CA1241310A - Descending grid for case packer - Google Patents

Abstract

DESCENDING GRID FOR CASE PACKER
ABSTRACT OF DISCLOSURE

A case packer drops grouped articles into a case through a vertically movable funnel subassembly which is provided in the grid frame and is operated in timed rela-tionship with shifting movement of the riding strips in the grid. These riding strips and the funnel comprise subassemblies that are readily removable for replacement or repair.

Description

3~

DESCENDI NG GRI D FOR CASE PACKER
This invention relates generally to case packers of the type having a grid with shifting riding strips, into which grid charges of articles are received in an upper por-tion of the grid for gravity feed into upwardly open packing cases moved sequentially to a loading station below the grid.
More particularly, this invention deals with a shifting grid which includes a funnel subassembly for de-celerating the articles as they drop downwardly through the grid, which funnel subassembly is adapted to move vertically in timed relationship with the gravity fed articles to move up and clear a case being fed into the loading station, and to move down and mate with the case while it remains on the case conveyor at the loading station to guide the articles during free fall and to also decelerate them as they drop downwardly into a case at the loading station.
Shifting grid case packers are used to pack arti-cles of uniform size and shape, as for example bottles or similar articles, in upwardly open cases or cartons which may include compartments or cells for holding the individual articles. A charge or slug of articles to be loaded is fed from an infeed conveyor across a deadplate into the upper portion of the grid, and a grid assembly is movably mounted on longitudinally extending ways such that the charge can be shifted downstream slightly while the line pressure of the oncoming articles on the infeed conveyor is interrupted by a line brake or a similar holdbac~ system. The grid assembly includes a shifting grid frame, which frame includes riding strips to support the articles in the upper portion of the grid in one position of the strips, and to allow the arti-cles to drop downwardly when the strips are shifted to a second position. A funnel subassembly is supported below the shifting grid and is movable vertically downwardly as the articles drop in order to guide the articles into the upwardly open packing case. The packing case is fed on a horizontally extending case conveyor to a load station located on the case conveyor itself, and the funnel sub-assembly actually mates with the sides of the case, and/or the compartments or cells within the case, when in its lower position, but is nevertheless adapted to clear the case for movement of the cases on the case conveyor in the upper position of the funnel subassembly.
The primary object of the present invention is to provide a unique funnel subassembly for a shifting grid style packer of the type described above, which funnel sub-a3sernbly is adapted for vertical movement in timed relation-ship with shifting of the grid, and dropping of the articles through it, so that a case can be packed while it rests on a horizontally extending case conveyor, and the necessity for lifting of the case to mate with the funnel subassembly is effectively obviated.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a removable funnel subassembly which is not only vertically movable as described abovel but which can be removed for replacement or repair without necessity for 3~

altering the generally rectangular grid frarne itself.
The foregoing advantages are achieved in a shift-ing grid style packer of the type which is adapted to rec-eive columns of articles from an infeed conveyor between side-by-side longitudinally extending lane guides so that the articles can be assembled in a group for deposit down wardly into an upwardly open packing case. The machine frame has longitudinally extending ways oriented parallel to the lane guides, and a grid assembly is movably mounted on these ways for at least limited movement in the longi-tudinal direction of the lane guides. Cross slide means, in the form of parallel longitudinally spaced shafts, are oriented perpendicular to the ways and a shifting grid frame is provided on these cross slide shafts and includes a riding strip subassembly for supporting the columns of articles when the grid frame is in one position and which shifting grid serves to moves these riding strips in align-men-t with the lane guides to allow the columns ox articles to drop downwardly when in a second position. A single fluid actuator moves the grid frame transversely between these two positions and a funnel subassembly is movably supported from these same cross slide shafts for vertical movement between up and down positions. In the up position the funnel subassembly is clear of cases moved along on a case conveyor provided below the grid frame. Stop means is provided in association with this case conveyor for inter-rupting the movement of cases in order to provide each case in turn at a stationary load station or position on the case 3~0 conveyor, which load station is immediately below the grid structure described above. In the down position for the funnel subassembly the lower portion thereof mates and enters the upwardly open case held at the load station for guiding the articles dropped into the case. The vertical motion of the funnel subassembly is achieved in timed relationship with shifting of the grid riding strips so that the funnel mechanism moves downwardly at the same time that the articles are dropped.
This relationship reduces the relative motion between the dropping articles and the funnel mechanism as the articles are deposited in the upwardly open packing case.

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view, with portions of a case packer illustrated in schematic fashion, and with portions broken away, and illustrate the environment for the present invention The vertlcally movable funnel subassem-bly of the invention being illustrated in solid and brokenlines to illustrate its up and down position respectively.
The case being packed is also shown on its conveyor.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion of the shifting grid packer illustrated in Fig. 1 with the fixed lane guides illustrated in phantom lines and with portions of the Fig. 1 apparatus ommited for clarity.
Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken generally on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.
Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of an alternative embodiment of vertically movable funnel subassembly suitable for use in a shifting grid similar to that of Figs. 1-3.
Fig. 5 is an end elevational view of the shifting grid and movable funnel shown in Fig. 4.
Turning now to the drawings in greater detail, Fig.
l shows a continuously operated article infeed conveyor lO, the downstream end of which conveyor is located in closely spaced relationship to a case packer to be described so that columns of articles of uniform shape and size A, A are adapted to be fed in a downstream direction indicated by the arrow 14 between fixed lane guides 12, 12 supported from the fixed frame of the packer (not shown). The lane guides and articles are shown in phantom lines in Figs. l and 2 and Fig. illustrates only two lanes for the articles A, A but it will be apparent that any number may be provided between an appropriate number of lane guides.
A conventional packer of the type forming the en-vironment for the present invention comprises laterally spaced longitudinally extending legs 18, 18 (only one of which is shown in Fig. 2) and these legs provided a fixed framework for supporting the grid assembly to be described.
Fig. 3 shows the fixed frame leg 18 and a longitudinally extending guideway 18a defined thereon for receiving one of several rollers 24, 24 such that the grid assembly is free to move in a longitudinal direction in conjunction with shifting movement of the grid frame to be described.
To achieve this shifting of the grid frame a fluid operated actuator 34 is connected between the machine frame leg 18 and the grid frame 30 for movement of the grid frame from the position shown to a second position wherein the articles are free to drop through the grid frame into a packing case positioned therebelow, and as suggested in Fig. 1 at C.
The means for so shifting the grid Erame 30 is oE
a conventional configuration having a vertical post portion 33 provided between the frame 30 and the movable portion of actuator 34. More particularly, the grid assembly of Figs.

2 and 3 comprises longitudinally extending parallel side members 20, 20 only one of which is shown) each of which members 20 carries two rollers 2~, 24 referred to previous ly. This grid assembly further includes cross slide defin-ing means in the form of parallel shafts 26 and 28, which shafts have their end portions secured in the members 20, 20 so as to slidably support the transversely shifting grid frame 30. Tnis frame 30 is of open rectangular shape and includes slide bearing portions (not shown) such that this rectangular frame is adapted to move on these parallel cross slide shafts 26 and 28 in response to retraction and exten-sion of the fluid actuator 34. Stop collars 31, 31 are provided to define the limit positions for the frame all as described in one or more of the above mentioned pending patent applications. In the position shown for the frame 30 articles A, A are adapted to be received between the lane guides 12, 12 and to be supported on the riding strips 32, 32 as these articles are moved by line pressure from the infeed conveyor lO in the downstream direction 14 to fill the upper portion of the grid.
As best shown in Fig. l a conventional line brake assembly, indicated generally at 15, is adapted to clamp one or more articles against a fixed deadplate 13 so that the group of articles provided in the grid can be shifted down-stream providing clearance for dropping them into the case.
That is, in conjunction with transverse shifting movement oE
the frame 30 the grid frame is also moved in the downstream direct.ions as a result of a Eixed cam plate 3~ which defines an inclined slot 3~a such that a roller 40 provided on a post associated with the cross slide shaft 26 causes limited longitudinal downstream motion of the entire grid assembly to provide the requisite spacing between the articles clamped on the deadplate 13 by the brake 15 and those in the grid frame.
Lane detectors 17 are provided on a cross beam 19 which is adjustably mounted longitudinally on rails provided for this purpose and best shown at 20 in Fig. 1. Depending

3~

upon the size of the charge of articles to be dropped these lane detectors, and more particularly the beam 19, will be positioned for allowi.ng the requisite number of articles to be received in each o the lanes defined by the mixed lane guides referred to previously. The riding strips 32, 32 are supported on fixed guides or cross bars 52, 52 provided for this purpose in the grid frame 30. Each riding strip 32 has an end block 54 at its upstream end and end block 56 at its downstream end such that these strips are releasably secured to laterally extending upstream and downstream legs of the rectangular frame 30. Screws 58, 58 are provided in the downstream end blocks 56 to properly locate each riding strip 32 in the desired lateral location with respect to the associated lane defined by the lane guides 12, 12.
Alternatively these riding strips may instead be mounted on a subassembly such as that sugges-ted at 50 in Eig. 2, such subassembly i.tself comprising a rectangular frame def.ining the .l.aterally extending upstream and downstream members 52, 52 and longitudincll members 50, 50. In this case, that is where a subframe or subassembly is used to support the riding strip the frame 30 must be secured thereto by sui-table means which may include means for releasably securing one to the other.
Turning next to a more complete description of the funnel subassembly, clusters of depending fingers 70a serve 3~

to guide the descending articles as they drop downwardly through the open grid, and it is an important feature of the present invention that these finger clusters also descend as the articles enter the upwardly open pocket defining portions thereof so as to more efficiently decelerate these articles as they drop toward the upwardly open packing case C. By way of reference, each of these finger holders is adapted to support up to four fingers in four adjacent corners of a plurality of associated pockets in a typical grid funnel assembly. Means is provided for mounting the finger holders in depending positions on parallel rails such as the rails shown at 72, 72 in Fig. 1. The zingers are preferably flexible and are adapted to extend downwardly and outwardly from the sockets defined in the holders and each finger is releasably retained in its assembly by opposed clamping of surfaces on a holder 70b and a retaining member 70d. As so constructed and arranged each finger is capable oE limited pivotal movement at least to and away from a normal center position such as -that shown wherein each einger extends toward the center of its associated pocket. A sing]e fastener extends upwardly through the retaining member 70d and may carry a compression spring such that the restoring force on all fingers on a particular finger 3~'0 holder can be varied to cause its associated zingers ko be urged toward the normal positions shown. Each holder 70b is secured to its associated longitudinally rails 72 by conventional fasteners as suggested at 70c in Fig. l The foregoing description serves to outline the structure of a case packer in which the improvement of the present invention can be provided. The longitudinally eY~tending rails 72, 72 which support the holders 70b are in turn supported by laterally extending cross members 76 and 78 best shown in Fig.
1 and located parallel to and approximately the same level as the guide rods 26 and 28 respectively. A second pair of rods 86 and 88 respectively support these cross members 76 and 78 through brackets 96 and 98, which brackets serve to releasably secure the funnel subassembly to the parallel cross shafts 86 and 88D Thus, each bracket 96 has a U-shaped socket at its upstream end so that it is pivotally supported on the shaft 86 and hence capable oE
being pivoted downwardly so as to be removed Erom the shaE-t ater disconnecting a downstream bracket 98 from shaft 88. The clown.strearn bracket 98 inc:Ludes two parts, a first part being secured to the cross member 78 and a second part 98b movably mounted on the first part as best shown in Fig. 1. These bracket parts cooperate to define upwardly open sockets for releasably securing the funnel subassembly to shaft 88. As so constructed and arranged each of these sockets can be opened and closed ~2~

manually to drop the downstream end of the funnel subassernblies so that it pivots about the upstream shaft 86. Thus the entire funnel subassembly can be removed for convenient replacement or repair.
In further accordance with the present invention this removable portion of the funnel subassemblyr toyether with rods 86 and 88, are adapted to be shifted vertically downwardly from the solid line position shown to the suggested broken line position as a result of simultaneous actuation of two fluid actuators 100, 100 only one of which is shown in the drawings.
As best shown in Fig. 3 the actuator 100 has a movable portion 101 which i.s directly connected to longitudinally extending leg 102 in which the cross shafts 86 and 88 are themselves supported.
Two such actuators are provided at the midpoints of opposite sides of these legs 102, 102. Four corner mounted blocks 10~, 104 are provided as shown, in fixed relationship to the guide rails 26 and 28, to s:Lidably receive your vertically oriented corner po.sts 106, :L06. These posts have their lower ends fixed to the ends Oe the legs 102, 102, and as so constructed and arranged the funnel subassembly comprising legs 102, 102 shafts 86 and 88, together with brackets 96 and 98 and the rails 72 and finger clusters 70, 70) are movable vertically.
Vertical movement of the funnel subassembly in the downward direction is timed with the lateral shifting movement of the grid riding strips 32, 82. Thus, the downwardly l 3~

dropping articles move through the pockets provided by the finger clusters as the latter penetrate the packing case C.
Retractable stops S, S associated with the case conveyor T
(Fig. 1) locate the case during this phase of the cyclically operated packer, and the need for a lift table to raise the case off the conveyor into engagement with the funnel (and reduce the shock of the dropped articles) is eliminated.
The expedient of moving the funnel down instead of raising the case provides a much more efficient case packer. The fingers themselves are so designed as to decelerate the des-cending articles and further reduce the impact between them and the case.
Turning next to the alternative embodiments depict-ed in Figs. and 5, a grid frame is supported for limited longitudinal movement on guideways 118a, 118a in the fixed frame legs 118, 118. Rollers 124, 124 are moun-ted on the longitudinally extending side members 120, 120 for this purpose. fluid actuator (not shown, but similar to that described above with reference to numeral 3~ in Fig 3) move the shiftiny grid frame 130 both laterally and in the downstream direction due to the action of cam slots (not shown, but similar to those described above at 38a).
The grid frame 130 moves laterally on the parallel cross slide shafts 126 and 128, which shafts have their end portions secured in the longitudinal members 120, 120 (one shown in Fig. 5). Shaft 128 actually connects to uprights 122, 122 which uprights are supported by longitudinally ex-tending legs 202, 202.

3~

Thus, the grid assembly of Figs. 4 and 5 comprise members 120, 120 and legs 202, 202 plus shafts 126 and 128 and these components provide the support structure for the laterally shiftable grid frame 130.
The grid frame 130, like that described above with respect to frame 30 in Figs. 1-3, has an open rectangular planform as viewed from above (See Fig. 2 for reference purposes - no equivalent view is shown for frame 130). As best shown in Fig. 4 the downstream end brace 130a of frame 130 is spaced vertically above the rest of the frame (up-stream end 130d and longitudinally extending portions 130c, 130c~. Support block 130b are provided to connect the raised end brace 130a to these parallel portions 130c, 130c.
As so constructed and arranged frame 130 is slidably sup-ported on cross shafts 126 and 128 for the purpose of shift-ing the riding strips 132, 132 and it will be apparent that these strips serve the same purpose in this Fig. 4 and Fig.
5 version as the strips 32, 32 in Figs. 1-3. Each strip 132 is held in place by devices 158 similar to those described above with reference to 58, 48 in Fig. 2.
It will be apparent that the Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 ver-sion also has lane detectors (not shown) mounted on a cross beam similar to that described above with reference to beam 19, and that this structure is adjustably located on the rails 120, 120 as is beam 19 on rails 20, 20 in Fig. 2. So too, an infeed conveyor feeds articles into the left hand end of the grid in Fig. 4 between lane guides 12, 12 and across a deadplate (not shown, but similar to the plate 13 of Fig. 2). I,ine brake means stops the articles so charges can be dropped.
Turning next to a description of the removable funnel subassembly of the present invention as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the finger clusters 70, 70 are provided on longitudinally extending rails 172, 172 similar to the rails 72, 72 described above with reference to Figs. 1-3.
Where the funnel subassembly of Figs. 1-3 is provided with upstream and downstream brackets 96 and 98 so that the removable portion can be pivotably mounted for downward rotation on shaft 86 by means of the forward bracket 96, after dislodging the separable bracket 98 and 98b from shaft 88, the funnel subassembly of Figs. 4 and 5 has a removable portion adapted to be slid horizontally into and out of its active position on longitudinally extending rails 186 (only one side shown in Fig.
5) and is held in the position shown by screws 198, :L98. Thus, the removable porkion of the funnel subassembly in Figs. 4 and S
compr:ises Eour brackets 196, 1~6 acljacent the four corners of the tunnel subassembly, -the cross members 176 and 178 to which the brackets are attached and the above-described rails 172, 172 and finger clusters 70, 70.
This removable portion of the funnel subassembly is in turn mounted on the parallel rails 186, as mentioned pre-viously, and these rails 186, 186 are connected to the movable parts 201, 210 of vertically oriented fluid actua-tors 200, 200. Each actuator 200 is mounted to one of the two legs 202, 202 mentioned previously and has its movable part 201 extending through an opening in its associated leg 202 so that its lower end can be secured to the mid-point of the rail 186. Four slide blocks 204 are provided two on either side of each actuator 200 so that vertically oriented posts 206 carried by the rail 186 move in these slide blocks to locate and guide the vertically movable funnel subassembly as it is lowered during loading of a case, and raised during return movement. As so constructed and arranged cases can be moved horizontally into and then out of a load portion on the case conveyor while the funnel subassembly is raised, and yet the case can be mated with the funnel fingers when the case is lowered as suggested in Fig. 1. Both versions exhibit this advantage, but the second version shown in Eigs. 4 and 5 has an added advantage attributed to its ability to be easily removed by releasing screws 198, 198 and then sliding the funnel horizontally.
This removal feature allows the funnel to be removed for replacement or repair of fingers etc. without requiring excessive vertical space between the case and the support-ing structure (86 and 88 in Fig. 1) for said funnel sub-assembly (compare the pivotal release for the funnel of Figs. 1-3 with the horizontal release for that of Figs. 4 and 5).

Claims (10)

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. In a shifting grid style packer of the type wherein columns of articles are received from an infeed conveyor between side-by-side longitudinally extending lane guides for the deposit of groups of articles downwardly into upwardly open packing cases, the improvement comprising, a horizontally extending case conveyor, a fixed frame having longitudinally extending ways oriented parallel to the lane guides, a grid assembly movably mounted on said ways and defining cross slide means oriented transversely to said ways, a shifting grid frame on said cross slide means and including riding strips to support the articles when said grid frame is in one position and to allow the articles to drop downwardly in a second position, means for shifting said grid frame transversely between said one and said second position, funnel means for guiding the articles so dropped, means supporting said funnel means for limited vertical movement between an upper funnel position wherein said funnel means is located above said case conveyor to permit cases to be moved horizontally into and out of a load position on said case conveyor and a lower funnel position wherein said funnel means penetrates the top of a case at the load position on said case conveyor, said vertically movable funnel means providing the sole guidance for articles dropped from said grid frame.

2. The combination defined by claim 1 wherein said means supporting said funnel means includes at least one vertically oriented fluid actuator with a first part con-nected to said grid frame and a second part connected to said funnel means, and a horizontally oriented fluid act-uator having a first part connected to said fixed frame and a second part connected to said grid frame, both said actuators being operable in timed relationship to one another to drop articles into said funnel as the funnel means descends from its upper toward its lower position.

3. The combination defined by claim 2 wherein said means supporting said funnel means includes longitudinal-ly extending members and transversely extending supports spaced below said cross slide means, said supports and said members defining a rectangularly shaped open funnel support structure, and said funnel means comprising par-allel rails spaced below said lane guides, pocket defining fingers mounted on said rails to define individual pockets for the articles in the group of articles being dropped into the packing case.

4. The combination defined by claim 3 wherein said funnel means further includes cross members (76 and 78) adjacent the ends of said rails, and bracket means releasably securing said cross members to said funnel support structure, said bracket means including socket defining brackets for pivotally receiving spaced portions of one side of said rectangular funnel support structure and brackets for releasably clamping an opposite side of said rectangular funnel support structure.

5. The combination defined by claim 4 wherein said one and said opposite sides of said rectangular funnel support structure comprise transversely extending supports, said supports and said cross slide means being of similar cross sectional size and shape, and said means for supporting said funnel further including at least two vertically oriented fluid actuators arranged on opposite sides of said tunnel support structure and having first parts connected thereto and second parts connected to mid-points of said longitudinally extending members.

6. The combination defined by claim 2 wherein said means supporting said funnel means includes longitudinally extending members and transversely extending supports, said cross slide means including parallel transverse slide members, an upstream one of said slide members spaced below said riding strips and a downstream slide member spaced above said riding strips to define a gen-erally rectangular shaped open funnel support structure, and said funnel means comprising parallel rails spaced below said lane guides, pocket defining fingers mounted on said rails to define individual article guiding pockets for the dropped articles.

7. The combination defined by claim 6 wherein said funnel means further includes cross members adjacent the ends of said rails, and bracket means securing said cross members to said funnel support structure, said funnel support structure including generally horizontally extending railways slidably receiving said bracket means and means for clamping said bracket means to said funnel support railways.

8. The combination defined by claim 7 wherein said means for supporting said funnel means further includes at least two vertically oriented fluid actuators so arranged in said funnel support structure that first parts are con-nected to said structure and said actuator movable parts are connected to the midpoints of said railways.

9. The combination defined by claim 1 wherein said funnel means comprises a removable funnel sub-assembly which includes pocket defining fingers for guiding articles dropped into a case on said case conveyor.

10. The combination defined by claim 9 wherein said funnel subassembly includes rails and holders on said rails for supporting said fingers, and said funnel support structure including bracket means for removably assembling said funnel subassembly with said funnel support structure.