VIBRATORY FEEDER HAVING A CURVILINEAR FEED PATH

The present invention relates generically to interlocking, sorting and feeding vibratory systems. Aim of the present invention is to realize a feeding and sorting system apt to convey the parts to be fed along a curvilinear path with adjustable tangential velocity, adjustable angular velocity and adjustable radius of curvature, by means of vibration.

During some applications concerning for example feeding of product along vibrating channels, can occur the necessity to have the product to be fed to travel along curvilinear paths, or to make curves along the conveying line, due to available space , due to different locations of the receiving stations for the product fed or even to simplify sorting and orienting of the parts to be fed.

Current techniques used both in the manufacturing of the vibrating drives and in their use about the previous mentioned applications, involve a series of drawbacks both of technical manufacturing and realization nature; at the present time indeed, the transport of product along a curvilinear path is realized by means of positioning for example a generic linear vibrating feeder under a curvilinear channel already shaped for the purpose, forcing the material guided in the above-mentioned channel to travel along a curvilinear path forced by the manufacturing characteristic of the channel, to the detriment of the fact that the action of the vibrating drive happens along a linear motion path. This way, the tangential velocities with which the product flow performing the curvilinear path forced by the channel are different along the section of the channel and out of control, short of conveniently positioning the linear drive, but always favouring the movement in only one section of the channel, at the expense of the overall performances and therefore negatively affecting performances such as flow rate of the product in the succeeding linear sections. Aim of the present invention is the clearing of the drawback abό^ve described by means of the realization, described in the present invention, of an innovative vibrating structure expressively devised and realized for conveying material along a curvilinear path. Said innovation is realized providing the flexible elements ( which provide the parabolic motion on the vertical plane typical of the vibrating feeders) with upper and lower fastening supports equipped with an adjustable hinge which connects the above-mentioned supports respectively to the base and to the shelf. The hinges will provide the respective supports with one degree of rotational freedom around the vertical axis passing through the binges itself; this way it will be possible, keeping constant the vertical plain component of the parabolic motion, to vary the operating angle of the horizontal plain component separately for every flexible element. Conveniently revolving all the flexible components it will be possible to obtain an overall horizontal plain component of the motion path for the product to be fed of curvilinear type, with velocity profiles and radius of curvature both optimized for the specific application and preventively well defined. Subsequent aim of the present invention is to provide a system complementary to the linear vibratory conveying systems, able to connect linear sections positioned at different angles between them , keeping control on inlet and outlet speed-rate for the curvilinear stretch or accelerating particular sections of the channel compared to others. It is furthermore possible to use the above-mentioned invention to obtain a vibratory conveying channel with curvilinear path on the horizontal plain, where the curvilinear path is generated from the vibrating drive itself not due to the shape of the channel. This way, even on linear stretch, it will be possible to realize an aid to the sorting and orienting of the transported product , giving it the appropriate curvilinear path.

Further aim of the present invention is to provide a parts feeding and sorting system realized by means of a simple

assemble and use structure which guarantees, through few operatives steps, to obtain a concrete performances increase compared to vibratory feeders used in the actual state of the art.

The above-mentioned invention can be realized by means of discrete components assembly, suited to realize the flexible elements angular positioning, or by means of other similar techniques, the whole falling within the principles of the invention here exposed.

This innovative system, apart from avoid the drawbacks above exposed, realize such a series of further improvements about performances of the vibratory feeding and sorting systems which will appear more over in the descriptions and claims.

The accompanying figures show, with the scope of simplify the description without limiting the invention or the claims though, some practical configurations explaining the principles of the invention here exposed. Further realization are possible, choosing different construction techniques or implemented materials, on the understanding of the basis concept up to here and later exposed.

Jn the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an in perspective view of a possible realization of the vibrating structure described in the present invention Fig. 2 depicts a plan view of an explanatory diagram about the action of a vibrating structure such as the one in Fig. 1. to obtain a curvilinear path of motion Fig. 3 depicts a plan view of an application of the invention here described with a curvilinear shaped transport channel ,

In Fig.l, a base element 1, provided with support feet 2 and counterweight 3, is provided for example with two lower mounting supports 4 and two upper supports 5; said mounting support 4 and 5 allow to mount a series of flexing devices 6, in the example realized as a multiple of flat springs but realizable by other techniques here not shown such as elastomer, spring packs, torsional bars or any other technology, all of which however included in the functioning principle of the present invention here disclosed. An heavy duty electromagnet 7, for example operating horizontally in the present realization, suitably secured to the base 1 by means of a bracket 8, produce during current passing an attraction on the armature plate 9, which is connected to the upper shelf 10 which allows the mounting of any transport channel (not shown in the drawing). The passing of alternate current in the electromagnet 7 produce a periodic attraction on the armature plate 9; during attraction phases, the flexing devices 6 are subject to a flexion which, during non-conduction phases of the electromagnet 7, causes a return action to natural state of the foregoing flexing devices 6 due to their peculiar elastic nature, according to well known E^ooke law. This return action, because of construction parameters, is operated as a motion with vertical and horizontal components; this motion is transferred to the shelf .10 and so to the channel containing the product to be fed, which is subject to a displacement along the channel as a parabolic motion which horizontal direction is , in normal condition, parallel to an imaginary axis placed upon the shelf 10 plain and oriented from the counterweight 3 to the electromagnet 7. All the lower elements 4 and upper elements 5 are provided with a series of hinges 11, for example realized as a screw 12 and bolt 13 couple in the description of the present invention but realizable with any other technology suitable to the aim of the invention here exposed. The presence of the hinges 11 allow to rotate by any desired angle, short of eventual manufacturing encumbrances, the flexing devices 6 around an axis passing through the two hinges 11 present in the mounting supports 4 and 5 of a same flexing device 6; this way one will go to vary the operating angle of the horizontal component of the foregoing parabolic motion relative to the imaginary oriented axis above mentioned.

Thus, the material to be fed will always achieve an advance parabolic motion, but with reference to the plain parallel to the shelf 10 it will have a curvilinear type horizontal path component, where the possible radius of curvature of the same path, so as the tangential and angular velocity profiles of the parts to be fed, will be in terms of the angular positioning of the flexing devices 6 by means of the hinges 11.

The flexing devices 6 are subject to, in addition to the foregoing flexion caused by the action of the heavy duty electromagnet 7 on the armature plate 9, an undesired torsion caused by the angular regulation; just because of this reason, a carving 14 of opportune dimensions is carried out in the flat springs constituent the flexing device 6, so that the torsional load will be lighten on the foregoing flexible devices 6.

In Fig. 2 it is possible to better evaluate the innovations produced by the present invention by means of an explicative layout. A vibrating drive 1, here sketched compared to the realization in Fig.l, presents as an example two flexing devices 2 and 3, respectively oriented by two different angles 4 and 5 relative to the main operating axis 6 of the heavy duty electromagnet (here not shown). Positioning of the vibrating drive 1 relative to the sketched channel 7 and the angles 4 and 5 with which are oriented the flexing devices produce for example two different radius of curvature 8 and 9 for the flexing devices 2 and 3 respectively; as a consequence of this will be realized that, under condition of constant angular velocity, two different tangential velocity for the product to be fed on the channel 7, both in modules and in direction. Thus it will be possible to manage different advancing velocities for the product through the channel, both inlet and outlet, along the different sections of the channel. Moreover, even in the occasion that the channel 7 is will be not shaped, the material to be fed it will be however subject to a curvilinear type resultant path, just because the foregoing parameters.

In Fig. 3 is depicted an application of a shaped channel 1 conveying for example products with rectangular section upon an example vibrating structure 2 subject of the present invention. It will be noticed that the angular positioning of the flexing devices 3 and 4 operated by the hinges 5 and 6, produce in the example here depicted the conjunction of the axis 7 and 8 exiting from the flexible elements 3 and 4 in a center of curvature 9 different from the natural center 10 of the channel 1. Thus the products, however forced by the shape of the channel 1 to travel along a curvilinear path, maintain a tangential velocity profile so that it will be maintained constant the feed-rate of the product along the different sections of the channel 1, optimizing the flow-rate of the material for example coming from and going to a production line of linear channels of the same transversal-section shape of the channel 1.

This is just one of the possible configurations realizable with the system object of the present invention to optimize the tangential and angular velocity profiles of the product to be fed in terms of desired inlet and outlet speed to obtain.

The invention exposed and here disclosed is not limited in its application to the manufacturing details and realization here explained, as the invention is liable to other configurations or realizations.