US3189155A - Papermaking machine - Google Patents

Description

June 15, 1965 w. F. EVERMAN PAPERMAKING MACHINE 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 i E E E u Filed Nov. 23,

lfiwlllllillfiwl June 15, 1965 w. F. EVERMAN PAPERMAKING MACHINE 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 23, 1962 June 15, 1965 w. F. EVERMAN 3,139,155

PAPERMAKING MACHINE Filed Nov. 23, 1962 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 June 15, 1965 w. F. EVERMAN PAPERMAKING MACHINE 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed NQV. 23, 1962 June 15, 1965 w. F. EVERMAN PAPERMAKING MACHINE 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Nov. 23, 1962 mm QQAQ ll hlllk |-ll\ l 3; u l um MN T R- 1 L -|L|{- u u 5 w u m m 86 8 mm u n u u n "r I n u n n u u r I n r I- e 519765 w. F. EVERMAN PAPERMAKING MACHINE 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 :Eild I NOV 1 23 1962 bllg .13

United States Patent 3,189,155 PAPERMAKING MACHINE Wayne F. Everman, Neenah, Wis., assignor to Kimberly- Clark Corporation, Neenah, Wis., a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 23, 1962, Ser. No. 239,526 6 Claims. (Cl. 198-25) My invention relates to papermaking machines and, more particularly, to apparatus for transferring articles, such as stacks of paper tissues, from one conveyor to another.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved transfer apparatus by means of which articles traveling on a first conveyor belt may be positioned into receptacles or buckets carried by a second conveyor belt, the transfer being accomplished while the conveyor belts are in continuous motion. In this connection, it is a more specific object of the invention to provide such improved transfer apparatus by means of which articles having rectangular cross sections both vertically and horizontally may be moved into buckets or receptacles of similar cross section, with the buckets extending transversely ofthe conveyor on which they are positioned.

It is a still more specific object of the invention to provide improved transfer apparatus of this type for thrusting such an article longitudinally into the buckets while moving the article transversely along with and at the same speed as the buckets so that the articles may be moved into the buckets without skewing or binding of the articles with respect to the buckets.

It is still another object of the invention to provide improved diverting mechanism for the articles traveling along the first conveyor for causing the articles to move off the conveyor when the second conveyor is inoperative thus to prevent a piling up of the articles within the transfer apparatus.

The apparatus in a preferred form may comprise a transfer wheel having depending pusher elements for pushing the articles off the first conveyor onto a transfer deck, cam mechanism for moving the articles transversely along with the buckets and at the same speed as the buckets, and additional cam mechanism for simultaneously moving the articles longitudinally into the buckets. The diverting mechanism in a preferred form may comprise a pair of gates, only one of which or .both of which swing across the first conveyor, depending upon the positioning of an article on the first conveyor.

The invention consists of the novel constructions, arrangements and devices to be hereinafter described and claimed for carrying out the above stated objects, and such other objects, as will be apparent from the following description of a preferred form of the invention, illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of transfer apparatus embodying the principles oflthe invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the transfer apparatus;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a first or input conveyor in the transfer apparatus;

FIG. 4 is -a perspective view of a second or discharge conveyor in the transfer apparatus;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of drive mechanism for various parts of the conveyor apparatus;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a certain pair of cams of the transfer apparatus shown in their various rotated positions;

FIGS. 6A and 6B are planviews-on an. enlarged scale of the two cams, respectively, which are illustrated in FIG. 6 and which are shown in their various positions in these figures;

3,189,155 Patented June 1965 'ice FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an article which may be used in connection with the transfer apparatus;

FIG. 8 is a plan view of the first or input conveyor of the transfer apparatus with article diverting mechanism positioned above the conveyor;

FIG. 9 is a plan view of the diverting mechanism taken on an enlarged scale;

FIG. 10 is an end view of the diverting mechanism;

FIG. 11 is a diagram schematically showing the electric circuit that may be used in connection with the motor for driving the first or input conveyor;

FIG. 12 is an electrical diagram of the circuit that may be used with the diverting mechanism and incorporating a switch also shown in the FIG. 11 diagram; and

FIG. 13 is a schematic illustration of two gates forming parts of the diverting mechanism with the gates being illustrated in actuated and deactuated positions in dotted and full lines respectively.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in the several views.

Referring now to the drawings, the illustrated transfer mechanism comprises, in general, a movable belt 10, a series of movable buckets 11, a transfer Wheel 12, and cams 13 and 14 (see FIG. 1).

The belt it may be a belt of approximately 6 inches width and is disposed over drums 15 and 16 (see FIG. 3;). The drums are respectively provided with shafts 17 and 18 by means of which the drums are rotatably supported, with the axes of the drums being substantially horizontal. The drums i5 and 16 are driven by any suitable prime mover, such as an electric motor 19 connected to the shaft 18, so that the belt moves in the direction indicated by the arrows XI. The transfer mechanism is par ticularly adapted for use with articlesZ-(l (see FIG. 7) which have rectangular cross sections both horizontally and vertically, such as stacks of inter'folded facial tissues 21, for example. The belt 16 may, for example, constitute a conveyor belt in a compressor (not shown) of any suitable type for compressing the facial tissue stacks to reduced heights.

Each of the buckets 11 comprises a pair of sheet metal bucket halves 22 having vertically extending sides .23, horizontally extending base portions 24, and outwardly flared top portions 25. Each of the bucket halves 22 is mounted on a sheet metal strip 26 which in turn is fixed to a pair of connecting links 27 of a pair of chains 28 and 29 that carry the buckets 10. The chains 28 and 29 are of a conventional type and comprise the usual pins 36 connected together by means of linksincludingtthe links 2'7. A pair of tracks 31 and 32 for each- chain 28 and 29 are provided on which the pins 30 may slide for supporting the chains and thereby the buckets 11 carried by the chains. The tracks 31 and 32 for each chain are suitably fixed with respect to each other and may constitute the upper and lower flanges of an I-beam 33.

The chains 28 and i 29 are suitably supported 'by sprockets and guide wheels including the sprockets .34 and 35 (see FIG. 5). The sprockets 34 and 35 are mounted on a shaft 36 which is suitably driven from a motor 37, so that the buckets move in the direction in dicated by the arrows XII. The buckets may be arranged to transport the articles 20 to a cartoning apparatus (not shown), for example.

The transfer mechanism comprises a deck 38 which is suitably supported with respect to a fixed base 39 by means of framework 40. Circular guides 41 and 42 are fixed with respect to the deck 38, and the guide 42 extends across the belt 10, as shown. The guides 41 and42 provide a circular path 43 between them for the articles 20 as will be hereinafter more fully described. An aux-iliary guide 44 is provided on a side edge of the deck 38, as illustrated. The belt 10 extends across a portion of the deck 33 at one end of the path 43, and the buckets 11 are mounted to move transversely of the path 43 at the other end of the path, adjacent the auxiliary guide 44.

The transfer wheel 12 comprises a disk 45 mounted on a hub 46 and carrying a plurality of downwardly depending pusher rods 47 adjacent its periphery. The hub 46 is mounted on a shaft 48 which constitutes the output shaft of a miter gear unit 49 mounted on the base 39 by means of a pedestal 50. The miter gear unit 49 drives the transfer wheel 12 in the direction indicated by the arrow XIII (see FIG. 1) as will be hereinafter more fully described.

The cam 13 is mounted on a shaft 51 which constitutes the output shaft of a miter gear unit 52 mounted on the framework 40. The cam 13 is formed with a fiat edge portion 53 and a rounded edge portion 54 which merges with the fiat edge portion 53 and which has an increasing radius with respect to the center of the mounting shaft 51, as shown. The miter gear unit 52 is adapted to drive the cam 13 in the direction indicated by the arrow XIV, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

The cam 14 is mounted on a shaft 55 which constitutes the output shaft of a miter gear unit 56 mounted on the framework 40. The miter gear unit 56 is arranged to drive the cam 14 in the direction indicated by the arrow XV, as will be hereinafter more fully described. It will be noted from the showing of the cams 13 and 14 in FIG. 1 that the cams 13 and 14 rotate oppositely the cam 13 rotating in the clockwise direction and the cam 14 rotating in the counterclockwise direction. The cam 14 is provided with a fiat edge portion 57, a rounded edge portion 58 which decreases in radius with respect to the center of the mounting shaft 55 from the junction point of the edge portions 57 and 58, an indentation 59 at the other end of the curved edge portion 58 and another curved edge portion 60 which extends from the indentation 59 to the flat edge portion 57 and which increases in radius with respect to the center of the mounting shaft 55 from the indentation 59 to the flat edge portion 57.

The transfer wheel 12 and the cams 13 and 14 are driven from the motor 37 in synchronism with the buckets 11 by certain drive mechanism now to be described (see FIGS. 1, 2, and The drive mechanism comprises a sprocket 61 fixed on the end of the shaft 36 drivingly coupled by means of a chain 62 with a sprocket 63 that is fixed on a jack shaft 64. The jack shaft 64 is rotatably mounted with respect to the framework 40 by means of bearings 65 and 66. An idler 6'7 meshes with the chain 62 to keep it taut.

A gear 68 is fixed on the jack shaft 64 and is connected by means of a chain 69 with a sprocket 70 that is fixed on the input shaft 71 of the gear unit 49. An idler sprocket 72 fixed with respect to the framework 40 is in mesh with the chain 69 and maintains the chain 69 taut.

A sprocket 73 is fixed on the jack shaft 64 and is drivingly connected with sprockets 74 and 75 by means of a chain 76. The sprockets 74 and 75 are respectively fixed on the input shafts 77 and 78 of the gear units 52 and 56. An idler sprocket 79 is fixed with respect to the framework 40 and is in mesh with the chain 76 for keeping it taut.

The sizes of the various sprockets in the drive mechanism are such that each of the cams 13 and 14 make a single revolution for each of the buckets 11 that pass one side of the deck 38, and the transfer wheel 12 makes a fraction of a revolution equal to the reciprocal of the number of rods 47 for each revolution of either cam 13 or 14 there may be 6 rods 47, for example). Although it will be understood that various sprocket sizes may be used, the sprocket 61, for example, may

have 40 teeth and the sprocket 63 may have 24 teeth so that the jack shaft 64 is driven at a higher speed of rotation than the shaft 36. The sprocket 73 may have 36 teeth and the sprockets 74 and may have 18 teeth so that the latter sprockets have a higher speed of rotation than does the jack shaft 64. The sprockets 68 and 70 may respectively have 18 teeth and 54 teeth so that the sprocket 70 has a lower speed of rotation than does the jack shaft 64. Each of the miter gear units 52, 56, and 49 may have speed ratios of one to one, and the sprocket sizes just given thus provide the relative speeds previously mentioned of the cams 13 and 14 and the transfer wheel 12 and synchronize these parts with the chains 28 and 29 propelling the buckets 11.

In operation, the belt 10 is driven from the motor 19; the speed of the motor 19 is maintained approximately synchronized with the speeds of the transfer wheel 12 and cams 13 and 14; and articles 20 are placed on the belt 10 in end to end and properly spaced relation as will be more fully described. The motor 37 drives the chains 28 and 29 through the shaft 36 and sprockets 34 and 35 and thus drives the buckets 11, moving the buckets in the direction indicated by the arrows XII past the edge of the deck 38. The jack shaft 64 is driven through the sprockets 61 and 63 and the chain 62 from the shaft 36. The jack shaft 64 drives the cams 13 and 14 through the sprockets 73, 74, and 75, the chain '76, and the miter gear unit 52 and 56. The jack shaft 64 drives the transfer wheel 12 through the sprockets 68 and 70, the chain 69, and the miter gear unit 49. The transfer wheel 12 is driven at a slower speed than the cams 13 and 14, such as Ms of a revolution for every single revolution of the cams 13 and 14, assuming that there are six pusher rods 47 carried by the transfer wheel 12.

The belt 10, the buckets 11, the cams 13 and 14, and the transfer wheel 12 are thus substantially synchronized with respect to each other, and, assuming that the articles 20 are stacks of interfolded facial tissues having an approximate dimension of 4 /2 inches wide and 9% inches long, satisfactory transfer of the articles 20 from the belt 10 into the buckets 11 is accomplished if, for example, articles 20 move along the belt 10 per minute, the buckets move in the direction XII at a speed of 112.5 feet per minute, the pusher rods 47 move in the path 43 at a speed of 225 feet per minute, and the speed of the belt 10 is approximately 200 feet per minute.

The articles 20 are placed on the belt 10 end to end and in spaced relation; and the pusher rods 47, as the transfer wheel 12 rotates, move past from the inner edge of the belt 10 toward its center and between the spaced articles 20 on the belt, the individual articles 20 being so positioned on the belt 10 to be synchronized with the rods 47 so that the rods may enter between adjacent articles 20. Each of the pusher rods 47 enters behind an article 20 and moves the article off the belt, onto the deck 38 and through the path 43 toward the cams 13 and 14. The articles 20 when adjacent the cams 13 and 14 extend substantially perpendicularly to the path of travel of the buckets 11 and parallel with the sides 23 of the buckets 11. The cam 13 functions to give a sideward movement to the articles 20 in the direction of movement of the buckets 11, and the cam 14 and the rods 47 at the same time move the articles 20 longitudinally into the moving buckets 11. The action of the cams 13 and 14 and the rods 47 cooperating with the cams may be more fully understood by referring to FIGS. 6, 6A, and 6B.

Referring now in particular to these figures, the sides 23 of a bucket 11 are illustrated as having positions a to 0, inclusive. At the same time, the ends of an article 29 which is being inserted into the bucket 11 has positions at: to 00, respectively; a pusher rod 47 has positions arm to 000, respectively; the cam 13 has positions A to 0, respectively; and the cam 14 has positions AA to 00, respectively. In the initial position aa of the article 20,

it will be observed that the rod 47 is in contact with the trailing end of the article 20, and the article is just ready to enter the bucket 11. The trailing end of the article 20 at this time is still between the guides 41 and 42. The fiat cam edge 53 is substantially parallel with and is in contact with the adjacent side edge of the article 20.

In the succeeding position 1212 of the article 20, the leading edge of the article 20 has entered the bucket 11, and the trailing edge of the article 20 has moved beyond the ends of the guides 41 and 42. This movement is under the impetus of the rod 47 which has moved to its position bbb. The cam 13 has rotated to its position B and the curved edge portion 54 of the cam is in contact with the side surface of the article 20 so as to move the article 20 along with the bucket 11 and substantially at the same speed as the bucket 11. The cam 14 has turned to its position BB and the curved surface 58 is in substantial contact with the other side surface of the article 20, so as to maintain the article 20 substantially parallel with the bucket sides 23. The surface 58 of the cam 14, due to its decreasing radius in effect retracts the same distance that the cam 13 has been eifective to move the articlp 20 in the direction of movement of the bucket 11.

The cam 13 in moving from its position B to its position F is effective due to its curved edge 54 of increasing radius to move the trailing end of the article 20 in the same manner along with movement of the bucket 11 in the direction X11 and at the same speed as the bucket 11. The decreasing radii curved surface 58 of the cam 14 at the same time in assuming its positions BB to FF retracts in the direction of bucket movement XI-I so that the two curved cam edges 54 and 58 in eifect form a channel equal to the width of the article 20 that moves along with the bucket 11 in the direction XII. In the position G of the cam 13 and for succeeding positions H to O of the cam, the cam 13 is not eifective on the article 20, since the article 20 has moved sufiiciently far into the bucket 11 so that the sides 23 of the bucket are effective to draw the article 20 along with the bucket and at the same speed as the bucket. .In the position FF of the cam 14, the curved cam edge 60 begins to move behind the trailing end of the article 20 but it is still spaced from the article 20. The curved cam edge 58 of the cam 14 remains in contact with a side edge of the article 20 until the cam 14 has rotated to its position HH, with the surface of the cam recedingat the same speed as the speed of movement of the bucket 11. The pin 47 carried by the transfer wheel 12. has continued to be in contact with the article 20 and has continued to push the article 20 from its position AA to its position HH.

As the cam 14 moves to its position II, an end of the curved cam face 60 makes contact with the trailing end of the article 20 and starts to push the article 20, the pin4'7 at this time starting to pass beyond the trailing end of the article 21). The cam 14 in its rotation continues to have its curved edge 60 in contact with the trailing end of the article 20; and, since the cam edge 61) is of increasing diameter toward the flat cam edge 57, the cam 14 propels the article 20 longitudinally farther into the bucket until the article 20 reaches its position mm, the article 20 being su-fliciently within the bucket 11 during this additionaltlongitudinal movement of the article 20 between its positions ii to mm to becarried along with the bucket 11. Although the cam 14 has additional positions NN and 00, the cam 14 is atits maximum efiectiveness at its position MM, and the article 20 is fully positioned within the bucket 11 at its position mm.

It will be observed that the indentation 59 of the cam 14 is positioned with respect to the pusher rod 47 so thatat positions (36 to KK, the-indentation receives, the rod 47 and allows the rod to continue its travel with movement of the wheel 12, the rod having the positions ggg to kick during this movement of the cam 14.

The article 219 has, thus been moved longitudinally into a bucket 11 at the same time as it has been moved sidewardly in the direction XII at the same speed as the bucket 11. The article 20 has thus been inserted into the bucket 11 without any substantial binding of the article 20 with the bucket sides 23; and each succeeding article 20 traveling in the path 43, due to a pusher rod 47 effective on its trailing end, is likewise positioned within a bucket 11, so that each of the buckets 11 has one of the articles 2t) within it for subsequent processing, such as cartoning.

A diverting device 8% is provided for directing articles 26 off the belt 10 if for any reason the transfer mechanism including the transfer wheel 12, cams 13 and 14, and the buckets 11, is stopped, as, for example, if the machine served by the buckets 11 becomes inoperative for some reason. It is assumed that the belt It continues in operation due perhaps to difiiculties in stopping the machine of which it is a part, such as, for example, the compressor hereinbefore mentioned, because possibly of the high inertia of the moving parts of the compressor.

The diverting device 36 comprises a pair of gates 81 and 82 positioned above the belt 16 (see FIGS. 8, 9, and 10). The gate 82 is fixed on a mounting arm 8-3 that is rotatably disposed on a shaft 84 in turn carried by a fixed bracket 85. The gate 81 is fixed to a bracket 86 which is also swingably mounted on the shaft 84. A spring 87 is connected to the bracket 33, and a spring 88 is connected to an arm 89 fixed with respect to the bracket '83 for yieldably holding the gates 81 and 82 in their illustrated positions at the side of the belt 11 A pair of stops 9t) and 91 are provided for limiting the movement of the gates 81 and 82 under the actions of the springs 87 and S8.

A solenoid @2 has its armature 93 connected by means of a link 94 with the bracket 86 for moving the gate 81 against the action of the spring 37. A second solenoid 95 has its armature 96 connected by means of a link 97 with the arm 89 for moving the gate 82 against the action of the spring 88.

The energizing circuit for the motor 37 for driving the chains 28 and 29 and the buckets 11 (see FIG. 11) may comprise a switch 9%. The switch 98 may be actuated either manually or automatically by any suitable controls (not shown) for starting and stopping the buckets 11 and transfer wheel 12. The switch 98 is provided with the usual switch blade )9 for completing the electric circuit to the motor 37, and the switch 93 also is provided with an auxiliary switch blade 11)!) for connecting a pair of contacts 191 and 102. The switch 95 is also illustrated in FIG. 12, and it will be observed from this figure that the contact 181 is connected with a battery 1133 which is grounded at 164, and the other contact 192 is connected to one terminal of the solenoid 92 which has the other terminal grounded at 1&5. The contact 192 is also connected with one terminal of the solenoid '95 through a switch 1% of an electromagnet 167. The other terminal of the solenoid 95 is grounded at 1%. The electromagnet 1537 has one terminal grounded and has its other terminal connected with a photoelectric cell 1139 also having one terminal grounded.

Referring to FIG. 8', it will'be observed that the photoelectric cell 1519 is disposed adjacent the upper end of the shaft 1'11) extending above and fixed with respect to the transfer wheel 12. The shaft 111? has coatings 111 and 112 on its periphery. T he coatings 111 are dark, and the coatings 112 are light, so that the photo-electric cell 1 in conjunction with the coatings 111 and 112 functions as 'a switch to alternately apply electric current to the electromagnet 197 and to discontinue such application of current.

It is desirable at times to swing the gate 81, exclusive of the gate 82, across the path of movement of the articles 2t on the belt 141; and it is desirable at o'thertimes to swing both of the gates across the belt, depending on the positioning of the articles 21 on the belt at the time the switch 98 is actuated to open the electric circuit to the motor 37. The two gates 31 and 82 together assure that the swinging movement of the gates across the belt does not simply knock an article 20 crosswise of the belt without thrusting it off the belt to assure that a jamming of articles 2% does not take place between the guides 41 and 42. The conditions under which the action of the two gates 8-1 and 82 is desired and under which the action of only one of the gates 81 is required are illustrated in FIG. 13.

In FIG. 13, an article 29A is shown in seven positions on the belt 163, namely, positions 2, q, r, s, t, u, and v. It is obvious that continued movement of the belt 10 will cause the article A to move off the belt assuming the gate 81 is moved across the belt with the article 26A being in its 2, q, and r positions. The article 20A will also move off the belt when it is in its s position due to the fact that the end of the gate 81 extends to a dimension w from the leading end of the article 23A which is a minor portion of the length of the article. Assuming that the article 26) is 9 /4 inches long as previously mentioned, the dimension w is about two inches.

If the article 29A has moved to its t or 11 positions when the gate 81 is moved across the belt, it is likewise apparent that the article 26A will probably not be thrust off the belt by the gate 81 alone but instead will simply have its trailing end cocked in the direction of movement of the gate 81, so that the article 26A traveling in this cocked position on the belt probably will jam at the entrance to the path 43 between the leading ends of the guides 41 and 42. For the purpose of preventing such a cocking of the article 20A; for the t and u positions of the article 20A, both the gate 81 as Well as the gate 32 are actuated as will be described.

When the article 20A has moved to its v position, the trailing end of the article MBA is beyond the end of the gate 31; and, in effect, the succeeding article 21? is in the same p position as the article ZGA occupied initially, in which an actuation of only the gate 31 is effective to throw the article off the belt. It is obvious from an inspection of-FIG. 13 that, if both gates 81 and 82 were moved under all conditions, the articles 20 would at times be thrust crosswise of the belt. For example, with the article 20A being positioned in its (1 and r positions, if both the gates 81 and 82 were actuated, the article 26 preceding the article 20A on the belt would be thrust crosswise of the belt. Thus, both of the gates 81 and 82 have been provided in lieu of a single gate to take care of all positionings that may occur of the articles 20 on the belt 1%).

The segments 111 and 112 on the shaft 110 in conjunc tion with the photo-electric circuit illustrated in FIG. 12 assure that only the gate 81 is actuated for the p, q, r, and s positions of an article 20, while both gates 81 and 82 are actuated for the t and u positions of an article 20. When the switch 98 is released to be in its position illustrated in FIG. 11, so as to open the electric circuit to the motor 37, the contacts 101 and 102 are closed by the switch blade 100, and the battery 103 is thereby connected to the solenoid 92 so as to energize the solenoid. The solenoid 92, when energized, pulls the gate 81 across the belt 10; the armature 93, through the link 94 functioning on the bracket 86 to secure this result. Assuming that the photo-electric cell is opposite one of the dark segments 111, there is not sufficient light impinging .on the photo-electric cell 109 to energize the electromagnet 107, and the switch 106, therefore, is open, so that the solenoid 95 is not energized under these conditions. This state of conditions corresponds with the positions p, q, r, and s of the article 20A just described. As has been previously described, the movement of the belt 10 and the positioning of the articles 21 on the belt are synchronized with the transfer wheel 12, and thus the shaft 110 and the segments 111 and 112 have definite positioning with respect to the articles 20 on the belt, so that a dark segment 111 may be and is positioned to 8 correspond with the positions p, q, r, and s of the article 29A.

For the positions I and u, one of the bright segments 112 on the shaft 110 is positioned opposite the photoelectric cell 109, and under these conditions the cell produces enough current to the electromagnet 107 to close the switch 106. Thus, if, at this time, the switch 98 is released, the battery 103 will be connected to both of the solenoids 92 and 95; and the solenoid 95 is effective through its armature 97 to move the gate 82 across the belt 10 along with the gate 81 moved by the solenoid 92. Thus, for the t and u positions of the article 29A, both gates 81 and 82 will be thrown across the belt 10 when the switch 98 is released to thrust an article 20A off the belt 10.

The transfer mechanism above described advantageously functions to transfer the article 20 from the input conveyor 10 on which the articles are positioned in end to end spaced relation into the buckets 11 carried by the conveyor chains 28 and 29 which are positioned transversely of the direction of travel, the cams l3 and 14 functioning in conjunction with the transfer wheel 12 to accomplish this result. The cam 13 moves an article 29 along with, in the same direction as, and at the same speed as the buckets 11 with the long sides of the article 20 remaining at 90 with respect to the direction of bucket travel; and, simultaneously, the cam 14 together with a pusher rod 47 move the article 20 longitudinally into a bucket 11. The composite movement of each article 12 thus is in a direction oblique to the direction of bucket travel with the long sides of the article 20 remaining parallel to the bucket sides 23 and with the varticle 2f) longitudinally aligned with the bucket 11 into which the article is being thrust. The diverting mechanism advantageously functions to move articles 20 off the input conveyor belt 10, when the transfer mechanism is inoperative, so that there is no piling up of the articles 20 between the guides 41 and 42, and the diverting mechanism is so designed to be effective regardless of the particular positioning of the articles 20 that exist at the time the diverting mechanism is made operative.

I wish it to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific constructions and arrangements shown and described, except only insofar as the claims may be so limited, as it will be understood to those skilled in the art that changes may be made without departing from the principles of the invention.

I claim.

1. In apparatus for transferring articles having rectangular cross sections, the combination of a conveyor movable along a predetermined path, said conveyor comprising a series of buckets carried by a movable belt, each of said :buckets extending transversely of said belt and said path and having bottoms and closed vertical sides and open ends, a deck across which the articles may be moved which is substantially on the same level as said bucket bottoms and having an edge located adjacent said buckets, a transfer wheel having a plurality of spaced depending pusher elements which is rotat-ably mounted about a vertical axis located on the same side of said path as said deck so that the pusher elements may push articles across the deck toward said conveyor in a first phase of movement, a first cam effective on articles on said deck adjacent said conveyor and effective for moving the articles toward said conveyor in a second phase of movement, a second cam effective on the articles on said deck adjacent to said conveyor for moving the articles in a direction parallel with said path, and means for driving said two cams and said conveyor and said transfer wheel simultaneously and in timed relation so that said second cam is effective to move the articles at substantially the same speed as said conveyor in a component of motion parallel with said path and whereby each of the articles is moved into one of said buckets as said conveyor continues its movement.

2. In article transferring apparatus, the combination of a first conveyor movable along a predetermined path, a second conveyor spaced from said first conveyor and movable along a second predetermined path, a deck extending between said two conveyors, a transfer wheel rotatable about an axis located between said two paths and having a plurality of spaced pusher elements movable in an arc about the center of rotation of the wheel whereby the pusher elements are effective to move the articles on said deck transversely of the path of said second conveyor in a first phase of movement of the articles, a first cam located on said deck and so formed to move the articles transversely of the path of said second conveyor in a second phase of movement of the articles in this direction, a second cam located on said deck and formed to move the articles in a direction parallel with the path of said second conveyor, means for driving said transfer wheel and said second conveyor and said two cams simultaneously and in timed relation so that said transfer wheel and said first cam move the articles onto said second conveyor and said second cam is effective to move the articles in a direction parallel with the path of said second conveyor at the same speed as said second conveyor, and means for driving said first conveyor at a synchronized speed with respect to said second conveyor so that the articles may be in spaced relation on the first conveyor whereby each of said pusher elements may enter between adjacent articles on said first conveyor and push one of them onto said deck and in its said first phase of movement toward said second conveyor.

3. In apparatus for transferring articles having rectangular cross sections, the combination of a first conveyor movable along a predetermined path and comprising a first belt on which the articles may be positioned, a second conveyor comprising a series of buckets carried by a second belt and movable along a predetermined path, each of said buckets extending transversely of said second belt and the path of said second conveyor and having bottoms and closed vertical sides and open ends, a deck disposed between said conveyors in approximate alignment with said bucket bottoms across which the articles may he slid from said first conveyor to said second conveyor, a transfer wheel rotatably disposed on an axis located between said conveyors and having downwardly depending pusher elements which sweep across said deck and each of which may push an article across the deck from said first conveyor toward said second conveyor, a first cam disposed on said deck and so formed that it may be effective to move the articles transversely of the path of said second conveyor subsequent to movement of the articles by said pusher elements, a second cam disposed on said deck and so formed that it may be effective for moving the articles in a direction parallel with the path of said second conveyor, means for driving said two cams and said transfer wheel and said second conveyor simultaneously and in timed relation so that said second cam is effective to move the articles at substantially the same speed as said second conveyor in a direction parallel to the path of said second conveyor and whereby each of the articles is moved into one of said buckets with one of said pusher elements and with first cam moving the article into the bucket and with said second cam maintaining the article in longitudinal alignment with said bucket, means for driving said first conveyor in substantial timed relationship with said second conveyor so that the articles may be positioned in end to end spaced relation on said first conveyor in such positions that said pusher elements may enter between the articles on said first conveyor and move them from said first conveyor toward said second conveyor, and a circular guide on said deck for maintaining the articles in the arc of movement of said pusher elements as the articles travel across said deck.

4. In a transferring apparatus for a series of articles of rectangular cross section, the combination of aconveyor for the articles movable along a predetermined path, pusher mechanismeifective on the ends of the articles for moving the articles transversely of said path toward said conveyor and on to the conveyor, .first and second rotary cams disposed on opposite sides of said articles as they pass on to the conveyor, said first cam having a surface of increasing radius for moving the articles in a direction parallel with said pa'thand said second cam having a surface of decreasing radius for maintaining a channel for said articles of substantially the same width as the articles through which they move on to said conveyor, and means for driving said conveyor and said pusher mechanism and said two cams simultaneously and in timed relationship so that said first cam is effective to move the articles at substantially the same speed as said conveyor in a direction parallel with said path.

5. In transferring apparatus for a series of articles of rectangular cross section, the combination of a conveyor for the articles movable along a horizontal path, a deck across which the articles may be moved and which is on substantially the same level as said conveyor, a transfer wheel having a plurality of spaced depending pusher elements which is rotatably mounted about a vertical axis whereby the pusher elements may engage the articles on their ends and push the articles across the deck on to said conveyor, first and second cams disposed on vertical axes on opposite sides of said articles as they pass over said deck on to said conveyor, said first cam having a surface of increasing'radius effective on sides of the articles for moving them in a direction parallel with said path and said second cam having a surface of decreasing radius for maintaining a channel for said articles of substantially the same width as the articles through which the articles move on to the conveyor, said second cam also having a portion of increasing radius effective on the ends of the articles as said pusher elements swing away from the ends of said articles to complete the movement of the articles on to the conveyor, and means for driving said conveyor and said transfer wheel and said two cams simultaneously and in timed relationship so that said first cam is effective to move the articles at substantially the same speed as said conveyor in a direction parallel with said path.

6. In transferring apparatus for a series of articles of rectangular cross section, the combination of first and second conveyors for the articles disposed on approximately the same level and movable in two different paths, a deck extending between said conveyors across which the articles may be moved and which is substantially on the same level as said conveyors, a transfer wheel having a plurality of spaced depending pusher elements which is rotatably mounted about a vertical axis and which spans said deck so that the pusher elements may engage the articles on their ends on said first conveyor and move them off said first conveyor and across said deck and on to said second conveyor, a curved guide on said deck for redirecting the articles from the path of said first conveyor so that they extend substantially transversely of said second conveyor as they move on to said second conveyor, first and second rotary cams disposed on vertical axes on said deck so as to be disposed on opposite sides of said articles as they pass on to said second conveyor, said first cam having a surface of increasing radius for moving the articles in a direction parallel with said path and said second cam having a surface of decreasing radius for maintaining a channel for said articles of substantially the same Width as the articles and said second cam also having a portion of increasing radius which is effective on the ends of the articles when said pusher elements on rotation of said wheel move out of engagement with the ends of the articles so that the second cam completes the movement of the articles on to said second conveyor, and means for driving said conveyors and said transfer wheel and said cams simultaneously and in timed relationship 1i 12 so that said first cam is effective to move the articles at 2,858,929 11/58 Vamuakas 198-25 substantially the same speed as said second conveyor in 3,044,599 7/62 Gajda 19825 a direction parallel With the path of said second conveyor. FOREIGN PATENTS References Qited by the Examiner 5 1,228,179 3/60 France- UNITED STATES PATENT SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner. 2,549,281 4/51 Armstrong 19834 ABRAHAM BERLIN, EDWARD A. SROKA, 2,599,221 6/52 Bergmann 198-34 Examiners.

Claims (1)

1. IN APPARATUS FOR TRANSFERRING ARTICLES HAVING RECTANGULAR CROSS SECTIONS, THE COMBINATION OF A CONVEYOR MOVABLE ALONG A PREDETERMINED PATH, SAID CONVEYOR COMPRISING A SERIES OF BUCKETS CARRIED BY A MOVABLE BELT, EACH OF SAID BUCKETS EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF SAID BELT AND SAID PATH AND HAVING BOTTOMS AND CLOSED VERTICAL SIDES AND OPEN ENDS, A DECK ACROSS WHICH THE ARTICLES MAY BE MOVED WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY ON THE SAME LEVEL AS SAID BUCKET BOTTOMS AND HAVING AN EDGE LOCATED ADJACENT SAID BUCKETS, A TRANSFER WHEEL HAVING A PLURALITY OF SPACED DEPENDING PUSHER ELEMENTS WHICH IS ROTATABLY MOUNTED ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS LOCATED ON THE SAME SIDE OF SAID PATH AS SAID DECK SO THAT THE PUSHER ELEMENTS MAY PUSH ARTICLES ACROSS THE DECK TOWARD SAID CONVEYOR IN A FIRST PHASE OF MOVEMENT, A FIRST CAM EFFECTIVE ON ARTICLES ON SAID DECK ADJACENT SAID CONVEYOR AND EFFEC-

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