CA1229063A - Apparatus for applying articles individually to a series of containers - Google Patents

Abstract

Abstract:
Apparatus for applying articles, e.g. spoons individ-ually to a series of containers e.g. food containers, comprises a rotatable wheel having an odd number of receptacles each adapted to hold a container. A conveyor presents the containers to the receptacles on the wheel for retention in the receptacles. The containers are returned to the conveyor upon their release by the receptacles after one rotation of the wheel. An article is applied to each container while it is being carried by the wheel during such rotation.

Description

g~63 Apparatus for a~plxing articles individually to a series of containers .
The present invention relates to apparatus for applying articles individually to a series of containers.
There is a need for automatically applying art;cles (e.g. spoons, straws) in small bags to containers, e.~. for ~ood or other content~. The purpose of the present invention is to provide improved apparatus for carrying out this function and to this end the invention consists of apparatus for applying articles individually to a series o~
containers, comprising (a) a rotatable wheel having an odd number of receptacles each adapted to hold a container therein; (b) a conveyor for presentin~ the contAiner~ to the receptacles Eor retention thereby and or receiving the containers back ~rom the receptacles upon release of such containers by the receptacles after one rotation of the wheel; (c) a transEer drum for applying a saicl article to each container while carried by the wheel during such rotation; (d) the receptacles being spaced around the wheel with a predetermined pitch; and (e) the conveyor includinc3 means Eor presenting the series of container~s to the wheel with adjacent containers o~ the series spaced apart by twice said pitch whereby the cont~iners are presellted to and carried by alternate ones of said receptacles, and the container~ are returned to the conveyor at locations inter-mediate those that they occupied on presentation to the wheel.
A preferred embodiment of the present invention w;ll now be described in corljunction with the accompanying drawings in which:-Figure 1 is a front vie~ o~ a machine embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a package container to which a small bag has been adhered;
Figure 3 is a perspective view of a strip of such bags;
Figures 4 to 10 is a series of views illustrating how such containers are handled by the machine;
Figure 11 is a front view of a part of the machiner partially cut away to show a control mechanism;
Figure 12 is a side view of Figure 11; and Figures 13 to 16 is a series of views illustrating the function of such control mechanism.
Figures 1 and 4 to 10 show a wheel 1 for receiving from a conveyor 3 the containers P shown in Figure 2.
Rotation of the wheel 1 picks up and holds successive containers P to bring them each into contact with a drum 2 at which there is applied a small bag B containing an article, e.g., a spoon. ~ach ba~ B is detached from a strip C of such bags, as shown in Figure 3, and is adhered to the side of a container P which (now desi~nated P') is returned to the conveyor. The strip C is a long and narrow strip of continuous package comprising two sheets of synthetic resin film. After the spoons have been inserted the sheets are welded together around each spoon Apparatus Eor so detaching the bags rom the strip and applying them to the containers P is disclosed in copending Canadian patent applications Serial Nos. ~ ,103 of N. Tsubota filed December 22, 1983; 4~4,104 of Y. Utsumi filed December 22, 1983; 444,171 oE K. Yamamoto filed December 28, 1983 and 444,36L o N. Tsubota Eiled December 28, 1983.
Figures 4 to 10 illustrate this process in more detail.
The wheel 1 possesses an odd number oE receptacles D (15 in the example). The pitch between stops on the conveyor 3 is double that of the receptacles D oE the wheel 1, such sto~s being effectively in phase with the receptacles or the transfer of containers P to the wheel 1 and return of the :a.Z~63 containers P' to the conveyor, as shown by the sequence o~
views of Figures 4 to 10.
As shown in Figures 11 and 12, suction pipes N ~or holding the containers P by vacuum action are provided with apertures on the bottoms of the receptacles D arranged on the external periphery oE the wheel 1. Each of these pipes N has a valve for applying and releasing the suction and a lever L for closing and opening the valve. More details of apparatus for holding the containers in the receptacles lQ are given in copending Canadian patent application Serial No. 444,102 of K. Takagi filed December 22, 1983. A fixed cam 4 is supported on a frame 9 and a movable cam 5 is rotatively supported at a fixed location on the frame 9.
The active parts of these cams are or can be located in the path of rotational travel of an actuating roller L' pivoted to the top end of each lever ~.
Figures 13 to 16 illustrate the relationship between each lever L on the wheel 1 and the fixed cam 4, as well as the relationship between the levers and the movable cam S
which is moved in synchronism with the wheel 1. The Eixed cam 4 causes each lever L to apply suction, while the movable cam 5, which is oscillated by a crank 7 and a connecting rod 8 controlled by a circular cam 6 that is rotated once for each two-pitch movement of the wheel 1,

2~ acts to release the vacuum each time (Figure 15) a container (e.g. the container P3') is to drop back onto the conveyor 3.
The full sequence will now be explained in further detail.
~s shown in Figure 4, the container Pl which has reached a position on the conveyor 3 directly under the wheel 1 is sucked into a receptacle D. To facilitate this action, it may be advantageous to have separate means (not shown) for pushing the container upwards in synchronism with the movement o~ the wheel. Subsequently, a~ter the ~9C~

wheel 1 has turned clockwise hy two pitches the container P2 will be picked up and so on. Thus, with continuing rotation of the wheel 1, the containers on the conveyor 3 are picked up and housed one by one in alternate receptacles of the wheel. As each reaches the top, a bac3 B is transferred and adhered to it by the drum 2 (Figure 5). Eventually, the container Pl (now Pl') reaches the position shown in Figure 6 when it is located between two pick up positions, i.e. between incoming containers P8 and P9. At this point, the container Pl' is released and falls onto the conveyor 3 for removal thereby (Figure 7) and the container Pg is picked up and housed ln the next empty receptacle (Figure 8). This process continues as shown by Figures 9 and 10.
The lever Ll controllinq the receptacle Dl (Figure 13) has been moved by the movable cam 5 to release the container Pl', while the suction valve for the receptacle D2 is in a position to apply suction, since the lever L2 has been moved by the ixed cam 4 and the movable cam 5 has been withdrawn out of the path of travel of the lever L2. Figure 14 illustrates the situation ater the wheel has turned clockwise by half the pitch between receptacles and the receptacle D2 has reached the position of housing the container P16. The movable cam 5 is still withdrawn.
The valve control lever L3 which maintains the receptacle D3 in the holding state is not moved but passes along the external periphery of the fixed cam 4. Figure 15 illustrates the situation after the wheel has turned clock-wise by one pitch rom the situation shown by Figure 14.
The lever L3 is being moved by the cam 5 to release the container P3'. Subsequently, the lever L4 for the receptacle D~ is moved by the ~ixed cam 4 to apply suction and is subsequently untouched by the cam 5. Figure 16 illustrates the situation a~ter the wheel has turned clockwise by a half pitch from Figuce 15, i.e. after a two-:1 2~9(~63 pitch turn from the situation shown by Figure 13; at this time the movable cam 5 is withdrawn and containers Pl' and P3' have been released and the container P17 is about to be picked up.
While the preferred embodiment discloses an arrangement in which the wheel is mounted vertically, the present invention is not limited to such an arrangement and can be used with a wheel lying horizontally.

Claims (2)

Claims:

1. Apparatus for applying articles individually to a series of containers, comprising (a) a rotatable wheel having an odd number of receptacles each adapted to hold a container therein;
(b) a conveyor for presenting the containers to the receptacles for retention thereby and for receiving the containers back from the receptacles upon release of such containers by the receptacles after one rotation of the wheel;
(c) a transfer drum for applying a said article to each container while carried by the wheel during such rotation;
(d) the receptacles being spaced around the wheel with a predetermined pitch; and (e) the conveyor including means for presenting the series of containers to the wheel with adjacent containers of the series spaced apart by twice said pitch whereby the containers are presented to and carried by alternate ones of said receptacles, and the containers are returned to the conveyor at locations intermediate those that they occupied on presentation to the wheel.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein (f) each receptacle has a valve for controlling the application of suction to such receptacle for holding a container therein and a lever for opening and closing said valve;
(g) a first cam fixedly mounted at a fixed location on a frame rotatably supporting the wheel in the path of travel of the levers to act on each lever to apply suction to its associated receptacle;

(h) a second cam movably mounted at a fixed location on the frame; and (i) means for moving said second cam between an inoperative position and an operative position in which it is located in the path of travel of the levers to act thereon to remove suction from the associated receptacle, said cam moving means being arranged to move the second cam to its operative position to act on only every second lever as such lever approaches a location for release onto the conveyor of the container held by the receptacle associated with such lever.