GB1078764A - Product feeding apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

1,078,764. Endless conveyers. NATIONAL BISCUIT CO. Jan. 4, 1965 [Jan. 6, 1964], No. 340/65. Heading B8A. An apparatus for feeding a column of articles 28 from a massed overlapping relationship on a feed belt 82 to a spaced relationship on a delivery belt 88 comprises a vacuum transfer device which grips the massed articles in spaced relation to each other and delivers them in said relation to the belt 88. The transfer device comprises a hollow drum 24 driven by a chain 74 from a motor 72 and a vacuum chamber 50 rotatably adjustable about the drum axis and sealingly engageable with the inside of the drum peripheral wall over a limited arcuate extent thereof. The chamber 50 is connectable to a vacuum source via conduits, 61, 67, 68. Raised peripheral portions on the drum exterior are formed at arcuate intervals therearound with batches of apertures and an endless belt 43 is provided in engagement with the drum 24 on each side of said raised portion. Articles 28 massed on the belt 82 are picked therefrom singularly as a batch of apertures in the drum communicates with the vacuum chamber 50. The articles, whose edges overly the two belts 43 are prized from the vacuum hold prior to the batch of apertures passing out of communication with chamber 50. The articles are passed from the pair of belts 43 on to a single belt 88 from which they are transferred to a delivery belt 94. Both belts 88 and 94 are driven from the common drive chain 74 of the drum 24. A photo-electric device 98, 99 senses the delivery rate of articles and adjusts the speed of the motor 72 accordingly. The feed-belt 82 is driven relatively slowly by a chain transmission from the drum 24 and through an adjustable speed unit 77 controlled by a hand wheel. The articles can be supplied to the drum in two (or more) columns whereupon two rows of suction apertures are provided in the drum but in staggered circumferential relation, a common belt 43 being used between the two rows. A deflection plate 91 horizontally inclined over the belt 88 deflects the staggered articles into a single row prior to transfer to a belt 94. Any number of these drums with their associated belts may be mounted in parallel using a common vacuum source and the adjustable speed units 77 may be operated by a common control.