GB2207407A - Device for assuring a continuous portioning process - Google Patents

Description

Z Device for assuring a continuous portioning =ocess r Cl. U C.1 2 L 4 U 1

This invention relates to a device for assuring a continuous portioning process on a lacking line for flat, baked products, consisting of chain conveyors, disposed behind the portioning machine, for feeding the packing machine, the make-up magazine and a storage device for storing the portions when faults occur at the packing machine.

Devices of this class are already known, wherein portions of baked goods pass, when faults occur at the packing machine, into a transportable store. Such a solution is described in DD-PS 227 936. In that solution, a disadvantage is that the filling of the store is associated with a pushing-away.operation for the portions, which is accompanied by considerable abrasion in the case of rusks (zwiebacks) on account of the roughness of the surface and that these stores have a very limited storage capacity and the stored portions cannot automatically be fed back again.

In DE-OS 34 23 626 a solution is explained, wherein, with an intermediate store for piece goods, comprising two rows of magazines, in addition to devices for ensuring transporting of the pieces in the store transversely to the actual conveying directions, devices are also provided, which convey the pieces contained in magazines on the inlet side individually into a magazine on the outlet side. This store is suitable only for piece goods that are themselves closed, but is unsuitable for the storage of portions of rusks or zjiebacks, which consist of a number of individual discs and consequently must be guided on five sides during conveying, in order to prevent the portions from falling apart and thus the rusk discs being destroyed.

1 2 - Furthermore, a solution is known, which assures.continuous working of the baking oven even if a defect occurs at the packaging device, without the use of operating personnel. At the packaging installation, each track comprises a separate portioning device and a separate packing device. The packing devices can be controlled in their performance independently of each other. Associated with the conveying means, between the portioning devices and the packing devices, there is a distributor device, by which the blocks of biscuits, if a defect occurs in one of the packing devices, can be distributed from the relevant track on to the other tracks, the packing devices of i,.hich can be switched to correspondingly higher outputs. This device is designed for prepacked blocks of biscuits and re quires that a plurality, at least two, of installations are linked one behind another. Installations of this type thus require considerable constructional expense and space and are not suitable for portions of rusks (zwiebacks), which have not been ig:epacked (MW-OS 28 01 645).

Finally, a solution has been disclosed by DE-OS 35 44 o96, in Y.hich piece goods, for exam-)le automobile bodies, axe fed from a machining station to the intermediate store and can be discharged again from the intermediate store as required to a succeeding maching station. A disadvantage in this solution is that a transfer of the riece goods from the roi, on the inlet side to the ro,,.. on the outlet side is necessary and for this purpose a level of expense unjustifiable for the storage of rusk portions would be required. Furthermore, this storage device is unsuitable for rusk portions, because a five-sided guide inside the storage device is not present, so that the Dortions would fall apart and thus the rusk slices i..,ould be destroyed.

The objective of the present invention is to enable portioning to continue, even Yhen faults occur at the packing machine, without additional personnel being required and thus to increase the out-L-ut of the rusk or zwieback r production plant.

1 i i i i 1 i i 1 1 i i i 1 The task of the present invention consists, when faults occur at the -packing machine, automatically and carefully to store the portions Q coming from the portioning device and,,,..hen they axe called up again, to feed them back to the packing line.

This task is achieved, according to the present invention, in that a transverse conveyor is disposed perpendicularly over the first portion of the chain conveyor,,.-.ith which transverse conveyor there is associated a storage conveyor paxallel to the chain conveyor, a plurality of fixed holding elements and movable holding elements being disposed on the transverse conveyor in pairs at its periphery, in that the transfer region comp.rises a bottom plate and lateral guides and -pivotally mounted lever arms are mounted on the movable holding elements, vhich arms are in operational connection with cam pieces fixed in the taking- over and discharge zones. The bottom plate and one lateral guide of the transverse conveyor are pivotally mounted on the frame, while the other lateral Eguide is mounted fixed on the frame. The storage conveyor comprises, from the turning region to the region for discharging the portions on to the conveyor belt, a fixed upper guide, constructed in the discharge region as a chute, and stationary lateral guides.

The continuous portioning process thereby achieved, even when faults occur at the iacking machine, i.;ithout need for additional operating personnel, leads to an improvement in output of the rusk(zwieback) production line.

The invention is explained in an example of embodiment thereof by reference to a d=wing.

- 4. - The figures in the drw,.,,ing sho.e.-: Figh A schematic view of the rusk production line from the conveyor chain of the Dortioning device oni.. ards; Fig 2: A front elevation of the transverse conveyor; Fig 3: Section A-A through the transverse conveyor; Fig 4: A lateral view of the storage conveyor with conveyor belt.

In front of the device according to this invention, there are located the conveyor chain 1, on w.hich the portions Z pass from the positioning device, not illustrated, to a point in front of the pusher 2 and are pushed by the pusher 2 into the feed 3 of the cking machine 4. The feed chain 1 continues, in continuation, as far as the pushing slider 5 of the chain conveyor 6, which is disposed parallel to the feed 3 and is in orerational connection, in kno.,,..n manner, with the make-up magazines 7 and-their pushing levers 8. Above the first portion Z of the chain conveyor 6 the transverse conveyor 0 is mounted, perpendicularly to the chain conireyor 6, with which transverse conveyor the storage conveyor 10, together with conveyor belt 11, are disposed parallel to the chain con veyor 6.,.t the periphery of the transverse conveyor fixed holding elements 12 and movable holding elements 13 axe mounted in pairs. The transfer zone is equipped vith a pivotal bottom plate 14, with one pivotal lateral g-aide 15 and,-..ith one stationary lateral guide 16. The pivotal bottom plate 14. is pivotally mounted at the bearing 18 by the bottom plate level 17 and is operatingly connected via pull rod 19 with the magnet 20. The pivotal lateral guide 15 is pivotally mounted by the flange 21 at the bearing 22 and is operatingly connected via the pull rod 23 vith the magnet 24. The stationary lateral guide 16 is fixed to the frame 26. On the movable holding elements 13 there are pivotal lever arms 25, vhich co-operate with the cam segments 27; 28 fixed to the frame 26. The storage conveyor 10, like the transverse conveyor 0., is i i 1 1 1 i i i 1 i 1 i i i i 1 i i driven by the chang.e-over gear 20. The storage conveyor 10 consists, in its basic elements, of the bottom late 30, the lateral guides 1 (31; 32).and., from the turning zone to the discharge zone on to the conveyor belt 11, of the upper guide 33, i.;hich is formed in the discharge zone as a chute, and also of the entraining chain 34.

The method of functioning of the device is as follows..

The portions Z, arriving on the conveyor chain 1 from the portioning device, not shown, are conveyed into position in front of the pusher 2, are pushed by the pusher 2 into the feed chain 3 and thus fed to the packing machine 4. 5.hen faults occur at the packing machine 4, the pusher 2, together with the rn-cking machine 4, is stopped and thus the -Portions Z are further conveyed on the conveyor chain 1 to a position in front of the rushing slider - _5. The portions 21 are pushed by the pushing slider 5 into the chain conveyor 6 and are fed by the transverse conveyor 0 to the storage conveyor 10. If, before or during the storage operation, one or more portions Z are required from the make-up magazines 7, then the transverse conveyor 0 is not operated or the transverse conveyor 9 is switched off. If the malke-up magazines 7 including the chain conveyor 6 are filled, the transverse conveyor G. again switches on. After the fault has been remedied and thus the racking machine 4 started up again, the pusher 2 again becomes active and, by reversing the change-over gear 2c., the stored portions Z are fed back as reQuired into the chain conveyor 6 for feeding the make-up magazine 7. Not until the storage conveyor 10 is empty, are portions Z taken from the conveyor chain 1 by activation of the pushing slider -5, for the purpose of filling the chain conveyor 6 for feeding the make-up magazine 7. For further increasing the storage capacity, a conveyor belt 11 is connected behind the storage conveyor 10, from which belt the portions Z must be removed by hand. Control of the device is effected in known manner by light baxriers, vhich are located at the conveyor 1 in front of the pusher 2, in front of the pushing slider -5, at the first portion Z of the It chain conveyor 6 and transverse conveyor and at the chain conveyor 6 before the make-up magazines 7 and are operatingly connected with the change-over gear 2Q and thus i,.i-th the magnets 14 and 24.

Y 1 i i i i i 1 i i 1 1 1 1 _7 7

Claims (2)

Claims

1.

A device for assuring a continuous portioning -,..rocess on a packing line for flat baked products, consisting of chain conveyors, disposed behind the portioning device, for feeding the packing machine, the make-u- pmagazine and a storage device for storing the portions when faults occur at the packing machine, characterized in that a transverse conveyor (9) is disposed perpendicularly above the first portion (Z) of the chain conveyor (6), with which transverse conveyor a storage conveyor (10) parallel to the chain conveyor (6) is associated, a plurality of fixed holding elements (12) and movable holding elements (13) being disposed in pairs at the transverse conveyor (9) at its periphery, the transfer zone com-irises a bottom -.late (14) and lateral guides (15;

16) and pivotally mounted lever arms (25) are mounted at the movable holding elements (13),, .,hich arms are operatingly connected.:ith can pieces (27; 28)r fixed in the taking-over and discharge zones.

2. Device according to Claim 1, characterized in that the bottom plate (14) and the lateral guide (15) of the transverse conveyor are pivotally mounted on the frame (26) and the lateral guide (16) is mounted fixed on the frame (26).

Device according to Claim 1, characterized in that the storage conveyor (10) comprises, from the turning zone as far as the discharge position for the portions (Z) on to the conveyor belt(ll.), a fixed upper guide (33), constructed as a chute in the discharge zone, and fixed lateral guides (31; 32).

A device for assuring a continuous portioning process on a packing line substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Published 1988 at The Patent Wfice, State Hcj,.ise.,56'71 High Ho'born. London WC1R 4TP. Further ciDies -nay be obt=ed from The Patent Office, Sales Branch. St 11 lary Cray. Orping.,,.-. Kent LR5 3ED- Printed by Multiplex techniq es ltd. St M ry av. Ket Con 187 a