Lane guide

• US 6,516,938 B1
• Filed: 08/03/2000
• Issued: 02/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RA Jones & Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: RA Jones & Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Lukes, Matthew R., Paselsky, John M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Valenza, Joseph E.
• Application Number:
  US09/631,315
• Time in Patent Office: 922 Days
• Field of Search: 198/419.3, 198/452, 198/453, 198/836.4, 198/836.3, 532/49--52, 534/48, 534/79, 534/58, 535/66, 535/31, 535/34, 53/481, 53/485, 535/43
• US Class Current: 198/419.3
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 21/2072 Laterial guidance means
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/682 from a single conveyor lane consisting of one conveyor or several adjacent conveyors

Abstract

An improved apparatus useful in feeding articles from a bulk supply through lanes confining articles into single file for metering and segregation from upstream articles. The apparatus includes a lane guide insert removably mounted on one of two opposed preferably fixed lane guides. The insert narrows or constricts the effective lane width through a selected length, and as a function of the diameter of the articles handled. The maximum width between the fixed lane guides of a lane is that which will permit passage of the smallest pre-determined diameter of articles to be handled without forming an “A” pattern orientation in the lane.

Claims

1. An article feeding apparatus for aligning selected articles of known diameter in lanes extending in a direction, said apparatus comprising:

a plurality of pairs of lane guides, each pair of lane guides defining between them a lane having one lane width;

at least two respective lane guide inserts disposed within at least two of said lanes between respective guides defining respective lanes to operably define respective second narrower lane widths in a down stream portion of the lanes than said one lane width;

wherein said feeding apparatus includes apparatus for at least one of metering and separating articles in said lane from articles upstream thereof at a station and wherein said lane guide inserts extend from a point upstream of said station to a point downstream thereof, with said articles being oriented single file in said station,

said apparatus for one of metering and separating articles comprising a transfer guide movable at an angle to and across said lanes from one to another, in a downstream direction,

and said lane guide inserts being longer in lanes first traversed by said transfer guide than lane guides being later traversed thereby.

2. Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein at least one of said lane guides defining each respective lane is fixed.

3. Apparatus as in claim 2 wherein both of said lane guides defining each respective lane are fixed.

4. Apparatus as in claim 3 wherein:

said one lane width is wide enough to accommodate passage therein of selected articles having the largest diameter of selected articles to be aligned and not so wide to permit “

A”

pattern orientation in said lane of selected articles having the smallest diameter of selected articles to be aligned.

5. Apparatus as in claim 4 wherein said respective lane guides are spaced apart between a maximum and a minimum distance, the minimum being approximately equal to the largest diameter of selected articles to be aligned and the maximum being less than that which would permit “

A”

pattern orientation of the smallest diameter of selected articles to be aligned.

6. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said lane guide inserts each have an upstream end disposed in said respective lanes proximate said station.

7. Apparatus as in claim 6 wherein said lane guide inserts each have a downstream end disposed proximate said station and downstream thereof.

8. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein at least one of said lane guides defining each lane is fixed and wherein said respective lane guide removably mounted on fixed lane guides.

9. Apparatus as in claim 8 wherein said lane guides are inclined across a selected machine direction of said apparatus, one of said lane guides being oriented upstream of the other lane guide and said inserts being removably mounted on said respective upstream lane guides of each respective lane.

10. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said lane guide inserts comprise a first elongated element including a lower edge having a relieved area extending in the direction of extension of said respective lanes.

11. Apparatus as in claim 10 wherein each said lane guide insert includes mounting pins and is mounted on a lane guide having inclined slots for removably receiving said pins.

12. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said lane guide inserts each comprise a first elongated metallic element and a second elongated synthetic element substantially coextensive with said first element.

13. Apparatus as in claim 1 further including a second lane guide insert for disposition within each said lane having another lane guide insert and defining said lane with said lane guide insert.

14. Apparatus as in claim 13 wherein each said second lane guide insert includes an article contact surface conforming to the configuration of a surface of articles to be aligned.

20. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein articles move through said apparatus in a path, said path passing from upstream said lane guide inserts, between at least one lane guide and at least one lane guide insert in a lane, and downstream from said lane guide insert in said lane, and said path being wider than said second narrower lane width both upstream and downstream of each said lane guide insert.

15. An article feeding apparatus for aligning selected articles of diameter in a plurality of lanes extending in a direction, for article metering or separation and comprising:

at least two lane guides defining each of a plurality of respective lanes, said guides being spaced apart a distance to accommodate movement therebetween of the largest diameter articles to be aligned, but not such a distance as to allow an “

A”

pattern orientation of the smallest diameter articles to be aligned;

a lane guide insert selectively mountable on one of said lane guides of each lane to reduce the width of a downstream portion of said lane to a width sufficient to orient articles in single file in said lane,

wherein said feeding apparatus includes apparatus for at least one of metering and separating articles in said lanes from articles upstream thereof at a station and wherein said lane guide inserts extend from a point upstream of said station to a point downstream thereof, with said articles being oriented single file in said station,

said apparatus for one of metering and separating articles comprising a transfer guide movable at an angle to and across said lanes from one to another, in a downstream direction,

and said lane guide inserts being longer in lanes first traversed by said transfer guide than lane guides being later traversed thereby.

16. Apparatus as in claim 15 wherein said lane guide width of said respective lanes to a distance greater than but at diameter of selected articles to be aligned.

17. An article feeding apparatus for aligning articles of selected diameter in a plurality of lanes extending in a direction for article metering or separation, and comprising:

at least two lane guides defining each lane, respective lane guides defining each lane spaced apart a distance within a range comprising a minimum of at least a diameter of the largest article to be aligned and a maximum distance defined by the width produced between outer surfaces of adjacent staggered smallest articles to be aligned with a line between their centers inclined at no more than 60 degrees from the direction of said each lane;

at least one lane guide insert mounted within each lane to confine the width of a downstream potion of each lane to a distance approximately equal to the diameter of an article to be aligned to orient such articles in single file therein,

wherein said feeding apparatus includes apparatus for at least one of metering and separating articles in said lanes from articles upstream thereof at a station and wherein said lane guide inserts extend from a point upstream of said station to a point downstream thereof, with said articles being oriented single file in said station,

said apparatus for one of metering and separating articles comprising a transfer guide movable at an angle to and across said lanes from one to another, in a downstream direction,

and said lane guide inserts being longer in lanes first traversed by said transfer guide than lane guides being later traversed thereby.

18. Apparatus as in claim 17 wherein said lanes are defined by spaced apart fixed lane guides and said lane guide insert in each lane is releasably mounted on one of said lane guides.

19. Apparatus as in claim 18 wherein said lane guides for each lane are oriented at an angle with respect to a selected machine direction with a first lane guide on a downstream side of said lane and a second lane guide on an upstream side of said lane, said lane guide inserts being releasably mountable on said second lane guide in each lane.

21. In a method of orienting articles received from lanes having a first width into respective single file lanes having a narrower width than said first width and approximately equal to a diameter of said articles, wherein said articles are engaged by a member extending therebetween to separate one from another, the step of conveying articles in lanes having said first width, confining said articles into single file in said single file lanes by engaging articles with lane guide inserts in said lanes, inserting said member between articles in said single file lane and thereafter transferring articles in lanes having a width greater than said single file lane,

wherein the step of confining said articles comprises confining articles over a longer distance in selected lanes than in other lanes with lane guide inserts of varied length in said respective lanes.