Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
B~CKGROUND OF THE INVEN'rION
The present invention relates generally to apparatus for
producing uniform gaps between mass-produced individual articles
conveyed in a line on a conveyor belt or the like to at least
one further processing station. It relates particularly, but
not exclusively, to separating means o such apparatus which
are adjustable parallel to the direction of movement of the
articles of the line on the conveyor belt and which engage
the articles.
In the manufacture and processing of mass-produced ar-
ticles in the consumer goods industry, there is generally
used a plurality of processing systems and/or machines in
series. The individual articles, such as glasses, bottles,
cans, boxes, etc., move from one processing station to the
next on conveyor belts. On such conveyor belts, the articles
are generally already separated and stand one behind the
other, but their spacing is extremely non-uniform. This
non-uniform spacing is prejudicial to the requirement that
the articles be supplied synchronously to the further
processing station, that is to say with an identical spacing,
because production sequences or treatment processes in the
individual machines are usually accomplished during uniform
time cycles which translate into uniform cyclic spacing
distances along the moving line. Therefore, the articles
must be supplied individually in accordance with the required
cyclic spacing, whichjof course, must be greater than the
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article diameter along the line. The transfer to and from the
conveyor belts or machine mechanisms causes serious problems
arising from different article shapes and different processing
speeds, which problems make the complete production sequence more
fault-prone.
In order to at least partly control these problems, it is
common to use an apparatus of hhe above-described type with,as
an essential component, a so-called feed screw. The articles
are taken up by this feed screw, are separated by the increasing "
spacing course, and then transferred at uniform time intervalls
to the production machine. In spite of the fact that this system
is used in almost all production processes, it cannot be con-
sidered ideal.
As the screw takes up the article and transports it, the
point of engagement of the article must be very precisely de-
termined, particularly with tall and small diameter articles,
so that the article is not overturned. This is particularly
the case at high speeds and when articles arrive singly. The
reason for this is that *ue to the special characteristics of
the screw design~ an article which is supplied in an irregular
manner can be struck in such a way by the beginning thread of
the screw helix that the article is jerked suddenly which in
the case of high, small diameter products generally leads to
wobbling, overturning, and consequent interruption of the
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entire production sequence. In the case of flat, large dia-
meter articles, a screw cannot be used , because the large
screw diameter required for handling the articles exceeds the
article hèlght, so that the screw rotation axis would be located
above the product height. A~ticles with complicated confi~-
urations can often not be gripped at the ideal contact point by
the screw. This can lead to a passing under or knocking down
of the article. Furthermore, when a feed screw is dirty or
worn, the constant abrasion of the articles by it can lead to
scratches or damage to the articles.This applies particularly in the
case of labelled or bright objects. In the case of thin or
elastic articles which are not supplied in a regular manner,
deformation or damage can be caused by the advancing start of
the screw. It is also disadvantageous that at high production
speeds the advancing first thread of the feed screw momentarily
acts as a barrier, so that individually fed-in articles cannot
be picked up, and it is only after the build up of a so-
called backlog or a dynamic pressure that~the articles can be
taken up by the screw. Since, as stated, this problem occurs
particularly at high production speeds, each article strikes
a stationary column of articles at high speed. This is parti-
cularly disadvantageous in glassworks, due to the danger of
breakage. Experience in glassworks has shown that all forms
of impacts, scratches, etc. occurring just after manufacture
reduce the strength of the glasses to a considerable extent.
Finally, it is disadvantageous that different screws have to
be fitted for different diameters and heights of the articles
handled.
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It is also known to separate and to synchronously transfer
individual articles by means of a so-called feed star. However,
even this relatively much-used system has significar,tdis-
advantages. For example, the distribution of small-diameter
articles overlarge distances is not possible. In addition, at
high speed the star ends act as a wall and lead to the over-
turning of individually arriving articles, or even to a
~amming of them between the star and facing guide wall.
It has also been proposed to separate articles by means
of belts moving at a higher speed than the conveyor belt and
which thus move apart the articles. However, this system has
the disadvantage that non-uniform spacings of the fed articles
still remain non-uniform.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an
apparatusfor producing identical spacings between mass produced
articles moved on a conveyor belt which makes it possible to
space a moving line of individual articles of all shapes and
types at hitherto unachieved production speeds either towards
or away from the dirèction of movement of the conveyor belt and
with identical recip~ooal spaclngs as desired for the~working
cycle of a further proces~inq =tat1or.
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In accordance with the present invention, there is
provided apparatus for uniformly spacing from each other articles
in a moving line of such articles for facilitating processing of
the articles at a processin~ station, the apparatus comprising:
a first elongated, endless rail system having a first rail
system section adjacent the article line and running along
generally parallel to the direction of movement of the line, a
plurality o article spacing members guided along the first rail
system, articulated connecting arms interconnecting the article
spacing members, the connecting arms pivoting at each spacing
member and at an intermediate pivot point between the spacing
members, a second elongated endless rail system having a second
section adjacent the first rail system section and non-parallel
to the first rail system section, the first and second rail
systems being adjustable relative to one another in their ..
guidance plane, and including turn-around loop sections at their
respective ends; pivot guide means for guiding the intermediate
pivot points of the articulated connecting arms along the second
rail system section, drive means for driving the article,
spacing members along the first rail system section and engaging
said article spacing members adjacent one turn-around loop`of
the first endless rail system, and wherein said second rail
system comprises a unitary structural element defining an
elongated endless pivot guide means closed by end loops, each
end loop having a center point, the diameterof the pivot guide
means at the region of the end loops of the elongated endless
guide means being different, the center point of one of said
end loops being pivotably connected to said unitary structure,
and fixed with respect to said first rail system, the cenker
point of the other of said end loops being movable and shiftable
with respect to said first rail system to permit selective
positioning of the second rail system with respect to the ~irst
rail system.
As a result of these measures, it is now possible to
vary as desired the spacings between the individual spacing
members, and conse~uently between the articles operated on by
the spacing members between the inlet and the outlet of the
apparatus, as a function of the relative course of the first
and second rail systems located between these two points. This
is naturally a function of the length of the articulated connecting
arms. In addition, an increased spacing between the spacing
members at the inlet can be obtained if the rail system of this
point coincides with the reversal point of the spacing members.
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Such an arrangement leads to a reduction of problems in feeding-
in of the articles.
As a result of these measures, it would be possible, if
desired, to slow down the conveying members to zero speed and then
accelerate them again with practically any desired acceleration
mode.
This permits a simple and rapid changeover of the appar-
atus to virtually all possible articles. To this end, it is
advantageous for the conveying members to carry interchangeable
distributing or driving members.
Tests with such an apparatus have shown that articles,
and in particular bottles, can now be processed at a production `~
rate of about 1,000 items per minute and above with virtually
no back-log, whereas hitherto only 100 items per minute could
be so processed.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention is explained hereinafter with reference to
the attached drawings. "
Fig. 1 is a side view of an apparatus according to a pre-
ferred embodiment of the invention with a conveyor belt.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus of fig. 1 in plan view.
Flg. 3 is a cross-section through the apparatus of figs.l `
and 2.
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Fig. 4 is a partially diagrammatic view of an alternative
embodlment of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The drawings show an apparatus for producing identiaal ~ ``
spacings between bottles 11 conveyed on a conveyor belt 1.
Conveyor belt 1 rests on a conventional frame 2 and can be
driven ln a known and not shown manner. The articles, in this
case bottles 11, which can for example be arriving directly
from a glass bottle mold, are generally individually placed in a
known manner on the conveyor belt 1, which general1y maintains
a constant conveying speed.The bottles 11 follow one another
in a close row or with widely varying spacings and pass over
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a predetermined conveying zone to a further processing
station not shown.
Since it is desired that such further processing stations,
such as measuring, coding, sealing, labelling and similar
stations operate at high speed, the articles, i.e. in this
case bottles, must naturally be supplied at a corresponding speed
and with a corresponding appropriately matched uniform spacing,
i.e. synchronously. This is brought abo~t ~n accordance with
the present invention by the apparatus 5 which is associated
wlth the conveyor belt 1 at a desired location.
The apparatus 5 comprises a machine frame 3 and a plurality
of spacing members 12, each of which serves to instantaneously
engage one bottie 11. Spacing members 12 are supported by means
of guidance means in the form of rollers 13 (fig. 3) on an end-
less rail system lS, whose course can be seen from fig. 2. The
individual spacing members 12 from a trolley with inter~
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changeable spacing heads 16 which are advantageously adapted
to the shape of the articles 11 conveyed, asshown in detail
in fig. 3. The devices 16 co operate with an opposite rail 17
which engages the other side of the bottle ll.
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As can be seen particularly from figs.l and 2, the
trolleys 12 are here moved from left to right in a direction
generally parallel to conveyor belt 1 conveying direction ln
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a track or a rail system 15. The rail system 15 includes two
parallel straight track sections which are interconnected by
curved sections. ~he curved sections are located in the inlet
and/or outlet of the arrangement. Thus, this first rail system
15 is symmetrical.
It is pointed out that the spacing members 12, which in
this case constructed as trolleys,can also be curved slides or
slides guided over blocks, in which case the rail system must
be constructed accordingly.
The attachment of the rail system to the machine frame 3
can also be effected in any practicable manner and requires
no further explana~ion here. It is also clear that it is
desireable to firmly fix the apparatus 5 to the selected
location on the conveyor belt or its rame 2.
The individual trolleys 12 are interconneated by a rotary
articulated member system 20, which can be in -the form of a
hollow belt chain. As can be clearly gathered from the drawin~s,
the articulated members 21 are alternately connected in artic-
ulated manner at point 24 with a trolley 12, and at a point 23
between two adjacent trolleys 12 are connected with ths adjacent
articulatëd member. The joints at point 23, 24 are hereby
formed by means of suitable pivots 18, as shown in ~ig. 3. At
the articulated pivot points 23 between in each case two
adjacent trolleys 12, articulated members 21 are also supported
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by means of rollers 25 (fig. 3) in a second rail system 30 whose
course diverges from the first system.
According to fig. 2, the return track of the second rail
system 30 is parallel to the return track section of the first
rail system 15, whereas the forward movement track section
approaches the forward movement track section of the first
rail syste~ 15 at an angle and approaches thelatter in the
outlet area. As a result, with a continuous drive, the individual
trolleys in the system àssume different-relative speeds and reci-
procal spacings, depending on the angular position of the
associated articulated members 21.
By suitable measures, a very largè regulating range can be
obtalned for the relative speeds and spacings provided by the
apparatus.
In principle, it is firstly possible to adjust the first
rail system 15 and the second rail system 30 in their guidance
planes relative to one another. Advantageously, the second rail
system carrying the articulated members 21 is made adjustable
in its guidance plane. For example, fig. 2 shows an angular
range A by means of which an adjustment can be carried out
around the displacement point V which varies the spacing and
speed of the incoming trolley. In addition, ,rail system 30 can
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comprise interchanyeable sectlons in order to obtain any
desired guidance path. Fig. 4 shows such a path 30', which
makes it possible to instantaneously stop trolley 21' on
its rail 15', in the general manner explained above.
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