Product translating device
AssigneeAzionaria Costruzioni Macchine Automatiche A.C.M.A. S.p.A.
InventorMario Spatafora
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pusher that translates products (3) along a straight first path (4) extending along a substantially horizontal conveying surface (5) has a transmission assembly (21) for moving the pusher (8) along a closed second path (11) having a conveying portion coincident with the first path (4) from the input to the output ends (6,7) and a return portion (12) outside the first path (4). The pusher (8) is connected to the transmission assembly (21) so as to maintain a constant angular position in relation to the straight conveying direction (4a) along the first path (4), and oscillate about a first axis (30) that is crosswise to the second path (11) when moving along the return portion (12) of the second path (11).
Claims18
A device (1) for translating products (3) along a straight first path (4) extending along a substantially horizontal conveying surface (5), the device (1) comprising:
- a pusher (8) for translating products along a first path;
- and
- activating means (10) for moving the pusher (8) along a first path (4), which defines a straight conveying direction (4a) from an input end (6) to an output end (7),
- wherein the activating means (10) comprise a transmission assembly (21) for moving the pusher (8) along a closed second path (11) having a conveying portion coincident with the first path (4) from the input to the output ends (6,7) and a return portion (12) outside the first path (4), the pusher (8) being connected to the transmission assembly (21) during the moving of the pusher along the first path (4) to maintain a constant angular position in relation to the straight conveying direction (4a), and control means (63) associated with the transmission assembly (21) for oscillating the pusher (8) from the angular position about a first axis (30) that is crosswise to the second path (11) during the moving of the pusher (8) along the return portion (12) of the second path (11), and
- wherein the transmission assembly (21) is an articulated transmission assembly (21) comprising a first arm (27) rotating a second arm (28) supporting the pusher (8) in rotary manner and connected to the first arm (27) so as to rotate, in relation to the first arm (27), about a third axis (29) parallel to the second axis (17) and movable with the first arm (27) about the second axis (17), said first arm (27) and said pusher (8) being mounted for rotation respectively about the second and first axes (17, 30) in a first rotation direction, and the second arm (28) being mounted for rotation about the third axis (29) in a second rotation direction opposite to the first rotation direction.
A translating device (1) for translating products (3) along a straight first path (4) extending along a substantially horizontal conveying service (5) and having an input end (6) and an output end (7), the device (1) comprising:
- a pusher (8) and activating means (10) for moving the pusher (8) along said first path (4) in a given conveying direction (4a);
- said activating means (10) comprising a transmission assembly (21) for moving the pusher (8) along a closed second path (11) in turn comprising a conveying portion coincident with said first path (4), and a return portion (12) extending outside the first path (4) and from said output end (7) to said input end (6);
- the pusher (8) being connected to said transmission assembly (21) for maintaining a constant given angular position in relation to the conveying surface (5) during movement along said first path (4);
- control means (63) being associated with the transmission assembly (21) for oscillating the pusher (8) in use to and from said given angular position about a movable first axis (30) crosswise to the second path (11) and as the pusher (8) travels along the return portion (12);
- said transmission assembly (21) being an articulated transmission assembly (21) comprising a first arm (27) rotating about a fixed second axis (17) parallel to the first axis (30) and a second arm (28) supporting the pusher (8) in a rotary manner;
- said movable first axis (30) being movable with said second arm (28), which is connected to the first arm (27) so as to rotate in relation to the first arm (27) about a movable third axis (29) parallel to the second axis (17) and movable with the first arm (27) about the second axis (17), whereby the pusher (8) is supported in a rotary manner by the second arm (28) for rotating in relation to the second arm (28) about the first axis (30), said first axis being movable with the second arm (28) about the third axis (29).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.