US3834522A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Take off and stacker for container printing machine
Assignee: Chromax Ltd
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Filing: 1973-02-16
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Granted: 1974-09-10
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Expires: 1993-02-16
Abstract
Abstract A transfer machine which grips containers printed at high speed with volatile ink, holds each container for a period of time sufficient to allow the ink to dry, and then feeds the container into a stacking device. The transfer machine comprises a turret and a plurality of carriages mounted on and spaced around the turret, each carriage being movable radially on the turret and fitted with a suction head for gripping a container. The transfer machine is driven in synchronism with the printing machine so that the turret is indexed to register each carriage in turn with the unloading station of the printing machine and subsequently with the stacking device. Slide blocks on the base of the transfer machine engage the carriages in register with the unloading station and the stacking device at each index position of the turret, and cam mechanism reciprocates the slide blocks so as to move one carriage radially outwards to grip the container at the unloading station and return to the radially inner position carrying the container, and to move the other carriage radially outwards to feed its container into the stacking device. The time delay in transferring each container from the printing machine to the stacking device depends on the number of times the turret is indexed during this transfer.
Inventors
- 👤 J Jackson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 16:37
CPC Classifications
B; B41; B41F; B41F17/00; B41F17/28
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
315 words
A machine for transferring articles between two stations comprising: a frame; a turret mounted on said frame for rotation about an axis thereof; a plurality of carriages mounted on and spaced around the turret; turret drive means operable to turn the turret intermittently into a plurality of index positions to bring each of said carriages in succession into register with a loading station and subsequently into register with an unloading station at different index positions of the turret, said drive means providing a period of dwell between successive intermittent movements of the turret; individual radial guide means on said turret for each of said carriages, each carriage when in register with each of said stations being movable along its radial guide means towards and away from said axis; arcuate guide means on said frame concentric with said axis between said loading and unloading stations; arcuate track means of said carriages engaged with said arcuate guide means during movement of the carriages between the loading and unloading stations, said carriages being disengaged from said arcuate guide means when in register with the loading or unloading stations; coupling members mounted on said frame at the loading and unloading stations for radial moVement relative to said axis, said coupling members being adapted to engage and entrain the carriages in register with said stations for movement therewith; carriage drive means operable in synchronism with the turret drive means to move the coupling members and the carriages entrained therewith from a radially inner position to a radially outer position and back to the radially inner position during said dwell period; and gripper means on each carriage operable to grip an article at the loading station when the carriage is in its radially outer position at the loading station, and to release the article at the unloading station when the carriage is in its radially outer position at the unloading station.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
315 words
A machine for transferring articles between two stations comprising: a frame; a turret mounted on said frame for rotation about an axis thereof; a plurality of carriages mounted on and spaced around the turret; turret drive means operable to turn the turret intermittently into a plurality of index positions to bring each of said carriages in succession into register with a loading station and subsequently into register with an unloading station at different index positions of the turret, said drive means providing a period of dwell between successive intermittent movements of the turret; individual radial guide means on said turret for each of said carriages, each carriage when in register with each of said stations being movable along its radial guide means towards and away from said axis; arcuate guide means on said frame concentric with said axis between said loading and unloading stations; arcuate track means of said carriages engaged with said arcuate guide means during movement of the carriages between the loading and unloading stations, said carriages being disengaged from said arcuate guide means when in register with the loading or unloading stations; coupling members mounted on said frame at the loading and unloading stations for radial moVement relative to said axis, said coupling members being adapted to engage and entrain the carriages in register with said stations for movement therewith; carriage drive means operable in synchronism with the turret drive means to move the coupling members and the carriages entrained therewith from a radially inner position to a radially outer position and back to the radially inner position during said dwell period; and gripper means on each carriage operable to grip an article at the loading station when the carriage is in its radially outer position at the loading station, and to release the article at the unloading station when the carriage is in its radially outer position at the unloading station.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
73 words
A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein each coupling member is formed with an arcuate guide aligned with said arcuate guide means on the frame when the coupling member is in said radially inner position, the arcuate guides on the coupling members being engaged with said track means on the carriages in register with the loading and unloading stations to thereby entrain the carriages to the coupling members for unison radial movement.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
45 words
A machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein said arcuate guide means comprise arcuate ribs formed on the top surface of the frame and lying in a circle concentric with said axis, and said track means comprise arcuate grooves in the underside of the carriages.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
29 words
A machine as claimed in claim 3, wherein said arcuate guides on the coupling members comprise arcuate tongues engagable in the grooves in the underside of the coupling members.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
143 words
A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said radial guide means for each carriage comprises a rod fixed to the turret, the carriage having a bore for reception of the rod, and the gripper means on the carriage are operable by vacuum, wherein the center of said bore is enlarged to form an annular chamber between the carriage and the guide rod, seals are provided at the ends of the bore to prevent entry of air through the bore into said chamber, the carriage is formed with a duct connecting the gripper means to the annular chamber, and the guide rod has a duct connected by a port therein to the annular chamber, said ducts and annular chamber forming a passageway for applying vacuum to the gripper means during radial movement of the carriage between its radially inner and radially outer positions.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
120 words
A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said carriage drive means comprises: a cam disc rotatably mounted on the frame below said turret; a cam track located on said disc; whereby said cam disc turns through one revolution during the period between the completion of successive index movements of the turret; the cam track being arranged to move the coupling member from said radially inner position to said radially outer position and back to the radially inner position in each revolution of the cam disc; and a follower mounted on one of said coupling members and engaged in said cam track; and means for rotating the cam disc at constant speed in synchronism with angular movement of the turret.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
121 words
A machine as claimed in claim 6, wherein the carriages are spaced at equal angular intervals around the turret, the number of index positions of the turret in each revolution is equal to the number of carriages whereby in each index position of the turret, one carriage is in register with the loading station and another carriage is in register with the unloading station, the loading and unloading stations are at diametrically opposite sides of the turret, and the two coupling members are interconnected by a rack and pinion mechanism comprising a pinion rotatably mounted to the frame about said axis, and two toothed racks connected one to each of said coupling members and meshing with opposite sides of said pinion.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-09-09 | 1978-03-11 | 1978-09-10 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-09-09 | 1982-03-11 | 1982-09-10 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-09-09 | 1986-03-11 | 1986-09-10 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |