Automatic stacking machine for bars and the like

Claim 2

In a machine of the character described, the combination of first conveyor means for conveying a series of elongated articles in spaced ralation to each other in a direction perpendicular to the direction of elongation of said bars, stationary stop means disposed adjacent the forward ends of said conveyor means and adapted for abutment by the first bar in said series to cause said first bar to stop, and each succeeding bar in the series to come into abutment with the preceding bar, whereby to close or substantially close the spacing between the bars, and provide a layer of bars in side-by-side relation constituting a charge, said stationary stop means being immovable by pressure exerted by said charge in the direction of movement of said bars, second conveyor means disposed downstream of said first conveyor means, for conveying said charge away from saId first conveyor means, means for bodily transferring said charge from said first conveyor means onto said second conveyor means, said transfer means comprising carriages having an orbital movement in which the charge is lifted from said first conveyor means, moved forwardly toward said second conveyor means, deposited onto said second conveyor means, and then returned to their initial position, second stop means disposed downstream of said first stop means and adapted for abutment by the charge moved by said second conveyor means to cause any remaining spacing between the bars of the charge to be fully closed, third stop means disposed downstream of said second stop means and against which said charge is positioned by said second conveyor means, means disposed downstream of said third stop means for receiving successive charges of said bars in superimposed relation to provide a bundle of said bars, said charge-receiving means consisting of a cradle having rolls for moving said bundle in a direction normal to the direction in which the charges were moved in the course of being deposited in said charge-receiving means, said cradle being provided with spaced sets of upright side rolls defining the width of the bundle, one of said sets being adjustable relatively to the other to vary the space between said sets and therefore the width of the bundle, and second transfer means for bodily transferring said charge from said second conveyor means into said chargereceiving means.

Claim 3

In a machine of the character described, a first series of transfer chains in parallel laterally-spaced arrangement for receiving elongated bars to be assembled to form a charge consisting of a plurality of said bars arranged perpendicularly to said chains, a series of stationary stops disposed at the downstream ends of said chains and adapted for abutment by the first bar in said charge to cause the first bar to stop, and each succeeding bar in the charge to come into abutment with the preceding bar, whereby to close or substantially close the spacing between the bars and provide a layer of bars in side-by-side relation constituting said charge, said stationary stops being immovable by pressure exerted by said charge in the direction of movement of said bars, a second series of transfer chains in parallel laterally spaced arrangement, in tandem with said first series of chains and downstream of said stops for conveying said charge away from said first series of chains, a series of first transfer carriages disposed between said chains for transferring said charge from said first series of chains to said second series of chains, said carriages having an orbital movement in which the charge is lifted from said first series of chains, moved forwardly toward said second series of chains, deposited onto said second series of chains and then returned to their initial position, a second series of stops disposed in the path of movement of said second series of chains and against which the charge is moved by said second series of chains for further compacting of the charge, means for lowering said second series of stops, whereby to permit the charge to continue moving in a downstream direction, a third series of stops at the downstream ends of said second series of chains and against which the charge is brought for final positioning, a stacking cradle for receiving the finally-positioned charge in layers superimposed upon one another, said cradle comprising power-driven rolls for traversing the charges in a direction normal to the direction of movement of said chains, said cradle being provided with spaced sets of upright side rolls defining the width of the charges, one of said sets being adjustable relatively to the other to vary the space between said sets and therefore the width of the charges, and means for transferring the finally-positioned charge from said second series of chains into said stacking cradle.

Claim 4

In a machine of the character described, a first series of transfer chains in parallel laterally-spaced arrangement for receiving elongated bars to be assembled to form a charge consisting of a plurality of said bars arranged perpendicularly to said chains, a series of stationary stops disposed at the downstream ends of said chains and adapted for abutment by the first bar in said charge to cause the first bar to stop, and each succeeding bar in the charge to come into abutment with the preceding bar, whereby to close or substantially close the spacing between the bars and provide a layer of bars in side-by-side relation constituting said charge, said stationary stops being immovable by pressure exerted by said charge in the direction of movement of said bars, a second series of transfer chains in parallel laterally spaced arrangement, in tandem with said first series of chains and downstream of said stops for conveying said charge away from said first series of chains, a series of first transfer carriages disposed between said chains for transferring said charge from said first series of chains to said second series of chains, said carriages having an orbital movement in which the charge is lifted from said first series of chains, moved forwardly toward said second series of chains, deposited onto said second series of chains and then returned to their initial position, a second series of stops disposed in the path of movement of said second series of chains and against which the charge is moved by said second series of chains for further compacting of the charge, means for lowering said second series of stops, whereby to permit the charge to continue moving in a downstream direction, a third series of stops at the downstream ends of said second series of chains and against which the charge is brought for final positioning, a stacking cradle for receiving the finally-positioned charge in layers superimposed upon one another, said cradle comprising power-driven rolls for traversing the charges in a direction normal to the direction of movement of said chains, said cradle being provided with spaced sets of upright side rolls defining the width of the charges, one of said sets being adjustable relatively to the other to vary the space between said sets and therefore the width of the charges, and means for transferring the finally-positioned charge from said second series of chains into said stacking cradle.

Claim 5

In a machine of the character described, a stacking cradle comprising a frame having spaced pairs of horizontal power-driven rollers mounted thereon, and a pair of upstanding side rolls for each pair of said power-driven rollers, with one roll of each pair of upstanding rolls offset longitudinally from the other, and one roll of each pair of upstanding rolls being adjustable relatively to the other, means for simultaneously adjusting all of said adjustable rolls relatively to the other upstanding rolls, a series of chains for moving a charge consisting of bars in side-by-side arrangement toward said cradle, a series of positioning stops for stopping the movement of said charge, electro-magnetic turnover arms for moving said charge from said chains through an angle of approximately 180 degrees and into said cradle, a shaft on which said arms are mounted, and means for oscillating said shaft through said arc, said oscillating means comprising a cylinder, a piston in said cylinder, a rock shaft parallel with said first shaft, a lever arm keyed to said rock shaft, a pinion keyed to said first shaft, and a gear segment mounted on said rock shaft and in mesh with said pinion.

Claim 6

In a machine of the character described, a stacking cradle comprising a frame having spaced pairs of horizontal power-driven rollers mounted thereon, and a pair of upstanding side rolls for each pair of said power-driven rollers, with one roll of each pair of upstanding rolls offset longitudinally from the other, and one roll of each pair of upstanding rolls being adjustable relatively to the other, means for simultaneously adjusting all of said adjustable rolls relatively to the other upstanding rolls, a series of chains for moving a charge consisting of bars in side-by-side arrangement toward said cradle, a series of positioning stops for stopping the movement of said charge, electro-magnetic turnover arms for moving said charge from said chains through an angle of approximately 180 degrees and into said cradle, a shaft on which said arms are mounted, and means for oscillating said shaft through said arc, said oscillating means comprising a cylinder, a piston in said cylinder, a rock shaft parallel with said first shaft, a lever arm keyed to said rock shaft, a pinion keyed to said first shaft, and a gear segment mounted on said rock shaft and in mesh with said pinion.