Device for separating baked anodes

Abstract

An apparatus for separating baked anodes received from a baking furnace. The apparatus includes a conveyor for moving a row of side-abutting baked anodes sequentially into alignment with an anode separating device having a separator blade extending downwardly from a support arm. The blade and support arm are mounted for movement in a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of the row of anodes with the moveable arm being located above the anodes and the blade being positioned to pass laterally between adjacent anodes. A laterally moveable holding means is positioned to engage and hold the side of an anode laterally opposite the blade and means are provided for adjusting the location of the arm and blade in the direction of travel of the row of anodes to align the blade with a chamfered anode top face. An actuator means connected to the blade arm acts to firstly slide the blade along the chamfered edge until the blade engages an adjacent anode and to secondly move the blade inwardly between an adjacent pair of anodes and against the laterally moveable holding means thereby to separate a pair of adjacent anodes in the row.

1 . An apparatus for separating baked anodes received from a baking furnace, said baked anodes being of a type which are generally orthogonal with rectangular side walls, top face and bottom face, with said top face having chamfered edges, and being arranged in rows of anodes sitting on ends thereof with said side walls abutting and said top faces alternating side-to-side, 
 said apparatus comprising a conveyor for moving a row of said side-abutting baked anodes sequentially into alignment with an anode separating device having a separator blade extending downwardly from a support arm, said blade and support arm being mounted for movement in a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of the row of anodes with the moveable arm being located above the anodes and the blade being positioned to pass laterally between adjacent anodes, laterally moveable holding means adapted to engage and hold the side of an anode laterally opposite the blade, means for adjusting the location of the arm and blade in the direction of travel of the row of anodes to align the blade with a chamfered anode top face, actuator means connected to the blade arm to firstly slide the blade along the chamfered edge until the blade engages an adjacent anode and to secondly move the blade inwardly between an adjacent pair of anodes and against said laterally moveable holding means thereby to separate a pair of adjacent anodes in the row.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the laterally moveable holding means is an end face of a laterally moveable carriage which supports said blade arm and actuator means.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein the blade arm is pivotally mounted on the carriage at an end distal from the blade to permit movement of the blade in the direction of travel of the anode row.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 3  that comprises an air cylinder on each side of said blade arm for moving the arm on a forward or backward direction.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 4  wherein the actuator for moving the blade arm perpendicular to the row of anodes is a hydraulic cylinder.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 4  that includes a sensor located on one side of the row of anodes and being adapted to detect mounting holes in anode top faces and in consequence activate said air cylinders on each side of the blade arm.  
   
   
       7 . A method for separating baked anodes received from a baking furnace, said baked anodes being generally orthogonal with rectangular side walls, top face and bottom face, with said top face having chamfered edges, and being arranged in rows of anodes sitting on ends thereof with said side walls abutting and said top faces alternating side-to-side, 
 said method comprising the steps of moving a row of said anodes sitting on ends thereof along a conveyor and stopping the movement when the first anode of said row of anodes is aligned with a separating device having a laterally moveable holding means for holding one side of said first anode and a separator blade moveable in a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of the row of anodes and toward said holding means and being adjustable in the direction of travel of the row of anodes, wherein the separating steps comprise moving the blade inwardly along a chamfered edge of a said top face until it engages the adjacent abutting anode, stopping the motion of the blade, laterally moving said holding means to engage a side of the anode opposite the separator blade and then moving the separator blade toward the holding means and between the abutting pair of anodes thereby separating said first anode from the abutting anode.    
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the holding means and separator blade are both retracted after said first anode is separated.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the blade is mounted on the free end of a support arm for movement perpendicular to the direction of travel of the anode rows and is moved into and out of engagement with the anodes by means of a hydraulic cylinder attached to the support arm.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein a pair of actuators are mounted on each side of said telescopic arm and move the free end of the arm and separator blade backward and forward in the direction of travel of the anodes for aligning the blade with a said chamfered edge.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein a sensor is located on one side of the row of anodes, said sensor detecting mounting holes in an anode top face thereby indicating the orientation of each anode, said sensor in consequence directing said pair of actuators to move the support arm and blade into alignment with an anode top face chamfered edge.