GB823148A - Apparatus for unstacking bottle crates or the like - Google Patents

Abstract

823,148. Unpacking. TOLLEY, B. G. April 18, 1956 [April 12, 1955], No. 10559/55. Class 94(1). A machine for unstacking bottle crates comprises a track 2 along which stacks of crates are moved by a chain conveyer 4 and a framework 7 which is reciprocable vertically in guides 6 by crank and connecting-rod mechanism 8-11, the shaft 12 of which is driven through a one-revolution clutch 13 by a motor 14. The frame 7 carries rotatable shafts 17 having fingers 18 at their ends adapted to engage under the top rails of the second and higher crates in each stack. Arms 20 on the shafts are coupled together by a link 19 and an extension 21 of the uppermost shaft is formed with an arm 22 carrying a roller 23 arranged to engage a spring-loaded plate 25, Fig. 4, pivoted to a fixed bracket 24. On the upward movement of the frame 7, the roller rides over the front face of the plate so that the shafts are rocked to extend the fingers, and towards the end of the downward movement of the frame the fingers ride down the sides of the crates and are thus retracted and the roller passes behind the plate. The stacks of crates are arrested by a stop 27 and are released in succession by a spring-loaded lever 28 actuated by a pivoted pusher 30 coupled to a link 31 which is connected by linkage 35 to a spring- loaded trip member 34 engageable by the second crate in each stack. Assuming that a stack has been released from the stop, it moves into engagement with a spring-loaded lever 36 which operates through linkage 37 to engage the clutch 13 and cause the frame 7 to descend and rise. At the commencement of the upward movement of the frame, the fingers 18 are extended to engage and lift all the crates in the stack except the lowermost one which is moved on by the conveyer into engagement with a second spring-loaded lever 38 which operates through linkage 39 to re-engage the clutch 13, thus causing the frame 7 to descend and rise once again leaving the lowermost crate to be moved on by the conveyer. These operations are repeated until all the crates have been separated in succession from the stack, the levers 36 and 38 being periodically depressed clear of the lowermost crate by an abutment 44 on the frame 7 and a lever 42 actuated by a spring-loaded plunger 43 which in turn is actuated by an abutment on the frame. When the stack has been reduced to a single crate, the trip member 34 is released and operates to swing the link 31 to a position such that its upper end 32 is engaged by a lug 33 on the frame 7 as the latter descends, the pusher 30 being thus operated to release the next stack from the stop 27.