Conveyors: power-driven – Conveyor system for moving a specific load as a separate unit – System includes a rotating or endless carrier with a load...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-04
2003-05-13
Hess, Douglas (Department: 3651)
Conveyors: power-driven
Conveyor system for moving a specific load as a separate unit
System includes a rotating or endless carrier with a load...
C198S803600
Reexamination Certificate
active
06561341
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for separating and supplying a plurality of cylindrical cans, and more specifically relates to an apparatus for separating individually a plurality of cylindrical cans that are received in a contiguous fashion and sending out with stability such cans as received and also relates to a method for separating and supplying such a plurality of cylindrical cans.
BACKGROUND ART
Apparatuses for separating and supplying cylindrical battery cans that are received in succession have been long known. An example from such conventional apparatuses is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,041. The exemplified conventional apparatus for separating and supplying cylindrical battery cans is described below with reference to FIG.
4
. Suppose a situation, in which cylindrical battery cans move along a high-speed running belt conveyor in a contiguous fashion without any gaps between the cylindrical battery cans. In
FIG. 4
, a carrying conveyor
32
runs in the direction indicated by an arrow. Cylindrical battery cans
31
are transported on the carrying conveyor
32
. The cylindrical battery cans
31
are formed of a ferromagnetic material. A star index wheel
33
, a supply index wheel
34
a
of an automatic machine and a main index wheel
34
b
of the automatic machine are disposed at a side of the carrying conveyor
32
. A plurality of first semi-circular notches
38
are formed around the outer edge of the star index wheel
33
and spaced uniformly, with the radius of each respective semi-circular notch
8
made nearly equal to the radius of the battery can
31
. The first semi-circular notches
38
in plurality receive the transported battery cans
31
. A plurality of second semi-circular notches
41
are formed around the outer edge of the supply index wheel
34
a
of the automatic machine and spaced uniformly. A plurality of third semi-circular notches
39
are formed around the outer edge of the main index wheel
34
b
of the automatic machine and spaced uniformly. Each semi-circular notch of the first semi-circular notches
38
, second semi-circular notches
41
and third semi-circular notches
39
receives the transported battery cans
31
, respectively. The star index wheel
33
rotates around its center that acts as the rotational center and the center of each respective first semi-circular notch
38
traces a first circular locus. The supply index wheel
34
a
of the automatic machine rotates around its center that acts as the rotational center and the center of each respective second semi-circular notch
41
traces a second circular locus. The main index wheel
34
b
of the automatic machine rotates around its center that acts as the rotational center and the center of each respective third semi-circular notch
39
traces a third circular locus. The first locus and second locus are overlapped at the center line of the carrying conveyor
32
. The second locus and third locus circumscribe each other. The carrying conveyor
32
is located between the supply index wheel
34
a
and the main index wheel
34
b
. The carrying conveyor
32
, star index wheel
33
, supply index wheel
34
a
and main index wheel
34
b
rotate in the directions indicated by arrows at a synchronizing speed, respectively, thereby allowing the battery cans to be transported without a hitch.
The battery can carrying conveyor
32
has a flat belt and a conveyor frame. A permanent magnet
43
is fixed on the conveyor frame, directly below the flat belt at a position between the star index wheel
33
and the supply index wheel
34
a
, where passing of the battery cans takes place. In order to prevent the battery cans from being ejected out of the first semi-circular circular notches
38
, second semi-circular notches
41
and third semi-circular notches
39
due to centrifugal force produced by a high-speed revolution of the index wheels, a first guide
35
, second guide
42
and third guide
52
are put in place. More specifically, the third guide
52
is disposed near the rim of the supply index wheel
34
a.
The peripheral shifting speed of the center of the first semi-circular notch
38
is set to a speed slower than the running speed of the belt of the carrying conveyor
3
. The shifting speed of the battery cans
31
located on the carrying conveyor in a contiguous way is suppressed momentarily by protrusions
40
formed between semi-circular notches in the star index wheel
33
. Then, gaps are created between the outer side surfaces of the adjoining battery cans transported along the carrying conveyor
32
upon having the battery cans
31
released from the protrusions
40
. During the period immediately after a battery can
31
is released from a protrusions
40
until the battery can
31
is carried to the second semi-circular notch
41
for being grabbed, the battery can
31
is being sucked by the strong force of magnetic attraction of the permanent magnet
43
. The bottom of each respective battery can
31
is pressed onto the belt surface of the carrying conveyor
32
by a combined force produced by the own weight of the battery can
31
and the force of magnetic attraction of the permanent magnet
43
. This pressing force multiplies the friction between the belt of the carrying conveyor
32
and the battery case
31
, thereby reducing the slippage between the battery can
31
and the belt surface. As a result, shifting of the battery can
31
in position is made smaller. Thus, supplying of the battery cans
31
to the second semi-circular notches
41
of the supply index wheel
34
a
is carried out.
With the conventional structure as described above, although the traveling path of the battery cans
31
after released from the protrusions
40
in the star index wheel
33
till reaching the second semi-circular notches
41
is small in distance, it is in this traveling path that such a trouble as biting of battery cans and the like is most likely to occur. This kind of trouble results in lowering the availability factor of production lines of batteries and makes one of the serious causes to produce defective part pieces.
Further, an index wheel for separating battery cans by orientation is disclosed in the Published Unexamined Japanese Patent Application No. H3-156850. According to this prior art embodiment, a conventional star index wheel and a circular disc with a built-in permanent magnet are combined by being stacked together along the same axis. However, this prior art technology does not teach an apparatus for separating battery cans and supplying the separated battery cans to the next manufacturing step by having gaps provided between the side surfaces of adjoining cylindrical battery cans.
The present invention provides an apparatus for separating and supplying cylindrical cans, which allows a plurality of cylindrical cans transported along a carrying conveyor in a contiguous way without any gaps between adjoining cylindrical cans to be supplied with stability one by one from the carrying conveyor to a supply index wheel.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An apparatus for separating and supplying cylindrical cans of the present invention comprises:
(a) a carrying conveyor transporting a plurality of cylindrical cans,
wherein the cylindrical cans in plurality are transported in a contiguous way without any gaps between adjoining side surfaces of respective cylindrical cans, and
wherein each respective cylindrical can of above is cylindrical-shaped and formed of a ferromagnetic material;
(b) a star index wheel having a plurality of first semi-circular notches,
wherein the star index wheel is located at a side of the carrying conveyor and rotatable,
wherein the first semi-circular notches in plurality are formed around the outer edge of the star index wheel and spaced uniformly, and
wherein each respective first semi-circular notch of above receives the cylindrical cans individually;
(c) a supply index wheel having a plurality of cylindrical can holders,
wherein the supply index wheel is disc-shaped and rotatable, and wherein each respective
Ebi Ryuichiro
Kawano Tomotaka
Kouda Minoru
Hess Douglas
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
RatnerPrestia
LandOfFree
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