CA1197823A - Energy free loader - Google Patents
Energy free loaderInfo
- Publication number
- CA1197823A CA1197823A CA000429500A CA429500A CA1197823A CA 1197823 A CA1197823 A CA 1197823A CA 000429500 A CA000429500 A CA 000429500A CA 429500 A CA429500 A CA 429500A CA 1197823 A CA1197823 A CA 1197823A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- case
- container
- loading station
- containers
- support
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
- B65B5/00—Packaging individual articles in containers or receptacles, e.g. bags, sacks, boxes, cartons, cans, jars
- B65B5/08—Packaging groups of articles, the articles being individually gripped or guided for transfer to the containers or receptacles
Abstract
ABSTRACT OF THE INVENTION
A case loader which automatically puts articles such as bottles into the case. The bottles leave the conveyor and slide across a tiltable support station. When a case load of bottles is on the support station a first sensor is activated. When the case is in the loading position a second sensor is activated.
When both sensors are activated, the bottles fall down individual chutes into the case.
A case loader which automatically puts articles such as bottles into the case. The bottles leave the conveyor and slide across a tiltable support station. When a case load of bottles is on the support station a first sensor is activated. When the case is in the loading position a second sensor is activated.
When both sensors are activated, the bottles fall down individual chutes into the case.
Description
~7~3~3 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for automatlcally loading cases with articles, and more pa~ticularly, relates to an imp~oved apparatus and method in which the articles are bottles, cans or the like which are fed into the apparatus in continuous rows and are then loaded into the case in groups of rows and columns.
The Prior Art la Various methods and apparatus for loading articles in cases are known in the prior art. One type of apparatus assembles the articles in parallel rows of the length of the case by moving the required number of articles sideways off the article conveyor.
When the p~oper numbe~ of columns is assembled~ the entire caseload is dropped or lowe~ed into the case.
Another method and appa~atus is to load the case row by row. The loading apparatus picks up a row of the ~equired length and puts it in the case and then returns to pick up the next row of the same length, placing it ln the case beside the fi~st row.
A third type of apparatus separates the articles into parallel columns as they are conveyed to the loading station.
The articles at the lead position of each column are dropped into the case row by row. A variation of this is when the a~ticles are round cans. They may be all slid lnto the case at the same time, the loading apparatus releasing an enti~e case load at once to ~oll into the case.
It is an ob~ect of this invention to eliminate the elaborate machinery required to assemble a caseload of articles and lower it into the case.
It is another object o~ this invention to eliminate the :
7l~3 hydraulic and electric motors required to move and reorient the various articles while putting them in the case.
It is a further ob~ect of this invention to eliminate the manual placement of the case in a position to receive the articles or to eliminate the electric or hydraulic motors in the devices to move the carton from the conveyo~ to the loading station and then return it to the case conveyor when it is filled.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The ene~gy f~ee loader is fed bottles by a bottle conveyo~.
The bottles in the loader rest on a hinged ledge. When the number of bottles required to fill the carton is present in the loader, a first sensor is activated. The cases are conveyed to the loade~ below and beside the position of the bottles. The cases are tipped up and, when in place, they activate the second senso~. When both senso~s are acti~ated, the bottles d~op and fall into a chute directing the bottles f~om the loading station and into the cases. The chutes ~eorient the bottles from a single line into the ~ows and columns required to fill the cases.
The loader may fill one case entlrely in one cycle, two cases half full on each cycle, or several cases partlally full on each cycleO When the bottles have dropped, the ledge is reset to receive the next group of bottles. The force of the bottles tips the case back onto the conveyor and it is carried away.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will be better understood and the ob~ects other than those set forth above will become appa~ent when consideration is given to the following detailed descriptlon thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed d~awings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a pe~spective view of the energy free loader with bottles on the ledge and cases in place ready to receive them;
3L19'~ 3 FIG. 2 is a section on llnes 2-2 of ~IG. l looking toward the boxes;
FIG. 3 is an end vlew of the energy free loade~ showing the bottles in so:Lld llne on the ledge and ln dashed line about to enter khe cases;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view on lines 4_1~ of FIG. 3 showing the untripped position in solid line and the tripped position in dashed llnes;
~ IG. 4A is an enlarged view of the roller and roller support shown in FIG. 4;
FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 show the bottle and pivoted ledge in the support, partially t~ipped, and fully tripped posltion;
FIG. 8 is a front view of the energy free loader showing the boxes being tilted;
~IG. 9 is a perspective view of an alternate form of the energy free loader.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
For the pu~poses of promotlng an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the drawlngs and speclfic language will be used to describe the same. It will neve~theless be understood that no llmitation of the scope of the invention is the~eby intended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated device, and such further app~ications of the p~inciples of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.
The energy-~ree loader comprises several principal s~stems.
These are the bottle support system 20, the bottle guide system 30, the bottle sensor system 40, the case sensor system 50, and the case conveying system 60. All of these sytems are attached to the main frame 70.
The bottle suppor~ system 20 is an extension of a 8~
conventional bottle conveyor such as a belt conveyor with end tray 21. The system includes a ledge 22 which extends from the belt conveyor for the length of four bottles in the system as shown. The ledge 22 has a vertical and horizontal plate and fits under and around one edge o~ the bottle. The bottles are urged onto the ledge 22 by the following bottles on the conveyor system. Each bottle is held upright in the bottle support system by plake 23 acting on the opposite side of the top of the bottle holding it in an upright position. Ledge 22 is attached to pivot 24 and counterbalanced by weight 25 holding the ledge in the horizontal position when fewer than four bottles are on the ledge. Attached to ledge 22 is roller 26, whose function is explained below.
Bene~ath the bottle support system is the bottle guide system 30. This includes an upper chute 31 for two bottles and a lower chute 32, also for two bottles. The upper chute begins below the right hand two bottles in FIG. 1 and ends in a position to make those two bottles the upper course in the right case as shown in FIG. 1. The lowex~ chute begins below the le~t hand two bottles and ends in a position to make the lo~er course ln the le~t case in FIG. 1. Behind the ledge and extending across the loader~ is bottle guide 33. Above the lower chute is ~lexible deflector 34. Not shown are suitable side guides which will prevent lateral or rotational movement o~ the bottles as they move down the chutes.
Bottle sensor system 40 detects when there are ~our bottles in the bottle support system 20. All of the bottles are urged along the ledge 22 by the following bottles on the bottle conveyor system. If~ for some reason, there are missing bottles, lt will take longer for the four bottles to be in place. When the four bottles are in place~ the lead bottle presses on bottle stop 42 attached to lever arm 41 which is pivoted at 47. Below the lever arm 41 is roller support 43 on which rides roller 26.
Depending below the roller suppor~t 43 is roller~ stop 44. Below '1~978f~3 the roller stop is horizontal lever a~m 45 on which is attahed case lever hook l~6. Not shown is a stop which limits the movement of lever arm 41.
The case conveying system 60 includes a conventional conveyo~ chain. On the side of the conveyor away from the loader is inclined bar 62 which rises ~rom beneath the conveyor and one side o~ the case to an elevation to tip the case towards the bottle support sytem. On the other side of the conveyor are side supports 63, 64, and 65 which hold the cases in the tipped position. The cases are prevented from moving furthe~ in the tipped position by case sensor system 50 and the end ~rame 66.
Case sensor system 50 contains case lever 51 which is pivoted at 52. The case lever arm 51 includes ~inger 53 which cooperates with the case lever hook 46. The case lever 51 is pivoted by the leading case being pushed into the final case loading position by following cases on the conveyor system. The case contacts case arm 54 which is also connected to pivot 52.
The case arm 54 is prevented from further movement by end ~rame 66.
Mode of Operation The bottles are continuously conveyed by the bottle conveyor across tray 21 to the bottle support system 20. The following bottles urge the ~our leading bottles to slide across ledge 22 and plate 23 until the lead bottle strikes bottle stop 42.
I~ a case is not in position to be loaded the case lever ~inger 53 prevents the lever arm 41 from moving and the four bottles ~emain on ledge 22, which is held in the horizontal position by rolle~ 26 resting on roller support 43.
The cases are pushed along the case conveyor by the following cases~ When the leading case strikes the inclined bar 52 it will tilt and rise above the conveyor, thus losing contact with the conveyor. It rests on inclined bar 62 and side supports .~, ~78;~3 63 and 64 and is pushed forwad by the fo:Llowing cases. As the case approaches the case loading position it has tilted beyond top dead center and is khen supported entirely by s~de support 65 along the side and not bar 62. The inclined bar 62 does not extend to the final case loading position. The lead case strikes case arm 54 pushing it against end frame 66. The case need only move the case arm enough to allow finger 53 to disengage from case lever hook 46, thus allowing lever arm 41 to pivot freely.
When lever arm 41 pivots, the roller 26 falls o~f of roller support 43 thus pivoting ledge 22 to a vertical position and releasing the bottles. Each of the four bottles falls against bottle guide 33 and then into the chutes 31 and 32. The two bottles above the lower chute 32 first strike flexible delfector 34 which serves to guide them and to limit their velocity to guard against denting the bottles.
The two bottles which go through the lower chute to the trailing case form the lower course in that case. The two bottles which go through the leading case from the upper course in that case. Those two bottles have sufficient momentum to tilt the case, or pivot it around support bars 63 and 64 back onto the conveyor chain which removes the case from the loader.
Immediately after the bottles fall from the bottle support system the lever arm 41 will be biased back to its original position by the weight of lever arm 45. It is prevented from returning to that position because roller 26 is riding on roller stop 44. When the bottles have fallen below ledge 22, weight 25 will bias the ledge back to the horizontal position, thus bringing roller 26 back up above roller support 43 and allowing the ~eed-in lever to return to its original position.
A second embodiment is shown in FIG. 9. The only difference is in the bottle guide system 30~ This comprises four chutes or slides 35, 36, 37, and 38. The inner chutes, 36 and 37, are identical in design and guide those two bottles down and to one side when khey are released by the support system. Outer 18~3 chutes 35 and 38 are mirror images o~ each other, guiding the outer two bottles in an S-shaped route down and to one side and on top of the bottles in chutes 36 and 37. The two central bottles in chutes 36 and 37 fall directly into the lower position in the case. ~ecause the chutes are shoL7ter than chutes 35 and 38, those two bottles arrive into the case slightly ahead of the other two bottles which follow the S-shaped chutes 35 and 38 and become the top level in the case.
In this embodiment one case is entirely loaded in one cycle.
The loader could equally load a 3x3 case in one or three cycles or a 2/4 case in one, two or four cycles. The operation herein disclosed is applicable to cans or bottles or containers of various configuL7ations.
Although the present invention has been described with reference to two particular embodiments thereof, it should be understood that those skilled in the art may make many other modifications and embodiments thereof which wlll fall within the spirit and scope of the principles of this invention.
Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for automatlcally loading cases with articles, and more pa~ticularly, relates to an imp~oved apparatus and method in which the articles are bottles, cans or the like which are fed into the apparatus in continuous rows and are then loaded into the case in groups of rows and columns.
The Prior Art la Various methods and apparatus for loading articles in cases are known in the prior art. One type of apparatus assembles the articles in parallel rows of the length of the case by moving the required number of articles sideways off the article conveyor.
When the p~oper numbe~ of columns is assembled~ the entire caseload is dropped or lowe~ed into the case.
Another method and appa~atus is to load the case row by row. The loading apparatus picks up a row of the ~equired length and puts it in the case and then returns to pick up the next row of the same length, placing it ln the case beside the fi~st row.
A third type of apparatus separates the articles into parallel columns as they are conveyed to the loading station.
The articles at the lead position of each column are dropped into the case row by row. A variation of this is when the a~ticles are round cans. They may be all slid lnto the case at the same time, the loading apparatus releasing an enti~e case load at once to ~oll into the case.
It is an ob~ect of this invention to eliminate the elaborate machinery required to assemble a caseload of articles and lower it into the case.
It is another object o~ this invention to eliminate the :
7l~3 hydraulic and electric motors required to move and reorient the various articles while putting them in the case.
It is a further ob~ect of this invention to eliminate the manual placement of the case in a position to receive the articles or to eliminate the electric or hydraulic motors in the devices to move the carton from the conveyo~ to the loading station and then return it to the case conveyor when it is filled.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The ene~gy f~ee loader is fed bottles by a bottle conveyo~.
The bottles in the loader rest on a hinged ledge. When the number of bottles required to fill the carton is present in the loader, a first sensor is activated. The cases are conveyed to the loade~ below and beside the position of the bottles. The cases are tipped up and, when in place, they activate the second senso~. When both senso~s are acti~ated, the bottles d~op and fall into a chute directing the bottles f~om the loading station and into the cases. The chutes ~eorient the bottles from a single line into the ~ows and columns required to fill the cases.
The loader may fill one case entlrely in one cycle, two cases half full on each cycle, or several cases partlally full on each cycleO When the bottles have dropped, the ledge is reset to receive the next group of bottles. The force of the bottles tips the case back onto the conveyor and it is carried away.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will be better understood and the ob~ects other than those set forth above will become appa~ent when consideration is given to the following detailed descriptlon thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed d~awings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a pe~spective view of the energy free loader with bottles on the ledge and cases in place ready to receive them;
3L19'~ 3 FIG. 2 is a section on llnes 2-2 of ~IG. l looking toward the boxes;
FIG. 3 is an end vlew of the energy free loade~ showing the bottles in so:Lld llne on the ledge and ln dashed line about to enter khe cases;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view on lines 4_1~ of FIG. 3 showing the untripped position in solid line and the tripped position in dashed llnes;
~ IG. 4A is an enlarged view of the roller and roller support shown in FIG. 4;
FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 show the bottle and pivoted ledge in the support, partially t~ipped, and fully tripped posltion;
FIG. 8 is a front view of the energy free loader showing the boxes being tilted;
~IG. 9 is a perspective view of an alternate form of the energy free loader.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
For the pu~poses of promotlng an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the drawlngs and speclfic language will be used to describe the same. It will neve~theless be understood that no llmitation of the scope of the invention is the~eby intended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated device, and such further app~ications of the p~inciples of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.
The energy-~ree loader comprises several principal s~stems.
These are the bottle support system 20, the bottle guide system 30, the bottle sensor system 40, the case sensor system 50, and the case conveying system 60. All of these sytems are attached to the main frame 70.
The bottle suppor~ system 20 is an extension of a 8~
conventional bottle conveyor such as a belt conveyor with end tray 21. The system includes a ledge 22 which extends from the belt conveyor for the length of four bottles in the system as shown. The ledge 22 has a vertical and horizontal plate and fits under and around one edge o~ the bottle. The bottles are urged onto the ledge 22 by the following bottles on the conveyor system. Each bottle is held upright in the bottle support system by plake 23 acting on the opposite side of the top of the bottle holding it in an upright position. Ledge 22 is attached to pivot 24 and counterbalanced by weight 25 holding the ledge in the horizontal position when fewer than four bottles are on the ledge. Attached to ledge 22 is roller 26, whose function is explained below.
Bene~ath the bottle support system is the bottle guide system 30. This includes an upper chute 31 for two bottles and a lower chute 32, also for two bottles. The upper chute begins below the right hand two bottles in FIG. 1 and ends in a position to make those two bottles the upper course in the right case as shown in FIG. 1. The lowex~ chute begins below the le~t hand two bottles and ends in a position to make the lo~er course ln the le~t case in FIG. 1. Behind the ledge and extending across the loader~ is bottle guide 33. Above the lower chute is ~lexible deflector 34. Not shown are suitable side guides which will prevent lateral or rotational movement o~ the bottles as they move down the chutes.
Bottle sensor system 40 detects when there are ~our bottles in the bottle support system 20. All of the bottles are urged along the ledge 22 by the following bottles on the bottle conveyor system. If~ for some reason, there are missing bottles, lt will take longer for the four bottles to be in place. When the four bottles are in place~ the lead bottle presses on bottle stop 42 attached to lever arm 41 which is pivoted at 47. Below the lever arm 41 is roller support 43 on which rides roller 26.
Depending below the roller suppor~t 43 is roller~ stop 44. Below '1~978f~3 the roller stop is horizontal lever a~m 45 on which is attahed case lever hook l~6. Not shown is a stop which limits the movement of lever arm 41.
The case conveying system 60 includes a conventional conveyo~ chain. On the side of the conveyor away from the loader is inclined bar 62 which rises ~rom beneath the conveyor and one side o~ the case to an elevation to tip the case towards the bottle support sytem. On the other side of the conveyor are side supports 63, 64, and 65 which hold the cases in the tipped position. The cases are prevented from moving furthe~ in the tipped position by case sensor system 50 and the end ~rame 66.
Case sensor system 50 contains case lever 51 which is pivoted at 52. The case lever arm 51 includes ~inger 53 which cooperates with the case lever hook 46. The case lever 51 is pivoted by the leading case being pushed into the final case loading position by following cases on the conveyor system. The case contacts case arm 54 which is also connected to pivot 52.
The case arm 54 is prevented from further movement by end ~rame 66.
Mode of Operation The bottles are continuously conveyed by the bottle conveyor across tray 21 to the bottle support system 20. The following bottles urge the ~our leading bottles to slide across ledge 22 and plate 23 until the lead bottle strikes bottle stop 42.
I~ a case is not in position to be loaded the case lever ~inger 53 prevents the lever arm 41 from moving and the four bottles ~emain on ledge 22, which is held in the horizontal position by rolle~ 26 resting on roller support 43.
The cases are pushed along the case conveyor by the following cases~ When the leading case strikes the inclined bar 52 it will tilt and rise above the conveyor, thus losing contact with the conveyor. It rests on inclined bar 62 and side supports .~, ~78;~3 63 and 64 and is pushed forwad by the fo:Llowing cases. As the case approaches the case loading position it has tilted beyond top dead center and is khen supported entirely by s~de support 65 along the side and not bar 62. The inclined bar 62 does not extend to the final case loading position. The lead case strikes case arm 54 pushing it against end frame 66. The case need only move the case arm enough to allow finger 53 to disengage from case lever hook 46, thus allowing lever arm 41 to pivot freely.
When lever arm 41 pivots, the roller 26 falls o~f of roller support 43 thus pivoting ledge 22 to a vertical position and releasing the bottles. Each of the four bottles falls against bottle guide 33 and then into the chutes 31 and 32. The two bottles above the lower chute 32 first strike flexible delfector 34 which serves to guide them and to limit their velocity to guard against denting the bottles.
The two bottles which go through the lower chute to the trailing case form the lower course in that case. The two bottles which go through the leading case from the upper course in that case. Those two bottles have sufficient momentum to tilt the case, or pivot it around support bars 63 and 64 back onto the conveyor chain which removes the case from the loader.
Immediately after the bottles fall from the bottle support system the lever arm 41 will be biased back to its original position by the weight of lever arm 45. It is prevented from returning to that position because roller 26 is riding on roller stop 44. When the bottles have fallen below ledge 22, weight 25 will bias the ledge back to the horizontal position, thus bringing roller 26 back up above roller support 43 and allowing the ~eed-in lever to return to its original position.
A second embodiment is shown in FIG. 9. The only difference is in the bottle guide system 30~ This comprises four chutes or slides 35, 36, 37, and 38. The inner chutes, 36 and 37, are identical in design and guide those two bottles down and to one side when khey are released by the support system. Outer 18~3 chutes 35 and 38 are mirror images o~ each other, guiding the outer two bottles in an S-shaped route down and to one side and on top of the bottles in chutes 36 and 37. The two central bottles in chutes 36 and 37 fall directly into the lower position in the case. ~ecause the chutes are shoL7ter than chutes 35 and 38, those two bottles arrive into the case slightly ahead of the other two bottles which follow the S-shaped chutes 35 and 38 and become the top level in the case.
In this embodiment one case is entirely loaded in one cycle.
The loader could equally load a 3x3 case in one or three cycles or a 2/4 case in one, two or four cycles. The operation herein disclosed is applicable to cans or bottles or containers of various configuL7ations.
Although the present invention has been described with reference to two particular embodiments thereof, it should be understood that those skilled in the art may make many other modifications and embodiments thereof which wlll fall within the spirit and scope of the principles of this invention.
Claims (2)
1. A case loader for containers comprising in combination:
a) a container loading station for attachment to the end of a conveyor, said container loading station holding a case load of containers in a single column;
b) a case loading station above a case conveyor for transporting cases to and away from the case loading station;
c) said case loading station located beneath and to one side of the container loading station;
d) a plurality of container slides between the bottom of the container loading station and the case loading station;
e) said container slides each beginning at the position of different containers and each ending at different container positions at the case loading station;
f) a moveable container support in the bottom of the container loading position, said support holding said containers when in the support position and allowing said containers to fall by gravity when in the released position;
g) a container sensor in said container loading station, said container sensor being activated by the leading container when slid into its position by the other containers in the container loading station;
h) a first stop means to hold the column of containers in position when the case load of containers has been conveyed to the container loading station;
i) an inclined bar leading from beneath the case conveyor to above the case loading station to tilt the cases as they approach the case loading station;
j) means to hold the case in a tilted position at the case loading station;
k) a case sensor which is activated by the case when it reaches the case loading station;
l) a second stop means to hold the container in the case loading station until it has been loaded with containers;
m) means holding said moveable container support in the support position;
n) means operated by said contained sensor and said case sensor in combination when both the containers and the cartons are in their stations to disable said means holding said moveable container support in the support position whereby containers are loaded into cases by a loader without the use of powered components.
a) a container loading station for attachment to the end of a conveyor, said container loading station holding a case load of containers in a single column;
b) a case loading station above a case conveyor for transporting cases to and away from the case loading station;
c) said case loading station located beneath and to one side of the container loading station;
d) a plurality of container slides between the bottom of the container loading station and the case loading station;
e) said container slides each beginning at the position of different containers and each ending at different container positions at the case loading station;
f) a moveable container support in the bottom of the container loading position, said support holding said containers when in the support position and allowing said containers to fall by gravity when in the released position;
g) a container sensor in said container loading station, said container sensor being activated by the leading container when slid into its position by the other containers in the container loading station;
h) a first stop means to hold the column of containers in position when the case load of containers has been conveyed to the container loading station;
i) an inclined bar leading from beneath the case conveyor to above the case loading station to tilt the cases as they approach the case loading station;
j) means to hold the case in a tilted position at the case loading station;
k) a case sensor which is activated by the case when it reaches the case loading station;
l) a second stop means to hold the container in the case loading station until it has been loaded with containers;
m) means holding said moveable container support in the support position;
n) means operated by said contained sensor and said case sensor in combination when both the containers and the cartons are in their stations to disable said means holding said moveable container support in the support position whereby containers are loaded into cases by a loader without the use of powered components.
2. In a case loader for containers comprising in combination:
a) a container loading station for attachment to the end of a conveyor, said container loading station holding a case load of containers in a single column;
b) a case loading station above a case conveyor for transporting cases to and away from the case loading station;
c) said case loading station located beneath and to one side of the container loading station;
d) a plurality of container slides between the bottom of the container loading station and the case loading station;
e) said container slides each beginning at the position of different containers and each ending at different container positions at the case loading station;
f) a first stop means to hold the column of containers in position when the case load of containers has been conveyed to the container loading station;
g) an inclined bar leading from beneath the case conveyor to above the case loading station to tilt the cases as they approach the case loading station;
h) means to hold the case in a tilted position at the case loading station;
i) a second stop means to hold the case in the case loading station until it has been loaded with containers;
the improvement comprising:
j) a pivoted container support in the bottom of the container loading position, said support holding said containers when in the horizontal support position and allowing said containers to fall by gravity when in the released position;
k) a counterweight biasing said container support into the support position, said counterweight being overcome by the weight of a caseload of containers;
l) said container support, when in the support position, resting upon a moveable support plate, which in the first position holds said container support in the support position and in the second position allows said container support to pivot to said released position;
m) a lever arm to which the support plate is attached, allowing said support plate to pivot from the first position to the second position;
n) a counterwieght biasing said lever arm to said first position;
o) a mechanical container sensor in said case loading station, said mechanical container sensor being activated by the leading container when slid into its position by the other containers in the container loading station;
p) said mechanical container sensor biasing said lever arm into the second position overcoming the counterweight;
q) a latch connected to said lever arm preventing said lever arm from moving from the first position to the seond position;
r) a mechanical case sensor which is tripped when a case reaches the case loading station;
s) said mechanical case sensor withdrawing said latch when the case is in position;
whereby, when both the containers and case are in position, the lever arm moves, the container support pivots, and the containers fall into the case.
a) a container loading station for attachment to the end of a conveyor, said container loading station holding a case load of containers in a single column;
b) a case loading station above a case conveyor for transporting cases to and away from the case loading station;
c) said case loading station located beneath and to one side of the container loading station;
d) a plurality of container slides between the bottom of the container loading station and the case loading station;
e) said container slides each beginning at the position of different containers and each ending at different container positions at the case loading station;
f) a first stop means to hold the column of containers in position when the case load of containers has been conveyed to the container loading station;
g) an inclined bar leading from beneath the case conveyor to above the case loading station to tilt the cases as they approach the case loading station;
h) means to hold the case in a tilted position at the case loading station;
i) a second stop means to hold the case in the case loading station until it has been loaded with containers;
the improvement comprising:
j) a pivoted container support in the bottom of the container loading position, said support holding said containers when in the horizontal support position and allowing said containers to fall by gravity when in the released position;
k) a counterweight biasing said container support into the support position, said counterweight being overcome by the weight of a caseload of containers;
l) said container support, when in the support position, resting upon a moveable support plate, which in the first position holds said container support in the support position and in the second position allows said container support to pivot to said released position;
m) a lever arm to which the support plate is attached, allowing said support plate to pivot from the first position to the second position;
n) a counterwieght biasing said lever arm to said first position;
o) a mechanical container sensor in said case loading station, said mechanical container sensor being activated by the leading container when slid into its position by the other containers in the container loading station;
p) said mechanical container sensor biasing said lever arm into the second position overcoming the counterweight;
q) a latch connected to said lever arm preventing said lever arm from moving from the first position to the seond position;
r) a mechanical case sensor which is tripped when a case reaches the case loading station;
s) said mechanical case sensor withdrawing said latch when the case is in position;
whereby, when both the containers and case are in position, the lever arm moves, the container support pivots, and the containers fall into the case.
Applications Claiming Priority (4)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US384,956 | 1982-06-04 | ||
| US06/384,956 US4428178A (en) | 1982-06-04 | 1982-06-04 | Energy free loader |
| US388,895 | 1982-06-16 | ||
| US06/388,895 US4428175A (en) | 1982-06-16 | 1982-06-16 | Energy free loader |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1197823A true CA1197823A (en) | 1985-12-10 |
Family
ID=27010826
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000429500A Expired CA1197823A (en) | 1982-06-04 | 1983-06-02 | Energy free loader |
Country Status (4)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| EP (1) | EP0111542B1 (en) |
| CA (1) | CA1197823A (en) |
| DE (1) | DE3376311D1 (en) |
| WO (1) | WO1983004236A1 (en) |
Family Cites Families (9)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US1828238A (en) * | 1928-11-19 | 1931-10-20 | Axel J Andersen | Bread packing machine |
| US2827082A (en) * | 1956-10-29 | 1958-03-18 | Fruit Ind Res Foundation | Carton loader |
| US3332200A (en) * | 1963-05-03 | 1967-07-25 | Dacam Corp | Tray packing means |
| US3410046A (en) * | 1964-12-03 | 1968-11-12 | Cedar Hill Farms Inc | Case filling and stacking machine |
| AT277073B (en) * | 1966-06-16 | 1969-12-10 | Hechenleitner & Cie | Machine for the fully automatic row-wise insertion of rectangular or cuboid bags or packs in a collecting container, outer box or the like. |
| US3512336A (en) * | 1967-08-28 | 1970-05-19 | John E Rosecrans | Apparatus for placing flexible packages in shipping containers |
| US3585782A (en) * | 1969-12-10 | 1971-06-22 | Heinz Co H J | Carton filling apparatus |
| US4124967A (en) * | 1977-09-19 | 1978-11-14 | Beer Frederick W | Method and apparatus for placing flexible packages in containers |
| US4291519A (en) * | 1980-05-30 | 1981-09-29 | Daniel Johnson | Bottle carton filling machine |
-
1983
- 1983-06-02 EP EP19830902188 patent/EP0111542B1/en not_active Expired
- 1983-06-02 WO PCT/US1983/000849 patent/WO1983004236A1/en active IP Right Grant
- 1983-06-02 DE DE8383902188T patent/DE3376311D1/en not_active Expired
- 1983-06-02 CA CA000429500A patent/CA1197823A/en not_active Expired
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| EP0111542B1 (en) | 1988-04-20 |
| WO1983004236A1 (en) | 1983-12-08 |
| EP0111542A1 (en) | 1984-06-27 |
| EP0111542A4 (en) | 1985-08-27 |
| DE3376311D1 (en) | 1988-05-26 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKEC | Expiry (correction) | ||
| MKEX | Expiry | ||
| MKEX | Expiry |
Effective date: 20030602 |