Article counting and filling machine

• US 3,925,960 A
• Filed: 04/18/1974
• Issued: 12/16/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: George W. Saari, Ronald L. Belliveau
• Original Assignee: George W. Saari, Ronald L. Belliveau
• Inventors: Saari, George W., Belliveau, Ronald L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bell, Jr., Houston S.
• Application Number:
  US05/462,107
• Time in Patent Office: 607 Days
• Field of Search: 141/93,131-134,183-191,155,167 221/158,162 53/59R,78,240
• US Class Current: 53/167
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 37/005 by endless belts or chains
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 39/145 in an endless path

Abstract

A machine for filling containers with discrete articles comprising a series of elongated slat members movable in a closed path, a portion of the slat members having an outer surface with a multiplicity of spaced apart cavities therein. The path comprises spaced apart cavity charging and discharging stations. Means at the charging station deposit articles in the cavities. The slat outer surfaces tilt at the discharge station for the simultaneous discharging of articles. Container delivery means continuously feed containers at a predetermined uniform speed along a line parallel to the direction of elongation of the slat members and below the level of slat members at the discharge station. A first set of stationary article-guiding chutes is disposed in side-by-side relation at said discharge station, each chute having an upper inlet and tapering to a narrowed outlet. A second set of chutes is supported for movement in a closed path, each chute being generally vertically disposed and having an upper inlet wider in the direction of chute travel than any first set chute outlet and a lower outlet smaller than its inlet. The closed chute path includes a portion extending the full length of the slat members with chutes in that path portion aligned with the container feeding line and the first set chute outlets. Drive means are provided for driving the container delivery means, for driving the chutes such that each chute moves with its outlet aligned with a moving container, and for driving the slat members.

Claims

1. In a machine for filling containers with discrete articles comprising a series of elongated slat members, means supporting said slat members for movement in a closed path in a direction generally transverse to the lengths thereof, at least some of said slat members having outer surfaces with a multiplicity of spaced apart cavities therein, said path including spaced apart cavity charging and discharging stations, means at said charging station for depositing articles in said cavities, the outer surface of each slat member tilting at said discharge station to discharge simultaneously all articles from the cavities therein, a first set of article-guiding chutes disposed in side-by-side relation, each chute positioned to receive articles discharged from a predetermined number of the cavities of each slat member when it reaches said discharge station, each chute having an upper inlet and a lower outlet, a second set of article-guiding chutes, disposed beneath said first set of chutes, each chute of said second set having an upper inlet of predetermined size and a lower outlet which is smaller than the inlet, container delivery means for delivering containers along a container path which passes beneath chutes of said second set, and drive means for driving said container delivery means and said slat members, the improvement wherein, means are provided for supporting said second set chutes for movement in a closed loop having a loop portion that extends the full length of said slat members, said loop portion being in vertically spaced alignment with said first set of chutes, each said second set chute inlet having a leading edge and a trailing edge spaced apart by a distance greater than the corresponding dimension of any first set chute outlet, said drive means are connected to drive said delivery means continuously to provide a continuous uniform speed of container movement along said container path and to drive said second set chutes in synchronism with said containers at said uniform speed, whereby, as each chute traverses said loop portion, its outlet is in vertically spaced alignment with a container mouth, said drive means arranged to drive said slat members at a rate dependent upon said uniform speed and in synchronism with said second set of chutes so that discharge of articles at said discharge station occurs only when each second set chute is positioned to receive articles from a first set chute outlet.