Pneumatic multi-station remote controlled switching station

Claim 2

A station for connecting an input chute to a selected one of a plurality of output chutes, comprising: an input chute having a discharge end and a plurality of output chutes, a first rotatable plate connected to said input chute, said plate having an aperture in sealed registration with said discharge end of said input chute, means for rotating said first plate, a second rotatable plate lying in concentric relation with said first plate and having an aperture therein adapted to be in sealed registration with said aperture of said first plate, means connected to said second plate for rotating said second plate, a fixed outside flange plate having a plurality of openings, each of said openings being the input end of one of said plurality of output chutes, means connected to said first and second plates for axial movement thereof away from each other and from said outside flange plate to align said apertures of said first and second plate with said opening in said outside flange plate, said last named means adapted to axially move said first and second plates into sealed contact with each other and with said outside flange plate.

Claim 3

A station for connecting an input chute to a selected onE of a plurality of output chutes, as recited in claim 1, in which said station has an input section, said input section comprising a fixed input chute and a vertically moveable input chute and an air-tight seal connecting said fixed input chute and said vertically moveable input chute whereby said vertically moveable chute can be displaced relative to said fixed chute while an air-tight seal is maintained.

Claim 4

A station for connecting an input chute to a selected one of a plurality of output chutes, as recited in claim 1, in which said means for rotating each of said plates comprises outwardly extending teeth equidistantly spaced around the periphery of each of said plates, a pair of sprocket wheels, a pair of motors, each of said motors energizable to rotate a corresponding one of said sprocket wheels and a pair of endless chains, each of said motors interconnecting a respective one of said plates and said sprocket wheels.

Claim 5

A station for connecting an input chute to a selected one of a plurality of output chutes, as recited in claim 1, in which said first and second plates have circular grooves cut in a lower surface of each plate surrounding said aperture in said plates, and sealing O-rings inserted into said grooves.

Claim 6

A station for connecting an input chute to a selected one of a plurality of output chutes, as recited in claim 2, in which said second rotatable plate has additional circular grooves cut into its lower surface and O-rings inserted into said grooves.

Claim 7

A station for connecting an input chute to a selected one of a plurality of output chutes, as recited in claim 5, in which the total number of grooves cut into the underside of said second plate equals the number of chutes of said plurality of output chutes and in which each of said grooves is in sealing registration with a corresponding one of said output chutes.

Claim 8

A station for connecting an input chute to a selected one of a plurality of output chutes, as recited in claim 1, in which said means connected to said first and second plates for axial movement thereof comprises a first axially moveable shaft connected to said first plate, a second axially moveable shaft connected to said second plate and means for moving said first shaft and said second shaft independently in axial direction.

Claim 9

A station for connecting an input chute to a selected one of a plurality of output chutes, as recited in claim 7, in which said second shaft is a hollow tube surrounding said first shaft and in which an outer fixed hollow tube is concentric with and surrounds said second shaft.

Claim 10

A station for connecting an input chute to a selected one of a plurality of output chutes, as recited in claim 7, in which said means for moving said first shaft and second shaft are double-action air-operated cylinders connected to respective ones of said shafts for independent movement of each shaft.

Claim 11

A station for connecting an input chute to a selected one of a plurality of output chutes as recited in claim 7 in which said first axially moveable shaft has longitudinal and transverse passageways therethrough and lubrication insertion means connected to said longitudinal passageway.

Claim 12

A pneumatic multi-station remote controlled station having an input chute and a plurality of output chutes comprising: An input chute having an input end and an output end, said input end lying in a plane along the central longitudinal axis of said station, a first circular plate, said first plate lying in a plane normal to said central longitudinal axis of said station with its center lying on said central axis so that said first plate revolves around said axis having an aperture therethrough located away from said central axis, said output end of said input chute being secured in fluid-tight relation to a surface of said first plate in concentric covering relation with respect to said aperture in said first plate, sealing means surrounding said aperture means connected to said first plate for impartinG rotational movement thereof a second circular plate lying in a plane parallel to that of said first plate and being concentric with said center of said first plane, said second plate having an aperture therethrough, said aperture being located so as to be in registration with said aperture in said first plate, sealing means surrounding said aperture in said second plate, means connected to said second plate for imparting rotational movement thereto, an outside flange plate lying in a plane parallel to and below said plane of said second plate, said outside flange plate having a plurality of openings therein, each of said openings being the input end of a respective one of said output chutes, said first and second plates being adapted for rotational movement so that their respective apertures can be aligned with one of said plurality of openings in said outside flange plate, means connected to said first and said second plate for axial movement of said plates, whereby said plates can be moved toward and away from each other and toward and away from said outside flange plate prior to and following said rotational movement of said first and said second plate.

Claim 13

A pneumatic multi-station remote controlled station having an input chute and a plurality of output chutes comprising: An input chute having an input end and an output end, said input end lying in a plane along the central longitudinal axis of said station, a first circular plate, said first plate lying in a plane normal to said central longitudinal axis of said station with its center lying on said central axis so that said first plate revolves around said axis having an aperture therethrough located away from said central axis, said output end of said input chute being secured in fluid-tight relation to a surface of said first plate in concentric covering relation with respect to said aperture in said first plate, sealing means surrounding said aperture means connected to said first plate for impartinG rotational movement thereof a second circular plate lying in a plane parallel to that of said first plate and being concentric with said center of said first plane, said second plate having an aperture therethrough, said aperture being located so as to be in registration with said aperture in said first plate, sealing means surrounding said aperture in said second plate, means connected to said second plate for imparting rotational movement thereto, an outside flange plate lying in a plane parallel to and below said plane of said second plate, said outside flange plate having a plurality of openings therein, each of said openings being the input end of a respective one of said output chutes, said first and second plates being adapted for rotational movement so that their respective apertures can be aligned with one of said plurality of openings in said outside flange plate, means connected to said first and said second plate for axial movement of said plates, whereby said plates can be moved toward and away from each other and toward and away from said outside flange plate prior to and following said rotational movement of said first and said second plate.