Method and apparatus for transferring articles of glassware from a blow station to conveyor means
AssigneeEmhart Industries, Inc.
InventorFrank A. Fenton
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Two gripping means (50 and 58) are used alternately to transfer articles (16) from a blow station (14) to conveyor belts (20). The gripping means are mounted on a carriage (30) which is movable transversely of the blow station to move the gripping means in turn into alignment with the blow station or above one of the conveyor belts. Horizontal moving means (66 and 70) is associated with each gripping means to move it to and from the blow station to collect articles. Vertical moving means (42) is associated with each gripping means to move it downwardly on the carriage to release articles on to one of the conveyor belts.
Claims9
A glassware handling system for transferring formed articles of glassware from a blow station of a glassware forming machine to conveyor means, the system comprising a carriage, first gripping means mounted for movement with the carriage and operable to grip or release articles of glassware, second gripping means mounted for movement with the carriage and operable to grip or release articles of glassware, carriage moving means operable to move the carriage transversely of the blow station between a first position of the carriage in which the first gripping means is in alignment with the blow station and a second position of the carriage in which the second gripping means is in alignment with the blow station, first horizontal moving means which supports the first gripping means, is mounted for movement with the carriage, and is operable to move the first gripping means horizontally relative to the carriage between a position in which, when the carriage is in its first position, the first gripping means is above the blow station, and a position in which, when the carriage is in its second position, the first gripping means is above the conveyor means, second horizontal moving means which supports the second gripping means, is mounted for movement with the carriage, and is operable to move the second gripping means horizontally relative to the carriage between a position in which, when the carriage is in its second position, the second gripping means is above the blow station and a position in which, when the carriage is in its first position, the second gripping means is above the conveyor means, first vertical moving means operable to move the first horizontal moving means vertically relative to the carriage to move the first gripping means between a first level at which it can grip articles at the blow station and a second, lower, level at which it can release articles on to the conveyor means, and second vertical moving means operable to move the second horizontal moving means vertically relative to the carriage to move the second gripping means between the first and the second levels.
A method of transferring successively-formed articles of glassware from a blow station of a glassware forming machine to conveyor means using a first and a second gripping means by which alternately-formed articles or groups of articles are transferred, the method comprising moving the first gripping means transversely of the blow station to a first position in alignment with and at a higher lever than the blow station and simultaneously moving the second gripping means transversely of the blow station to a second position out of alignment with the blow station and above the conveyor means, moving the first gripping means from the first position to a third position above the blow station at which the first gripping means is caused to grip an article or a group of articles, moving the second gripping means downwardly from the second position to a fourth position at which the second gripping means is caused to release an article or a group of articles on to the conveyor means, moving the first gripping means from the third position to the first position, moving the second gripping means from the fourth position to the second position, moving the first gripping transversely of the blow station to a fifth position out of alignment with the blow station and above the conveyor means and simultaneously moving the second gripping means transversely of the blow station from the second position to the first position, moving the first gripping means downwardly from the fifth position to a sixth position at which the first gripping means is caused to release an article or a group of articles on to the conveyor means, moving the second gripping means from the first position to the third position at which the second gripping means is caused to grip an article or a group of articles, moving the first gripping means from the sixth position to the fifth position, moving the second gripping means from the third position to the first position, and repeating the above-mentioned movements in timed relationship to the operation of the machine so that all articles formed are transferred.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.