초록 ▼

A loader inserts articles into a conveyor from underneath. Each article is received in a gripper and depends thereform. The gripper is supported from the conveyor facing down at the point of loading (insert station). A predetermined number of articles (here, three plastic preforms to be heated then

A loader inserts articles into a conveyor from underneath. Each article is received in a gripper and depends thereform. The gripper is supported from the conveyor facing down at the point of loading (insert station). A predetermined number of articles (here, three plastic preforms to be heated then blown into plastic bottles) is fed by gravity down a chute to a reception point where they are temporarily stopped forming a queue. The reception point is upstream of and lower than the grippers. The loader has a device to grasp a group (the first three in the queue) from the side (or cross-machine direction) and move the group horizontally and lineally downstream to the insert station underneath a corresponding number of grippers while at the same time increasing the center-to-center distances to the same as the center distances spacing the three grippers in the group. The device to grasp thus delivers to the insert station the group with each article or preform in it vertically aligned with (coaxial) and underneath the gripper into which it is to be inserted. The group of grippers is not moving at this time. The article group is released from the device to grasp as a two-stage elevator pushes all articles in the group vertically up into respective ones of the gripppers, opening the gripper to receive the articles in the upward movement. The elevator then retracts by moving vertically down sufficiently while the grippers clasp the articles in response to the retraction. The system resets and the cycle repeats.

대표청구항 ▼

A bottom loading means to load a group of like-shaped elongated vertically depending articles into a corresponding number of grippers that are part of a conveyor system for such articles which means comprises: a feed means to present a group of said articles at a reception point with a first spacing

A bottom loading means to load a group of like-shaped elongated vertically depending articles into a corresponding number of grippers that are part of a conveyor system for such articles which means comprises: a feed means to present a group of said articles at a reception point with a first spacing in a substantially horizontal machine direction line one behind the other; said grippers being located by said conveyor system during loading at a load point downstream in machine direction of said reception point and elevated above the upper ends of said articles along an extension of said line and spaced apart another and different amount than said first spacing; a backing means and a sled assembly each movably supported on opposite sides of said group between said reception and load points; said sled assembly being movable in a cross machine direction at said reception point to engage each article in said group whereby said articles are supported to depend from said sled assembly and for movement along said extension; an elevator means at said load point disposed with a loading member for each article in the group to be directly underneath each of such grippers when an article depending from said sled is presented between the elevator and grippers for loading each of said group into a corresponding gripper by a vertical movement; said backing means and sled assembly together further comprising means to engage said group at said reception point, move the group along said line to said load point, and change the spacing of articles in said group from said first to said another spacing; and means to cause disengagement and engagement of said backing means and sled assembly from said group at said load point during said vertical movement of loading.