Oscillating head filler device
AssigneeRaque Food Systems, Inc.
InventorsGlen F. Raque, Edward A. Robinson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An arrangement for use in a conveying and filling device where a conveyor is provided which travels along a linear path in a selected direction to carry articles, for example, recepticles to be filled. A dispensing device is carried by a mounting arm located in spaced relation from the conveyor and is carried by crank means to travel in an orbital path where the orbit carries the mounting arm in the direction of movement of the conveyor for the first portion of the orbit at the termination of which the orbital path returns the mounting arm to a second position relative to the conveyor for a second cycle over the conveyor, including a height adjusting arrangement to adjust the clearance between the mounting arm and the conveyor.
Claims7
A device for adjusting the spacing between a mounting arm and a conveyor traveling linearly parallel to a first axis at a selected speed where the mounting arm moves in an orbital path in a plane parallel to the first axis and about a second axis transverse to the first axis in spaced relation from the conveyor so the linear component of speed of the mounting arm parallel to the direction of travel of the conveyor is directed opposite to the direction of travel during a first portion of the orbit and in the same direction of travel as the conveyor during a second portion of the orbit including:
- a. crank drive means having a drive shaft to rotate eccentric crank means and an eccentrically located post connected to the mounting arm to drive the mounting arm in an orbital path in a plane parallel to the first axis;
- b. a planetary differential gear device having a first input shaft and an adjustment input shaft and a differential output shaft which rotates through an arc instantaneously responsive to the rotation of the first input shaft and to be selectively advanced by rotation of the adjustment input shaft in a first direction and retarded by rotation of the adjustment input shaft in a second direction;
- c. first adjustment drive means including a shaft rotatable about a fixed axis at a selected speed of rotation and having a first circular external drive surface;
- d. power transmission means to interconnect the differential output shaft for rotation of the first adjustment drive means;
- e. second adjustment drive means carried by the mounting arm means for orbital travel therewith having a second circular external drive surface to engage and be in continuous contact with said first external drive surface and where the second adjustment drive means has a rotatable output shaft;
- f. first drive means to drive the conveyor;
- g. second drive means to rotate the drive shaft of the crank drive means and the first input shaft of the planetary differential gear device so that without rotation of the adjustment input shaft the arc of rotation of the first circular external drive surface is equal to the arc of rotation of the second circular external drive surface so there is no relative movement of the second adjustment drive means about the first adjustment drive means and so that upon rotation of the adjustment input shaft of the planetary differential gear device the first circular external drive surface rotates relative to the second circular external drive surface to rotate the rotatable output shaft through an arc proportional to the extent of rotation of the adjustment input shaft and in a direction determined by the direction of rotation of the adjustment input shaft;
- h. space adjusting means connected to said mounting arm and having a space adjusting input shaft driven by the rotatable output shaft to adjust the position of a portion of the mounting arm relative to the conveyor dependant upon extent and direction of rotation of the rotatable output shaft of the second adjustment drive means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.