US1898979A - Feeding mechanism - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 21, 1933. G; F, MATTESQN 3,398,979

FEEDING MECHANI SM Filed Dec. 20, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 21, 1933. G. F1 MATTESQN ,898,979

FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 20, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 NEX Feb. 21, 1933. G F, MATTESON 1,898,979

FEEDING MECHANI SM Filed Dec. 20, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheel'I 3 Patented Feb. 2l, 1933 maan/9? nnnnrne MnonAnrsM Application nled December 20, 1928. Seralvo. 327,376.

' mechanisms that are employed for feeding articles for various purposes, in one of its forms it being particularly advantageous for feeding spherical or similarly shaped articles, and an object of my invention, among others, is the production of a feeding mechanism that shall be capable of handlingv articles in a rapid and ef'cient manner.

Cine form of a vfeeding mechanism enibodying my invention and in the construction and use of whichthe vobjects herein set out, as well as others, may be attainedisf illustrated in theaccompanying drawings inwhichn l Figure 1 is a View in side elevation of my improved feeding .niechanisim with parts being broken away to show construction. Figure 2 is an edge view of the same. Figure is a view, scale enlarged, in vertical section on a plane passing 'through the aXisiof the rotary feeding member.

F'gure a is a side view, to the saine scale as Figure 3, with parts being broken away to show construction. l

Figure 5 isa detail View illustrating the manner of operation of the guiding table. Figure 6 is a detail view illustrating the construction of the way for delivering articles to the forming member and on a plane denoted by the dotted line 6-6 of Figure 2.

Figure 7 is a 'top' View of the table, delivery chute and way.

My improved feeding mechanism or device, While not limited in its use to handling articles of any special form orpshape, is particularly adapted for use in manipulating articles of spherical or similar fori-. Furthermore, while it. is not limited to the feeding of articles for any particular purpose, yet, as l have found it especially ap#l plicable for handling balls or Votlrer round or substantially round objects in connection with grinding or other'forming devices, I have illustratedV such mechanism in the drawings herein in which the numeral 6 indicates a case or housing shaped to enclose a feeding member 7 rotatably mounted in. the case and formed with a chamber 8 to contain the articles to be fed. This feeding member is substantially round as to a side view and is mounted preferably upon a horizontal aXis in the case or housing 6 and upon rollers 9 rotatably mounted in bearings in the side walls of the case. The feeding member rests upon the rollers that are sep` arated suiiiciently to cause said member to retain its place on lthe rollers, said member being driven by frictional contact with the rollers. ln the structure herein shown there is a pair of rollers located, one pair on the opposite side of a vertical plane through the axis of the rotating member from the other pair. Each pair of rollers includes ay shaft having a worm wheel 10 secured thereto and meshing with a worm 11which worms are secured to or areformed as a part of a driving shaft 12 mounted in bearings on the side of the case or housing at the lower part thereof and driven as by means of a pulley 13 secured to said shaft.

The wall of the chamber 8 in the feeding member is formed with a series of pocket-s llt extending crosswise of the feeding member and preferably diagonal to radial lines, and as shown in'Figure 4 of the drawings. A way 15 is supported with one end in thek chamber 8 in the feeding member, said Way extending out through a central opening 16 in the side of the case 6. The opposite and lower end of said way is located in position to ydeliver the articles, as balls, to such loca. tion as may be desired. y This way consists of a base17 having a series of substantially parallel grooves 18 forming paths along which the articles travel. fr cover plate 19 is secured to the base to close the open sides of the grooves to retain the articles 2O therein. V

En the illustration of use employed herein the articles of spherical or similar shape, in the present instance of metal, are delivered to a grinding or otherforining Adisc 21 that is mounted to rotate in any suitable manner, not herein shown, and preferably on a horizontal axis, said disci having 'a series of grooves 22 concentrically arranged, and the grooves in the way 15 preferably correspond in number to those in the forming disc, soVV that each groove in the way is constantly delivering a stream of articles to the formin disc, to one of the rooves therein.

In the operation of ormin spherical objects, and particularly metalic balls, it .is

5 desirable, in order to obtain uniformlty 1n size, to sub'ect the balls to a series of oper ations b t e forming disc, and further, to obtain t is result in uniformit of size, it is important that each ball sha travel or be l operated u'pn in a different groove 1n the forming dlsc at each succeeding operation. To effect this result the feeding mechanism is arranged, first, to deliver the balls to the forming disc and then to collect them and repeat the operation as many times as may be desired. l

Tothis end I provide a scoop 23 in the form 4of a trough with one edge in contact with the disc 21 whereby the balls are 3 scooped from grooves 22 and are delivered by the trough into the chamber 8 in the feeding member, the trough extending inwardly through the kopenin 16 into said chamber, and as shown in igure 3 of the u* drawin The way 15 is provided with a vcom aratively wide mouth 24 located under-neat the mouths of the pockets 14 when the latter are moved to the u per part of the chamberiS s in the -feed mem r, and a table 25 is located in an inclined ,positionv to receive the balls from the pockets and guide them into the mouth 24, andas shown in Figure 4. The table is provided on its upper surface with A a series of grooves 26 preferably of the same number as and registering with those in the way 15,

' As a ready means for removin the balls from the chamber 8, and especial y after an operation of forming them has been completed, I locate the table 25 as a cover for the mouth of a delivery chute 27 also having a comparatively wide mouth at its'upperV end and terminating a tube 28 at its lowerend, `which tube `projects outwardly through an eye 29 in the side of the housing 6. The table is mounted on pivots 30 in opposite sides of the delivery chute and it has .o a unterweight 31 projecting underneath it tpne A wire or cord 32 is secured at one end to the underside of the table 25 and projects with its opposite end out of the lower end of the tube 28 to serve as a means un for 1tippi the table, as into the position shown inuigure 5, to deliver the articles to the tube 28, the oounterweight acting to return the table to its normal position, as shown in Figure 4, when pull upon the cord 00 is relesed,

The chamber 8 may be supplied with a prgper .amount'of articles in an manner deired. For instance, a porta le chute may be inserted through the eye V29 in the 5 case and through a registering holef33 in the member 7. Opposite the hole 33 the member 7 has a hole registering with the opening 16, this hole 34 having a flange 35 extending into the opening 16 and as shown in Figure 3 of the drawings.

From this disclosure it is to be observed that the balls or other articles are placed in the feeding member in a disorderly condition and are delivered therefrom to the way 15 where the are deposited in an orderly manner. T is order is preserved in the travel of the articles along the way 15, into and around the forming disc 21 until they reach the scoop 23. Here the articles are collected and are promptly mixed and disarranged by the scoop by which the arc delivered to the member 7 in this disor ered condition and by which member 7 they are further disarranged for a repeated delivery to the way 15, the operation being thus repeated for such number of operations as may be desired toetfect a proper formation of the articles. n

It is a practical impossibility to obtain the same result on all balls formed in different grooves in the forming disc and, therefore, if each ball traveled in the same path at each operation, only those that traveled in the same paths would have the same form. By mixil the articles up nndcaus ing them to travi in different aths at successive operations a substantial y and roctically uniformity in shape is obtaine for all of the articles.

In .order to prevent an'accumulation of articles in the 'mouth 24 of the way, I provide an overow in the form of a slot 36 in the back of they way, approximately at the throat of the mouth 24 so that should the articles be delivered to any of the paths or grooves 18 faster than they are removed therefrom at the lower end, as soon as a path or groeve is filled up to the slot 36,. any accumulation thereafter will be discharged through said slot and fall into the bottom of the feeding member to be again taken up in the manner hereinbefore described.

It will be noted that the Way provides for the travel of articles indifferent and separate paths after they are delivered into the mouth 24, in the particular arrangement herein shown a plate having grooves for travel of the articles being employed, but I contemplate other means and arrangements whereby the articles may be caused to travel in dierent paths, my invention not being limi-ted to the exact construction herein shown. It will also be understood that anrangements other than the rolls and the friction drive for rotatingthe feeding mem ber may be employed without departing from the spirit and intent of the invention.

In accordance with .the provisions of the patent statutes I have described the principles of operation of `my invention, together with the device Which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but l desire to have it understood that the device shown is only illustrative, and that the invention may be carried out by other means and applied to uses other than those above set out.

claim:

l. A feeding mechanism comprising a rotatably mounted feeding member having a chamber with an opening therefrom, pockets located in the Wall of said chamber to pick up articles from the bottom thereof, a Way extending into said chamber through said opening and supported in a fixed position independent of the feeding member to receive articles as they fall from said pockets, said Way having grooves forming paths, a table supported to receive articles from said pockets and guide them into said Way, and

grooves formed in the surface of said table l and registering with the grooves in said Way and said table-being shiftable to a position out of communication with the Way.

2. A feeding mechanism comprising a rotatably mounted feeding member having a chamber With openings thereto from opposite sides of said chamber, pockets located in the Wall of said chamber to pick up articles from the bottom thereof, a Way projecting through one of said openings into the chamber and supported in fixed position to receive articles as they fall from said pockets, a delivery chutev projecting through the other opening into said chamber to receive articles as they fall from said pockets,

and means for delivering said articles either to said Way or said delivery chute.

3. A feeding mechanism comprising a rotatably mountedv feeding member having a chamber with anV opening thereto, pockets formed in the Wall of said chamber, a Way extending into said chamber and fixedly positioned to receive articles as they fall from said pockets, ay delivery chute projecting into said chamber and iXedly positioned to receive articles as they fall from said pockets, and a table pivotally mountedto, in one p0- sition, guide articles into said Way, and 'when tipped to another position, tov guide said articles into said delivery chute.

a. A feeding mechanism comprising a rotatably mounted feeding member'having a chamber with an opening thereto, a Way suspended Within said chamber to receive and deliver articles out of said chamber, a member to act upon said articles delivered from saidway, means positioned to receive said articles from said member and conduct them bach to said chamber and controllable means at the receiving end of the Way for delivery of the articles from said chamber at another point.

5. A feeding mechanism comprising a rotatably mounted feeding member having a chamber therein, a Way xedly positioned to receive articles and conduct them from said chamber, a member to act upon said articles delivered thereto by said Way, and a scoop positioned in the path of movement of articles in said second named member to scoop up said articles and return them into said chamber and controllable means for finally delivering the articles from the chamberat another point.

6. A feeding mechanism comprising a ron tatably mounted feeding member having a chamber, a Way positioned to collect articles from said chamber and guide them therefrom, a member to act upon articles delivered from saidchamber, means for collecting articles from said member to deliver them Within said chamber, andmeans for finally conducting articles from saidchamber.`

7. A feeding'L mechanism comprising a rotatably mountedv feeding member having a chamber to contain supply of articlesin 'the bottom thereof, means for rotating said iember, pockets located in the Wall of said chamber each to piclr up articlesfrom the bottom of the chamber and carry them upwardly therein, and a vvay projecting into said chamber with its inner end positioned to receive articles as they fall from `said pockets, means to act upon the articles and return them to the chamber andcontrollable means for final removal of the articles from the chamber independently of the Way.

8. A feeding mechanism comprising a case, a feeding member rotatably mounted in the case and comprising a peripherally closed chamber with poclrets formed in the inner Wall of said chamber and projecting inwardly, and a vvay projecting into the interior of said chamber and positioned to receive articles as they fall from said pockets,

and said Way having a cut-out portion permitting return to the chamber of excess ar-v ticles received from said pockets.

9. A feeding mechanism comprising a case, a fee-ding member rotatably mounted in the case and comprising a peripherally closed chamber having pockets formed in the inner Wall of said chamber and opening into theinterior thereof, and a Way projecting through the side of said chamber and positioned in the interior thereof and having grooves forming a plurality of parts to receive articles as they fall from either of said poclrets, and said Way having a cut-out portion permitting return to the chamber of excess articles received from said pockets.

10. Afeeding mechanism comprising a rotatably mounted feeding .member having a peripherally closed chamber With an opening in the axis of said chamber, means for rotating said member, pockets formed in the inner Wall of said chamber and projecting thereinto, and a Way projecting through Said Opening into the interior of said chamber ,underlying said pockets to receive artioles as they fall from either of said pockets, said way having a cut-out portion per- .l mitting return to the chamber of excess articles received from said pockets, and controllable means associated with the Way for delivery of articles from the chamber independently of the way. l0 11. A feeding mechanism comprising a rotatably mounted feeding member having a periplherally closed chamber with an opening t erefrom, means for rotating' said chamber, pockets formed in the inner Wall M of said chamber and projecting thereinto and extending across the eedingrmember from side to side, and a way extending through said opening and supported within the interior of said chamber in a fixed position 20 therein said Way having grooves located side by side for the reception of articles falling through space from each Aof said pockets into each of said grooves and controllable means associated with the way for delivery 35 of articles from the chamber independently of the way.

`12. A feeding mechanism comprising a rotatably mounted feeding member having a peripherally closed chamber therein with *0. openings therefromand with pockets formed in the inner Wall of said chamber and opening thereinto, a way projecting through one of said openings and positioned Within the interior of said chamber and supported in a u fixed position to receive articles as they fall directly kfrom all of said pockets on to said way, means for guiding articles into the mouth of said way and controllable means associated with the way for delivery of arti- V4" cles from the chamber independently of the way through the other opening.

GEORGE F. MATTESON.

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