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US 3,938,697 AGranted
Magazine feeder for circular elements
AssigneePhillips Petroleum Company
InventorAlfred W. Kinney
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Generally circular articles within a row of similar articles are conveyed and dispensed from the end of the row. When the row of articles is substantially depleted a magazine containing another row of the articles is advanced to bring the additional row of articles in contact with the conveying shaft. A method and apparatus are provided for automatically actuating and advancing the magazine and for returning it to its original position when all articles contained therein have been delivered to the conveyor.
Claims17
Apparatus comprising:
- a conveying means for accepting a row of axially aligned articles each having a generally circular outer periphery and delivering said articles to a first end of said conveying means;
- dispensing means located adjacent said first end of said conveying means for receiving each of said articles in said row and delivering each said article from said conveying means;
- a magazine feeder means for delivering at least one axially aligned row of said articles into said conveying means, said magazine feeder means having at least one compartment for carrying a row of said articles to said conveying means and successively releasing each row so carried into said conveying means;
- means for generating a first control signal in response to a substantial depletion of the row of articles within said conveyor means;
- magazine drive means for initiating movement of said magazine feeder means in response to the presence of said first control signal;
- means for terminating operation of said magazine drive means and halting movement of said magazine feeder means in response to a compartment of the magazine feeder means being brought into position to deliver a row of said articles into said conveying means;
- and
- means for automatically reversing said magazine drive means and returning said magazine feeder means to a preselected reloading position in response to the articles in all compartments thereof having been delivered into said conveying trough means.
5 more elements
Apparatus comprising:
- a conveying trough means for accepting a row of axially aligned articles each having a generally circular outer periphery and delivering said articles to a first end of said conveying trough means;
- means for continually actuating said conveying trough means during operation of the apparatus;
- dispensing means located adjacent said first end of said conveying trough for receiving each of said articles in said row and delivering each said article from said conveying trough;
- and
- a magazine feeder means for delivering at least one axially aligned row of said articles into said conveying trough means, said magazine feeder means having a plurality of compartments for carrying a row of said articles to said conveying trough means and successively releasing each said row so carried into said conveying trough means;
- means for intermittently automatically indexing said magazine feeder means in response to a substantial depletion of the row of articles within said conveying trough means, said means for automatically indexing said magazine feeder means comprising
- photoelectric light source means for projecting a light beam across said conveying trough means;
- photoelectric detector means for detecting said light beam and establishing a first control signal responsive to said light beam not being interrupted by one or more of said articles within said conveying means;
- magazine drive means for initiating movement of said magazine feeder means in response to the presence of said first control signal;
- means for terminating operation of said magazine drive means and halting movement of said magazine feeder means in response to a compartment of the magazine feeder means being brought into position to deliver a row of said articles into said conveying trough means;
- and
- means for automatically reversing said magazine drive means and returning said magazine feeder means to a preselected reloading position in response to the articles in all compartments thereof having been delivered into said conveying trough means.
9 more elements
A method of dispensing articles each having a generally circular outer periphery, said method comprising:
- dispensing said articles from an axially aligned row of said articles located within a conveying means;
- storing at least one additional row of said articles in a feeding magazine means adjacent said conveying means;
- establishing a first control signal in response to a substantial depletion of the row of articles within said conveying means;
- actuating a magazine drive means to advance said feeding magazine in response to said first control signal;
- automatically terminating operation of said magazine drive means upon advancement of said feeding magazine a distance sufficient to permit deposit of a said additional row of said articles within said conveying means;
- and
- automatically reversing said magazine drive means to return said feeding magazine to a preselected reloading location after all said additional rows of articles contained therein have been delivered to said conveying trough means.
4 more elements
A method of dispensing articles each having a generally circular outer periphery, said method comprising:
- dispensing said articles from an axially aligned row of said articles located within a conveying trough means;
- storing a plurality of additional rows of said articles in a feeding magazine means adjacent said conveying trough means;
- automatically advancing one of said at least one additional rows into said conveying trough means in response to a substantial depletion of the row of said articles located within said conveying trough means by
- photoelectrically sensing a depletion of the row of articles within said conveying trough means sufficient to permit accommodation of said one of said additional rows within said conveying trough means;
- generating a first control signal in response to said photoelectric sensing,
- actuating a magazine drive motor to advance said feeding magazine in response to said first control signal;
- automatically terminating operation of said magazine drive motor upon advancement of said feeding magazine a distance sufficient to permit deposit of said one of said additional rows within said conveying trough means;
- and
- automatically reversing said magazine drive means to return said feeding magazine to a preselected reloading location after all said additional rows of articles contained therein have been delivered to said conveying trough means.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.