Back to results
US 6,305,524 B1Granted
Electronic bulk feeder for small assembly components
OwnerFridrickh Dubinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a feeder supplying assembly components to another machine, an electronic control device monitors a horizontal buffer zone. Pulses of compressed gas are intermittently employed to lift components upon detecting the absence of a component in a portion of such buffer zone. The grooved chute member has a shape resembling the symbol for a square root after replacing the angles with curves. The stream of flowing components can be quite fast because components are directed to fall into the downsloping gathering portion of the grooved chute at an upper, middle, and lower portions. More rapid multi-stage alignment of components is expedited by a zone underneath a deflector and a transition zone, with an alignment passageway between such zones.
Claims17
An electronically controlled apparatus for feeding bulk small assembly components into an assembly machine comprising:
- a cast housing that supports a plurality of main functional components of the apparatus;
- a cavity-hopper for loading and storing a plurality of assembly components;
- a chute lying at the bottom of the hopper the chute further comprising a groove on the top surface;
- a deflector located in the lower part of the hopper, the deflector is made out of thin sheet metal;
- a housing insert which defines a second stage of alignment;
- a chute cover made of clear plastic which allows viewing of moving components;
- an adjustable hard stop for positioning assembly components before the components are picked up;
- an air jet nearby a passage from the hopper to the housing insert, the air jet is blow away the components which are obstructing the passage;
- a second air jet nearby a second passage comprising the groove of the chute covered the second air jet blows away the components which are obstructing this passage;
- a third air jet to move the assembly of components along the groove in the chute;
- a photoelectric switch located at the pickup position;
- a second photoelectric switch located before pickup position, in the end of the buffer;
- a solenoid valve;
- an electrical connector power supply and communication with assembly machine controls;
- a printed circuit board for electronic control;
- a plurality of hoses for individual air supply to each of the three air jets;
- and
- a restriction valve to control the air flow for moving the components along the chute.
15 more elements
An apparatus for feeding small assembly components to a pickup station comprising:
- a substantially horizontal buffer zone normally containing a plurality of components scheduled to be delivered to such pickup station;
- said components normally being isolated from the pressure of any advancing stream of components;
- an electronic control device;
- a valve controlling the intermittent pulses of compressed gas;
- detection means near said pickup station sending a signal to the electronic control device whenever the absence of a component is detected, said electronic control device actuating said valve to send a pulse of compressed gas of controlled duration upon such detection of an absence of a component;
- an advancing gas jet means for at least partially advancing the flow of components through said buffer zone;
- and
- gas dissipation means adapted increasingly to decelerate a component during its flow through said buffer zone;
- whereby a component is nudged from the exit of said buffer zone onto said pickup station.
6 more elements
An apparatus for feeding bulk small assembly components to a pickup zone for use in other apparatus comprising:
- a substantially horizontal buffer zone adapted to accommodate a plurality of components flowing in a covered groove of a chute member, the outlet from said buffer zone serving as dissipating means for pressurized gas, there being increasing capacity for dissipation of gas as a component advances through the buffer zone so that pressurized gas in dissipated for slowing down the speed of an advancing component;
- a pick-up zone comprising a hard stop member so that a component can be available for pick-up in such pick-up zone after being urged to flow through said buffer zone by at least one intermittent pulse of gas so that the component stops at said hard stop member;
- at least one detection means in a said buffer zone adapted to send a signal when a component is absent from such portion of the buffer zone;
- a valve means controlling said intermittent pulses of gas pressure control means actuating said valve means to send a pulse of gas pressure whenever a signal is received from said detection means, whereby the pulses of compressed gas maintain a plurality of components in the buffer zone, thus assuring the availability of a component at the pickup zone;
- at least one jet directing pulses of compressed gas intermittently from said valve means for urging flow of at least one component toward said buffer zone and
- a hopper containing a bulk supply of said components for gravitational flow toward a zone in which components are urged to flow by said intermittent pulses of pressurized gas toward and through said buffer zone.
3 more elements
An apparatus for feeding small assembly zone to a pick up zone comprising:
- a downwardly sloping gathering portion of said grooved chute at the bottom of said hopper adapted to permit components to flow into portions of said chute at least partially by gravitational force;
- a curved bottom most portion of said grooved chute accommodating components from said downwardly sloping gathering portion
- an upwardly sloping lift portion of said grooved chute connecting said curved bottom most portion of said grooved chute with an upper curved portion of said grooved chute for delivering components to the rear portion of said buffer zone;
- jet means directing a pulse of compressed gas for lifting at least one component up said upwardly sloping lift portion to said horizontal buffer zone;
- said control means being electronic control means responsive to electrical signals generated by said detection means;
- some of the components in the hopper falling into an upper portion of the grooved chute member, some of the components falling into a middle portion of the grooved chute member, and some of the components falling into a lower portion of the sloping gathering portion of the grooved chute member;
- a deflector adapted to yieldingly permit a group of components to flow from the bulk zone of the hopper into a zone underneath such deflector;
- guiding means in said zone underneath the deflector directing some of said components to fall into said middle portion of said grooved chute member;
- guiding means in said zone underneath the deflector directing some of said components to flow through at least one aligning passageway so that some components can fall into said lower portion of the downwardly sloping gathering portion of the grooved chute member;
- a jet directing a pulse of compressed gas for vibrating said deflector;
- a jet directing a pulse of compressed gas upwardly for dislodging any components mis-aligned near such jet;
- a plurality of detection means for various portions of said buffer zone, said control means actuating the valve means whenever the absence of a component is detected in any of said portions of the buffer zone;
- and
- at least one visual display alerting an operator about the presence or absence of components in portions of the buffer zone.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.