GB2104038A - Suspension gripper for poultry transporter - Google Patents

Abstract

The gripper comprises a body 21 of elongated form, a slider 32, two jaws 22 mounted pivotably on the forward extremity of the slider, two cams 41 fast with the body and presenting a convex surface the configuration of which departs laterally progressively from the body in the forward direction and against which the backs of the jaws press under the action of springs 44 which tend to retain the said jaws equally in the open position and in the closed position, the closure and opening of the jaws 22 being effected automatically by the simple fact that poultry legs 50 are engaged fully into the gripper or that they are disengaged by being pulled towards one. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Suspension for poultry transporter The invention has for object a suspension gripper for a transporter or conveyor for poultry, especially chickens, guinea-fowl or turkeys, for the purpose for example of conveying them directly from the interior of the rearing building towards the lorry situated outside, having the task of conveying them to the abattoir.

The gripper according to the invention comprises:- a body of elongated form; a slider movable longitudinally in relation to the said body: two jaws carried by the forward extremity of the said slider and both mounted pivotably about a spindle perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the said slider; a cam associated with each movable jaw, fast with the body and having a convex surface the configuration of which departs laterally progressively from the body in the forward direction, against which cam the back of the corresponding movable jaw presses under the action of a spring acting upon the body.In such manner that the legs of a fowl when pressed against the forward extremity of the movable slider cause the driving of the latter into the body and consequently the closure, against the said fowl legs, of each movable jaw sliding against a cam, while the fowl legs thus gripped are pulled towards the operator, they cause the slider to emerge and consequently the opening of each movable jaw, so that they are automatically disengaged from the jaws.

Such a structure is particularly simple, economical, reliable and easy to use, since no element has to be manoeuvred to produce closure or opening of the gripper, these two movements being produced automatically by the simple fact that the fowl legs are engaged in the gripper or disengaged therefrom. Thus at each of the two extremities of a transporter a person can manipulate poultry with both hands at once, which leads to high output.

The invention will be better understood on reading of the foliowing description and examination of the accompanying drawings, which show by way of example a form of embodiment of a poultry gripper according to the invention, and wherein:- FIGURE 1 is a profile view of a poultry gripper according to the invention, suspended from a mobile transporter element, FIGURE 2 is a horizontal section along the line Il-Il in Figure 1, and FIGURE 3 represents the same gripper in perspective.

The suspension gripper for a poultry transporter is designated as a whole by 1 in Figure 1. It is equipped with a leg 2 the upper extremity of which is fixed by a bolt 3 to the central rod 4 of a fork piece 5 the two arms 6, 7 of which are equipped at their extremities with two idler rollers 8, 9 which rest on the top of a tube 12 constituting the rollway of a transporter. The central rod 4 of the fork piece is engaged in a link 13 of a chain which serves for the drive of all the grippers of the transporter. The support leg 2 of each gripper is engaged between two guides 15, 1 6 which follow the path of the rollway 12 of the transporter.

The gripper 1 comprises a body 21 (see also Figures 2 and 3) and two jaws 22 which, in this example, are identical and both mobile. The whole of the gripper, in the service position, extends generally in a horizontal plane and it is suspended by its leg 2. The body 21 is a tubular piece of rectangular section; it presents an upper horizontal face 25, a vertical right laterial face 26, a vertical left lateral face 27, and a horizontal lower face 28. The lower extremity of the suspension leg 2 is welded to the top of the upper face 25.

The two jaws 22, in the form of circular arcs with their concave sides facing one another, are articulated on one and the same spindle 31 carried by a slider 32 which is movable longitudinally in the body 21; this slider is likewise constituted by a tubular piece of rectangular section and has an upper face 35, a right lateral face 36, a left lateral face 37 and a lower face 38.

The forward terminal parts of the lateral faces 36 and 37 are partly cut away to permit the pivoting movement of the two jaws 22, so that the forward part of the slider 32 is in the form of a fork piece formed by the extremities of the upper and lower faces 35 and 38 of the said slider. The whole of the gripper 1 is substantially symmetrical in relation to a vertical longitudinal geometrical plane passing through the axis 31 of articulation of the two jaws 22, except that these two jaws are not strictly in the same plane since, for reasons of construction, being mounted on the same spindle they are situated one above the other, but this presents no drawback to the operation of the gripper.

With each jaw 22 there is associated a cam 41 fixed, facing the corresponding jaw, against the lateral face 26 or 27 of the body 21 and having a convex face 42 the configuration of which departs progressively laterally from the body 21 in the forward direction. Each of the two jaws is thrust so as to press with its back against the abovementioned convex face of the corresponding cam, under the action of a spring which, in the example, is a helical tension spring 44, one end of which is attached to the rear extremity of the corresponding lateral face of the body 21 , while its other extremity is attached to the extremity of an outwardly curved extension 46 of the jaw 22, the extremity of the extension of the jaw being situated, in relation to the cam 41, on the side opposite to the jaw 22, so that the spring tends permanently to press the back of the jaw against the cam.

On the forward extremity of the slider 32 there is fixed a lyre-shaped piece 47 which is double in the example, that is to say it is constituted by two identical elements situated in two horizontal planes, on the forward extremities of the upper and lower faces 35 and 38 of the slider 32. This lyre-shaped piece, the aperture of which is directed forward, serves as guide for the introduction of the poultry legs into the gripper.

In the example the jaws, their extensions and the component elements of the lyre-shaped piece are formed by cylindrical rods suitably shaped by bending; the lyre elements are fixed on the slider by welding.

The operation of the gripper is as follows:- In Figure 3 the gripper is represented in perspective in the open condition, while in Figures 1 and 2 it is shown closed on a group of eight poultry legs 50.

For the suspension of the poultry on a gripper it is sufficient to grasp them together with one hand, by the legs which are engaged in the lyre-shaped piece 47, fully to the bottom of the latter, which results in a push upon the slider 32. The slider 32 is driven into the body 21 which is supported by the guide 1 5, and takes the movable jaws 22 with it, since these are mounted for pivoting on the spindle 31 which is itself carried by the said slider. During this movement the backs of the jaws slide against the convex faces of the two cams 41, so that they approach one another, enclosing and then gripping the poultry legs 50. It is then possible to release the manual hold on the legs, since the springs 44 exert a force tending to maintain the two jaws towards the rear of the body, and in this position the cams prevent the jaws from moving away from one another.

To disengage the poultry from the gripper the operation is equally simple:-- it is sufficient to grasp the poultry legs with one hand and draw them towards oneself. In fact this movement results in an advance of the assembly constituted by the slider 32 and the jaws 22, since the body 21 is retained by the guide 1 6. Under the action of the springs 44 the jaws follow the flared profiles of the two cams 41 and open automatically, freeing the poultry. It will be noted that the two springs 44 serve to retain the gripper, both in the open position and in the closed position.

The invention is not of course limited to the form of embodiment as described and represented, which was given by way of example.

Numerous modifications can be effected therein without thereby departing from its scope, according to the applications envisaged.

Thus for example, in place of having two movable jaws, it would be possible to conceive a gripper based on the same principle, but in which one of the two jaws is fixed, that is to say fast with the slider. The lyre-shaped piece might not be present. The body and/or the slider might not be constituted by tubular pieces. The springs for pressing the jaws might be of a conception different from that described above.

Claims (9)

1. Suspension gripper for a poultry transporter, comprising a body of elongated form, a slider movable longitudinally in relation to the said body, two jaws carried by the forward extremity of the said slider, at least one of which jaws is mounted for pivoting about an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the said slider, characterised in that it comprises a cam (41) associated with each movable jaw, fast with the body (21) and presenting a convex surface (42) the configuration of which departs laterally progressively from the body in the forward direction, against which surface the back of the corresponding movable jaw presses under the action of a spring (44) bearing upon the body, in such a manner that the legs (50) of a fowl, when pushed against the forward extremity of the movable slider (32), cause the driving of the latter into the body (21) and consequently the closure of each movable jaw, sliding against a cam, against the said poultry legs, while when the poultry legs thus gripped are pulled towards one, they cause the emergence of the slider and consequently the opening of each movable jaw, so that the poultry legs are automatically disengaged from the jaws.

2. Gripper according to Claim 1, characterised in that each movable jaw (22) is provided with an outwardly curved extension (46) the extremity of which is situated, in relation to the cam (41), on the opposite side to the movable jaw (22), the spring being a tension spring (44) one extremity of which is hooked to the extremity of the aforementioned extension of the jaw and the other extremity is hooked to the body (21).

3. Gripper according to one of Claims 1 and 2, characterised in that each movable jaw (22) is constituted by a cylindrical rod suitably shaped by bending.

4. Gripper according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, characterised in that a lyre-shaped piece (47) for the guidance of the poultry legs to be suspended is fixed on the forward extremity of the slider (32).

5. Gripper according to Claim 4, characterised in that the lyre-shaped piece (47) is double and encloses each movable jaw (22).

6. Gripper according to one of Claims 4 or 5, characterised in that the lyre-shaped piece (47) is constituted by a cylindrical rod suitably shaped by bending and welding on to the forward extremity of the slider (32).

7. Gripper according to any one of Claims 1 to 6, characterised in that it comprises two movable jaws (22) articulated on the same spindle (31) and in that it is as a whole substantially symmetrical in relation to a geometrical longitudinal plane passing through the said spindle.

8. Gripper according to any one of Claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the body (21) is equipped with a leg (2) to fix the said gripper to a movable transporter element (5).

9. A suspension gripper for a poultry transporter, substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.