GB164149A - Improvements in and relating to automatic feeding mechanism for use in machines for making incandescent lamp bases and the like - Google Patents

Abstract

164,149. British Thomson - Houston Co., Ltd., (General Electric Co.). March 6, 1920. Feeding articles in predetermined attitude from hoppers and shoots.-In a machine for making bases of incandescent electric lamps and similar devices comprising moulds 1 mounted on a carrier 2, the contacts are fed automatically from a pair of receptacles 24 to a guideway 50 leading to a mould and are finally pushed into position over the mould by a reciprocating member mounted in the guideway. The contacts, which are in the form of eyelets, are forced through holes 31 in the wall 25 of each receptacle by brushes 34 carried by a rotating head 35, Figs. 1 and 4. A transverse partition 36, Fig. 1, placed in front of the holes 31 deflects the contacts on to the inclined walls of the head 35, from which they slide towards the space in front of the partition, tending to right themselves in doing so. Overturned and excess contacts are swept past the holes by the brushes, the remaining contacts passing through the holes with the right side uppermost into passages 33, Fig. 3, leading from each receptacle. The bottoms of the passages are formed by rotary plates 32, 44 which feed the contacts to the ends of the passages. One contact at a time is transferred from the end of each passage to the guideway 50 by means of a reciprocating slide 49 or 49<1>. The pair of contacts, one from each passage, is then pushed forward along the guideway by means of a reciprocating member 51 having a slotted nose shaped as shown in Fig. 11. In its forward movement the nose of the member 51 engages a block 54 slidably mounted in the guideway in order to maintain the contacts firmly in their seats. Towards the end of its movement the underside of the member 51 engages a supporting slide 12', Fig. 7, and pushes it over a hole 56 in a support 27<1>. The hole 56 is placed directly over the mould which is in position to receive the contacts. While the contacts are supported over the moulds by the slide 12', the bottom die 7 of the mould and a pair of pins 9 are moved upwards by cam devices and the pins pass through slots in the slide and engage the eyelet holes in the contacts. On the return movement of the member 51 the slide 12<1> is returned to its normal position by a spring 58, and a bent rod 60 fastened to the member 51 returns the block 54. The contacts are carried downwards with the pins and drop into position on the bottom die. The member 51 and the reciprocating slides 49, 49<1> are operated by eccentrics 53, 64 mounted on the same shaft. The mould carrier is given a step-by-step movement by means of a notched wheel 21, rotary arm 22, and a pin 23, Fig. 1. The gear wheel 73, Fig. 7, driving the eccentrics, is normally clutched to the eccentric 64 by a spring key 74. When it is desired to render the feeding mechanism inoperative, the clutch is thrown out of engagement by means of a lever 75, Fig. 3.