Packaging machines

• US 4,514,964 A
• Filed: 09/19/1983
• Issued: 05/07/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: H.J. Langen & Sons Limited
• Original Assignee: H.J. Langen & Sons Limited
• Inventors: Langen, Marinus J. M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Culver, Horace M.
• Application Number:
  US06/533,070
• Time in Patent Office: 596 Days
• Field of Search: 53/531, 53/540, 53/543, 53/247, 53/252, 53/251, 198/422, 414/51, 414/53, 414/77
• US Class Current: 53/540
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 35/405 linked to endless conveyors
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 35/50 Stacking one article, or group of articles, upon another before packaging

Abstract

A packaging machine has a loading station in which load items are loaded into a container. A load transport conveyor extends through the loading station. A load supporting compartment is formed on the conveyor. The compartment has a discharge passage opening from the trailing end thereof and a guide at the trailing end for guiding a load item toward the discharge passage. A receiver is located in said loading station for receiving a load item discharged from the load supporting compartment. A stop is located in the loading station and extends into the path upstream of said receiver whereby the movement of a load item carried by the load supporting compartment along the path is arrested by contact with said stop means and continued movement of the load transporting conveyor causes the load item to engage the guide to be directed thereby through the discharge passage into the receiver.

Claims

1. In a packaging machine having a loading station in which load items are loaded into a container, the improvement of;

(a) a load transport conveyor having a forward run extending through said loading station in a first direction along a first path,

(b) a load supporting compartment formed on said conveyor, said compartment having a leading end and a trailing end,

(c) a discharge passage opening from the trailing end of said compartment,

(d) guide means at the trailing end of said compartment for guiding a load item toward said discharge passage,

(e) receiver means located in said loading station for receiving a load item discharged from said load supporting compartment,

(f) stop means located in said loading station and extending into said path upstream of said receiver means whereby the movement of a load item carried by said load supporting compartment along said path in said first direction is arrested by contact with said stop means and continued movement of the load transporting conveyor causes the load item to engage the guide means to be directed thereby through the discharge passage into the receiver means, and,

(g) means for discharging the load item from the receiver means.

2. A packaging machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of load supporting compartments are formed in the forward run of said conveyor at spaced intervals along the length thereof.

3. A packaging machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein said receiver means comprises a load accumulating receptacle which has a vertically elongated load stacking portion proportioned to accommodate a stack of load items.

4. A packaging machine as claimed in claim 3, wherein said load accumulator receptacle has a load storage portion extending laterally from the load stacking portion, said means for discharging the load being adapted to laterally displace at least one accumulated stack of load items from the load stacking portion into said load storage portion prior to discharge thereof.

5. A packaging machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein said storage portion is proportioned to accommodate a plurality of stacks of load items in a side-by-side relationship.

6. A packaging machine as claimed in claim 5, wherein said load accumulator receptacle has an open end through which an accumulated load may be laterally discharged.

7. A packaging machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein said receiver means comprises a plurality of load accumulator receptacles mounted on an accumulator conveyor for movement through said station, said stop means comprising a stop member mounted upstream of each load accumulator receptacle, said stop members being mounted for movement into and out of said path thereby to selectively permit the passage of a load item beyond its associated load accumulator receptacle and means for moving said stop means between said raised and lowered position as required in use.

8. A packaging machine as claimed in claim 7 further comprising drive means for continuously driving said load transporting conveyor and said load accumulator conveyor through said station, said drive means being adapted to drive said load transporting conveyor at a speed which is substantially greater than that of the load accumulator conveyor whereby the load supporting compartments overtake the load stacking portions of the load accumulator receptacles to discharge load items into the load stacking portions of the load accumulator receptacle associated with a step member disposed in a raised position.

9. A packaging machine as claimed in claim 8, wherein said discharge passage opens downwardly from each compartment and said load accumulator receptacles are located below said load transporting conveyor and extend transversely thereof during passage through said loading station.

10. A packaging machine as claimed in claim 9, wherein said load transporting conveyor includes an overhead conveyor belt extending through the loading station, said overhead conveying belt having a forward run overlying the load storage compartment in said loading station to prevent upward removal of load items therefrom.

11. A packaging machine as claimed in claim 9, wherein said guide means comprises a ramp which forms the trailing end of each compartment, said ramp being downwardly and rearwardly inclined toward its associated discharge passage.

12. In a packaging machine for loading end loading cartons having a carton transporting conveyor which has a plurality of carton supports adapted to transport open ended cartons through a carton loading station, the improvement of;

(a) a load transporting conveyor having a forward run extending through said loading station in a first direction along a first path,

(b) a plurality of load supporting compartments formed on said load transporting conveyor at spaced intervals along the length of the forward run, each compartment having a leading end and a trailing end,

(c) a discharge passage opening downwardly from each compartment at the trailing end thereof,

(d) a guide ramp at the trailing end of each compartment extending downwardly and rearwardly toward the discharge passage,

(e) a load accumulator conveyor mounted for movment through said loading station,

(f) a plurality of load accumulating receptacles mounted on said load accumulator conveyor for movement through said loading station, each of said receptacles having a load stacking portion underlying said path of said load supporting compartments and a load storage portion extending laterally from one side of said stacking portion, said storage portion having a discharge end opening toward the carton transporting conveyor, the discharge end of each receptacle being aligned with an end of a carton support when passing through said loading station,

(g) a stop member slidably mounted on each receptacle for movement between a raised position projecting into said path and a lowered position retracted from said path,

(h) stop actuator means operable to raise and lower said stop means as required in use to accumulate a stack of load items in said load stacking portion of its associated accumulating receptacle,

(i) load displacement means mounted on each receptacle for engaging and displacing load items with respect to said receptacle in a direction toward its discharge end,

(j) means for guiding the movement of the load displacement means as the receptacles are driven in said first direction to cause the load displacement means to reciprocate in at least one short stroke to laterally displace an accumulated stack of load items into the load storage portion and a long stroke to discharge an accumulated load from the load storage portion and the load stacking portion through the discharge end of the receptacle into an open end of a carton,

(k) drive means for continuously driving the load transporting conveyor, the load accumulating conveyor and carton transporting conveyor through said loading station, said drive means being adapted to drive the load transporting conveyor at a substantially greater speed than that of the load accumulating conveyor whereby a plurality of load supporting compartments will overtake each load accumulating receptacle as it is driven through said loading station with the stop associated therewith in the raised position thereby to cause load items to be accumulated in a stack in the underlying load stacking portion of the load accumulating receptacle.