Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
  • B65G47/00—Article or material-handling devices associated with conveyors; Methods employing such devices
  • B65G47/74—Feeding, transfer, or discharging devices of particular kinds or types
  • B65G47/82—Rotary or reciprocating members for direct action on articles or materials, e.g. pushers, rakes, shovels
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C03—GLASS; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL
  • C03B—MANUFACTURE, SHAPING, OR SUPPLEMENTARY PROCESSES
  • C03B9/00—Blowing glass; Production of hollow glass articles
  • C03B9/30—Details of blowing glass; Use of materials for the moulds
  • C03B9/44—Means for discharging combined with glass-blowing machines, e.g. take-outs
  • C03B9/453—Means for pushing newly formed glass articles onto a conveyor, e.g. sweep-out mechanisms; Dead-plate mechanisms
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
  • B65G2201/00—Indexing codes relating to handling devices, e.g. conveyors, characterised by the type of product or load being conveyed or handled
  • B65G2201/02—Articles
  • B65G2201/0235—Containers
  • B65G2201/0244—Bottles

Definitions

• This invention relates to a method of, and an apparatus for, transferring a multiplicity of aligned articles on a stationary member to the flight of a conveyor that is moving transversely of the alignment of the articles on the stationary member. More particularly, this invention relates to a sweepout for transferring a multiplicity of aligned, freshly-formed glass containers on a deadplate of a glass container forming machine of the I.S. (individual section) type to the upper flight of a conveyor for transferring the glass containers to an annealing lehr.
• a typical I.S. machine sweepout head has a horizontally extending elongated bar with a plurality of spaced, horizontally extending fingers extending transversely from the elongated bar. Each finger defines, with the elongated bar, a generally L- shaped container receiving pocket.
• Prime movers heretofore usually pneumatic cylinders, provide dual motions to the head with the elongated bar and fingers that extend therefrom.
• the first of such motions is a reciprocating motion a first portion of which serves to move the elongated bar and its fingers from a position out of contact with containers on the deadplate into a position engaging the containers on the deadplate.
• the other motion is a 90° oscillating motion to the head, a first portion of which transfers the containers on the deadplate to the upper flight of the machine conveyor.
• patent 5,429,651 (Bolin), which specifically discloses a pneumatic device for actuating the reciprocating motion of the sweepout pusher mechanism, does disclose, in words only, at column 13, lines 45 - 50, that a stepping motor could also be used for such purpose.
• U.S. patent 5,125,499 (Saathoff et al.) does teach the use of a stepping motor for powering the oscillating motion of a sweepout head, but also teaches the use of a fluid motor for powering the reciprocation of the pusher arm.
• the use of a pneumatic cylinder to power either the reciprocation or the oscillation of a sweepout head finger-carrying bar has certain operating disadvantages, however.
• the sweepout of the present invention has a pair of vertically arranged, reversible electrical motors, each motor preferably an a.c. servo motor.
• the motors are coaxially aligned, and the output shaft of the lower motor, which provides reciprocating motion to the sweepout head through a planetary gear drive, extends through an annular output shaft of the upper motor, which imparts oscillating motion to the sweepout head.
• the output shafts of the lower and upper motors are rotatable with respect to one another.
• the wiring for the motors need not have a pigtail to accommodate movement of a motor relative to a source of power, and oil lines for motor cooling, which is desired to permit prolonged operation in a hostile, high- temperature environment, need not have flexible components. Also positioning the motors below the sweepout head does somewhat reduce the temperatures to which the motors are exposed.
• FIGS. 1A, 1 B, and 1C are fragmentary, perspective views of apparatus according to the present invention, each view illustrating the apparatus at a different position in a cycle of operation;
• Fig. 2 is an elevation view, at an enlarged scale, of elements of the apparatus of Figs. 1A, 1 B, and 1 C;
• Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view, at a further enlarged scale, of a portion of the apparatus of Fig. 2;
• Fig. 4 is a view like Fig. 3 of an another portion of the apparatus of Fig. 2;
• Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view, with a portion of the structure broken away, of the apparatus of Figs. 2 and 3;
• Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 3;
• Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view, partly in cross-section, of a portion of the apparatus of Figs. 2 - 6;
• Fig. 8 is a view like Fig. 2 of an alternate embodiment of the present
• Fig. 9 is a view like Fig. 3 of a portion of the apparatus of Fig. 8
• Fig. 10 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the apparatus of Fig. 8
• Fig. 11 is a view like Fig. 10 with the portion of the apparatus depicted therein being turned by 180° and with a portion of the apparatus being broken away.
• Sweepout apparatus is indicated generally by the reference numeral 10 in Figs. 1A, 1 B, 1 C and 2 of drawing.
• the sweepout apparatus 10 is used to simultaneously transfer an aligned plurality of freshly-formed glass containers C on a deadplate 12 of an I.S. machine to a moving upper flight of a takeout, (machine) conveyor 14.
• the containers C are then conveyed by the conveyor to an annealing lehr (not shown) for heat treatment of the containers C to relieve residual stresses therein, as is known in the art.
• the conveyor 14 extends transversely of the deadplate 12, and the transfer of the containers C from a deadplate 12 to the conveyor 14 requires that the containers C be transferred to the conveyor 14 and turned by 90° as they are transferred, to ensure that the containers C will be aligned with one another on the conveyor 14 as they were on the deadplate 12.
• the sweepout apparatus 10 is provided with a swivel portion 16 that is repeatedly oscillated through a 90° arc, including the motion from its Fig. 1A position to its Fig. 1 C position.
• the swivel portion 16 is provided with a sweepout head 18 that is repeatedly reciprocated, and the path of reciprocation of the sweepout head 18 includes movement from the position in Fig. 1 A to the position in Figs. 1 B and 1 C and then back to the position of Fig. 16.
• the sweepout head 18 includes an elongated, horizontally extending bar 20 with a plurality of spaced fingers 22 extending transversely from the bar 20. Each of the fingers 22 defines, with the bar 20, a pocket for receiving a container C, the number of fingers 22 extending from the bar 20 being the same as the number of containers C on the deadplate 12.
• the elongated bar 20 is mounted on spaced, horizontally extending rods 24 that are reciprocatable with respect to the swivel portion 16, as will be hereinafter described more fully, to reciprocate the bar 20 of the sweepout head 18 from the position of Fig. 1 A , where the containers C are not engaged in pockets of the sweepout head 18, to the position of Figs.
• the sweepout head 18 is retracted to permit the containers C to be conveyed away by the conveyor 14, and the swivel portion 16 of the sweepout apparatus 10 is then turned, in reverse, from its Fig. 1 C position to its Fig. 1A position to begin a repeat of the sweepout cycle with a fresh array of containers C on the deadplate 12.
• the sweepout head 18 is provided with four container-receiving pockets, and this is the construction that is suited for an I.S. machine that simultaneously produces four containers at each I.S.
• an I.S. machine can also be adapted to simultaneously produce three containers at each I.S. machine section, a “triple gob” machine, or even two containers at each I.S. machine section, a "double gob” machine; in such cases, a sweepout apparatus 10 for a triple gob machine would have a sweepout head 18 with only three container-receiving pockets, and a sweepout apparatus 10 for a double gob machine would have a sweepout head with only two container-receiving pockets.
• the sweepout apparatus 10 includes a stationary housing 26 that is positioned below and in alignment with the swivel portion 16.
• First and second reversible a.c. motors 28, 30, each preferably a servo motor for precise controllability, are positioned in vertical, coaxial alignment with each other within the housing 26.
• the motor 28, which is positioned beneath the motor 30, drives an output shaft 32, Fig. 4, which is rotatably supported in spaced bearings 34, 36.
• the output shaft 32 has a stub shaft 38 (Fig. 3) of a speed reduction planetary gear set 42 shrunk or otherwise inserted thereon, and the stub shaft 38,which is rotatably supported in a bearing 39, drives a sun gear 40 of the speed reduction planetary gear set 42.
• the planetary gear set 42 also has a spaced plurality of planetary gears 44, and the planetary gears 44, which are driven by the sun gear 40, engage an interior gear surface of a ring gear 46.
• the ring gear 46 is secured to the interior of a cup- shaped portion 48a of a shaft extension 48 that extends into the swivel portion 16 of the sweepout apparatus 10 and is rotatably supported in bearings 47, 49 for rotation relative to the swivel portion 16.
• the planetary gear set 42 serves to substantially reduce the rotational speed of the shaft extension 48 relative to that of the shaft 32, for example, by a 1:5 factor.
• Such a planetary gear set is available as a commercial item from Mectrol, Inc.
• the shaft extension 48 carries a drive gear 45, and the drive gear 45 drives a sector gear 50 (Fig. 6).
• the sector gear 50 is mounted for pivoting motion in and relative to the head 16 about a shaft 51 (Fig. 5) and has an overlying arm 53 (Figs. 3, 5 and 6) that pivots with the sector gear 50, and arcuate motion of the shaft extension 48, which is caused to oscillate by reversing motion of the motor 28, causes reversible motion of a follower 52 that extends from the arm 53 and rides in a slot 54 in a bracket 56 to which the rods 24 are attached.
• the reversing motion of the motor 28 is effective to cause the rods 24, with the bar 20 and the fingers 22, to extend and retract in unison to move between the positions shown in Figs. 1A and 1 B, and to do so with virtually no backlash.
• the a.c. motor 30 has an output shaft 56, and the shaft 56 is rotatably supported in spaced-apart bearings 58, 60.
• the output shaft 56 is annular in configuration and the output shaft 32 passes through the interior of the output shaft 56 so that the output shaft 56 and the output shaft 32 are rotatable independently of each other.
• an annular housing 62 is secured to the shaft 56 by threaded fasteners 64, and an integral bottom plate 66 of the swivel portion 16 of the sweepout apparatus 10 is secured to the annular housing 62 by threaded fasteners 68.
• reversible arcuate motion is imparted to the shaft 56 by the motor 30, and this motion is effective to oscillate the swivel portion 16 of the sweepout apparatus 10 between the position shown in Figs. 1A and 1 B and the position shown in Fig.
• wiring (not shown) to such motors may be stationary, thereby avoiding the need for flexible or extensible wiring to such motors in a relatively high temperature operating environment, and such wiring may be of a plug-in, quick disconnect type for rapid installation and removal of a sweepout apparatus 10 as a unit.
• the motors 28, 30 may readily be oil cooled, as desired, because coolant inlet and outlet lines for such purposes need not be flexible.
• an electronic control unit not shown, may, if desired, be mounted on the housing 26 and, if also desired, it too may be oil cooled, because inlet and outlet lines to and from it will require no flexible elements.
• the sweepout apparatus according to the embodiment of Figs. 8 - 11 is indicated generally by the reference numeral 110 in Fig. 8 of the drawing.
• the sweepout apparatus 110 like the sweepout apparatus 10, is used to simultaneously transfer an aligned plurality of freshly-formed glass containers on a deadplate of an I.S. machine to a moving upper flight of a takeout (machine) conveyor, which transfers the containers to an annealing lehr (not shown) for heat treatment of the containers to relieve residual stresses therein, as known in the art.
• the sweepout apparatus 110 is provided with a swivel portion 116 that is repeatedly oscillated through a 90° arc, and the swivel portion 116 is provided with a sweepout head 118 that is repeatedly reciprocated, and the matter of the path of reciprocation of the sweepout head 16 of the embodiment of Figs. 1 - 7.
• the sweepout head 118 includes an elongated, horizontally extending bar 120 with a plurality of spaced fingers 122 extending transversely from the bar 120.
• the elongated bar 120 is mounted on spaced horizontally extending rods 124 that are reciprocatable with respect to the swivel portion 116, as will be hereinafter described more fully, to reciprocate the bar 120 of the sweepout head 118.
• the sweepout apparatus 110 includes a stationary housing 126 that is positioned below and in alignment with the swivel portion 116.
• First and second reversible a.c. motors 128, 130 are positioned in vertical, coaxial alignment with each other within the housing 126.
• Figs. 8 - 11 differs from the embodiment of Figs. 1 - 7 mainly in the construction illustrated in Figs. 9 - 11 , where a shaft extension 148 carries a drive gear 145, which drives a sector gear 150.
• the sector gear 150 is mounted for pivoting motion in and relative to the head 116 about a stub shaft 151 (Fig. 11 ) and has an overlying arm 153 that pivots with the sector gear 150.
• Arcuate motion of the shaft extension 148 which is caused to oscillate by reversing motion of the motor 128, causes reversible motion of a sleeve 152 that extends from the arm 153 and slidingly surrounds a rod 154 that is mounted in a bracket 156, to which the rods 124 are attached.
• the reversing motion of the motor 128 is effective to cause the rods 124, with the bar 120 and the fingers 122, to extend and retract in unison to move between the innermost and outermost positions of the bar 120, and to do so with virtually no backlash.
• the sweepout apparatus 110 uses motors 128, 130 within a housing 126 that need not be moved in service.
• wiring (not shown) to such motors may be stationary, thereby avoiding the need for flexible or extensible wiring to such motors in a relatively high temperature operating environment, and such wiring maybe of a plug-end, quick disconnect type for rapid installation and removal of a sweepout apparatus 110 as a unit.
• the motors 128, 130 may readily be oil cooled, as desired, because coolant inlet and outlet lines for such purposes need not be flexible.
• an electronic control unit not shown, may, if desired, be mounted on the housing 126 and, if also desired, it too may be oil cooled, because inlet and outlet lines to and from it will require no flexible elements. In any case, positioning the motors 128, 130 below the head 116 will serve somewhat to reduce the temperatures to which the motors 128, 130 are exposed relative to that experienced by the head 116.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
• Materials Engineering (AREA)
• Organic Chemistry (AREA)
• Special Conveying (AREA)
• Re-Forming, After-Treatment, Cutting And Transporting Of Glass Products (AREA)
• Manufacture, Treatment Of Glass Fibers (AREA)
• Investigating Or Analyzing Materials By The Use Of Ultrasonic Waves (AREA)
• Waste-Gas Treatment And Other Accessory Devices For Furnaces (AREA)
• Transmission Devices (AREA)
• Specific Conveyance Elements (AREA)
• Feeding Of Articles To Conveyors (AREA)
• Management, Administration, Business Operations System, And Electronic Commerce (AREA)
• Electronic Switches (AREA)
• Cleaning In General (AREA)

Priority Applications (7)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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ID=31887694

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Country Status (15)

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Citations (4)

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• 2002
  • 2002-09-04 US US10/235,189 patent/US6702097B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
• 2003
  • 2003-09-04 AU AU2003268442A patent/AU2003268442A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-09-04 PT PT03749407T patent/PT1534640E/pt unknown
  • 2003-09-04 JP JP2004534562A patent/JP4870352B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2003-09-04 MX MXPA05002206A patent/MXPA05002206A/es active IP Right Grant
  • 2003-09-04 AT AT03749407T patent/ATE412617T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2003-09-04 EP EP03749407A patent/EP1534640B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2003-09-04 PL PL03373898A patent/PL373898A1/xx not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2003-09-04 CA CA002495669A patent/CA2495669A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-09-04 WO PCT/US2003/027702 patent/WO2004022496A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2003-09-04 RU RU2005109420/03A patent/RU2330818C2/ru not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2003-09-04 ZA ZA200501547A patent/ZA200501547B/en unknown
  • 2003-09-04 CN CNB038208857A patent/CN1319883C/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2003-09-04 DE DE60324433T patent/DE60324433D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2003-09-04 BR BR0314022-9A patent/BR0314022A/pt not_active Application Discontinuation

Patent Citations (4)

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