GB2330829A

GB2330829A - Chute

Info

Publication number: GB2330829A
Application number: GB9807857A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Mark Anthony Harrison
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1997-10-31
Filing date: 1998-04-15
Publication date: 1999-05-05
Also published as: GB9807857D0; GB9723121D0

Abstract

A chute (1) which as an inner sheet or lining (24). The lining is flexible and thereby absorbs some of the impact from items hitting the chute. The sheet may be spaced from the chute, which further aids impact absorbency. The increased impact absorbency of the chute significantly reduces the number of items which bounce completely out of the chute - a significant cost if known manufacturing processes. This chute is particularly suitable for components manufactured using, for injection moulding techniques. A chassis (7) is used to support the chute, and has a base (8) and three adjustable legs (9,10,11 Fig 3), which allow the angle of inclination and the height of the chute to be adjusted. The liner is preferably of plastic such as PVC.

Description

A CHUTE This invention relates to a chute, particularly, although not exclusively, for collecting components ejected from a machine, such as an injection moulding machine.

One of the main problems that injection moulding companies have, is the ability to satisfactorily collect the manufactured components, as they ejected from the mould. When components are manufactured, for example, using an injection moulding process, the manufactured components are ejected from the machine, and collected in suitable receptacles, conveyor belts, or the like.

Typically, the ejected components are fed into the receptacles or onto the conveyor belts using a chute, or other suitable piece of equipment. As the components are ejected and land onto the chute they bounce against the hard surface of the chute, and very often bounce out of the chute and onto the machine room floor. It has been found that, for some injection moulding machines, up to 80% of components can end up on the floor rather than remaining on the chute. When machining or injection moulding components, copious amounts of fluids such as water and hydraulics fluids are used in the manufacturing process. For example, in an injection moulding process, water is used for both heating and cooling, and the machine itself is hydraulically operated. During operation, water, hydraulic fluid and grease leak and spread, and, because of this, components that land on the floor become contaminated by the water, hydraulic fluid and grease, and have to be thrown away. Even if the components are not thrown on to the floor, then components can become damaged due to the force with which they hit the chute. This wastage can be a considerable cost in the manufacture.

The general practice to reduce losses of components from a chute, is for the operators to stuff cardboard packaging with large amounts of sticky tape all around the areas where losses happen.

These makeshift attempts to reduce losses never last long, and have to be replaced frequently wasting time and packaging materials which are not cheap.

According to the present invention, there is provided a chute for collecting items ejected from an apparatus, the chute comprising an inner surface, and an underside surface, with an inner, flexible lining provided adjacent the inner surface. The flexible lining acts to absorb some of the impact energy from the items, such as injection moulded components, which has the advantage of significantly reducing the amount of bounce, and damage, suffered by components landing in the chute. This means fewer components land on the floor, thereby lowering the risk of component contamination and raising quality. The inner lining may be spaced from the inner surface to further increase the impact absorbency.

The sheet may be removably fixed to the inner surface of the chute. This means it can be easily removed and wiped clean of oil water and grease. This can end the unpleasant practise of having to crawl under the machine to clean the chute.

There is also provided a chassis comprising a base, and three adjustable leg members, the leg members being hingedly connected to the underside surface of the chute, two of the leg members being adjustable in height, and the third leg member being adjustable in height and angle of inclination so as to adjust the height and angle of inclination of the chute.

The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a chute and support for collecting components ejected from a machine; Figure 2 is a side view of the chute and stand, in the direction of arrow II of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a front view of the chute and stand, in the direction of arrow HI of Figure 1; and Figure 4 is a schematic cross section through the chute alone, and along the line IV-IV of Figure Figures 5,6, and 7, correspond to Figure 4, but show alternative methods of fixing the sheet to the chute base; and Figure 8 corresponds to Figure 4, but illustrating another embodiment of the invention A chute 1 comprises an inclined, substantially fiat base 2, with two side walls 3,4, and open top and bottom ends 5,6. The chute 1 is supported on a chassis 7. The chassis 7 comprises a square or rectangular base 8, with three perpendicularly extending legs 9,10,11. Two 9,10 of the chassis legs are hingedly connected to respective lugs 13,14 on a lower, front region of the underside 12 of the chute 1, while the third leg 11 is hingedly connected to a respective lug 36 on an upper, rear region of the underside 12 of the chute 1.

The front two legs 9,10 comprise first and second sections 15,16 telescopically received, one inside the other, in order to vary the height of the legs. The inner telescoping section 15 has a number of apertures 17 provided therein, and the outer section 18 has a single aperture 19 provided therein. To adjust the height ofthe legs 9,10, the inner telescoping section 15 is moved until one ofthe apertures 17 in the inner telescoping section 15 is adjacent the aperture 19 in the outer section 16 at the approximate required height, and then a bolt 20 is placed through the outer aperture 19, and the corresponding inner aperture 17, and the bolt 20 secured in any suitable known manner, for example, using a peg (not shown) placed through an aperture (not shown) in the bolt 20.

The rear leg 11 also has corresponding telescoping sections 21,22 as described above with respect to the front legs 9,10. Additionally, the rear leg 1 1 is also hingedly connected, to a lug 23 on the chassis base 8. Thus, not only can the height of the top of the chute 1 be varied in the same way that the bottom end of the chute can be varied, but the whole angle of inclination, 0, can also be varied.

The chute base 2, and side walls 3,4 can be made of any suitable material, such as mild steel or stainless steel. Similarly, the chassis 7 can be made from the same materials.

The upper side 23 of the chute base 2, has a sheet, or lining, 24 placed thereon. This sheet 24 is made from a flexible material, for example a plastics material such as a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) material sold under the trade name of"PALIGHT > 'Other suitable materials could be used, such as plastics materials, aluminium, thin gauge steel or wood. Although the sheet 24 can be permanently fixed to the chute base 2, for example, using bolts 35, preferably, the sheet 24 is

removably fixed, for example, using screws 25, Velcro, & 6, magnetic strips 27, or hooked on, by providing the sheet 24 with a curved, hooked portion 28, which can be used to hook over the top edge 29 of the chute 1.

As components are ejected from a machine (not shown), they land on the sheet 24, and, because of the flexible nature of the material from which the sheet 24 is made, the sheet 24 absorbs some of the energy from the component as it hits the flexible sheet 24, thereby absorbing some of the impact, and significantly reducing, and sometimes eliminating, the amount of bounce suffered by the components as that land in the chute l.

In an alternative embodiment, the sheet 24 is spaced a small distance, typically, around 3mm, from the actual chute base 2. The spacing is achieved by providing a number of spacers 30,34 on the chute base 2. The spacers 30,34 may be small magnets placed directly on the chute base 2. To hold the sheet 24 in place, small lugs 31 may be provided on the underside 32 of the sheet 24 towards one end 33. This can then be used to simply hook over the uppermost spacers 34.

Alternative securing methods can also be used, and alternatively, the spacers could be provided on the sheet itself.

By using spacers, further deflection of the sheet 24 is possible, thereby increasing the impact absorbing properties of the sheet 24, and further minimising component bounce.

The impact absorbency of the chute 1 is also increased because the two sections 15,1 6;2 1,22 of the chassis legs 9,10,11 are not completely rigidly held together, but are loosely fitted within each other, which also absorbs some of the vibrations and impact energy.

Sheets can also be fitted to other areas of machines where it is possible that the components may bounce.

The sheet 24 can be found from stock material or may be moulded in plastic to obtain a more desirable shape.

It will be clear to persons skilled in the art, that various modifications are possible within the scope of the present invention, for example, other cross-sectional profiles are possible for the chute, for example, it could be semicircular, or otherwise curved. Although primarily designed for injection moulding machine components other items could be collected in the same way, if they suffer from the same problems of bounce. Alternative chassis and supports can be provided depending upon the requirements.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A chute for collecting items ejected from an apparatus, the chute comprising an inner surface, and an underside surface, with an inner, flexible lining provided adjacent the inner surface.
2. A chute according to claim 1, wherein the lining is removably fixed to the inner surface.
3. A chute according to claim 2, wherein the lining is removably fixed using screws.
4. A chute according to claim 2, wherein the lining is removably fixed using magnetic strips.
5. A chute according to claim 2, wherein the lining is removably fixed using Velcro
6. A chute according to claim 2, wherein the lining is hooked onto the inner surface.
7. A chute according to claim 1, wherein the lining is permanently fixed to the inner surface.
8. A chute according to claim 1, wherein the lining is spaced from the inner.
9. A chute according to claim 8, wherein the lining is provided with spacers to space the lining from the inner surface.
10. A chute according to claim 8, wherein the inner surface is provided with spacers to space the lining from the inner surface.
11. A chute according to claim 9 or claim 10, wherein the lining is provided with means for abutting one of the spacers to hold the lining in place.
12. A lining for a chute as claimed in any of claims 1 to 11, the lining being of a flexible material.
13. A lining as claimed in claim 12, wherein the flexible material is a plastics material.
14. A lining as claimed in claim 13, wherein the plastics material is polyvinyl chloride.
15. A lining as claimed in claim 12, wherein the flexible material is aluminium.
16. A lining as claimed in claim 12, wherein the flexible material is wood.
17. A lining as claimed in any of claims 12 to 16, wherein the lining is provided with spacing means for spacing the lining from the inner surface of the chute.
18. A chassis for a chute as claimed in any of claims 1 to 11, comprising a base, and three adjustable leg members, the leg members being hingedly connected to the underside surface of the chute, two of the leg members being adjustable in height, and the third leg member being adjustable in height and angle of inclination so as to adjust the height and angle of inclination of the chute.