AU782345B2 - Method and means for container handling - Google Patents

Description

DHRef: 1428-1AU

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

SEC

rW^zX Name and Address of Applicant: Actual Inventors: Address for Service: Invention Title: R lR ENGINEERING LIMITED of Pirani Place, Palmerston North, New Zealand.

RICHARD McMILLAN HERCOCK and ROBERT NELSON

WOOD.

Don Hopkins Associates Spruson Ferguson, Patent Attorneys Level 33, St Martins Tower, 31 Market Street Sydney, New South Wales 2000, Australia METHOD AND MEANS FOR CONTAINER HANDLING

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The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it&known to us:- 03/06 2005 17:19 FAX 064 6 359 0198 DON HOPKINS 1]004 2 The present invention relates to a method and means of container handling.

The present invention is more particularly concerned with the handling of milk containers such as 2 litre plastic bottles. While in the following description the invention will be described in relation to such containers, the invention is not restricted simply to containers of this type. The invention has application with other containers, which need to be loaded into crates or other receptacles and the crates then stacked for storage and/or further handling.

10 In the milk processing Industry, mechansation has provided a processor with the ability 0 0 to fill containers and then mechanically load the containers into crates or o ther receiving receptacles and stack the crates for storage and/or transportation purposes. However, problems do exist with known equipment. In particular, there is a need for method and 2 i apparatus, which enables containers to be loaded into a crate or other receptacle more e* :0 15 quickly than has previously been possible.

0 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide loading apparatus which enables loading of a receiving crate or receptacle with containers in a manner which is quicker than hitherto has been possible.

Specl 720 Preamble JUNE 2005 COMS ID No: SBMI-01281731 Received by IP Australia: Time 15:13 Date 2005-06-03 03/06 2005 17:19 FAX 064 6 359 0198 DON HOPKINS. 005 According to one broad aspect of the invention there is provided a container loading apparatus for loading containers into a receptacle including a receiving area located adjacent the receptacle to be loaded, delivery means to supply containers in opposed positions relative to the receiving area, moving means to successively move containers from said opposed positions into said receiving area, the receiving area including a retractable surface to permit containers to fall therethrough into said receptacle, said retractable surface being formed by two opposing guillotine blades operated by linear actuators.

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oooo o *o ooo oooo oo oooo o o oooo e o *ooeo *o BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a general elevation view of a container handling apparatus intended for the loading of 2 litre plastic milk containers into crates and then stacking the crates, Figure 2 is a plan view of the arrangement shown in Figure 1, Figure 3 is a more detailed plan view of the loading apparatus, Sped 720 Preamble JUNE 2005 COMS ID No: SBMI-01281731 Received by IP Australia: Time 15:13 Date 2005-06-03 03/06 2005 17:20-FAX 064 6 359 0198 .DON HOPKINS [007 4 Figure 4 Is a side elevation view of the loading apparatus as shown in Figure 3, Figure 5 is an end view of the loading apparatus of Figures 3 and 4, and.

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JUNE 2005 COMS ID No: SBMI-01281731 Received by P1 Australia: Time 15:13 Date 2005-06-03 Figure 6 is a pictorial view of the stacking apparatus.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring firstly to Figures 1 and 2 which are general layout illustrations, there is shown a first conveyor 10 which receives crates C from a crate delivery system 11. This crate delivery system is of known type and forms no part of the present invention.

The conveyor 10 is formed by a pair of parallel spaced apart i1 conveyor chains 12 onto which the bottom edges E, of a crate C engage. The conveyor 10 therefore conveys crates C co successively to a loading station 13.

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eoeoo ***Milk containers M pass from a filling station S to a splitter device (not shown) whereby the containers are delivered onto eeee two conveyors 15a and 15b. These conveyors deliver the milk containers M to the loading station 13. As can be seen in 20 Figure 2, the conveyors have an output end which is located either side of a crate C located in the loading station 13.

SPEC292 26 January 2001 A crate C 1 loaded with containers M is released from the loading station 13 (as will hereinafter be described) to continue along conveyor 10. This conveyor 10 overlaps with a conveyor 16 which is located slightly higher than the level of conveyor 10. As a consequence, the underside of the floor F of the crate C 1 therefore conveys the crate to the stacking station 17. Crates, as will hereinafter be described, are successfully stacked into a stack of five crates in the stacking station 17 whereupon the stack K is released to continue movement along conveyor 16.

eoeeo The end of conveyor 16 abuts with but is located slightly ee *above a third conveyor 18 which engages with the edges El of the lowermost crate of the stack K so that the stack K ooooe transfers to and is conveyed along conveyor 18. This conveyor 18 and the handling of stacks K issuing from the conveyor 18 forms no part of the present invention.

oooo• i Referring now to Figure 3, a more detailed illustration of 20 the loading station 13 is provided. This shows the conveyors and 15b entering the loading station though from a different side from that illustrated in Figure 2. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the factory SPEC292 26 January 2001 layout will determine what side the conveyors 15a and enter the loading station 13. In this respect the loading station is formed so that it generally is "non-handed".

Conveyors 15a and 15b are in the illustrated embodiment formed by a pair of side rails 19 which are spaced apart and parallel. Running between the side rails is a conveyor chain on which the containers M locate. The containers M exit the respective conveyors 15a and 15b to locate three at a time on a receiving surface 21. Each set of three containers is therefore located either side of a crate C held in the receiving station 13 but below the level at which the •containers M are located Because of the speed at which containers M move along eeeoo conveyor 10 a wheel (not shown) but centred at provide a slight outward tilt to the containers as they navigate the curve in the conveyor. This counteracts centrifugal forces and prevents the containers from falling over and off the S 20 conveyor.

As can be seen in Figure 4, the crate C is held within the loading station 13. There is provided releasable abutment SPEC292 26 January 2001 9 means which inhibits forward movement of the crate so that the edges E, of the crate slip on the conveyor chains 12.

The long sides of the crates are cut away as can be seen, for example, in Figure 6. To fill in the sides of the crates during the loading procedure, pivotally mounted and controlled flaps 22 and 23 are lowered into position as shown in Figure 4.

Adjacent each row of three containers on surfaces 21 are platens 24 which are coupled to pneumatic linear actuators 25. Located in the space above- crate C are a pair of opposing guillotine blades 26 which are respectively controlled by linear actuators 27 (Figure 3) ooooo Under normal process control equipment linear actuators are alternately operated so as to push via platens 24 a row oooeo of three containers M onto the guillotine blades 26. As a result a group of nine containers become located on the S 20 guillotine blades 26. One row of three is provided from a first platen, a second row of three from a second (opposite) platen and a third row of three form the first platen again.

In the next group of nine, the first row of three would be SPEC292 26 January 2001 provided by the second platen and so forth. Immediately the group of nine is formed the guillotine blades 26 are retracted which enable the nine containers to drop down into the crate C. As mentioned previously, the flaps 22 and 23 provide guides for the containers M as otherwise the containers on the outside rows may tend to fall out through the open sides of the crate. Preferably flaps 22 and 23 also provide a smooth delivery of containers by decelerating the fall before they hit the floor of the crate.

Immediately the containers M have fallen through into the crate C the guillotine blades 26 are restored to the closed •coo .".position and further loading of containers M by the pushers 24 under action of the linear actuators 25 commences.

eoeoe At the same time, the forward flap 22 is pivotally raised by a pneumatic linear actuator to the position shown in dotted 0. 0: detail in Figure 4. The abutment means is then released to enable the crate C to continue to move on conveyor 10 toward o• 4 o: 20 conveyor 16.

By effectively loading the crate from both sides a high throughput is achievable. In a commercial form of the SPEC292 26 January 2001 invention it is anticipated that a 150 containers per minute will be handled.

As mentioned previously, the crate C, (being the crate having left the loading station 13) is received by conveyor 16 which once again is formed by a pair of spaced apart conveyor chains 28. This conveys crate C 1 to the stacker 17.

The stacking machine 17 basically comprises a vertical housing 29. The housing has a pair of opposed side walls and a back wall 31. An opening 32 is provided at the lower ego o end of the back wall 31 to enable a crate C 1 to move into the S.housing 29. Movement from the housing 29 is, however, prevented by a pair of movable abutments 33 which are located 15 either side of the open face 34 of the housing 29.

ooooo Upon a crate C 1 being received in the housing 29 a pair of o e opposed ledges 35 are moved under control of a pair of separate pneumatically powered linear actuators (not shown) g. to engage with the edges E, of the crate and thereby lift the crate until edges E, are located above opposed pairs of ramp shaped projections 36 (ie one pair projecting from each side wall 30). These ramp shaped projections 36 are spring biased SPEC292 26 January 2001 12 so as to enable the crate to move past as it is being lifted (this being due to the ramp shape of the projections 36) but then once again take up the projecting position to receive the edges E, when the ledges 35 are retracted.

The pneumatic control of the rams moving the ledges 35 is arranged such as to have a quick exhaust so that the ledges retract or drop quickly. This means that the crate C 1 drops slightly onto the shoulders formed by projections 36.

Also, the operation of the controlling rams is linked by a suitable mechanical transfer linkage so that both ledges raise in a synchronised fashion to ensure that the crate C, move directly upwardly in an even level fashion in the housing 29.

oooe• "TI When the next crate C 1 arrives at the stacking station 17 the same procedure is repeated. As the second crate is lifted it ooooe ***engages in the normal manner with the underside of the preceding crate. In the event that incorrect mating of the second crate with the lower part of the preceding crate does not take place this will generally be rectified by the shock force which is applied during the rapid exhaust phase which SPEC292 26 January 2001 causes both crates to fall downwardly until the lowermost crate rests on the projections 36.

The procedure is repeated for the subsequent crates until the fifth crate arrives. This fifth crate is once again lifted by the ledges 35 but once it has past the projections 36 the quick exhaust phase does not take place. Under conventional process control the projections 36 are retained in a retracted position and a slow exhaust is applied to the main controlling linear actuators so that the ledges 35 lower slowly and thereby lower the whole stack onto the conveyor 16. Immediately the stack is on the conveyor 16 the **abutments 33 are retracted to open the front of the housing.

.:o0 The whole stack is thus permitted to move from the housing ,ooooo 29.

See 0: Abutments 33 are activated under control of a pair of small S* pneumatically operated linear actuators. These linear o actuators actually apply (when retracting the abutments 33) a 20 small inclined lift to the abutments 33 relative to the retaining members 33a. Consequently, due to the weight of the abutments 33 the abutments move quickly back into the projecting position under their own weight as well as the SPEC292 26 January 2001 action of the linear actuators. The abutments 33 are thus quickly back into position to prevent movement through the housing of the next arriving crate C.

The stacker therefore provides a means of quickly handling the crates issuing from the loading station 13. In a mechanical manner, a force is applied each time a new crate arrives so as to ensure that the crates are correctly stacked together. In a modified form of the invention, sensors could be provided at the upper end of the housing 29 to sense whether the stack is level at the upper end when the last or .o.ooi fifth crate is placed into the stack.

If the sensors determine that the top crate is not level then 15 an alarm situation can occur whereupon a visual and oooo• preferably audible alarm is activated to alert an operator to the fact that the stack is not "square". The operator can ooooo .*.then take appropriate steps to prevent the stack being released until the crates are all correctly aligned.

.o 20 However, it is believed that this further precautionary measure will not be required as the shock force applied to each crate as it arrives ensures that the crates do correctly align during the stacking operation.

SPEC292 26 January 2001 The present invention thus provides a stacking arrangement which automatically ensures that all crates are aligned and the stack is correctly formed before the stack is permitted to be released along conveyor 16 and onto conveyor 18. In this way, the possibility of a stack toppling is obviated or at the very least minimised.

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JUNE 2005 SPEC1720 COMS ID No: SBMI-01287105 Received by IP Australia: Time (H:rn) 14:55 Date 2005-06-07

Claims (9)

1. A container loading apparatus for loading containers Into a receptacle including a receiving area located adjacent the receptacle to be loaded, delivery means to supply containers In opposed positions relative to the receiving area, moving means to successively move containers from said opposed positions into said receiving area, the receiving area including a retractable surface to permit containers to fall therethrough into said receptacle, said retractable surface being formed by two opposing guillotine blades operated by linear actuators.

2. The container loading apparatus of claim 1 including a second delivery means to supply receptacles to a position adjacent the receiving area. 0

3. The container loading apparatus of claim 1 or 2 Including a releasable abutment means to maintain a receptacle In a position underneath the receiving area. S. 0*P

4. The container loading apparatus of any one of the preceding claims wherein the moving means are platens on opposing sides of the receiving area to contact a specified number of containers and push same onto said receiving area. SPEC1720 JUNE 2005 COMS ID No: SBMI-01281731 Received by IP Australia: Time 15:13 Date 2005-06-03 03/06 2005 17:20 FAX 064 6 359 0198 DON HOPKINS a 009 18 The container loading apparatus of claim 4 wherein the platens operate in alternative succession to push together container sets.

6. The container loading apparatus of any one of the preceding claims wherein the delivery means is at least two conveyors moving to supply containers in opposed positions relative to the receiving area.

7. The container loading apparatus of claim 6 wherein the conveyors include a means to counteract centrifugal force as containers pass through any curve, S*

8. The container loading apparatus of anyone of the preceding claims wherein a guide means is provided to guide containers from the receiving area to the receptacle. The container loading apparatus of claim 8 wherein the guide means provides a 1 decelerating effect on containers moving into the receptacle. S* s e The container loading apparatus of any one of the preceding claims wherein the containers are full bottles or cartons of milk.

11. The container loading apparatus of claim 10 wherein the.receptacle is a crate adapted to receive a specified number of milk bottles or cartons. SPEC1720 JUNE 2005 SPECi 720 JUNE 2005 COMS ID No: SBMI-01281731 Received by IP Australia: Time 15:13 Date 2005-06-03 03/00 2005 17:20. FAX 064 6 359 0198 DON HOPKINS S010

12. A container loading apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 to 5 of the accompanying drawings. Dated this 3 rd day of June R R PERFORMANCE ENGINEERING LIMITED Patent Attorneys for the Applicant/Nominated Person DON HOPKINS ASSOCIATES g go g e egs 4 0 So 0 S S 0 e 4 gee- SPEC1 720 JUNE 2005 COMS ID No: SBMI-01281731 Received by IP Australia: Time 15:13 Date 2005-06-03