gradually into the conduit leading to the can; 2 5 and a further object is to provide means for readily varying the quantity that may be 4measured in a receptacle of given size, in order that a greater or less quantity may be measured, as desired.

The drawings herewith illustrate myinven tion.

Figure lis a side elevation of .the machine. Fig. 2 is a front end elevation of the machine. Fig. 3 is a vertical section view of the conduit, showing adjoiningparts. Fig. 4isavertical cross-section view ofthe machine shown in Fig. l, taken on a line to the left of the hopper. Fig. 5 shows one of thev stationary cams and illustrates its action on the ends of 4o the cross-bars which connect with the follower-bottoms of the measuring receptacles- Figs. 6 and 7 show, respectively, a plan and an edge view of the adjustable base-plate. Figs. S and 9 show, respectively, a plan and an edge View of the pusher-block. Fig. lO is an inverted perspective sectional view of the cover provided with the separating-pin s. Fig. l1 shows two views of a portion of the conduit and the serrated disk to jar or shake the 5o conduit. Fig. l2 shows two views of the reciprocating slide. Fig. 13 is a vertical secparts.V Fig. 14 4is a view of the adjustingplate.

The letter A designates the side frame or support of the machine; B, a horizontal table whereon the cans slide after being filled; C, a stationary shaft held yimmovable by a setscrew a. Two hubs or sleeves b o (see Fig. 13) are loose on this fixed shaft, and one of them carries a sprocket-wheel cl.

E designates a lower shaft carrying a small sprocket-wheel f, and a chainf/ passes over the said two sprocket-wheels elf. A larger sprocket-wheel f2 is also on the lower shaft E. A drive-shaft G carries a sprocket-wheel g, and a chain g connects the two sprockets f2 g. The drive-shaft has pulleys g2.

I will describe this machine as for peas.

At the top (shown in Fig. l at the righthand side) is a hopper I-I to contain the hulled peas that are to be filled into cans. This hopper has no fixed bottom, but has a curved opening, and the rim c of a wheel serves as a bottom. The wheel is mounted on the two hubs or sleeves b (iQ-which revolve on the stationary shaft C, and this wheel has at each side four arms t', each of which has a longitudinal slot t", and said arms at their outer extremities carry the circular rim c. This rim in cross-section is seen in Fig. 3, and, as

already stated, constitutes or'serves'as a bot-v tom for the said hopper H, although it is constantly moving. Adjoining each arm i of the wheel the rim carries a measuring-receptacle I, the four receptacles being uniform in size and opening through the rim c and being flush with the exterior surface thereof. Each measming-receptacle I is stationary on the wheel, but has a follower or plunger lc for a bottom. This follower has a stem 7c', to which a crossrod k2 is attached, the said cross-rod extending parallel with the stationary shaft C and its ends projecting through the longitudinal slot t" in the wheel-arm. This cross-rod carries two rollers Z. A cam m (shown in detail in Figs. 3, 5, and I3) is made stationary, one cam on each end of the stationary shaft O, and has position to act on the rollers l of the cross-rod k2 when the wheel revolves in the direction indicated by the dart, as hereinafter described.

tional view through the wheel and connected IOC It will be understood that in operation when a measu rin g-receptacle I on the wheel arrives at the lowermost point c of the hopper said receptacle will at once begin to fill with peas from the hopper and will continue to fill as it sweeps along the lower part of the hopper. )Vhen the receptacle arrives at the terminal point of the hopper-bottom, it will be full of peas, and while the open top of the measuring-receptacle is still exposed in the hopper it will pass under the slide-bar n2, which is located at this point. Provision is made by this slide-bar to remove any excess of peas and insure that the receptacle shall be merely level full.

A fixed cross-plate n (see Fig. l2) has a slot a and the slidebar a2 has a bolt a3, which passes through said slot, and a rod n4 is attached to the bolt and projects out at one side of the machine. On the drive-shaft G is a cam-slotted disk O, (see Figs. l and 2,) and a lever o is inclined and has at one end a roller which traverses said cam-slot as the driveshaft revolves. The other end of this lever is attached to the rod n4. By this construction when the cam-slotted disk revolves a reciprocating motion is imparted to the slide-barn2. Now as the open end of the measuring-receptacle I passes under this slide-bar the reciprocation of the latter acts to remove any excess of peasand retains such excess within the hopper. The slight reciprocating motion of the slide-bar serves to gently shake and separate the moist top layer of peas and remove an y excess of peas from the top. Thus the removal of too great a quantity of peas by reason of the latter sticking together is prevented.

At the left of the machine in Fig. l is a cover having a top p (see also Fig. l0) and two side flan ges p', which take on the wheelrim c. This cover is provided with a number of pins p2, projecting from its top, and the lower ends of the pins are close to but not in contact with the wheel-rim. After the receptacle I passes the reciprocating scraper-bar n2 the rollers l on the cross rod 7a2 begin to mount the stationary cam m, (see Fig. 5,) and thereby the follower or bottom 7i; of the receptacle begins to move outward and thereupon the peas in the receptacle begin to be discharged onto the declining side of the wheelrim c, where the pins p2 are located. As these discharging peas pass down the wheel-rim they will come into contact with the said pins p2, and thereby the moist peas, which otherwise would he in bunches, will be'separated and loosened from each other and will drop into the conduit Q, whose end tapers, as at q. The pins prevent the peas from dropping in a clod. The follower or bottom 7tof the receptacle gradually moves outward until fully out, which it will be when the rollers Z are at the point m of the cam. The tapered end q of the conduit has a collar q', (see Fig. 11,) and a revoluble serrated or toothed disk q2 is provided to act on this collar and tap or jar the said conduit in order to dislodge any moist peas that may cling to said conduit and allow them to drop down. This serrated disk is mounted on a shaft o", carrying a sprocketwheel o", and a cha-in r2 connects this sprocket with a sprocket r3 on the drive-shaft G. By thusgradually discharging the peas from the receptacle I and separating and loosening the moist peas there is no liability of the peas choking the conduit.

An adjusting device comprising a plate S is centered on both of the hubs b of the wheel and having four irregular faces s, cach provided with a graduated stepped rim to act 011 the ends of the cross-rod 7a2, which project-s through the slots fz. This plate has two segment-shaped slots s2 concentric with the said hub and the shaft C, and a set-screw 't is passed through each slot into the wheel-arm It, so thatl the plate S will turn with the wheel and may have its position changed, as desired. By means of this adjusting device the stroke of the follower k when moving toward the shaft C may be regulated to vary the capacity of the receptacle I, so that a greater or less quantity of peas may be measured in the same receptacle and thus meet the requirements incident to peas of different lots which are in `different conditions.

The cans to be filled are placed one upon the other in a vertical guideway, (see Figs. l and 6,) formed by four rods u, which rise from a base-plate U. Between these rods in the base-plate is an4 opening a', through which the cans pass down to the horizontal table l5. This baseplate U is provided with a lateral supporti n gsplate Q3, which carries an open guide-funnel q, into which the lower extremity q of the conduit fits. The can to be filled rests on the table B immediately under this guide-cup and receives the peas therefrom. The frame of the machine has at each side a bracket o, and said base-plate is mounted thereon and is ver'tically adjustable, so that its position relative to the table I3 may he varied to suit cans of different height. The plate U has at each end a screw if', which enters the bracket e and contines the plate, and two adjusting-screws u2 are at each end and simply impinge against the top of the brackets. By unscrewing the confining-screw -r' the two set-screws U2 may be moved to slightly.

raise or lower the base-plate, as desired.

As a can L is filled it is moved from under the end of the guide-funnel Q4 by suitable mechanism, consisting in the presentinstan ce of a pusher-block y on the table. A lever )7V has its lower end pivoted at zu to the frame and is connected by means of a rod to the said pusher-block y. This pusher-block has a scmicircular head 'y' to partly surround the can that is to be pushed. The lever )V carries at its center a roller w', and a cam 102 is on the lower shaft E and is arranged to strike the said roller w and throw the lever in one direction to cause the pusher-block y to place a can in position under the guide-funnel Q". A spiral spring serves to throw the lever ICO IIO

back again and thus restore the pusher-block to the proper position in readiness for moving another can. The pusher-block hasY a rearvbody part y2, on which the lowermost can in the vertical stack of cans is seated.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In a machine for filling cans, the com bination of a bottomless hopper; a wheel having a rim serving as abottom for the hopper; measuring-receptacles opening through the lwheel-rim and each provided with a followerbottom; and a slide-bar, n2, at the terminal point where the hopper and wheel-rim ad j oin and movable crosswise of the wheel-rim to remove any excess of material and retain such excess within the hopper.

2. The combination of a hopper; a wheel having measuring-receptacles with followerbottoms and a cross-rod connected with said follower; an adjusting-plate provided with faces having a graduated stepped rim to engage the said cross-rods and thereby set the said.follower-bottoms so that the receptacles may have a greater or less capacity; and a cam to move said bottoms out gradually.

The combination of a hopper; a wheel havin ga plurality of arms each provided with a slot and carrying a rim which serves as a bottom for said hopper; a number of measurin g-receptacles opening through said rim and each provided with a follower-bottom having an attached cross-rod whose ends project through the said slots in the wheel-arms and an adjusting-plate provided with irregular faces equal in number to said measuringreceptacles-said faces having graduated stepped rims, and each face in position to engage the projecting end of a different cross-rod to limit the retraction of said follower-bottoms so that the receptacle may have a greater or less capacity.

4. In a machine for filling cans7 the combii nation of a hopper; a stationary shaft; a wheel revolving on said shaft and having a plurality of arms each provided with a slot and carrying a rim which serves as a bottom for said hopper a number of measuring-receptacles opening through said rim and each provided with a bottom follower having an attached cross-rod whose ends project through the slots in the wheel-arms; and two cams one on each end of the stationary shaft and acting on the said projecting ends of the crossrods, as set forth.

5. In a machine for filling cans, the combination of a bottomless hopper; a wheel whose rim serves as a bottom for the hopper and provided with measuring-receptacles opening through the rim; adrive-shaft and connections between the same and the wheel to re volve the latter; a slide-bar, n2, at the terminal point where the hopper and wheel-rim adjoin and movable crosswise of the wheel-rim to remove any excess of material and retain such excess within the hopper; a cam on the driveshaft; and a Vlever connecting between the cam and said slide-bar to impart motion to the latter. Y

' 6. The combination of a hopper; a conduit leading to the can to be filled; a wheel provided with measuring-receptacles which are filled as they pass the hopper and discharge their contents into the said conduit; a collar on the exterior side of the conduit; and a serrated or toothed disk which revolves and taps against thecollar and vibrates the conduit.

'7. The combination of a frame carrying at one side a hopper; a conduit at the opposite side leading to the can to be filled; a wheel through the whole lengt-h of the receptacle;

means to move said bottoms out gradually and discharge the contents onto the declining side of the wheel-rim leading to the conduit; and a cover7 p, for the wheel-rim between the hopper and conduit and provided with pins, p2, which project toward the wheelrim to separate and loosen the material that is being measured.

8. In a can-lling'machine, the combination of a bottomless hopper; a conduit whose lower part is vertical and delivers to the can to be filled, and whose upper part is bottomless and curves from the said vertical part toward the hopper; a wheel between the hopper and conduit and revoluble in a direction toward the latter, said wheel having a rim which serves as a bottom for the hopper and also as a bottom for the curved partof the conduit and provided with measuring-receptacles opening through the rim; a followerbottom in each receptacle and movable through the whole of its length; and means to move said bottoms out gradually and discharge the contents onto the declining side of the wheel-rim, as' set forth. j

In testimony whereof I afx'my signature in the presence of two witnesses. 1

CHARLES S. BUCKLIN.

Witnesses:

CHAs. B. MANN, Jr., CLAUDE P. ELDERKIN.

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