METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR LOADING TEA BAGS INTO CARTONS

• US 3,815,316 A
• Filed: 03/13/1973
• Issued: 06/11/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Arthur Alan Brooke
• Original Assignee: Arthur Alan Brooke
• Inventors: Brooke, Arthur Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): McGehee, Travis S.
• Application Number:
  US05/340,728
• Time in Patent Office: 455 Days
• Field of Search: 53/143,157,161,159,154,252,124D,126,24,253
• US Class Current: 53/437
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/061 Filled bags

Abstract

Apparatus for loading predetermined numbers of tea bags into cartons of a predetermined length comprising a rotor on which there are mounted back-to-back longitudinally extending buckets open at their opposite ends for rotation about a horizontal axis to alternately move the buckets from the upper side of the axis to the lower side thereof, and vibrators on the rotor associated with the respective buckets operable when the buckets are moved to the lower side to effect their vibration. At one end of the rotor at the level of the bucket at the upper side there is a reciprocable transfer assembly for pushing a predetermined number of packets under light pressure into the bucket at the upper side and a conveyor including selector elements for selecting a predetermined number of packets from the supply of packets and presenting them to the transfer assembly. At the other end of the rotor at the level of the bucket at the lower side there is a support for an empty open-ended carton for supporting the carton with an open end in registration with the open end of the bucket at the lower side and a reciprocable loader assembly for discharging the inverted packets from the bucket into the carton. The loader assembly comprises a back-up member and a pusher member located at opposite ends of the bucket at the lower side of the axis, between which the packets are held, which are movable in unison to push the packets from the bucket into the carton and during such movement the pusher member is reciprocated relative to the back-up member to repeatedly squeeze the packets between the back-up member and the pusher member as the loader assembly moves the packets into the carton. Motors and limit switches provide for cyclical and sequential operation of the several components so as simultaneously to advance a selected number of packets into a bucket on the rotor at the upper side and discharge a compacted column of packets from the bucket at the lower side.

Claims

1. Apparatus for loading tea bags into cartons comprising a rotor supported for rotation about a horizontal axis for receiving in one position parallel to its axis of rotation a column of tea bags arranged on one edge face-to-face and in another position to support the bags inverted, means for effecting rotation of the rotor from the one position to the other to successively receive columns of packets and invert them, means for supporting an open-ended carton at said position of inversion of the packets, and means for pushing the packets from the rotor into a carton resting on said support.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, comprising means for moving a column of bags onto the rotor and simultaneously applying compacting pressure to the ends of the column as it is moved onto the rotor.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, comprising means for vibrating the bags while supported in their inverted position.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the means for discharging the bags from the rotor into the carton operates to apply compressive pressure to the ends of the column as it is moved from the rotor into the carton.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said means for discharging the bags from the rotor into the carton operate to apply repeated aqueezing and releasing pressure to the bags in the column as the column is advanced along the rotor toward the carton.

6. Apparatus for loading groups of a predetermined number of envelope-like packets into a carton comprising a rotor rotatable about a horizontal axis, a bucket mounted on the rotor for rotation from a predetermined position above said axis to a predetermined position below said axis, said bucket having open ends for receiving packets supported on edge face-to-face, a packet support at one end of the rotor in alignment with the position of the bucket when the bucket is above said axis, a transfer assembly movable along the packet support parallel to the axis of the rotor for moving a predetermined number of packets along the support into the bucket above said axis, a carton support at the other end of the rotor for registration with the bucket when below said axis such that the open end of the carton on the carton support will be in registration with said other end of the Bucket, a loader assembly supported in alignment with the carton support for movement parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotor operable to push the packets from the bucket below the axis into the carton, and driving means for effecting operation of the transfer assembly, the rotor and the loader assembly to cause a selected number of packets to be moved into the bucket above said axis, rotate the bucket to invert the packets and discharge the packets from the inverted bucket into the carton.

7. Apparatus for loading groups of a predetermined number of envelope-like packets into a carton comprising a rotor rotatable about a horizontal axis, a bucket mounted on the rotor for rotation from a predetermined position above said axis to a predetermined position below said axis, said bucket having open ends for receiving packets supported on edge face-to-face, a packet support at one end of the rotor in alignment with the position of the bucket when the bucket is above said axis, means for advancing packets along said packet support toward said rotor, a transfer assembly movable along the packet support parallel to the axis of the rotor for removing a predetermined number of packets from the advancing packets and pushing them into the bucket above said axis, a carton support at the other end of the rotor for registration with the bucket when below said axis such that the open end of the carton on the carton support will be in registration with said other end of the bucket, a loader assembly supported in alignment with the carton support for movement parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotor operable to push the packets from the bucket below the axis into the carton and driving means for effecting operation of the means for advancing the packets, the transfer assembly, the rotor and the loader assembly to cause a selected number of packets to be moved into the bucket above said axis, rotate the bucket to invert the packets and discharge the packets from the inverted bucket into the carton.

8. Apparatus according to claim 6, comprising vibrator means mounted on the rotor for effecting vibration of the bucket and means for causing the vibrator to vibrate the bucket when the latter is at the position below said axis.

9. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the transfer assembly comprises relatively movable parts for applying pressure to the packets.

10. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the transfer assembly is constructed and arranged to apply a light pressure to the packets as it moves them along the packet support into the bucket.

11. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the loader assembly embodies a reciprocable part arranged to repeatedly squeeze the packets as they are discharged from the bucket into the carton.

12. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the rotor has two buckets diametrically disposed so that when one bucket is vertically above the axis of the rotor the other is vertically below, and wherein the drive means are operable to cause the transfer assembly to push a column of packets into the bucket above said axis and simultaneously to cause the loader assembly to discharge a column of packets from the bucket below the axis into a carton.

13. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein each bucket has two chambers longitudinally thereof, each of which is adapted to receive a predetermined number of packets.

14. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein a medially located divider extends longitudinally of each bucket dividing it into two chambers, each of which is adapted to receive a predetermined number of packets.

15. A loader comprising a rotor rotatable about a predetermined axis, diametrically disposed buckets mounted on the rotor, said buckets having open ends for receiving in one position a column of packets and in another position discharging said columns of packets, means for selecting and introducing a group of a predetermined number of packets through one open end into the bucket in the one position, said means comprising a horizontal support arranged at a level corresponding to the level of the bucket in said one position, means for advancing packets resting on their edges in face-to-face relation along said support, means arranged at a predetermined position along said support to separate a predetermined number of packets from the succeeding packets, a pusher located at said predetermined position for movement from a retracted position to a position behind the separated packets, means for effecting reciprocation of the pusher parallel to the support in one direction to advance the separated packets along said support into the bucket and in the other to return for a succeeding group of packets, means for rotating the rotor to reverse the position of the buckets, means at said other position for supporting an empty open-ended carton adjacent an end of the bucket at said other position, and means for discharging the packets from the bucket into the carton.

16. A loader comprising a rotor rotatable about a predetermined axis, diametrically disposed buckets mounted on the rotor, said buckets having open ends for receiving in one position a column of packets and in another position for discharging the packets, means for selecting and introducing a group of a predetermined number of packets through one open end into a bucket at the one position, said means comprising a support at said one position, means associated with the support for advancing packets along the support toward the bucket, a selector arranged at a predetermined position to separate a group of a predetermined number of the advancing packets from the succeeding packets, a pusher supported for movement from a retracted position to a position between the separated packets and the succeeding packets and for movement along the support to push the separated packets into the bucket, power-operable means for effecting operation of the selector and pusher, switch means movable by the selector at said predetermined position to cause the power-operable means to move the pusher to said position between the separated packets and the succeeding packets, switch means operable by the pusher at said position to cause the power-operable means to move the pusher along the support, means for rotating the rotor to reverse the position of the buckets, means at said other position for supporting an empty open-ended carton adjacent an end of the bucket at said other position, and means for discharging the packets from the bucket into the carton.

17. A loader comprising a rotor rotatable about a predetermined axis, diametrically disposed buckets mounted on the rotor, said buckets having open ends for receiving in one position a column of packets and in another position discharging the packets, means for selecting and introducing a group of a predetermined number of packets through one open end into a bucket at said one position, said means comprising a horizontal support at the level of the bucket in said one position, means associated with the support for advancing packets along the support, a selector arranged alongside the support, said selector being operable at a predetermined position to separate a group of the advancing packets from the succeeding packets, a pusher supported above the horizontal support at said predetermined position movable to a position between the separated group of packets and the succeeding packets, a retainer support above said support forwardly of the pusher, a motor for effecting movement of the pusher into said position behind the selected packets to confine the packets between it and the retainer support and means for simultaneously advancing said pusher and retainer support along the horizontal support to advance the separated group of packets into the bucket, means for rotating the rotor to move the bucket at the one position to the other position to invert the packets therein, means at said other position for supporting a carton in alignment with the bucket at said other position, and means for dischargIng the inverted packets from said bucket into the carton.

18. Apparatus according to claim 17, comprising vibrator means associated with each bucket, means for effecting vibration of the vibrator means associated with the bucket at the discharge position, and means associated with the discharge means for repeatedly applying pressure perpendicularly to the faces of the packets as they are discharged.

19. In a loader, an elongate bucket open at its opposite ends, means supporting the bucket for movement about a horizontal axis from an upright position above said axis to an inverted position below said axis, means at the upright position of the bucket at one open end thereof when the bucket is in said upright position for advancing a column of a predetermined number of packets supported on edge in a column in which the packets are arranged face-to-face through said open end into the bucket, means for inverting the filled bucket, means at the inverted position of the bucket at the opposite end of the bucket for supporting an open-ended carton in registration with said opposite end of the bucket, and means for discharging the packets from the inverted bucket into the open-ended carton.

20. Apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the means for advancing the packets into the bucket at its position above the axis comprises means for confining the selected group of packets at its leading and trailing ends under light pressure as the packets are advanced into the bucket, and wherein the means for discharging the packets from the inverted bucket into the carton comprises means for confining the packets at the leading and trailing ends under light pressure as they are discharged into the carton.

21. Apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said means confining the ends of the packets as they are moved into the bucket compresses the group of packets to a length corresponding to the length of the bucket.

22. Apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said means confining the packets as they are discharged into the carton compresses the group of packets to a length corresponding to the length of the carton.

23. Apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said means confining the packets as they are discharged into the carton repeatedly squeezes the packets.

24. Apparatus according to claim 20, wherein there is means for moving the confining means in each position of the bucket to a position at the ends of the bucket such that the bucket is capable of being moved from its upright position between said confining means at said position to its inverted position between said confining means at said inverted position, and there are means situated between said two positions for confining the packets within the bucket during movement of the bucket from its upright position to its inverted position.

25. Apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the means for advancing the packets into the bucket at its position above the axis comprises means for confining the selected group of packets at its leading end and trailing end and the confining means at the leading end is yieldably supported relative to the confining means at the trailing end so as to apply light pressure to the packets confined between it and the confining means at the trailing end.

26. Apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the confining means comprise spaced members between which the packets are confined and means supporting the spaced members for movement in unison to advance the packets through said one open end of the bucket into the bucket to a position in which the leading and trailing members are flush with the opposite open ends of the bucket.

27. Apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the leading one of the confining members which moves the packets into the upright bucket moves longitudinally through the bucket.

28. In a loader, an elongate bucket open at its opposite ends, spaced frame members, means supporting the bucket between said frame members with its opposite ends substantially enGaged with said frame members for rotation about a horizontal axis from an upright position to an inverted position, said frame members containing openings at the upright and inverted positions of the bucket through which the packets are adapted to be advanced into one of the open ends of the bucket at the upright position and discharged through the opposite open end of the bucket at the inverted position, said frame members closing the open ends of the bucket as it is moved from said upright position to said inverted position, means for advancing a predetermined number of packets through said opening in the frame at the one end of the upright bucket into the bucket, said means being operable to hold the packets within the bucket until it is rotated, means supporting an empty carton at said inverted position, and means for discharging packets through the opening in the frame at the opposite end of the inverted bucket from the bucket into the carton, said means being operable to hold the packets compressed to a length no greater than the length of the carton as they are discharged into the carton.

29. In a loader, a bucket open at its ends, means supporting the bucket for movement about a horizontal axis from an upright position to an inverted position, means for selecting and introducing a predetermined number of packets through one open end into the bucket in said upright position, means for effecting movement of the bucket from said upright position to said inverted position, means at the inverted position of the bucket for supporting an open-ended carton in registration with the opposite open end of the bucket in its inverted position, means for discharging the packets from the bucket through said opposite end into the carton, and means at the ends of the bucket between which the open ends of the bucket are confined as it is moved from said upright position to its inverted position.

30. Apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the confining means comprise longitudinally spaced back-up and pusher members between which the packets are confined, and means for advancing the back-up and pusher members in unison to move the back-up member through the one open end of the bucket longitudinally thereof to a position flush with the opposite end and to move the pusher member to a position flush with the one open end.

31. In a loader, diametrically disposed buckets mounted back-to-back for rotation about a horizontal axis, said buckets being open at their ends, means supporting the buckets for rotation about said horizontal axis to move first one bucket and then the other from an upright position to an inverted position, means for selecting and introducing a predetermined number of packets through one open end of the one of the buckets in the upright position, means for supporting an open-ended carton in a position such that one open end is in registration with the opposite open end of the bucket at its inverted position, and means for discharging the packets from the bucket at its inverted position into the carton, said means for selecting and introducing a predetermined number of packets into the bucket in the upright position comprising conveyor means for advancing packets on edge in face-to-face relation toward the open end of the bucket, means for separating a predetermined number of packets from the advancing packets, and longitudinally spaced transfer means between which the separated packets are delivered, said latter means being movable in unison and tandemly to positions in which the leading member passes through the bucket to a position flush with the opposite end and the trailing member to a position flush with the one end.

32. Apparatus according to claim 31, wherein there are spaced separating members mounted on the conveyor for intercepting the advancing packets at intervals such as to select a predetermined number of packets from the advancing packets, and means for causing the trailing one of the separated members at a predetermined position to push the pAckets ahead of it forwardly a predetermined distance to provide a gap between the trailing end of the selected packets and the leading packet of the succeeding packets.

33. Apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the transfer means between which the selected packets are confined comprises a back-up member supported in a position in the path of the advancing packets and a pusher member supported above said path, and means for moving the pusher member from above said path downwardly into said gap between the trailing end of the selected packets and the leading packet of the succeeding packets.

34. Apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the separating members are pivotally mounted on the conveyor and there is means operable as the separating members are moved forwardly to tilt the trailing one of the separating members forwardly to separate the packets forwardly thereof from the succeeding packets.

35. Apparatus according to claim 33, comprising a reciprocably supported carriage, means mounting the back-up member on the carriage in the path of the advancing packets, means mounting the pusher member on the carriage above said path for reciprocable movement into and out of said path of movement of the packets, means on the carriage for effecting reciprocable movement of the pusher member to at times move the pusher member into the gap between the selected packets and the succeeding packets to confine the selected packets, and means for effecting movement of the reciprocably movable carriage at said times and hence the back-up member and pusher member in unison toward the bucket.

36. In a loader, an elongate bucket supported for rotation about a horizontal axis from an upright to an inverted position, said bucket being open at its ends, a divider support extending longitudinally of the bucket dividing the bucket into two side-by-side chambers for receiving two columns of packets, means for selecting and introducing predetermined numbers of packets into one of the open ends of the buckets into said chambers therein at said upright position of the bucket, means for supporting an open-ended carton in a position for registration with the opposite end of the bucket in its inverted position for receiving the packets, means for discharging packets from the bucket in its inverted position into the carton, and means for introducing a divider strip into the divider support between the chambers of the upright bucket prior to advancing the packets into said chamber, said means for discharging the packets from the bucket in its inverted position being operable to move the divider strip from the divider support together with the packets from the bucket into the carton.

37. In a loader, a bucket supported for rotation about a horizontal axis from an upright to an inverted position, said bucket being open at its ends, a support for receiving a divider strip longitudinally of the bucket to divide it into two longitudinally extending side-by-side chambers, means for selecting and inserting predetermined numbers of packets through one open end of the bucket into said chambers at said upright position of the bucket, means for supporting an openended carton in a position of registration with the opposite end of the bucket in its inverted position for receiving the packets, means for discharging the packets from the bucket in its inverted position into the carton, a reciprocable carriage mounting the means for selecting and inserting the packets into the bucket, means for reciprocating the carriage to advance the means for selecting and inserting the packets into the bucket and for retraction preparatory to the next operation, and means supported by the carriage operavle by retraction of the carriage to move a divider strip through the opposite end of the bucket in the upright position into said divider support preparatory to advancing the packets into the bucket.

38. Apparatus according to claim 37, wherein said strip support comprises pairs of opposed spring fingers between whicH an edge of the divider strip is drawn by said last means.

39. Apparatus according to claim 37, wherein said divider strip support comprises a channel at the bottom of the bucket and pairs of opposed spring fingers mounted therein between which an edge of the divider strip is drawn by said last means.

40. Apparatus according to claim 37, comprising a magazine supporting a stack of divider strips with the end strip at one end exposed and wherein the last means is supported by the carriage adjacent to the end strip in the magazine when the carriage is in the extended position and is movable therewith during retractive movement of the carriage to remove the end strip from the magazine and transfer it to the strip support in the bucket.

41. Apparatus according to claim 40, wherein said last means is provided with suction picking elements for picking the end strip from the end of the magazine.

42. Apparatus according to claim 37, wherein the bucket contains a longitudinally extending opening at the top medially of its width and the last means is movable by the carriage reciprocably from a position opposite the magazine at one end of the bucket through said top opening to the opposite end and there is means for effecting vacuum picking of the end strips from the magazine at the one end and for releasing the strip from the picker at the other end.

43. Apparatus according to claim 42, comprising means mounted on the bucket across the top opening for preventing the divider strip from falling through said opening when the bucket is inverted, said means being yieldably supported to permit the last means to move longitudinally of said top opening in reciprocation.

44. In a loader, a bucket rotatable from an upright position to an inverted position about a horizontal axis, means for selecting and advancing predetermined numbers of packets along a support under slight compression into one of the open ends of the bucket in its upright position, means for inverting the bucket, means for vibrating the inverted bucket, means for supporting an empty open-ended carton in a position to be in registration with the opposite end of the bucket when in its inverted position, and means for discharging the packets from the bucket while under slight compression into the carton.

45. Apparatus according to claim 44, wherein said discharge means comprises a back-up member and a pusher member movable in unison longitudinally of the bucket and means for effecting repeated short reverse strokes to the pusher member while it is being moved longitudinally through the bucket.

46. In a loader, diametrically disposed buckets mounted back-to-back, means supporting the buckets for rotation about a horizontal axis from an upright position above said axis to an inverted position below said axis, means for depositing a predetermined number of packets under slight compression in the bucket at the upright position, means for rotating the buckets to reverse the position of the buckets, means supporting an open-ended empty carton in a position of registration with an end of the bucket in the inverted position, means for discharging the packets from the inverted bucket under light compression into the carton, vibrating means associated with each bucket, and means operable by movement of the bucket to its inverted position to initiate operation of the vibrating means associated therewith.

47. Apparatus according to claim 46, wherein the means supporting the buckets comprises a shaft and means yieldably mounting the buckets on the shaft.

48. Apparatus according to claim 47, wherein the means supporting the buckets comprises a shaft supported for rotation about a horizontal axis, a rotor mounted on the shaft, and means yieldably mounting the buckets on the shaft back-to-back.

49. In a loader, diametrically disposed buckets mounted back-to-back, means supporting the buckets for rotation about a horizontal axis from an upright position about the axis to an inverted position below said axiS, each bucket being divided into two side-by-side open-ended chambers extending longitudinally of the axis of rotation, means for depositing a predetermined number of packets in the chamber of the bucket above the axis under light compression, means for rotating the buckets to reverse their positions, means for supporting an empty carton with one end open in a position of registration with an end of the bucket in the inverted position, means for discharging the packets from the inverted bucket under light compression into the carton, pairs of vibrators associated with the respective buckets, means operable by movement of a bucket to its inverted position to initiate operation of the vibrators associated therewith, and means for continuing said vibration until the packets are discharged into the carton.

50. In a loader, diametrically disposed buckets mounted back-to-back for rotation about a horizontal axis from a receiving upright position at the upper side of said shaft to a discharge inverted position at the lower side of said shaft, means for selecting a predetermined number of packets and depositing them in the bucket at the upper side of the shaft, means for supporting an open-ended carton in a position of registration with an open end of a bucket at the lower side of the shaft, means for discharging the packets from the bucket at said lower side of the shaft into the carton, and means for moving successive empty cartons to said position of registration with the inverted bucket and moving the filled cartons away from said position.

51. In a loader, diametrically disposed buckets mounted back-to-back for rotation about a horizontal axis to move first one and then the other from an upright position above said axis of the rotor to an inverted position below said axis, means for selecting and depositing a predetermined number of packets in the bucket above said axis, means for rotating the rotor about said axis to reverse the positions of the buckets, means or supporting an open-ended carton in a position of registration with the bucket at the inverted position, and means for discharging the packets from the inverted bucket into the carton, said means for selecting and depositing the packets in the bucket above said axis comprising a support situated in a horizontal plane at the level of the bottom of the bucket above said axis, means for oving the packets along said support toward the bucket with the packets resting on their edges in face-to-face relation and in a column, and means for ejecting jets of air toward the advancing packets to hold them upright as they are advanced.

52. A method of loading a carton of a predetermined length with a predetermined number of tea bags, comprising advancing a predetermined number of tea bags in single file and resting on one edge face-to-face under light compression perpendicular to their faces to a position for inversion of the group, inverting the group by rotating them to a position such that they rest on their opposite edges, vibrating the bags at said inverted position and advancing the bags while continuing to effect their vibration under light pressure perpendicular to their faces into said carton.

53. A method according to claim 52, comprising subjecting the bags in their inverted position to repeated squeezing and relaxing action perpendicular to their faces to condense the column to a predetermined length and advancing the condensed column into the carton.

54. A method according to claim 52, comprising advancing two columns of tea bags side-by-side to said place of inversion, supporting a divider strip at said place of inversion for maintaining the tea bags in the columns separate from each other and discharging the separated strip together with the tea bags into the carton.