Lehr loader

Claim 2

A lehr loader of the type having a lehr belt, a cross conveyor at an end of the lehr belt and moving transversely thereto, a main carriage mounted for movement in first and second directions parallel to the direction of movement of said lehr belt a second carriage movably mounted on said main carriage, a pusher mounted on said second carriage for transferring articles from said cross conveyor to said lehr belt, and means for driving said main carriage, said driving means comprising: a lever pivoted at a first end to said loader and means releasably connecting said lever at a second end to said main carriage, a slot in said lever between said first and second ends, a crank mounted at one end on a driven shaft, and a drive pin mounted on another end of said crank, said drive pin extending into said slot and rotating said lever about its pivoted first end, when said shaft drives said crank, so as to drive said main carriage in said first and second directions, said releasably connecting means disconnecting said lever from said main carriage in response to a predetermined maximum load applied to said main carriage by said lever.

Claim 3

A lehr loader as in claim 1 wherein said releasably connecting means is adjustable with respect to said carriage so as to render adjustable the disposition of the extreme positions of said main carriage in said first and second directions with respect to said cross conveyor and said lehr belt.

Claim 4

A lehr loader as in claim 2 wherein said releasably connecting means connecting said lever to said main carriAge is adjustable during operation of said loader.

Claim 5

A lehr loader as in claim 1 including a second pin at said second end of said lever, and a transverse slot defined by members on said main carriage, said second pin extending into said slot between said members to drive said main carriage when said lever is moved.

Claim 6

A lehr loader as in claim 4 wherein said members are adjustable with respect to said carriage, in said first and second directions.

Claim 7

A lehr loader as in claim 4 wherein one of said members is a pivoted block, said block having one end releasably captured by a spring detent and having another end defining one side of said slot into which said second pin extends, said block pivoting about a point between said ends when said second pin exerts a predetermined maximum load on said block, in order to release said second pin from said main carriage.

Claim 8

A lehr loader as in claim 1 including means driving said main carriage in said first direction at one acceleration and in said second direction at another acceleration, said one acceleration being lesser than said other acceleration.

Claim 9

A lehr loader as in claim 1 wherein said drive pin is adjustably mounted for movement along said crank with respect to said pin such that adjustment of said pin varies the extent of movement of said main carriage in a direction parallel to the direction of movement of said lehr belt.

Claim 10

A lehr loader for loading glassware of varying shapes and sizes onto a lehr belt from a cross conveyor mounted to move generally transversely to said lehr belt at a loading end thereof and comprising: a main carriage movable a selected distance between first and second extreme positions in directions which are opposite to each other and parallel to the direction of movement of the lehr belt, means for adjusting the distance between said extreme positions, a second carriage mounted on said main carriage for transverse movement a selected distance between other extreme positions in third and fourth directions which are opposite to each other and are transverse to the directions of movement of said main carriage and of said lehr belt, means to adjust the distance between said other extreme positions, a pusher bar mounted on said second carriage for movement in vertical directions with respect to said lehr belt, said pusher being movable in a direction across said cross conveyor and toward said lehr belt, when said main and second carriages are moved, in order to push glassware from said cross conveyor onto said lehr belt, drive means for driving said main carriage between said extreme positions toward and away from said lehr belt, and for imparting to said main carriage an initial acceleration toward said lehr belt, which initial acceleration is lesser than subsequent acceleration toward said lehr belt, and means for adjusting, with respect to said cross conveyor and lehr belt, the initial first position of said extreme positions of said main carriage in said first and second directions, without changing the distance between said first and second extreme positions, so that said pusher engages said glassware during said initial acceleration.

Claim 11

A lehr loader for loading glassware of varying shapes and sizes onto a lehr belt from a cross conveyor mounted to move generally transversely to said lehr belt at a loading end thereof and comprising: a main carriage movable a selected distance between first and second extreme positions in directions which are opposite to each other and parallel to the direction of movement of the lehr belt, means for adjusting the distance between said extreme positions, a second carriage mounted on said main carriage for transverse movement a selected distance between other extreme positions in third and fourth directions which are opposite to each other and are transverse to the directions of movement of said main carriage and of said lehr belt, means to adjust the distance between said other extreme positions, a pusher bar mounted on said second carriage for movement in vertical directions with respect to said lehr belt, said pusher being movable in a direction across said cross conveyor and toward said lehr belt, when said main and second carriages are moved, in order to push glassware from said cross conveyor onto said lehr belt, drive means for driving said main carriage between said extreme positions toward and away from said lehr belt, and for imparting to said main carriage an initial acceleration toward said lehr belt, which initial acceleration is lesser than subsequent acceleration toward said lehr belt, and means for adjusting, with respect to said cross conveyor and lehr belt, the initial first position of said extreme positions of said main carriage in said first and second directions, without changing the distance between said first and second extreme positions, so that said pusher engages said glassware during said initial acceleration.

Claim 12

A lehr loader as in claim 9 wherein said second carriage is slidably mounted on said main carriage, an elongated cam means and means pivotally mounting said cam means on said loader, a cam follower mounted on said second carriage and cooperatively engaged in said cam means, and wherein said means to adjust the distance of movement of said second carriage between said other extreme positions includes means for pivoting said elongated cam means with respect to the direction of movement of said lehr belt.

Claim 13

A lehr loader for loading glassware of varying shapes and sizes onto a lehr belt from a cross conveyor mounted to move generally transversely to said lehr belt at a loading end thereof, and comprising: a main carriage movable through a selected distance between first and second extremE positions, the direction of movement being parallel to the direction of movement of the lehr belt, a second carriage mounted on said main carriage for transverse movement a selected distance between other extreme positions, the direction of movement of the second carriage being transverse to the direction of movement of the main carriage and of the lehr belt, a pusher bar mounted on said second carriage for movement in vertical directions with respect to the movements of said carriages, said cross conveyor, and said lehr belt, said pusher bar being movable across said cross conveyor toward said lehr belt to transfer glassware from said cross conveyor onto said lehr belt, means for adjusting the distance of movement of said main carriage between said first and second extreme positions, means for adjusting the distance of movement of said second carriage between said other extreme positions in a direction transverse to said lehr belt, and means for adjusting the position of the first extreme position of the main carriage, in a direction parallel to the direction of movement of the lehr belt and independently of the selected distance of movement of the main carriage between said first and second extreme positions, the respective adjustments resulting in corresponding adjustment of the pusher bar and thereby providing for the engagement of the glassware of varying shapes and sizes by the pusher bar during initial movement of the main carriage to transfer the glassware from the cross conveyor to the lehr belt.

Claim 14

A lehr loader for loading glassware of varying shapes and sizes onto a lehr belt from a cross conveyor mounted to move generally transversely to said lehr belt at a loading end thereof, and comprising: a main carriage movable through a selected distance between first and second extremE positions, the direction of movement being parallel to the direction of movement of the lehr belt, a second carriage mounted on said main carriage for transverse movement a selected distance between other extreme positions, the direction of movement of the second carriage being transverse to the direction of movement of the main carriage and of the lehr belt, a pusher bar mounted on said second carriage for movement in vertical directions with respect to the movements of said carriages, said cross conveyor, and said lehr belt, said pusher bar being movable across said cross conveyor toward said lehr belt to transfer glassware from said cross conveyor onto said lehr belt, means for adjusting the distance of movement of said main carriage between said first and second extreme positions, means for adjusting the distance of movement of said second carriage between said other extreme positions in a direction transverse to said lehr belt, and means for adjusting the position of the first extreme position of the main carriage, in a direction parallel to the direction of movement of the lehr belt and independently of the selected distance of movement of the main carriage between said first and second extreme positions, the respective adjustments resulting in corresponding adjustment of the pusher bar and thereby providing for the engagement of the glassware of varying shapes and sizes by the pusher bar during initial movement of the main carriage to transfer the glassware from the cross conveyor to the lehr belt.

Claim 15

A lehr loader as in claim 11 including means for driving said main carriage from said first extreme position toward said second extreme position and in the direction of movement of the lehr belt, and for imparting to said carriage a varying acceleration toward said second extreme position, said acceleration varying from an initially lesser acceleration to a subsequently greater acceleration toward said second extreme position.

Claim 16

A lehr loader as in claim 11 further comprising: a lever pivoted at one end to said loader and connected at another end to said main carriage, a slot intermediate the ends of said lever and extending between said ends, a crank mounted at one end on a drive shaft, and a drive pin on another end of said crank, said drive pin extending into said slot and rotating said lever about its pivot point to said loader in order to move said main carriage when said crank is rotated by said driven shaft.

Claim 17

A lehr loader as in claim 13 wherein said pin is adjustable along said crank toward and away from said driven shaft in order to vary the distance of movement of said main carriage between said extreme positions and therefore the distance of movement of said pusher bar in the same directions.

Claim 18

A lehr loader as in claim 13 wherein said lever is releasably connected at its other end to said main carriage.

Claim 19

A lehr loader as in claim 13 wherein the point of connection between said lever and said main carriage is adjustable in a direction parallel to the direction of movement of the lehr belt during operation of said loader.

Claim 20

A lehr loader as in claim 11 further comprising: an elongated cam slot mounted on said loader, a cam follower extending into said cam slot and attached to said second carriage to cause said second carriage and therefore said pusher bar to move transversely with respect to the direction of movement of said main carriage and said lehr belt when said cam slot varies slightly in its direction of extension from the direction of movement of said lehr belt.

Claim 21

A lehr loader as in claim 17 wherein said cam slot is adjustably pivoted to said loader so that the distance of movement of said second carriage and said pusher bar between said other extreme positions can be varied.

Claim 22

A lehr loader as in claim 11 including: means for moving said pusher bar in said vertical directions, and means for adjusting the distance of movement of said Pusher bar between extreme positions in said vertical directions.

Claim 23

A lehr loader as in claim 19 wherein said moving means comprises an air cylinder having a piston movable in two directions and connected to said pusher bar, and said adjusting means including adjustable stop means for engaging a member connected to said piston and selectively limiting the movement of said piston in one of said vertical directions.

Claim 24

A lehr loader as in claim 13 wherein said lever is driven by said crank and driven pin to accelerate said main carriage slower in the direction of movement of said lehr belt than in an opposite direction and including: means for driving said crank to move said driven pin in said slot substantially toward said other end of said lever to initially move said main carriage in the direction of movement of said lehr belt, and means for driving said crank to move said driven pin in said slot substantially toward the pivoted end of said lever to initially move said main carriage in said opposite direction.

Claim 25

A lehr loader as in claim 15 including means releasing said lever from said main carriage in response to the exertion of a predetermined load on said carriage by said lever.

Claim 26

A lehr loader of the type for loading glassware onto a lehr belt from a cross conveyor mounted to move generally transversely to said lehr belt, including a main carriage movable in a direction parallel to the direction of movement of the lehr belt, a second carriage mounted on said main carriage for transverse movement in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of the main carriage and of the lehr belt, a pusher bar mounted on said second carriage for movement across the cross conveyor toward the lehr belt for transferring glassware from the cross conveyor onto the lehr belt, drive means for driving said main carriage, and means for connecting said drive means to said main carriage and for disconnecting said drive means from said main carriage in response to the exertion of a predetermined maximum load on said carriage by said drive means.

Claim 27

A lehr loader of the type for loading glassware onto a lehr belt from a cross conveyor mounted to move generally transversely to said lehr belt, including a main carriage movable in a direction parallel to the direction of movement of the lehr belt, a second carriage mounted on said main carriage for transverse movement in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of the main carriage and of the lehr belt, a pusher bar mounted on said second carriage for movement across the cross conveyor toward the lehr belt for transferring glassware from the cross conveyor onto the lehr belt, drive means for driving said main carriage, and means for connecting said drive means to said main carriage and for disconnecting said drive means from said main carriage in response to the exertion of a predetermined maximum load on said carriage by said drive means.

Claim 28

A lehr loader for tranferring glassware from a cross conveyor onto a lehr belt and including: a main carriage movable in a direction parallel to the direction of movement of the lehr belt, a second carriage mounted on said main carriage and movable between extreme positions in directions transverse to the direction of movement of the lehr belt, a pusher means mounted on the second carriage for engaging and pushing glassware from the cross conveyor onto the lehr belt, and means for adjusting the distance of movement of said second carriage between said extreme positions, said means including an elongated cam track pivotally and adjustably mounted to said loader and a cam follower attached to said second carriage and cooperating with said cam track to move said second carriage between said extreme positions as said main carriage moves, said cam track being adjustable about its pivot in order to permit adjustment of the distance of movement of said second carriage between said extreme positions.

Claim 29

A lehr loader for tranferring glassware from a cross conveyor onto a lehr belt and including: a main carriage movable in a direction parallel to the direction of movement of the lehr belt, a second carriage mounted on said main carriage and movable between extreme positions in directions transverse to the direction of movement of the lehr belt, a pusher means mounted on the second carriage for engaging and pushing glassware from the cross conveyor onto the lehr belt, and means for adjusting the distance of movement of said second carriage between said extreme positions, said means including an elongated cam track pivotally and adjustably mounted to said loader and a cam follower attached to said second carriage and cooperating with said cam track to move said second carriage between said extreme positions as said main carriage moves, said cam track being adjustable about its pivot in order to permit adjustment of the distance of movement of said second carriage between said extreme positions.

Claim 30

A lehr loader for transferring glassware from a cross conveyor to the lehr belt of an annealing lehr, and having a pusher for transferring articles from said cross conveyor onto said lehr belt toward said lehr, said loader comprising: a carriage, a rotatable drive shaft mounted on said carriage, means to rotate said drive shaft, pusher lift bars, each connected at a lower end to said pusher, means on said drive shaft for cooperating with means on said pusher lift bars to drive said pusher lift bars to raise and lower said pusher when said drive shaft rotates, first bracket means mounted on said drive shaft so that said drive shaft is rotatable with respect thereto, second bracket means connected to said first bracket means, said second bracket means slidably supporting said pusher lift bars, yieldable biasing means connected bEtween said first bracket means and said carriage for biasing said first and said second bracket means in a direction around said drive shaft and thereby urging said pusher toward said lehr, and means mounted on said carriage for adjustably limiting the movement of the first and second bracket means about said drive shaft.

Claim 31

A lehr loader for transferring glassware from a cross conveyor to the lehr belt of an annealing lehr, and having a pusher for transferring articles from said cross conveyor onto said lehr belt toward said lehr, said loader comprising: a carriage, a rotatable drive shaft mounted on said carriage, means to rotate said drive shaft, pusher lift bars, each connected at a lower end to said pusher, means on said drive shaft for cooperating with means on said pusher lift bars to drive said pusher lift bars to raise and lower said pusher when said drive shaft rotates, first bracket means mounted on said drive shaft so that said drive shaft is rotatable with respect thereto, second bracket means connected to said first bracket means, said second bracket means slidably supporting said pusher lift bars, yieldable biasing means connected bEtween said first bracket means and said carriage for biasing said first and said second bracket means in a direction around said drive shaft and thereby urging said pusher toward said lehr, and means mounted on said carriage for adjustably limiting the movement of the first and second bracket means about said drive shaft.