Fmc Corporation

William R Brown

Arthur L Dean

Stanley P Turcheck, Jr

James P Martin

Junius D Scott

John D Gotal

A programmable parts reorienter and feeder utilizing a fiber-optic array in a sensing head to determine an initial orientation of a part passing through a parts handling unit. The sensing head is coupled to a microprocessor that has been programmed to recognize properly oriented as well as misoriented parts. After determining the initial orientation of the part the microprocessor will direct a reorienter device to either pass the part in the first orientation, orient the part to a preferred orientation or, in some cases, reject the part.

Programmable parts feeder

A vibratory feeder employs a three mass system instead of the conventional two mass system to reduce the amount of power to operate the feeder. A base assembly having an armature formed thereon is positioned adjacent an electromagnet. The electromagnet is mounted to the base assembly by a leaf spring system, and a trough assembly is connected to the base assembly by a plurality of leaf springs. The electromagnet forms one mass of the three mass system; the armature and base assembly form a second mass; and the trough assembly forms a third mass. The phase of vibration of the armature relative to the vibration of the electromagnet can be regulated by adjusting the mass of the trough assembly and/or by adjusting the spring rate of the trough springs. The correct choice of mass and of spring rate causes the armature and the electromagnet to vibrate in phase with each other and reduces the mean length of air gap required between the armature and the electromagnet. Since the power required to drive the feeder is directly proportional to the length of the air gap, the present three mass system can be considerably cheaper to operate than the prior art system.

Three mass electromagnetic feeder

A vibratory conveyor has a continuous trough that extends over one or more linear drive units. Each drive unit has an elongated base that extends longitudinally of the conveyor. The base is resiliently mounted to a fixed support. A trough support is disposed parallel to the base. A driver is arranged to move the trough support longitudinally of the conveyor and relative to the base. A plurality of leaf springs extend in an at rest position generally perpendicular to the direction of linear drive, longitudinally of the conveyor. These leaf springs interconnect the base and the trough support at longitudinally spaced locations. The base and the trough support are disposed laterally of each other in a horizontal plane. Preferably, the leaf springs are mounted for pivotal movement about axes extending laterally of the conveyor between the base and the trough support. Such movement adjusts the transverse angle of inclination between one side of the leaf spring and a vertical line. This adjustment can be made without changing the direction in which the leaf springs extend in an at rest position between the base and the trough support, and the adjustment provides a desired vibration angle for the trough. The angular difference between the transverse angles of inclination at the sides of the various leaf springs provides for rotational motion of the trough support relative to the base. This motion compensates for rotational motion of the drive unit on its fixed support due to inertia forces.

Linear drive unit for vibratory conveyor

Two eccentric weights of a vibrator are mounted, respectively, on two coaxial shafts, one of which is a hollow shaft mounted on the other shaft. The two shafts can be connected for rotation in unison, and can be separated for relative rotation to alter the angular relationship between the weights. Mechanism is provided to alter the angular relationship between the weights while both shafts continue to rotate. The hollow shaft and the other shaft are connected, respectively, to one end of two beveled gear trains which can rotate as a unit about the axis of the shafts. By changing the angular relationship between the gears at the other end of the gear trains, the angular relationship between the eccentric weights, and hence the stroke of the vibrator, can be changed.

Vibrator with eccentric weights

A vibratory feeder has an elongated base assembly that is supported on a foundation by longitudinally spaced vibration isolators. Projecting upwardly from the base assembly at longitudinally spaced locations are a plurality of leaf springs with upper portions that support a trough assembly. The base and trough assemblies have masses, with the centers of these masses being spaced apart along an upwardly extending axis. The trough assembly is driven transversely of the upwardly extending axis by a driver. The assembly masses create inertia forces acting at the mass centers, and these forces form a force couple urging a rotational motion on the feeder as a whole. The leaf springs are arranged to deflect along non-parallel paths to guide the trough assembly in both curvilinear translation and rotation with respect to the base. This rotation opposes the rotational urge created by the inertia force couple to thereby eliminate rotational motion of the trough with respect to the foundation, so that the trough moves only in curvilinear translation with respect to the foundation.

Vibratory feeder leaf spring arrangement

Two eccentric weights of a vibrator are mounted, respectively, on two coaxial shafts, one of which is a hollow shaft mounted on the other shaft. The two shafts can be connected for rotation in unison, and can be separated for relative rotation to alter the angular relationship between the weights. The mechanism is provided to alter the angular relationship between the weights while both shafts continue to rotate. An electric clutch is connected between the driven shaft and the hollow shaft to connect the two coaxial shafts for rotation in unison, and a brake is provided to slow the rotation of the hollow shaft after the clutch is disengaged. Thus, the angular relationship between the eccentric weights, and hence the stroke of the vibrator, can be changed.

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Blairsville, PA, United States of America

William R Brown