Selective gripper release
AssigneeGraphic Management Associates, Inc.
InventorsRobert M. Silva, Frank J. Tomko
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A selective release for grippers on a conveyor, each of which has a movable arm and a stationary arm. Arms move toward each other to grip a planar product (e.g. a newspaper) therebetween and move away from each other to release the product. The gripper is biased toward the closed position and can be moved into the open position by the application of a release force. A rocker cam is provided which can move into a position whereby it urges the movable gripper arm into the open position and into contact with a retaining cam. The retaining cam holds the movable arm in the open position for a period of time sufficient to allow the product to be completely released from the gripper.
Claims24
A release for a first gripper moving on a conveyor in a traveling direction, said first gripper comprising a first gripper arm and a second gripper arm, said first gripper arm and said second gripper arm being movable toward each other into a closed position, wherein said gripper exerts a clamping force on a planar product therebetween, and away from each other into an open position, wherein said gripper releases said product, a bias biasing said gripper toward said closed position, said first gripper adapted to move into said open position when a release force, greater than said clamping force, is applied thereto,
- at least one retaining cam adapted to retain said first gripper in said open position,
- at least one first rocker cam having an operative position, wherein said first rocker cam urges said gripper into said open position and into contact with said retaining cam, thereby holding said first gripper in said open position, and an inactive position, wherein it does not urge said gripper into said open position or into contact with said retaining cam, said rocker cam pivoting about a point intermediate its ends between said operative position and said inactive position.
A release for a first gripper moving on a conveyor in a traveling direction, said first gripper comprising a first gripper arm and a second gripper arm, said first gripper arm and said second gripper arm being movable toward each other into a closed position, wherein said gripper exerts a clamping force on a planar product therebetween, and away from each other into an open position, wherein said gripper releases said product, a bias biasing said gripper toward said closed position, said first gripper adapted to move into said open position when a release force, greater than said clamping force, is applied thereto,
- at least one retaining cam adapted to retain said first gripper in said open position,
- at least one first rocker cam having an operative position, wherein said rocker cam urges said gripper into said open position and into contact with said retaining cam, thereby holding said first gripper in said open position,
- at least one first release arm on said first gripper which is adapted to receive said release force and transmit said release force to said first gripper,
- a first pair of said first release arms, one of each side of said first gripper, a first pair of said first rocker cams, one adapted to bear against each of said release arms, and two said retaining cams, one adapted to retain said first release arms and said first gripper in said open position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.