GB729223A - Improvements in or relating to the feeding of articles in wrapping or packaging machines - Google Patents

Abstract

729,223. Packaging. ROSE BROS. (GAINSBOROUGH). Ltd. June 24, 1953 [July 9, 1952; July 15, 1952 ; July 22, 1952 ; Aug. 26, 1952; Sept. 2. 1952 ; Oct. 28, 1952 ; Feb. 5, 1953 ; Feb. 11, 1953; Feb. 25, 1953 ; Feb. 25, 1953; March 3, 1953], Nos. 17267/52, 17809/52, 18437/52, 21351/52, 22040/52, 27061/52, 3247/53, 3778/53, 5211/53, 5214/53, and 5848/53. Class 94 (1). [Also in Group XXX] In apparatus for feeding articles to a wrapping- machine, comprising a pocketed feeding device conveying the articles from a feeding to a transfer station, means are provided for deflecting articles on the device which have not entered pockets, clear of the pockets at the transfer station and returning them into the path of the pockets adjacent the feeding station. In one embodiment the device consists of an intermittently moving pocketed wheel 11 fed by an electro-magnetic vibratory feeder 19 controlled by a feeler 21, the feeler detecting piling up of the articles. Articles are assisted into the pockets by part 32 of an annulus 31 forming their base, being given a vibratory motion. Articles not entering pockets are swept towards the wheel centre by a rotating brush 26 and deflected by a fixed guide 24 clear of the transfer station A. A brush 29 sweeps them into the path of the pockets as they return to the feeding station. In another embodiment, deflecting strips 52, 54, form a channel for returning surplus articles, the strip 54 being resiliently mounted for agitation by a cam 61 to prevent jamming in the channel. In further embodiments additional brushes rotating either vertically or horizontally may sweep the surplus articles in the reverse direction to the travel of the pockets. A central guide may be provided to prevent accumulation of articles at the centre of the feed wheel. Blasts of air either alone, or in combination with elements described above, may deflect or essist in deflecting and pocketing surplus articles. The invention may be employed as a counting device in packaging assorted sweets in cartons, sweets of one kind being fed to one feed member according to the invention and sweets of another sort to another. The third Provisional Specification states that the feeding device may be a chain conveyer, surplus articles being swept off onto another conveyer for return to the feed position. The device may be a pocketed wheel from which surplus articles are swept onto a conveyer following the wheel periphery or onto an inner disc rotating in the opposite direction to the wheel. A worm conveyer may deflect surplus articles into a hopper for return by conveyer, air pressure &c. to the feed position. The ninth Provisional Specification states that a slight vibratory movement may be given to the feed wheel. The eleventh Provisional Specification describes grinding abutments on a deflecting member to break up files of articles round the wheel periphery.