Packaging apparatus and methods

• US 7,134,258 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2002
• Issued: 11/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RA Jones & Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: RA Jones & Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Jacobs, Keith G., Kalany, Robert M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gerrity, Stephen F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DURAND, PAUL R
• Application Number:
  US10/309,854
• Publication Number:
  US 20030136086A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,441 Days
• Field of Search: 532/52, 535/66, 534/73, 534/58, 198/419.2, 198/419.3, 198/460.1, 700/95, 700/99, 700/102, 700/112, 700/228, 700/229, 700/230, 310/12
• US Class Current: 53/473
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 35/24 by endless belts or chains B65B35/205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 65/02 Driving gear
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/52 Devices for transferring articles or materials between conveyors i.e. discharging or feeding devices loading or unloading by means not incorporated in, or not operatively associated with, conveyors B65G65/00; transfer of workpieces during metal rolling B21B41/00
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 54/02 electrostatic, electric, or magnetic

Abstract

A packaging system includes a transport defined by a linear motor driving independent elements in a path to carry out a packaging function. The elements are driven independently of other elements in the path and are driven by the linear motor in a section of the path under the influence of an external axis signal from an operably adjoining packaging function to register and synchronize the elements in position and time with a moving component or event of the adjoining function in a downstream direction. Method and apparatus are disclosed.

Claims

1. In a packaging process having two conveying systems therein for respectively conveying articles and cartons, the steps of:

driving one of said systems with a common drive comprising at least one linear motor wherein articles or cartons thereon are driven independently of each other,

synchronizing the articles or cartons driven by said linear motor with the position and velocity of other articles or cartons in the other systems under the influence of a signal representing an external axis of said other system, and

transferring articles in respective cartons synchronized therewith.

2. In a process for handling items and packages to be combined, the steps of:

driving at least one of said items or packages by a common drive, in one path independently of other items or packages in said one path driven by said common drive, and adjacent other items or packages respectively in an adjacent other path,

while controlling movement of selected items or packages driven by said common drive in a portion of said one path under the influence of an external axis and moving other items or packages driven by said common drive in said one path independently of said external axis, wherein

said common drive comprises at least one linear motor, and

combining respective items with respective packages conveyed adjacent said one path.

3. In a process, for handling items and packages to be combined, the steps of moving, with a common drive comprising at least one linear motor, one of said items and packages in a respective path independently of other items or packages in said respective path driven by said common drive and, in a section of said respective path, registering movement of said one of said items or packages to an external axis while continuing independent movement of other said items or packages in said respective path independently of said external axis, and combining respective items with respective packages with the other of said items or packages moving in a path adjacent to said respective path.

4. In a packaging process wherein items moving in one path are to be combined with packages moving in another path, the steps of moving one of said items and packages in its respective one path independently of others in the same one path and asynchronously with respect to the other of said item and packages in said another path, and synchronizing one of said items and packages in a section of its respective one path with movement of the other of said items and packages in its respective another path for combining them, and responsive thereto while continuing to move other unsynchronized items or packages in said one path of said synchronized items or packages but outside of said section in asynchronous movement, wherein said moving step is carried out by a common drive comprising at least one linear motor.

5. In a packaging process for placing items into packages, the method steps comprising:

moving said items and packages in separate, respective first and second paths, at least one of said items and packages moving in its respective path independently of other items or packages in the same path;

said moving step of items and packages being carried out by a common drive comprising at least one linear motor cooperatively associated with each path,

operably registering one of said items and packages with the other of said items or packages in a section of a respective path thereof by synchronizing movement of said one of said items and packages in a section of its respective path with the other of said items and packages in its respective path, while moving other of said items and packages in the same path as the synchronized item or package asynchronously in the same path but outside said section so that one of said synchronously moved items and packages can be combined with the other in said section.

6. In a packaging method of transferring at least one item in a bucket to a package wherein a plurality of buckets are moved in a first path and a plurality of packages are moved in a second path, and wherein at least one of said buckets in said first path and said one of said packages in said second path are moved in their respective path independently of each other and asynchronously with respect to one of said buckets and packages in another path by a respective common drive comprising at least one linear motor, the steps including:

registering a bucket in a section of said first path with a package in a section of said second path by synchronizing movement of one of said buckets in said first path section and said one of said packages in said second path section with the other, while one of the other respective buckets and packages in the same respective paths as the synchronized buckets and packages are moved asynchronously with respect thereto,

moving at least one of said buckets or said packages with at least one linear motor; and

transferring an item from a bucket in one section to a package in another section.

7. A packaging method as in claim 6 wherein buckets on said section of said first path are synchronized with packages in said section of said second path and other buckets in said first path outside of said sections of said first path sections move asynchronously with respect to said packages in said section of said second path.

8. A packaging method as in claim 6 wherein packages in said section of said second path are synchronized with buckets in said sections of said first path and other packages in said second path outside of said section of said second path move asynchronously with respect to said buckets in said section of said first path.

9. In a packaging method for packaging items into packages, the steps including:

moving packages along a first path independently of other packages in said first path;

moving items for packaging in another second path;

one of said moving steps carried out by a common drive for driving said packages in said first path or said items in said second path independently of other packages or items in a respective path, and said drive comprising at least one linear motor; and

said packages moving step including moving said packages in said first path asynchronously with respect to said items in said second path and including the further step of registering respective packages in a section of said first path with items in a section of said second path by synchronizing movement of packages in said first path section with said items operatively disposed in said section of said second path adjacent said first path section while other packages in said first path outside said section of said first path are moved asynchronously; and

transferring items into packages from and into said respective sections.

10. In a method for transporting items to be packaged, the method of placing items into item carrying buckets, said method including the steps of:

moving items in a first path,

moving buckets in a second path independently of other buckets in said second path and asynchronously with respect to said items, said second path having a receiving section wherein buckets in said section of said second path each may receive at least one item, and said method further including;

registering a bucket in said section of said second path with an item to be received in said bucket by synchronizing said bucket with said item in a section of said first path and transferring said at least one item into said bucket registered therewith, and

at the same time moving buckets in said second path outside said section of said second path asynchronously with respect to buckets in said section of said second path,

wherein at least one of said moving steps is carried out by a common drive comprising at least one linear motor.

11. A method of transferring articles from an article supply into cartons, said method including the steps of:

moving article receiving cartons through a first path, including driving each carton in said path with at least one linear motor and comprising a common drive and independently of the other cartons in said path;

said drive being controlled under the influence of an external axis, represented by position and movement of articles ready for transfer,

presenting articles for transfer in a position adjacent said path in a predetermined sequence and

introducing said articles into respective cartons in said path, by drivinq cartons in a section of said path at said position responsive to said external axis.

12. A method as in claim 11 including the further step of introducing articles into respective cartons moving at a velocity less than that of other cartons in said path.

13. A method as in claim 11 including the step of introducing articles into cartons stopped in said path while other cartons in said path are moving.

14. A method as in claim 11 including introducing groups of articles into article group carriers, movable in a second path, and from there, then into cartons in said first path.

15. A method as in claim 11 including the step of indexing any motion of a selected carton in said path with a selected article group carrier for transfer of an article group into said selected carton.

16. A method as in claim 11 including carrying out said transfer of an article group into a carton when said carton is at least moving more slowly than other cartons in said first path.

17. A method as in claim 11 wherein said articles to be transferred are in groups carried in group carriers moving in a second path and including carrying out said transfer of an article group into a carton where the article carrier from which said group is transferred is at least moving more slowly than other article group carriers in said second path.

18. A method as in claim 11 including further steps of stopping cartons upstream in said path while moving cartons downstream in said path.

19. A method as in claim 18 including moving, closing and sealing cartons in said path downstream of cartons stopped in said path.

20. A method of transferring groups of articles from article buckets into article cartons, including the steps of:

moving article cartons in a first path, including driving each carton independently of the other cartons in said path;

moving article buckets in a second path, including driving each bucket independently of other buckets in said second path; and

transferring articles from an article bucket into an article carton at a time when said bucket and cartons are operably synchronized with respect to each other,

wherein at least one of said moving steps is carried out by a common drive comprising at least one linear motor.

21. A method as in claim 20 including the further steps of transferring articles from more than one carrier into a single carton operably synchronized with more than one carrier.

22. A method as in claim 21 including the further step of transferring groups of articles from more than one carrier into a single carton operably synchronized with more than one carrier.

23. A method as in claim 20 including transferring articles from one carrier into at least two cartons operably synchronized with said one carrier.

24. A method as in claim 23 including transferring groups of articles from one carrier into at least two cartons operably synchronized with said one carrier.

25. A method for transporting cartons where each carton is disposed in a path defined at least between a trailing lug at a rear edge of the carton and a leading lug proximate a leading edge of the carton, and where each leading lug is driven as a unit with a trailing lug for a preceding carton, the method comprising:

operating at least one linear motor of a common lug drive to move each of said lug units in said path independently of other units in said path;

forming selected units next to each other in said path in a selected pitch, and

varying said pitch between said selected units as said sets move in said path, independently of the pitch between other sets in said path and in response to an external axis.

26. A method as in claim 25 including the further step of varying the speed of one unit in the path from that of another unit in said path.

27. In a method of cartoning wherein articles are deposited into article buckets, moved through one path and said articles are transferred from said buckets into respective cartons moving in another path, the improvement comprising the step of:

driving said buckets in said path independently of other buckets in said one path with at least one linear motor of a common drive operating under the influence of an external axis

synchronizing buckets in a section of said one path with cartons in said other path and independent of other buckets in said one path outside said section; and

transferring articles from buckets in said section into respective cartons adjacent said section.

28. In a method of cartoning wherein articles are transferred from an article feed into cartons moved along by carton engaging lugs moving in a path, the step of:

driving all of said lugs in said path independently of all other lugs in said path with one linear motor comprising a common drive for said lugs and operating under the influence of an external axis, wherein two of said lugs form a carton receiving pocket and said two of said lugs are driven independently of all other lugs in said path.

29. A method as in claim 28 wherein one lug for engaging one carton is operably attached to a second lug for driving another carton, said one and second tugs defining a set of tugs, and wherein said driving steps include driving said set of tugs independently of other sets of tugs in said path.

30. In a method of cartoning wherein articles to be cartoned are carried in one of a synchronous or asynchronous motion and wherein cartons for receiving said articles are driven in another one of said synchronous or asynchronous motions, and wherein articles are combined with cartons, the improvement comprising the step of:

generating said motions with at least one linear motor comprising a common drive for all said articles or cartons respectively and operating under the influence of an external axis represented by the other of said motions.

31. A method of cartoning as in claim 30 wherein said motions are carried out through respective paths, each article and carton motion being independent of each other article and carton motion in each of said respective paths.

32. In a method of cartoning where articles are fed through an article infeed into cartons, said article infeed being driven in response to upstream events in said article infeed and wherein cartons are driven synchronously to receive articles at a loading area from said article infeed in response to events occurring downstream of said loading area, said method further including the step of driving one of said articles and said cartons in a respective path with at least one linear motor, wherein one of said articles or said cartons in said respective paths are each independently driven with respect to other of said articles or cartons in said path.

33. In a method of cartoning wherein articles are carried in buckets driven in a portion of a first path at one pitch and cartons are driven in a second path at said pitch to receive articles, the steps of changing said pitch by driving said buckets and said cartons in said respective paths each independently of other buckets or other cartons in said respective paths and driving at least one of the buckets and cartons with at least one linear motor operating under the influence of an external axis representative of pitch, and defining a common drive for said buckets or said cartons, respectively.

34. In a method of cartoning in a cartoner having article receiving components moving in a path at a pitch and the method comprising changing said pitch in a section of said path by driving each of said components in said path with a common drive independently of other components in said path wherein said common drive comprises at least one linear motor operating under the influence of an external axis representative of pitch, and

dispensing articles from a conveyor moving parallel to said section into said receiving components in said section of said path and at a timed sequence determinative of pitch of said article receiving components in said section independent of the pitch of the other article receiving components in said path spaced from said station.

35. In a method of cartoning wherein article receiving buckets are driven through a oath by a common drive comprising at least one linear motor, the steps of driving buckets in said path, each independently of other buckets in said path, with said linear motor operating under the influence of an external axis,

driving some of said buckets at one speed in said oath and independently driving other buckets in said path at a different speed, and wherein said path includes an operative run having an receiving article portion, an article discharging portion, and a bucket return run.

36. A method as in claim 35 including driving said buckets at said different speeds in said receiving and discharge portions of said operative run.

37. A method as in claim 36 including driving said buckets at a speed in said return run independently of the speeds of buckets in said operative run.

38. In a cartoner having a product infeed and a plurality of independently driven buckets for delivering articles to be cartoned from a product infeed station to an insertion station for insertion into respective cartons, the method comprising the step of driving driven buckets proximate said insertion station with a common drive comprising at least one linear motor in synchronization with said cartoner and driving driven buckets proximate said product infeed stations with a common drive comprising at least one linear motor in response to random events occurring in said product infeed, and independently of the motion of buckets proximate said insertion station.

39. In a packaging method for combining articles with cartons, the steps of:

driving a plurality of article receiving buckets with a common drive comprising at least one linear motor, each bucket being driven in a first path independently of other buckets in the path,

driving a plurality of cartons in a second path having a section operably disposed proximate said first path, synchronizing buckets in a section of said first path in position and velocity with cartons in said second path section by operating said linear motor in said first path section under the influence of an external axis signal representing a parameter of a carton on said second path section, and

transferring articles in said buckets with cartons respectively synchronized with said buckets.

40. In a packaging method wherein a plurality of packaging machine elements are driven by a common drive, operating in a common drive path and comprising at least one linear motor, in a single element path independently of other elements in said path, the step of driving said elements in a portion of said path by at least one linear motor operating under the influence of an external axis, and generating a signal from an external axis represented by a function of a packaging machine other than the driving function of said at least one linear motor.