Abstract A method for automatically stacking lightweight plastic articles being ejected from plastic shaping equipment which involves air conveying the articles in tandem away from the shaping equipment to a transition zone without changing the orientation of the articles from that existing on ejection from the shaping equipment, turning or changing the direction of movement of the articles in the transition zone by means of the air while continuing the air conveying movement such that the peripheries of successively adjacent articles are substantially parallel to each other and feeding each thus turned article by means of the air to the nip of continuously and oppositely rotating friction wheels to advance each article through the nip to the base of an ever-increasing stack resting on the wheels beyond the nip. The apparatus includes a conveying duct for the articles, means for introducing high velocity conveying air into the duct, dual friction wheels aligned opposite each other adjacent the discharge end of the duct and means for rotating the friction wheels at a constant speed.
Apparatus for automatically stacking lightweight plastic articles ejected from plastic shaping equipment comprising; a. a generally horizontal conveying duct for said articles having an article receiving end and an article discharge end; b. means adjacent said receiving end for introducing high velocity conveying air into said duct; c. oppositely rotating dual friction wheels aligned opposite each other immediately adjacent and spaced above said discharge end, said wheels each having resilient-cylindrical portions overlapping an upward extension of the walls of the duct defining said discharge end; d. air jet means adjacent said discharge end for changing the direction of movement for said articles and for feeding said articles upwardly into the nip of said dual friction wheels; and e. means for continuously rotating said wheels at constant speed in opposite directions whereby articles fed to the nip of said wheels are successively, frictionally advanced therethrough forming a stack of articles thereabove resting directly on said cylindrical portions of the wheels.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
159 words
Apparatus for automatically stacking lightweight plastic articles ejected from plastic shaping equipment comprising; a. a generally horizontal conveying duct for said articles having an article receiving end and an article discharge end; b. means adjacent said receiving end for introducing high velocity conveying air into said duct; c. oppositely rotating dual friction wheels aligned opposite each other immediately adjacent and spaced above said discharge end, said wheels each having resilient-cylindrical portions overlapping an upward extension of the walls of the duct defining said discharge end; d. air jet means adjacent said discharge end for changing the direction of movement for said articles and for feeding said articles upwardly into the nip of said dual friction wheels; and e. means for continuously rotating said wheels at constant speed in opposite directions whereby articles fed to the nip of said wheels are successively, frictionally advanced therethrough forming a stack of articles thereabove resting directly on said cylindrical portions of the wheels.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
The apparatus of claim 1 in which said upward extension of the duct extends downstream of said friction wheels for confining said stack.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus of claim 1 in which said resilient-cylindrical portions comprise a plurality of axially spaced resilient rings on the surfaces of each of said friction wheels.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
30 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means for introducing high velocity air includes a conduit having a plurality of angularly oriented openings therein for passage of pressurized air therethrough.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
28 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the upward extension of said duct includes slots therethrough adjacent said friction wheels for the discharge of pressurized air from said duct.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
22 words
The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the openings are holes oriented at an angle of between 15* to 70* with the horizontal.