[1]Patented July 31, 1934 1 1 9 6 8 1 5 0 , 1 UNITED STA.TES PATENT OFFICE .1,968,501 LOADER MECHANISM William A. @Morton and Carl A. Nielseli,@ Pittsurgh b p P&, assignors t4 Ameo, ]Incorporated, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corl)oration of Pennsylvania Application March 3, 1933 Serial No. 5 24 20 Claims. (CL 198--31): More p I articularly our invention is des . igned as a lehr loader@for glassware and the like. in designing an efficient @lehr loader certain@ problems are, to be r4et. Tlius the buck or conveyer which transports the ware from@ the fab i r cating machines to the lehr is adjusted to. the proper height to suit @the take,-out of the particular fabricating machine or %to suit the set-up of the machi,ne for the fabrication of a given type or length of the bottles or other glassware. Therefore the loader must be adjustable to enable it@ to transfer w e from ar bucks set at different elevations to the transport conveyer of the annealing lehr. ,157 Again, in modem pra,etice the operative speeds of the fabricating machines have been materially increased and therefore the bottles or otiler ware are @delivered@ by the buck at. greater speed and @20 v7oi,k more rapidly,,and :with gr4@ater accurac:y to:properly perform its function. @@Moreover owiiig to the inereas d speed@of ree moval from the buck, it is necessary to support the: ware agains I t toppling while the ware is being removed frorn the buck and ELlso while it is bei-hg transferred to and arranged on the lehr conveyer. .!Again, @frequently the @ware as ree ived from e the buck is only partially set or@hardened and t]@er,efore must @ n I t be pinched b 0 y t4e loader -30 mechanism, nor should it be moved in contact with extended supporting@ surfaces during the loading, f)peration. Otherwise the ware is likely to be deformed or marred. These proble?ns are fully solved by, ou r im,85, provqdi loader mechanism. ,characteristic feature of our improved loader mechanism is a movable shelf which -s disposed in juxtapozition with the delivery portion of the buck to receive a seledted number of articles 40 there@irom and@is L'hen moved into discharge relaL,ioii with the lehr conveyer for the deposit of the articles on the lehr conveker. We provide a liolder for transferring thi@ ware from the buck to the@ shelf, fbr supporting the ware from top45 pling, and also for assistii-ig in depositing the the@ shelf ' arrangement on 7@@,re frorn m proper the lehr conveyei. the preferred form of 'the h.older is a,, pair of parallel holder b@rs. The shelf i@ airranged foi both vertical and 50 horizbntal movement as is likewise the holder, provision being made for m6vement of the@ shelf and holder both in unison and independently of ea,ch other.,, Other novel features of constructioni and al@Q of arrangement of parts, wil I appear from the following descripti,on. In the accompanying drawings, wherein we have illustrated a practical embodiment of the principles of our invention@ Fig. 1 is an isometric 60 projection showing@the loader@'m receiving relation to the:buck. Fig. 2 is a like view showing the loader moved from its position in F.ig. 1 into discharge relation to thle lehr conveyer. Fig.3isadiagramm aticviewshowingt hetimer cams, valves and@ air cylinders, and their c6nneetions. F@g4.4 is an, enlarged de.tail partially in section &howing one of the timer cams and a poppet 70,valve arranged to Ve o@erated thereby. . FIg. 5 is a still further enlarged detail showing the adjustable cam structure. a plane at xight angles to that Of Fig. 5. 75, @Flg. 7 is a diagrammatic view illus,trating the relation of the@shelf, the holder and the buck bef ore@ the holder is@ depressed to the ware on the buck. Fig.@ 8 is a similar view illustrating the holder 80@@ depressect. Fig. 9 illustrates the holder closed about the ware on the buck. Fig@ 10 illustrates@ the holder moved horizontal@ ly to transfer the ware from the buck to:the shelf.. 85@ Fig. 11 il,lustrates the holder and the shelf with the ware elevated above the buck. Fig. 12 illustrates the holder, the shelf and the ware on the shelf moved over above the receiving end of the lehr conveyer. 90@ FIR. 13 illustrates the shelf moved honzontally away fr the conveyer to permit the ware preC'M v@ously on the, shelf to be deposited in a row on the egnveyer. Flg. 14 illustrates the holder elevated above gr, the deposited ware preliminary to swinging the loader back into the position as iuustrated in Fig. 7. Referring to the drawings, I represents a buck or conveyer which delivers the ware from the loo fabricating, machine or macliines, the ware be'With.:reduced @intervals, so that the loader m ust . Mg. 6 is a sectional view of the same taken in ing illustrated as bottles. The take-,out of a f - ating niachine is illustrated at 2 as deposabric iting a bottle on the buck 1. Thd belt, of the buck is assumed to be traveling from left to right 105 in Fig. l@ 3 represents the stationary side rails for the buck level with its top surfac I e. A represents the lehr provided with a conveyer 5:which is shown as of the wiremesh,type. The transverse 110 ware to be, annealed is. arranged in
[2]2 1,968,501 rows on the lehr conveyer in accordance with the usual practice, The moving parl@-s of the loader are carried on a fixed support v@hich may be conveniently of rectangul,,ir forrn and comptising a vertical column 6 and a horizontal base portion 7 extending rearwardly. 8 and 9 represent upper and lower horizontal brackets extending forwardly from the col=n 6 and provided at their 10 outer ends with collars in which are journaled the upper and lower gudp,,eons of the main frarlie of the loader which comprises the upper crosshead 10, lower cross-h.- ad 11 and vertical connecting rods 12. lr-qe frame is thus arranged to 15 swing on a vertical axis which is coincident with the center lin.- of the frame. 13 and 14 represent, respectively, upper and, lower double-acting cylinders which are provided with sleeve-guides which are slidably 20 mounted on the rods 12. The upper cylinder 13 is closed at its upper end and its piston 15 is provided with a rod 16 which extends through a gland in the lower 6nd of the cylinder 13 and is fixed at its lower end 25 to the cylinder 14. Thus we have shown the piston rod attached to a cross bar 17 which.connects the sleeve-guides of the cylinder 14. T'he piston 18 of the cylinder 14 is provided So ivith a depending piston rod 19 *hich extends through a gland in the lower end of;the cylinder and is fixed to the center of the lower crosshead 11. @ 20 represents an abutment bolt screwed through 35 the upper end of the lower cylinder 14 aiid ar.ra,nged to impinge against@ the piston to adjustably limit the descent of the cylinder relative to the main frame. 21 represents a pair of parallel aiid horizon46 tally di-sposed bars fixed to and extending forwardly from the sleeve-guidbs of the lower cylinder 14. 22 represents a frame,- for convenience termed the shelfframe, which 'is mounted on the rods 21 and a7franged to slide transversely 4r),, of the latter in a horizontal plbne. Thus the end rodSLof the shelf-frame may slide in sleeves 23 carried by the rods 21. r@or the purpose of moving the shelf-frame 22 relative to its supporting rods 21, a double-acttib. ing cylinder 24 is mounted on the rods 21 and has its Diston rod 25 connected to a suitably arranged portion of the shelf frame. The shelf-frome is provided with the depending legs 26 to the lower ends of *hich is fixed 5@@ the horizontally disp(ysed, shelf 27. - 28 r.-preserts a pair of parallel and horizontally disposed rods fixed to and extending forwardly from the sleeve-guides of the upper cylinder 13, and 29 represents a frame, for convenience 66 termed the holder-frame, mounted on the rods 28 and arranged to slide transversely of the latter in a horizontal plane. Thus the end rods of the holderframe may slide in sleeves 30 carried by the rods 28. 65. For the purpose of moving the holder-frame 29 relative to the supporting rods 28, we provide a dolible-acting cylinder 31 supported by the rods 28 and having its piston rod 32 connected to a suitably arranged portion of the frame 29. 70 33 represe,,nts t\l@o pairs of coacting tong-arms which depend from the holderframe 29 and are pivotally supported therefrom adjacent their upper ends, a-s at 34. The upper ends oL@ the members of each pair of arms are coniibeted b3@ toggle 76 links 35 and the pivots of th6 tw6 pairs of links' are formed by the horizontally disposed rod 36 which is connected at its center to the upper end of the piston rod 37 of the double-acting cylinder 38 mounted on the holder-frame 29. 39 represents horizontally disposed holder-bars which 80 are mouiited on the lower ends of corresponding members of the two pairs of arms 33. it is obvioiis that when fluid pressure is admitted to the lower end of the cylinder 38 the rod is raised and the bars 39 are caused to sepa- 85 t,@ite, wilile the admission of fluid pressure to the.upper end of the cylinder will cause said bars to -conver@e. To prevent the holder-bars from pincliing the ware. as they converge, we provide means for 90 adjustably limit'mg their converging movement. Thus, as illustrated in Fig. 3 an abutment bolt 40 may b6 ,@erewed through a threaded hole in the lower end of the cylinder 38 to limit the downward travel of the piston. Thus the bars may 95 be nicely adjusted to fuxnish the proper lateral si@pport for the ware without danger of pinching or otherwise injuring the ware. 41 represents a gate pivoted to the side rail 3 of the buck and pivotally connected i ntermediate 3C! of its ends to the piston rod 42 of a double-actin.a cy'--inder 43. The gate is at intervals swung into the p@Lth (>f the @ traveling line of bottles to halt the advance while a row is being shifted from the buck to the shelf. 105 For the'purpose of swingi-ng the niain-frame as hereinafter described a cylinder 44 is mounted op. the base 7 and its piston rod 45 is provided with a rack 46 which meshes with a pinion 47 mounted on the lower gudgeon of the main frame @10 bblow the lov@er bracket 9. As has been iiidi@.ated by the foregoing description, we prefer to operate our lehr loader by fluid pressure means, but it is obvious other methods 6f bperation ma@7 be substituted. - 115 In Fig. 3 we illistrate a practical and convenient arra@ngemeilt for fiti-d pressure operation 9,nd control. Thus 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53 and 54 represent piston valves o'L a type ii-i common use iri the glass fabricating art. Said valves are all 120 supplied with compr6ssed air by the branched pipe 55, and are employed to control the operation of the cylinders. Th6 cylinder ports of the valve 48 are connected tci the opposite ends of the cylinder 31 2 by the pipes 31a aiid 31b respectively. Tiie like p6rts of the valve 49 are connected to the opposite ends of the valves 38 by the pipes 38a-33b, respectively. The like poits of the valve 50 are connected by the pipes 13a and 13b to the opposite ends of the cylil'ider 13. Thi@@ like ports of the valve 51 are connected to the OPPosi e -t ends of the cylinder 24 by the pipes 24a and 24b ' respectively. The like ports of the valve 52 are connected to the opposite ends of the cylin- -,35 der 14 by the pides 14a and 14b, respectively. The like ports of the valve 53 are connected to the opposite ends of the cylinder 44 by the pipes 44a aild 44b, respectively. The like ports o'L the valve 54 are connected to the opposite ends of the cyl- 4C, inder 43 by the pipes 43a and 43b respectively. ',;6 represents a battery of poppet valves moiinted in a cow-mon support 57. Compressed air is supplied to said poppet valves by a passa-ge 58 connected to the pipe 55. The valves are connected in pairs to the opposite ends of the several valves ip-, the usual manner as shown in Fig. 3. Thus the pipes 48a and 48b connect the opposite ends of the valve 48 to adjacent poppet v@aves. In like inanner simil4rly indicated pip-,s 15.3
[3]f,ges@501' 3. connect the o@po"site end@ df each 6f, the other control valves to a pair of adjacent poppet valves. The poppet valves are actuated by means of strikers 59 adjustably mounted on diskg@ 60 wbich in turn are mounted on the timer shaft 61@ driven throughthespeed'reducer@62bythemotok63@' 'As indicated in the drawings' the . strikers are: ad, justable about their respective disks so @'that the proper relative timing @ of the: actuation@ of the 10 various poppet valves way be obtained. @ The operation of the poppet valve is well kno*n in the art, the arrangement being sucli@that when the poppet valve is momentarily (jp6ned b@ the striker, compressed@ air i& admitted to the corre@16 sponding end of the contrbl valve I a @th@ @vdi an ve piston is forced to tho- opposite end of @the casing admitting pressure to the corresponding'6nd of the cylinder to which the control valve is @oupled@ When the Poppet valve is idle the b orre20 sponding c6nnecting pipe @ is open @to atmospher6, thereby relieving pressure fioiii,the:corre,@p6nd@ ing end of the contr6l valve@ The n6rmal operati6n of our jinpr6v&d@loader is illustr6ted bY Figs. 7 to 14 inclusiv6.'@Thus in 25 Mg. 7 the loader is shown in receiving p6siti6n@@ the main frame being s;w@g into th6 position shown in Mg. I with the shelf Paral!61 with aiid adjacent the side rail 3 of the buck 1'. 'Me (3helf is leveled ivith the buck at:it@ 16wered bosition by the proper adjustment of the 'abutment bbit 7 20 in the head of t,he cylinder 14@. 'As -will be s eeyi by the admission 6f fluid ptessure in the low of the cylinder 14, causing it to de@eend r@lati@e to its stationary piston And thus@ by properly adjusting the bolt 20'the sh6lf in descending wili halt at the pr6per lev Still referring to Mg. 7 the h6ld'er-frame 20 ,s' shifted to the ieft relativ6 to the'main frame so that the tong- . h@@ s and holder bars are above t row of bbttles on the buck, the holdpr-frame hav@ing been previously elevated b@ the admissi6 @n of' fluid pressure into the upper end of @th@ cylinder -13. The holder-bars 39 bave also been si)read apart by the admission of huid @ressure@ int-o' the lower end of the cylinder 38. .The next sted, as illustrated in FIg.@,6 is.ifieiowen@ng of the spreetd holdetbars'to'either side of the row of bottles on the @buck. rjriie ii@it'ste@, 6O." (je Fig@ 91 is the conveigen66 of the hoi @-bars into light contact with I the row of bottles: this is accomplished by the admissi6n of fluid pressure irito the upper end 6f @ the, ey@inder 38. B@ @djustiiig the abutment bolt 40 in the I er 6iid of the cvl9w 56'@@ indei the Proper convergence of ih6 hold6r-bars' is obtained just siifflcieni to@ enable the ware to be Properly manipulated while @voidfng pinch'iiig 'or marrin @s g the ware. The next step i illustrated in Flg. lo, comprisinig tlie'shifiing'of the row Of bottles held between the'iiolder bars fr' tli6 Om buck onto the shelf 21. This is a@com@l.sh@d by the admissiori of fluid Dr,essure in'to the left hand end of the cylinder 3 1,, thus shiftin@ the h6lde@frame 29 relative to the main @r@me,'@to'ward the C)4 right in Flig. 1. At the proper mo"Meii't; preferaits po@ition in Fig. I -to its@ position in Fig.@ 2 the shelf wRl o'@erlap the front end. of the lehr conv6yer 5@and be.spaced'sufficiently above the same to clear it. By the introduction of fluid pressure into the 80 upper end@of the.eylinder 14 the shelf-frame 22 and@the holder7frame 29 are elevated in unison, thus elevating the row of bottles resting on the slielf, as illustrated in Fig. 11. The next step is,the sw';nging of the main frame into its posi- 85 tionl@illu strated in@Fig. 2, This is accomplished by the introduction o.f fiuid pressure into the rear end of the cylinder 44. As. shown in Fig, 12 the shelf now overlaps the rece@iving end of the lehr conveye r with the bottles held on the shelf by the go holderbars. @lt@ is, obviqus that the elevotion of the shelf and the swinging of the main frame may occur simultaneousl y@ The next@ step @is, the retraction of the shelf 95 from:ben eath the,row,of bottles, causing them to be@dep osited in proper array on the lehr conveyer, as is illustrated in Mg. 13, the bottles being held from following the:moving shelf and fr6m toppling by the stationary holder bars. 100 The@ shelf@ is'shifted by the, admission of fluicl pressure in the -rear eild of th6 cylincler 24, The next step is the elevation of the bolder-. bars abdve@ the deposited row of bottles. Thig is illustrated In Mg. 14 and i4 accompl@shed by 106 the introduction of @fluid i3res,5ure into the upper bly as the h6ider-bars are lowei@ed d just as t eV' of bottles of proper length to fill the lehr conveyer an h . are caused to converge, the 'ate 41 is loaded thereon . 9 is swung in7 front of the line of bottles trav6ling bn the buck @ The -lift of the cylinder 13 independent of its totemporarilyhaltthei-ine. Ass6bn@a,- ,th6@row movement in unison with the cylinder 14 is sufri@ ,iL of bottles is shifted from the buck as in Fig. 10, cient to enable the holder bars to be:elevoted out 145 the gate is retracted by the admission @of fliiid@ of contact with the bottles: on the buck and on' pressure into the front end of the cylinder-43.' the lehr conveyer. The next step is the elevation of the- shelf and While@ our improved loader is espe6ially deholder-bars with the row:of bottles @to the proper signed for transferring, bottles @ and other@ ware ,Ili.. level so that when the main framt: is.swung fr,om a buck dr delivery, conveyer to and ar- 140 f 9 if @ CT started @to diverge before being elevated but care must be observed not to touch or topple the ad- 110 jacent rows of bottles on the 14@hr. conveyer. This divergen ce is% accomplished by introducing fli@id pre-,sure into the.lower end@ of cylinder 38. The iiext step is the introduction of fluid pressure into the front end of the cylinder 44, th s u swingirig the main frame from its position in Fig. 2 to its position in Flig. 1. The next stei) is the lowering of, the@ shelf 27 to the level of the buck which is accomplished by the introduction of fluid pressure into the lower end of cylinder 14. 120 Simultan eously fluid pressure is iritroduced into the Upper end of Qylinder 13, thu$ preventing this cylinder from moving downwardly with the cylinder. 14. @ Thus while . tlie shelf is lowered the holderbars@remain elevated. The holder-bars 125 are -then shifted to @the left so as to be poised above-the path@of the ware on the buck; This is accomplished@ @ by the@ introduction@ of fluid pressure into the rear end 4of the cylinder 31. It is obvious that the shelf may be lowered and 13fl the holder7bars shifted relative thereto while the mairi frame is @being swung into its position shown in Mg. 1. It is evident that the holder-frame must- be capable @of greater.horiz ontal movement relative to, the m,ain @ frame. than the shelf - frame. This may. be.convenien tly provided f6r by making the cylinder,31,long er than the cylinder 24. The length, of the @ shelf is. governed by the ef - fective-width of @the lehr conveyer so that a.ro w 1 4 0 the shelf-frame 22 and @the shel e@@l er d' end of the cylinder 13, thus elevating the h o l d e r f a r @ 0 , W e er end raine @ 2 esired the holder bars may be
