Machine for packaging flat, unsymmetrical objects
First Claim
1. Apparatus for packaging non-rotation-symmetrical objects with an exact preselected number of objects in each package, each object having at least one flat side on which the object is advanced, said apparatus comprising an object storage unit (1), a transport unit (3, 4, 5) for advancing objects received from the object storage unit (1) and having means (11, 13) for preventing objects from becoming jammed as the objects are advanced, a counting unit (22) for counting objects advanced by the transport unit (3, 4, 5), and a discharge unit (23, 24) for releasing a preselected number of objects advanced by the transport unit, characterized in that the transport unit (3, 4, 5) has means for preventing objects from being advanced one above another or on edge, the transport unit includes a front transport trough partially defined by opposing sidewalls and slopping toward one side, said sidewalls converging toward an output end having a width slightly larger than the largest dimension of an object to be packaged, said sidewalls including a fixed lower sidewall (12) and a resiliently yieldable upper sidewall (13), said upper sidewall (13) being outwardly yieldable when acted upon by objects in said trough.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus for feeding a preselected number of unsymmetrical objects into a package has a vibratory transporter for feeding a predetermined number of objects to be packaged into a collector and a photoelectric device for releasing the objects from the collector into a package when the predetermined number of objects are in the collector. The transporter includes a discharge trough which is slopped to one side and has a fixed siderail and a resiliently yieldable siderail which prevent jamming of unsymmetrical objects within the trough. Tracks which feed objects from an object storage unit to the trough are arranged one above the other so that the unsymmetrical objects cannot enter the trough on edge or in stacked relation to each other.
24 Citations
11 Claims
- 1. Apparatus for packaging non-rotation-symmetrical objects with an exact preselected number of objects in each package, each object having at least one flat side on which the object is advanced, said apparatus comprising an object storage unit (1), a transport unit (3, 4, 5) for advancing objects received from the object storage unit (1) and having means (11, 13) for preventing objects from becoming jammed as the objects are advanced, a counting unit (22) for counting objects advanced by the transport unit (3, 4, 5), and a discharge unit (23, 24) for releasing a preselected number of objects advanced by the transport unit, characterized in that the transport unit (3, 4, 5) has means for preventing objects from being advanced one above another or on edge, the transport unit includes a front transport trough partially defined by opposing sidewalls and slopping toward one side, said sidewalls converging toward an output end having a width slightly larger than the largest dimension of an object to be packaged, said sidewalls including a fixed lower sidewall (12) and a resiliently yieldable upper sidewall (13), said upper sidewall (13) being outwardly yieldable when acted upon by objects in said trough.
Specification