Intermediate storage station

摘要

A storage station for receiving workpieces from a loading conveyor belt and for sending workpieces to an unloading conveyor belt. The station has a plurality of spaced platforms mounted on a common rotatable shaft, and apparatus for adjusting the vertical position relative to the rotary platforms of the ends of the loading and unloading conveyor belts which are proximal to the station. A first guide is provided for each platform for directing workpieces riding on the outer radial region of the respective platform toward the inner radial region of that platform when the first guide is in a first position. The first guide is pivotally mounted at a point overlying the periphery of the respective platform and positioned downstream of the proximal end of the loading conveyor belt, and a movable end of the first guide is displaceable from a relatively inner radial position corresponding to the first position toward a relatively outer radial position when the first guide swings radially outwardly from the first position to a second position as the platform is filled with workpieces. A mechanism is provided for each first guide for resisting the radially outward swinging of the first guide during loading. A second guide is provided for each platform for directing workpieces from the respective platform to the proximal end of the unloading conveyor belt.