Metering drum for an automatic accumulation system
First Claim
1. A method for accumulating articles, said method comprising:
- a dispensing of said articles with a rotating, metering drum for movement to a first conveyor;
wherein said metering drum has an entry end and an exit end;
said metering drum is configured such that a rotation of said metering drum overcomes a static friction which inhibits a movement of said articles downstream through said metering drum;
a first stationary plate member has been positioned operatively adjacent the entry end of said metering drum; and
said first stationary plate member has been configured to partially block an entry end opening of said metering drum while allowing the metering drum to rotate past the first stationary plate.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus (20) for accumulating articles (28) can include a dispensing of the articles with a rotating, metering drum (40) for movement to a first conveyor (50). The metering drum (40) has an entry end (86) and an exit end (88), and in a particular aspect, the metering drum (40) can be configured such that a rotation of the metering drum overcomes a static friction which would inhibit a movement of the articles (28) downstream through the metering drum. In another aspect the metering drum (40) can include at least one lug member (90) which is positioned and attached inside the metering drum at the exit end (88) of the metering drum. In further aspects, a ramp member (43) can be configured to extend an operative distance into the volume of the metering drum, and can be spaced away from an inside wall surface of the metering drum by a selected offset distance.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for accumulating articles, said method comprising:
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a dispensing of said articles with a rotating, metering drum for movement to a first conveyor;
wherein said metering drum has an entry end and an exit end;
said metering drum is configured such that a rotation of said metering drum overcomes a static friction which inhibits a movement of said articles downstream through said metering drum;
a first stationary plate member has been positioned operatively adjacent the entry end of said metering drum; and
said first stationary plate member has been configured to partially block an entry end opening of said metering drum while allowing the metering drum to rotate past the first stationary plate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for accumulating articles, said method comprising:
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a dispensing of said articles with a rotating, metering drum for movement to a first conveyor;
wherein said metering drum has an entry end and an exit end;
said metering drum is tilted to move said articles down stream through said metering drum from said entry end to said exit end, and configured such that a rotation of said metering drum overcomes a static friction which inhibits a movement of said articles downstream through said metering drum;
said metering drum has been configured to include at least one lug member which is positioned and attached inside the metering drum at an exit end of the metering drum;
said at least one lug member is positioned substantially flush with the exit end of the metering drum; and
a radially-inward extending height of said at least one lug member is sized to be approximately equal to an article thickness dimension. - View Dependent Claims (9)
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10. A method for accumulating articles, said method comprising:
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a dispensing of said articles with a rotating, metering drum for movement to a first conveyor;
wherein said metering drum has an entry end and an exit end;
said metering drum is configured such that a rotation of said metering drum overcomes a static friction which inhibits a movement of said articles downstream through said metering drum; and
a ramp member has been spaced away from the inside, cylindrical wall surface of the metering drum by a selected offset distance that is approximately 1.5 times a thickness dimension of a metered article.
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11. An apparatus for accumulating articles, said apparatus comprising:
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a rotatable, metering drum which can dispense said articles for movement to a first conveyor;
wherein said metering drum has an entry end and an exit end;
said metering drum is configured such that a rotation of said metering drum overcomes a static friction which inhibits a movement of said articles downstream through said metering drum; and
a first stationary plate member has been positioned operatively adjacent the entry end of said metering drum; and
said first stationary plate member has been configured to partially block an entry end opening of said metering drum while allowing the metering drum to rotate past the first stationary plate. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An apparatus for accumulating articles, said apparatus comprising:
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a rotatable, metering drum which can dispense said articles for movement to a first conveyor;
wherein said metering drum has an entry end and an exit end;
said metering drum is tilted to move said articles down stream through said metering drum from said entry end to said exit end, and configured such that a rotation of said metering drum overcomes a static friction which inhibits a movement of said articles downstream through said metering drum;
said metering drum has been configured to include at least one lug member which is positioned and attached inside the metering drum at an exit end of the metering drum;
said at least one lug member is positioned substantially flush with the exit end of the metering drum; and
a radially-inward extending height of said at least one lug member is sized to be approximately equal to an article thickness dimension. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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20. An apparatus for accumulating articles, said apparatus comprising:
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a rotatable, metering drum which can dispense said articles for movement to a first conveyor;
wherein said motoring drum has an entry end and an exit end;
said metering drum is configured such that a rotation of said metering drum overcomes a static friction which inhibits a movement of said articles downstream through said metering drum; and
a ramp member has been spaced away from the inside, cylindrical wall surface of the metering drum by a selected offset distance that is approximately 1.5 times a thickness dimension of a metered article.
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Specification