Supports: racks – Tray – Serially supported
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-14
2001-02-06
Gibson, Jr., Robert W. (Department: 3634)
Supports: racks
Tray
Serially supported
C211S010000, C193S00200R, C193S00200R, C312S117000, C312S124000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06182842
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to material handling, and more particularly to apparatus that facilitates handling small parts.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Pins, fasteners, washers, and similar components constitute a vital part of many manufactured assemblies. Consequently, for efficient production an adequate supply of such components must always be readily at hand.
It is well known for assembly plants to include shelves and cabinets of different sizes and shapes for storing small components. For example, large metal bins arranged into individual compartments are in widespread use. Each compartment has top, bottom, and back walls and two side partitions. The front of each compartment has a short barrier adjacent the bottom wall that partially closes an otherwise open front of the compartment. When the compartments have been stocked with the various components, workers have ready access to the components through the compartment open fronts. Storage bins of a wide variety of sizes and numbers of compartments are commercially available.
A problem associated with bin-type compartments is that they are difficult to stock with the desired components. Specifically, the components must be manually transferred from bulk containers to the correct compartments. The usual transfer method is by hand. A person grabs a handful of components from the bulk container, places his filled hand inside a compartment, and then drops the components onto the compartment bottom wall. That process is slow and costly. Depending on the size of the compartments and the number of components to be stocked in them, the person must perform the grab and drop procedure numerous times to fill a compartment. Invariably, the person drops some of the components, which means that more unproductive time is required to pick them up from the floor or perhaps from a lower compartment. Trying to force feed the components directly from the bulk container into a compartment usually does not work. Some of the force fed components inevitably miss the desired compartment and land either on the floor or in an adjacent compartment.
Thus, a need exists for improvements in the way storage bins are stocked.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, a bin filling chute is provided that greatly aids in transferring small components from bulk containers to the compartments of a parts storage bin. This is accomplished by apparatus that includes an angled floor that extends from outside a compartment to inside the compartment.
A pair of side plates upstand from the edges of the floor. There may be an end plate at the outside end of the floor. The end plate and the two side plates cooperate to form a filling station at the floor outside end. The end plate and the side plates may be supplied with upwardly diverging funnel plates.
Under the floor is a brace. The brace projects transversely beyond the floor. The brace has a leg that makes an angle of approximately 55 degrees to 65 degrees with the floor.
It is a feature of the invention that it can be used to fill all the compartments of the parts storage bin. The inside end of the filling chute floor is placed inside the compartment to be filled. The brace leg is placed against the two vertical partitions that bound the sides of the compartment. Since the bin partitions are substantially vertical, the filling chute floor makes an angle of approximately 55 degrees to 65 degrees with the vertical, with the floor outside end being higher than the floor inside end. The filling chute is slid downwardly to insert the brace leg into spaces between the compartment vertical partitions and barrier. The filling chute is then cantilever supported in the parts storage bin.
The components to be transferred to the compartment are dropped into the chute filling station. The components slide by gravity along the floor and drop into the compartment. When the compartment is filled, the filling chute is slid upwardly to disengage the brace leg from the spaces between the compartment partitions and barrier. The filling chute is then ready to fill another compartment.
In a modified embodiment, the bin filling chute is supported on the parts storage bin by a hook as well as by the brace. The hook is designed to engage the barrier of the compartment immediately above the compartment to be filled. The engagement area of the hook lies in generally the same plane as the brace leg. In a preferred construction, the hook is fabricated as an angle that spans the side plates. The hook has a depending lip that may be generally parallel to the plane of the brace leg.
To fill a first compartment using the modified bin filling chute, the chute floor inside end is placed inside the first compartment. The hook is located above the barrier at the front of a second compartment directly above the first compartment, and the brace leg is placed in contact with the vertical partitions of the first compartment. The filling chute floor then makes an angle of between about 25 degrees and 35 degrees with the horizontal. The filling chute is slid downwardly such that the hook engages and rests on the barrier of the second compartment. The filling chute is then supported on the part storage bin. The components are dropped into the chute filling station, and they slide down the floor to fill the first compartment.
The hook is not used when filling the top row of compartments of a parts storage bin. In that case, the brace leg is inserted into the spaces between the side partitions and the barrier of the compartment. The bin filling chute is thus always cantilever supported when filling the top row of bin compartments.
The method and apparatus of the invention, using an angled floor that extends from outside to inside a parts storage bin, thus enables rapid and convenient filling of individual compartments of the bin. The filling chute can be used with all rows of compartments of a part storage bin, even though the filling chute must be supported in a different way to fill the top row of compartments.
Other advantages, benefits, and features of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the detailed description of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 423743 (1890-03-01), Durler
patent: 1477428 (1923-12-01), Corbett
patent: 1627084 (1927-05-01), Fritz
patent: 4800875 (1989-01-01), Ray
patent: 5781443 (1998-07-01), Street et al.
Cayen Donald
Gibson , Jr. Robert W.
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