U.S. patent number 3,650,369 [Application Number 04/740,517] was granted by the patent office on 1972-03-21 for closure feeding and orienting apparatus.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Pneumatic Scale Corporation. Invention is credited to Robert W. Vergobbi.
United States Patent |
3,650,369 |
Vergobbi |
March 21, 1972 |
CLOSURE FEEDING AND ORIENTING APPARATUS
Abstract
Comprises a feeding device for initially aligning randomly
arranged closures edge to edge in a row facing in either one
direction or the other, and an orienting device for thereafter
arranging all of the closures thus aligned to face in the same
direction.
Inventors: |
Vergobbi; Robert W. (Braintree,
MA) |
Assignee: |
Pneumatic Scale Corporation
(Quincy, MA)
|
Family
ID: |
24976836 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/740,517 |
Filed: |
June 27, 1968 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
406/31; 198/493;
406/52; 198/400; 198/624; 406/94 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65G
47/24 (20130101); B67B 3/0645 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65G
47/24 (20060101); B67B 3/00 (20060101); B67B
3/064 (20060101); B65g 047/24 (); B65g
053/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;198/33R,33,26
;221/10,158 ;133/8 ;302/2 ;250/223 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Sroka; Edward A.
Claims
Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:
1. In a closure handling and orienting machine, in combination, a
closure aligning means comprising a rotary disk in cooperation with
a stationary rail adapted to align the closures edge to edge with
their open ends facing in one or the other direction to provide a
supply thereof, a guide chute for receiving said aligned closures,
a pair of spaced rotary members between which successive closures
are passed arranged to effect diversion of the closures in one or
the other direction to present the closures with their open ends
up, separate paths comprising opposed semicircular portions for
receiving said diverted closures and arranged to invert the same,
said paths having a common discharge area to which the closures are
presented in an oriented position with their open ends facing down,
means for controlling the feed to said rotary members to avoid
interference of successive closures one with the other, an upwardly
inclined guideway extending from said discharge area, air jets
disposed to rapidly advance successive closures from said discharge
area into said guideway, air jets arranged to advance the closures
up the inclined guideway, a semicircular guideway connected at one
end to the upper end of the inclined guideway, and a delivery
conveyor connected to the other end of said semicircular guideway
and from which successive closures are withdrawn, the rate of
supply of closures being greater than the rate of withdrawal, and
control means for periodically discontinuing the supply to effect
conformance of the supply with the guideway, and a delivery
conveyor connected to the other end of said semicircular guideway
and from which successive closures are withdrawn, the rate of
supply of closures being greater than the rate of withdrawal; and
control means for periodically discontinuing the supply to effect
conformance of the supply with the rate of withdrawal.
2. In a closure handling and orienting machine, in combination,
closure feeding means including means for aligning and guiding
hollow closures on edge and with their open ends facing either
right or left, a star wheel having radial arms forming spaced
pockets for controlling the advance of the closures, means for
diverting said closures to the right or left as determined by said
facing direction to present the closures with their open ends
facing up, separate paths for said diverted closures shaped to
invert the same, said paths having a common discharge area
presenting the closures with their open ends facing down, a
conveyor associated with said discharge area and along which
successive oriented closures are advanced, and a delivery chute
associated with said conveyor and from which successive closures
are withdrawn, said conveyor and said delivery chute forming a line
of closures comprising a reservoir and providing a clearance space
between the trailing end of said line and said common discharge
area, means for rapidly advancing successive closures from said
discharge area to join the trailing end of said line, and control
means including means for detecting a surplus of closures in said
reservoir adjacent said discharge area as indicated by extension of
the trailing end of the line into said clearance space, and means
responsive to said detecting means and engageable with said wheel
for stopping the same and discontinuing the feed of closures to
said diverting means.
3. A machine as defined in claim 2 wherein the rapid advancing
means comprises air jets.
4. A machine as defined in claim 2 wherein the rapid advancing
means comprises air jets adjacent said discharge area, and wherein
said conveyor comprises a guideway extended upwardly at an angle,
said upwardly extended guideway having a plurality of air jets
cooperating therewith for advancing the closures up the conveyor
and into said delivery chute.
5. A machine as defined in claim 2 which includes means for driving
the machine, and wherein a surplus of closures in said reservoir is
indicated by extension of the trailing end of the line into said
clearance space, said feed being again started upon withdrawal of
closures from said delivery chute and advance of the trailing end
of the line out of said clearance space.
6. A machine as defined in claim 5 wherein the control means
further includes means also responsive to said detecting means for
discontinuing the driving means a predetermined time after
detection of said surplus.
7. A machine as defined in claim 6 wherein the detecting means
comprises an electrical circuit having a photoelectric unit for
detecting the presence of closures in said clearance space, a
normally closed solenoid valve in said electric circuit adapted to
be opened upon detection of said surplus, and an air circuit
controlled by said solenoid, said air circuit having an air
cylinder actuated upon opening of said valve and arranged to
discontinue the feed of closures.
8. A machine as defined in claim 7 wherein the driving means
includes a normally disengaged clutch, and wherein the means for
discontinuing the driving means includes a second air cylinder in
said air circuit for cooperation with said clutch.
9. A machine as defined in claim 8 wherein the air circuit includes
a normally open pilot valve and a flow control unit between the
pilot valve and said second air cylinder, said pilot valve being
closed upon opening of said solenoid valve to permit bleeding of
air from the second air cylinder through said flow control valve
whereby to effect disengagement of said clutch at a predetermined
time after said solenoid valve is opened.
Description
This invention relates to closure feeding and orienting
apparatus.
The invention has for an object to provide novel and improved
closure feeding and orienting apparatus capable of orienting and
delivering closures at a rate such as to maintain a maximum supply
of oriented closures in the delivery chute of a closure applying
machine at all times.
The invention has for another object to provide novel and improved
closure feeding and orienting apparatus of the character specified
which comprises an improvement in the closure handling machine
illustrated and described in the U.S. Pat. No. 2,715,978 assigned
to the same assignee as the present application.
The invention has for a further object to provide novel and
improved apparatus of the character specified embodying novel
control means for maintaining a full supply of closures in the
delivery chute including means for preventing overfeeding and
possible jamming of the closures.
With these general objects in view and such others as may
hereinafter appear, the invention consists in the closure feeding
and orienting apparatus and in the various structures, arrangements
and combinations of parts hereinafter described and particularly
defined in the claims at the end of this specification.
In the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the
invention:
FIG. 1 is a plan view outline of a closure feeding and orienting
device embodying the present invention:
FIG. 2 is a view in side elevation of the auxiliary orienting
apparatus shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a front elevation of the orienting mechanism shown in
FIG. 2; elevation of the orienting mechanism shown in FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a plan view of the orienting mechanism shown in FIG.
2;
FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 5--5 of FIG.
3;
FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 6--6 of FIG.
3;
FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view of the discharge end of the
orienting device and the adjacent portion of a conveyer;
FIG. 8 is a plan view of the upper end of the conveyor and includes
the closure delivery chute;
FIG. 9 is a view in side elevation of the delivery chute shown in
FIG. 8;
FIG. 10 is a diagrammatic view of an electric circuit and an
associated air circuit illustrating the control means embodied in
the present machine; and
FIG. 11 is a view in side elevation of the upper end of the
conveyer.
In general, the present invention contemplates an improvement in
the closure handling machine shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,715,978,
issued Aug. 23, 1955, to Walter S. Sterling and assigned to the
same assignee as the present application. Such prior machine is
adapted for use with a closure applying machine wherein it is
desired to deliver the closures, such as screw caps, in a line and
oriented to face in the same direction. In operation, closures are
withdrawn at random from a bulk supply thereof and are guided
between supporting and advancing elements comprising the orienting
mechanism arranged to maintain the closures in a position of
equilibrium when they are presented therebetween in a predetermined
position and arranged to reject the closures when they are
presented between the supporting and advancing elements in other
than the desired predetermined position. The balanced and oriented
closures are advanced and delivered into the upper end of a feed
chute from which they may be withdrawn and transferred into
operative position to be received by successive capping heads of a
bottle capping machine. In practice, the closures are arranged to
be oriented in a natural or inherent position of equilibrium which
may vary with different shapes and sizes of closures. Only those
closures which assume and maintain such position are advanced into
the delivery chute. All other closures in different positions are
overbalanced and rejected to be returned to the main supply and
again presented to the orienting mechanism, feed of oriented
closures is sufficient to meet the normal demand of the closure
applying machine.
In the operation of the machine disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.
2,715,978 the average rate of orientation of the randomly arranged
closures withdrawn from the bulk supply is about 65 to 70 percent
of the total number of closures arranged to pass through the
orienting mechanism, leaving about 30 to 35 percent which are
rejected and returned to the supply to be again passed through the
machine. Thus, in practice, the rate of advance of the closures
through the machine must be such that 65 to 70 percent of the total
is sufficient to satisfy the demand of the closure applying
machine. For example, assuming that the machine is run at a speed
such as to advance about 400 closures a minute, which is about the
maximum at which they may be advanced and still maintain control of
the movements of the closures, then since on the average only 65 to
70 percent of this total are oriented, the number of oriented
closures delivered to the closure applying machine would be from
260 to 280 a minute. This rate of feed of oriented closures is
sufficient to meet the normal demand of the closure applying
machine.
In accordance with the present invention provision is made for
supplying a demand for an increased number of oriented closures, in
the neighborhood of 360 closures a minute, without increasing the
advance of the randomly arranged closures beyond the normal rate of
400 a minute. This is accomplished by modifying the closure
handling machine so as to prevent or eliminate rejection of any of
the closures being advanced at 400 a minute, the closures being
arranged edge to edge with the open ends facing in either one
direction or the other. The closures thus arranged are then guided
into an auxiliary orienting device adapted to orient successive
closures and deliver the same closed end up onto a conveyor for
delivery to the upper end of a chute from which the closures are
withdrawn by the closure applying machine.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the aligned and
oriented closures are advanced at a rate of about 400 closures a
minute in order to assure a constant supply at 360 a minute, and
provision is made for controlling the advance to prevent
overfeeding and jamming of the closures while maintaining a
sufficient supply in the delivery chute to assure withdrawal of 360
closures a minute. The control mechanism herein shown comprises in
general: means for rapidly advancing successive oriented closures
from the discharge area of the orienting mechanism; means for
detecting a buildup of closures adjacent said discharge area; means
responsive to the detecting means for discontinuing the advance of
closures into the orienting mechanism; and means including a time
delay for thereafter discontinuing the operation of the closure
handling machine in the event that normal operation is not resumed
within a predetermined period of time.
Referring now to the drawings and particularly to FIG. 1, in
general 10 represents the closure handling machine modified to
arrange and advance the randomly arranged closures 12 edge to edge
with their open ends facing in either one direction or the other.
The closures thus arranged are guided through a chute 14 to
auxiliary orienting mechanism indicated generally at 16 and which
is adapted to receive successive closures facing in either
direction and to discharge all of the closures facing in the same
direction. The oriented closures are then advanced upwardly on a
conveyor 18 and guided into the upper end of a delivery chute 20
from which successive closures are withdrawn by the transfer arm 21
of the closure applying machine indicated generally at 22.
The closure handling machine 10 may comprise a machine of the type
illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,715,978 wherein a bulk
supply of closures 12 stored in a hopper 26 are delivered to a
rotary inclined carrier 28, the closures being carried upwardly and
guided into engagement with the beveled marginal edge of a rotary
orienting disk 30. As the closures are advanced along the edge of
the orienting disk 30, they leave the carrier 28 and are supported
between the beveled edge and a cooperating stationary closure
supporting rail 32. In the operation of the machine shown in the
patent, those closures assuming a desired predetermined position
between the orienting disk 30 and the rail 32 are capable of
maintaining their stability and are advanced into the upper end of
a feed chute and those closures assuming a position other than the
desired position are incapable of maintaining their stability
between the disk and the rail and are permitted to fall back onto
the carrier 28 to be again advanced into engagement with the
beveled disk 30.
In accordance with one feature of the present invention, the
relationship between the orienting disk 30 and the supporting rail
32 is changed so that all of the closures guided between the disk
and the rail assume a uniform position regardless of the direction
of the open end and as a result none of the closures are rejected.
The closures thus aligned with their open ends facing either way
are guided into an upright or an edge position, as shown, and are
caused to enter the chute 14 leading to the orienting mechanism
16.
It will be understood that the disk 30 and rail 32 could be
adjusted so as to accept only those closures facing in one
direction. However, it is an object of the present invention to
eliminate rejections so as to maintain a maximum rate of feed of
about 400 closures a minute in order to satisfy the demand of the
closure applying machine.
The auxiliary orienting mechanism 16 herein illustrated has an
entrance portion 34 in communication with opposing arcuate tracks
36, 38 and a discharge portion 40 from which successive closures
are transferred to the conveyor 18. A pair of spaced driven rotary
members 42, 44 disposed above the entrance portions 34 have their
peripheries extended into opposite sides of the chute 14 for
cooperation with successive closures. In operation, when a closure
having its open end facing toward the right, as shown in FIG. 3, is
engaged between the opposing rotary members, the left hand member
42 engaging the closed end urges the closure to the right since the
open end is able to straddle a portion of the periphery of the
member 44. As a result, the leading end of the closure is directed
toward the right hand track 38, the closed end engaging one side 46
of the wedge shaped track dividing web 48. The closure travels by
gravity between the inner and outer faces 50, 52, respectively, of
the groove track 38, first passing through a concave portion 54 and
then a convex portion 56 which serves to dispose the closed end of
the closure up, in which position it is discharged through the
portion 40.
On the other hand, a closure having its open end facing to the left
is capable of straddling a portion of the periphery of the rotary
member 42 as urged by the member 44 engaging the closed end of the
closure. As a result, the closure enters the left hand groove track
36 defined by the inner and outer faces 58, 60, respectively.
Likewise, the closure first passes by gravity through a concave
portion 62 and then through a convex portion 64 which disposes the
closure closed end up as it passes through the discharge portion
40, thus effecting orientation of successive closures.
The chute 14 comprises a bottom rail 61, side rails 63 and a top
rail 65 and is supported by brackets 67 attached to the machine
frame. The receiving end 69 of the chute is curved, as indicated,
to receive the closures being advanced thereto by the beveled disk
30. The lower end 71 of the chute 14 is curved downwardly as
indicated at 73 for communication with the entrance portion 34 of
the orienting mechanism 16. The rails are adjustable to accommodate
closures of different sizes.
The rotary members 42, 44 are continuously rotated through
independent driving means including a motor 66 connected by a belt
and pulley drive 68 to the input shaft of a speed reducing unit 70.
The output shaft is provided with a drive sprocket 72 connected by
a chain 74 which runs over a sprocket 76 fast on a stud 78 which
also carries the rotary member 42, then under a sprocket 80 fast on
a stud 82 which carries the rotary member 44, then over an idler
sprocket 84 and back to the drive sprocket 72. The stud 82 is
journaled in a bearing 86 secured to a supporting plate 88. The
stud 78 is journaled in a slide bearing 90 mounted for lateral
movement in a grooved guide member 92 which is secured to the plate
88. A spring 94 interposed between the slide bearing 90 and wall at
one end of the guide member 92 urges the slide bearing to the right
against a stop 96 at the other end of the guide member. The spring
94 permits yielding of the slide bearing 90 to the left to prevent
damage to the parts in the event that an article greater in
thickness than the normal spacing between the members 42, 44 is
inserted therebetween. It will be understood that the chain 74 may
be of a length such as to permit lateral movement of the sprocket
76 when required.
As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, provision is made for controlling
the advance of the closures to present only one closure at a time
between the orienting members 42, 44 whereby to prevent
interference with a closure passing between the members by a
succeeding contiguous closure. As herein shown, a star wheel 98
having a plurality of radial arms 100 forming pockets 102
therebetween is rotatably mounted with the arms 100 extended
through the front of the chute 14 into the path of the closures
confined in the chute 14. The star wheel 98 is provided with a ball
bearing 99 mounted to rotate on a stud 104 carried by a bar 106
attached to a frame member 108. The stud 104 is adjustably mounted
in the bar 106 to enable movement of the star wheel into
cooperative relation to the closures in the chute. In operation,
successive closures engage successive radial arms 100 and become
seated in successive pockets 102, the weight of the line of
closures effecting rotation of the star wheel. The closures are
thus separated to prevent interference one with the other as they
pass between the rotary members 42, 44 of the orienting
mechanism.
In order to control the rotation of the star wheel 98 and to
prevent inadvertent rotation of the same, the latter is
frictionally engaged on one side by a spring pressed washer 110,
the spring 114 being interposed between a collar 116 and the washer
110. Thus, in operation, the star wheel is operated under the
influence of the weight of the closures only, the pressure exerted
by the spring 114 being adjustable by movement of the collar 116 as
indicated. With this construction it will be seen that successive
closures in the line are caused to pass between the rotary members
individually so as to prevent interference of successive closures
one with the other.
The oriented closures 12 discharged into the area 40 with their
closed ends up are deposited at the lower end of the conveyor 18.
It will be apparent that the closures arriving at the discharge
area 40 at the rate of 400 a minute must be quickly removed
therefrom to avoid piling up and jamming of the closures. For this
purpose an air block 118 attached to the plate 88 adjacent the
discharge area 40 is provided with a pair of air jets 119, 121
aligned with openings in the plate arranged to continuously project
streams of air in a direction to advance the oriented closures
along the upwardly inclined conveyor 18 into contiguous engagement
with preceding closures in the line. The air jets 119, 121 in the
block 118 are provided with a connecting passageway 117 which is
connected by tubing 120 to a regulated source of compressed
air.
As herein illustrated, the upwardly inclined conveyor 18 comprises
a pair of bottom rails 122, 124, a pair of side rails 126, 128
mounted for lateral adjustment to accommodate different sizes of
closures, and a pair of top rails 130, 132 mounted for vertical
adjustment. The lower end of the conveyor is supported in a bracket
134 which is pivotally mounted on studs 136 carried by spaced
brackets 138 attached to the supporting plate 88. The upper end of
the conveyor, which cooperates with a semicircular portion 140 of
the conveyor, is supported by an angularly adjustable bracket 142
pivotally carried by a stud 144. The stud is mounted in a bracket
146 depending from a bottom plate 148 supported by a bracket 150
mounted on an upright 152. In practice, the angle of the conveyor
18 is required to be changed when the height of the closure
applying machine 22 is adjusted to accommodate containers of
different heights.
From the description thus far it will be seen that successive
oriented closures discharged from the orienting mechanism 16 into
the discharge area 40 are quickly advanced along the conveyor 18 by
air streams emitted continuously from the jets 119, 121. As herein
shown, provision is made for continuing the advance of the closures
up the conveyor 18 and around the semicircular portion 140 by
streams of compressed air. The closures then flow by gravity down
delivery chute 20 from which successive closures are withdrawn. The
air streams are emitted from spaced jets 154 connected to an
elongated air pipe 156 extending along the underside of the
conveyor. The air pipe or manifold 156 is connected to a source of
compressed air by a pipe 158. The discharge ends of the air jets
are disposed immediately below and at a slight upward incline with
respect to the path of travel of the closures and eject continuous
streams of air against the closures to move the same through the
conveyor 18, around the semicircular portion 140 and into the
delivery chute.
As herein shown, the semicircular portion 140 of the conveyor is
similar in cross section to the upwardly inclined portion 18 and is
also provided with air jets 154 connected to a semicircular pipe
160 which in turn is connected to a source of compressed air. In
side elevation the entrance to the semicircular portion 140 is
curved downwardly for communication with the upper end of the
inclined portion 18, the structure being such as to permit angular
adjustment of the inclined portion while maintaining a coextensive
relationship between the inclined and semicircular portions of the
conveyor. The exit end of the semicircular portion is also curved
downwardly for communication with the upper end of the delivery
chute 20. The closures flow through the chute by gravity and the
endmost closure in the chute is resiliently retained therein until
withdrawn by a transfer arm 21 forming a part of the closure
applying machine.
In operation, the closures 12 discharged from the orienting
mechanism 16 are rapidly and gently advanced by air streams along
smooth metal guide rails with a minimum of friction. One advantage
of this structure as compared to a driven belt conveyor is that
when the closures are restrained from being advanced on a belt
conveyor the continuously driven belt sliding along the underside
of the restrained closures build up frictional line pressure which
is transferred to the closures in the delivery chute, and as a
result thereof, the endmost closures may be forced out of the
delivery chute 20. It will be apparent that the gentle handling
provided by the air streams will not cause a buildup of pressure in
the line when the closures are prevented from being advanced and
will provide better control of the closures.
In accordance with another feature of the present invention novel
control means is provided for discontinuing the feed of closures 12
into the orienting mechanism 16 when the supply of the closures
exceeds the demand and for again starting the feed of closures into
the orienting mechanism when a demand for closures is again
indicated. Provision is also made for discontinuing the operation
of the closure handling machine in the event that an oversupply of
closures is detected beyond a predetermined time interval after the
feed of closures into the orienting mechanism is discontinued, such
indication occurring, for example, when the closure applying
machine is stopped and withdrawal of closures is discontinued.
In operation the closures are discharged from the orienting
mechanism at a rate of about 400 a minute and the closures are
withdrawn from the delivery chute at a rate of about 360 a minute.
The closures in the conveyor 18, semicircular portion 140 and in
the delivery chute 20 form a reservoir which is constantly being
depleted by withdrawals from the delivery chute and is being added
to by the feed of closures from the orienting mechanism.
As herein shown, see FIGS. 4 and 10, a clearance space 162 is
provided between the discharge area 40 and the endmost closure in
the reservoir so as to permit immediate advance of the closures out
of the discharge area 40 and so as to prevent jamming of the
closures one upon another. The clearance space may comprise a
length equal to about six closures, for example. At the start of a
run, individual closures are advanced up the conveyor, through the
portion 140 and into the delivery chute. In operation, since the
closures are being fed faster than they are being withdrawn, the
line of closures will gradually be extended to form a reservoir and
eventually the endmost trailing closure will occupy a portion of
the clearance space 162.
Provision is made for detecting the entrance of a closure into said
clearance space 162 and, as herein shown, see FIG. 4, an electric
eye 164 on one side of the conveyor cooperates with a light source
166 on the other side of the conveyor. The electric eye forms part
of a circuit 167, see FIG. 10, which includes a photoelectric relay
168 arranged to close normally open contacts 169 and further
includes a normally closed solenoid valve 170 forming a part of a
compressed air circuit 172. The air circuit is provided with an air
cylinder 174 having a piston stem 176 disposed adjacent the star
wheel 98, said stem being movable into and out of the path of
rotation of the radial arms 100.
In operation when the electric eye 164 detects a closure in the
clearance space 162, the circuit 167 is actuated to open a solenoid
valve 170 which effects extension of the stem 176 into the path of
rotation of an arm 100 of the star wheel 98. The feed of closures
into the orienting mechanism is thus discontinued until such time
as subsequent withdrawals from the delivery chute permit advance of
the closures beyond the clearance space 162. It will be understood
that in practice, when a closure is rapidly advanced from the
discharge area 40 past the electric eye 164 and into engagement
with the trailing end of the line, the relatively short time of
passage of the closure through the light ray is not sufficient to
trigger the photoelectric relay. However, when the trailing end of
the line extends into the clearance space, the light is cut off for
a length with the adjacent face of the drive pulley 188. The hub
194 of the friction disk 195 is provided with a plurality of
springs 196 which bear against one end of the bushing 193 to move
the bushing and the pulley mounted thereon away from engagement
with the friction disk to thus render the clutch normally
disengaged. The drive pulley 188 is connected by a belt 190 to a
motor 192. The clutch 184 is arranged to be engaged by operation of
an air cylinder 186 having a plunger 200 arranged to engage a
thrust bearing 198 carried by the bushing 193 to move the bushing
and its drive pulley into driving engagement with the friction disk
195.
As illustrated in FIG. 10, the air circuit 172 includes a main line
173 to the solenoid valve 170; a line 175 from the solenoid valve
170 to the air cylinder 174; a line 177 from the solenoid valve 170
to a normally open pilot valve 179; a line 181 from the main line
173 to the pilot valve; a line 183 from the pilot valve to a
variable flow control unit 185; and a line 187 from the flow
control unit to the air cylinder 186. During the operation of the
machine, air is closures through line 181, through the open pilot
valve 179, line 183, flow control valve 185 and line 187 to the air
cylinder 186. Air may flow freely through the control valve 185 in
a direction toward the air cylinder 186 whereby to extend the stem
100 to effect and maintain engagement of the clutch 184. However,
upon opening of the solenoid valve 170, the normally open pilot
valve 179 will be closed and the air pressure to the cylinder 186
will be cut off. The pressure in the air cylinder is then permitted
to bleed slowly through the unit 185 at a controlled rate, as
adjusted by the handle 189, until a point is reached where the
reduction in pressure will permit the stem 200 to be retracted to
permit disengagement of the clutch 184. Subsequently, when the
closure applying machine is again started to permit advance of the
trailing of time sufficient to trigger the relay and to actuate the
solenoid valve 170 to discontinue the feed of closures. It will
thus be seen that during the continuous operation of the machine
the feed of the closures being advanced to the delivery chute 20 is
stopped momentarily until the closures subsequently withdrawn from
the chute permit the trailing end of the line in the conveyor 18 to
advance out of the clearance space 162 whereupon the solenoid valve
170 is again closed to permit retraction of the stem 176 to free
the star wheel 98 and again start feeding of closures into the
conveyor 18. The provision for thus starting and stopping the feed
of closures in response to the demand therefor assures that the
delivery chute 20 will have a full supply of closures at all
times.
It will be understood that during such momentary holding back of
closures from advancing into the orienting mechanism, any surplus
closures at the trailing end of the line from the handling machine
will be returned to the carrier 28. On the other hand, in the event
that the closure applying machine is stopped so that withdrawal of
closures from the delivery chute 20 is discontinued, the star wheel
98 will be stopped, as above described, and after a suitable time
delay the closure handling machine 10 will be stopped.
As herein shown, see FIG. 2, the drive to the rotary carrier 28 os
the closure handling machine 10 includes a gear box 178 containing
a worm gear drive, the worm shaft 180 having a normally disengaged
clutch unit 184 mounted thereon. The driving member of the clutch
comprises a pulley 188 which is free to rotate on a bushing 193.
The bushing is keyed to rotate with the shaft 180 but free to move
laterally thereon. The driven member of the clutch comprises the
friction disk 195 keyed to the shaft 180 and provided with a facing
of friction material for cooperation end of the line of closures
out of the clearance space, the closure handling machine 10 will
again be started and the star wheel 98 will be released to continue
the feed of closures.
In operation, the flow control unit 185 serves as a time delay
which permits retraction of the stem 200 and disengagement of the
clutch 184 at a predetermined time after the solenoid valve is
opened. It will be understood that during continuous operation of
the machine the extension of the trailing end of the line into the
clearance space is generally of short duration since closures will
continue to be withdrawn from the delivery chute 20 while the star
wheel 98 is temporarily stopped so that the latter will be released
to continue the feed of closures into the orienting mechanism 16
and then into the conveyor 18 before sufficient time has elapsed to
discontinue operation of the handling machine.
Referring again to FIG. 2, it will be seen that during the
operation of the machine the guide chute 14 is continuously
supplied with closures 12 in edge to edge engagement at a potential
rate of upwards of 400 closures a minute. In practice the closures
move down the chute by gravity and the weight of the closures
effects rotation of the frictionally mounted star wheel 98 to
release the closure as fast as they are presented thereto. The
rotary orienting members 42, 44 are driven at a rate such that they
also advance the clsoures at a potential rate of upwards of 400 a
minute.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the closures 12 being advanced at
approximately 400 a minute must of necessity pass through the
divergent paths of the auxiliary orienting mechanism 16 by gravity
at a relatively fast rate, and while the star wheel 98 assures
passage of only one closure at a time through the rotary aligning
elements 42, 44, more than one closure at a time may be passing
through the curved tracks 36, 38. As illustrated in FIG. 3, each
track 36, 38 has a closure moving therethrough but which are
sufficiently spaced so that they will not reach the discharge area
at the same time. Likewise there may be two spaced closures in one
track sufficiently spaced so as not to interfere one with the other
at the discharge area. In practice the continuous streams of air
from the jets 119, 121 which are arranged to advance the closures
discharged into the area 40 are operative to start forward movement
of a closure even before it lands on the bottom rails 122, 124 of
the conveyor 18 whereby to further assure non-interference one with
the other of successive closures.
The closures are then advanced by the air jets 154 through the
clearance space 162 to join the trailing end of the line in the
conveyor 18. The closures being continuously withdrawn from the
delivery chute 20 at the other end of the line at a rate of about
360 closures a minute permits advance of the trailing end of the
line to accept the new closures being advanced at the rate of 400 a
minute. As shown in FIG. 4, in operation more than one closure may
be in movement in the clearance space 162 because of the speed at
which the closures are being advanced. While rapid passage of
successive spaced closures past the detecting mechanism will not
actuate the electric eye 164, eventually the trailing end of the
line will extend into the clearance space 162 to cut off the light
source for a sufficient length of time to discontinue the feed
because of the difference in the withdrawal rate and the supply
rate, the feed being again started when the space 162 is again
clear of closures.
From the above description it will be seen that the present
improvement in closure handling machine enables a greater number of
oriented closures to be delivered to the closure applying machine
per unit of time than the number delivered by the prior closure
handling machine without increasing the normal speed of such
machine. It will also be seen that the present machine provides a
line of oriented closures being advanced to the delivery chute
without effecting any adverse line pressure tending to force the
closures out of the chute.
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