US1900625A - Pallet feeding device - Google Patents

Description

March 7, 1933.

C. E. WALKER PALLET FEEDING DEVICE Filed Nov. 6, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet; 1

3mm Charles E'- vIVaIZ/FEJ' 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 c. E. WALKER Filed Nov. 6, 1950 PALLET FEEDING DEvI cE Q. a mw mw I IN IM IH H HHHHUMHH Hw n March 7, 1933.

March'7,1933. Q WALK R- 1,900,625

PALLET FEEDING DEVICE Filed Nov. 6, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 uuultimnm "m lharZes .EQ ell/(1'31" March 7, 1933. c, E WALKER 1,900,625

PALLET FEEDING DEVICE Filed Nov. 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 gwventoz Charies E. WaZ/(Zer A March c. E. WALKER PALLET FEEDING DEVICE iled Nov. 6, 1950 s Sheets-Sheet 5 Charles- E'. Walllr Patented Mar. 7, 1933;

UNITED srAr es err Erics- CHARLES E. WALKER, or GATSKILL, NEW YORK, AssIeNoR To LANCASTER IRON woRKs, or LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION or 'rENNsYLvANiA P LLET FEEDING DEVICE -App1ication filed November 6, 1930. Serial No. 493,843;

The invention forming the subject matter of this application is in the nature of a semiautomatic device for feeding empty pallets to an automatic brick machine of the general type disclosed in the U. S. Patent to Graham, #1,341,798, June 1, 1920. v

In automatic brick machines of the type mentioned, the empty pallets were placed directly upon the pallet receiving fingers at the output end of the machine by an operator whose motions had to be accurately timed with the motions of the brickmachine. In this type of brick machine, the operator not only has to time his movements with those of the machine, but also is compelled to place the empty pallets with extreme accuracy upon the pallet receiving fingers.

With an automatic brick machine delivering from 20 to 25 filled moulds per minute, the operator had no time to pick up empty pallets from the return palletconveyor and place the pallets on the palletfingers with the necessary degree of accuracy. It was therefore necessary for a helper to hand the pallets, one by one, to the operator Who, in turn, positioned them on the" pallet fingers; and the motions of the helper had to be timed with those of the operator, whose motions of course had to be timed with those of the automatic brick machine. V

The main object of the present invention is to providea pallet feeding attachment for automatic brick machine of the type referred to, which will eliminate the helper in the pro er placing of the pallets to receive the brie s from filled moulds.

Another object of the invention is to provide an attachment of this character which eliminates the necessity for the placing of pallets accurately in a predetermined position in the machine, and which after receiving a pallet will automatically place that pallet accurately upon a mould in a predetermined position of rest in the machine. v

Other objects of the invention willbecome apparent as the detailed description thereof proceeds.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the apparatus as a whole, shown as attached-to the output end of an automatic brick machine of, the type described above;

Figure 2 is a bottom plan View of the pallet V feeding trough part of the attachment shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the said attachment; V

Figure is a left hand end elevation of the attachment;

Figure 5 is a right hand the attachment;

Figure 6 is a horizontal section of a safety driving connection between the pallet feeding mechanism and a driving shaft connected for end elevation of operation to a part of the automatic brick machine; a

Figure 7 is a vertical section taken on the line 7'Z of Figure 6;

a Figure 8 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 8- 8 of Figure 1;

Figure 9' is a similar section to that shown in Figure 8 but with the parts shown in a dif ferent operative position;

Figure lOis a perspective view of a height adjusting connection between the end of the pallet feeding attachment and one side of the automatic brick machine;

Figure 11 is a fragmentary perspective of the attachment as a whole, and showing its position relative to the output end of an automatic brick machine; I l

Figure 12 is a side elevation of the driving mechanism for the pallet feeding attachment which is connected detachably to a rotating shaft forming part of the automatic brick machine; 7

Figure 13 is a perspective View of a pusher device connected to anendlessconveyor chain an d adapted-to move an empty pallet to a predetermined position in'the attachment;

Figure 14 is a fragmentary perspective of part of the pallet feeding attachment, illustrating the pusher device in the act of moving an empty pallet to a predetermined position in said attachment;

Figure 15 is a fragmentaryplan view of a safety drive connection between the driving and driven shafts of the attachment;

Figure 16 is a vertical section taken on the line 1616 of Figure 15;

Figure 17 is a section taken on the line 17-17 of Figure 15; and

Figure 18 is a vertical section taken through a pallet stop forming part of said attachment and adjustable thereon to provide for moulds and pallets of different lengths.

As shown in the drawings, and particularly in Figures 3, 4 and 11 thereof, the pallet feeding attachment comprises a standard 1 adapted to be secured by an angle iron base 2 to a floor or platform on which the automatic brick machine is supported. The standard comprises the legs 3 and 4,. (see Figure 4), suitably bolted to a cross plate 5 which in turn is bolted to the angle iron base 2. The upper ends of the legs 3 and 4 are connected by a cross plate 6. To the upper end of each leg 3 and 4 and on the outer side thereof, there is pivotally connected one end of a rail 7, the other end of which is pivotally connected to a brace 8; while the other end of the brace 8 is provided with a slot 9 through which a clamping bolt 10 extends into the leg 3 or 4, as the case may be. The rails 7 are secured to and support a rectangular frame designated generally by the reference numeral 11 and constituting a trough adapted to receive empty pallets and to guide such pallets to a predetermined position relative to the automatic brick machine to which the attachment is secured.

The frame 11 comprises a pair of long angle iron side rails 12 and 13 which are secured suitably to the rails 7, and have their flanges 14 and 15 respectively extending vertically to form the side walls of the guide trough. An angle iron plate 16 is secured to the ends of the rails 12 and 13 and forms one end of the trough-like framework; while the other ends of said rails 12 and 13 are connected to each other and properly spaced apart by a cylindrical rod 17 adapted to receive a sleeve 18 of mechanism for vertically adjusting that end of the framework relative to the automatic brick machine to which the attachment is connected. Angle iron cross struts 19, 20 and 21 connect the side rails between the ends thereof and serve as supports for elements of the pallet feeder to be described hereafter.

A skid 22 is supported by the cross struts 19 and 20: and a pair of skids 23 and 24 are mounted on the said cross struts and upon the center skid 22 so as to form a depression or groove between the skids 23 and 24 and form a guideway for an endless chain 25. The endless chain is meshed with sprocket wheels 26 and 27 suitably connected to shafts 28 and 29 respectively supported by the under side of the framework 11. The shaft 28 is journaled in bearings 30 and 31 which are slidably mounted on rods 32 and 33 carried by the end plate 16 and the vertical flange of the cross strut 19, as shown in Figure 3 of the drawings. The shaft 29, (see Figures 1 and 6), is

journaled in suitable bearings 34 and 35, depending from the underside of the side rails 12 and 13 respectively. The chain may have its slack taken up by adjusting the bearing sleeves and 31 on their respective rods 32 and 33 and securing said sleeves in adjusted position by means of the set screws 36, (see Figure 3).

The endless chain 25 carries a pusher device 37, (see Figures 13 and 14), for moving a pallet along the skids 23 and 24 toward the gravity conveyor illustrated on the right, hand portion of Figure 1. This pusher device is constructed so 'as to insure positive movement of the pallet and at the same time be flexible enough to permit the chain 25 to pass freely around the sprocket Wheels 26 and 27. As shown clearly in Figure 13, the pusher device comprises a pair of side members 38 and 39, having their bottom ends formed similar to the links of the conveyor chain 25 and adapted to be secured to said chain by the pins which connect the links of said chain to each other.

The members 38 and 39 are apertured to form bearings for a shaft 40 on which a pusher plate 41 is pivotally mounted. Close behind the pair of members 38 and 39 are the similar members 42 and 43, similarly secured to the endless chain 25. The members 42 and 43 are likewise apertured to receive and form bearings for a shaft 43, upon which a link 44 is pivotally mounted at one end, the other end of said link 44 being pivotally connected to the pusher plate 41 by a pivot pin 45.

It Will be apparent from Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings that when the pusher device 37 engages apallet 46, (see Figure'14), it will movethe pallet along the skids 23 and 24 on to the gravity roller conveyors 47 and 48. The rollers 49 of the conveyor 47 are rotatably mounted on a bearing plate 50 which extends from the end of the skid 23 to the cross strut 21. A number of these rollers 49 adjacent the skid 23 are mounted on the inner face of the plate 50 and are arranged directly opposite to an equal number of rollers 51 rotatably mounted on a short plate 52. The plates 50 and 52 are secured by suitable brackets 53, 54, 55 and 56 to the side rails 12 and 13. Another series of gravity rolls 57 is secured to the back face of the plate 50 and serves to support slidably a pallet during its movement along and from the oppositely disposed rolls 49 and 51.

The rollers 51 terminate a sufllcient distance from the stop plate 58 to permit the end of the pallet adjacent the vertical side 15 to drop from the rollers 51 on to a trip plate 59 which supports one edge of the pallet until a brick mould arrives at a position of rest immediately under the trip plate 59.

The trip plate 59, (see Figures 3, 8- and 9), is suitably secured to a squared shaft 60 having its opposite ends journaled in bearings 61 and 62 secured to the bottom of the rail 13. One end of the shaft 60 projects beyond the bearing 61 and has a trip lever 63 secured thereto and arranged to hold the shaft 60 with the trip plate 59 by gravity and normally in a horizontal position shown in Figure 8, the said lever being shaped so as to provide a toe 64 thereon adapted to contact with the lower face of the rail 13 in order to limit the rotation of the shaft 60 to a position in which the trip plate 59 is substantially horizontal.

The trip lever 63 is provided with a laterally extending pin 65 arranged in the path of movement of a pin 66, (see Figure 6) extending inwardly from a trip disc 67 operated in timed relation to the movements of the brick moulds through the automatic brick machine. In Figure 8 of the drawings, the pallet 46 is shown in position of rest and immediately prior to the operation of the trip mechanism for dropping the pallet on to the mould 68.

When the trip mechanism is operated to swing the lever 63 upwardly into the position shown in Figure 9, the trip plate 59 moves away from the supported edge of the pallet 46 and permits it to drop directly upon the mould 68 immediately below it.

The stop plate 58 is right angular in cross section and has a plate portion 69 provided with a pair of slots 70 and 71 adapted to receive the clamping bolts 72 and 73 for holding the stop plate 58 in adjusted position on the cross strut 21 to compensate for the differences in length of the pallets which may be used in machines of different sizes. As previously described, the right hand end of the frame 11 may be adjusted vertically relative to the framework of the brick machine in order to assure the gravity movement of the pallet along the gravity conveyor rollers after being pushed thereon by the pusher plate 41.

The vertical adjustment of the right hand end of the frame 11 is effected by means of the rod 74 which depends from the sleeve 18, which as previously described is rotatably mounted on the cross rod 17 The rod 74 is slidably mounted in clamping split sleeves 7 5 and 76, of which the sleeve 75 is formed on a bracket 77, and the sleeve 7 6 is adjustably secured to the sleeve 75 by clamping bolt 7 8. The bracket 7 7 is adapted to be secured to a plate 7 9 which is preferably hinged to a fixed part of the framework of the automatic brick machine in order that the raising and lowering of the end of the pallet feeder may be effected without warping or binding any of the vertical adjusting mechanism. 7

Of course it will be understood that during this vertical adjustment of the end of the pallet conveyor relative to the automatic brick machine, the bolts 10 in the standard 1 must be loosened in order to permit the braces 8 to move with the side rails 12 and 13 during this adjustment. After this adjustment the bolts 10-may be clamped to secure the brace plate and the framework 11 in substantially fixed position relative to the automatic brick machine. I V

In order to effect the operation of the pallet feeding mechanism the driven shaft .29, (see particularly Figure 6), extends through the bearing 34, and on the projecting end thereof has a shear collar 81 keyed thereon. The end of the collar 81 extends slightly beyond the end of the shaft 29 in order to receive the end of the driving shaft 82, thereby ensuring continuous and proper alignment of the shafts 29 and 82.

As shown in Figures 15 and 17, the shear collar 81 has a shear plate 82 of hardened steel bolted or otherwise secured to the collar 81. A shear rod 83 has one of its ends pivoted to the shear plate 82 by means of the pivot bolt 84; and the shear plate and rod are provided with apertures 85 adapted to receive shear pins 86 of soft metal which will break under a given pressure and allow the shear rod 83 to swing around its pivot bolt 84.

The rotation of the driving shaft 82 is imparted to the driven shaft 29 by means of the driving collar 87 which is keyed on to the driving shaft 82 as shown in Figure 6. A lug 88 extends radially from the driving collar 87 to contact with the inner edge of the shear rod 83 and cause rotation of the collar 81 and the shaft 29 when the shear pins 85 are arranged in the registering apertures formed in the shear plate 82 and the shear rod 83. It will be obvious from inspection of Figures 6 and 15 that when the shear pins are broken the driving shaft 82 will rotate in the end of the collar 81 without imparting its rotation to the driven shaft 29. In order to maintain the collars 81 and 87 in contact with each other, the shear pin 83 is arranged at an angle in order to contact with the lug 88 in such manner as to cause the collar 87 to be held against the collar 81.

The driving shaft 82 extends across the rails 89 and 90 which are held parallel to each otherand spaced apart by a channel iron standard 91 terminating in a base plate adapted to be secured to the floor or platform on which the automatic brick machine is mounted. Suitable braces 92 and 93 connect the standard 91 to the horizontal rails 89 and 90 respectively. The other ends of the rails 89 and 90 are secured to each other and spaced apart by a plate 94; and a bearing 95 of the usual split type is suspended from said end by bolts 96 in order to embrace the shaft 97 on which the bumper cam 98 of the automatic brick machine is secured.

The shaft, 97 has a sprocket wheel 99 fixed thereon and a chain 100 extends around the sprocket wheel 99 and around a. second sprocket wheel 1'01 fixed to a shaft 102 jour-.

naled in suitable bearings 103 and 104 suit= ably secured to the rails 89 and 90 respec tively. The driving shaft 82 extends through a third sprocket wheel 105- in mesh also with the chain 100; and this shaft 82 is mounted in bearings 106 and 107 fixed in position by any suitable means on, the rails 89 and 90.

In order to take up slack in the chain 100 the plates 108 and 109 by whichthe bearings 103 and 104 are secured to the rails 89 and 90 are provided with slots .110 and 111 through which extends the clamping bolts 112 and 113 for clamping the said plates and bearings in the position necessary to maintain the chain 100 in proper driving connection with the several sprocket wheels.

Referring now to Figures 6 and 7 in connection with the description of the trip mecha-nism for operating the trip plate 59, we have the shaft 29 extending through the bearing 35 to receive fixedly the trip disc 67. The disc 67 is provided with an annular flange 114 machined to form an internal gear 115 in mesh with a pair of spur gears 116 and'117 rotatably mounted on bolts118 and 119 arranged parallel to each otherand to the shaft 29 in the bearing 35. A pinion 120 is suitably fixed to the driving shaft 29 and meshes with the spur gears 116 and 117 to drive the trip disc 67 on the shaft 29, the same trip disc being held against axial movement on the shaft 29 by means of the nut 121.

The trip disc 67 has a lug 122 extending radial y therefrom and the pin66 is extended inwardly from the lug 122 in order to contact with the pin 65 on the trip lever 63. The length of the trip pin 65 will of course determine the period of time during which the trip plate 59 is in the trip position shown in Figure 9 of the drawings.

lVhile I have shown and described the pallet feeding mechanism as being operated by the bumper shaft of the automatic brick machine, it mustbe understood that this is for the purpose of illustration only, since the feeding mechanism may be operated from any suitable rotating member of the automatic brick machine providing the several elements of the feeding mechanism are so proportioned and timed with the mechanism of the brick machine that the pallet may be dropped on a fi led mould only when the mould is in a position of rest immediately below the right hand end of the pallet feeding mechanismand a pallet is positioned against the stop plate 58. I With this pallet feeding mechanism, it will be obvious that a single operator may attend to the positioning of the pallet and the accuracy of placing the pallet upon filled mou ds is effected wholly automatically by the feeding mechanism. The operator may place an empty pallet where along the skids 23 and 24, and the pusher device coming around on the chain 25 will. contact with one end of said pallet and move it along to the gravity conveyor, whence it proceeds until it contacts with the stop pl ate 58 and one of its long edges drops on to the trip plate 59. At the instant when a filled mould is immediately below the pallet, the trip mechanism is operated to drop the pallet directly on top of a mould.

The pallet is delivered to the mould innuediat-ely after it has been bumped and has come to rest, just prior to its entering the mould dumping mechanism. With the pres ent system of placing pallets the mould and pallet pass on to the dumper together; whereas in the old type of machine the pallet was placed on pallet receiving fingers and the contents of the mould were dumped upon the stationary pallet. With the present invention the pallet feeder simply deposits the empty pallet on the moulds of brick, instead of the operator placing the pallet on the pallet finger. The palet is merely delivered a little earlier in the cycle of operation of the automatic brick machine, and is delivered to the mould itself andnot to separate linger mechanism, but the operation of the automatic brick machine is not otherwise affected in any Way.

While I have shown my invention as embodying in a specific form of construction, it must be understood that the invention is not to be considered as limited in any way to this particular construction, nor in any other way except as may be imposed thereon by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

WVhat I claim is:

1. The combination with an automatic brick machine having brick molds movable intermittently in a fixed direction to a predetermined position of rest in said machine, of a guideway extending across said machine and transversely of the direction of movement of said mold, means in said guideway for moving a pallet from one end thereof to a predetermined position in said guideway, and means for releasing a pallet from said predetermined position'in the guideway on to a mold immediately beneath it in the position of rest. 7

2. The combination of an automatic brick machine having brick molds movable intermittently toward a predetermined position of rest in said machine, of a frame having parallel side flanges and extending over said machine to guide a pallet from one end of said frame to the other, an adjustable stop at one end of said frame, means for moving a pallet from the end of said frame opposite said stop into contact with said stop and means for dropping said pallet through said frame when the pallet is in cont-act with said stop on to' a mold in position of rest below said frame.

3. A combination of an automatic brick machine having brick molds movable intermittently to a position of rest in said machine,

of a guide frame connected to said machine to guide a pallet into position immediately over a mold in said predetermined position of rest, an adjustable stop at one end of said frame, and means operatively connected to said machine for-moving a pallet along said frame into contact with said stop and for dropping a pallet from its contact position with said stop on to a mold in its predetermined position of rest in said machine.

4. The combination with an automatic brick machine having brick molds movable intermittently toward a predetermined position of rest in said machine, of a standard arranged at one side of said machine, a guide frame pivotally connected between its ends to the upper end of said standard, means for angularly adjusting said frame on said stand-' ard, and adjustable means for raising and lowering the other end of said frame relative to said brick machine.

5. The combination with an automatic brick machine having brick molds movable intermittently toward a predetermined position of rest in said machine, of a standard arranged at one side of said machine, a guide frame pivotally connected between its ends to the upper end of said standard, means connecting one end of said frame to the framework of said brick machine and adjustable to vary the inclination of said guide frame on said standard and relative to the horizontal, means for clamping said guide frame in adjusted position on said standard, means for clamping the end of said frame in adjusted position relative to said brick machine and means for feeding a pallet from one end of said frame to a predetermined position at the other end and operable by said brick machine to place a pallet upon a mold in the predetermined position of rest in said machine.

6. A pallet feeding attachment for automatic brick machines comprising a support,

a guideway mounted on said support and means for moving a pallet from one end of said guideway to a predetermined position at the other end thereof.

7. A pallet feeding attachment for automatic brick machines comprising a support, a"

guideway pivotally mounted on said support and having skids at one end thereof adapted to receive a pallet, a conveyor extending from said skids toward the other end of said guideway, and means for moving the pallet from said skids on to said conveyor.

8. A pallet feeding attachment for automatic brick machines comprising a standard, a troughlike frame pivoted to the upper end of said standard and extending substantially horizontally therefrom, means connected to said standard and frame for adjusting said frame into difierent positions of inclination relative to the horizontal, a pair of skids arranged in said frame near one end thereof and adapted to receive a pallet, a roller conveyor extending from the ends of said skids toward the other end of said framework, and means for movinga pallet from said skids on to said conveyor. r

9. A pallet feeding attachment for automatic brick machines comprising a troughlike frame adapted to receive and guide pallets, a support to which said frameis pivotally connected, means for adjustably securing said frame in different angular positions relative to said support, a pair of skids in said frame, an endless conveyor belt movable between said skids, a pair of conveyors at one end of said frame, a conveyor extending from one of said pair of conveyors toward the said other end of the frame and a trip plate rotatably mounted in said frame opposite the last named conveyor. p

' 10. A pallet feeding attachment for automatic brick machines comprising a frame having parallel side flanges adapted to guide a pallet from one end of said frame to the other, an adjustable stop at one end of said frame, means'for moving a pallet from the end of said frame opposite said stop into contact with said stop, and means for dropping said pallet through said frame when the pallet is in contact with said stop.

11. In combination with an automatic brick machine having molds movable intermittently in a fixed direction to a predetermined position of rest in said machine, a pallet supporting frame extending over said molds, and means on said frame and operably connected to said machine toeffect movement of said pallet from said frame on to amold in position of rest below said frame.

12. In combination with an automatic brick machine having molds movable intermittently and fixed direction to a predetermined position of rest in said machine, a pallet supporting'frame extending over said machine and transversely of the path of movementof said molds, a conveyor for conducting pallets to a predetermined position in said frame, and means operable in timed relation to said machine for effecting movement of a pallet from said frame to a'mold in I position of rest below said frame.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CHARLES E. WALKER.

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