Conveyors: power-driven – Conveyor system having auxiliary section for storing items...
Patent
1997-02-19
1998-10-27
Bidwell, James R.
Conveyors: power-driven
Conveyor system having auxiliary section for storing items...
198580, B65G 100
Patent
active
058266933
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a magazine arrangement, comprising a number of open, lengthy cassettes each accommodating a stack of flat objects, such as can lids, and also an apparatus, which has a first path for lengthways carrying the cassettes separately past a charge and/or discharge unit for charging or discharging the cassettes, a second path in front of the first one to accumulate a desired number of cassettes and to carry these cassettes one at a time crosswise to the first path, and a third path, after the charge and/or discharge unit, for carrying one at a time the cassettes which have left the charge and/or discharge unit, crosswise along the first path and accumulate a desired number of these cassettes after this path.
2. Prior Art
Norwegian patent No. 32715 discloses an apparatus for automatically charging lengthy cassettes with can lids. This apparatus has a stand with a frame vertically displaceable up and down in the stand. In this frame there is placed a horizontally displaceable first cassette, with a second cassette being divided in partitions with the same width as a can lid. The lids are manufactured in a press and are successively guided from this press into one of the said partitions whereby the two cassettes at the same time are lowered stepwise until the partition is charged with lids. Then the cassettes are elevated while they at the same time are horizontally displaced in the frame at a distance equal to the width of a lid, whereby a new partition moves into the charging position. The process is repeated until all of the partitions in a cassette have been charged, whereafter the charged cassette can be removed from the right side of the frame. A new, empty cassette has in the meantime been placed in the left side of a guide to the frame so that the apparatus will function without stopping.
The manipulation with these double cassettes is very difficult and requires utmost attention and almost constant supervision from the operating personnel. The first cassette must be placed with accuracy in the guide to the frame in order to make the apparatus function and this operation must take place at the same time as the frame is moving. Another problem is the fact that the cassettes are open in the front and consequently there is a risk for the vertically stacked lids to fall out.
The mechanism in question is furthermore expensive and complicated and is not suitable for following the high production speed existing in modern production plants for manufacturing can lids. The apparatus can, by the way, only be used for charging the cassettes with lids, and the patent specification has no instructions with regard to how they are discharged.
WO patent specification No. 89/10319 discloses a similar apparatus, which however can be used for charging as well as discharging lengthy cassettes, for example, can lids. Also in this case the cassettes are carried upright, horizontally and vertically through the apparatus. During the vertical passage the cassettes are transported separately by means of two endless belts guiding the cassette in question by engaging its sides. The patent specification is essentially silent as to how the cassettes are guided through the plant without tipping over and without the lids falling out of the open front.
If the apparatus is supposed to be able to function with reasonable reliability of operation it must, however, have some sort of a guide for supporting the upright standing cassettes, and thereby the same problems of operation will arise as encountered with the above-mentioned Norwegian patent. Even if the cassettes are secured from tipping over in this way, the lids will continue to be disposed to fall out of the open front of the cassettes. This tendency is an especially great inconvenience for the personnel having to place the charged cassettes in the guide of the apparatus or to discharge the charged cassettes from this guide, and who during this operation very carefully must see to it that all of the lids are co
REFERENCES:
patent: 4367619 (1983-01-01), Lorsch
patent: 4466530 (1984-08-01), Stuckler
patent: 4488633 (1984-12-01), Kampf
patent: 4632621 (1986-12-01), Lable
Bidwell James R.
Maskinfabrikken Hojvang APS
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