Packaging apparatus and methods

• US 20030136086A1
• Filed: 12/04/2002
• Published: 07/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RA Jones & Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: RA Jones & Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Jacobs, Keith G., Kalany, Robert M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,134,258 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 53/443
• 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. Cartoning apparatus for transporting articles from an article supply into buckets movable in a first path and for transporting cartons filled with articles in a second path, said cartoner apparatus comprising:

a plurality of article receiving buckets mounted for motion in said first path;

an independent drive apparatus for driving each bucket in said first path;

respective buckets being movable by said independent drive apparatus in said first path, independently of other buckets in said first path.

2. Cartoner apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the pitch of one of said buckets relative to another is independent of the pitch of other buckets in said first path.

3. Cartoner apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said buckets are each electrically driven and are mechanically independent from each other.

4. Cartoner apparatus as in claim 1 wherein some of said buckets in said first path are driven continuously, while others of said buckets in said first path are driven intermittently.

5. Cartoner apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said drive apparatus is chainless.

6. Cartoner apparatus as in claim 1 wherein some of said buckets in said first path are driven together in groups.

7. Cartoner apparatus as in claim 1 further including a common drive for driving some of said buckets in said first path commonly together.

8. Cartoner apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said buckets are driven independently in said first path in response to randomly occurring events in said cartoner apparatus.

9. Cartoner apparatus as in claim 1 wherein buckets are independently positioned in said first path in response to randomly occurring events in said cartoner apparatus.

10. Cartoner apparatus as in claim 1 further including a plurality of sets of leading and trailing carton lugs,

independent drive apparatus for driving each set in a second path independently of other sets of lugs in said second path,

the relative pitch of any two of said sets in said second path being adjustable independently of the pitch of other sets of lugs on said second path.

11. Cartoner apparatus as in claim 1 wherein buckets are independently positioned in said first path in response to randomly occurring events in the article supply.

12. Carton blank transfer apparatus for transferring cartons through a first path, said apparatus comprising:

a plurality of sets of carton transport lugs, each set including a leading lug and a trailing lug;

each of said sets being disposed for movement in said first path;

each of said sets being independently movable with respect to any other set in said first path.

13. Carton blank transfer apparatus as in claim 12 wherein the distance between two of said sets in said first path is independently adjustable without adjustment of the distance between others of said sets in said first path.

14. Carton blank transfer apparatus as in claim 12 further including a drive apparatus for driving each set of lugs independently of movement of any other set of lugs in said first path.

15. Carton blank transfer apparatus as in claim 12 wherein one set of lugs in the path is movable while another set of lugs in said path is stopped.

16. Carton blank transfer apparatus as in claim 12 further including a common drive apparatus for engaging and driving a plurality of sets of lugs together through a portion of said path.

17. Carton blank transfer apparatus as in claim 12 wherein selected sets of lugs are idled in a portion of said path.

18. In a cartoner apparatus having a plurality of article receiving buckets therein for receiving groups of articles and transporting said groups for insertion into cartons, said buckets being mounted in said apparatus for movement in a first path, said apparatus further comprising:

drive apparatus for driving each bucket in said first path independently of the motion and position of any other bucket in said path, each bucket being movable at a velocity and along said path independently of the velocity and position of other buckets in said path.

19. In a cartoner apparatus comprising a supply of articles, a plurality of buckets for receiving groups of articles from said supply and for transporting said groups along a first path for inclusion in cartons and a carton conveyor for indexing cartons with said buckets for transfer of article groups from said buckets into respective cartons, said cartoner apparatus further including:

drive apparatus for moving each bucket throughout said path independently of other buckets in said path.

20. Cartoner apparatus as in claim 19 wherein the pitch of any two buckets is adjustable independently of the pitch of any other buckets.

21. Cartoner apparatus as in claim 19 wherein buckets in a portion of said first path are driven continuously while buckets in another portion of said path are driven intermittently.

22. Cartoner apparatus as in claim 19 wherein said carton conveyor comprises a plurality of sets of carton lugs, each set of carton lugs containing a leading lug and a trailing lug, and drive apparatus for moving each set of carton lugs through a portion of a second path in operative disposition with a portion of said first path and independently of other sets of carton lugs in said second path.

23. Cartoner apparatus as in claim 22 wherein buckets in a portion of said first path are driven intermittently and in another portion thereof are driven continuously, and said set of lugs in said portion of said second path in operative disposition with a portion of said first path driven with a motion identical to that of corresponding buckets in said portion of said first path.

24. Product handling apparatus comprising:

a product feed;

a plurality of product receptors for receiving product from said feed, each mounted for motion in a common path and each independently driven with respect to other receptors in said path; and

said receptors being movable in said path at the same time as other receptors are not moving or are slowed in said path.

25. Product handling apparatus as in claim 24 wherein said product feed is a net weigh scale.

26. Product handling apparatus as in claim 24 wherein said receptors each have a discharge, and wherein a portion of said path operably intersects with a downstream product handling apparatus for receiving product from said receptor discharge.

27. A cartoning apparatus comprising:

at least one conveyor having a plurality of first elements for receiving at least one of articles or cartons,

each element being movable along a first path defined by said conveyor,

each element being independently driven in said path relative to all other elements in said path.

28. A cartoning apparatus as in claim 27 further including a second conveyor defining a second path operatively juxtaposed relatively to said at least one conveyor, said second conveyor having a second plurality of second elements for receiving at least one of articles or cartons;

each of said second elements being movable along said second path;

each of said second elements being independently driven in said second path relative to all other elements in said second path, and

selected ones of said first elements being synchronized with selected ones of said second elements and independently of other elements in said first path.

29. Packaging apparatus comprising:

a linear motor;

elements operably driven along a path by said linear motor, independently of other elements in said path;

a packaging machine under the control of an external axis;

a synchronous section defined in said path wherein elements in said section are moved by said linear motor in response to a signal from said external axis and independently and separately from other elements in said path outside said synchronous section;

said elements in said synchronous section providing a packaging function.

30. In a process for combining items with packages, the steps of moving one of said items and packages in a path independently of other items or packages in said path, while controlling movement of selected items or packages in a portion of said path under the influence of an external axis and moving other items or packages in said path independently of said external axis.

31. In a packaging process, for combining items with packages, the steps of moving one of said items and packages in a respective path independently of other items or packages in said respective path and, in a section of said respective paths, registering movement of said items or packages to an external axis while continuing independent movement of other items or packages in said respective path independently of said external axis.

32. In a packaging process for combining items moving in one path with packages moving in another path, the steps of moving one of said items and packages in its respective path independently of others in the same path and asychronously with respect to the other of said item and packages in another path, and synchronizing one of said items and packages in a section of its respective path with movement of the other of said items and packages in its respective path, and responsive thereto while continuing to move other unsynchronized items or packages in said path of said synchronized items or packages but outside of said section in asynchronous movement.

33. 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,

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.

34. In a material handling process for conveying one article along a path with another article, the steps of:

moving one article in a path, defined by a stage of a linear motor, and independently of other articles in said path, while controlling selected articles in said path under the influence of an external axis without controlling other articles in said path through said external axis.

35. 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 one of at least buckets in said first path and 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, 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 one of said buckets in said first path section and said package in said second path section with the other, while one of the other respective buckets and packages in the same path as the synchronized buckets and packages are moved asynchronously with respect thereto.

36. A packaging method as in claim 35 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.

37. A packaging method as in claim 35 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.

38. In a packaging method for packaging items into packages, the setps including:

moving package components along a first path independently of other package components in said first path,

moving items for packaging in another second path,

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

39. In a packaging 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 with an item to be received in said bucket by synchronizing said bucket with said item in a section of said first path for receiving said at least one item, 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.

40. 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 independently of the other cartons in said path; and

introducing articles into respective cartons in said path.

41. A method as in claim 40 including the further step of introducing articles into respective cartons moving at a velocity less than that of other cartons in said path.

42. A method as in claim 40 including the step of introducing articles into cartons stopped in said path while other cartons in said path are moving.

43. A method as in claim 40 including introducing groups of articles into article group carriers, movable in a second path, and from there, then into cartons in said first path.

44. A method as in claim 40 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.

45. A method as in claim 40 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.

46. A method as in claim 40 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.

47. A method as in claim 40 including further steps of stopping cartons upstream in said path while moving cartons downstream in said path.

48. A method as in claim 47 including moving, closing and sealing cartons in said path downstream of cartons stopped in said path.

50. A method as in claim 44 including the further steps of transferring articles from more than one carrier into a single carton operably synchronized with more than one carrier.

51. A method as in claim 50 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.

49. 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 carriers in a second path, including driving each carrier independently of other carriers in said second path; and

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

52. A method as in claim 49 including transferring articles from one carrier into at least two cartons operably synchronized with said one carrier.

53. A method as in claim 52 including transferring groups of articles from one carrier into at least two cartons operably synchronized with said one carrier.

54. 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:

moving each of said lug units in said path independently of other units in said path;

forming between selected units next to each other in said path 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.

55. A method as in claim 54 including the further step of varying the speed of one set in the path from that of another set in said path.

56. A method of cartoning wherein articles are deposited into article buckets, moved through a path and said articles are transferred from said buckets into respective cartons, said method including the step of:

driving said buckets in said path with a linear motor.

57. A method as in claim 56 wherein said driving step includes driving each bucket independently of other buckets in said path.

58. A method of cartoning wherein articles are transferred from an article feed into cartoners provided along by carton engaging lugs moving in a path, said method comprising the steps of:

driving said lugs on said path with a linear motor.

59. A method as in claim 58 wherein said driving step includes driving at least one of the carton engaging lugs independently of other lugs in said path.

60. A method as in claim 58 wherein one lug for engaging one carton is operably attached to a second lug for driving another carton, said one and second lugs defining a set of lugs, and wherein said driving steps include driving said set of lugs independently of other sets of lugs in said path.

61. 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, said method comprising the step of:

generating said motions with at least one linear motor.

62. A method of cartoning as in claim 61 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.

63. A method of cartoning where articles are fed through an infeed into cartons, said infeed being driven in response to upstream events in said infeed and wherein cartons are driven synchronously to receive articles at a loading area from said infeed in response to events occurring downstream of said loading area, said method including the step of driving one of said articles and said cartons with a linear motor.

64. A method of cartoning wherein articles and cartons are driven in a cartoner in respective paths in one of a synchronous and an asynchronous motion, said method comprising the step of driving at least one of said articles or said cartons in its respective path independent of other articles or cartons in said respective paths.

65. A method as in claim 64 including the driving step of driving said articles or cartons with a linear motor.

66. 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 method comprising 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 path and changing said pitch by controlling the driving of buckets and cartons independently with respect to said other buckets and said other cartons.

67. A method of cartoning in a cartoner having article receiving component moving in a path at a pitch and the method comprising changing said pitch by driving each of said components in said path independently of other components in said path.

68. A method of cartoning wherein article receiving buckets are driven through a path, the method comprising driving buckets in said path, each independently of other buckets in said path.

69. A method as in claim 68 including the further step of driving said buckets independently with a linear motor.

70. A method as in claim 69 including driving some of said buckets at one speed in said path and independently driving other buckets in said path at a different speed.

71. A method as in claim 70 wherein said path includes an operative run having an receiving article portion and an article discharging portion, and a bucket return run.

72. A method as in claim 71 including driving said buckets at said different speeds in said receiving and discharge portions of said operative run.

73. A method as in claim 72 including driving said buckets at a speed in said return run independently of the speeds of buckets in said operative run.

74. A method of handling pouches having side seams wherein each seam is held in a clip traveling in a path, the method including the step of driving clips in said path independently of other clips in said path.

75. A method as in claim 74 including the further step of driving said clips independently with a linear motor.

76. 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, wherein driven buckets proximate said insertion station are driven in synchronization with said cartoner and wherein driven buckets proximate said product infeed stations are driven in response to random events occurring in said product infeed, and independently of the motion of buckets proximate said insertion station.

77. In a packaging method for combining articles with cartons, the method including the steps of

driving a plurality of article receiving buckets with a 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, and

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.

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

driving one of said systems with a 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 respecting an external axis of said other system

79. In a packaging apparatus for combining articles in cartons, a carton conveyor comprising a plurality of carton engaging lugs including a leading lug and a trailing lug each driven by a linear motor for conveying each carton, a carton erecting and conveying method including the steps of:

introducing a carton blank into an area trailing a leading carton lug, said area being defined between a leading lug and a trailing lug spaced therefrom a distance greater than the dimension of a carton therebetween,

driving said trailing lug independently of an at a velocity greater than that of the leading lug to close up the distance to the leading lug and thereby erecting said carton blank into an erected carton for receiving an article, said driving step being carried out by causing said linear motor to accelerate said trailing lug toward said leading lug.

80. A method as in claim 79 including the further step of driving said leading and trailing lugs in synchronization and conveying said erected cartons for filling.

81. A method as in claim 80 wherein a leading lug is connected with a trailing lug for a previous carton and wherein the step of accelerating a trailing lug to erect a carton includes accelerating its connected leading leg to precede the introduction of a following carton thereto.

82. A method as in claim 81 including the further step of driving a connected trailing and leading lug in a common reciprocating path but independently of other connected leading and trailing lugs at a different pitch than that between other connected lugs in the same path.

83. A method as in claim 79 including the further step of discharging filled cartons from between respective leading and trailing lugs and thereafter recirculating said lugs in a reciprocating path independently of other lugs in said path and at a pitch different than that from the pitch of other lugs in said path to pick up, erect and convey further cartons in the path.

84. In a packaging system having a plurality of independently moving elements for transporting items, including at least one of articles or packages of selected size and at selected pitch, the method of changing said system to handle items of different sizes or at different pitch, the method comprising the steps of:

moving said elements in a path, each independently of other elements in said path;

spacing said elements to convey items of one of a preselected size or at a preselected pitch; and

changing said system to convey items of at least one of a different size or at a different pitch by driving said elements independently of other elements at a different spacing from each other to accommodate at least one of said different size items or different pitch.

85. In a packaging system having a plurality of independently movign elements for engaging and moving an item of one size at a preselected pitch with reference to other items, the method of operating said system to engage and move different size items or to engage and move items at a different pitch, the method comprising the steps of:

driving said elements in a path independently of other elements in said path to engage and move items of a first size at a selected pitch; and

thereafter independently driving said elements in said path independently of other elements in said path to engage and move other items of a different size or at a different pitch.

86. In a packaging system, the method of changing the system to handle a variety of item sizes and item pitch, wherein items are conveyed by a common drive moving item engaging elements in a common path and independently of other elements in said path, the method including the steps of driving selected elements at one spacing with respect to each other to convey a first plurality of items at a selected pitch;

and

then driving said elements at a different spacing to convey a second plurality of different sized items at a different pitch.

87. The method of claim 86 including the step of driving said elements with a linear motor and driving said elements for said second plurality of items in response to a signal representing at least one of size and pitch of said second plurality of elements.