CA1228322A - Transfer device in a conveyor system - Google Patents

Abstract

Abstract:
A transfer device is disclosed for use with conveying apparatus consisting of a rotary supply device for deliver-ing a series of articles traveling in a first path with the articles having a uniform first orientation in relation to such path, and a rotary receiving device driven synchron-ously with the supply device for conveying containers in either direction in a second path substantially parallel to the first path and for receiving on each container one of the articles in a second orientation inclined at a predetermined angle to the second path. The transfer device of the invention consists of a transfer drum rotatable in synchronism with the supply and receiving devices about an axis inclined to a perpendicular to the first and second paths by an angle equal to half such predetermined angle.
The drum is located to receive each article from the supply device and after a rotation of substantially 180° to deliver each article to the containers on the receiving device in the second orientation.

Description

Transfer device in a conveyor system The present invention relates to a transfer device for use in a conveyor system and, more specifically, to a transfer drum for transfer of articles from a supply drum, conveyor or other means to a receiving wheel, conveyor or other means while subjecting the articles to a change of orientation.
One specific application of the invention is the presentation of small bags containing spoons, straws etc.
in an inclined orientation to surfaces of a series of food containers for adhesion thereto.
Prior machines for achieving this objective have been complicated, having involved a need to present the containers in an oblique orientation. The purpose of the present invention is to simplify the apparatus and especially the handling of the containers.
To this end, the invention consists of a transfer device for use with conveying apparatus comprising (a) upstream supply means for delivering a series of articles traveling in a first path, said articles having a uniform first orientation in relation to such path; and (b) downstream receiving means driven synchronously with said supply means for conveying containers in either direction in a second path substantially parallel to said first path, and for receiving on each said container a said article in a second ..
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orientation inclined at a predetermined angle to said second path.
The transfer device according to the invention comprises a transfer drum rotatable in synchronism with said supply means and said receiving means about an axis inclined to a perpendicular to said first and second paths by an angle equal to half said predetermined angle, said drum being located to receive each article from the supply means and after a rotation of substantially 180 to deliver each article to the containers on the receiving means in said second orientation.
In the preferred embodiment, the upstream supply means consists of a feed drum and a synchronized cutter for separating a series of bags each containing a spoon or the like from a long strip of such bags, and presenting these bags individually to the transfer drum. The transfer drum, after a rotation of 180 with a change to the orientation of the bags, presents them to the receiving means which consists of a wheel having receptacles in its periphery holding the containers. Adhesive will have already been applied to the receiving surfaces of these containers so that the bags adhere thereto in the new orientation. The axes of the feed drum and the receiving wheel are parallel to each other and the axis of the transfer drum is inclined to these axes by said half angle, that is half the predetermined angle at which the bags are to be oriented relative to the containers.
n embodiment of the present invention will now be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings r in which:
Figure 1 is a front view of a machine according to an embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a fragmentary view illustrating a part of such machine;
Figure 3 is a perspective view of a strip used in the machine; and 122832~

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a final product.
In the drawing the symbol C represents a long, narrow strip of continuous package comprising two sheets of synthetic resin film Of and C2 between which spoons A
are located. The surrounding parts of these films are welded together to contain the spoons A spaced from each other at a regular pitch to form a series of small bags B.
The strip C is fed to a drum 1 which turns clockwise intermittently. reference E is a cutter for separating individual bags B from the strip. Numeral 2 is a wheel for conveying food containers D to a location at which each bag B is adhered to a container D. The shafts of the drum 1 and wheel 2 are parallel to each other and both rotate clockwise.
The wheel 2 has an odd number of receptacles for the containers D, receiving and conveying these containers in alternate receptacles and ultimately returning them to a conveyor. This machine is more fully described in cop ending Canadian patent application Serial No. 444,362 of Y. Utsumi filed December 28, 1983 and in the companion applications referred to therein.
Soon after each container D has been grasped by a suction pad (not shown) in a receptacle of the wheel 2 and before it has reached the location at which a bag B is applied a hot melt adhesive is sprayed onto a face D' of the container by a gun H.
A transfer drum 3 is located between the drum 1 and the wheel 2 and is counter-rotated synchronously with them. In order to give the bag B an inclination a when applied to the container D, the shaft of the drum 3 is inclined my an angle I to the shafts of the drum 1 and wheel 2 while remaining in a horizontal plane. Pairs of suction pipes pa are spaced at 120 around the periphery of the drum 3 for effecting the transfer operation.
As shown in Fig. 1 the strip C is first held by the drum 1 which has numerous suction holes in its surface and I
I,, I, ~228;~22 which intermittently rotates clockwise. The timing of this movement and of the cutter E presents an individual bag B to the suction pipes pa for transfer of the bag to the drum 3, since the force holding the bag against the drum 1 is smaller than that of the suction pipe pa. The orientation of the bag B on the drum 3 is shown in chain and dot broken lines in Fig. 2. Subsequently, the bag B
reaches the bottom of the drum 3, i.e. a rotation of 180, by which time the orientation of the bag B is as shown by the simple broken lines in Fig. 2, i.e. inclined by the angle to its former orientation.
The bag B in this new orientation is thus presented to a container D on the wheel 2, which container has already been sprayed with adhesive. When the bag B and container D contact each other the bag B is removed from the suction pipe pa by the stronger force of the adhesive on the container. As a result, the bag B is adhered obliquely on the face D' of the container D. At this time it is preferable to enhance the effect of the adhesive by a member (not shown) that presses the bag B against the container, while moving in synchronism with it.
The arrangement achieves the desired reorientation of the bags B without the need to resort to a complicated mechanism.
Although the illustrated embodiment employs the drum 1 and wheel 2 respectively upstream and downstream of the drum 3, these rotary devices can be replaced by belt conveyors. Also, instead of a spoon in the bag, another article such as a straw can be used.

Claims (2)

Claims:

1. A transfer device for use with conveying apparatus comprising (a) upstream supply means for delivering a series of articles traveling in a first path, said articles having a uniform first orientation in relation to such path; and (b) downstream receiving means driven synchronously with said supply means for conveying containers in either direction in a second path substantially parallel to said first path, and for receiving on each said container a said article in a second orientation inclined at a predetermined angle to said second path;
(c) said transfer device comprising a transfer drum rotatable in synchronism with said supply means and said receiving means about an axis inclined to a perpendicular to said first and second paths by an angle equal to half said predetermined angle, said drum being located to receive each article from the supply means and after a rotation of substantially 180° to deliver each article to the containers on the receiving means in said second orientation.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said supply means and receiving means are both rotary devices having their axes of rotation parallel to each other, the axis of rotation of the transfer drum being inclined at half said predetermined angle to the axes of said rotary devices.