Laner for descrambling and arranging articles in single files with reduced jamming

• US 5,937,995 A
• Filed: 11/15/1996
• Issued: 08/17/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hartness International Inc. (Illinois Tool Works Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hartness International Inc. (Illinois Tool Works Inc.)
• Inventors: Davidson, Mark W., Hartness, Thomas Patterson
• Primary Examiner(s): Valenza, Joseph E.
• Application Number:
  US08/749,911
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• Field of Search: 198/445, 198/446, 198/453
• US Class Current: 198/445
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2047/685 Devices for preventing jamming in converging flows
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2047/686 Lane boundaries which reciprocate or oscillate, e.g. vibrating boundaries
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/682 from a single conveyor lane consisting of one conveyor or several adjacent conveyors

Abstract

A laner is disclosed for a case packing machine which divides scrambled articles into single files with reduced jamming, malfunctioning, and breakage. The laner includes lane dividers which are spaced to provide a plurality of lanes having parallel sections with entry openings wide enough to receive at least 3 articles in a side-by-side arrangement. The lanes terminate in single file lanes having a spacing generally equal to the width of one article. A tapered transition section extends between the parallel sections and the single file sections for feeding the articles into the single file lanes. A racking device is included in each lane upstream from the single file sections which projects laterally into the lane to impart a wedging and racking force and action to the articles that assist in their single file arrangement in the single file sections of the lanes. In addition, article conveyors are utilized in which a first conveyor feeds the articles to the entry opening of the parallel sections of the lanes and terminates at a dead space downstream of the entry openings. A second conveyor picks up the articles on the other side of the dead space. The first conveyor may be operated at a slower conveyance speed than the second conveyor to provide a conveyance speed differential that assists in alleviating any jamming that might occur at the entry openings by assisting in an inward collapsing of the articles. This, together with the anti-jamming effect produced by the racking devices, provides for a reliable continuous flow of bottles from the scrambled mass to single files for processing at a slug metering or pick up station.

Claims

1. Apparatus for descrambling a mass of articles and arranging said articles in single, parallel files on a case packing machine comprising;

a plurality of lane dividers forming a plurality of article lanes arranged in a side-by-side manner;

said article lanes including stationary parallel descrambling sections aligned in a direction of flow of said mass of articles for directly receiving said mass of articles, said parallel lane dividers forming said descrambling sections having a first predetermined width, tapered sections for receiving said articles from said descrambling sections which taper in the direction of conveyance of said articles including transition sections through which said articles pass for processing into parallel single files, and parallel single-file sections receiving said articles from said transition sections having a second predetermined width which corresponds generally to a lateral dimension of said articles so that said articles are arranged generally in single files in said single-file sections;

a plurality of racking devices carried in said transition section of said lanes upstream from said single file sections;

said racking devices projecting laterally into said transition sections of said lanes for engaging said articles as they are conveyed causing said articles to assume a generally racked configuration which reduces jamming as the articles are processed into said single files in said parallel single-file sections of said article lanes;

said racking devices comprising a wedging mechanism which tapers outwardly toward a center of said transition section to an apex portion and then tapers away from said apex portion, said apex portion and said opposing lane divide defining a throat forming a constriction in said transition section; and

an adjustable mount mounting said racking devices to said lane dividers of said article lanes at different positions along a length of said lane dividers, said mount including a mounting member carried by said racking devices at said apex portion, and cooperating mounting elements carried at intervals along said lane dividers engageable with said mounting member for attaching said racking devices at different positions along the length of said articles lanes.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said wedging mechanism includes an infeed kicker plate which tapers outwardly toward said center of said transition section, and an outfeed kicker plate which tapers inwardly away from the center of said transition section.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said kicker plates are flexible.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said infeed kicker plate and said outfeed kicker plate join at said apex portion which defines said throat forming a constriction in said transition section.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said throat is defined between said apex portion and an opposing lane divider said lane so that said transition section is constricted in relation to the flow of said articles.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first predetermined width is approximately three (3) times said lateral dimension of said article.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first predetermined width is greater than approximately three (3) times said lateral dimension of said article plus a tolerance in the range of 1/8" to 1/4".

8. The apparatus of claim 1, including a first conveyor for feeding scrambled articles to an entry opening of said descrambling lanes, a second conveyor for conveying descrambled articles downstream of said entry opening, a dead space between said first and second conveyors located downstream of said entry opening, and said first conveyor having a conveyance speed less than that of said second conveyor so that a force of impact of said articles is reduced upon entry into said entry opening and inward collapse into said opening is provided to reduce jamming.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said throat has a dimension which is less than the dimension of two of said articles in a side-by-side arrangement.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first predetermined width is greater than at least 2.8 times said lateral dimension of said article.

9. Apparatus for descrambling a mass of articles and arranging said articles in single, parallel files on a case packing machine comprising;

a plurality of lane dividers forming a plurality of article lanes arranged in a side-by-side manner;

each said article lane beginning with a descrambling section formed by substantially parallel lane dividers having a first predetermined spacing which is generally greater than about three times a lateral dimension of said articles;

each said article lane terminating in a single-file section formed by substantially parallel lane dividers having a second predetermined spacing which corresponds generally to said lateral dimension of said articles so that said articles are arranged generally in a single file in said single-file section;

each said article lane including a tapered section extending between said descrambling section and said single-file section which include a transition section through which said articles pass for processing into parallel single files for feeding into said single-file sections;

a racking device carried in said transition section of each said lane upstream from said single-file section for engaging said articles as they are conveyed causing said articles to assume a generally racked configuration in which jamming is reduced as the articles are processed into said single files in said parallel single-file sections of said article lanes; and

said racking devices comprising a flexible infeed kicker plate which tapers outwardly toward a center of said transition section, a flexible outfeed kicker plate which tapers inwardly away from the center of said transition section, said infeed and outfeed kicker plates join at a generally rigid apex portion which defines a throat forming a constriction in said transition section defined between said apex portion and an opposing lane divider of said lane so that said transition section is constricted in relation to the flow of said articles, and a bridge mount extending generally between said apex portion and a lane divider on which said racking device is carried.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 including an adjustable mount for mounting said racking devices at longitudinally adjustable positions along the length of said transition sections of said article lanes.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said throat has a dimension which is less than the dimension of two of said articles in a side-by-side arrangement.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said first predetermined width is greater than three (3) times said lateral dimension of said article plus a tolerance in the range of 1/8" to 1/4".

13. The apparatus of claim 9 including a first conveyor for feeding scrambled articles to an entry opening of said descrambling lanes, a second conveyor for conveying descrambled articles downstream of said entry opening, a dead space between said first and second conveyors located downstream of said entry opening, and said first conveyor having a conveyance speed less than that of said second conveyor so that a force of impact of said articles is reduced upon entry into said entry opening and inward collapse into said opening is provided to reduce jamming.