GB485176A - Improvements in or relating to apparatus for stacking articles - Google Patents

Abstract

485,176. Load-handling machines for stacking articles in racks, discharging conveyers. WILKINSONS (RUNFOLD), Ltd., (formerly RUNFOLD SAND & TILE CO., Ltd.), and WILKINSON, H. A. Nov. 13, 1936, No. 31081. [Classes 78 (i) and 78 (iii)] Apparatus for stacking articles of the type described in Specification 450,251, comprising a series of racks each having a number of article supports disposed one above the other and being movable vertically to bring any of the supports to a loading level, and means for conveying the article to a rack-loading position, is characterized by the provision of means for feeding articles into two or more racks simultaneously. In one embodiment in which pallets carrying freshly-made tiles are delivered to two drying racks, a series of racks 50, Fig. 1, are arranged adjacent an endless conveyer 55 along which the pallets are fed from a tilemaking machine, the racks being suspended in pairs by ropes 54 so as to counterbalance one another. The pallets are positioned on the conveyer in pairs opposite the rack supports by a device as shown in Fig. 4, and are fed into the racks by means shown in Fig. 2 carried on a truck 58 which runs on rails in front of the conveyer. As the first of a pair of pallets is moved along by the conveyer, it engages and tilts a member 110, Fig. 4, about its pivot 111 on the truck and is held stationary on rollers 70 by a stop 112. The tilting of the member 110 brings a stop 113 and trigger 114 into the path of the succeeding pallet. This pallet depresses the trigger and is then held by the stop. With the two pallets thus positioned, they are fed into the racks by fingers 11, Fig. 2, pivotally mounted on a cross-head 10. This cross-head is carried by a rack 33 which is slidably mounted on the truck and engaged by a pinion 32 rotated through a chain 116, lever 28 and roller 27, by a cam 26 on a shaft 24 which is driven through a clutch by a motor 23 when the trigger 114 is depressed as described above. After a predetermined number of feeding operations corresponding to the complete loading of one shelf, the weighted arm 45 of a lever 43 falls under the control of a cam 132 driven from the shaft 24, whereby a lever 47 is rotated about its pivot 132, Fig. 5, on a bracket 131 adjacent the racks, to depress a rod 134 slidably mounted on the bracket and, through arms 137, 138, move the racks to bring the next shelf in line with the feeding device. These arms 137, 138 are pivotally mounted on the rod 134 and engage teeth 337, 338 respectively, on the racks when they are suitably positioned by projections 237, 238 on an adjustable plate 140. The means for feeding the pallets from the conveyer may comprise a hydraulic ram.