Conveyors: fluid current – With diverse power-driven conveyor – Rotary
Reexamination Certificate
1998-03-17
2001-10-02
Valenza, Joseph E. (Department: 3651)
Conveyors: fluid current
With diverse power-driven conveyor
Rotary
Reexamination Certificate
active
06296423
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates to the handling of a series of individual articles, eg. to control the movement of the articles or to collect batches of the articles.
In one of its aspects, the invention is concerned with the batching of articles that are being manufactured at high production rates. In particular if the articles are relatively fragile it can be difficult to collect them in batches of predetermined quantities as they emerge from the production process, eg. for weighing and/or packaging.
According to this aspect of the invention, apparatus is provided for releasing articles in batches comprising a conduit having an exit provided with a closure gate rotatable to open and close the conduit, characterised in that said gate comprises at least one closure member mounted on a rotary axis at or adjacent a side wall of the conduit to be rotatable about said axis generally in the direction of movement of the articles through the conduit to a position extending across the conduit to close the exit for the articles, and is further rotatable in the same direction from said closing position to open the exit.
Preferably there is a pair of closure members arranged side by side at the exit passage and rotatable in opposite directions to each other for said opening and closing of the exit.
The closure member or members can thus be employed to temporarily cut off the flow of articles when a predetermined batch has been counted through. By using one or more rotatable members as a gate to stop the flow of articles from the conduit it is possible to handle a continuous stream of articles and to batch predetermined quantities of articles from that stream. As soon as the required number of articles has been dispensed, the conduit exit can be closed by the gate while the batch of articles is transferred away or is weighed or subjected to other tests, the continuing stream of articles arriving meanwhile being accumulated at the gate. It is only necessary to ensure that each batch has moved on further in time to accommodate the following batch.
By rotating the or each closure member so that as the gate opens it moves in generally the same direction as the travel direction of the articles, the accumulated articles can be cleared from the gate rapidly as it is opened. Also, if the or each member moves in the same direction to close the gate its motion can be more easily timed to synchronise with brief intervals between the arrival of successive articles, in order to avoid the risk of trapping articles during the closure of the gate.
A further problem associated with handling articles being manufactured at high rates of production is that, while it may be desirable to accelerate their progress along a travel path, the rate of acceleration may be limited by the need to protect the articles from damage. This is particularly so when handling a stream of relatively fragile, low density articles. In a continuous or line process for the manufacture or other processing of the articles such considerations can restrict the rate of operation because it becomes difficult to handle the articles at a fast enough rate, for example to batch the articles in predetermined quantities.
According to another aspect of the invention, apparatus is provided for accelerating the movement of articles along a duct comprising a chamber into which an exit end of the duct extends, a suction connection leading from the chamber to promote a gas flow along the duct, gas sealing means in the chamber adjacent the exit end of the duct between said exit end and an article outlet end of the chamber, said sealing means comprising counter-rotating rollers at least partially sealing said chamber outlet end to limit gas flow into the chamber from said end, at least one of said rollers having a yielding periphery to permit the articles to pass between the rollers by deforming said yielding periphery or peripheries, the conduit in the chamber being open substantially only at its exit end and at least one gas extraction opening is provided upstream of the duct exit end.
By arranging that the gas extraction from the duct occurs only at the exit and not at locations along the length of the duct it is possible to avoid the risk, in particular for low density articles, that the suction effect at such locations will hold articles there, and it also ensures that the entraining suction flow is maintained along the length of the duct.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1065924 (1913-07-01), Dixon
patent: 3807807 (1974-04-01), Boon
patent: 3815763 (1974-06-01), Biloco et al.
patent: 4124128 (1978-11-01), Adams et al.
patent: 4143753 (1979-03-01), Bergens
patent: 4660352 (1987-04-01), Deines et al.
patent: 5156499 (1992-10-01), Miklich
patent: 5333721 (1994-08-01), Stevie
patent: 5603398 (1997-02-01), Crouch
patent: 186 255 (1906-11-01), None
patent: 234 408 (1910-08-01), None
patent: 588 260 (1931-06-01), None
patent: 12 71 036 (1968-08-01), None
patent: 1294883 (1969-05-01), None
patent: 35 07 656 A1 (1985-05-01), None
patent: 35 37 656 A1 (1986-09-01), None
patent: 0 396 216 B1 (1993-09-01), None
Cahill Michael John
Martin Simon Charles
Stembridge James Robert
Farrell James J.
Lipton division of Conopco, Inc.
Valenza Joseph E.
LandOfFree
Article handling apparatus does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Article handling apparatus, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Article handling apparatus will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2605067