US3618792A

US3618792A - Mat feeding magazine

Info

Publication number: US3618792A
Application number: US861708A
Authority: US
Inventors: Gerald C Paxton
Original assignee: SWF Companies Inc
Current assignee: SANGER WORKS FACTORY Inc A CORP OF; SWF Companies Inc
Priority date: 1969-09-29
Filing date: 1969-09-29
Publication date: 1971-11-09
Anticipated expiration: 1988-11-09

Abstract

A mat-feeding magazine for use with a reciprocal member to propel said mats along a predetermined path providing an inclined ramp adapted to hold a plurality of substantially flat mats in substantially upright position thereon having an upper mat loading end and an opposite lower mat discharge end adjacent to said path and including mat restraining means at said discharge end of the ramp being effective to preclude inadvertent or multiple feeding of said mats from the magazine by said reciprocal member.

Description

United States Patent lnventor Gerald C. Paxton [S6] Relerences Cited s" Calil- UNITED STATES PATENTS 219,586 9/1879 Leavitt 271/43 x Flled 291m 235,952 l2/l880 Leavitt 271/43 A x 3,130,967 4/i964 Brell 214/7 x Asslgnee General Nailing Machine Corporation Primary xaminerGerald M. Forlenza Assistant Examiner-George F. Abraham Attorney-Huebner & Worrel MAT FEEDING MAGAZINE ABSTRACT: A mat-feedin ma azinc for use with a reci ro- 10 Claims 2 Figs cal member to propel said rnats along a predetermined gath providing an inclined ramp adapted to hold a plurality of sub- U.S.Cl 2l4/8.5 F, stantially fiat mats in substantially upright position thereon 22l/2l4, 271/43 A having an upper mat loading end and an opposite lower mat Int. Cl. 365g 59/00 discharge end adjacent to said path and including mat Field of Search 2l4/8.5 A, restraining means at said discharge end of the ramp being ef- 8.5 F,8.5 R, 7; 221/236,2l3,2l4;27l/l9,24, 25, fective to preclude inadvertent or multiple feeding of said 42, 43 A mats from the magazine by said reciprocal member.

PATENTEDHDV 9 ml SHEET 2 BF 2 GERALD C. PAXTON INVENTOP M fM A TTORNf Y5 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a magazine for holding and feeding resiliently flexible substantially flat panels or mats one at a time into a machine or the like for further processing. While the magazine of the present invention is specifically intended for use with a fruit-packing tray forming machine, it is not limited to such use. As will become more readily apparent, the present invention has utility in any environment where it is necessary or desirable to hold a plurality of substantially flat objects in substantially upright positions from which the objects may be discharged one at a time with successive objects automatically locating themselves in position for such discharge without further manipulation by the operator.

Prior magazines for the purpose ordinarily have employed complicated latching mechanisms individually to release the leading mat therefrom which must necessarily include additional mechanism for holding succeeding mats in place in the magazine. These prior magazines have not been entirely successful due to their tendency to jam the associated mechanism by discharging more than one mat at a time or in permitting succeeding mats inadvertently to be discharged therefrom between desired feeding sequences.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved feeding magazine for substantially flat objects which eliminates the complicated latching mechanisms of the prior art. I

Another object is to provide such an improved feeding magazine which ensures that only one object or mat is discharged therefrom with each desired feeding sequence.

Another object is to provide an improved feeding magazine of the character described which dependably holds a plurality of substantially flat objects or mats and which is effective successively to advance the objects to an optimum position for subsequent discharge from the magazine.

Another object is to provide an improved feeding magazine which dependably temporarily retains the mats thereon for subsequent successive discharge in a manner to preclude their inadvertent removal or discharge from the magazine between scheduled feeding sequences.

Another object is to provide an improved magazine providing a pair of inclined ramps edgewardly slidably supporting a plurality of substantially flat mats thereon adjacent to a predetermined discharge path having a reciprocating object propelling member successively engageably movable within the path with the magazine providing temporary stop members adjacent to the path precluding inadvertent or multiple feeding of objects from the magazine.

Another object is to provide such a magazine which requires no moving parts.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will subsequently become more clearly apparent upon reference to the following description and accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a front elevation of a feeding magazine embodying the principles of the present invention adapted to hold a plurality of substantially flat feeding objects such as the fiberboard panels or mats employed in the construction of fruit packing trays or containers.

FIG. 2 is a transverse horizontal section through the feeding magazine, taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a transverse vertical section through the feeding magazine, taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1 and showing a plurality of mats disposed in position for successive discharge therefrom.

FIG. 4 is a somewhat enlarged side elevation of the magazine showing the leading mat being directed downwardly away from the discharge end of the magazine.

FIG. 5 is a somewhat enlarged perspective of one of the mat holding and feeding ramps of the magazine removed therefrom for illustrative convenience.

FIG. 6 is a perspective of one of the tray or carton forming mats removed from the magazine.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring more particularly to the drawings, a mat-feeding magazine embodying the principles of the present invention, generally indicated by the reference numeral 10, is shown in operating association with a substantially upstanding matfeeding frame 11. The frame is upwardly extended from a machine, not shown, for successively processing a plurality of substantially flat panels or mats of the type generally indicated by the reference numeral 12 in FIG. 6. The frame includes a pair of oppositely spaced, substantially parallel vertical side beams 13, each of which is constructed of a pair of channular rails 14 interconnected, as best shown in FIG. 2, by outer substantially flat bridging plates 15. The channular rails 14 are further strengthened by rigidly interconnecting upper and

lower bridging straps

16 and 17, respectively. The upper ends of the opposite side beams 13 are interconnected by an elongated inverted U-shaped channular top plate 19 secured, as by welding, bolting or the like. The top plate has a pair of opposite depending front and

rear panels

21 and 22, respectively, with the front panel providing a pair of spaced elongated slots 23 formed therethrough individually adjacent to the upper ends of each of the side beams 13.

A pair of elongated magazine-mounting bars 25 are disposed in spaced substantially parallel relation on the matfeeding' frame 11 in individually closely spaced relation to their respectively adjacent side beams 13 of the frame. Each of the mounting bars includes an upper end 26 having a plurality of spaced bores 27 therethrough whichare individually registrable with the elongated slots 23 in the front panel 21 of the top plate 19 of the frame. A locking bolt 28 is extendible through the bars and slots for securing them in selected elevational and horizontally adjusted positions. The mounting bars include similarly constructed lower ends, not shown, which are identically adjustably mounted on a lower plate of the frame, also not shown. Each of the mounting bars provides opposite front and

rear sides

30 and 31, respectively, and opposite inner and

outer sides

32 and 33, respectively.

An elongated substantially flat rectangular mat guiding plate 35 is mounted coextensively along the inner side 32 of each of the magazine mounting bars 25 and includes a mat engaging face 36 which is disposed in a plane substantially rightangularly related to the inner side of its respective mounting bar. The guide plate is held in such position by an elongated backing strap 37 secured to and extended from the side op posite the mat from its mat engaging face which is secured, as by bolting or the like, to the rear side 31 of its respective mounting bar 25.

The mat-feeding magazine 10 of the present invention provides a plurality of mat storage and feeding ramps 40 which are individually adjustably mounted in elevationally spaced pairs on each of the mounting bars 25 which provide outer mat loading ends 41 and opposite downwardly inclined lower discharge ends 42. As best shown in FIG. 5, each of the ramps provides an elongated substantially flat edgewardly disposed side bar 44 having a substantially horizontally disposed outer end 46, a downwardly angularly inclined intermediate portion 47, and an opposite lower end 48. The outer end 46 has an angularly outwardly extended flange portion 49 which, as best shown in FIG. 2, cooperates with the corresponding flange portion of the opposite ramp to funnel mats onto the loading end 41 thereof.

An elongated substantially upright mounting plate 52 is secured, as by welding or the like, to the lower end 48 of each of the side bars 44 and has an elongated slot 53 therethrough. The mounting plate has an outer flanged edge 54 which, as best shown in FIG. 2, is adapted slidably to embrace the corner between the front side 30 and the outer side 33 of its respective magazine mounting bar 25. A lock bolt 55 is adapted to be extended through the elongated slot 53 and into a screw-threaded bore 56 in the mounting bar 25.

Each of the mat-feeding ramps 40 further includes an elongated substantially flat mat-supporting track 57 disposed in substantially coextensive relation with the lower edge of its respective side bar 44 in substantially right-angular relation thereto. The track includes an upper substantially horizontal end 58, an intemiediate portion 59 corresponding to their respectively adjacent portions of the side bar 44, and a lower end 61 extended somewhat past the mounting plate 52 at the lower end 48 of the side bar. The lower end of the track includes a continuous depending lip 62 integrally extended from the track by an arcuate upper camming surface 64. The lip includes an opposite mat-engaging surface 66 providing a stop for the mats disposed upon the magazine. The lip provides an opposite inner surface 68 which is disposed in spaced substantially parallel relation to the adjacent mat engaging face 36 of its associated guide plate 35 to define therebetween a substantially vertical mat discharge path 69 from the discharge end 42 of the magazine ramps 40.

A mat-driving assembly, generally indicated by the reference numeral 70, is mounted on the feeding frame 1 1 immediately below the magazine 10. The drive assembly is supported by a pair of opposite substantially horizontal arms 72 which are individually bolted to the inner sides of the charmular rails 14 of the side beams 13 and include forwardly extended ends 73 rigidly interconnected by an elongated crossbar 75. A resiliently compressible idler roller 77 is mounted on the crossbar intermediate the arms by a substantially U shaped bracket 78 for relatively free rotation about an elongated axle pin 79 extended through the bracket. A somewhat enlarged diameter drive roller 80 is mounted in peripherally engaging relation with the idler roller on an elongated shaft 82 journaled at its ends in the arms 72. One end of the shaft is extended into its adjacent side beam 13 of the frame and mounts a drive pulley 83 which is connected to a suitable power source through the usual V-belt drive, not shown, for rotating the shaft and drive roller 80. It will be noted that the engaged peripheries of the rollers are inwardly offset from the plane of the mat discharge path 69 of the mats 12 from the feeding magazine 10. As best shown by the dashed lines in FIG. 2, this forms a slight arch in the mats as they are being discharged downwardly from the magazine to impart additional stiffness thereto for more efficient handling.

A mat-propelling mechanism, generally indicated by the reference numeral 35, is reciprocally mounted on the feeding frame 11 substantially intermediate the side beams 13. Such mechanism provides an elongated rocker shaft 86 having its ends journaled in the lower bridging straps 17 of the side beams with one end extended into its associated side beam to mount a swing arm 87 connected through suitable linkage to a power source, not shown. An elongated lever 88 is mounted on the rocker shaft intermediate its ends and provide an opposite bifurcated end 89. A mat sticker finger 90 providing a lower barbed end 92 and an opposite upper-spring mounting end 93 is pivotally mounted in closely spaced relation to the upper-spring mounting end on the bifurcated end 89 of the lever 88. An elongated tension spring 95 is mounted between the upper end of the sticker finger and a point intermediate the ends of the lever 88 normally to hold the finger and arm in predetermined angular relationship with the barbed end of the finger extended in the mat discharge path 69.

The tray or carton forming mats 12 are constructed, as best shown in FIG. 6, of a substantially flat resiliently flexible cardboard material or the like which provides opposite upper and

lower side edges

100 and 102, respectively, and opposite end edges 104. A pair of spaced substantially parallel slots 106 are formed in each of the opposite end edges 104 of the mats in substantially right-angular relation thereto with each of the slots providing opposite upper and lower edges 107 and 108, respectively. The slots coact with a plurality of fold lines 110 and 111 to form a pair of upper and lower movable flaps 112 and 114, respectively, and a pair of opposite end flaps 115. Such flaps are subsequently employed to form the sides and ends of a tray or carton which need not be here described. However, the flaps are utilized in the operation of the mat feeding magazine 10 of the present invention in a significant manner subsequently to be described.

OPERATION The operation of the described embodiment of the subject invention is believed to be clearly apparent and is briefly summarized at this point. Prior to activating the mat-propelling mechanism and the powered drive assembly 70, a plurality of the mats 12 are loaded onto the loading end 41 of the ramps 40 of the feed magazine 10 with the outer flanged portions 49 funneling the mats toward the tracks 57. The magazinemounting bars 25 are previously adjusted by way of the lock bolts 28 in the elongated slots 23 to space them a desired distance apart corresponding to the width of the mats with the end edges 104 thereof spaced somewhat from the inner surfaces of the opposite side bars 44 of the ramps. The individual ramps 40 are also elevationally adjusted by way of the elongated slots 53 in their respective mounting plates 52 so that the upper and lower tracks 57 are spaced a distance precisely conforming to the dimension between the slots 106 in each end of the mats.

During loading of the mats onto the feeding magazine 10, the tracks 57 of the ramps 40 are received through the associated slots 106 in the mats which are permitted gravitationally to slide downwardly along the tracks in a substantially upright or pendant attitude. it is noted that even though the mats contain the slots 106 and the fold lines and 111, the material of the mats is sufficiently stiff to maintain the

flaps

112, 114 and 115 in substantially coplanar relation with the body of the mat. Accordingly, as best shown in FIG. 3, the leading mat is permitted to slide downwardly along the ramps 40 until the lower flap 114 and the upper end of the end flaps 115 engage their respectively associated stop surfaces 66 of the lips 62. The normal resistance of the end and side flaps to displacement from their normal coplanar relation with the body of the mat and their engagement with the lips 62 precludes inadvertent sliding movement downwardly off of the ramps 40. Accordingly, a plurality of the mats are thereby dependably held in their optimum substantially upright positions in inclined stacked relation on the ramps 40 of the feeding magazine 10.

Upon actuation of the mat-propelling mechanism 85, the lever 88 and sticker finger 90 are swung upwardly to their full line positions of FIG. 3 and immediately downwardly returned so that the barbed end 92 of the finger engages the adjacent face of the body of the leading mat on the feeding magazine 10. The relatively short barbs of the sticker finger penetrate the mat sufficiently to permit the propelling mechanism to drive the leading mat downwardly through the discharge path 69 between the lips 62 of the ramps 40 and the mat guide plate 35.

Such downward movement of the leading mat 12 is permitted by a resiliently resisted scissoring action between the upper and lower flaps 112 and 1143, respectively, and the end flaps 115. As best shown in FIG. 4, during such downward movement of the leading mat, the lower ends of the end flaps 115 and the portion of the upper flaps adjacent to their respective slots 106 are pulled into the discharge path 69 and against the face 36 of the guide plate 35 by traversement of the upper edges of the slots downwardly around the camming surfaces 64 of the tracks 57. Accordingly, the slots 106 are thereby opened sufficiently to permit such downward sliding movement with the slots remaining open until the lower flaps 114 and the upper ends of the end flaps 115 move downwardly past the lips 62. As soon as the lips are cleared, the flaps are permitted resiliently to spring into the discharge path with the flaps returned to their coplanar relation with the mat for continued downward movement under continued urging of the sticker finger 90 for entry into the drive assembly 70.

Upon engagement of the lower edge 102 of the mat 12 with the idler roller 77, the intermediate portion of the mat is drawn inwardly between the resilient peripheries of the idler roller and the drive roller 80 which propel the mat further downwardly completely to remove it from the discharge passage 69. Upon such complete removal, the next mat within the feeding magazine is permitted gravitationally to slide downwardly along the ramps 40 against the stop lips 62 of the tracks 57 in position to be picked off and discharged from the magazine by the return stroke of the sticker finger 90. If desired, a follower, not shown, may be provided to urge the mats downwardly but in actual practice, no such follower is needed. Accordingly, it is only possible to remove one mat at a time from the magazine with succeeding mats being dependably held on the ramps 40 and automatically positioned for successive engagement by the mat-propelling mechanism.

In view of the foregoing, it is readily apparent that the structure of the present invention provides an improved mat feeding magazine which is adapted to store a relatively large number of substantially flat mats for automatic successive discharge of the mats one at a time from the magazine. The mat restraining lips of the magazine ramps dependable preclude inadvertent or multiple discharge of mats from the magazine without any moving parts or complicated latching devices as provided by the prior art.

Although the invention has been herein shown and described in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A mat-feeding magazine for use with driven means to propel said mats along a predetermined path, comprising inclined ramp means adapted to hold a plurality of substantially flat mats in substantially vertical position thereon having an upper mat loading end and an opposite lower mat discharge end adjacent to said path, mat restraining means at said discharge end of the ramp means permitting only one mat at a time to be removed from the magazine by said driven means, said mats individually providing a slot therethrough having opposite predetermined upper and lower edges with the upper edge slidably supportably engaging said ramp means and with said slot separating the mat into movable flap portions so that the flap portion adjacent to said lower edge of the slot engages said mat restraining means to preclude inadvertent or multiple feeding of said mats from the magazine.

2. The mat-feeding magazine of claim 1 wherein the flap portions of said mat adjacent to said opposite edges of the slot are substantially aligned when supported on said ramp means with said flap portions being movable out of such alignment in sliding relation past said restraining means upon engagement cf the mat by said reciprocal means for movement along said path.

3. A magazine for resiliently flexible substantially flat panels having substantially parallel opposite side edges providing slots inwardly extended therefrom comprising means providing a face against which such panels are to be flatly engaged and along which they are to be moved; a pair of ramps extended in a direction away from the face adapted to support the panels thereon in substantially parallel relation to the face by receipt in corresponding slots of the panels and the ramps terminating in adjacent spaced relation to the face to define a passage therebetween, said panels being urged toward the face; a lip extended from each ramp along said passage constituting a temporary stop for the panels, the panel adjacent to the face being retained on the ramps by its resilient resistance to displacement of portions thereof on opposite sides of its slot from coplanar relation; and means engageable with successive panels adjacent to the face to overcome such resistance and to displace the portion of the panel not being retained by the lip for movement through the passage and the portion engaged with the lip off of the lip.

4. A magazine for resiliently flexible substantially flat panels having substantially parallel opposite side edges providing slots in substantially right-angular relation thereto comprising means providing an upright face against which such panels are adapted to be successively engaged and indexed downwardly therealong; a pair of substantially parallel ramps spaced for receipt of the panels therebetween in substantially parallel relation to said face, each ramp providing a track downwardly sloped toward the face adapted to be received in corresponding slots of the panels for support of the panels thereon, each track terminating in a lip continuous therewith downwardly extended therefrom in adjacent spaced relation to the face and defining a panel passage therebetween, the lip constituting a temporary stop disposed for engagement with the portions of the panels disposed below the slots, and the track having an upwardly disposed camming surface leading to the passage; and powered means for successively urging the panels downwardly along the face whereby the portions of the panels above the tracks are drawn into and downwardly through the passage and the portions of the panels disposed below the tracks in lip engagement are moved downwardly off of the lips.

5. The magazine of claim 4 in which said slots of the panels individually separate them into edgewardly disposed right-angularly related pairs of flaps which are disposed in substantially coplanar relation when supported on said ramps with one of said pairs of flaps rested upon said tracks and the other of said pairs of flaps engaging said lips, and said pairs of said flaps being temporarily misalignable to permit downward traversement of said one of said pairs of flaps around said camming surfaces of the tracks and into said passage and downward movement of said other pair of said flaps off of said lips into the passage upon engagement of said panels by said powered means.

6. A magazine for resiliently flexible substantially flat panels having substantially parallel opposite side edges providing slots inwardly extended therefrom separating their respective side edges into flaps normally disposed in a common plane but being flexible therefrom comprising a pair of substantially parallel inclined tracks having corresponding upper and lower ends adapted to hold a plurality of the panels in substantially vertical position thereon with the slots receiving the tracks and flaps rested on the tracks for slidable movement therealong from the upper ends to the lower ends, each of the tracks having a lip downwardly extended from the lower end thereof constituting a stop for panels engaged thereagainst when the flaps thereof are disposed in a common plane but being releasable from the tracks by flexing the flaps rested on the tracks outwardly over the lips.

7. The magazine of claim 6 in which the lips are continuous with their respective tracks and a camming surface is provided therebetween to flex the flaps rested on the tracks outwardly over the lips when the panel thereof is urged downwardly.

8. The magazine of claim 6 for panels of predetermined thickness including means providing a flat face disposed in substantially parallel relation to the lips and spaced therefrom a distance substantially equal to but greater than the thickness of the panels to preclude release of more than one panel at a time.

9. The magazine of claim 7 including means successively engageable with panels engaged against the lips to urge them downwardly and thus to flex the flaps outwardly over the lips.

10. The magazine of claim 6 in which the lips are continuous with their respective tracks and a camming surface is provided therebetween to flex the flaps rested on the tracks outwardly over the lips when the panel thereof is urged downwardly, including means providing a flat face disposed in substantially parallel relation to the lips and spaced therefrom a distance substantially equal to but greater than the thickness of the panels to preclude release of more than one panel at a time, means successively engageable with panels engaged against the lips to urge them downwardly and thus to fix the flaps outwardly over the lips.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No- 3,618,792 Dated November 9 1971 Inventor(s) Gerald C. Paxton It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

The number of Drawing Figs. on the cover sheet should be changed from "2" to ---6---.

Column 3, line 57, "provide' should be changed to --provides---.

Column 5, line 24, "dependable" should be changed to ---dependably---.

Column 6 line 73, "fix" should be changed to -flex---.

Signed and sealed this 13th day of June 1972.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents RM PC2-1050 (IO-69) USCOMM-DC scan-P69 9 U 5. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE IQGQ n nnnnn \l

Claims

1. A mat-feeding magazine for use with driven means to propel said mats along a predetermined path, comprising inclined ramp means adapted to hold a plurality of substantially flat mats in substantially vertical position thereon having an upper mat loading end and an opposite lower mat discharge end adjacent to said path, mat restraining means at said discharge end of the ramp means permitting only one mat at a time to be removed from the magazine by said driven means, said mats individually providing a slot therethrough having opposite predetermined upper and lower edges with the upper edge slidably supportably engaging said ramp means and with said slot separating the mat into movable flap portions so that the flap portion adjacent to said lower edge of the slot engages said mat rEstraining means to preclude inadvertent or multiple feeding of said mats from the magazine.

2. The mat-feeding magazine of claim 1 wherein the flap portions of said mat adjacent to said opposite edges of the slot are substantially aligned when supported on said ramp means with said flap portions being movable out of such alignment in sliding relation past said restraining means upon engagement of the mat by said reciprocal means for movement along said path.