Apparatus for transferring frozen confections from a supply conveyor to a discharge conveyor

• US 4,192,415 A
• Filed: 04/04/1978
• Issued: 03/11/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: O.G. Hoyer A/S
• Original Assignee: O.G. Hoyer A/S
• Inventors: Waldstrom, Ejvind, Krener, Ole G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Love, John J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Watts, Douglas D.
• Application Number:
  US05/893,411
• Time in Patent Office: 707 Days
• Field of Search: 198/440, 198/441, 198/447, 198/450, 198/436, 198/374, 198/803, 198/448, 198/443, 198/728, 53/143, 53/236
• US Class Current: 198/374
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/244 by turning them about an axis substantially perpendicular to the conveying plane

Abstract

Apparatus for receiving frozen confections supplied in a single row on a supply conveyor and delivering the confections to a discharge conveyor located at a lower level. The supply conveyor overlaps a rotary turret and a movable stop provided above the turret halts every second confection arriving on the supply conveyor following which a carrier on a movable chain pushes the confections along a transverse chute down onto the discharge conveyor. The remaining confections are allowed to travel through 180° on the turret following which they are halted by a stationary stop. Carriers on a second movable chain then push each of the latter confections along a second transverse chute onto the discharge conveyor in a space between two confections delivered via the first chute and with reversed orientation. The discharge conveyor, the carrier chains and the turret move continuously and in synchronism.

Claims

1. Apparatus for transferring frozen confections arriving in a single row at predetermined time intervals on a supply conveyor and passing from said supply conveyor to a discharge conveyor located at a lower level than said supply conveyor, the apparatus comprising

a turret rotatable on a vertical axis and extending below said supply conveyor, means for guiding confections from said supply conveyor onto said turret along a predetermined path, first transfer means for transferring every second confection in a row of confections from said supply conveyor to said discharge conveyor, said first transfer means comprising a stop located above said turret, said stop being cyclically movable into and out of the path of the confections on said turret, a first chute means associated with said movable stop and extending in the longitudinal direction of said discharge conveyor with a downward inclination from said turret towards said discharge conveyor, a first endless chain having an operative run extending above and parallel to said chute means, and carrier means on said chain for pushing confections along said chute means,

second transfer means for transferring the remaining confections from said turret to said discharge conveyor, said second transfer means comprising a stationary stop located above said turret substantially diametrically opposite said movable stop, a second chute means associated with said stationary stop and extending in the longitudinal direction of said discharge conveyor with a downward inclination from said turret towards said discharge conveyor, a seconnd endless chain having an operative run extending above and parallel to said second chute means, and carrier means on said chain for pushing confections along said chute means,

and a common drive mechanism for effecting a continuous rotation of said turret, continuous movement of said discharge conveyor and said endless chains, and a cyclical movement of said movable stop in timed relationship with the arrival of said confections on said supply conveyor, such that said stop is maintained in the path of said confections for a period sufficient to halt one confection until it has been engaged by a carrier means on said first endless chain, while said stop is subsequently maintained outside the path of said confections for a period sufficient to permit a confection subsequently arriving on said supply conveyor to pass clear of said movable stop.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said supply conveyor is a thin belt, which is directly supported by said turret in the area where the conveyor overlaps the turret.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said confection guiding means comprises a stationary guide plate extending along the outer circumference of said turret where the supply conveyor overlaps the turret.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said movable stop is movable in a vertical plane.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said movable stop and said stationary stop are adjustable transversely of the longitudinal direction of said discharge conveyor.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said carriers on said first and second chains are hinged to the respective chain, and further comprising means preventing said carriers from pivoting on their hinges when they move through the active run of the respective chain, and a stationary abutment provided at the termination of each said active run for pivoting said carriers in a backward direction.

7. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said stop for said first transfer means which is cyclically movable into and out of the path of the confections on said turret, comprises a means to move said stop transversely of the path of the confections.

8. Apparatus for transferring articles--which are non-symmetrical about a transverse axis--arriving in a single row at predetermined intervals on a continuously moving supply conveyor, and transferring the articles from the supply conveyor to a discharge conveyor located at a level lower than that of the supply conveyor in such a way that every transferred article is oriented 180°

about said transverse axis from each immediately adjacent transferred article, every second article hereinafter being designated even articles and every article immediately adjacent an even article being designated odd articles, the apparatus comprising;

a turret rotatable on a vertical axis and extending below the supply conveyor,

means for guiding even articles from the conveyor onto said turret,

first transfer means for transferring odd articles from the supply conveyor to the discharge conveyor, said first transfer means comprising a stop located above the supply conveyor and said turret, said stop being cyclically movable into and out of the path of the articles on the supply conveyor, a first chute means adjacent said movable stop and extending in the the longitudinal direction of the discharge conveyor, said chute means having a downward inclination from the supply conveyor toward the discharge conveyor, a first endless chain having an operative run extending above and parallel to said chute means, and means on said chain to push odd articles along said downwardly inclined chute means,

second transfer means for transferring even articles from said turret to the discharge conveyor, said second transfer means comprising a stationary stop located above said turret and spaced approximately 180°

from said movable stop, a second chute means adjacent said stationary stop and extending in the longitudinal direction of the discharge conveyor, said second chute means being downwardly inclined from said turret toward the discharge conveyor, a second endless chain having an operative run extending above and parallel to said second chute means, and means on said second endless chain to push even articles along said second chute means, and

common driving means to effect continuous rotation of said turret, continuous movement of the discharge conveyor and said endless chains, and the cyclical movement of said movable stop in timed relationship with the arrival of articles on the supply conveyor, said common drive means including control means to maintain said movable stop in the path of articles for a period sufficient to halt an odd article until it is engaged by said first transfer means, and then to actuate said movable stop so that the next adjacent even article passes 180°

around said turret to be engaged by said second transfer means.