Intermittent container discharge device in continuous-filling packaging system

• US 6,419,076 B1
• Filed: 03/13/2000
• Issued: 07/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyo Jidoki Company Limited (Nabtesco Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TOYA Jidoki Company Limited
• Inventors: Tsutsui, Shoji
• Primary Examiner(s): Gordon, Stephen T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LYJAK, LORI LYNN
• Application Number:
  US09/523,855
• Time in Patent Office: 855 Days
• Field of Search: 198/418.5, 198/465.2, 198/862.11, 198/803.14, 534/59, 535/64, 535/70, 141/166, 141/179, 141/237, 141/316
• US Class Current: 198/465.2
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 43/52 using roller-ways or endless conveyors
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 61/28 for discharging completed packages from machines
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 23/30 Variable-speed gearing
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/5104 for articles

Abstract

A discharge device which, in a retainer type continuous-filling packaging system, extracts full bags (bags filled with contents) from retainers that are continuously fed at a constant speed and discharges these full bags after converting the movement of the bags into an intermittent movement of a plurality of rows. The discharge device includes a full-bag holding member conveying device and a product-conveying conveyor. In the full-bag holding member conveying device, numerous full-bag holding members that have therein the full bags and are disposed at equal intervals are moved in one direction along a ring-form track (or race-track path) which has a pair of parallel sections, and during this movement, the full-bag holding members are moved continuously at a constant speed on a bag entry side of the parallel sections and are moved intermittently a specified distance (which is a distance equal to an integral multiple of an attachment spacing of said full-bag holding members) on a bag exit side of the parallel sections. The product-conveying conveyor receives the full bags in a plurality of rows discharged from the full-bag holding members and conveys these bags “as is” in a plurality of rows. On the bag entry side, the discharge device continuously receives the full bags from the retainers that are continuously conveyed at a constant speed; and on the bag exit side, the discharge device discharges the full bags in a plurality of rows from the full-bag holding members that are stopped

Claims

1. An intermittent container discharge device which is, in a continuous-filling packaging system, for converting a movement of full containers continuously fed in a single row into an intermittent movement of a plurality of rows, wherein said device is provided with:

a container holding member conveying device in which container holding members disposed at equal intervals are moved in one direction along a ring-form track which has a pair of parallel sections, so that said container holding members are moved continuously at a constant speed on a first side of said parallel sections and moved intermittently a certain distance, which is an integral multiple of an attachment spacing of said container holding members, on a second side of said parallel sections, and

said intermittent container discharge device continuously receives full containers by means of said continuously moving container holding members on said first side of said parallel sections and discharges full containers in a plurality of rows from said container holding members, which are stopped, on said second side of said parallel sections.

2. The intermittent container discharge device according to claim 1, wherein,

said continuous-filling packaging system is a retainer type system; and wherein

a retainer conveying device that continuously conveys a plurality of retainers, which accommodate full containers therein, at the same intervals as intervals of said container holding members and at a same speed as a movement speed of said container holding members along said first side of said parallel sections is provided, and

said full containers accommodated in said retainers are received by said container holding members.

3. The intermittent container discharge device according to claim 2, wherein said container holding members are raised and lowered while being moved along said ring-form track, so that said container holding members are lowered on said first side of said parallel sections so as to grip said full containers accommodated in said retainers and are raised so as to extract said full containers from said retainers.

4. The intermittent container discharge device according to claim 1, wherein a loop type transfer device in which a plurality of transfer means disposed at equal intervals are moved continuously at a constant speed along a fixed-position ring-form track that has a pair of parallel sections is installed on a first side of said parallel sections, and said loop type transfer device continuously receives full containers by said transfer means, which is continuously moving, on said first side of said parallel sections of said fixed-position ring-form track and continuously supplies said full containers to said container holding members, which is continuously moving, on a second side of said parallel section.

5. The intermittent container discharge device according to claim 4, wherein

said continuous-filling packaging system is a retainer type system;

and wherein

a retainer conveying device that conveys a plurality of retainers, which accommodate full containers therein, at the same intervals as intervals of said transfer means and at a same speed as a movement speed of said transfer means along said first side of said parallel sections of said fixed-position ring-form track of said loop type transfer device, and

said full containers accommodated in said retainers which are moving continuously are received by said transfer means.

6. The intermittent container discharge device according to claim 5, wherein said transfer means are raised and lowered while being moved along said fixed-position ring-form track, so that on said first side of said parallel sections said transfer means are lowered to grip said full containers accommodated in said retainers and are raised to extract said full containers from said retainers.

7. The intermittent container discharge device according to claim 1, wherein a rotary type transfer device which has a plurality of transfer means disposed at equal intervals is installed on said first side of said parallel sections, and said rotary type transfer device continuously receives said full containers from a device used in a preceding process, by said transfer means, which is rotating continuously, and then continuously supplies said full containers to said container holding members.

8. The intermittent container discharge device according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7, wherein a product-conveying device which receives said full containers discharged in a plurality of rows from said container holding members and conveys said full containers in said plurality of rows is installed on said second side of said parallel section of said ring-form track.

9. The intermittent container discharge device according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7, wherein said container holding member conveying device is equipped with:

a rotational conveying mechanism which causes a rotational conveyance of said plurality of container holding members disposed at equal intervals in one direction along said ring-form track which has said pair of parallel sections, and

a reciprocating driving mechanism which causes said rotational conveying mechanism as a whole to perform a reciprocating movement for a specified distance along said parallel sections; and

wherein

said rotational conveying mechanism and reciprocating driving mechanism are respectively provided with their own driving sources, and said container holding members have a movement speed obtained by synthesizing said rotational conveyance and said reciprocating movement.

10. The intermittent container discharge device according to claim 8, wherein said container holding member conveying device is equipped with:

a rotational conveying mechanism which causes a rotational conveyance of said plurality of container holding members disposed at equal intervals in one direction along said ring-form track which has said pair of parallel sections, and

a reciprocating driving mechanism which causes said rotational conveying mechanism as a whole to perform a reciprocating movement for a specified distance along said parallel sections; and

wherein

said rotational conveying mechanism and reciprocating driving mechanism are respectively provided with own driving sources, and said container holding members have a movement speed obtained by synthesizing said rotational conveyance and said reciprocating movement.