Tubing loader
AssigneeOwens-Illinois, Inc.
InventorsOtto Zauner, Fred Bender
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A device for mainpulating and orienting elongate tubular stock receives such stock in a horizontal position, separates and individually spaces such stock, reorients it vertically and transfers it to associated equipment. Elongate stock is manually loaded onto a horizontal bed from packing containers or other supply means unrelated to the invention. Guide wheels separate and horizontally juxtapose the stock in a single-file horizontal row. A chain conveyor then individually engages each piece of stock, and lifts and rotates it generally about one end into a vertical position. The stock is then transferred horizontally as necessary, to associated equipment. The elongate stock may be cylindrical such as glass tubes or rods or define various cross-sections such as triangular, square or polygonal.
Claims22
An apparatus for receiving and reorienting elongate stock comprising, in combination,
- means for receiving a plurality of pieces of elongate stock in a substantially horizontal orientation;
- means associated with said receiving means for disposing such elongate stock substantially adjacent one another in a single thickness horizontal row;
- and
- means for reorienting such stock from such substantially horizontal orientation to a substantially vertical orientation, said reorienting means including a pluarality of stock engaging lugs secured to at least a pair of means for driving said lugs through an arc whereby each elongate stock is engaged by at least a pair of said lugs and is reoriented generally about one end.
An apparatus for receiving, reorienting and transferring elongate stock comprising, in combination,
- means for receiving a plurality of pieces of elongate stock in a substantially horizontal orientation;
- means for juxtaposing said pieces of elongate stock in a single-file substantially horizontal row;
- means for reorienting such stock from such substantially horizontal orientation to a substantially vertical orientation, said reorienting means including a plurality of stock engaging lugs secured to at least a pair of means for driving said lugs through an arc whereby each elongate stock is engaged by at least a pair of said lugs and is reoriented generally about one end;
- means for horizontally transferring such elongate stock;
- and
- means for driving said reorienting means and said transferring means.
An apparatus for receiving, reorienting and transferring elongate stock comprising, in combination, an inclined stock receiving structure having a lower end and a substantially normally disposed stop structure adjacent said lower end, at least two wheels spaced from said stock receiving structure at a distance substantially equal to the diameter of such elongate stock, at least two conveyor chains disposed for movement about a quadrant of a circle, each of said chains having a plurality of stock engaging lugs secured thereto, at least two substantially vertically aligned conveyor chains disposed for movement about a horizontal path, each of said chains having a plurality of stock engaging lugs secured thereto, and drive means operably coupled to said conveyor chains for imparting motion thereto.
A method of providing elongate stock to fabricating equipment, the method comprising the steps of:
- A. supplying elongate stock into a substantially horizontal support structure in a non-precise manner,
- B. unscrambling the stock,
- C. driving a plurality of stock engaging lugs through an arc,
- D. engaging each stock with at least a pair of said plurality of stock engaging lugs, thereby reorienting each stock generally about one end while secured by the lugs to an oriented vertical position, and
- E. moving the stock in said oriented vertical position for subsequent feeding.
A method of automatically loading glass tubes from a horizontal scrambled position to a vial making machine, the method comprising the steps of:
- A. supplying glass tubes in a substantially horizontal position in a scrambled manner,
- B. unscrambling the glass tubes,
- C. driving a plurality of tube engaging lugs through an arc,
- D. engaging each tube with at least a pair of said plurality of tube engaging lugs, thereby reorienting each tube generally about one end while secured by the lugs to an oriented vertical position, and
- E. moving the glass tubes in said oriented vertical position for subsequent feeding into the vial making machine.
A method of providing 360.degree. access for an operator to a vertical vial machine, the method comprising automatically loading the machine with lengths of glass tubes, the method comprising the steps of:
- A. providing lengths of glass tubes in a non-precise manner to a horizontal support,
- B. unscrambling the glass tubes and rearranging the tubes in a single row,
- C. driving tube engaging lugs through an arc,
- D. engaging each tube with the tube engaging lugs,
- E. reorienting each tube generally about one end while secured by the lugs, by moving the tubes one at a time with each tube engaged by a pair of lugs from horizontal orientation in a radial manner up to a vertical orientation above the machine at a height suitable for feeding the machine automatically and providing operator access to the machine,
- F. moving the tubes in said vertical orientation to the feeder of the machine;
- and
- G. pushing the tubes to the feeder in said vertical orientation and maintaining pressure on each tube to deliver the same to the machine feeder.
A method of providing elongate stock to fabricating equipment comprising the steps of:
- A. supplying elongate stock to a substantially horizontal support structure in a non-precise manner,
- B. rearranging the stock in a single horizontal row,
- C. driving stock engaging lugs through an arc,
- D. individually engaging such stock on a conveyor with at least a pair of lugs, thereby reorienting each stock about one end to an oriented vertical position, and
- E. moving stock in said oriented vertical position for subsequent feeding.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.