ARTICLE PACKAGING MACHINE

• US 3,789,575 A
• Filed: 10/04/1971
• Issued: 02/05/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Charles Frederick Bross
• Original Assignee: Charles Frederick Bross
• Inventors: Bross, Charles Frederick
• Primary Examiner(s): McGehee, Travis S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Culver, Horace M.
• Application Number:
  US05/186,134
• Time in Patent Office: 855 Days
• Field of Search: 53/235,236,160,166,246,303,247,249 221/211
• US Class Current: 53/534
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 35/26 by rotary conveyors

Abstract

A packaging machine utilizes a rotary drum having a circumferential row of pockets formed in the peripheral surface thereof for picking up articles from a pick-up zone, and discharging the articles in a discharge zone. The drum contains a plurality of pistons reciprocably confined therein; a single piston is associated with each pocket and includes a plunger which reciprocates into and out of its associated pocket during rotation of the drum about a horizontal axis. A vacuum is applied to each pocket and to the interior surfaces of its associated piston as the pocket traverses the pick-up zone to pick up an article in the pocket and at the same time, hold the plunger inwardly out of the pocket; this vacuum is terminated as the pocket traverses the discharge zone, thus allowing the article therein to be discharged, and the plunger to descend by gravity into the pocket to assist in the discharge if necessary.

Claims

1. An article packaging machine for picking-up a plurality of articles from a manifold and discharging said articles into a web having a row of web pockets formed therein, said machine comprising a rotatably mounted drum adapted to rotate about a generally horizontally disposed axis, means for rotating said drum unidirectionally about said axis, said drum having a circumferential row of drum pockets formed in the outer peripheral surface thereof, each of said drum pockets being sized to receive a predetermined number of articles therein, said drum including a cylinder bore extending radially inwardly from each of said drum pockets, said manifold having an outlet disposed adjacent said peripheral surface of said drum to define a pick-up zone therewith, said outlet being disposed in line with said circumferential row of drum pockets, each of said drum pockets being adapted to rotate past said pick-up zone to a discharge zone adjacent said web, and vacuum control means for applying a vacuum to each of said drum pockets while traversing said pick-up zone, and for terminating said vacuum to each of said drum pockets while traversing said discharge zone, said vacuum control means including valve means, said drum being adapted to rotate with respect to said valve means, and piston means including an annular stop to close each cylinder bore and further including a plunger movable therewith in said cylinder bore and associated with a drum pocket for assisting in the discharge of articles from such drum pocket if necesSary, each piston means being movable by gravity and being held retracted by a vacuum from said vacuum control means while its associated drum pocket is traversing said pick-up zone.

2. An article packaging machine according to claim 1, wherein said piston means comprises a piston reciprocably confined within each of said cylinder bores and the plunger associated therewith is adapted to reciprocate into and out of its associated drum pocket, said vacuum control means including means for applying vacuum to the interior surfaces of each said piston at substantially the same time as vacuum is applied to its associated drum pocket and further including means for terminating said vacuum to each said piston at substantially the same time as vacuum is terminated to its associated drum pocket so as to allow each said piston to descend by gravity and thus allow said plunger to enter said drum pocket.

3. An article packaging machine according to claim 2, wherein said drum has a transverse bore formed about said axis and extending to one end of said drum, each of said cylinder bores extending radially inwardly to said transverse bore so as to communicate therewith, said valve means comprising a circular plug having substantially the same diameter as said transverse bore, said plug being stationarily mounted within said transverse bore, said plug having a vacuum passageway formed in said plug comprising an arcuate portion formed in said plug and extending radially inwardly from the outer periphery thereof, said arcuate portion overlying said cylinder bores so as to periodically communicate with each of said cylinder bores as said drum rotates about said axis.

4. An article packaging machine according to claim 3 wherein said manifold outlet is disposed above said axis to allow said articles to descend into said drum pockets at least partially by gravity.

5. An article packaging machine according to claim 4, wherein said vacuum control means includes a first passageway extending from said transverse bore to the leading bottom portion of said drum pocket, and a second passageway extending from said transverse bore to the trailing bottom portion of said drum pocket.

6. An article packaging machine according to claim 3, wherein each said cylinder bore includes a radially outwardly facing annular shoulder for limiting the inward movement of its associated piston, said machine further including a piston retainer removably mounted at the outer end of said cylinder bore adjacent its respective drum pocket for limiting the outward movement of each said pistons.

7. An article packaging machine according to claim 3, including means for moving said web in a forward direction beneath said drum, means operatively connected to said web moving means for rotating said drum with said forward movement of said web moving means to discharge said articles into said web pockets.

8. An article packaging machine according to claim 7, wherein said drum rotating means includes a rack fixedly connected to said web moving means, a gear adapted to rotate about said axis and disposed in driving relation to said rack, a pawl pivotly connected to said gear and adapted to rotate therewith, and a ratchet fixedly connected to said drum and adapted to be driven by said pawl when said web moving means is moved in said forward direction.

9. An article packaging machine according to claim 3, including means for moving said web in a forward direction from a first stationary position beneath said drum to a second stationary position beneath said drum, and means for non-rotatingly moving said drum forward from a first stationary position to a second stationary position along with said manifold, and rotatingly returning said drum from its second stationary position to said first stationary position along with said manifold to deposit said articles into said web pockets.

10. An article packaging machine according to claim 9, wherein said drum and said manifold are mounted on a carriage, said carriage being movably mounted on generally horizontally disposed support means, and further including drive means for moving said carriage via said support means from said first stationary position to said second stationary position, and returning said carriage to said first stationary position.