SPOOL MOUNT ASSEMBLIES FOR ROTATING MULTI-CLIPPER PLATFORM SYSTEMS AND RELATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20150040519A1
• Filed: 07/29/2014
• Published: 02/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tipper Tie Incorporated (John Bean Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Tipper Tie Incorporated (John Bean Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: May, Dennis J., Griggs, Samuel D., Chen, Kuo-Raid Grant
• Granted Patent: US 9,809,339 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 53/416
• CPC Class Codes: A22C 11/125 by clipping; Removal of clips
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 51/04 Applying separate sealing or securing members, e.g. clips, applying separate lids or covers B65B7/28
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 16/06 both-ends type
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4984 Retaining clearance for motion between assembled parts

Abstract

Packaging systems include a rotating table and a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart spool mount assemblies mounted to the rotating table at respective clipper stations. The spool mount assemblies can include a laterally extending centrifugal force retention shaft that faces an outer perimeter of the table.

Claims

1. A packaging system comprising:

a rotating table; and

a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart spool mount assemblies mounted to the rotating table at respective clipper stations, wherein the spool mount assemblies comprise a laterally extending centrifugal force retention shaft that faces an outer perimeter of the table.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the spool mount assemblies include first and second side-by-side spool holding cavities, wherein the spool mount assemblies include inner rollers and outer rollers with a respective holding cavity therebetween, and wherein the retention shaft resides a distance above an axially extending centerline of the outer rollers.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the retention shaft has an axially extending centerline that resides closer to an outer perimeter of the table than the axially extending centerline of the outer rollers.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the spool mount assemblies comprise a laterally extending roller residing at an outer end of a spool cavity, wherein the retention shaft has an axially extending centerline that is between about 0.5 to about 5 inches above an axially extending centerline of the laterally extending roller.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the spool mount assemblies comprise:

first and second longitudinally extending outer mounting members that are spaced apart across two side-by-side spool cavities;

a longitudinally extending center mounting member extending between the side-by-side spool cavities; and

laterally extending and longitudinally spaced apart inner and outer rollers on each end of the spool cavities attached to the center mounting member and at least one of the first or second longitudinally extending mounting members, wherein the retention shaft resides above the laterally extending rollers.

6. The system of claim 2, further comprising a longitudinally extending center member that separates the side-by-side spool holding cavities and holds a pair of front and a pair of back laterally extending spool rods that attach to longitudinally extending outermost mounting members, wherein the front spool rods hold the outer rollers and the back spool rods hold the inner rollers.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the spool mount assemblies comprises a base with upper and lower plates that slidably engage the table, wherein the upper plate comprises at least one pin that moves vertically between retracted and extended positions to releasably engage an aperture in the table to lock into a desired radial location on the table to thereby attach to the table in alignment with a clipper without requiring attachment to a clipper at a respective clipper station.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the first and second longitudinally extending outer mounting members include an end segment that rises above a primary body segment and holds the retention shaft thereon.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the retention shaft is fixedly attached to a respective spool mount assembly and is sized and configured to remain in position while a spool is removed from or loaded in a respective spool holding cavity.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the retention shaft is pivotably attached to a respective spool mount assembly.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the retention shaft is releasably attached to a respective spool mount assembly.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of clippers, one residing in each respective clipper station and being aligned with a respective spool mount assembly, wherein each spool holding cavity is configured to allow a spool of clips to be inserted into the cavity while a corresponding proximate clipper remains in position.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the table comprises a plurality of pie-pan members that are spaced apart with radially extending gap spaces so that a narrow end of the pie-pan members reside proximate a center of the table, and wherein the table comprises cooperating plates with slots that reside along outer edges of the pie-pan members, and wherein the spool mount assemblies each comprise a base that slidably engages the cooperating plates slots and a handle that releases and engages a lock that allows an operator to radially slide and lock a respective spool mount assembly into a desired radial position on the table.

14. A spool mount assembly for a rotating packaging system, comprising:

first and second side-by-side spool holding cavities; and

at least one laterally extending centrifugal force retention shaft that resides a distance above at least one spool holding cavity and is sized and configured to reside on one end portion of the spool holding cavity.

15. The assembly of claim 14, wherein the spool holding cavities have a rectangular perimeter when viewed from the top, with outer long sides and laterally extending short sides, each short side comprising at least one laterally extending roller, and wherein the at least one retention shaft resides a distance above and in front of an axially extending centerline of the at least one roller of one of the laterally extending short sides.

16. The assembly of claim 14, wherein the retention shaft has an axially extending centerline that is between about 0.5 to about 5 inches above an axially extending centerline of laterally extending rollers residing at an outer end of the spool cavities.

17. The assembly of claim 14, further comprising:

first and second longitudinally extending outer mounting members that are spaced apart across the first and second side-by-side spool holding cavities; and

laterally extending rollers attached to the first and second longitudinally extending outer mounting members, including at least one roller at each of an inner and outer end of the spool cavities,

wherein the at least one retention shaft resides above and proximate the outer end rollers.

18. The assembly of claim 17, further comprising a longitudinally extending center member that separates respective side-by-side spool holding cavities and holds at least one front and at least one back laterally extending spool rod that attach to the longitudinally extending outer mounting members to hold a respective at least one roller.

19. The assembly of claim 17, wherein the first and second longitudinally extending outer mounting members are vertically oriented flat plates that include an end segment that rises above a primary body segment and holds the retention shaft thereon.

20. A method of inhibiting a spool of clips from dislodging during rotational operation of a multi-clipper rotating packaging machine;

comprising;

placing a spool of clips in at least one spool mount assembly held by a rotatable table, the rotatable table having circumferentially spaced apart clipper stations with respective clippers aligned with respective spool mount assemblies, each spool mount assembly comprising side-by-side spool holding cavities with at least one centrifugal force retention shaft that laterally extends across the spool cavities a distance above a lower end of the spool so as to reside at a height between about 2-6 inches above the lower end of the spool and that faces an outer perimeter of the table;

activating a drive system to rotate the rotatable table;

applying clips to lengths of product using the clippers; and

retaining the spools in the spool holding cavities using the retention rod when the table rotates at a high speed of between about 25-29 rotations per minute and the spool mount assemblies reside proximate an outer perimeter of the table.

21. A method of assembling a rotating table with clippers associated with a packaging system, comprising:

providing a rotating table with a plurality of clipper stations; and

slidably attaching a plurality of spool mount assemblies to the table at a desired radial position that can be selected from different radial positions associated with shorter and longer target products, the longer products associated with table positions closer to an outer perimeter of the table, wherein the spool mount assemblies include a centrifugal force retention shaft that laterally extends across two side-by-side spool cavities and that resides between about 2-6 inches above the lower end of the spool when the spool is held in a respective spool cavity.