AU656331B2

AU656331B2 - Product control apparatus

Info

Publication number: AU656331B2
Application number: AU85916/91A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Dennis Alfred Kirtland
Original assignee: WH Dunn and Son Ltd
Current assignee: WH Dunn and Son Ltd
Priority date: 1991-10-17
Filing date: 1991-10-17
Publication date: 1995-02-02
Anticipated expiration: 2011-10-17
Also published as: AU8591691A

Description

i

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act COMPLETE SPECIFICATION 6

(ORIGINAL)

Class Int. Class Application Number: Lodged: Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: Published: Priority Related Art: 0 of Applicant: Dunn Son Limited :Actual Inventor(s): S. Dennis Alfred Kirtland 49 *'**'Address for Service: PHILLIPS OBMONDE FITZPATRICK Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys 367 Collins Street Melbourne 3000 AUSTRALIA I 'Invention Title: t S'PRODUCT CONTROL APPARATUS Our Ref 232385 .t*.;POF Code: 1525/93409 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including 'the best method of performing it known to applicant(s): 6006

IA-

PRODUCT COKTROL APPARATUS This invention relates to product control apparatus and is particularly concerned with conveying of products in a production line system.

In a high speed production line system, it can be necessary at certain conveying sections to change the orientation of the products being conveyed, and Lhis can often result in having to slow down or even stop the production line. Also it can be necessary to divert respective products into different paths of movement.

Such operations have heretofore been carried out by separate systems, inevitably resulting in a relatively large overall machine which is disadvantageous, as optimum 15 use of floor space is highly desirable.

According to this invention there is provided product control apparatus including product support means movable along a path and adapted to receive products S thereon, whereby to convey the products along the path, S* 20 and product engagement means movable in a path parallel to the conveying path at at least one side thereof, the product engagement means being arranged forA engagement directly with the products during conveying thereof by the support means, whereby to change the orientation of the 25 products relative to the support means.

t /T 3' 7928e -4 K Alt y .DG ~q -2- The product engagement means may comprise a plurality of projections which are movable in paths parallel to the conveying path and adjacent to respective side thereof. The projections may extend in use to be engagable with the products from above, and nmay be provided on a pair of parallel, transversely spaced endless chains, each of which has one pass adjacent to a respective side of the conveying path, the drive means being adapted to move the innermost passes in opposite directions. One of the chains may be adapted to be driven at a greater linear speed than said other chain.

*h Preferably the apparatus includes means for automatically changing the position of the products during conveying movement along the path.

Means may be provided for feeding products onto the conveying path in synchronism with the positioning of said selected ones of the support members. The product feeding C C means may comprise a pair of parallel, transversely spaced endless chains with drive means therefor, and a plurality of flight bars extending between the chains a 'fiaced locations, whereby the flight bars are movable into the conveying path to move products through the feed unit.

i I 'L -3- Preferably an electronic control system is provided For driving the chains of the product feed unit and the product conveying means in a synchronised relation.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, the single figure of which is a schematic plan view of part of a product control apparatus according to the invention.

Referring to the drawing, a high speed production line S system includes an infeed section 10, a product conveying

'S

sections 12 specifically designed for changing the orientation of a pack 14 of products, and an optional dividing section 16.

Each pack 14 may be comprised of twelve products which are delivered to the infeed section 10 from a multipucker (not shown) in four parallel rows of three, the rows being parallel to the conveying path through the apparatus, i.e. with the longer side of the pack leading. The conveying section 12 is designed to move each pack 14 through 90° as shown.

I

The multipacker may deliver the packs 14 in pairs, so that the packs 14 have to be separated before turning in the section 12. An acceleration conveyor 18 therefore provides the conveying path in the infeed section 10 to move the packs 14 apart.

i: L I~ 4 0 00 0* 0 0 0.

0 0 0 0 0 a 0 0 6 *r *44 *Ds r At the inlet end of the infeed section 10 there is provided a pair of parallel, transversely spaced endless chains 22 driven by suitable drive sprockets 24, 26 respectively, the latter being driven from suitable drive arrangements 28, respectively on opposed sides of the apparatus. Each chain 22 is mounted above the conveying path for the packs 14 and has transversely spaced passes with respective pushers 32, 34 (only some shown in the drawings) spaced along the length of the chains and extending downwardly to engage behind the packs 14 as they are delivered from the multipacker and move the packs 14 on to the acceleration conveyor 18. At the outlet end of the infeed section 10, a further pair of parallel, transversely spaced endless chains 36, 38 are driven by respective sprockets 40, 42, the latter being driven from the drive arrangements 28, 30 respectively. Each chain 36, 38 is again mounted above the conveying path for the packs 14 and has transversely spaced passes with respective pushers 44, 46 (only some shown in the drawing) spaced along the length of the chains and extending downwardly to engage behind the packs 14 and move same into the conveying section 12.

To provide for turning of the packs 14 in the conveying section 12, there is provided a pair of parallel, transversely spaced endless chains 48, 50 driven by respective sprockets 52, 54, the latter being driven from the respective drive arrangements 28, f.

5 Each chain 48, 50 is mounted above the conveying path For the packs 14 and has transversely spaced passes with respective turning posts 56, 58 (only some shown in the drawing) equispaced along the length of the chains and extending downwardly therefrom for a purpose hereinafter described. The laterally innermost passes of the chains 48, 50 are adjacent respective sides of the conveying path. Each of the posts 56, 58 may be of circular configuration. The chain 48 has a shorter length than the chain 50, with the spacing of the posts 56 0q on the chain 48 being less than the spacing of the posts 106 on the chain 50. The linear speed of the chain 50 is greater than the linear speed of the acceleration conveyor 18, the latter being greater than the linear speed of the chain 48.

When a pack 14 of the products is delivered on to the conveying section, a respective one of the posts 58 in the laterally innermost pass of the chain 50 initially engages with a rear face of the pack 14 and moves with the latter t until the front face thereof is engaged by a respective one of t t the posts 56 on the laterally innermost pass of the chain 48.

It L Continued movement in opposite directions of the inner passes C of the chains 48, 50 effects rotation of the pack 14 until the latter is moved through 90° and, at the end of the product turning section, can continue through the dividing *ection 16.

In the latter the packs 14 carl be separated into different paths of movement for subsequent use as necessary. The packs may be divided, for example according to colour, size, etc., S- 6 and can be subsequently moved via transfer rollers (not shown) onto an outgoing conveyor.

The apparatus enables a turning action to re-position products being conveyed through 90° over a distance of less than one metre travel, and the turning can be carried out within a production line system at high speeds both positively and accurately.

ele° Control of the apparatus is effected by way of an electronic control system which ensures sychronised operation S. of the product feed unit with the turning section. Also to minimise intermittent operation, the control system can automatically adjust the speed of delivery of products to the feed unit on demand. The control system further includes a mimic display indicative of the status of the apparatus.

t The apparatus is preferably designed so that the turning operation can be rendered ineffective if required, for example Swhere the packs do not require turning.

SI t The apparatus is designed so that changes in operation are easily carried out, for example to eliminate turning of packs in the turning section and to handle different numbers of products. The apparatus can also be adjusted to separate into more than two lanes if required. It is further possible to adjust the outfeed centres of the paths or lanes into which ^j -7 the pacl]:' are separated.

In another possible arrangement, for example where marking of products is required, the packs may be turned through 900 as hereinbefore described for marking of the packs, before, on the same apparatus, being automatically turned back through 900 after marking. After the two-stage turning, the packs can be moved into a multi-lane arrangement, again as previously described.

o* In a modification, turning posts may only be required to engage packs from one side of the conveying path. This possibility may depend on the nature of the pack to be turned, and, in particular, has been found to operate satisfactorily when a pack of substantially square configuration is involved.

The integration of the turning and dividing operations in a single apparatus provides the advantages of full t utilisation of components and considerable reduction in I overall length of the apparatus, for example one metre.

(tt o( The apparatus is also adapted to be used in synchronism with different types of known equipment upstream of the turning section 50, such as a can or bottle orientor, a hi-cone jacket pack, cluster pack or other packaging or handling unit;. The apparatus is therefore very versatile as well as making optimum use of the components thereof.

qpw- -8 It may be more appropriate to provide chains suitably located so that turning posts can extend laterally into engagement with the packs, depending on the shape and size of the packs.

0 qj *0 0004 440

Q

0*44 0 *0 04 0 0.

0 4 0'*4 0 0 00 0 9 00 00004 0 4041 0 04 4~0 I 140 0040 1 40 011 0 0 01 01 101 0 040*4~ 0 0

Claims

1. Product control apparatus including product support means movable along a path and adapted to receive products thereon, whereby to convey the products along the path, and product engagement means movable in a path parallel to the conveying path at at least one side thereof, the ,product engagement means being arranged for upsfcc'.a.nrr SV \c> jengagement directly with the products during conveying thereof by the support means, whereby to change the orientation of the products relative to the support means.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the product engagement means includes a plurality of projections which are movable in paths parallel to the 15 conveying path and adjacent to respective sides thereof.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the projections extend in use to be engageable with the products from above, and are provided on a pair of parallel, transversely spaced endless chains, each of 0' 20 which has one pass adjacent to a respective side of the conveying path, drive means being adapted to move the innermost passes in opposite directions.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein one of Sthe chains is adapted to be driven at a greater linear s 25 speed than said other chain. t te '39 7928e q",1 ~-ul csr-- 10 Ore.

Apparatus according to any, of the preceding claims, including means for automatically changing the position of the products during conveying movement along the path. oi e.

6. Apparatus according to any, of the preceding claims, wherein means is provided for feeding products onto the conveying path in synchronism with the positioning of the product engagement means.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein an electronic control system is provided for driving the product feed unit 4: and the product conveying means in a synchronised relation. .0 4

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the control system is adapted to automatically adjust the speed of the product conveying means on demand.

9. Product control apparatus substantially as hereinbefore 4 ti.- S described with reference to the accompanying drawing. r DATED: 16 October, 1991 PHILLIPS ORMONDE FITZPATRICK Attorneys for: W.H. DUNN SON LIMITED ,h ,4196E mia~- i; i i ABSTRACT Product control apparatus comprising means (10,12,16) for conveying products (14) along a path and means (48,50) for changing the orientation of the products (14) during conveying movement along the path. The conveying means (10,12,16) includes support means (12) adapted to receive the products (14) such that the products (14) can be moved relative thereto. Product engagement means (48,50) is movable in a path parallel to the conveying path at at least one side thereof, and arranged for engagement directly with the products (14) to change the orientation of the products (14) relative to the support means (12). 4 1 4 4 1 I T*