US 3,938,650 A · Indexing article separating and feeding conveyor

Abstract

Articles delivered in side-by-side rows are separated in each row and advanced in pairs to the feeding flights of a wrapping machine conveyor operating at right angles across the ends of the delivery rows, by pairs of accelerating belts that grip the lead pair of articles in the rows between top and bottom belts and advance the pair at a faster rate than the delivery conveyors. Separator bars extending transversely across the paths of the articles are advanced in an orbit around the top accelerating belts and above the bottom accelerating belts by carrier loops located vertically alongside of the accelerator belts. The accelerator belts and the carrier loops are driven intermittently in a cycle synchronized with the feeding flights to advance at higher speed than the article feeding rows during 270.degree. of each cycle and stop during 90.degree. of each cycle with a separator bar in the gap created at the leading end of the delivery rows, to stop a pair of articles at the entrance or "nip" between the accelerating belts.

Claims13

Dependent claims

In combination with a pair of side-by-side article delivery belts and a wrapping machine conveyor extending transversely across the delivery ends of said belts and in spaced relation to the ends thereof, article indexing and advancing mechanism comprising:

upper and lower opposed accelerator belts positioned to receive pairs of articles from said delivery belts,
a fixed dead plate positioned to support a pair of articles between the outlet ends of said accelerator belts and said wrapping machine conveyor,
a pair of carrier loops positioned in upright planes along side of said accelerating belts and said dead plate,
a plurality of transverse bars carried in equally spaced relation around said loops and advanced thereby into blocking positions between the delivery ends of said delivery belts and the receiving ends of said accelerator belts, and between said accelerator belts across said dead plate to article delivering position along side of said wrapping machine conveyor,
and drive means including an intermittent cycling drive connected to be driven from said wrapping machine conveyor and to concurrently drive said accelerator belts and said carrier loops at equal linear speeds greater than the speed of said delivery belts,
said intermittent cycling drive being arranged to provide a dwell and stop period with one of said cross bars in blocking relation in front of and closely adjacent the nip at the inlet ends of said accelerator belts.

3 more elements

upper and lower opposed accelerator belts positioned to receive pairs of articles from said delivery belts,
a fixed dead plate positioned to support a pair of articles between the outlet ends of said accelerator belts and said wrapping machine conveyor,
a pair of carrier loops positioned in upright planes along side of said accelerator belts and said dead plate,
a plurality of transverse bars carried in equally spaced relation around said loops and advanced thereby into blocking positions between the delivery ends of said delivery belts and the receiving ends of said accelerator belts, and between said accelerator belts across said dead plate to article delivering position along side of said wrapping machine conveyor,
and drive means including a clutch connected to be driven from said wrapping machine conveyor and to concurrently drive said accelerator belts and said carrier loops at equal linear speeds greater than the speed of said delivery belts,
said clutch being arranged to stop said drive means at one position in the cycle of said wrapping machine conveyor with one of said cross bars in blocking relation in front of the inlet ends of said accelorator belts.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Indexing article separating and feeding conveyor

Life of this patent

Indexing article separating and feeding conveyor

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims13