AU688767B2 - Jet spray applicator for viscous liquids including adhesive/cohesive solutions - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION NAME OF APPLICANT(S): W. R. Grace Co.-Conn.

ADDRESS FOR SERVICE: DAVIES COLLISON CAVE Patent Attorneys I 1 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, 3000.

C

INVENTION TITLE: Jet spray applicator for viscous liquids including adhesive/cohesive solutions The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- *4*e a L I-~--LIL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an automated system and a method for applying viscous liquids including adhesive/cohesive bonding solutions to a surface of a package or a container to be palletized.

Previously, liquid adhesive solutions had been applied to packages and containers using spray nozzles with airactuated valves. The spray nozzles were typically supported above a conveyor on which the packages/containers travel. A to pair of photocells are mounted adjacent the conveyor to indicate the presence of the package and initiate and terminate a flow sequence.

These systems while useful are cumbersome in that all adjustments are mechanical in nature and must be made manually. For example, the nozzles have to be manually adjusted for individual package types. Similarly, if one wants to change the length of the cohesive or adhesive Smaterial being applied to the package/container, the photocells have to be manually repositioned.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an automated system for applying an adhesive/cohesive solution to an object such as a package or a container.

l I' (1'I AI (i7M4) SlWI11 1ll 7 -3- Advantageously, the present invention provides a system which allows better control of the adhesive/cohesive solution being applied to the package.

The present invention also advantageously provides a system which can store settings for particular package types for later retrieval.

Still further the present invention advantageously provides an improved method for applying an adhesive/cohesive solution to an object such as a package or a container.

The foregoing advantages may be attained by the system and the method of the present invention.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is provided an automated system for applying an adhesive/cohesive material to a surface of a package or container to be palletized, said system comprising: a central processing unit; a manual input station for inputting into said central processing unit information about a desired amount of and a desired pattern for said material to be applied to said surface, including dot size and character width; S' at least one spray head communicating with a source of said material, said spray head S* having an inlet port, a solenoid actuated valve communicating with the inlet port, and a nozzle S. outlet communicating with said valve; means for sensing the presence of said package or container to be palletized beneath said at least one spray head and transmitting a first signal indicating the presence of said package or container to be palletized to said central processing unit; an adhesive/cohesive reservoir; a flow control unit communicating with the source of material and the at least one spray head; and a means for pumping the adhesive/cohesive from the reservoir, through the flow control unit, to the at least one spray head; wherein said central processing unit is adapted to transmit a second signal to the solenoid actuated valve of said at least one spray head in response to said first signal to initiate flow of said material through said at least one spray head and onto said surface of Said package or container to be palletized, wherein the signal represents the number of cycles for which said m' i' )I'IR AII) h "4 4 %Vi' 1) 11' :7 -4solenoid valve will be actuated and the period for which said valve will be open for each cycle.

Preferably, the sensing means comprises a photocell which is advantageously mounted to the at least one spray head to transmit a signal to the central processing means indicating the presence of the package.

The central processing means includes a keyboard, a central processing unit and preferably a display device, Through the keyboard, an operator can select the amount of adhesive/cohesive solution to be applied to the package and the pattern in which that adhesive/cohesive solution is to be applied. The central processing unit preferably stores the inputted information for later retrieval and initiates the commands for actuating the solenoid valve(s) in the spray head(s). The keyboard is also used to specify the amount of time the solenoid valve is open and the number of times it is cycled for a single application.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for applying an adhesive/cohesive material to a surface of a package or container to be palletized; said method comprising the steps of: providing a central processing unit and a manual input station; inputting into said central processing unit via said manual input station information about a desired amount of and a desired pattern for said material to be applied to said surface, including dot size and character width; providing at least one spray head communicating with a source of said material, said spray head having a solenoid actuated valve; sensing the presence of said package or container to be palletized beneath said at least one spray head and transmitting a first signal indicating said presence of said package or container to be palletized to said central processing unit; transmitting a second signal to the solenoid actuated valve of said at least one spray head in response to said first signal to initiate flow of said material through said at least one spray head and onto said surface of said package or container to be palletized, wherein the signal represents the number of cycles for which said solenoid valve will be actuated and the period for which said valve will be open for each cycle; 0 providing an adhesive/cohesive reservoir; a ~0 K v c I' I Rn AI) D 67547 94 SI'T- 11)1/ 97 providing a flow control unit; and pumping the adhesive/cohesive from the reservoir, through the flow control unit, to the at least one spray head.

Further details of the systems and methods of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, as well as other advantages of the present invention, are set out in the following description and drawings wherein like reference numerals depict like elements.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 1 0 Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of a first embodiment of a system in accordance with the present invention; S: Fig. 2 is a view of the bracket mounting a spray head used in the system of Fig. 1 to its support arm; :Fig. 3 is a view of the bracket mounting the support arm of Fig. 2 to a vertical support arm; Fig. 4 i, an alternative approach for mounting the support arm of Fig. 2 to a vertical support arm; Fig. 5 is an exploded view of a spray head used in the system of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a schematic representation of the flow control unit used in the system of Fig.

1;and Fig. 7 is a schematic representation of an alternative embodiment of an automated system in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S) Referring now to the drawings, Fig. 1 illustrates the automated system 10 of the present invention. The system may be used to apply an adhesive/cohesive solution material to a surface of an object 12 such as a package or container to be palletized.

The system includes a source or supply 14 of adhesive/cohesive solution, a flow control unit 16 connected to the source 14 and at least one spray head 18 for applying the adhesive/cohesive solution to a surface 20 of a package 12. The system further includes a central processing unit 22 for controlling the application of the adhesive/cohesive solution to the surface 20, a keyboard 24 for inputting instructions, and a device 26 for displaying the information inputted into the central processing unit and/or the operating parameters of the system.

As shown in Figure 1, the spray head 18 is supported by a mounting bracket having a first arm 28 which extends in a .ooo.i S direction substantially perpendicular to the surface 20 and a second arm 30 arranged substantially perpendicular to the first arm. As shown in Fig. 2, the spray head is mounted to the arm 30 by a substantially U-shaped bracket 32. The bracket has at least one threaded opening 34 into which a wing screw 36 can be inserted. The spray head with the bracket 32 is slid over the arm 30 and is fixed in position by inserting the threaded end of the screw into the opening I-~s~l I I I I~ 34 and tightening the screw against the arm 30. By using such an arrangement, the spray head is movable along the arm and along an axis substantially parallel to a plane containing the surface To permit adjustment of the spray head along an axis substantially perpendicular to the surface 20, as shown in Fig. 3, the arm 30 is mounted to the arm 28 by a substantially U-shaped bracket and knob with screw arrangement 31. The arm 28 may have one or more holes i':l adjacent a lower end to mount it to a support structure such as a rail of a conveyor.

Fig. 4 illustrates an alternative approach for mounting the arm 30 to the arm 28 in which the arm 28 is provided with a machined slot 38 along which the arm 30 can move. As shown therein, a screw mechanism 40 is provided to lock the arm 30 in a desired position.

By raising or lowering the spray head 18, one can change the width of the stripe 19 of adhesive/cohesive solution being applied to the surface As shown in Fig. 5, the spray head 18 contains a solenoid operated valve 42 in communication with an inlet port connected to an outlet of the flow control unit 16 via a flow line 66. The valve 42 receives open and close signals from the central processing unit 22 via the cable 54. The spray head also includes a single nozzle outlet 44 with an arcuate surface 46 for creating a fan-type spray of L~ a~E~ Ties

I

said adhesive/cohesive solution. The solenoid valve may be any conventional 24 volt solenoid operated valve with a rating of about 0.42 amps. Such a valve is necessary because of the relatively high viscosity with which the system will be operating.

A photocell 48 is attached to a side 50 of the spray head. The photocell detects the presence of the package or container 12 and transmits a signal to the central ooeo processing unit via the cable 52.

0 As shown in Fig. 6, the flow control unit 16 has an geee input port 56 through which adhesive/cohesive solution enters the flow control unit. After entering the flow control unit, the adhesive/cohesive solution passes through a filter 58 and into a pump 62. The filter 58 may be any suitable filter known in the art although it is preferred to use a 120 micron stainless steel filter. The pump 62 pumps adhesive/cohesive solution from the source to the reservoir *60 and then to the spray head via fluid outlet(s) 64 and eoo fluid line(s) 66. The pump 62 may comprise any suitable pump known in the art. For example, it may be a pump rated at 115 psi and 115 volts. As shown in Fig. 6, the pump 62 may be in communication with three or more fluid outlets 64.

When not in use, the outlet(s) 64 are blocked off or closed by a quick disconnect seal 70 such as a quick disconnect plug.

I~~r I As previously mentioned, a keyboard 24 is provrided to input a desired spray pattern for the adhesive/cohesive material to be applied to the surface 20. The operator may enter the spray pattern in the form of letters A through Z.

Gaps in the pattern can be entered with the digits 1 through 9. The computer may be programmed so that the letter Z instructs the computer to emit 26 times the amount of adhesive/cohesive as the letter A. By using such a system, useful spray patterns can be designed. If desired, a 0 0% different pattern can be specified for each spray head S.attached to the central processing unit.

The use of the keyboard to specify the desired spray pattern is a marked improvement over the prior art systems.

If a pattern is found to be unsuitable, it can be changed merely by using the keyboard to issue new instructions to the central processing unit. As a result, there is no need to make the manual adjustments required by the prior art systems.

S" Other information which may be inputted through the keyboard includes: product delay; aspect ratio; (3) character width and dot size; and direction. When the product delay is zero, spraying of the adiesive/cohesive bonding agent will start immediately after the photocell detects the presence of the package and transmits a signal to the central processing unit. Since this is often undesirable, an operator can specify a desired time delay through the keyboard.

The aspect ratio information inputted through the keyboard increases the space within adhesive patterns which is normally zero. Setting the aspect ratio to a higher number spaces out the entire pattern.

The character width and the dot size specifications are the fundamental spray pattern characteristics for the system. Character width is the fastest rate at which adhesive will be emitted by the spray head. Thus, if one inputs a character width of about 2 milliseconds, adhesive/cohesive material will be emitted 500 times per second. Dot size controls the size of the adhesive/cohesive blob. The larger the dot size, the longer the valve is held open and the more adhesive/cohesive is sprayed.

Specification of the direction tells the computer whether the pattern will be outputted forwards or backwards.

The foregoing information can be inputted into the central processing unit through the keyboard by using any S"desired combination of the alphanumeric keys and/or special function keys on the keyboard. Obviously, the program within the central processing unit will determine which keys are used for which function.

The central processing unit 22 may be any computer known in the art. Additionally, it may be programmed in any language known in the art to carry out the various functions set out herein. Preferably, the central processing unit 22 ~1_1 I either has an internal memory storage device (not shown) or an additional memory storage device (not shown) which can be used to store the inputted spray pattern for a particular package for later retrieval.

The terminal or display unit 26 may also comprise any suitable unit known in the art. For example, a Qume mode QVT-101 terminal may be used. The various parameters being inputted through the keyboard may be displayed on the terminal. Additionally, status information about the system may be displayed. For example, an indication of the number of packages which have been treated may be shown on the display unit along with a spray count.

In operation, an operator of the system first inputs a desired spray pattern into the central processing unit 22 using the keyboard 24. Additionally, he turns on the power to the flow control unit 16 and causes adhesive/cohesive solution from the source 14 to be pumped to the spray head 18. Since the solenoid valve 42 in the spray head is in a S° closed position, the adhesive/cohesive remains in the line 66 under pressure. Thereafter, a conveyor (not shown) is operated so that a package 12 is caused to pass beneath the spray head 18. The photocell 48 mounted to the spray head senses the presence of the package 12 and transmits a flow start signal to the central processing unit 22. The central processing unit then issues a signal to the valve 42 in accordance with the inputted spray pattern. The solenoid

MMM

valve then open and closes until a desired quantity of adhesive/cohesive material is applied to a surface 20 of the package 12 in a desired pattern. If desired, more than one stripe 19 of adhesive/cohesive material may be applied to the surface 20. After the spray cycle has been completed, the valve 42 closes until the photocell senses the presence of the next package.

After the adhesive/cohesive material has been applied to the package surface 20, the package is conveyed to a i palletizing system (not shown) where it is formed into a layer of packages to be placed on a pallet. One of the advantages of the present invention is that the presence of the adhesive/cohesive material on the package surface eliminates the need to wrap the packages on the pallet in a plastic material.

The spray head is provided with a manually actuated purge button 72 to check flow of the adhesive/cohesive ".*solution. The purge button 72 when pushed sends a signal to the central processing unit 22 which causes the central processing unit to transmit a valve open signal to the valve 42. As a result, adhesive/cohesive material in the spray head 18 and the fluid line 66 can be drained or purged.

Referring now to Fig. 7, a spray station 74' ,is illustrated having two spray heads 18'. Each spray head is connected to a respective fluid outlet 64' of the flow control unit 16'. Additionally, each spray head is connected to the central processing unit by a cable 54'.

A photocell 48' is mounted to only one of the spray heads 18'. When it senses the presence of a package, it transmits a start signal to the central processing unit 22.

The central processing unit, in accordance with the inputted instructions then transmits a signal to each of the spray heads to initiate the application of the adhesive/cohesive material.

If desired, an operator could input commands into the central processing unit through the keyboard which would cause the spray heads 18' to dispense adhesive/cohesive materials at different times or at different points along the surface 20 of the package 12.

As previously mentioned, the flow control unit 16 may have three or more fluid outlets to which three or more spray heads could be attached. If desired, a series of spray stations 74 may be set up in conjunction with a *.plurality of different conveyor lines. For example, one spray station having three spray heads could be arranged on three different conveyor lines to simultaneously apply adhesive/cohesive material to packages travelling along the conveyor lines. One of the advantages of the present invention is that only one operator station with one central processing unit, one keyboard and one display unit is required to operate such an arrangement of spray stations.

While the present invention has been described with a keyboard and a display device for inputting information into the central processing unit, it should be recognized that these components of the system could be replaced by a handheld unit 76 having a keypad and a display screen.

There will be instances of use of the automated system of the present invention where there will be a great distance between the source 14 of adhesive/cohesive material oooo and the flow control unit 16. In such instances, an *.o optional pump 80 may be installed in the system as shown in Fig. 1 to pump adhesive/cohesive material from the source 14 to the flow control unit 16. Such a pump may be required when the distance between the source and the flow control unit is greater than about ten feet. While any conventional pump known in the art may be used for the pump 80, an air diaphragm pump is preferred. If desired, a filter (not eeoo.

shown) may be placed between the source of adhesive/cohesive material and the inlet to the pump 80 to remove undesirable oo impurities from the adhesive/cohesive material.

As can be seen from the foregoing description, an automated system for applying an adhesive/cohesive material to a surface of a package to be palletized has been described. The system is quite advantageous in that it offers better control of the manner in which the adhesive/cohesive material is applied to an object such as a package or container to be palletized. It is also P ON k 67547 94 SPI IM? 1/97 advantageous in that it can accommodate the processing of a wide variety of packages and containers without the need to make numerous mechanical adjustments to the system. In fact, in many cases, it can accommodate the processing of a wide variety of packages and containers without any mechanical adjustment at all. The system of the present invention allows numerous spray patterns to be inputted into a central processing unit and stored for later retrieval. The system is also user friendly.

Still another advantage of the system of the present invention is that it controls the sequence of spraying the containers. For example, if forty containers are to be included in a pallet load, with four layers and ten containers in each layer, the inventive system can be programmed to spray thirty containers and then skip the next ten. The last ten containers, forming thile top layer of the palletized load, do not require spraying with the adhesive/cohesive bonding agent.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention described herein is susceptible to variations and modifications other than those specifically described. It is to be understood that the invention includes all such variations and modifications which fall within its spirit and S" scope. The invention also includes all of the steps, features, compositions and compounds l referred to or indicated in this specification, individually or collectively, and any and all combinations of any two or more of said steps or features.

Throughout this specification and the claims which follow, unless thile context requires S 20 otherwise, the word "comprise", or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers.

Claims (17)

1. An automated system for applying an adhesive/cohesive material to a surface of a package or container to be palletized, said system comprising: a central processing unit; a manual input station for inputting into said central processing unit information about a desired amount of and a desired pattern for said material to be applied to said surface, including dot size and character width; at least one spray head communicating with a source of said material, said spray head having an inlet port, a solenoid actuated valve communicating with the inlet port, and a nozzle outlet communicating with said valve; i: means for sensing the presence of said package or container to be palletized beneath said at least one spray head and transmitting a first signal indicating the presence of said package or container to be palletized to said central processing unit; an adhesive/cohesive reservoir; a flow control unit communicating with the source of material and the at least one spray head; and a means for pumping the adhesive/cohesive from the reservoir, through the flow control unit, to the at least one spray head; wherein said central processing unit is adapted to transmit a second signal to the solenoid actuated valve of said at least one spray head in response to said first signal to initiate flow of said material through said at least one spray head and onto said surface of said package or container to be palletized, wherein the signal represents the number of cycles for which said solenoid valve will be actuated and the period for which said valve will be open for each cycle.

2. A system according to claim 1 wherein said nozzle has an arcuate surface for creating a fan-like spray of said material.

3. A system according to claims 1 or 2 wherein said flow control unit comprises: 3 0 means for filtering said material entering said flow control unit; and P o)n11 It ADD 1 Y4 sI' 10t I/M -17- pump means for providing said material under pressure to said at least one spray head.

4. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein said at least one spray head is movable along a first axis substantially perpendicular to said surface so as to vary the width of said material being applied to said surface.

A system according to claim 4 wherein said at least one spray head is displaceable along a second axis substantially transverse to said first axis and substantially parallel to a plane containing said surface to which said material is applied.

6. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 5 comprising at least two spray heads in communication with said flow control unit, whereby said flow control unit supplies said material under pressure to each of said at least two spray heads.

7. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 6 further comprising an auxiliary pump fluid communication with said source of said material and said flow control unit, said *auxiliary pump pumping said material from said source to an inlet port of said flow control unit,

8. A system according to claim 7 wherein said auxiliary pump comprises an air diaphragm pump.

9. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein said central processing unit comprises means for storing said inputted information for later retrieval,

10. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 9 wherein said means for sensing the presence of said package or container comprises a photocell.

11. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 10 further comprising: a manually operated switch on said at least one spray head for purging said material 30 from said at least one spray head, said switch transmitting a third signal to said central I I P 1 It A1)DD fliM47 94 SI If); I I f9 -18- processing unit and said central processing unit transmitting a valve open signal to said solenoid actuated valve in response thereto.

12. A method for applying an adhesive/cohesive material to a surface of a package or container to be palletized; said method comprising the steps of: providing a central processing unit and a manual input station; inputting into said central processing unit via said manual input station information about a desired amount of and a desired pattern for said material to be applied to said surface, including dot size and character width; providing at least one spray head communicating with a source of said material, said spray head having a solenoid actuated valve; sensing the presence of said package or container to be palletize"', said at least one spray head and transmitting a first signal indicating said presence of said package or container to be palletized to said central processing unit; transmitting a second signal to the solenoid actuated valve of said at least one spray head in response to said first signal to initiate flow of said material through said at least one spray head and onto said surface of said package or container to be palletized, wherein the signal represents the number of cycles for which said solenoid valve will be actuated and the period for which said valve will be open for each cycle; S 20 providing an adhesive/cohesive reservoir; providing a flow control unit; and pumping the adhesive/cohesive from the reservoir, through the flow control unit, to the at least one spray head.

13. A method according to claim 12 wherein said inputting step comprises inputting a time delay for initiation of said flow of said material from said at least one spray head.

14. A method according to claim 12 or 13 further comprising the step of changing the height of said at least one spray head above said surface so as to change the width of said ,.aterial being applied to said surface.

I I C_ I' ()O'I.D)1)67547.94 SPE 2112(97 -19- A method according to any one of claims 12 to 14 comprising providing at least two spray heads; and wherein said second signal transmitting step initiates flow of said material through each of said at least two spray heads.

16. An automated system for applying for an adhesive/cohesive material substantially as herein before described with reference to the drawings.

17. A method for applying an adhesive/cohesive material substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings. r+ r r r r r rr r r o r rrr rr r r rr r r or rr r r r r DATED this 28th day of November 1997 W. R. Grace Co. Conn. by DAVIES COLLISON CAVE Patent Attorneys for the applicant(s) i 4 RI ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An automated system and a method for applying an adhesive/cohesive material to a surface of a package or container to be palletized is described. The system includes a source of adhesive/cohesive solution, a flow control unit communicating with the source, and at least one spray head communicating with the flow control unit. A photocell is provided to sense the presence of the package beneath the spray head(s). The system further includes a central processing unit and a keyboard. Information about the amount of adhesive/cohesive solution to be applied to the package surface and the pattern thereof is inputted into the central processing unit via the keyboard. The central processing unit transmits a signal to a solenoid actuated valve in the spray head for applying the adhesive/cohesive material to the package surface consonant with the inputted information. The signal is transmitted to the solenoid actuated valve after the photocell has transmitted a signal to the central processing unit indicating the presence of the package beneath the spray head(s). If desired, multiple spray heads can be onnected to the flow control unit and operated by the central processing unit. IIL~~JC~