GB2236088A - Apparatus for sorting and packing objects - Google Patents
Apparatus for sorting and packing objects Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2236088A GB2236088A GB8921508A GB8921508A GB2236088A GB 2236088 A GB2236088 A GB 2236088A GB 8921508 A GB8921508 A GB 8921508A GB 8921508 A GB8921508 A GB 8921508A GB 2236088 A GB2236088 A GB 2236088A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- objects
- conveyor
- pellets
- collecting
- sorting
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Withdrawn
Links
- 238000012856 packing Methods 0.000 title claims abstract description 12
- 239000008188 pellet Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 31
- 238000007789 sealing Methods 0.000 claims description 6
- 239000003758 nuclear fuel Substances 0.000 claims description 3
- 239000000446 fuel Substances 0.000 abstract 1
- 238000005245 sintering Methods 0.000 description 3
- 239000004677 Nylon Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000003365 glass fiber Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229920001778 nylon Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 239000013618 particulate matter Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000004033 plastic Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229920003023 plastic Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 229920001059 synthetic polymer Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 125000000391 vinyl group Chemical group [H]C([*])=C([H])[H] 0.000 description 1
- 229920002554 vinyl polymer Polymers 0.000 description 1
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
- B65G47/02—Devices for feeding articles or materials to conveyors
- B65G47/04—Devices for feeding articles or materials to conveyors for feeding articles
- B65G47/06—Devices for feeding articles or materials to conveyors for feeding articles from a single group of articles arranged in orderly pattern, e.g. workpieces in magazines
- B65G47/08—Devices for feeding articles or materials to conveyors for feeding articles from a single group of articles arranged in orderly pattern, e.g. workpieces in magazines spacing or grouping the articles during feeding
- B65G47/084—Devices for feeding articles or materials to conveyors for feeding articles from a single group of articles arranged in orderly pattern, e.g. workpieces in magazines spacing or grouping the articles during feeding grouping articles in a predetermined 2-dimensional pattern
- B65G47/088—Devices for feeding articles or materials to conveyors for feeding articles from a single group of articles arranged in orderly pattern, e.g. workpieces in magazines spacing or grouping the articles during feeding grouping articles in a predetermined 2-dimensional pattern cylindrical articles
-
- 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
- B65G47/90—Devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials
- B65G47/91—Devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials incorporating pneumatic, e.g. suction, grippers
-
- 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
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Discharge Of Articles From Conveyors (AREA)
Abstract
A fuel pellet sorting and packing apparatus 10 comprising a conveyor 12 and a movable gripper device 16 extending across the conveyor 12. The gripper device 16 has a large number of near semi-cylindrical cavities 36 into which upstanding pellets 14 can be fed from the conveyor 12. Vacuum pressure applied at the cavities 36 holds the pellets 14 thereto so that they can be lifted with the gripper device 16 and placed at a packing station. <IMAGE>
Description
Apparatus for sorting and packing objects
This invention relates to the sorting and packing of objects, and more particularly but not exclusively to cylindrical objects.
In some operations it is advantageous to pack objects such as right cylindrical pellets for subsequent processing, for example sintering. When manual handling of the objects is precluded for one reason or another, difficulties can be experienced in designing apparatus for handling the objects that will allow the objects to be sorted and then very closely packed with objects already packed for subsequent processing.
The invention, therefore, provides apparatus for sorting and packing objects, the apparatus comprising conveyor means for feeding objects, means for collecting the objects from the conveyor means, said collecting means comprising an array of sealing surfaces disposed across the conveyor means, said surfaces being adapted to correspond with the shape of a portion of the sides of said objects, means to apply a vacuum pressure at the sealing surfaces so as to cause the objects to adhere thereto, and means for moving the collecting means to a collecting station, whereby the objects can be deposited onto the collecting station by release of the vacuum pressure.
Preferably, there are provided means for applying a gas pressure to the sealing surfaces. Advantageously, the objects comprise cylindrical pellets, for example nuclear fuel pellets.
It can be seen that as the collecting means holds the objects at one side thereof, subsequent packing of the objects with other objects at the collecting station is facilitated.
The invention will now be further described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 shows a plan diagrammatic representation of part of a sorting apparatus;
Figure 2 shows a fragmentary view in the direction of arrow A of Figure 1;
Figure 3 shows a fragmentary view in the direction of arrow B of Figure 1, and
Figure 4 shows a fragmentary plan representation of a station for packing objects.
Referring now to Figure 1, and Figure 2, an apparatus 10 is shown and comprises a conveyor 12 for feeding objects in the form of right cylindrical pellets 14 towards a movable collector 16. The conveyor 12 is of the kind described in our co-pending patent application No 8918651.4 (United States Serial No filed 1989) which is incorporated by reference herein. The conveyor 12 comprises cushion elements 20, 22, 24 respectively, each comprising a multiplicity of extremely fine and relatively short flexible synthetic polymer fibres 26 packed at an inclined orientation as an ultra-high density pile in a plastics backing 28. The directions of inclination of the fibres in the cushion elements 20, 22, 24 are shown by the single-headed arrows.The cushion elements 20, 22, 24 are carried by a support member 30 which is arranged to be vibrated by at least one vibrator 32.
The high density pile is between 68 x 106 and 80 x 106 fibres per square metre, with nylon fibres 26 having a thickness of between 43 and 45 microns and up to 2.5 mm long. The fibres 26 have an orientation of between 70@ and 80@ from the backing 28 of glass fibre reinforced vinyl.
The collector 16 extends across the conveyor 12 and has a continuous array of cavities 36 which are slightly less than semi-cylindrical and correspond with the cylindrical shape of the pellets 14. A duct 38 having an inlet 40 from a gas pressure source 41 and an outlet 42 to a vacuum source 43 is connected to each cavity 36 in parallel. As shown in Figure 3, each cavity 36 is lined with a rubber seal 46 which is adapted to engage the side of a respective pellet 14. The rubber seal 46 has an inner space 48 of sufficient area to expose the duct 38, and to generate the suction force necessary to hold the pellet 14 firmly to the collector 16 when the collector 16 is raised from the conveyor 12.Two stubs 50 of square section on the collector 16 are adapted for location by a lifting arm (not shown), which can lift the collector 16 to a station 54 (see Figure 4) where pellets 14 are packed at a high density, the pellets 14 being shown in broken line for clarity. It will be apparent that no portion of the collector 16 intrudes into the space occupied by any pellets 14 already packed at the station 54. Very close packing of the pellets 14 can, therefore, be achieved at the station 54 which might be a tray to be passed to a sintering furnace (not shown).
In operation, upstanding pellets 14 are fed to the conveyor 12 and under the action of the vibrations on the cushion elements 20, 22, 24, the pellets 14 move towards the collector 16. The directions of the pellets 14 are shown by the double-headed arrows under the effect of the inclination of the fibres 26 in the cushion elements 20, 22, 24. At the collector 16, the pellets 14 jostle until all the cavities 36 are occupied. A vacuum pressure (eg 11-27 inches Hg) is then applied from the vacuum source 43 to the duct 38 at the outlet 42 with the inlet 40 closed. Under the effect of the vacuum pressure the respective pellet 14 is held against the seal 46 in each cavity 36. The collector 16 can now be raised with those pellets 14 in the cavities 36, and placed at the station 54 where the vacuum pressure is released to free the pellets 14 from the cavities 36.Should it be necessary a low (eg 5 psi) gas pressure can be applied from the gas source 41 to the inlet 40 to overcome any residual adhesion between the seals 46 and the pellets 14. The gas pressure may also be applied to flush out any particulate matter that may accumulate in the cavities 36 after the pellets 14 have been released and before the collector 16 is returned to the conveyor 12.
Furthermore, during the removal of the collector 16 from the conveyor 12, operation of the conveyor 12 can be continued to sweep away any part-pellets or debris from the conveyor 12.
Although the use of a conveyor having cushion elements is preferred, other conveyor devices may be used.
The invention has an application in the packing of green pellets of nuclear fuel material in receptacles for subsequent sintering of the pellets. An advantage of the invention is that it does not apply a compressive force on the sides of the pellet. In such an application, the green pellets might be 10 mm diameter and 12 mm high, although it will be understood that other sizes of green pellets may be used in the invention.
It will be appreciated that other features of conveying devices, for example, for orientating the pellets into an upstanding position might be used.
Claims (6)
1. Apparatus for sorting and packing objects comprising conveyor means for feeding objects, means for collecting the objects from the conveyor means, said collecting means comprising an array of sealing surfaces disposed across the conveyor means, said surfaces being adapted to correspond with the shape of a portion of the sides of said objects, means to apply a vacuum pressure at the sealing surfaces so as to cause the objects to adhere thereto, and means for moving the collecting means to a collecting station, whereby the objects can be deposited onto the collecting station by release of the vacuum pressure.
2. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, including means for applying gas pressure to the sealing surfaces.
3. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, or Claim 2, in which the surfaces are part-cylindrical.
4. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding Claim, in whch the conveyor means comprises cushioning means, and means for vibrating the cushioning means.
5. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding Claim, in which the objects comprise nuclear fuel pellets.
6. Apparatus for sorting and packing objects substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB8921508A GB2236088A (en) | 1989-09-22 | 1989-09-22 | Apparatus for sorting and packing objects |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB8921508A GB2236088A (en) | 1989-09-22 | 1989-09-22 | Apparatus for sorting and packing objects |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB8921508D0 GB8921508D0 (en) | 1989-11-08 |
| GB2236088A true GB2236088A (en) | 1991-03-27 |
Family
ID=10663510
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB8921508A Withdrawn GB2236088A (en) | 1989-09-22 | 1989-09-22 | Apparatus for sorting and packing objects |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| GB (1) | GB2236088A (en) |
Citations (8)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB958406A (en) * | 1961-09-22 | 1964-05-21 | David Theodore Nelson Williams | Improvements in or relating to apparatus for collecting cigarettes |
| GB1158847A (en) * | 1966-03-29 | 1969-07-23 | James J Shuttleworth | Vacuum Pick-up Device |
| GB1221233A (en) * | 1967-05-12 | 1971-02-03 | Benhil Ellinghaus & Hilgers Ma | Suction lifter for transferring article delivered on a conveyor means and arranged in rows, particularly eggs |
| US3826381A (en) * | 1972-03-30 | 1974-07-30 | Emhart Corp | Article handling apparatus |
| GB1462677A (en) * | 1973-06-15 | 1977-01-26 | Lemballage Soc Gen | Manipulation of objects |
| GB2022051A (en) * | 1978-04-24 | 1979-12-12 | Yoshino Kogyosho Co Ltd | Conveying and packaging bottles |
| GB2102383A (en) * | 1981-07-13 | 1983-02-02 | Diamond Int Corp | Egg transfer head |
| US4768919A (en) * | 1984-01-12 | 1988-09-06 | Sunkist Growers, Inc. | Vacuum apparatus for transferring round food articles |
-
1989
- 1989-09-22 GB GB8921508A patent/GB2236088A/en not_active Withdrawn
Patent Citations (8)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB958406A (en) * | 1961-09-22 | 1964-05-21 | David Theodore Nelson Williams | Improvements in or relating to apparatus for collecting cigarettes |
| GB1158847A (en) * | 1966-03-29 | 1969-07-23 | James J Shuttleworth | Vacuum Pick-up Device |
| GB1221233A (en) * | 1967-05-12 | 1971-02-03 | Benhil Ellinghaus & Hilgers Ma | Suction lifter for transferring article delivered on a conveyor means and arranged in rows, particularly eggs |
| US3826381A (en) * | 1972-03-30 | 1974-07-30 | Emhart Corp | Article handling apparatus |
| GB1462677A (en) * | 1973-06-15 | 1977-01-26 | Lemballage Soc Gen | Manipulation of objects |
| GB2022051A (en) * | 1978-04-24 | 1979-12-12 | Yoshino Kogyosho Co Ltd | Conveying and packaging bottles |
| GB2102383A (en) * | 1981-07-13 | 1983-02-02 | Diamond Int Corp | Egg transfer head |
| US4768919A (en) * | 1984-01-12 | 1988-09-06 | Sunkist Growers, Inc. | Vacuum apparatus for transferring round food articles |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| GB8921508D0 (en) | 1989-11-08 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| WAP | Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1) |