05/273269

10/02/1973

07/19/1972

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414/331.130

414/416.040

B65G49/08; B65G49/05; B65G1/06

214/16.4R,301,310

Sheridan, Robert G.

Johnson R. B.

What is claimed is

1. Apparatus for moving boxes or the like having vertically spaced receptacles for pieces such as tiles or the like, to be baked and/or enamelled and to load and unload said pieces in and from boxes, said apparatus comprising a boxing machine including tile transverse conveyors, tile spacing means cooperating with said conveyors, thrust means for the simultaneous boxing of the tiles in at least two boxes and lifting means for lifting the box to make the receptacles sequentially available; a feed conveyor for conveying at least two empty boxes to the boxing machine; a hanging conveyor for moving away filled boxes from the boxing machine, a horizontal conveyor for filled boxes, and means for starting the latter towards the furnace; a box extraction unit including transverse conveyors for the picking up of tiles, thrust means for the simultaneous extraction of tiles from the boxes and vertical movement means for the boxes to permit the sequential extraction of tiles from the receptacles; a hanging conveyor to forward boxes coming from the furnace to the extraction unit; and transfer means for transferring of the emptied boxes to the latter said conveyor.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the boxing machine includes: a quick transverse conveyor to space the tiles; feelers which signal the presence of a tile against a positioning stop, and operate respective front stops; filting planes for lifting tiles from the level of the lateral conveyor to the level of an empty seat in a box and resilient pushers for the lifted tiles including a cam return, to obtain the transfer of the tiles to the boxes while said planes are lowered.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 comprising a system including a lever, a spring and a cam, the spring pressing the lever against the cam, the cam determining the return stroke and the spring the active stroke; said spring yielding in case of resistance to the movement of the tiles; and a microswitch on the lever to determine the stopping of the machine with the moving away of the lever from the cam.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the boxing unit includes chain means for the simultaneous lifting of at least two boxes, angles and retaining lateral pressing members on the chain means, resting means for the boxes to assure stability during the boxing operations, said resting means including movable vertical rods to allow the advance of the boxes on the chains and to reach the resting position.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the boxing machine includes fluid thrust means to transfer the boxes to a pick up bracket.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein the boxing unit includes control means for lifting the boxes, and means connected to the chain lifting means and including a perforated disc cam and a cooperating photocell to control the stopping of the boxes at different levels.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the extraction unit includes transverse belt conveyors and lowerable planes associated with the latter and adapted to receive extracted tiles and lay them on said transverse conveyors and extraction resilient pushers including a cam control for return.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein the pushers are actuated by a system including a lever, a spring, and a cam, the spring pushing the lever against said cam, the cam determining the return stroke and the spring the active stroke; said spring yielding in case of resistance to movement of the tiles; and a microswitch on the lever to control stopping of the extraction unit with the moving away of the lever from the cam.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein the extraction unit includes a tile lowering system provided with an alternate motion and including chains bearing a resting frame; said lowering system being adapted to receive boxes from the latter said hanging conveyor, to center and lay the same on the tiles conveyor for the forwarding to the boxing unit.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein the box extraction unit includes intermittent lowering control means, including a cam and perforated disc system and a cooperating photocell connected to the lowering system to control the stopping of the boxes at the different levels.

11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein the box extraction unit includes a movalbe resting and contrast system to avoid movements of a box during an extraction operation.

12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein the latter said hanging conveyor includes a hanging carriage structure, lowering and lifting means, a pick up structure connected to said hanging carriage structure by said lowering and lifting means, bars, and bars pick up means angularly movable to engage the boxes; and feeler means for signalling for the stopping and movement of the bars.

13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein the latter said hanging conveyor includes control stops for speed reduction and the stopping of the pick up structure, stopping means for the carriage and means to adjust the transfer speed and determine the stopping of the carriage in different positions for the subsequent movement of a plurality of boxes.

14. Apparatus as claimed in claim 13 comprising parallel hanging conveyors to pick up and return boxes orthogonally to the boxing and extraction direction, and parallel to the movements of the tiles upon arrival and in exit of the latter; and wherein the conveyor of empty boxes is oriented in alignment with the boxing and extraction directions; the hanging conveyors unloading and picking up carriages movable orthogonally thereto.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to apparatus for moving boxes or equivalent containers for pieces, such as tiles or the like which are to be baked and/or enamelled, and for loading or unloading said pieces on or from boxes or equivalent containers.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

According to the invention, the apparatus may include a boxing machine with transverse conveyors for tiles, spacing means for the same, thrust means for the simultaneous boxing of tiles in two or more boxes and lifting means for the boxes (or similar containers); a feeding conveyor for feeding one or more empty boxes to the boxing machine; and a hanging conveyor for the moving away of full boxes from the boxing machine. The apparatus may further include a horizontal conveyor for the full boxes and a means for starting the same towards a furnace; an unboxing or box withdrawing machine with transverse conveyors for the picking up of the tiles, thrust means for the simultaneous withdrawal of tiles from two or more boxes and vertical movement means for the boxes. Also included may be a hanging conveyor to send boxes coming from the furnace to the boxing equipment, and conveying means for conveying the emptied boxes to said hanging conveyor or to a receiver for the boxes.

An object of the invention, thus, is to provide for improved means for moving of containers, for instance, containing a plurality of tiles or other such articles, evenually to be provided with an enamel layer towards and away from a baking furnace.

Said operation is completely automatized and begins with the introduction of biscuit tiles with or without enamel, or raw ti es with or without enamel thereon, into the boxing machine. Then, simultaneous insertion into two or more boxes follows and then follows transfer by means of a hanging conveyor to a carriage or other conveying means for forwarding of the tiles towards the furnace.

After the baking, movement is resumed on the opposite side of the assembly or unit with the introduction of two boxes or the like into a "boxing extraction" or unboxing machine, after treatment in the furnace has taken place. The movement of the first hanging conveyor to the furnace and the return from the furnace can be obtained with operational carriages or with other conveying means. Provision can be made for the introduction of two boxes or cells containing the baked tiles, by means of a similar hanging conveyor, into the "box extraction machine," effecting a reversed cycle (that is, the box extraction and removal of the finished product from the machine). The empty boxes, by means of a chain or belt conveyor or the like connecting the two boxing and box extraction machines, are then returned to the boxing machine. The latter conveyor is operated by the boxing machine.

The movements of the several members of the unit may be mechanical, pneumatic or hydraulic, actuated by cams or by simple microswitches or bistables devices upon the determination of a program. The movements of the single machines or conveyors are independent of one another and one machine may work while the others may be momentarily inactive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING

The invention will be better understood from the following specification and the accompanying drawings, which illustrates a non-limitative embodiment of the invention.

In the drawing:

FIGS. 1 and 2 diagrammatically illustrate a lateral view and a plan view of the unit;

FIG. 3 illustrates a diagrammatic section of the unit, showing box motion, taken along line III--III of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a front view of the boxing machine, taken along line IV--IV of FIG. 3, on the entrance conveyor side;

FIG. 5 is a lateral section taken along line V--V of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a plan view taken along line VI--VI of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a front view of the boxing machine taken on the side of the control panel, along line VII--VII of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a section of the tiles positioning plane taken along line VIII--VIII of FIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is a view of the "boxes" conveyor at the end on the boxing machine side, taken along line IX--IX of FIG. 5;

FIG. 10 is a detail showing a locking device for the "boxes" during the "boxing" and "box extraction" operation;

FIG. 11 is a perspective overall view of a box and associated row of tiles already covered by enamel to be baked, in position for boxing;

FIGS. 12, 13 and 14 are details according to the section XII--XII of FIG. 8, which illustrate respectively the feeding of loose tiles on moving belts, the lifting of the tiles positioning plane, and a tile being urged towards the box;

FIG. 15 is a vertical section of the "box extraction" machine along the longitudinal axis of the assembly;

FIG. 16 shows a detail in cross-sectional view taken along line XVI--XVI of FIG. 18;

FIG. 17 is a plan view taken along line XVII--XVII of FIG. 15;

FIG. 18 is a horizontal section taken along line XVIII--XVIII of FIG. 15;

FIG. 19 is a front view of the "box extraction machine" on the side of the control panel, taken along line XIX--XIX of FIG. 15;

FIG. 20 is a front view of the "box extraction machine" on the conveyors side, taken along line XX--XX of FIG. 15;

FIGS. 21 and 22 are views of the supporting bridge for the hanging conveyor for the boxes, on the side of the boxing machine and on the side of the box extraction machine, respectively;

FIG. 23 is a side view of the boxes conveying hanging carriage;

FIGS. 24 and 25 are respectively horizontal sections taken along lines XXIV--XXIV and XXV--XXV of FIG. 23;

FIGS. 26, 27 and 28 are cross-sections taken along lines XXVI--XXVI, XXVII--XXVII and XXVIII--XXVIII of FIG. 23.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The machine of the assembly which begins the handling cycle of the tiles in the biscuit or raw state, with or possibly without the surface covered by the glazing paint and ready for the baking furnace, is the boxing machine 1 diagrammatically shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and more particularly in FIGS. 1 to 10.

This machine involves a horizontal bed-frame 3 (FIG. 3), wherein there are housed the main motion and control members, and a vertical frame 5, shaped as a portal, for the support of lifting chains for a pair of boxes 7A to be filled. On the bed 3, there are housed: a motor 9 operated by two drives, one of which 11 (FIG. 4) is visible for the driving of pairs of conveyor belts 13, 15, 17 for the ingress of tiles 19 (FIG. 7) the belts 17 being more rapid than the others; and a motor 21 for lifting chains 23, 23A for the boxes 7A--7A; a motor 25 actuating two eccentrics 27 and 29, the eccentric 27 moving, by means of the lever 31 (FIG. 5), a pusher unit 33 for the tiles, while the eccentric or cam 29 operates the movement, in the vertical direction of pairs of supporting bars 35.

In particular, the cam 29 by means of a lever 35A is designed to lift and level in due time time the supporting planes 35--35 of six tiles already longitudinally positioned with a sliding plane 36 (FIGS. 12 -- 14) and thus with the associated row of recesses in the boxes (FIG. 13), and subsequently said cam 29 serves simultaneously with the thrusting of the tiles along the plane 36 and into the boxes to lower said planes 35 (FIG. 14) in such a way as to advance the new set of tiles to be positioned, so that the pushers 45, at the beginning of the new cycle, will have the tiles ready and positioned to be inserted. The lever 31 in case of a resistance to the boxing operation is lifted by the cam 27, yielding due to a spring connection (FIG. 5); a hook 31X stops the unit under these separation conditions from the cam.

Guides 37--37 (FIG. 6) are located above the bed 3 and said guides accommodate therebetween the feed belts 13, 15, and 17; the belts 15 and 17 have different speeds, so as to space the six tiles and facilitate with pneumatic feelers 39A and 39A (FIG. 8) inserted according to a predetermined sequence the subsequent lifting of accurate positioning shoulders 41 for the tiles. When a tile obstructs the air flow of a feeler 39, this determines the lifting of the shoulder 41 which is located immediately upstream, to stop the subsequent tile from advancing and so on. The feeler 39A first in the row is arranged by the last of the feelers 39, with the interruption of the air flow of said feeler 39A through stopping of the motor 9 (FIG. 7). The feeler 39A advances the tiles again as soon as the tiles to be boxed, during the insertion operation, have left the feelers 39 free, simultaneously with the lowering of the supports 35.

Further on the aforesaid bed 3, there are applied guides 43 (FIG. 6) of the pusher 33, which is provided with six extensions 45, which terminate with inclined square portions (see FIGS. 12 to 14) to keep the tiles rearwardly raised and thus urge the tiles onto the motion plane 36 and thus into the boxes. There are provided additional guides 44--44 for a cross-beam 46, provided with two pushers 47 for the filled boxes; the unit 46, 47 is operated by a piston system 49 (FIG. 5) which can be either pneumatic or hydraulic or the like.

The boxing machine 5 (FIG. 4) together with columns 5A--5A welded to the bed, supports the chain device 23,23A for the lifting of the boxes 7A. Angles 51 and lateral resting plates 52 are fixed to the chains to lift and guide the boxes in the upper section, in addition to spring locking devices 53 (FIG. 10) combined with each angle of the outer chains 23. The resilient pressure locking is excluded by means of cams 55-57 (FIG. 4) borne by the structures 5A, at the beginning and end of the vertical stroke of the boxes, and this is in correspondence with the boxes input and output.

A bracket 59 (FIG. 5), designed for the supporting of the full boxes, is welded to the columns 5A--5A, said full boxes being urged onto the bracket by the unit 46, 47 and they stay there while awaiting to be picked up by a hanging conveyor carriage 61B (also see FIGS. 21 and following), which is signalled by a microswitch 62 (see FIG. 5).

On the axle 63 (FIG. 7) of one of the entraining gears of one of the chains 23, there is keyed a disc 63A equipped with eighteen holes 65 (or as many holes as there are shelves in the boxes to be filled) at a distance from one another equivalent in relation to the pitch of the shelf bearings, which are signalled by a photocell 67 to stop by means of a microswitch (see FIGS. 4 and 7) the lifting (each corresponding to a shelf to be filled) of the boxes, each of which presents in the illustrated embodiment, eighteen accommodation levels for the tiles. A cam 69, acting on a feeler, is provided for the locking of the pushers 45 for the tiles during the lifting stroke of the completely filled boxes to the level of the bracket 59 for subsequent expulsion caused by the members 47, 47 by means of the cylinder 49.

On the opposite side of the axle 63, on another disc 63B (FIG. 6), there is provided a control for a microswitch 71 to allow the entry of new empty boxes. On the axle 73 (FIG. 5), provided on the other column 5A for the transmission or drive of the lifting chains, there is keyed a control disc 73A for a microswitch 73B (FIG. 4), which is designed to actuate the pushers of the full boxes, for the thrusting thereof onto the dwell bracket 59 for a lifting onto the hanging conveyor.

Under the bed 3 (see FIG. 7) on the axle of the eccentrics 27 and 29 there is located a drum 75, designed to operate by means of cam profiles, two microswitches 77 and 79 for the return of the tiles pushers 33, 45 and to give a control pulse for the raising of the boxes by an additional pitch. On the bed, in correspondence with the guides 43 and 44 of the pushers (FIG. 6), there are arranged two microswitches 81 and 83 operated by the pushers of the boxes 46 and 47. Switch 83 controls the return of the expulsion piston 49 for the tiles, and switch 81 for the restoring of the boxes elevation.

A connecting conveyor 84 (shown entirely in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3) supplies, by means of chains 84X or the like (FIG. 9), the boxing machine 1 with the boxes 7 according to the arrows f ₈₄ . It receives, from the "box extraction machine" 85 the empty boxes in correspondence with the end 84A; by means of the control of the boxing machine (the microswitch 71), the boxes resting on the chains 84X or otherwise stored advance to a control 86 (see FIG. 9) for the presetting of the boxes, situated at the end 84B of the conveyor. Then the conveyor is stopped awaiting actuation of the boxing machine 1 (microswitch 71) to advance again and arrange the boxes in correspondence with the chains 23--23A for the lifting thereof. Their arrival is signalled by another microswitch 87. The box feed and the box exit from the box extraction unit take place simultaneously for two or more boxes.

During the tile insertion operation into the boxes, the latter must not be moved by friction or the like. For this purpose, there are provided two vertical members 88 (FIG. 5) hinged at 88A and actuated by cylinder-piston units 88B operated by the microswitch 71 for the opening and by the microswitch 87 for the closing.

Each conveyor track is provided with a motor 84Y (FIG. 4) for the independent entraining of the two conveyors 84, so as to obtain the prompt stopping of each chain independently of the other, so as to avoid friction.

The start controls and the control instruments of the machine are arranged in a box pivotally attached to the bed (FIG. 3).

The second machine of the assembly, designed for the extraction of the treated product is the "box extraction machine" 85, which completes the handling cycle, as it receives from the hanging conveyor 61A, the pair of boxes which by means of a carriage 89A (FIGS. 1, 2) or the like arrive from the baking furnace.

Said box extraction unit has the function of emptying the boxes of the baked tiles to be sent for selection and to send the empty boxes to the previously described boxing machine, or to a storage unit. The box extraction unit includes a frame 85A (FIG. 15), similar to the frame 3 of the boxing unit. This frame 85A houses a motor 90, which actuates by means of a two-output reducer 90B (FIG. 18 ) the lowering chains 95 of the boxes 7B, full of tiles 19A already baked. In this case, the chain motion is not always developed in the same direction that is upwardly as in the boxing unit 1 but it is alternate in the two directions to reciprocally move a carriage, hereinafter described, upwardly and downwardly. A motor 94 by means of a drive actuates two eccentrics 100-101. The eccentric 100 with a lever 102 and a rod 102A moves a slide 103 for the tile extraction pushers. The eccentric 101 with a lever 104 moves a lifting and lowering device, involving supporting planes 105 of the extracted tiles. The lever 102 carries a microswitch 102X which stops the machine in case of resistance to the extraction and consequent separation of the lever from the cam.

Above the bed (FIG. 17) there are located small belts 107-109 for the tiles outlet and the associated guides 111. There is additionally provided, under the planes 105, a microswitch 114 (FIGS. 19 and 2), and contrast devices 115 with the associated actuation cylinders 117. In correspondence with a bracket 119, welded to the supporting columns 121 of the chains 95, there are provided guides 123 for the slide 103 of the extraction pushers 125 for the tiles. On one of the columns 121 for the chains 95, a disc 129 with eighteen holes 131 (or as many holes a there are shelves) is integral with a tranmission shaft 127 of the same chains, and said holes are located at a distance from one another equivalent in relation to the distance between the shelves in correspondence with the subsequent shelves to be emptied. With the drilled disc 129 there is combined an associated photocell and microswitch system 133, to stop the lowering, by steps, of the boxes and to position them in a regular manner, On a shaft 135 of the other column 121 there is keyed another cam disc 137 (FIG. 19) cooperating with a microswitch 139 for the positioning of the contrast devices 115 so as to retain and accurately position the boxes during the extraction and enable the return of the hanging conveyor 61A. Further, on the bed 85A, there are arranged microswitches 141, which assure the reared position of the contrast planes 115 in such a manner as to enable the resting plane 145 to be raised again, and, moreover, in such a manner as to enable the carriage of the hangining conveyor 61A to come down. On the bracket 119 (FIGS. 16 and 17, there are applied microswitches 143 and 144 respectively for the motion of the chains 95 and to form an upper limit switch for the boxes bearing carriage 145 (FIG. 10) connected to the chains. Two lower limit-switch stops 147 and the microswitch 194 arranged at the lower section (see FIGS. 16 and 18) are designed for motion reversal and as a safety for the stopping of the lowering stroke of the carriage 145.

A microswitch 146 acts as a limit switch controlling the stopping of the pusher 103-125, to the control for another start by the photocell system 129-133. At the end of the eighteen repeated box extraction cycles (for the eighteen housing levels of the tiles in the boxes), and microswitch 146 stops the pusher 103-125 in a rest position, until the replacement of the boxes, as a safety for the restoring motion of the pushers.

The slide 103, which carries the pusher members 125, at one end carries a microswitch 126 which locks the chain motion when the light ray misses the cell controlled by the disc 129.

In the plan view in FIG. 18, the end 84A of the chain conveyor of the boxes is equipped with m croswitches 151 and 152 signalling the arrival of the empty boxes on each of the two chains 84X. These microswitches warn the boxing unit 1 that two boxes are ready to be moved towards it. The boxing unit 1, when it expels on the bracket 59 two full boxes, calls for the two boxes already prepositioned on 86 with the microswitch 71, actuating the conveyor 84, to close the microswitches 87 moving the two empty boxes simultaneously from the extraction unit, which as soon as they release the microswitches 152 and 151 will allow the plane 145 to return upwardly for the reversal of the motor 90. On the boxing machine, the boxes are soon as they enter, by raising release the microswitch 87 and as the microswitches 86 are free, will actuate the chains until other two boxes will be positioned again on 86 thus repeating the cycle.

The microswitches 151 and 152 are in tandem, in such a manner that the box-carrier frame 145 cannot be raised before the two boxes are not completely moved by the latter.

The controls and control equipment of the machine are assembled in a cabinet 85B pivotally mounted on the bed (FIG. 3).

The operation of transferring pairs of boxes 7 (see FIG. 2) from the boxing machine 1 to the carriage 89B and of transferring two boxes, moving them away from the carriage 89A returning from the furnace, to the extraction unit, is accomplished by hanging conveyors 61B and 61A, indicated in FIGS. 5-16 and one of which illustrated in details in FIGS. 21 to 28.

Each of the conveyors is supported and guided by a bridge frame, constituted by two hollow cylindrical columns 161, on which two C beams 163 rest and are fixed, said beams being connected at the ends by welded plates and in intermediate positions by two upper connection 165. At the upper wings, for a good length, there is fixed a rack 167 for the engagement of pinions 169 for carriage horizontal translation. Each carriage 61 involves an upper frame to be hereinafter described and a lower frame 171, on which are wleded eight tubular columns 173 (FIG. 23), in which are accommodated rotary shafts 174 to which, in the lower portion, are keyed bars 175 supporting the boxes and, in the upper portion, control connecting rods 177, actuated by means of two rod units 179, 181 by a pair of pistons 183, 185.

In advanced positions with respect to the carriage motion directions, there are pivoted in 187, to the same carriage, safety levers 189, which, when struck stop immediately the carriage motion acting on he microswitch 191. This is provided for safety purposes and guards against injury.

On the two flanks in an alternate position, there are arranged two hanging feelers 193, 195 (FIG. 24), which striking on structures of the boxing unit and of the extraction unit and of the furnace carriages allow an accurate positioning, avoiding that level differences may cause a bad hooking or unhooking.

The upper frame 199 is guided along the two beams 163 by rollers 201 and 203, and supports the motors 205 and 207. The motor 205 is designed for the traction of the carriage by the pinions 169 (FIGS. 23 and 26), while the motor 207 serves for the vertical movement of a geared cylindrical pin 209 supporting the frame 171 of the carriage 61 on the frame 199. With the teeth of said pin, a pinion 211 meshes and said pinion is actuated by a drive 213, 215, 217, which picks up the motion from the axle of reducer unit 219 actuated by said motor 207.

As FIGS. 22, 26 and 27 illustrate, on a flank of one of the beams 163, the following microswitches are fixed: 221 for speed reduction, stopping and safety, 222A,B for the stopping in case of failing consent by the microswitch 144 and speed variation; 223A,B,C of two speed gearboxes, and stopping; 224 of two speed gearboxes, a stooping and a safety for the second pick up control. All these microswitches are designed to determine the prompt movements of the carriage for two subsequent different storkes. Due to weight questions, the speed is variable in such a manner as to obtain smooth starts and stops.

All the operations of each hanging conveyor are programmed by bistable relays, contained in the corresponding program-set 225 (FIG. 2) located on the extraction unit side and on the boxing unit side. On the frame 199 of each conveyor, there are fixed a top stop microswitch 227 for the box-carrier carriage 61 and the associated safety 229. Other microswitches 231 and 233 for stopping the downward stroke of the carriage 61 are operated by the feelers 193, 195. Element 237 is the associated safety. Microswitches 235, 239 serve for speed variation as the motor 207 has two speeds, and are all operated by a rod 241, on which suitably shaped cams, as shown in FIGS. 23 and 24, are located in adjustable positions.

The unit may be started by a general control panel after having actuated insertion or running pushbuttons of the single machines, situated on the operational panels 3A (for the boxing unit), these including pushbuttons 85B (for the extraction unit) and 225 (for the hanging conveyors) (FIGS. 1, 2, 3).

The small belts 13, 15 and 17 locate the tiles 19 which are prepared to be baked in the furnace on the positioning planes 35--35. The tiles arrive near or approach one another and are slightly detached at the beginning of the plane 35, by the higher speed of the belts 17. This detachment is sufficient to facilitate the operation of the signalling pneumatic devices 39, which provide for the lifting of the stopping shoulders 41 of each tile.

Once said operation is ended (shown in FIGS. 8 and 12), the pneumatic device of the feelers 39 actuates the pushers 45 by means of the motor 94, while the feeler 39A stops the flow of the tiles by means of stopping of the motor 9. The planes 35 are raised aligning the tiles with the heads of the pushers 45 and with the sliding planes 36 (FIGS. 6 and 12). While the pushers 45 are introducing the tiles, the planes 35 are re-lowered, the pneumatic feeler 39A starts the motor 9, and a new set of tiles begins to be re-positioned in the already described manner.

Simultaneously with the return of the pushers 45 into the start position, the boxes with the microswitch 77 are operated for the lifting, while the drilled disc 63A and associated photocell determines the stopping thereof, when the interruption of the light beam ceases. Thus the boxes are lifted by one pitch or by a distance related to the spacing of the holes, corresponding in a due ratio or relation to that existing between the shelves of each box. The cycle thus continues for 18 times, for for as many as there are seats in the boxes. At the conclusion of the disc rotation, a direction is given by means of the cam 69 for a mojor lifting in such a manner as to bring the boxes already filled (in the illustrated embodiment with 54 tiles each to the height of the bracket 59, on which the boxes will be urged by thettwo pushers 49. The microswitch 62 then calls for the hanging conveyor 61B. From said position the two boxes will be picked up by said hanging conveyor with the hooking operated as hereinafter described.

In the meanwhile, the chain conveyor 84 (FIG. 1) which had two boxes ready that is as previously described in a lower position or resting on the chains 84X and on the microswitches 151-152 which have informed the boxing unit that these two boxes were ready to be extracted begins to advance again and thus the two boxes arranged by the preceding cycle on the microswitches 86 enter into the boxing unit. The position reached is indicated to the machine by the microswitch 87. The microswitch 87 besides indicating that the boxes are positioned, also operates the vertical elements 96 which rotating (FIG. 6) guide the boxes and restore, if required, their vertical attitude. The angles 51 are already in position as the entry position of the boxes corresponds to the outlet one and the movements are simultaneous.

The chain conveyor 23, 23A when being lifted releases the microswitches 87 and the conveyor 84 will move to bring a new pair of boxes, which are dwelling between the microswitches 151 and 86, arranging them for the subsequent cycle. Owing to the movements of the conveyor 84, already mentioned, the microswitches 151 and 152 are released by the boxes and the pane 145 may return upwardly, being stopped by means of the microswitches 144, and signal for the hanging conveyor 61A. By the first lifting, the chain conveyor 23, 23A aligns the first upper row of the seats for the tiles with the sliding plane 36.

Each hanging conveyor 61A or 61B, whose cycle is programmed, is operated by all the series of microswitches situated on the carriage and assembled along one of the beams 163 (FIGS. 26 and 27), which adjust the amount of the horizontal movement, the speed, the running reversal and the stops for the picking up of the boxes. Said carriage will be stopped above the boxes positioned on the bracket 59 of the boxing unit. The feeler 193, feeling the resting plane 59 will stop at the correct point the descent of the supporting cage 171, 173 and will signal so that by means of the cylinders 183 and 185 bars 175 rotate towards the center of the figures, being engaged under the bottom of the boxes. Thus the microswitches 185B will actuate the motor 207 for the lifting to return the unit 71-73 of the carriage with the boxes towards the upper limit switch 227. Thus owing to the presence of 227, the translation motion is started along the supporting guides 163 by means of the two pinions 169 and the racks 167. The stroke is programmed in such a manner that two pairs of boxes 7 are flanked on the carriage for the furnace. These alternate motions are repeated until complete loading of the carriage takes place.

Upon the return from the furnce, which takes place on the opposite side of the unit (see FIGS. 2 and 3) that is on the side of the extraction unit, the aforesaid "transfer" operations take place according to a reversed sequence.

The hanging conveyor 61A, completely similar to that connected to the boxing unit, comes down in correspondence with the extraction zone. The associated feelers 193 and 195 stop the carriage with the boxes to be emptied, which rest on the supporting carriage bracket 145. Simultaneously with the stopping, the feelers 193 and 195 operate the opening of the bars 175 or latches (by means of the cylinders 183-185) towards the outside of the figure, releasing the boxes. The microswitches or limit switches 185A of the systems pistons 183, 185 thus signal the carriage to raise and go and pick up two new boxes as scheduled on the panel 225. A spring stop similar to stop 53 of FIG. 10 locks the two boxes and prevents them from moving during the extraction operation occurring by steps, pressing immediately when the chain vertical entraining unit 95 is moved downwardly to align the first row of the tiles with the unloading plane 105.

Before the extraction begins, the two contrast planes 115 due to a control derived from the cam 137 acting on the microswitch 139 are positioned in contact with the boxes (FIG. 15) in such a manner as to prevent during the extraction, any variation to position of the boxes due to the effect of the tiles sliding.

As soon as the boxes are in the predetermined position and the planes 105 aligned with a tile housing, the tiles are urged out by the pushers 125. Immediately after, the lowering of the plane 105 takes place, which actuates the microswitches 114 (FIGS. 19, 20). In this way, the belts 109, 107 are started and urge the tiles, already baked, outwardly from the extraction unit (FIG. 17). At the end of the cycle, the boxes completely emptied still continue for a few centimeters to go down to rest on the chains 84X at the end 84A of the conveyor. The two microswitches 151, 152 signal that the boxes are already resting on the boxing unit.

As already indicated although all the machines of the assembly are mechanically independent of one another, the single units have a programming to be complied with and that, at the right moment, they will stop and actuate the machine following in the working cycle.

It is intended that the drawing illustrates only one preferred embodiment given only by way of example of the invention, said invention being adapted to be varied in form and arrangement without however departing from the scope of the concept.

For instance, one may provide for the operation of the hanging conveyors in such a manner whereby the boxes may be rested on the carriages going to the furnace and also in one or more rows in height and in length, and thus also superinposed.

The hanging conveyor motions may be obtained by worm control or rack control, or by hydraulic, pneumatic or mechanical devices with chains or the like. Said conveyors may be overhanging, with hinges, or set up in any other manner. Said conveyors may also be arranged for a direct supply to the furnace or from the furnace, or for any other movement.

The vertical controls for the boxes in the two units the boxing unit and box extraction unit may be actuated with different systems, or a mechanical or hydraulic nature or of any other suitable type.