US3655067A — Bar feeder and escapement device

Claim 1

Independent Claim 258 words

A bar feeder having a rigid frame (F) including an inclined feed ramp (14) for supporting bars (W), bar-supporting carrier means (C) for receiving each of the bars (W) discharged from said feed ramp and for supporting such bar in a predetermined substantially horizontal position, and escapement means (E) for moving the bars one at a time from said feed ramp to said horizontal position including an escapement shaft (17), at least one escapement plate (18) rigidly mounted on said shaft, at least one narrow bar-engaging load arm (30) mounted on said shaft and having a length of about 1 foot to 3 feet, a bar-engaging stop member (31) adjustably mounted on said arm, said escapement plate (18) having a bar-engaging surface (118) extending generally outwardly away from said shaft, a pneumatic cylinder (69) having a piston rod (71) and a lever (98) for turning said shaft through an angle of at least 70 degrees between an upwardly inclined retracted position adjacent to and in the path of the lowermost bar on said ramp and a downwardly inclined advanced position out of the path of movement of said last-named bar, said cylinder swinging the load arm downwardly to advance a bar from said ramp toward said carrier means, and hydraulic means (165) for reducing the speed of movement of said piston rod during the last half of its sTroke, said stop member (31) having an adjusted position on said arm outwardly of said predetermined horizontal position to engage the bar before it is lowered onto said carrier means.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 258 words

A bar feeder having a rigid frame (F) including an inclined feed ramp (14) for supporting bars (W), bar-supporting carrier means (C) for receiving each of the bars (W) discharged from said feed ramp and for supporting such bar in a predetermined substantially horizontal position, and escapement means (E) for moving the bars one at a time from said feed ramp to said horizontal position including an escapement shaft (17), at least one escapement plate (18) rigidly mounted on said shaft, at least one narrow bar-engaging load arm (30) mounted on said shaft and having a length of about 1 foot to 3 feet, a bar-engaging stop member (31) adjustably mounted on said arm, said escapement plate (18) having a bar-engaging surface (118) extending generally outwardly away from said shaft, a pneumatic cylinder (69) having a piston rod (71) and a lever (98) for turning said shaft through an angle of at least 70 degrees between an upwardly inclined retracted position adjacent to and in the path of the lowermost bar on said ramp and a downwardly inclined advanced position out of the path of movement of said last-named bar, said cylinder swinging the load arm downwardly to advance a bar from said ramp toward said carrier means, and hydraulic means (165) for reducing the speed of movement of said piston rod during the last half of its sTroke, said stop member (31) having an adjusted position on said arm outwardly of said predetermined horizontal position to engage the bar before it is lowered onto said carrier means.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 43 words

The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said hydraulic means (165) reduces the speed of movement of said piston rod during the last half of said stroke to less than one-third the average speed of movement during the first half of the stroke.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 65 words

The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said pneumatic cylinder (69) swings the arms (30) downwardly from a predetermined retracted position inclined upwardly about 50 to 90 degrees to a predetermined advanced position inclined downwardly about 20 to 40 degrees in a period of about 2 to about 3 seconds and said hydraulic means (165) is effective after the arms (30) reach a horizontal position.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 26 words

The combination defined in claim 3 wherein said hydraulic means (165) permits rapid downward movement of the arms (30) at least until they pass the horizontal.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 58 words

The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said hydraulic means (165) permit the arms (30) to move downwardly 30 to 60 degrees from their retracted positions at a relatively high speed and cause them to move at least 30 degrees at a relatively slow speed until the weight of a bar (W) is transferred to the rollers (68).

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 44 words

The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said hydraulic means (165) permits rapid downward movement of the arms (30) throughout the first third of said period and causes movement of the arms at a controlled slow speed throughout the last third of said period.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 27 words

The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said hydraulic means (165) is relatively ineffective at least until said arms (30) are within 10 degrees of the horizontal.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 58 words

A bar feeder as defined in claim 1 wherein means including said cylinder (69) are provided for throwing the lowermost bar on said feed ramp outwardly at a high speed and for causing it to move above the carrier means and to roll against said stop member (31) before the arms (30) are lowered below said horizontal position.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 22 words

A bar feeder as defined in claim 1 wherein means (D) are provided for feeding the bar from said predetermined horizontal position.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 67 words

A bar feeder as defined in claim 1 wherein means including said pneumatic cylinder (69) and said escapement plate (18) throw the lowermost bar on said feed ramp outwardly at a high speed during lowering of said arm (30) and cause such bar to move above said carrier means (C) and to roll against said stop member (31) before said arm is lowered below said horizontal position.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 57 words

A bar feeder as defined in claim 10 wherein said carrier means (C) comprises a series of longitudinally spaced bar-supporting carriers (68) for supporting one of said bars in a horizontal feeding position substantially parallel to the bars on the feed ramp and wherein means (D) are provided for feeding the bar from said last-named horizontal position.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 231 words

A process of feeding bars or tubes in a bar feeder (A) having an inclined feed ramp (14) for supporting bars (W) in a generally horizontal position, bar-supporting carrier means (C) for receiving each of the bars discharged from said feed ramp and for supporting it in a predetermined substantially horizontal position, and escapement means (E) for moving the bars one at a time from said feed ramp to said horizontal position including escapement members (18) and a plurality of bar-engaging arms mounted to swing about a generally horizontal axis from an upwardly inclined retracted position to a downwardly inclined position, said process comprising providing relatively long arms (30) and positioning stop means (31) on said arms at predetermined positions outwardly of said predetermined horizontal position to permit movement of a bar (W) on the arms from the feed ramp (14) to a position above said horizontal position, causing each bar (W) escaped from The feed ramp (14) to be thrown outwardly at a high speed and to move above the carrier means (C) while controlling the movement of the arms (30) so that the bar is thrown against the stop means (31) before the arms are lowered below said predetermined horizontal position, and causing each bar to be lowered from said arms (30) to said horizontal position on carrier means (C) shortly after the bar engages said stop means (31).

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 231 words

A process of feeding bars or tubes in a bar feeder (A) having an inclined feed ramp (14) for supporting bars (W) in a generally horizontal position, bar-supporting carrier means (C) for receiving each of the bars discharged from said feed ramp and for supporting it in a predetermined substantially horizontal position, and escapement means (E) for moving the bars one at a time from said feed ramp to said horizontal position including escapement members (18) and a plurality of bar-engaging arms mounted to swing about a generally horizontal axis from an upwardly inclined retracted position to a downwardly inclined position, said process comprising providing relatively long arms (30) and positioning stop means (31) on said arms at predetermined positions outwardly of said predetermined horizontal position to permit movement of a bar (W) on the arms from the feed ramp (14) to a position above said horizontal position, causing each bar (W) escaped from The feed ramp (14) to be thrown outwardly at a high speed and to move above the carrier means (C) while controlling the movement of the arms (30) so that the bar is thrown against the stop means (31) before the arms are lowered below said predetermined horizontal position, and causing each bar to be lowered from said arms (30) to said horizontal position on carrier means (C) shortly after the bar engages said stop means (31).

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 132 words

A process as defined in claim 12 wherein said escapement members (18) and said arms (30) are mounted to swing about a horizontal axis (17) and have retracted positions wherein the arms (30) extend upwardly to limit movement of the lowermost bar (W) on the ramp while the escapement member (18) is below said last-named bar, said process comprising swinging the escapement members (18) rapidly about said axis to cause them to engage said last-named bar and throw it outwardly at a high speed to cause it to move above the carrier means while the arms (30) are swung outwardly, and causing rapid deceleration of said arms to cause the bar (W) to engage the stop means (31) just before the arms are lowered below said predetermined horizontal position of the bar.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 204 words

In a bar feeder (A) having a rigid frame (F), a feed ramp (14) for supporting a row of parallel bars (W), bar-supporting carrier means (C) for supporting one of said bars in a predetermined substantially horizontal position substantially parallel to the bars in said row, and escapement means (E) for feeding the bars one at a time from said feed ramp to said predetermined horizontal position including an escapement shaft (17), an escapement plate (18) mounted on said shaft and having a bar-engaging surface (118) extending outwardly in a direction generally away from said shaft, a pneumatic cylinder (69) having a piston rod (71), and a lever (98) for turning said shaft through an angle of at least 70 degrees, the improvement which comprises a narrow bar-engaging load arm (30) with a length of about 1 foot to 3 feet, which length is at least 8 times the width of the arm, a bar-engaging stop member (31) adjustably mounted on said arm in a position outwardly of said horizontal position when the arm is lowered, and hydraulic means (165) for rapidly decelerating the speed of movement of said piston rod during the last half of its stroke as said arm is being lowered.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 204 words

In a bar feeder (A) having a rigid frame (F), a feed ramp (14) for supporting a row of parallel bars (W), bar-supporting carrier means (C) for supporting one of said bars in a predetermined substantially horizontal position substantially parallel to the bars in said row, and escapement means (E) for feeding the bars one at a time from said feed ramp to said predetermined horizontal position including an escapement shaft (17), an escapement plate (18) mounted on said shaft and having a bar-engaging surface (118) extending outwardly in a direction generally away from said shaft, a pneumatic cylinder (69) having a piston rod (71), and a lever (98) for turning said shaft through an angle of at least 70 degrees, the improvement which comprises a narrow bar-engaging load arm (30) with a length of about 1 foot to 3 feet, which length is at least 8 times the width of the arm, a bar-engaging stop member (31) adjustably mounted on said arm in a position outwardly of said horizontal position when the arm is lowered, and hydraulic means (165) for rapidly decelerating the speed of movement of said piston rod during the last half of its stroke as said arm is being lowered.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 237 words

A bar feeder having a rigid frame (F), a feed ramp (14) for supporting a row of long bars (W), bar-supporting means for supporting one of said bars in a predetermined substantially horizontal position substantially parallel to the bars in said row, an escapement shaft (17) rotatably mounted on said frame near the discharge end of said ramp and substantially parallel to said predetermined horizontal position of the bar, a plurality of narrow bar-supporting load arms (30) with a length of about 1 foot to 3 feet mounted on said escapement shaft, a bar-engaging stop (31) mounted on each load arm in a position outwardly of said predetermined horizontal position of the bar when the arm is lowered, and a plurality of bar-engaging escapement members (18) rigidly mounted on said shaft and having faces (118) projecting upwardly for engagement with the lowermost bar in said row, motor means (69) for swinging said shaft and said arms at least 70 degrees from a predetermined retracted position, wherein the lowermost bar on the ramp engages the upwardly inclined load arms and said bar-engaging faces (118) are located below said bar and below the axis of said bar, to an advanced position, wherein the load arms (30) are downwardly inclined and said stop (31) is near said predetermined horizontal position of the bar, and means (165) for rapidly decelerating the shaft (17) when the arms are near the horizontal position.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 237 words

A bar feeder having a rigid frame (F), a feed ramp (14) for supporting a row of long bars (W), bar-supporting means for supporting one of said bars in a predetermined substantially horizontal position substantially parallel to the bars in said row, an escapement shaft (17) rotatably mounted on said frame near the discharge end of said ramp and substantially parallel to said predetermined horizontal position of the bar, a plurality of narrow bar-supporting load arms (30) with a length of about 1 foot to 3 feet mounted on said escapement shaft, a bar-engaging stop (31) mounted on each load arm in a position outwardly of said predetermined horizontal position of the bar when the arm is lowered, and a plurality of bar-engaging escapement members (18) rigidly mounted on said shaft and having faces (118) projecting upwardly for engagement with the lowermost bar in said row, motor means (69) for swinging said shaft and said arms at least 70 degrees from a predetermined retracted position, wherein the lowermost bar on the ramp engages the upwardly inclined load arms and said bar-engaging faces (118) are located below said bar and below the axis of said bar, to an advanced position, wherein the load arms (30) are downwardly inclined and said stop (31) is near said predetermined horizontal position of the bar, and means (165) for rapidly decelerating the shaft (17) when the arms are near the horizontal position.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 35 words

A bar feeder as defined in claim 15 wherein said stops are adjustably mounted on said arms and the innermost and outermost adjusted positions of the stops (31) are spaced apart at least 6 inches.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 36 words

A bar feeder as defined in claim 15 wherein said last-named means comprises a hydraulic cylinder having a variable restriction (f) to limit the speed of the piston when it approaches the end of its stroke.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 35 words

A bar feeder as defined in claim 15 wherein said bar-supporting means comprises a plurality of longitudinally spaced bar-supporting rollers (68) and wherein means (D) are provided for feeding the bar axially on said carriers.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1975-04-11	1975-10-11	1976-04-11	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1979-04-11	1979-10-11	1980-04-11	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1983-04-11	1983-10-11	1984-04-11	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Bar feeder and escapement device

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