Apparatus and method for feeding products from selected product stacks
US5582398A · kind A · utility
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 10, 1995 |
| Grant date | Dec 10, 1996 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 10, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB65H2701/1912
- WIPO fieldHandling
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A number of product feeders comprise a conveyor underlying a friction wheel operated by a pulsed drive. A continuously rotating drive shaft is coupled to a selected feeder by a controller coupling a drive wheel on the drive shaft with a drive transmission wheel associated with the conveyor of the feeder. This may be effected by an air cylinder of the feeder operating under control of the controller to move the drive transmission wheel into a position whereat it is driven by the drive wheel. Alternatively, the drive wheel may be clutched under control of the controller. The pulsed friction wheel rotates through an arc in order to drop a product from a stack of products partially supported by the friction wheel onto the now moving conveyor. A downstream product sensor, when sensing that a product has been delivered, signals the controller so that the controller decouples the conveyor from the drive shaft.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.