GB1133597A - Improvements in or relating to transfer apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

1,133,597. Conveyers; grippers. GENERAL ELECTRIC CO. Ltd. 27 Sept., 1967 [11 Aug., 1966], No. 36060/66. Headings B8A and B8H. Bricks 5 on an endless conveyer 4 are (in response to a signal initiated by a sensing device, not shown), engaged between gripper pads 16, 16, on an arm 2 carried by a rotary head 1, and are carried round to be released on one of endless conveyers 41, 42. The head 1 is rotated unidirectionally by the action of two pneumatic jacks (6), (7) (Figs. 2 and 3, not shown). The jacks are controlled by electrically controlled pneumatic valves (12), (13). A brake drum (31) has indexing notches (32) engagable by a member (35) of a piston-cylinder unit (36) controlled by an electric valve mechanism (38). A similar mechanism (39) controls piston operated brake shoes. One of the jaws 16 is carried by a member 17 which is pivotable into brickgripping position by the action of a pneumatic piston cylinder unit 19. A pivot connection 25 of the latter to the jaw member 17 is mounted eccentrically between members 26 disposed in respective keyhole shaped recesses of cheeks 29 rigid with the arm 2. The members 26 are each formed with a pair of flats which are adapted to be aligned with the narrow section of the keyhole shaped recesses 26. This arrangement provides a degree of linear movement of the member 17 relative to the fixed jaw 16 before pivotal movement takes place, and vice versa. The member 17 may be telescopically adjustable relative to the arm 2 to enable the apparatus to deal with bricks of different sizes. The sensing device may comprise jets of air or light beams directed across the path of the bricks, or mechanical means engaged by the latter. A sizing device 40 detects bricks of incorrect dimensions or bricks stuck together, and may be combined with the sensing device. In operation, a brick 5 rejected by the sizing device 40 is not picked up by an arm 2 but is allowed to proceed on the conveyer 4. Otherwise the bricks are picked up in turn by successive arms 2 and are released in alternate successions of two on the conveyers 41, 42. A guard 43 rises to a raised position during each step of the head 1 while two bricks are successively deposited on the conveyer 41. Then the guard remains retracted and a guard 44 similarly rises as each of a further succession of two bricks is deposited on the conveyer 42.