APPARATUS FOR ORIENTATING AND STACKING CUP-LIKE ARTICLES

• US 3,791,537 A
• Filed: 10/16/1972
• Issued: 02/12/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Clayton E. Conklin
• Original Assignee: Clayton E. Conklin
• Inventors: Conklin, Clayton E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Spar, Robert J.
• Application Number:
  US05/297,680
• Time in Patent Office: 484 Days
• Field of Search: 214/6D,6FA,6H,6.5,8R 198/33AA,53,54,55,62,52 221/163,164,165,167,168,175 193/43R
• US Class Current: 414/788.2
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/1478 by means of pick-up devices, the container remaining immobile
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 414/105 Shifted by article responsive means

Abstract

Apparatus in which cup-like articles are received within a hopper in random orientation, agitated, and picked up singularly from the hopper by a rotating disc provided with means to orient and transport them to a turntable where they are guided and dropped into vertical stacks in nested relation. An indexing mechanism responsive to the number of articles stacked will cause the turntable to rotate 90* when a predetermined number of articles are present in the stack so that an identical stack of articles can be started.

Claims

1. Apparatus for orienting and stacking in nested relation cuplike articles having a hollow, truncated conical body portion and an annular rim, said apparatus comprising, in combination, hopper means for receiving a plurality of said articles in random orientation, rotating disc means cooperating with said hopper means for transferring said articles from said hopper means, said disc means including means for grasping said articles beneath said annular rim and orienting said articles with the axis of revolution of their conical body portions in substantially vertical position, and stacking means for receiving said articles from said rotating disc means with their truncated conical body portions in nested relationship.

2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 further including, means for indexing said stacking means after a predetermined number of articles are received thereon in nested relationship.

3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said hopper means includes, means for agitating the randomly oriented articles received therein.

4. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 further including, means cooperating with said rotating disc means for sensing articles being transferred by said disc means whose axis of revolution of their conical body portions are not in substantially vertical position and returning such articles to said hopper means.

5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said rotating disc means includes, a large circular disc, means for rotating said large disc in a substantially vertical plane, a plurality of individually rotatable smaller discs arranged in spaced relation about the circumference of said large circular disc, each of said smaller discs having parallel pin means extending therefrom in a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane of rotation of said large circular disc into said hopper means for grasping one of said articles beneath its annular rim, and means connected to each of said smaller discs for maintaining the parallel pin means extending from each of said discs in a substantially horizontal plane as said large circular disc is rotated to effect transfer of said articles.

6. Apparatus in accordance with claim 3 wherein said agitating means includes, means for directing a stream of air to impinge on said randomly oriented articles in said hopper means.

7. Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 wherein said sensing means includes, a flexible wiper blade held stationary adjacent said rotating disc means for wiping contact with an article whose axis of revolution of its conical body portion is not in substantially vertical position.

8. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said stacking means includes, at least one article-supporting platform mounted for movement in a substantially vertical direction, and means between said rotatable disc means and article-supporting platform for guiding oriented articles from said disc means to said platform in nested relationship with the axis of revolution of their conical body portions in substantially vertical position.

9. Apparatus in accordance with claim 8 further including, a rotatable turntable, a plurality of article-supporting platforms sLidably mounted on said turntable for movement in a substantially vertical direction, and means responsive to sensing a predetermined number of articles supported on any one of said article-supporting platforms for indexing said rotatable turntable to present an empty article-supporting platform in registration with said guide means.

10. Apparatus in accordance with claim 9 wherein said indexing means includes, a lift plate adapted to be positioned sequentially beneath one of said article-supporting platforms, weight means connected to said lift plate for raising said lift plate and support platform when unrestrained, means for restraining said weight means, unidirectional bearing means connected to said turntable, and fluid motor means operational in response to a predetermined number of articles on an article-supporting platform for removing the restraint of said restraining means on said weight means and for causing rotation of said bearing means, whereby said turntable can be rotated and said lift plate raised to position an empty article-supporting platform in registration with said guide means.

11. Apparatus in accordance with claim 10 wherein said restraining means includes, a second unidirectional bearing assembly;

said weight means includes, a weight, a rope clamped by said second unidirectional bearing assembly connecting said weight to said lift plate, and fluid motor means responsive to the passing of each article from said rotatable disc means to an article-supporting platform to cause rotation of said second unidirectional bearing means to feed said rope against the bias of the weight to lower said lift plate and article-supporting platform in controlled increments.

12. Apparatus in accordance with claim 8 wherein said guide means includes, an inclined cam rail disposed in the path of rotation of said articles being transferred by said disc means.

13. Apparatus in accordance with claim 5 wherein said maintaining means includes, a counterweight connected to each of said smaller discs.

14. Apparatus in accordance with claim 11 wherein said rotating disc means includes, a large circular disc, means for rotating said large disc in a substantially vertical plane, a plurality of individually rotatable smaller discs arranged in spaced relation about the circumference of said large circular disc, each of said smaller discs having parallel pin means extending therefrom in a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane of rotation of said large circular disc into said hopper means for grasping one of said articles beneath its annular rim, and means connected to each of said smaller discs for maintaining the parallel pin means extending from each of said discs in a substantially horizontal plane as said large circular disc is rotated to effect transfer of said articles.

15. Apparatus in accordance with claim 14 wherein said maintaining means includes, a counterweight connected to each of said smaller discs.

16. Apparatus in accordance with claim 15 wherein said hopper means includes, means for agitating the randomly oriented articles received therein.

17. Apparatus in accordance with claim 16 wherein said agitating means includes, means for directing a stream of air to impinge on said randomly oriented articles in said hopper means.

18. Apparatus in accordance with claim 17 further including, means cooperating with said rotating disc means for sensing articles being transferred by said disc means whose axis of revolution of their conical body portions are not in substantially vertical position and returning such articles to said hopper means.

19. Apparatus in accordance with claim 18 wherein said sensing means includes, a flexible wiper blade held stationary adjacent said rotating disc means for wiping contact with an article whose axis of revolution of its conical body portion is not in a substantially vertical position.