US1793596A - Automatic cooler or can-tray unloader - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 24, 1931. R. DOUGLASS AUTOMATIC COOLER OR CAN TRAY UNLOADER Filed March 28, 1929 9 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 24, 1931. R. DOUGLASS 1,793,596

AUTOMATIC COOLER OR CAN TRAY UAILOADER Filed March 28, 1929 9 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 24, 1931. DOUGLASS 1,793,596

AUTOMATIC COOLER OR CAN TRAY UNLOADER Filed March 28, 1929 9 Sheets-Sheet 3 Feb. 24, 1931. R. DOUGLASS AUTOMATIC COOLER OR CAN TRAY UNLOADER Filed March 28, 1929 9 Sheets-Sheet 4 lllliliilallllll ill. ll|l| Feb. 24, 1931. R. DOUGLASS 1,793,596

AUTOMATIC COOLER OR CAN TRAY UNLOADER Filed March 28, 1929 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 Feb. 24, 1931. R. DOUGLASS AUTOMATIC COOLER OR CAN TRAY UNLOADER Filed March 28. 1929 9 Sheets-Sheet 6 all-5% Feb. 24, 1931. R DQUGLASS 1,793,596

AUTOMATIC COOLER OR CAN TRAY UNLOADER Filed March' 28, 1929 9 Sheets-Sheet '7 Feb. 24, 1931. R. DOUGLASS AUTOMATIC COOLER OR CAN TRAY UNLOADER 9 Shee ts-Sheet 8 Filed March 28, 1929 Feb. 24; 1931.

R. DOUGLASS AUTOMATIC COOLER OR CAN TRAY UNLOADER Filed March 28. 1929 9 Sheets-Sheet 9 0 0 B i WN k m mmm M U 0 mw k 1 w o o N r o w s L X .3 QWNCA mm AWN mmnlg N M M LN- m M l a t entecl Pet. 24,

' f, safe? f i noznnnoueLnsson s'ou rn ieiimii' vtmnl'w, WAs NGTOfi AUTOMATIC anemia on; An-mmnmmmn" Application 'file'd llfa'rch' 2S,

This invention relatest'o an automatic cooh eror can tray unloa'der,

The primary-object o'f theinvention i-sto provide a novel apparatus? for unloading" cooler or can trays to: facilitate the unloading of such coolers or trays, and -the-feedingpf filled": can-s into 'boxes or cases tor shipment.

' Throughthe'emp'loyment of this--machine,f about 600 cases- 0f 48 can's of" canned product's l can'lo'epu-t in b'oxes perchour, saving a great deal of labor; The-01d methodim v0lved-manual laborwhich was slow and tedious; but With the: present= machine, the

I 1 labor can tie-reduced fro1n50 to 75%, atthea same tlme increasing the production per hour. v r 1 Another ob ect of the in-v'entlon is to; PTO-f Vide a: machine of this character, including an elevating true-k orcarriage designed l to receive, one-'at a time,-the'cooleisor can trays,

and combined with in'ea n s for automatically elevating the truck a-fter '1t=has-been loaded,

and for conveying the truck on to a runway.-

A further object is to combine in such a v -niachine', aninvertibl-e carriage With-the ele- I vatin g truckg the carriage"beingidesigned to w 7 with other ob'j'ects in viewwhich W-ill appear as the description proceeds, my invention:

consists in the novel features hereinafter described in detail, illustrated in the acconi'g panying; drawings, and: more particularly pointed-"outin the-"appended claims;

Referring to the drawings,- Fig; 1 i is side View of my; apparatus:

truck and invertible: carriage removed; Figs-3 *is an 'enlarged transverse sectional view on the line of Fig.1.

7. Fig.4 isransend-iview with par-tsremovedk 'Fig. 5 isa section on theline 5 5'ofFig.

onthe end standard 4;- 1

Fig. 2' is a 'plan View with 'the elevating" truck. 7

Shafts 9 are located on the underside of;

1929: Serial 1%; 315036065 2, showing the invertible carriage and' truck on the supporting frame-g. r "I Fig; 16 is a sectionon the line 6'-+6"of-Ei'g'1 2 V Fig; -7 isa bottom plan rview-otrthekelevate ingtruck. r I

Figr8'fiisa side 'view oi the same 1 Fig; 9'-is anend view ofthe truckb 1 Fig; 10 is atop plan View of the invertible t carriage: v

Fig. 11is%a side* elevation of t'he same? g Fig. 12isan end Viewof-s'aid carriage; 1'

Figs; .13, I l and: 1 5: are-' detail sectional views of thesamez' Figs. 16 "and l7iand 18 areidetail -views of' theel'eva'ting'truck; r

Fig. 19 is anje larged rviews'ofithe elevat ing: truck track, showing elevatingvtruck in' Fig. 20 is enlarged: sectional viewiot the truck track, taken on: the line"20+20 of I 5 Figs. 21 r and '22 are plan views; of-p arts of Fig; Plan vieW'oiI' p'art -otthe mm d ible carriage-truck. e :v

Figs; 2 and 25 are plan yiews of'parts-of thetruck track.

the-"inclinedextension track. y

In the 'draW-ings,==1'-designates a-Wheel sup'zported frame provided below its topwith tracks 20h Which therel'evating truck travels.--

These tracks are detachalgly connected to in 7 clined t'rack extensions 3 1thatare mounted on supporting standards 4; i

The elevating truck 5 -is designed to rollalongj the: tracks and their extensions, andhen'thetruck is "in starting position, it rests at the lower endsof-tl ie' track extensions-, and abutsagainst the stopbarfi'which ismoun'ted The details (Jr-the elevating. truck are-z'bestg' I sh'own-inFig-sfii, 8, 9, l6 and 17 ,gand-it- Wllh he noted from-these figuresgx-that the truck includes a platform 7 provided at one end With ananglebar 8, that functions as a gauge for squaring: the cooler'or' can tray- OIFthQ' the platform, and ournaledi in beariri'gslQ that are secured to the platform, and each shaft preferably consists of two sections detachably'connected by a coupling 11, which permits the sections to be readily detached from the platform.

Each shaft is provided at its ends with eccentric stub shafts or axles12, onwhich the supporting wheels 13 are journaled. LThese wheels roll along the tracks 2 and their extensions 3. Due to the eccentric arrange ment of the axles 12, it is obviousthat when the shafts 9 are turned in their bearings 10,

the wheels 13 will movei'n arcs having the axes of the shafts 9 as theircenters, and this movement is utilized for raising and lowering the platform 7. 7.

In order that the shafts will swing in unison, they are connected 'by-a'link14 which .is pivotallyconnectedto armsl5, fast on the V shafts 9.

it will be observed that one ofthe cables 21,

heretofore mentioned, has one of its ends connected to a winding drum 22, mounted in the frame 1, and from this drum, the cable passes over a sheavev23, positioned 'on one of the cross bars 24 of the frame. From this sheave, the'cable extends forwardly and engages the pulley 19a, from which it extends, and has its other end connected to the actuating arm 16. It will thereforebe seen (Fig. 5 thatwhen the winding drumis actuated, the cable will pull on the arm 16 andcause the shafts 9 to turn about 160 degrees, until the arm 17 contacts with the under side of theplatform 7. Due to this movement, the platform will be elevated, and as soon as the stop arm'17 contacts with the platform, the elevating truck will be pulled upwardly by the cable on the track extensions, and finally on to the tracks 2. As the truck travels along the tracks, one of its front wheels will strike a pivoted detent 25 (Figs. 3, 19, and 20), which bymeans of a cord 25a passing over guide pulleys 25b, 250, will function to throw the clutch of the winding drum, and thusrelease the clutch' from driving engagement with its motor 26. The winding drum will thus come to rest, but the truck will continue to move, due to momentum, and will be finally halted by stop arms 27 on the truck contacting with similar stop arms 28a on the frame 1. a 7

center. M H

Other rollers 39 travel on one of the edges] of the tracks 34,.and are combined with guide disks 40 which engage the inner surfaces of.

When the truck has reached this position,

it will be proper location to allow the invertible carriage to take the cooler or can tray with the cans contained therem, off the truck. In order that this operation may be clearly understood, I will now describe the invertible carriage. As best shown in Figs. 8 to 10 inclusive, this carriage 28 also includes a platform 29, provided intermediate its ends with a cross bar 30, fixed to the platform by any suitable means, and provided at its endswith arms 31 which project at angles to the bar and platform. Stud shafts 32 are fixed to these extensions, and provided with anti-frictionrollers 33that travel on .tracks 34 mounted on the frame at a higher elevation than the tracks l. In additi'omjto the anti-friction roller, each shaft 32 carries a guide disk 35, and the guide disks of the two shafts bear against oppositesidesof the. frame 1 for maintaining the carriage in proper alignment.

Each disk has a pair of projecting cams 36v for actuating movablestops 37 WlllCllWlll be further referred to, hereinafter.

Hand wheels 38 are fast on the outer ends of the stationary shafts 32, and these wheelsare employed by the operator or operators to swing the platform approximately 180 degrees, using the axes the tracks 34, and also functionto maintain theplatform 28 in proper alignment. 7

Each disk 40 and its associated roller 39 is mounted on an axle 41, carried by a bracket 42 fixed to the platform, near one end of the same.

' The invertible carriage is completed by .a pair of lifting arms or extensions 43, which of the shafts 32 as a,

project from posts 44, fixed to one end of the 7 platform, and these extensions are braced by brackets 45.

At this point it will width of the truck platform 7 is somewhat less than the distance between the arms 43 of be noted that the,

the invertible carriage, in order that said arms may be moved with the invertible carriage along the sides of the truck platform,

with a view of permitting the cooler or can tray to come to rest on the arms 43', when the invertible carriage 28 is in inverted position, and the platform of the lifting truck is low- :ere'd. I,

Heretofore in the description, I have brought the lifting truck with its load into'its halted position on the tracks 1. With the truck and its load in this position, and. the carriage inverted, it will be obvious that when the hand wheels 38 are pulled in the proper direction, the carriage will roll along the tracks 34 untilthe' carriage assumes a position directly above thetruck. When in this position, the lifting arms 43 will lie directly below thelateral edgeportionsof the cooler or can 1 tray, and, at this time, the: platform of the truck is lowereds0 as to relieve the truck of the load, and place this burden on the carriage. For the purpose oflowering the platform ofthe truck, and then transferring the truck'backto its initial position at the lower end of the inclinedextensions of the track, another cable 45 is employed. This 1 cable has one of-its ends connected'toa winding drum 47 that is also driven by the motor, through the medium of a clutch. This cable extends from the winding drum about a and has its other endfixed to the actuating arm 1600f the truck. Consequently, when this winding drum is actuated, the cable will first pull on the arm 16a and swing the shafts" 9 uritilthe stoparm l'hacontacts with the platform 7 ,and then, as the cable continues to Wind, the truck will be pulled first along thetracks 1, andthen down'the inclined ex tensions,,until it comes to rest at the lower end of the track extensions.

At this time, the loaded cooler or can tray is supported by. the carriage. 28,an d it may be mentioned that. the operator, in swinging the carriage back to its initial-position, will cause the cams36 to depress the stops 38, sothat these stops will not interfere with the move{ ment ofthe carriage along its tracks. Each of'these stops preferably consistsof a spring pressedrod connected by a link to a part of the mainframe. These links'are in the path of movement of the disks 85, and conse quently, when either link is engaged by one of the cams 36, the stop, connected tolthatlink will be depressed, and this will permit the rollers 33 to pass along their tracks without interference by the sto s, when such interference is not desired. 11 the other hand, the

stops perform their required function when necessary. 7

end of the cooler or tray will come to rest against the post. a l of the carriage, and these posts will prevent the load from falling off the carriage While the latter is being inverted.

After reversal of the carriage, the move,

ment ofthe hand Wheels is continued to feed the load toward the discharge end of the machine, and in such movement,

the rollers 39 travel along their tracks until they reach the ends of the same, and these-ends terminate short of the discharge end of the machine, it is obvious that as soon as the rollers 39 dropoff the ends of their tracks,'the carriage will assumeanjinclined position, and the for-wardedge of its platformwill come to rest clearing endlessbelt 51. At

. thistim'e, andwhile the carriage; remains in an inclined position, it may be moved back toward the'centen of the frame, so that the cooler or .canatray'will slide. ofhand gbe deposited on the endless belt." At this time, thezendless v belt is inmotion, and:the operator may shift the cooler around to bringthe cans int-o proper alignment on the belt, and :then the cooler or tray-may'be lifted off,.leavingzthe cans on the'belt, 'Now the belt isrinmotion for the purpose of feeding the cans into lateral runways 53, arranged atthedischarge end of the machine, and these runways com municate withoppositely extending tracks 54, which maylead to boxing machines, no

' The endlessbeltis prefer the frame, and oneof these rollersiis provided with a sprocket wheel which is driven by suithalted while". the motor continues to revolve. i I prefer-to mount the-main 'frame ofthe blymounted on I rollers '55, jour'naled in suitable bearingsion' machine on wheels, in orde rflthat it can be move-d easily from one place to another, and

e as the inclined extensions 3-of:the-elevating truck tracks are detachably connected, this will also facilitate the shifting of the ma chine from placeto place. 1 c

From the foregoing description, it is obvious that I have-provided. a machine in- 5 volving an elevating truck which may re ceive loaded can trays, one after theother, and elevate the same intoaposition' where theyfmay be readilyhandled' by an invertible carriage, the latter being actuated by the operator or operators for transferring a loaded tray on to an endless belt, fromwhich the cans may be expeditiously fe'd int0'machines to be packed into their box-esor shipping containers, in the shortest time possible, and vith a minimum expenditure of labor. It will be manifest to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the v s details disclosed withoutjdepar-ting from the While the carriageis being inverted, one,

spirit'of the invention as expressed infthe claims. 7 j y W hat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A can tray unloader, including a track,v 4' 5 cluding hauling flexible elements for elevatmg the platform andfor moving the truck '15 along said "track, 1 c

3; In a machine of the character described, track having a doWnwardlyfinclined exten-' sion, a truck movable along the track and having an elevatible platform, and means in eluding haulingflexible elements for elevating the platform relatively to the track and ing hauling flexible elements for rotating,

the shafts in their bearings, and thereby raising said platform, andfor moving the platform, shafts and wheels along said track. r

5. In a machine of the character described, a tracln wheels mounted on the track, rock shafts having eccentric portions on Which the wheels are ournaled, a platform, bearings for the shafts supporting said platform, connecting means between the shafts to permit the same to be rocked in unison, motor actuated means and means connected to the motor-actuated means for rocking said shafts and moving the wheels, shafts and platform along said track.

G. In a machine of the characterdescribed, a track, a wheel supported truck mounted on the track and having an elevatible platform, a winding drum mounted adjacent to the track, means for elevating said platform, and a flexible element connecting the last men tioned means to the drum, whereby when the drum. is. rotated, the flexible element will first raise the platform, and afterwards move the truck along the track. a V

7. Ina machine of the character described,

a track, a truck movable along the track and including a platform, shafts supporting thev platform, and rollers mounted on the shafts, the portions of the shafts on which the rollers are mounted being arranged eccentrically to the remainder of the shafts, whereby, when theshafts are rocked, the platform will be elevated, stops on the shaftsengageable with the platform for limiting the upward and downward movement of the platform, and means for rocking said shafts and moving the truck along the track.

8. Ina machineof the character described, a track, an elevating truck movable along the track and having an upwardly and downwardly movable platform, means for elevating the platform and for moving the truck along the track, said means including a mo-- tor, a winding drum, a clutch interposed between the motor and winding drum, a flexible element connecting the drum and truck, and means actuated by the truck as it moves along the track for shifting the clutch to disengage the winding drum from the motor.

9. In a machine of the character described, atrack, a truck movable along the track and having an upwardly and downwardly movable platform, and means for shifting said platformand for moving the truck along the track, said means including a motor, an actuating member, a clutch interposed between the motor and actuating member, and means operated by the truckas, it moves along the track for shifting'said clutch. I a

10. In a machine of the character described, a pair, of tracks, one track being at a higher elevation than the other, an; elevati ble truck mounted on one of said tracks,

means for elevating the truck and; for mov- 7 elevating and; lowering said truck and for shifting the same along thelower track, portions of said tracks overlapping, andan 1nvertible carriage mounted'onthe upper track and arranged to relieve the elevatlble truck of load and lZO'lDVtBIl] said load.

12. In a machine ofthe character described, upper and lower tracks, the lower track having a downwardlyand outwardly inclined extension, an elevatible truck mounted on the lower track, means for elevating and lowering the truck andfor shifting the latter along the. lower track, portions of said tracksoverlapping and an invertible carriage mounted on the upper track andladapted to be moved into a positionover the truck when the latter is in a certain location, and to relieve the truck of its load when said truck is lowered.

13. a In a machine of the character described, upper and lower tracks, the lower track having a downwardlyand outwardly extending portion, ZI tI UClIIHOUDtGCl on the lower track and having an upwardly and downwardly movable platform, means for raising and lowering said platform and for" shifting the truck alongthe lower track, an invertible carriage mounted on the upper track and adapted to receive a load from the truck, means for use in inverting said carriage, and a conveyor'arranged to receive a load discharged by the carriage. I

14, In a machine of the character described, a track, means for feeding a load into a position adjacent said track, and an'invertible carriage mounted on the track and adapted to receive the load, said carriage including a platform, mainsupporting wheels for the platform arranged at the medial portion of the latter and functioning as fulcrums to permit the platform to be turned over, and balancing wheels mounted on the platform and ar-' rangednear one end of the same.

- 15. In a machine of the character described, a track, means for conveying a load, into a position adjacent said track, and an invertibleica -rriage mounted on the track and adapted to receive the load and to invert the same, said carriage including a platform,

main supporting wheels for the carriagelocated at the medial portion of the same and 1 functioning as fulcrums when the carriage is inverted, other supporting wheels for the carnage mounted near one end of the platform, and a hand wheel having itsaxis in Y alignment with the axes of the main sup- I porting wheels, and fixed tothe platform to permit the operatorto invert the latter.

. 16. In a machine of the character described, a track, means for conveying a load, into a' position adjacent to the track, and. an in vertible carriage adaptedto receive the load and mounted on said track, said carriage including aplatform, ears fixed to the platform and positioned at the medial portion of the same, laterally projecting shafts fixed to said ears, main supporting wheels rotatably mounted on said shafts and engageable with said track, balancing wheels mounted on the platform adjacent one endv of the V latter, and a hand wheel fixed to one of said jshafts, whereby the operator .may invert the track and having an upwardly and downwardly movable platform, means for shifting the platform andffor moving thetruck along its track, said truck being adapted to convey a load, an invertible'carriage mounted on. the upper track and adapted to receive'the load'from the truck when the plat form islowered, means for use in inverting sald carnage, and a conveyor mounted on the frame andarranged to receive the load from f the invertible carriage.

- In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification.

- ROYAL DOUGLASS.

carriage while moving the same along said track.

17. In a machine of the character described, i

a track means for feeding a load into a position adjacent to said track, and an invertlble carriage mounted on the track and adapted to receive the load from said means, said carriage including a platform, supports projecting laterally from the medial portion of said platform, projecting shafts fixed to said supports, supporting wheels rotatably mounted on the shafts and engaging said track, means for balancing said platform, means for guiding the platform against lateral movement, and means for use in moving the platform along the track and for inverting the latter.

18. In a machine of the character described, 7 a. track means for feeding a load into a posi tion adjacent to said track, an invertible car riage mounted on the track and adapted to receive the load from said means and invert the load, movable stops obstructing the track, and means on the carriage for shiftlng the i stops out of the positions in which they obstruct the carriage. V

19. In a machine of the character described, a track, means for feeding a load into a position adjacent to said track, and an invertible along one" face of the platform in's'paced relation to the latter.

I carriage mounted on-said track and adapted l to receive and invert the load, said carriage H including a platform and arms extendlng 20. In a machine of the character described, 1' 7 tracks, a truck movable along" one of said tracks and having a platform to support a load, and an invertible carriage mounted on i the other track and adapted to take the load from the truck and invert the load, said carriage being provided near its side edges with load receiving arms spaced apart a greater a

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