Pick-up device, particularly for automatic lifting and conveying apparatus for plants for the packaging of food products

• US 4,832,180 A
• Filed: 03/13/1987
• Issued: 05/23/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ferrero SPA Piazzale Pietro Ferrero 12051 ALBA Italy A Italian Joint Stock Company
• Original Assignee: Ferrero SPA
• Inventors: Ferrero, Pietro
• Primary Examiner(s): Valenza, Joseph E.
• Application Number:
  US07/025,821
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: 198/468.3, 53/247, 294/65, 294/87.1, 414/744 A, 414/744 B, 414/627, 901/40
• US Class Current: 198/468.3
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 35/38 by suction-operated grippers
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/918 with at least two picking-up heads

Abstract

A pick-up device for automatic lifting and conveying apparatus has a plurality of pick-up members (5), preferably of the suction type, each of which is intended to take hold of a respective article in an array of rows arranged in at least one direction. The device includes a plurality of generally elongate and mutually parallel support members (4) which are intended to be oriented in the direction of the rows of articles in use. Each support member (4) carries an associated respective row of pick-up members (5) extending longitudinally of the member itself. A drive (9) enables the distance between adjacent support members (4) to be varied so as to allow them to be adapted selectively to the spacing between the rows of articles. More particularly, this distance may be varied while the device is transferring the articles supported by the pick-up members (5) to a package so as to adapt the separation between the rows of articles to the dimensions of the package itself. Provision is made for the possibility of selectively varying the distance between the pick-up members (5) of each support member (4).

Claims

1. A pick-up device comprising a plurality of pick-up members, the device including a plurality of generally elongate and mutually parallel support members, each of which support members carries an associated respective row of pick-up members extending longitudinally of the respective support member itself;

the device including drive means acting on the support members which, when activated, simultaneously move the support members towards and away from each other;

each of the support members being divided into at least two parts, each of the at least two parts carrying at least one associated respective pick-up member;

the device further including movement transmission members for moving the at least two parts towards and away from each other simultaneously with movement of the support members, the movement transmission members causing a simultaneous relative movement of the at least two parts of the support member as a result of the simultaneous relative movements of the support members, the movement of the at least two parts of each support member being in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of movement of the support members relative to each other during simultaneous movement of the support members towards and away from each other, wherein the movement transmission members are comprised of at least one slot provided in a frame for each support member, the slot having profiled edges acting as ramparts, and at least one of the parts into which each support member is divided has an appendage which can slidingly cooperate with the profiled edges of the slot.

2. A device according to claim 1, including a frame having guide means extending substantially perpendicular to the support members for guiding the sliding movement of the support members themselves.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein resilient means are interposed between the support members in a generally pack-like configuration, the resilient means biassing adjacent support members away from each other, and at least one drive member is provided which acts to move adjacent support members towards each other against the action of the resilient means.

4. A device according to claim 2 including at least one drive member acting between the frame and at least one of the support members so as to cause the support members to slide on the guide means.

5. A pick-up device according to claim 1, wherein the pick-up members are of the suction type.