US2191436A - Unloading - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 27, 1940. E. JQBELL 2,191,436

' UNLOADING, COUNTING, AND STACKING MECHANISM Original Filed May 6, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TUR. EDW/N J. 8.54;;

' MMAMYLMA 'AmRNEYs.

Feb. 27, 1940. E. J. BELL 3 UNLOADING, COUNTING, AND STACKING MECHANISM Original Filed may 6, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENIUR. EDWIN J. BELL:

Y A TYURNEYS.

Feb. 27, 1940. E. J. BELL 2,191,436

UNLOADING, COUNTING, AND STACKING MECHANISM Original Filed May 6, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. DW/N J BELL.

/ ATTORNEYS.

Patented Feb. 27, 1940 COUNTING, AND' MECHANISM Edwin .1. Bell, Oshkosh,

UNLOADING,

poration of Wisconsin Original application! May 6, 1935, Serial N0;

S GKI G Wis,assignor to The -Bell Machine Company, Oshkosh, Wis.,aco1

20,027. Divided. andthis application March-'- 14,1938, Serial No. 195,924

17 Claims. (o1. 7226+!) invention relates to improvements .in unloading, counting, and stacking mechanism usable in machines for the manufacturing 013 a a variety of products but having particular .appli 5 ,cationto a match book machine. The'invention will be described 'illustratively from the standpoint of a match book machine. In the preferred embodiment of the invention the devices to be unloaded are assembled on a l0 conceyor chain and it is broadly the purpose of y the present invention toaccomplish-this simply and economically by moving the books alternately in opposite directions to the stacking device and one at a time to the. folding mechanism D and preferably taking the books simultaneously from different flights of the assembly conveyor and .l delivering them simultaneously to successive posi-, tions on a stacking conveyor, the'entire operation being preferably continuous. Other objects will appear in more detail from the following disclosure.

The present application is a division of my application No. 20,027 filed May 6, 1935, Patent No. 2,137,072, Nov. 15,1938, and entitled Match' book machines.

In the drawings: I

Figure l is a front elevation of a machine embodying the present invention, omittingv those conventional portions thereof .Which'relate to the application of striking paint to the otherwise. I complete books, and the subsequent drying of the paint. W

Figure 2 is aplan view of the mechanism shown in Fig. l. g I

Figure, 3 is, a view showing in plan on-anen mechanism to which the claims of the" present application are primarily directedj Figure 4 is a fragmentary detailin side elevation of the cam actuated mechanism for operating the unloading fingers.

Figure 5 is a detail view taken 'in section on line 5-5 of Fig. 3'. 1

Figure 6 is a detail view taken in section on line 8 6 of Fig.3. 7 I Figure 7 is a diagrammatic view showingthe v.liiter the blanks are assembled cover stock and delivered to the chain B the covers are folded over the blanks and stapled or o relativepositions iof sonie o f the major portions "attire-apparatus. I

Like parts areidentified thesame reference characters-throughout the several views. I .I shall first referbriefly tothe general organ-{n5 izationofjth'e machine asdescribed in my parent 1 application above identified, and follow thiswith a detailed description of vthe component parts pertinent specifically .to the present invention.

The previously manufactured match combs are gl.)

inserted, in pairs into the two magazines generically designatedbyreferencecharacter A and illustrated in Figs. 1,- 2 and. 7.

- From each such magazine successivepairs of Y match combs aredischarged into the feeding andiulo cut-off mechanisms generically designated ,by'

reference character 13,. by which match book blanks are successively severed from the leading ends of thesuccessively fed match comb pairs.

In the meantime the cover stock blanks piled- 20 in the cover stock magazines generically designated by. reference .charactenc arebeing delivered a 'matchblank feederfE'periodically inserts each successive. match blankyintothe folded coverni .stock, and delivers these assembled parts toethe.

conveyor chain Y v .It can conveniently be noted in Fig. 7', wherein feeder loads the assembled parts into the inter- .vening spaces. 'The chain. is moved stepby step,

two spaces at a time and dwells to permit the 7 loading operation above described and the un-12135 loading operation with which the present invention is particularly concerned.

stitched to retain them, thestriker paint is applied and allowed to dry'on the portion ofthe I chain which-is conventional and is not here illus-f larged scale the stacking, counting, and discharge 'Htrated' 2 Finally, the chainreturnsthefinished product I to the discharge portion of the machine where the unloader and stacking Y mechanism generically designated by reference' 'character G, nests t'o- I gether the finished books; compacts them ina sta'ck and delivers counted-units for packaginga The unloading point is immediately adjacent the point where the chain is again charged with as-- sembled cover stock and match comb'blanks. i "Having indicated the general organization, of

the ma chine, I shall now describe particularly the f the folded delivery portion thereof with which the present application is primarily concerned.

The conveyor In the preferred embodiment of the invention conveyor comprises a chain, each .link carrying a receptacle Hi8; While I drive the chain at severalpoints in actual practice, it is only necessary inthe present case to show one drive. main drive shaft l5 carries ahelical cam I3! coacting with the succesive studs or teeth 132 of the crown wheels Hi3. Crown wheel M3 is mounted on a shaft ills which projects at therear of the table and carries a sprocket I35 over which operates the driving chain E36 leading to sprocket l3! and shaft E33. This shaftin turn carries the main driving sprocket l 39 over which the con- I veyor F passes as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and '7. A similar sprocket Md spaced to the left of sprocket use is an idler,..and the loaded chain after passing ove sprocket i iii has a flight extending downwardly around a guide it! and thencehas another flight extending upwardly over sprocket i33 to provide a bight at the unloadingstations hereinafter to be described. The empty chain then passes beneath an idler guide sprocket M3 to the loading points.

The unloader One of the unloading stations islocated where the downwardly descending night of conveyor l passes through the opening lit in the machine bed. The other unloading station is located where the flight of the conveyor F emerges from the opening are in the In chine bed. The arrangement is such that at each dwell of the conveyor chain alternately different receptacles Hi8 thereof will be at the level of the machine bed at the respective unloading stations.

Leading from each" unloading station-is an arcuate match bookguide or channel just wide enough to receive the finished match book as it is delivered on edge from the chain. The channel l'll leading from the downward flight of the chain is of slightly'shorter radius than channel H8, so that the delivery ends of the respective channels are spaced by approximately the thick- -ness of a single'match book for delivery, of their respective books into different consecutive spaces provided between consecutive spacer bars il -Q on the cross conveyor ltd. Associated with each of the channels or guideways ill and illl is a yieldable retarder lill in the form of a spring which slows up any unduly rapid motion of the respective books and forces each bookv to the inner faceof its guiding channel for proper delivery into the space next adjacent the dividing bar 9'59 with which the inner side of the channel is registered at any given operation.

The means for propelling the match books from receptacles Hit of the main conveyor to the proper spaces in the cross conveyor comprise the ejectors or unloading arms I83 and tilt, thelatter being slightly elongated because of the greater radiusv of the guide channel Hill with which it coacts. The ends of these arms'are bifurcated to 'be received over the match hook retaining clips ill! of the receptacles ice on conveyor F. Arms M3 and 84 are mounted on rock shafts lSl'land 585 respectively for oscillation. They are normally retracted to the dotted line positions 1 indicated in Fig. 3" and remain retracted during each advance of the conveyor over the sprockets Hi0 and i559. During the dwell of the conveyor F the arms areactuated rapidly to eject books retracted position.

from the receptacles registered with the arms at each of the unloading stations and to propel these books into the cross conveyor in opposite directions, so that the smaller end of one book will lie opposite the larger ends of the adjacent books on the cross conveyor.

'I'herbight in he conveyorhas a two-fold object. The hooks or bundles entering the bight are quarter turned so that the sides previously occupying substantially horizontal positions become vertically disposed. Therefore the ejectors deliver the books or bundles to the cross conveyor on edge'with reference to the surfaces which formerly rested upon the feeding conveyor F, and

the pairs of bundles simultaneously transferred to the receiving or cross conveyor from opposite sides of the blght will have these surfaces facing in the direction of cross conveyor movement. In other .words, the surfaces of both books or bundles which formerly constituted the bearing surfaces. will-both face in the same direction on the receiving conveyor, although the bundles of the respective pairs are reversed end to end.

This is an important result if the books or bundles have one smooth and one irregular or shouldered surface. Match books and other articles similarly packaged are usually smooth on one side and shouldered on. the other, and if the shouldered portions of successive books are 0pposed they. are liable to interlock in a magazine" and prevent successful deliveries of one package at a time.

The other result attained by providing a bight in the feeding conveyor is the facility with which .two oscillatory sweeps may transfer books or bundles from opposite sides of the eight and deliver them to thereceiving conveyor from opposite sides of the latter.

To actuate the arms, the supporting rock shafts I55 and H36 are interconnected by gearing E31 and operated through rack H38 and pinion 889 from a cam illll' mounted on the main drive shaft 65.

.The cam groove l9! is concentric with the shaft 45 throughout a major portion of its pe-- riphery to hold arms its and Hi l in their normally retracted positions aforesaid. There is also a slight concentric portion of the cam groove at Hill which causes a very brief period of dwell at the moment of delivery of the respective match books into their appropriate spaces in the cross conveyor Mill in order to make sure that their speed of delivery to the cross conveyor will not cause them to pass beyond it. Rack I38 carries the usual cam follower roller at I92 and may conveniently be guided on the maindrive shaft 415 as shown in Fig. 4.

The cross conveyor I88 is in continuous operation, being driven from. the main drive shaft 45 through gears 19 i, 595, chain Hit, and shaft it! as shownin Figs. 1, 3 and 5. The conveyor I823 moves adjacent the counting and stacking table 2% upon which there is a curved guide Zlll for forcing the match books into a-more compact "relation before their delivery to the discharge movement of the roller 209. about shaft the roller about its fulcrum 208, whereby to sweep the over the stacking table 200 swung to a position where rearwardly by the biasingrevolves on arm 210 about the axis of the continually rotating shaft 2| l.

Shaft 2 receives motion from the cross conveyor drive shaft I91 through the bevel gearing at 2l2, jack shaft 213, and chain 2M.

- During the dwell of the counting and stacking arm 205 the movement of cross conveyor I80 therebeneath will cause the accumulation of a predetermined number of match books within the range of movement of the arm 205. The timing accomplished by the driving connections to shaft 2 is such that when a predetermined number of match books lie within the 209 will strike arm 205 to oscillate it match books'from the cross conveyor laterally books will be compacted owing to the constricting action of the guide member 20! on'said table,

In the final position of arm 205 as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, the stack of match books will have been'delivered into the mouth of the discharge chute 202 for boxing.

The range of outward movement of the arm 205 is determined by the radius and position of 2 the roller 209 ultimately clears the arm, thus allowing the arm to be retracted by its biasing weight.

During its outward oscillation, the arm" 205 passes beneath the fixed arm 219 and, in riding on the upper surface of guide member 2!", the bar 205 lifts the switching pawl 220 to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 6 and passes therebeneath. After the passage of the arm 205 said figure and hence, after the roller 209 has it clears the arm, and

the arm is drawn weight or rope 206, the arm will ride on to the upper surface of the switching pawl 220 and hence will be carried by -member 210 across the match books already advancing' on the continuously moving conveyor the upper surface of the fixed I80. gravity to the The stacking arm 205 thereupon falls by position shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 6, where it is aligned with the match books to sweep them from the cross conveyor when the arm is next engaged by the revolving roller 209. I claim: 1

1. In a device of the character described, the combination of a feeding conveyor and a receiving conveyor movable along lines substantially at right angles to each other, the feeding conveyor having portions traveling in opposite directions on opposite sides of the line ofmovement of the receiving conveyor, means for actuating said conveyors simultaneously step by step,

curved guides disposed in the angles formed by said conveyors on opposite sides of the receiving conveyor; oscillatory sweeps cooperative with said guides to remove the bundles from the feeding conveyor and deposit them upon the receiving conveyor,

and means for oscillating said sweeps in the intervals between successive conveyor moments.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with conveyor means providing spaced article supports, .of a pair of arms mounted for oscillation in opposite directions about adjacent axes, the free ends of the arms being movable from points near said supports to points at which the free ends of thearms approach each other, a cross conveyor passing said Llas't nrentioned point and provided with succesv tween consecutive sweep of arm 205" where the several In its revolution vcurved guides l in the f switching pawl drops to its full line position in sivepockets adapted to receivearticles propelled by'said arms from said supports, guides extend-' ing beneath the paths of travelof the respective arms from the respective supports to points spaced along the path of movement of the cross conveyor at a distance equal to the spacing bepockets of said cross conveyor, whereby the articles propelled by said arms will be delivered to consecutive pocketsfrom opposite directions, and means for periodicallyremoving from the cross conveyor segregated stacks of such articles, said last mentioned means comprising.

a restricting throat for compacting the articles in the course oftheir travel therethrough, an arm for sweeping the articles from said, cross conveyor. to said throat, and means from the feeding conveyor to the receiving conveyor, and means for simultaneously oscillating said sweeps in the intervals between conveyor movements, said guides'having their delivery end portions offset with reference to each other along the sides of the receiving conveyor, whereby to deliver bundles in pairs with their ends oppositely disposed.

4. In a device of the character described, the

combination of a feeding conveyor andxa transvided with bundle'holding and spacing projecversely movable receiving conveyor, each protions adapted to permit lateral insertion and delivery of bundles, means for actuating said conveyors simultaneously in step-by-step movements, curved guides leading from one side of the feeding conveyor to opposite sides of the receiving conveyor, oscillatory sweeps operable upon bundles in registry with said guides to transfer them from the feeding conveyor to the receiving conveyor, and means for simultaneously oscillating said sweeps in the intervals between conveyor movements, said guides having their delivery end portions offset with reference-to each other along the sides of the receiving conveyor, whereby to deliver bundles in pairs with their ends oppositely disposed, said feeding conveyor having a bight within which the sweeps operate upon bundles having likeside faces opposed, whereby the transferred bundles are delivered to the receiving conveyor with said sides facing in the same direction.

5. In a device of the character described, the

combination with a conveyor provided with work receptacles, of an unloading table having spaced unloading stations, guide means providing a.

bight in the conveyor at said table and-arranged for the registration of alternate receptacles with said'stations, a pair of unloaders movable over the surface of said table from said stations toward an intermediate'nesting point, and means... for removing work from said nesting point.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination with a conveyor means having work holding receptacles and providing separate flights, of unloading stations individual tothe respective flights, means for intermittently actuating said conveyor to register receptacles with said stations for the, unloading of work therefrom, a stacking conveyor intermediate said flights, ejector arms pivoted intermediate said flights and having delivery portions movable from said stations to said stacking conveyor, guide means on said stacking conveyor defining work receiving spaces thereon, and guide means associated with said ejectors and registering with alternate spaces of said stacking conveyor.

7. In a device of the character described, the combination with a conveyor having work receiving means, of an arm movable across said conveyor in the plane of work carried thereby, stacking means arranged to receive the Work displaced from said conveyor in the movement of said arm, means biasing said arm for its'return to a normally retracted position, and an arm actuating member revoluble on a path intersecting the path of said arm and the frequency and path of movement of which are determinative of the time and extent of operation of said arm.

8. In a device of the character described, the combination of a bundle feeding conveyor pr vided with work holding pockets opening laterally tothe margin of the conveyor and a transversely disposed receiving conveyor having latorally opening work receiving spaces and intervening partitions, said bundle feeding conveyor having a portion extending perpendicularly to the plane of its other portions along one side of the line of movement of the receiving conveyor, an arcuate bundle guide in the angle between said perpendicularly extending portion and the receiving conveyor, means for actuating said first conveyor step by step, said guide being positioned to register at one end with a pocket of the feeding conveyor and at its other end with a space of the receiving conveyor and an oscillatory sweep cooperative with said guide to transfer bundles from the feeding conveyor to the receiving conveyor in the intervals between the step movements of said conveyors, whereby the sides of the bundles in contact with the feeding conveyor will be disposed perpendicularly with reference to the bundle supporting surface of the receiving conveyor.

9. In a match book machine, the combination with an assembly conveyor having match book receptacles, of guide means for said conveyor providing a series of spaced conveyor flights, a cross conveyor disposed on a line passing between said flights, ejectors operable from said flights to said cross conveyor in opposite directions, means for actuating said ejectors for transfer of match books from the respective flights in opposite directions to cross the conveyor, guideways f or controlling the delivery of said match books by said ejectors to assure the positioning of the books in alternation on the nesting conveyor, and another ejector movable across said nesting conveyor and of sufficient length to simultaneously sweep therefrom a predetermined number of match books.

10. In a match book machine, the combination with an assembly conveyor having match book receptacles, of guide means for said conveyor providing a series of spaced conveyor flights, a cross conveyor disposed on a line passing between said flights ejectors operable from said flights to said cross conveyor in opposite directions, means for actuating said ejectors ior'transfer of match books from the respective flights in opposite directions to the cross conveyor, guideways for controlling the delivery of said match books by said ejectors to assure the positioning of the books in alternation on the nesting conveyor, and another ejector movable across said nesting conveyor and of suificient length to simultaneously sweep therefrom a predetermined number of match books, said last mentioned ejector having means for reciprocating it, and means for lifting it from the plane of match books on the nesting conveyor in one direction of reciprocation whereby to pass over the books accumulated for delivery.

11. In a match book machine, the combination with an assembly conveyor having match book receptacles, of guide means for said con veyor providing a series of spaced conveyor flights, a cross conveyor disposed on a line passing between said flights, ejectors operable from said flights to said cross conveyor in opposite directions, means for actuating said ejectors for" transfer of match books from the respective flights in opposite directions to the cross conveyor, guideways for controlling the delivery of said match books by said ejectors to assure the positioning of the books in alternation on the nesting conveyor, and another ejector movable across said nesting conveyor and of suflicient length to simultaneously sweep therefrom a predetermined number of match books, and another guide means for the match books acted on by the last mentioned ejector, said other guide means being form d with a throat portion to compact said match books in a stack in the course of their final ejection.

12. In a device of the character described, the combination with a conveyor provided With work receptacles, of conveyor guide means providing a bight in the conveyor, means disposed adjacent to the night of the conveyor and constituting a nesting point for the work delivered from said receptacles, a pair of work unloaders movable from receptacles at opposite sides of said bight toward said intermediate nesting point and including work propelling means for delivering work from spaced receptacles of said conveyor in opposite directions to said nesting point, means for the actuation of said unloaders, and means for removing work from said nesting point.

-13. In a device of the character described, the combination With a conveyor having spaced flight portionsand provided with work receptacles, of a cross conveyor disposed adjacent to said flights and provided with work receiving pockets opening in opposite directions, a pair of unloaders movable to and fro between the respective flights of said first conveyor and alternate pockets of said cross conveyor, said unloaders including means for propelling work from the respective flights of the first conveyor for delivery in opposite directions into the pockets of the cross conveyor to be nested thereon, and means for propolling-said first conveyor to register alternate receptacles with said unloaders, and means for synchronously advancing the second conveyor to remove from the path of said unloaders pockets previously filled by nested work and to position unfilled pockets in the path of said unloaders.

14. In a device of the character described, the combination with a conveyor provided with Work receptacles and guide means for said conveyor defining two spaced flight portions, of a cross conveyor having work receiving pockets and disposed transversely and extending laterally from one side of the spaced flight portions of the first conveyor, arcuate feedway means extending from the respective flights of the first conveyor to opposite sides of the crossconveyor in're'gis try with-successive pockets thereof, the guide means of the first'conveyor being of such dimen sionsasto register alternate :pockets of the first. conveyor with differing fee'dway means in the advance of, the first conveyor,means for theintermittentadvance of the. first conveyor. to efiect I such registration and a pair or" oscillatory unloaders vhaving fnlcrums in close proximity and substantially. in line with the path of the cross conveyor, said unloaders being movable along said feedways and'provided with means for the transfer of work from the alternate receptaclesof the first conveyor in opposite directions into the removal of work from a predetermined number of vsaid pockets, a tableadjacent said cohveyor over which said armj swings for the delivery of such work, and guide'means underlying the path of-movementof. said arm. over said'table and adapted to confine Lthework propelled by said arm, said guide means being'disposed at a progressively decreasing radius fromthe axis upon-which said arm swings, whereby to force 16. In a device of the character described,the

A combination with a vnesting conveyor having means vproviding spaced Work pockets, of' adelivering arm movable across said conveyor to sweep the work from a predetermined number of said pockets,--; means for intermittently aotuating said arm in'a work delivering direction, iv means for the return of said arm out of the path of the work delivered, and a table adjacent said conveyor over which the delivery of the work is effected, said table having guide means for pro-r,

gressively confining the work in the course of its delivery over the table, whereby to eliminate the spaces originally provided between the work in said pockets.. g

. l 5 into intimate contact the items of work delivered from spaced pockets by said arm. A

17. In a device of the character described, the I combination of a bundle conveyor having. portions guided for movement in opposite directions substantiallyv perpendicularly to other portions of the conveyor; whereby to quarter turn the bundles traversing the bight formed by said erpendicular portions, means foractuati'ng the conveyor step; by step, each step corresponding in 25 length to the space occupied by' two bundles; and 0 transfer means, operative at opposite sides of the sideslthe'reofo v EDWIN J. BELL.

. "bightin the intervals' between step-by-step move-J merits, to remove bundles from the con'veyor and deliver them; to .a receiving device from opposite 30" v v CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION. Patent 1&0 2,l9l,h56. February 27, 19140.

EDWIN J. BELL. V I It is hereby certified that error a cpears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page LL,.first column, line 58, claim 9, for the words "cross the conveyor" read the cross conveyor; and that the said Letters Patent should-be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 2nd day of Apr-i1, 'A. D. l9LL0.

Henry Van Arsdale,

(Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

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