VARIABLE PITCH PACKAGING APPARATUS AND METHODS

• US 20150158611A1
• Filed: 12/08/2014
• Published: 06/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: R.A. Jones & Co.
• Original Assignee: RA Jones & Company Incorporated (Is Company SRL)
• Inventors: Kalany, Robert M., Krieg, Kevin, Catalano, John V.
• Application Number:
  US14/563,198
• Publication Number:
  US 20150158611A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 2220/18 the primary packaging being bags the subsequent secondary packaging being rigid containers, e.g. cardboard box
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 25/141 packaging flat articles in boxes
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 35/18 by suction-operated grippers
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 35/24 by endless belts or chains B65B35/205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 35/26 by rotary conveyors
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 35/44 by endless belts or chains B65B35/405 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 35/50 Stacking one article, or group of articles, upon another before packaging
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 43/52 using roller-ways or endless conveyors
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/06 Packaging groups of articles, the groups being treated as single articles
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 57/12 and operating to control, or stop, the feed of wrapping materials, containers, or packages
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 59/001 Arrangements to enable adjustments related to the product to be packaged
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 59/003 Arrangements to enable adjustments related to the packaging material
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 59/005 Adjustable conveying means
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/26 arranging the articles, e.g. varying spacing between individual articles
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 54/02 electrostatic, electric, or magnetic

Abstract

Packaging apparatus includes, in combination, a product receiving or loading station requiring individual product buckets oriented at one pitch for loading with products and a cartoning station requiring groups of buckets oriented at another different pitch for packaging articles into cartons. The apparatus accommodates the packaging of varying numbers of buckets or product stacks in varied width cartons, independent of the orientation of buckets in the product receiving station. Buckets are conveyed in a path through the packaging apparatus under the influence of a linear motor conveyor independently of, and separate from, other buckets in the path and without regard to pitch between other buckets in the path. Apparatus and methods are disclosed.

Claims

1. A packaging apparatus comprising, in combination:

a product receiving station wherein separate product buckets are loaded with one, or a stack of articles to be packaged;

a cartoning station wherein products from one or more selectively grouped buckets are introduced into a carton receiving said products from said one or more grouped buckets, the pitch of said grouped buckets at said cartoning station being different than the pitch of individual buckets loading at said product receiving station; and

a linear motor conveyor conveying buckets in a path from said product receiving station to said cartoning station independently of other buckets in said path, said path extending through said product receiving at cartoning stations.

2. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein buckets receiving articles at said product receiving area are spaced at a first pitch responsive to the operation of a direct drop knife.

3. Apparatus as in claim 2 wherein buckets in said cartoning station are in groups at a respective pitch differing from the first pitch between buckets in said product receiving station.

4. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said linear motor conveyor includes a plurality of moving magnet linear motors including multiple, independently controlled moving carts carrying respective buckets and operating in a single path.

5. Apparatus as in claim 9 wherein the linear motors are programmed to specifically meet the bucket pitch requirements of the product receiving station.

6. Apparatus as in claim 5 wherein the linear motors are programmed to specifically meet the bucket and grouping pitch requirements of the cartoning station.

7. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said product receiving station includes a direct drop knife dropping articles into buckets in said path.

8. Apparatus as in claim 7 wherein said buckets are moved along said path independently of other buckets in said path from said direct drop knife to said cartoning station.

9. Apparatus as in claim 8 wherein said buckets are moved in said path with at least some of said buckets spaced apart from others of said buckets at varied distances from each other.

10. Transport apparatus for transporting pouches dropped directly from a rotary pouch transfer onto pouch receiving buckets moveable in a path defined by a bucket conveyor, wherein individual buckets are moveable along said path independently of other buckets in said path with variable spacing between buckets in said path,

said buckets independently and respectively moveable into a first position for receiving one or more pouches dropping directly into respective buckets in said first position from said rotary pouch transfer, and

after receiving one or more products said buckets being moveable along said path, independently of other buckets in said path, to a downstream cartoning station defining a second position operatively associated with said path, and at a bucket spacing different from bucket spacing in said first position.

11. Transport apparatus as in claim 10 wherein said bucket conveyor comprises a plurality of moving magnet linear motors driving multiple independent buckets.

12. Transport apparatus as in claim 11 wherein said buckets are carried in said path on said conveyor by respective independently controlled moving elements driven by said linear motors and traveling in said pattern.

13. Transport apparatus as in claim 12 wherein said moving elements are programmed to meet bucket pitch and grouping required at said first position.

14. Transport apparatus as in claim 12 wherein said moving elements are programmed to meet bucket pitch and grouping required at said second position.

15. Transport apparatus as in claim 12 wherein bucket or moving element pitch varies in discrete portions of said path.

16. A method of packaging including the steps of:

loading individual articles at a loading station into separate buckets carried by a bucket conveyor, said buckets operably oriented at a first pitch for receiving said articles and responsive to said loading;

transporting said buckets to a cartoning station;

while

grouping buckets for carton loading at said cartoning station;

said grouping including forming groups of buckets, each group at a second group pitch different than said first pitch; and

transferring articles from said groups to respective cartons conveyed at said second pitch.

17. A method as in claim 16 wherein said transporting and grouping steps are carried out on a linear motor conveyor.

18. A method as in claim 17 comprising the step of transferring articles from said bucket groups across respective guides spaced at said second pitch.

19. A method as in claim 16 including varying the number of buckets in a group for cartoning varying product stacks in respective cartons.