US2439040A - Conveyor slat securement - Google Patents

Description

Ap 6, 1948. H. L. COHEN CONVEYOR 'USLAT, SECUREMENT Filed April 2, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I a v u a v v u INVENTOR HARRY L COHEN BY .2% m/ m ATTORNEYS Al E E% April 6, 1948. H. L. COHEN 2,439,040

' CONVEYOR SLAT SECUREMENT Filed April 2, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR HARRY L.. COHEN ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 6, 1948 @Harry -LnChe l1, .-New York, 2N. X, ":assi nqr to .S ;'&-S iGorrugated Paper .MachineryCor-Jnc Brooklyn, N. ..Y., aocorporation of N cw" Yoi-k --Application Api'il 2, 1346, Serial*N0.= 659,117

3 .Glaims. (Cl. 198-175) ;1 V Mypresentinvention relates to sheet feeding mechanism and more specifically to 2, type of sheet feeding mechanism wherein:aislata'or plu- -rality of slats are mounted across drive members such as chains moving along the planeziofa table on-which successive blanks are to be ffedi through specific apparatus which performs various operations onthe blank.

Thus, by way .of example, 1 in taping machines for taping the seams of folded cartons, itis necessary to "feed the folded vcartons successively through the taping machine in order that the tape may be applied.

Specifl'c feeding mechanism :may be used to eject the cartons successively from the bottom of g a stackand' thereafter the cartons may be moved along with respect to the taping mechanism by slats of theabove'mentioned type; or slatsof-th'e' above mentioned type may be used firstto eject blanks successively from the bottom-o f the'stack and secondly to feed the blanks successively. past "the tape applying apparatus whereby they maybe controlled in their movement during the I taping operation. v

' In the construction of such slats' it frequently becomes necessary to replace theslats on the drive chain indifferent spaced relations. Th'us,-where very shortblanks are being fed through a specific machine'su'ch as a taping machine and itbecomes necessary to setup the taping machine once more to take extra, long blanks the slats must be removed and replaced. for cooperation withtheex- 'tra long blanks. Thus'it-becomes necessaryto arrange a simpli'fied means for securing and-Jdisconnecting the-slats on the drive chains in:a simple andeasily operable manner.

Accordingly, a primary object of my: invention is the'provision of novelfeed means for "feedin .rblanks with respect tovamachine onwhich operations 1 are to be :performed vrespect to I. the blanks.

Another object of myinvention istheprovision of simplifiedfeed slat securing means'fonsecuring theslats tosa drive chain :an'difor readilylremovinglthe' slats from thetdrivel ch'ain.

Specifically, my invention contemplates mounting a :pairaof: pins adjacent :eith'er endaof sthez'sl'at, or rather .on xthat ,specific portion .0f the aslat which: cooperates with the .rdrive chain'uor; chains, and providing simplified locking -means .onzthe chain or chains :for integratin the elements of l the .slatwithithe: chains.

The foregoing and .many otherrobiects of :my invention .will-become apparent in zthe; following description and drawings in which belt lit to fpulleys 1'1 of swans-sprockets I 8; :the

Figure": 1- islas general view' of a type of machine known as a taping machine embodying the slat securingrmembersmf my.:invention.

FEigureQiiS-an enlarged view: in schematic. per- .spectiveaashowingthermanner in which the novel sslats of :my;invention1may readily: be. secured to andsremoved: from-\thedrivemhains therefor.

Figure-Brie; a viewpartly: in cross-section. taken :on 2. line :3-3 1 of s-Figurez 2 :iookin'g int the 1 direction :Figuredzisvazviewrpartly in cross-section taken :on iineEiA-il -;of l 'igure1 3. looking in :the direction :ofithe'arrows.

Figure r5 :is asfragmentary view in "perspective showing :the latchingspin .on T0116. of :the slats,

Referring now to Figure 1, I :have heresh own xmyln'oveldevice embodied .inta taping machine mounted on ta frame and having adrive motor 11:2aconnected ibylaniappropriate pulley l3 and belt lr lrtozpulleyc I15 :lwhich in turn is connected by ach-ainssprockets T8:beingpmounted on opposite sides of the machine on shaft [9 driven by pulley I11. .1 Pulley ti ralso has 5 auxiliary=zpulley i keyed ""ther.etorwhlchathroughabelt T2! drives pulley :22 "which :invturn :drives itherfeed :out belt 23. The

taping machine is provided with otherfeed rollers 3:5 andffeed'tout belts :2-6, the rollers' and belts Ibe- 1ingidrivembyappropriateconnections to the .prin- :cipal-tpuiley-"l5ior'toithe motor lt2. .Thesprockets l8 drive the chain'siftfl in'the direction indicated -by-=.the:.arrow 3 l,fthe chain being' kept taut by the idling rsprocketsefl. Chains 30, as shown in iEigures rlsand 2, areiiprovidedatsspaced intervals with; latch smenibers 35, ':said latch members being :in registry with Leach other at opposite "chains and-trcarryingea slat ieibetween 1 them.

"Theablanks or cartons lfl whi'chare to be taped :a're zplaced in :a stack Ml :between the vertical slats "'42 :and again'st the front guide slats 43. Front guide slats: 43 are spaced-above the bed of the machine at l 4-sof th-at'one' blank ate, time, the

"bottom blank in the stack, may befed out -from the? stack.

TSlats 36, a'sthey come "around toward the left with respect to Figure Leach engagela. bottom blank or "folded jcartonofthestack 4| andfeed .theblanks .out,; with. respect to thetaping machine. The taping machine mayfbeof the type (generally described .in-rapplication of Albert .1 -Sl1ields,-. Seria1 #39 1,701,.issued November '7, .1944, aszBatentNo.23623413; and t'he-l apparatus for applying; the -taperisqindieatedggenerally in l the? box .45.. Anyrsuitable-rtaping;apparatusmaybe used 3 for this purpose, the essence of the invention being in the slat securement and operation,

The slats may be so arranged that they actually engage the blank only after the blank has been ejected from stack 4| and separate kick feeder means may be used to eject successive blanks from the stack 4|, or the slats 35 may, as shown, be used to feed out the blanks from the stack as well as to feed the blanks along through the machine.

As previously pointed out, the slats must be so arranged that they may readily be mounted on and removed from the chain so that appropriate spacing of the slats may be obtained for variations in the length of sheets which are tobe oper-' ated on by the machine.

Thus, for a run of relatively short blanks or sheets the slats should be spaced very close together; whereas for a run of very long blanks or sheets alternate slats or pairs of alternate slats may be removed to provide for appropriate spac- Accordingly, it becomes necessary to arrange the slats insuch' a manner that they may readily be attached to and removed from the chains. For this reason eachof the slats as is shown in Figure 5 is provided adjacent each end thereof, at the portions of the slat registering with each of the chains, with a downwardly depending latching pin 59. The latching pin 59 has the chamfered surface 5| to enable it to move readily past the latching device hereinafter described and has the snap-lock slot '52 to cooperate with the latch member 35 (shown more specifically in Figures 3 and 4) which is located at spaced intervals along the chain.

Each of the latch members 35 consists of a plate 69 attached by pins El and 32 to the chain 39. Pins BI and 52 replace the regular pins of the links of chain 39 at that point and the pins 5| and 52 are threaded as shown at 53, 53 to enter into appropriate tapped openings in the plate The pins may be secured in appropriate relation to the chain in any suitable manner as for instance by cotter pins passing through openings 55, 65 thereof.

The latching plate '60 extends outwardly from the side of chain 39 and thus does not interfere in any way with the operation of the chain 39 with respect to sprockets l8 and 32.

Each of the latching plates 60 is provided with a vertical hole 10 to receive the pin 50 of the slat 36. Each of the plates 69 is also provided with a horizontal slot or recess 12 in which is pivotally mounted the latch member 13. The said latch member 13 being rotatably carried on the the pin M which passes through the recess i2. The recess 12 is suihciently deep so that the latch 13 may enter and cover part of the hole I9 as shown particularly in Figure 4; thus the latch T3'may readily enter into the milled slot 52 of the pin 59 of slat 36 in order to retain the pin 59 and hence slat 35 in tight engagement with the latch plate 69 as shown particularly in Fi ure 3.

The latching plate 69 is also provided with a recess 16 in which tension sprin '11 is mounted, one end of tension spring 11 being connected at 18 to the outer end of latch 13 and the opposite clockwise direction with respect to Figure 4 so 4 that it enters into the mill slot 52 of pin 59 in order to retain the slat position.

As above pointed out latch members 35 are mounted parallel to each other on opposite chains so that the slats 36 are carried between them. The bed 9|! of the machine is provided with recesses 9| and 92 as shown in Figure 2 through which the chains 30 travel. The recesses 9| and 92 are each provided with upper extension plates 93 and 94 extending partly over the recesses. The slats 36 are each provided re-entrant channellike lugs 95, 95 engaging the upper plates 93, 94.

This holds the slats down tightly against the bed 99 of the machine and prevents them from moving up over the blanks or cartons which are being 7 fed through the machine so that they are always in engagement with the blanks or cartons on the machine. The plates 93, 94 and the bed of the machine 99 terminate just before sprocket l8 of Figure 1, so that the slat lugs 95, 95 may slide ofi the plate 93, 94 to permit the slats to move with the chain around the sprocket l8.

Thus, when it is desired to place the slats on the chain 39, the operator places the slats on the chain as the latches move opposite the sprockets l8 and the lugs 95 can clear the plates 93, 34. The operator then moves the chains around until the next set of lugs to which he desires to attach a slat appear opposite the sprockets l8 and then he snaps the slats in. These operations are pursued successively until all the slats are mounted.

When it is now desired to change to a size which is greater than the size previously operated on, the operator pulls out the opposite latch members 13 for the slat which is opposite the sprocket 8 and removes the slat. He then moves the machine until the next slat which he desires to remove is opposite the sprocket I8 and removes that slat also.

By this means therefore, the operator may readily place and remove slats from the apparatus. Placing the slats in the apparatus only requires pushing pins 59 into the opening 19. The

- chamfered portion 5| of the pin 59 moves past the latch I3 and pushes it out or clockwise with respect to Figure 4. When the milled slot 52 appears opposite the latch 13 then the spring 11 snaps the latch 13 back into latching positon. Similarly to remove the slat it is only necessary to pull the latch 13 clockwise and thus disengage the latch from the milled slot 52, so that the slat may be removed. Even an unskilled or untrained operator may thus readily place and remove slats on a machine in appropriate spaced relation for the particular size blanks or cartons which are to be operated on in the particular run. The slats are simple straight bars which are held down in order to feed the blanks forward and the latch members are simple locking members which cooperate with the milled pins of the slat. Accordingly complex securing and removal operations are avoided and a structure which is easy to manufacture, fool-proof in use and which is sturdy and not easily bent or damaged, is provided so that the means for feeding the blanks or cartons through the'machine may readily be adjusted'for runs of diiferent size cartons.

In the foregoing I have described my invention solely in connection with a preferred illustrative embodiment thereof. Since many variations and modifications of my invention should now be obvious to those skilled in the art, Iprefer to' be bound not by the specific disclosure herein contained, but only by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Blank moving means comprising a moving chain and a slat removably secured thereto; said slat having an extension depending therefrom; said chain carrying a latch member; said latch member comprising a plate; an opening in said plate to receive said extension; a lock member movable into said opening; and a recess in said extension to receive said lo'ck member; means biasing said lock member into said opening; said lock member being manually removable from said opening; said lock member comprising a lever; a recess in said plate; said lever being pivotally mounted in said recess for movement in a plane normal to the axis of said opening.

2. Blank moving means comprising a moving chain and a slat removably secured thereto; said slat having an extension depending therefrom; said chain carrying a, latch member; said latch member comprising a plate; an opening in said plate to receive said extension; a lock member movable into said opening; and a recess in said extension to receive said lock member; means biasing said lock member into said opening; said :lock member being manually removable from said opening; said lock member com-prising a lever; a recess in said plate; said lever being pivotally mounted in said recess for movement in a plane normal to the axis of said opening, an additional 6 recess in said plate; said biasing means being mounted in said recess.

3. Blank moving means comprising a moving chain and slat removably secured thereto; said slat having an extension depending therefrom; said chain carrying a latch member; said latch member comprising a plate; an opening in said plate to receive said extension; a lock member movable into said opening; and a, recess in said extension to receive said lock member; means biasing said lock member into said opening; said lock member being manually removable from said opening, the fre end of said extension being shaped to move said lock member out of said opening as it enters the opening; said biasing means snapping said lock member into said recess of said extension as said recess moves opposite the lock member.

HARRY L. COHEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 404,460 Akerson June 4, 1889 2,397,698 Sigler et al. Apr. 2, 1946

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