System for conveying conical articles

Abstract

An apparatus for conveying conically shaped articles from a first conveyor to a second conveyor. The first conveyor comprises a plurality of circulating chains which are spaced from one another by a distance less than the largest diameter of the conical article such that the article will be suspended between the chains as it is conveyed. The second conveyor consists of a belt which supports article receiving stands. Arranged between the conveyors is an article transfer device which consists of two relatively movable pieces which guide the article vertically from the first to the second conveyor. Article transfer is controlled by a plurality of gates as well as by article, transfer device, and receiving member sensors.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. In an apparatus disposed above a conveyor belt for feeding articles onto said conveyor belt, a system for conveying conical articles comprising a pair of circulating chains provided side by side on the opposite sides of a path of transfer of said conical article and spaced apart from each other by a distance slightly smaller than the largest diameter of said conical article, main shutters openably disposed at the downstream end of said transfer path for closing said path at a specified position, subshutters arranged on the upstream side of said main shutters for controlling transfer of a second conical article from the downstream end, a receiving assembly including a receiving piece disposed below the downstream end of said transfer path and an opening piece movable toward or away from said receiving piece for receiving between said pieces said conical article falling from said transfer path, an article detector for detecting that an article has reached the downstream end of said transfer path, a stand detector for detecting a stand on the conveyor belt passing below said receiving assembly, and a control unit for operating drive means coupled to said receiving assembly to reciprocate said opening piece once in response to every signal emitted from said stand detector and for emitting a signal for operating drive means coupled to said main shutters to reciprocate said main shutters once when receiving a signal from said article detector after the completion of the single reciprocation of said opening piece; said conveyor belt comprising a multiplicity of support bars arranged side by side and each having branches projecting from the opposite sides of said support bar, and a connecting rod attached to said branches on one side of each said support bar is engaged with said branches on the other side of adjacent said support bar. 
     
     
       2. A conveying system as defined in claim 1 wherein said stand comprises a pair of arched legs provided at its opposite ends and each having two leg pieces and a bridge plate interconnecting the upper ends of said legs and having article receiving portions, the lower ends of said leg pieces being formed on the inner side thereof with recessed engaging portions for fitting therein said support bar and said connecting rod respectively, each of said arched legs having a ring fitting around said two leg pieces and movable upward or downward. 
     
     
       3. A conveying system as defined in claim 2 wherein the inner side of said ring and said leg pieces are formed with projections and recessed portions engageable with and disengageable from each other. .Iadd.4. A combination of a conveyor belt, a means for feeding conical articles to the conveyor belt, and a means for delivering the conical articles from the conveyor belt, wherein the conveyor belt comprises stands arranged equidistantly along the belt, each having a receiving portion for fitting said conical article therein with the tapered end of said article directed downward, a multiplicity of support bars arranged side by side and each having branches projecting from the opposite sides of said support bar, and a connecting rod attached to said branches on one side of each said support bar and engaged with said branches of an adjacent support bar; and said means for delivering comprises a pair of opposed endless chains arranged on the opposite sides of a path of transfer of said conical articles and spaced apart from each other by a larger distance in an upstream section and by a smaller distance in a downstream section, said chains being raised toward their downstream ends, and support pieces projecting from said chains and engageable with an upper end peripheral portion of said conical article to lift said article from said receiving portion with the rise of said endless chains..Iaddend. .Iadd.5. A conveying system as defined in claim 4 wherein two support pieces on one of said chains and two support pieces on said other chain provide a group of four support pieces for supporting said conical article at four upper portions thereof with bent portions at the lower ends of said support pieces..Iaddend. .Iadd.6. A combination of a conveyor belt, a means for feeding conical articles to the conveyor belt, and a means for delivering the conical articles from the conveyor belt wherein the conveyor belt comprises stands arranged equidistantly along the belt, each having a receiving portion for fitting said conical article therein with the tapered end of said article directed downward, a multiplicity of support bars arranged side by side and each having branches projecting from the opposite sides of said support bar, and a connecting rod attached to said branches on one side of each said support bar and engaged with said branches of an adjacent support bar; and said means for delivering comprises a pair of opposed endless chains arranged on the opposite sides of a path of transfer of said conical articles and spaced apart from each other by a larger distance in an upstream section and by a smaller distance in a downstream section, said chains being raised toward their downstream ends, and support pieces projecting from said chains and engageable with an upper end peripheral portion of said conical article to lift said article from said receiving portion with the rise of said endless chains; and said means for feeding comprises a pair of circulating chains provided side by side on the opposite sides of a path of transfer of said conical article and spaced apart from each other by a distance slightly smaller than the largest diameter of said conical article, main shutters openably disposed at the downstream end of said transfer path for closing said path at a specified position, subshutters arranged on the upstream side of said main shutters and openable and closable in a reverse timing relation to the opening and closing of said main shutters for controlling transfer of a second conical article from the downstream end, a receiving assembly including a receiving piece disposed below the downstream end of said transfer path and an opening piece movable toward or away from said receiving piece for receiving between said pieces said conical article falling from said transfer path, an article detector for detecting that an article has reached the downstream end of said transfer path, a stand detector for detecting the stand on the conveyor belt passing below said receiving assembly, and a control unit for operating drive means coupled to said receiving assembly to reciprocate said opening piece once in response to every signal emitted from said stand detector and for emitting a signal for operating drive means coupled to said main shutters to reciprocate said main shutters once when receiving a signal from said article detector after the completion of the single reciprocation of said opening piece..Iaddend. .Iadd.7. A conveying system as defined in claim 6 wherein two support pieces on one of said chains and two support pieces on said other chain provide a group of four support pieces for supporting said conical article at four upper portions thereof with bent portions at the lower ends of said support pieces..Iaddend.