Transfer mechanism with jam detector

• US 4,961,490 A
• Filed: 02/22/1988
• Issued: 10/09/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Elopak Systems Ag
• Original Assignee: Elopak Systems Ag
• Inventors: Lewis, Thomas D., Risko, Frank D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Spar, Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bidwell, James R.
• Application Number:
  US07/158,617
• Time in Patent Office: 960 Days
• Field of Search: 198/339.1-341, 198/424-426, 198/428, 198/429, 198/431-433, 198/435, 198/437, 198/444, 198/462.2, 198/463.3, 198/464.1-464.4, 198/468.8 , 198/471.1, 198/571, 198/572, 198/803.5, 198/448, 198/468.4, 414/72, 414/744 B, 414/737, 414/752, 901/40, 294/64.1, 294/907, 53/55-58, 53/493-500
• US Class Current: 198/433
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 57/08 and operating to stop, or to control the speed of, the machine as a whole

Abstract

A mechanism for transferring a pair of side-by-side cartons from one processing station to another, and accompanying device(s) for detecting any jam-up during the transfer, should one occur for any reason. One embodiment includes a photoelectric unit, a vacuum sensor, and a strobe signal for timing and detecting the presence of both signals to shut down the machine if either signal is abnormal. Another embodiment includes a second strobe signal for use as a back-up for the first strobe, or in lieu thereof, for timing and detecting the photoelectric signal only.

Claims

1. A transfer mechanism comprising vacuum actuated transfer means including means for utilizing vacuum for engaging and transferring at least one carton from one processing unit to an indexing conveyor, photoelectric means for detecting the presence of said at least one carton in said one processing unit, vacuum sensors operatively connected to said transfer means for detecting the increase in vacuum once the transfer means has engaged said at least one carton, and strobe means for producing a signal which occurs concurrently with the vacuum sensor'"'"'s detection of the increase in vacuum, and ends when the photoelectric means detects the absence of said at least one carton, and otherwise serving to note whether either of the cooperating photoelectric and vacuum sensing signals is detected and then lost or is not detected prior to the end of the strobe signal, to thereby stop the transfer mechanism should either occur;

and a control system including conventional logic circuitry adapted to receive inputs from said photoelectric means and said vacuum sensors, wherein said strobe means includes a shaft operatively connected to said indexing conveyor and adapted to rotate once for each index of the conveyor, a cam mounted on said shaft for rotation therewith, and a limit switch operatively connected to said cam for signalling said conventional logic circuitry so as to stop said transfer mechanism in the event either of said inputs is not detected.

2. The transfer mechanism described in claim 1, wherein the strobe signal serves to detect that the photoelectric signals have shown that said at least one carton has moved therepast from said processing unit to said indexing conveyor.

3. The transfer mechanism described in claim 1 adapted to two side-by-side cartons, and a second strobe signal, wherein said second strobe signal backs up the action of said first-mentioned strobe signal by detecting that the photoelectric signals have shown that at least one carton has been removed from said one processing unit and deposited in said indexing conveyor.