GB2064459A - Positioning apparatus and conveying apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

Egg-like confectionery are orientated by feeding them onto rollers (10) which are carried by endless conveyor chains (11) and pass under guides (30, 31 and 32). The rollers (10) have grooves (19) positioned so that the guides (30) initially prevent the eggs from entering the grooves. The rollers (10) are rotated initially so as to cause incorrectly orientated eggs, i.e. eggs having their sharp ends pointing towards the guide (31), to engage the latter, the correctly orientated eggs moving in the opposite direction, as they pass through the guide (30), to enter the grooves (19). The incorrectly orientated eggs are turned through 180 DEG by guide (32) before entering the grooves (19). The eggs are supplied to the rollers (10) either by a bucket conveyor (33) or by a rotary feed device comprising egg- separating plates (44).

Description

SPECIFICATION Positioning apparatus and conveying apparatus This invention in one aspect relates to an apparatus for orientating egg-shaped confectionery articles prior to their being fed to a wrapping machine.

When an egg-shaped confectionery article such as a chocolate egg, is fed to a wrapping machine the egg must be correctly positioned within a shaped trough formed in a component which is part of the wrapping machine. In the wrapping machine the egg undergoes a series of operations to secure the wrapper around the egg and the egg must be correctly orientated otherwise it can be damaged by forces applied to it. The aforesaid trough is therefore shaped to receive the egg which must be placed in the trough not only with its longitudinal axis correctly positioned but also with the "sharp" end of the egg facing in the correct direction. The eggs are delivered from the production machine or machines in a random manner, i.e. they are not produced at regular intervals and perhaps what is more important their orientation is random.The apparatus which forms the subject of the present invention is disposed to receive eggs from the production machine or a store of eggs, orientate the eggs so that they face the same way and deliver them to an output station from which they can be transferred in turn to a series of said troughs.

The object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the kind specified in a simple and convenient form.

According to the invention an apparatus for orientating egg-shaped confectionery articles comprises a plurality of spaced rollers having their axes disposed substantially parallel to each other and in a generally horizontal plane, aligned grooves formed in said rollers, said grooves being of a width and depth such that an egg disposed on a pair of adjacent rollers will be supported at four points by the edges of the grooves on the pair of rollers, means for moving the rollers transversely to their longitudinal axis from a loading position to an unloading position, first guide means extending from the loading position and acting in use to prevent eggs loaded at the loading position entering said grooves until they had been moved by the rollers a distance sufficient to allow separation of the correctly and incorrectly orientated eggs, a second guide means extending from the loading position, said second guide means extending beyond said first guide means and terminating in a shaped portion which acts in use to turn incorrectly orientated eggs through 1 800 and means for effecting rotation of the rollers during the initial movement of the rollers from the loading position whereby incorrectly orientated eggs will move towards the second guide means and the correctly orientated eggs will move into said grooves when so allowed by the first guide means, the incorrectly orientated eggs being turned by the shaped portion of said second guide means and moved into said grooves.

Preferably further means are provided for effecting further rotation of the rollers when they reach a location at which the incorrectly orientated eggs have been orientated through 1800.

The means for effecting rotation of the rollers may comprise a toothed wheel fixed relative to each roller, and a fixed rack or the like disposed so as to be engaged by the toothed wheel during said initial movement of the rollers.

Most preferably, the rollers form part of an endless conveyor which passes around a rotary support at the loading position.

This invention, in another aspect, relates to a control device for controlling the transfer of articles being fed onto conveying apparatus including an endless conveyor, having a plurality of article-supporting members connected together in spaced apart relationship for movement in a closed path. The control device may be used in the above-defined positioning apparatus for controlling the transfer of the egg-shaped confectionery articles onto the rollers. However, the device may also be used in a conveying apparatus to control the transfer of other articles, e.g. fragile chocolate bars, onto article-supporting members of the conveying apparatus.

According to the present invention, there is provided a control device in conveying apparatus including an endless conveyor having a plurality of article-supporting members connected together in spaced apart relationship, and rotary supports around which the endless conveyor passes, said control device comprising a plurality of angularly spaced control elements mounted for rotation with one of said rotary supports and about the axis of rotation thereof, said control elements projecting through the gaps between adjacent article-supporting members as the latter pass, in use, around said one of the rotary supports.

With such an arrangement, the control elements serve to restrict movement of articles being transferred onto the conveyor.

Preferably the article-supporting members are mounted on endless flexible means, e.g. chains, so as to be disposed inside the path of movement thereof.

It is preferred to provide means for urging an upper run of the endless conveyor so that it is inclined downwardly at least over a region thereof where the control elements project between adjacent article-supporting members.

The control elements preferably take the form of plates.

Examples of an orientating apparatus and conveying apparatus in accordance with the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a plan view of the apparatus, Figure 2 shows a side elevation of the apparatus, Figure 3 is a section on the line F-F of Figure 1, Figure 4 is a plan view of part of an associated wrapping machine, Figure 5 is a section on the line G-G of Figure 1, and Figure 6 is a side elevation of a modification in which the bucket loader shown in Figure 2 is replaced.

Referring to the drawings, the apparatus comprises a plurality of spaced rollers 10 having their longitudinal axes disposed substantially parallel to each other and in a generally horizontal plane. The rollers are freely rotatable about axles which are mounted upon spaced links of a pair of endless chains 11. The upper runs of the chains 11 move in a substantially horizontal plane and pairs of sprockets 12 are disposed at the ends of the horizontal runs of the chains 11 so that the rollers can move between a loading position generally indicated at 13 in Figure 2 and an unloading position generally indicated at 14 in the same figure. A pair of tensioning sprockets 1 5 are also provided and which engage the lower runs respectively of the chains 11. One pair of sprocket wheels 12 is driven conveniently from a drive shaft extending from the associated wrapping machine.The apparatus is intended to supply two correctly orientated eggs at a time to the wrapping machine a component of which is seen in Figure 4.

With reference to Figure 4 the component comprises a generally flat plate member 16 which is pivotally connected to adjacent components of the same type. Each plate member defines a pair of troughs indicated at 17 for the eggs which are placed thereon. The outline of the eggs is seen in Figure 4 as also are further apertures in the plate member through which in use, extend fingers to lift the eggs from the aforesaid troughs. The eggs are transferred two at a time from the unloading position 14 by means of a suitable vacuum lift device which is generally indicated at 18 in Figure 2.

Each roller 10 is provided with a pair of grooves 1 9 so that as will be explained, the apparatus can supply two eggs at a time to the wrapping machine. Each roller is also provided with an integral toothed wheel 20 for engagement in turn with rack bars 21, 22. A side elevation of the rack bar 21 is seen in Figure 5 and it will be noted that the rack bar is disposed above the wheels 20 and that it is formed in two sections 23, 24. The section 24 is rigidly secured to a support and the section 23 at its trailing end is connected by means of a hinge to the section 24. A leaf spring 25 biases the section 23 into engagement with a stop 26 and the teeth at the leading end of the section 23 are of tapering form.This is to ensure that so far as possible, the wheels 20 will smoothly engage with the teeth on the section 23 as the rollers move up to the upper run of the conveyor. The section 23 is however pivoted to minimise the risk of jamming in the event that tooth to tooth engagement takes place. The wheels 20 when engaged with the rack will impart rotary motion to the associated rollers, such motion being in the anti-clockwise direction as seen in Figure 2.

Also provided are a pair of first guide means and a pair of second guide means. The pair of first guide means are indicated at 30 being shown in plan view in Figure 1 and in end view in Figure 3.

As will be seen each of the guide means 30 comprises a plate like member which is inclined to the plane containing the axes of the rollers. The guide means 30 extends from the loading position for a short distance towards the unloading position and initially extends over the grooves 19 in the rollers.

The pair of second guide means is referenced 31 in Figures 1 and 3 and each of the second guide means comprises a substantially vertical plate which extends a substantial distance beyond the first guide means towards the unloading position from the loading position. Each of the second guide means 31 has a shaped end portion 32 disposed beyond the rack 21 and terminating just before the rack 22. Each shaped end portion 32 has an egg-engaging surface having a compound curve. This egg-engaging surface is concavely and arcuately curved horizontally and terminates adjacent the path of movement of the respective grooves 1 9 in the rollers 10.In the upward direction, the egg-engaging surface smoothly changes from being vertically disposed where it merges with the vertical egg-engaging surface cf the remainder of the guide means 31 via being inclined rearwardly at a maximum angle with respect to the vertical, to being vertically disposed again at its termination adjacent the path of movement of the respective grooves. The disposition of the guide means 30 and 31 is such that two paths of movement are established for eggs moving between the loading and unloading positions.

Eggs are delivered to the loading position by means of bucket conveyors 33 which in the particular example, are inclined. The eggs are delivered to the bucket conveyors from a pair of chutes 34, the chutes being supplied with eggs by means of conveyors 35. As the bucket conveyors move eggs are deposited in the buckets thereof and it is found that the axes of the eggs will be generally parallel to the axes of the aforesaid rollers. When the eggs reach the top of the bucket conveyor they are deposited onto the rollers 11 and are supported by a pair of adjacent rollers.

Because of the guide means 30 they are held clear of the grooves 1 9 in the rollers 10 and because the rollers are rotating about their own axes, the eggs will be themselves rotated about their own longitudinal axes.

It is a feature of an egg shaped article that when it is rolled about its longitudinal axis, it will tend to roll in a circle with the "sharp" end of the egg pointing towards the centre of the circle.

What happens therefore is that the eggs move towards the guide means 30 or 31 depending upon which way they are orientated. In the apparatus which is being described, those eggs whose "sharp" ends engage the guide means 30, are regarded as being correctly orientated and as the eggs are carried towards the unloading position they will move into the grooves 19.

Whilst the eggs may continue to rotate the fact that they are now supported at four points means that they merely turn about their longitudinal axes.

The other eggs, i.e. those which are regarded as being incorrectly orientated because their "sharp" ends engage the guide means 31, move towards and into contact with the guide means. They rotate but there is no tendency for the eggs to move into the grooves 19. When the wheels 20 of the rollers move out of engagement with the rack 21 , the rollers cease to rotate and the eggs which are in contact with the guide means 31 as the rollers continue to move, are turned in a vertical plane through 1800 by the shaped portions 32. As the eggs move beyond the shaped portions 32 the rollers again start to rotate due to the action of the rack 22.This rolling action serves to ensure that the eggs particularly those which have been turned, are correctly positioned in the grooves 1 9 prior to their being lifted from the rollers at the unloading position 14.

The purpose of the bucket conveyor is to deliver eggs two at a time to the rollers and it compensates for a difference in height between the operating levels of the wrapping machine and the production machine. It can of course be replaced providing the levels are correct, with some other form of device which will ensure that the eggs are delivered two at a time to the rollers.

It also serves in conjunction with the chutes 34 to ensure that the axes of the eggs as they are dalivered to the rollers, are more or less parallel to the axes of the rollers. It is thought that if the length of the upper run of the conveyors mounting the rollers 10 were extended together with the initial portions of the guide means 30 and 31, that alignment of the longitudinal axes of the eggs with those of the rollers would take place however, it is preferred to ensure that the alignment is effected before the eggs are supplied to the rollers.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 6, the positioning apparatus orientates the eggs in the manner described with reference to the apparatus of Figures 1 to 5 and, except for the upstream end thereof, is substantially the same as that apparatus. The apparatus of Figure 6 avoids the use of the bucket conveyor 33 and is supplied with two lines of eggs (only one line shown) directly from a conveyor 35 whose upper run is substantially coplanar with the upper run, of the converyor defined by the rollers 10 and the endless chains 11. In this embodiment, however, the rollers 10 are not disposed mainly outside the path of movement of the endless chains 11 but are disposed mainly inside said path of movement.

To this end, each roller 10 is suspended from a pair of end brackets 40 (only one shown for each roller). Each end bracket 40 is secured to a respective one of the chains 11. A respective sprocket 41 is disposed above the upper run of each chain 11 adjacent the upstream sprocket 12 around which that chain 11 runs. The sprockets 41 urge the chains 11 downardly so that, over a short region thereof, the upper runs of the chains 11 are inclined downwardly. This has the effect of increasing separation of the rollers 10 as they pass under the sprocket 41. Thereafter, the upper run of the conveyor is horizontal. The upstream sprockets 12 are larger in diameter than the downstream sprockets 12.Mounted for rotation with the upstream sprockets 12 is a respective control device for controlling the transfer of each line of eggs from the conveyor 35 to the conveyor defined by the rollers 10 and endless chains 11.

The two control devices are spaced apart laterally of the conveyors. Each control device comprises a plurality of stainless steel U-shaped sheets 42 secured together and to a pair of end brackets 43 so that there are defined a plurality of angularly spaced plates 44 defining upstream and downstream walls of open sided pockets 45. The brackets 43 are secured to a shaft 46 upon which the sprockets 12 are mounted. Thus, the brackets 43 and therefore the plates 44 are mounted for rotation with the sprockets 12 and about the axis of rotation thereof. The plates 44 extend substantially radially with respect to said axis of rotation. As can be seen from Figure 6, the plates 44 are of a size to project through the gaps between adjacent rollers 10 which are carried in the bottoms of the pockets 45.The plates 44 extend sufficiently beyond the rollers 10 for them to act as retainers to ensure that eggs fed from the conveyor 35 are carried around and onto the upper run of the conveyor. However, the spacing between the rollers 10 and radial extent of the plates 44 is arranged so that the plates 44 enter and leave the gaps between adjacent rollers without jamming against the latter. Avoidance of jamming when the plates 44 leave the gaps is assisted because of the positioning of the sprockets 41 which increases the separation between the rollers 10 at the location at which they pass under the sprockets 41. That is the location at which the maximum separation between the rollers 10 is required for the plates 44 to clear the rollers 10.

The downward inclination at the beginning of the upper run of the conveyor ensures that each egg moves forwardly in its respective pocket 45 so as to engage against the plate 44 at the forward end of the pocket. This ensures that two adjacent eggs in the respective line do not engage against the same pair of rollers in operation.

Disposed above each line of eggs at the discharge end of the conveyor 35 is a respective guide finger 47 which ensures that each egg in the line is not projected forwardly off the conveyor 35 but drops gently into the respective pocket 45.

In order to ensure that the eggs are supplied in two orderly lines, the conveyor 35 is fitted with four longitudinally extending straight guide plates 48 (only one shown) arranged in pairs. The eggs pass between each pair of guide plates 48. These guide plates 48 are arranged so that each line of eggs is discharged onto the rollers 10 between the respective sets of first and second guide means 30 and 31 described above with reference to Figures 1 to 5. In the view illustrated in Figure 6 only one of the first guide means 30 is apparent. Each guide means 30 and 31 is provided with a respective extension 49 aligned with a respective one of the guide plates 48. Each extension 49 is arcuately curved so as to follow the curvature of the conveyor over the sprockets 12.

In a modification, the plates 44 and brackets 43, instead of being fabricated out of stainless steel sheet, are moulded out of a suitable synthetic plastics material or machined out of a block of polytetrafluoroethylene.

Claims (14)

1. An apparatus for orientating egg-shaped confectionery articles comprising a plurality of spaced rollers having their axes disposed substantially parallel to each other and in a generally horizontal plane, aligned grooves formed in said rollers, said grooves being of a width and depth such that an egg disposed on a pair of adjacent rollers will be supported at four points by the edges of the grooves on the pair of rollers, means for moving the rollers transversely to their longitudinal aaxis from a loading position to an unloading position, first guide means extending from the loading position and acting in use to prevent eggs loaded at the loading position entering said grooves until they had been moved by the rollers a distance sufficient to allow separation of the correctly and incorrectly orientated eggs, a second guide means extending from the loading position, said second guide means extending beyond said first guide means and terminating in a shaped portion which acts in use to turn incorrectly orientated eggs through 1800, and means for effecting rotation of the rollers during the initial movement of the rollers from the loading position whereby incorrectly orientated eggs will move towards the second guide means and the correctly orientated eggs will move into said grooves when so allowed by the first guide means, the incorrectly orientated eggs being turned by the shaped portion of said second guide means and moved into said grooves.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein further means are provided for effecting further rotation of the rollers when they reach a location at which the incorrectly orientated eggs have been orientated through 1800.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, or 2 wherein means for effecting rotation of the rollers comprises toothed wheel fixed relative to each roller, and a fixed rack or the like disposed so as to be engaged by the toothed wheels during said initial movement of the rollers.

4. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claims, wherein the rollers form part of an endless conveyor which passes around a rotary support at the loading position.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein a control device is provided for controlling transfer of the egg-shaped articles from a feed onto the conveyor, said control device comprising a plurality of angularly spaced control elements mounted for rotation with said rotary support and about the axis of rotation thereof, said control elements projecting through spaces between the adjacent rollers as the latter pass, in use, around said rotary support.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the rollers are mounted on endless flexible members so as to be disposed inside the path of movement thereof.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 5 or 6, wherein means are provided for urging an upper run of the endless conveyor so that it is inclined downwardly at least over a region thereof where the control elements project between the adjacent rollers.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 5, 6 or 7, wherein the control elements take the form of plates.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 5, or Figures 1 to 5 as modified by Figure 6, of the accompanying drawings.

10. A control device in conveying apparatus including an endless conveyor having a plurality of article-supporting members connected together in spaced apart relationship, and rotary supports around which the endless conveyor passes, said control device comprising a plurality of angularly spaced control elements mounted for rotation with one of said rotary supports and about the axis of rotation thereof, said control elements projecting through the gaps between adjacent article-supporting members as the latter pass, in use, around said one of the rotary supports.

11. A control device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the article-supporting members are mounted on endless flexible means, e.g. chains, so as to be disposed inside the path of movement thereof.

12. A control device-as claimed in claim 10 or 11, provided with means for urging an upper run of endless conveyor so that it is inclined downwardly at least over a region thereof where the control elements project between adjacent article-supporting members.

13. A control device as claimed in claim 10, 11 or 12, wherein the control elements take the form of plates.

14. A control device substantially as herein before described with reference to Figure 6 of the accompanying drawings.