Method and apparatus for removing holes from nested product patterns

• US 7,073,656 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2004
• Issued: 07/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Douglas Machine Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Douglas Machine Incorporated
• Inventors: Gust, Ronald Matthew, Wagner, Paul Howard, Stroeing, Glenn Lambert, Anderson, David Leon
• Primary Examiner(s): Bidwell, James R.
• Application Number:
  US10/970,257
• Publication Number:
  US 20060086591A1
• Time in Patent Office: 628 Days
• Field of Search: 198/452, 198/453, 198/454, 198/443, 198/436, 198/448
• US Class Current: 198/453
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2201/0244 Bottles
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/088 cylindrical articles

Abstract

Holes are removed from nested product patterns by conveying products on a conveyance mechanism (12) through an infeed section (14) in nested pattern streams (a1, a2, b1, b2), into a narrowing section (24) of a width less than one and one half the product diameter. After the narrowing section (24), the product streams (a11, a21, b11, b21) enter into an expansion section (44) where products move into a side-by-side product stream (a12, a22, b12, b22). Thereafter, nested product streams (a13, a23, b13, b23) are formed, which can be combined to form nested product streams (A, B) which can be further processed as desired.

Claims

1. Method for removing holes from patterns of nested product comprising:

conveying at least a first stream of a plurality of individual generally cylindrical shaped products in a first nested pattern having three columns and a multiplicity of rows extending parallel to a conveyance direction, with the columns being perpendicular to the conveyance direction, with the generally cylindrical shaped products having a maximum diameter parallel to the conveyance direction, with the first nested pattern potentially having holes in the first nested pattern;

guiding the first stream from the first nested pattern into a narrowing section having a narrowed width perpendicular to the conveyance direction less than one and a half times the maximum diameter;

guiding the first stream from the narrowing section into an expanded section having an expanded width perpendicular to the conveyance direction greater than two times the maximum diameter; and

guiding the first stream from the expanded section into a final nested pattern having two columns, with the final nested pattern being free of holes.

2. The method of claim 1 with guiding into the narrowing section comprising conveying the first stream between a center guide and a first guide, with at least one of the center guide and the first guide being a butterfly guide including first and second wings having upstream and downstream ends, with the downstream ends being movable relative to each other perpendicular to the conveyance direction.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

conveying a second stream of a plurality of individual generally cylindrical shaped products having a multiplicity of rows extending parallel to the conveyance direction and parallel to the first stream of the plurality of individual generally cylindrical shaped products.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

combining the second stream of the plurality of individual generally cylindrical shaped products with the first stream of the plurality of individual generally cylindrical shaped products in the final nested pattern into a further nested pattern with the final nested pattern.

5. The method of claim 4 with the second stream being in a second nested pattern having three columns, with the method further comprising:

guiding the second stream from the second nested pattern into a narrowing section having a narrowed width perpendicular to the conveyance direction less than one and a half times the maximum diameter;

guiding the second stream from the narrowing section into an expanded section having an expanded width perpendicular to the conveyance direction greater than two times the maximum diameter; and

guiding the second stream from the expanded section into a second final nested pattern having two columns, with the final nested pattern being free of holes.

6. The method of claim 4 with combining the second stream comprising combining the second stream of the plurality of individual generally cylindrical shaped products in a single column with the first stream of the plurality of individual cylindrical shaped products.

7. The method of claim 3 with the second stream being in a second nested pattern having three columns, with the method further comprising:

guiding the second stream from the second nested pattern into a narrowing section having a narrowed width perpendicular to the conveyance direction less than one and a half times the maximum diameter;

guiding the second stream from the narrowing section into an expanded section having an expanded width perpendicular to the conveyance direction greater than two times the maximum diameter; and

guiding the second stream from the expanded section into a second final nested pattern having two columns, with the final nested pattern being free of holes, with the second stream being on an opposite side of the center guide than the first stream.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

conveying a second stream of a plurality of individual generally cylindrical shaped products having a multiplicity of rows extending parallel to the conveyance direction and parallel to the first stream of the plurality of individual generally cylindrical shaped products.

9. The method of claim 8 with the second stream being in a second nested pattern having three columns, with the method further comprising:

guiding the second stream from the second nested pattern into a narrowing section having a narrowed width perpendicular to the conveyance direction less than one and a half times the maximum diameter;

guiding the second stream from the narrowing section into an expanded section having an expanded width perpendicular to the conveyance direction greater than two times the maximum diameter; and

guiding the second stream from the expanded section into a second final nested pattern having two columns, with the final nested pattern being free of holes.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

combining the second stream of the plurality of individual generally cylindrical shaped products with the first stream of the plurality of individual generally cylindrical shaped products in the final nested pattern into a further nested pattern with the final nested pattern.

11. Apparatus for removing holes from patterns of individual, nested products, with the products being generally cylindrical shaped having a maximum diameter, comprising, in combination:

a conveyance mechanism conveying a plurality of product in a conveyance direction, with the maximum diameter being parallel to the conveyance direction;

an infeed section guiding a first stream of products in a first nested pattern having three columns and a multiplicity of rows extending parallel to the conveyance direction, with the columns being perpendicular to the conveyance direction, with the first nested pattern potentially having holes in the first nested pattern;

a narrowing section downstream of the infeed section, with the narrowing section having a narrowed width perpendicular to the conveyance direction less than one and a half times the maximum diameter, with the narrowing section guiding the first stream downstream of the infeed section;

an expanded section downstream of the narrowing section, with the expanded section having an expanded width perpendicular to the conveyance direction greater than two times the maximum diameter; and

a nesting section downstream of the expanded section, with the nesting section guiding the first stream from the expanded section into a final nested pattern having two columns, with the final nested pattern being free of holes.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 with the narrowing section including at least a first butterfly guide including first and second wings having upstream and downstream ends, with the downstream ends being movable relative to each other perpendicular to the conveyance direction.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 with the infeed section guiding a second stream of products having a multiplicity of rows extending parallel to the conveyance direction and parallel to the first stream products.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising, in combination:

a combining section downstream of the nesting section, with the combining section guiding the second stream of products into a further nested pattern with the final nested pattern of the first stream of products.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 with the infeed section separately guiding the second stream of products in a second nested pattern having three columns, with the narrowing section separately guiding the second stream from the infeed section to the expanded section, with the nesting section separately guiding the second stream from the expanded section into a final nested pattern having two columns, with the final nested pattern of the second stream being free of holes.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 with the combining section guiding the second stream of products in a single column.

17. The apparatus of claim 13 with the infeed section separately guiding the second stream of products in a second nested pattern having three columns, with the narrowing section separately guiding the second stream from the infeed section to the expanded section, with the nesting section separately guiding the second stream from the expanded section into a final nested pattern having two columns, with the final nested pattern of the second stream being free of holes.

18. The apparatus of claim 11 with the infeed section guiding a second stream of products having a multiplicity of rows extending parallel to the conveyance direction and parallel to the first stream products.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 with the infeed section separately guiding the second stream of products in a second nested pattern having three columns, with the narrowing section separately guiding the second stream from the infeed section to the expanded section, with the nesting section separately guiding the second stream from the expanded section into a final nested pattern having two columns, with the final nested pattern of the second stream being free of holes.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 further comprising, in combination:

a combining section downstream of the nesting section, with the combining section guiding the second stream of products into a further nested pattern with the final nested pattern of the first stream of products.