TRAY PACKING METHOD AND APPARATUS
First Claim
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1. A method of packing, in a continued sequence, a plurality of contents elements into a tray having front and rear walls comprising:
- supporting a series of contiguous contents elements from their upper ends on a support means, guiding said series of contents elements along the support means to a station, conveying a line of adjacent trays to said packing station, pivoting said contents elements relative to each other about an axis in the plane of their upper ends generally perpendicular to their direction of movement thereby to separate said contents elements at their lowermost ends in the region of said packing station into groups above the front and rear walls of adjacent trays, and lowering in sequence the separated groups of contents elements into said adjacent trays.
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Abstract
A method of packing a plurality of contents elements into a series of trays in a continued sequence by separating the elements at their lower ends into groups at a packing station and lowering each of said groups sequentially into adjacent trays as they pass the packing station. Apparatus for carrying out said method comprises a guide rail which changes direction at the packing station for supporting the elements from their top ends and guiding them to the packing station.
17 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method of packing, in a continued sequence, a plurality of contents elements into a tray having front and rear walls comprising:
- supporting a series of contiguous contents elements from their upper ends on a support means, guiding said series of contents elements along the support means to a station, conveying a line of adjacent trays to said packing station, pivoting said contents elements relative to each other about an axis in the plane of their upper ends generally perpendicular to their direction of movement thereby to separate said contents elements at their lowermost ends in the region of said packing station into groups above the front and rear walls of adjacent trays, and lowering in sequence the separated groups of contents elements into said adjacent trays.
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2. The method of claim 1, in which the step of lowering in sequence the groups of contents elements into said adjacent trays comprises the operation of engaging the leading wall of a tray at said packing station with the leading contents element of a group of contents elements along a forwardly and downwardly inclined path such that the lowermost portion of the last of said group of elements falls within said tray below the upper edge of the trailing wall of said tray, repeating said operation with the next contiguous designated number of contents elements and the next adjacent tray, and so on.
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3. In the method of claim 2, the step of conveying said trays away from said packing station.
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4. The method of claim 3, in which the step of conveying said trays away from said packing station is accomplished substantially solely by said operation of engaging the leading wall of said tray at said packing station with the leading contents elements of said group of contents elements and directing said group of contents elements along a forwardly and downwardly inclined path.
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5. The method of claim 3, in which the steps of conveying a continuous line of adjacent trays to and away from said packing station are accomplished substantially solely by said operation of engaging the leading wall of said tray at said packing station with the leading contents elements of said group of contents elements and directing said group of contents elements along a forwardly and downwardly inclined path.
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6. A method of packing, in a continued sequence, a plurality of contents elements into a tray having front and rear walls comprising:
- supporting a series of contiguous contents elements from their upper ends on a support means, guiding said series of contents elements in a given direction along said support means to a packing station, changing the direction of travel of said series of contents elements in the region of said packing station while they are supported at their upper ends thereby to separate said contents elements at their lowermost ends in the region of said packing station into groups above the front and rear walls of adjacent trays, and lowering in sequence the separated groups of contents elements into said adjacent trays.
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7. The method of claim 6, in which said change in direction is from a first direction forwardly and downwardly inclined to a given degree with respect to said continuous line of trays at said packing station to a second direction forwardly and inclined to said line of trays less steeply than said given degree at said packing station.
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8. The method of claim 7, in which the step of lowering in sequence groups of contents elements into said adjacent trays comprises engaging the leading wall of a given tray at said packing station with the leading contents elements of a group of contents elements, directing said group of contents elements in said second direction such that the lowermost portion of the last of said group of elements falls within said given tray below the upper edge of the trailing wall of said tray, repeating said operation with the next contiguous group of contents elements and the next adJacent tray, and so on.
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9. In a tray packer for depositing in a continued sequence a plurality of contents elements into a tray, comprising means for conveying a line of trays to a packing station and means for supporting said contents elements at their upper ends and guiding the same to said packing station for depositing the elements in sequence into said line of trays;
- the improvement wherein said supporting and guiding means include a first part for supporting and guiding said elements in a downward path inclined at a given angle with reference to said line of trays at said packing station and a second part connected to said first part for supporting and guiding said elements in a downward path inclined with reference to said line of trays at an angle less than said given angle, thereby effecting a separation at their lowermost ends of contiguous contents elements, said connection between the guide elements being located above said trays in the vicinity of the packing station, whereby contiguous groups of contents elements diverge from one another in the region of adjacent trays and said separated groups of contents elements are thereby self-deposited in sequence into adjacent trays.
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10. The combination of claim 9, wherein said contents elements are held together in groups by a carrier means and said guide means operatively engages said carrier means.
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11. The combination of claim 10, wherein said first and second parts of said guide means comprise first and second guide rails in sliding engagement with said carrier.
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12. The combination of claim 11, wherein said groups of contents elements comprise a plurality of contents elements arranged in rows, and said guide rails are located between adjacent rows of contents elements.
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13. The method of claim 6, in which the step of lowering in sequence groups of contents elements into said adjacent trays comprises engaging the leading wall of a given tray at said packing station with the leading contents elements of a group of contents elements, directing said group of contents elements in said second direction such that the lowermost portion of the last of said group of elements falls within said given tray below the upper edge of the trailing wall of said tray, repeating said operation with the next contiguous group of contents elements and the next adjacent tray, and so on.
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14. In the method of claim 13, the step of conveying said trays away from said packing station.
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15. The method of claim 14, in which the step of conveying said trays away from said packing station is accomplished substantially solely by said operation of engaging the leading wall of said tray at said packing station with the leading contents elements of said group of contents elements and directing said group of contents elements along a forwardly and downwardly inclined path.
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16. The method of claim 14, in which the steps of conveying a continuous line of adjacent trays to and away from said packing station are accomplished substantially solely by said operation of engaging the leading wall of said tray at said packing station with the leading contents elements of said group of contents elements and directing said group of contents elements along a forwardly and downwardly inclined path.
Specification