CA2078757C - Improved automatic packaging equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

An automatic packaging machine comprises a spaced parallel pair of conveyor chains for transporting a plurality of mandrels. A pair of guide rails connected between the conveyor chains for slidably carrying each mandrel, so that a mandrel may be moved in a product transport position to a loading station. At the loading station, tho mandrel is thrust forward to confront a box so that the product may be pushed into a box. The mandrel may be made wider to accept product without a precise alignment between mandrel and product or more narrow to fit the product into a box at the loading station. Two cam slots are provided to independently control the thrust position and the with of the mandrel.
A stabilization support provides enough play the dissipate centrifugal force and thereby enable the machine to operate at a higher speed.

Description

2~"~~~~~
~t~~rcr~u~ra ~,Tac: ~~,~~N~ er:~rr This is a Conta.nua~ion-xn-part of Ser~.a~. Nc.
0?/7~~,4~~, Fa3ed 9/l.9/91, Wha.ch in turn i,s a continuation-in-part of serial Pto. 07j508,2&~, Filed, 4j33J90, ~rhieh was a continuation-in-part of Seria3 ho.
0?/4~~,3~fi filed 3/32/90, r~c~w abandoned.
T3iis inven'~fc~n rela'~~~ tc~ autr~~atiu p~~k~g.~s~g equipment and more particu~,arly to simp2ified equa.aat wh~.Ch uses less parts and which 3s saab~ect ra fewer dams 30 and rather malfunctions.
References is made t~ my fo3.l,o~ains~ pa~Ger~ts wHiah show same of the gredeeessars c~f equipm~x~t shsa~rn and desCr~.:bed ~t~rein: 4, 491, X87; 4, 57~t, 929; ~, 71~, 92$;
4,716,?3,4; 4,738,082; x,745,782; 4,82'3,'783; ~,8~'a~,5~6;

3$ 4,982,556; 5,030,929 ;5,058,63$; abd ~,C172,57~.
These ai~orement.~aned pa:~:ents have taught sev~ra~l principles whicah are co~tb~,zaed and enlarged by the pre sent invention. A first ef the principles 4U. S. Ra'~ere'~
s,07z,573) involves a product Carxying mandreJ.a~h~.ch may 20 be made rider to receive product so that it stay be dropped less accurate2y or shay be a rando~tly sized or shaped product. For, e~caznple, 2~ bag of potato Chips aatay vary greatly frt~a~ '~h~,c~ to thin in one diz~ect~.c~n arid fx~m wide ts~ narrow in annth~r dire~tiora. Thus, 'the ~andre~.
25 m2ay be made vr~.de enough to receive every bag of potato chips regardless of how uaisshapen ~.t may be. Then ~:he ~ ~9'~ ~ ; ~ Y~
z mandrel may be made marrow to shape the product to fit within a box.
Anc~thex principle shown in the faregaing patents involves tlarust~.nx~ 'oho ~tar~drel forward in order to position it near a box or ether recepta.c3.e. (~.5.
Patents 4,8.29,'751; 4,982,556; and 5,~?2,5?3~.
Thereafter, a pu~har pusher the product from the forwardly positioned ~dandrel into the brat. without this foxward i~h~-ust are extra conveyor was required 'to bridge a gap between the ~na~drel and the boat. With or wit~hs~~xt they forward thrust this traris~er feature has sr~m~etfmes led: to a misalignment between praduct and box which caused the ~xaa~xn.e tc~ dam.
Still ancathe~C pga,nc3.pie st~owrn ~.n these patents l5 in~rvlved a ~tabiliza~ion bar wha.ch pro~3dad a mound. that abso~ebed ~ent~3fu~ga3 forms as the ~aand~el c~.a~cl~d a sprocket wheel. pr~wera~.nng a cha~.n J.~.n3t ac~n~reyr~r. when the pac3caging machine ig run at the ~aic~h speeds ~rhaare now possible, the ~aandre~. had sometimes slammed into the link chain as it raunded than sprocket. Ttae stabi~.izat.~,on bar has $utoothed the c3.r~lar exeursivn of the maxtdroi and dissipated the centr~,gugal farces sra that the slamming no longer occurs.
Each of these features offered great 3,mprovement~c over previously a~ail.a3~le automatic packaging machines;
however. .here were problems when eff~arts t~e~ro mado to cambine them. Someta~ri~~s the ~n~nc7rel with an adjusta3ale ~'~~ s~ ~"~
widtended t~ lose its width adjustment a~' art ~~gr~st eras mach vo thrust it forward. if the stabil~.~~tion bar t~tas added, the width adjustment may become even more difficult. To p:°e~rm~yt the jam at the po~,nt s~f 3,oadixar~
pxcaduct 3.nta the cartt~n, it is desx~abl,a to magic the mandrel narrow enough to fit into and be encompassed 3>y the open end a~ a boy. However, this need for jam elimination reguixed an even closer coa~trol over the mandrel width while the forward thrust and stabilization bar tended to reduce the a~ailxt~ of this pao7cac~inc~
machine ta~ c:losely ~contrcl the mandrel width.
Accordingly an ca~rject c~f the invent.ir~x~ is to provide ne~a and img~roved automatic p,aoi~aginr~ mach~,ne~, ~ierea an object is to provide mandrels hav~,xlg a variable width 1~ which may snore a~ccurateiy control~.ed ~rhfle the mandrel.
as being moved from one positiQra taa another positi.ori4 Stil1 anot~,ar object is to ~:ooomp7Lish these ova jscxts wh~.le enabling ~Ghe packaginr~ ma,ah;ine to b~ opera'~ed at higher speeds.
2f3 Tn keeping with an aspect of the invent.ioa~, those and other e~~ajeats are a~~c~mplistaed by provida.ng ~n adjusta3~le ~ridth mandrol. luaounted on two sets of o~thogonally related guide bars so that the mandrol, or parts therov~, has ~~eedoxn to slide in both X and y 25 directions relative to a. p~Lane ~aassing through a pair of substanta.ally para~.le~, csonvoyor chains that are carrying ttae mandrels as tt~e~r are being moved key tae ac~nveyor v r

4 chains. At least a pair of cam tracks are located between the conveyor chains and under the path followed by the mandrel. One of these cam tracks controls the position of the mandrel, thrusting it forward at the location or loading station where product is transferred from a mandrel to a box. The 1 second of the cam tracks cooperates with the first cam track and continuously controls the width of the mandrel as a function of the instantaneous position of the mandrel, as it is thrust forward. The stabilization bar is used in conjunction with one pair of the orthogonal bars in order to dissipate the centrifugal force acting on the mandrel while it circles the sprocket wheel.
In one aspect, the present invention provides in an automatic packing machine, a combination comprising a pair of spaced parallel vertical conveyor means mounted to turn about horizontal axes, said conveyor means establishing a path through said packaging machine, support means comprising a first pair of spaced parallel horizontal guide bars suspended between and traveling with said vertical conveyor means, platform means slidingly mounted on said horizontal guide bars for moving between transport and forward thrust positions along said established path, a second pair of guide bars 4a carried by said platform means, said first and second pairs of guide bars being orthogonally related, a width adjustable transport mandrel comprising two side members mounted to slide toward and away from each other on said second pair of guide bars, whereby said mandrel has two axial motions along said orthogonal guide bars while being carried by said conveyors, and l0 means for maintaining a predetermined adjustment of said width of between said transport and forward thrust positions.
A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the attached drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a packaging machine incorporating the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a frontal elevational view of the machine shown in FIG. l;
FIG. 3 is a partially exploded schematic perspective view of one of the cam tracks, referred to above, showing the movement of a mandrel width control cam follower at various positions along the track as the mandrel is moved from a position where it is at its widest to a position where it is at its narrowest and where it is thrust into proximity of a box at a loading station.

FTG. 3A is a perspective view of one form of expanded mandrel ~aavang interdir~ita;~.~ng f angers;
FIG, 31~ is a perspaotive view of the form o~ a contraotad mandral shown ire FIG. 3~;
FTG. ~ ~.s an exploded schematic porspoot,ive vi~v showing the operatia~a~ c~f pushers for moving pxoduot from the l~vrwardly thrusted mandrel into the boxy FIG. a is an enlarged schematic perspeativ~e view showing a pluz~al~.t;~ of the stabilization bars for supporting mandrels as the conveyor ~chaira me~~xes the mandrel: in the direction of the arrow ~A~r;
FTt~. ~ is a, partially exploded pexspeotiva vir~w oaf an adjustable ~aaridral of the type contemplated, ohovrxa in , a spaced relation to the c~rthogona~.~.~y disposed bars and 1E5 the ~aan follcawer m~c2aanism;
FxG. '7 is an exploded ~asrspeot~.ua v~.~w c~f ~1e parts ma7cing tap tha caan follower m~:chani~m and w~.d't~a adl~tastab~.e mandrel, includ~.rrg tae orthogonally~ disposed support rods, the stabilizatftxl~ bar, and the cam foZ3.ow translation mechanism;
Fig. 7A .~s a; s~holnatic playa view of a prior art device that illustrates the pz~r~blem that may be oa~as~d by ~eaatrifugal force a.ota.ng on the m~ndrel~, if a stabilizatxQn bax~s~f the type contemplated by the present iaavo~ation is not utilized;
FTG. 8 ~~; a~n a~pladed soh~a~atio p~!rspecta.ve v ew shr~~rxxag a plurality of the cam fo~.lr~wer meohan:ism c~f S
FIGS. 6 and 7, mounted ~.ri re3aticsx~ °~o a pair of parallel endless link chains forming a conveyor with the mandrel support mechanism shcawn in pos~.ta,o~;s that s~cstald be fo~.low~d around end sprockets far the chains, and ~r~,th one m~ndre~. a.n an ~xpaoded v~.e~ relation to the ccnveycrr and om~.ttad for sake af' clarity from the other sup~ao~, raechanasms;
~°zG. 9 ~.s an underside perspec~txv~ view of an adjustable mandrel combined urith its cam fo~.lc~~t~sr 7atechanism, and shovra.l~g the depending' aam followe7e tads FIG. 2o is an inverted persp~caive ~riew of the ho~,tom side c~f' an adjustable u~andrel. with the orth~ganal disposition of the guide reds and stabilization bar, and showing tk~e axially emending cam follower connected trough its crank arxn arid the centrally located operating shaft leading to '~c~ adjusting mechanism;
FxG d 7.1 is a bs~t'~om plan vie'~t oaf the device st~ow~~ in ' Figs ~, and 8-X10; and ~'~CG: -1~ ~irad 13 arse end a:nd lade elevational viet~s, 2U respectively, of the device shown :i~t Figs.
~riefly~ F7CGS. ~, end 2 are g~lan and fr~nt e~.wational views a~ a high speed packaging machine ~.o 'that utilizes 'the teachings of the present invention.
the machine ltJ ~.ncludes an elongated conveyor ~"~ ca~r;~ng ~dj~astaJble width prs~ducst mandrels ~.~4 pant a plurality o~
~aor3c stations h~v~a,ng a thrustct section 1~ where l~b;a xaandxels ~.~ are thrust. ~c~rwardly at a lr~aa~,ng svation ~~'~~r~~"~
into juxtaposed relat.lon tc~ coa~fronting bakes, such as box 18. oho oonveyors car~cy the mandrels ~.4 through a transport area 2? where they carry product to a lading station or forward thrust arcs 29 whe~:e product is T.s~aded into bc~xcs. ~, pusher rc~d ~0 ~aush~s the product from the forwardly 'thrust mandrel ~6 ~.x~tc~ a bC~~c 18. Tl~e machine may anclude zany other work stations havirsg suitable modules such as a carton or box feeder ~2, c~hae unit 24~, product loaders ~G, power drive units 28, discharge t~.nnits 1~ ~0, and miscellaneous opntrols 32 and ad~ustmerat means 3~.
The main objects c~f the present invention relate tc~
the adjustable product maridx-al~ 7.6, tae substantially rigid c~rthc~gona3, aa~raa~ge~n~nt o~ the slide bars sta~port~.ng 1~ the maxadsel and 3.ts adjust ng weans, the cc~n~teyor c msch~an.~s~a far oorttrol2ang the narrowing ~tnd widoning ssf the mandrels in response to tho work station positions which the mandrels are in. zn a xoading statis~ri ox~
thrust soot~.ora; the width of the mandxel,s is ma~ntainod ~U independently 2~s it is moved into jua~taposition v~ith the Iaaa~es for pack~g~.ng tya~ product.
Tn ~l~s. 3 and 4, a p~.ural3ty of mandrols ~.4 are shown in variohs dispc~sxt~.o~ts ~s tea th~~.r width. 'tae mar~d~ee~ls ~.4 are gen~ral~.y twrr overxapping, L-~sriaped, x5 stxeet metal members l4a and ~.~b whfch divergently or convergent~.y slid,~a over one another to provide a product receiving wide auhndrel, as indfcsatec~ at 15, or a product Aoading nax~~a~t mandrel, as ~ho~mm at ~.7. ~ prbd~(not shown) can be properly shaped and located 1by ding st,~taeezed toware~ the center of the xaa7tadrel ?ay an inward movement of the upr$ght dipped sides 19, tzn'~il the apposite si~da~ 19 are spaced ~ diHtance which is complimentary to the lateral limits of the Iaax ~.~.
then properly positioned, the front ens~ pf th~.s mandrel may fat into and ba encompassed by this open wnd of the boys. The mandrels ~.4 are carried on a pair of spaced parallel, lire chain conveyors. The rata slot means 40 xs positioned between the conveyors and adapted to accept and guide the cam ~o~,:LKrwcr~ 42 which control the mandrel wid'~h, the operatiar~ ref ~h~,ch is amplified harainibelow. A seec~r~d cam slot 45. engages each ma~a~drel.
as it passes a loading station or thrust area and causes the mandrel to move outwardly toward the boxes 18, to a loading position. ~fhe two dam ~~.o'~s remain a predeter~miried distance from each ether in the fo~rard thrust area see that a cam fol~.oGrer 43, 43 (Fx~~, 5, 1~,, ,1~) riding in slot 41 a~,~rays xetains the same (or a predetermined) spata:a~. r~lati~snshi.p with respect to the position of the cam ;~ollo~rer ~rxding in slot 40.
While one form s~f mandrel ~:4 is descr~;~red as being .
two ~-~ shaped slidahle, sheet metal, anembers, it is also possible to provide the c:onfiguratian stzown in Fl~~. :3A
axed 3H. This mandrel 34d ~.nc7lt~de:~ a pair of side rails ~.4e, each with an outwardly extend~.ng lip 24f. Extending int~ard~.y from each of side rails ~4o are ~e plurality arf spaced, interdigitat5.ng, rigid ~ing~:rs or reds 14g. The side rails are moveak~lo ~Goc~ether ~aac apart in the d3.rect.is~ns indicated by the opp~rsi~Gely da.spos~d arrows in these Figs, in ardor to vary tpae width o;~ the ~andr~I, FIGS. 6-8 show the stlruature and operation of the present inven~t~,an which can be largely attri7~u'~ed to the substantially rigid orthogonal3y disused pairs a~
para11e1 gu~.de ar slide rods. Rods 50, 50 e~terad betweexe clad are attached tc~ the spaca~d parallel chain lirtDD~s conveyors 60, 60 that are trained ov~:r and ride on the vertically arranged sprockets ~2, ~2 disposed on a hr~x~~.~antal axis 64. For purposes of disc~u$siare, the rods 50, 50 ~aay be described yes ~Ghe X~axis of the orthar~otla~.
l5~ array. They ?nave flattened errd partians 52 tha'~ are fastened )ay any suitable means 54 4Fig. 7~, e.g. screw threaded means, onto a s~uppart~.ng clip 5~ (fic~. ~3) carried bar the aha~,n$ f0, 60.
A problem addressed by my campending applxtfan, Serial No. 07/~~.2,4~.9, filed Navem~r 13, ~.~9t~, now patent , xe7Lates to centrifugal force which aa~ts~~ 2a maradr~l to try to swing outwardly in disectaon D~, (Fig. 7A) and stem back and forth in direction D2, ~3 as the mandrel goes around the oira~.e d~efi.ne~d by sprocket wheels at '~hs c~~rps~sita emds Qf the lx~rig e~va~. txanspart track, The problem becomes severs if the conveyor is c'h~ivan at l~~,gh ~pEaeds, ~~'~~'l's~
~.0 As hexe shrawn, the mandreJls firave:! without prob7.e~
axcang the s~trai~ht sections s~., ~2 0~ the ~r~nv~~or chain s0. ~icawever, when t~~ ~aridrel enters upon the c3rcu~,ar end sect.xoa~ at ~dl, there is a str~rnc~ centrifugal force tending fio rofiate t$ad mandrel. in direcfi~.on b1. There a~~y be a jerkix~css as the- mandre7l at N12 swings back and ,forth in directions D2, D3, when it oi.rcles vhe sprocltet. wheel.
When the mandrel at i~3 returns 'to fibs s~,raigla~G sectxe~xe ~i~
S2, the swing5.ng luandxel may sham into the convertor afi pcrant, P, with a hard lb~.r~~a. ~iith vhis %ind o,~ action, the mandrel may soon haanmez- it.se~,~ out o~ shape and greatly damage the conveyor chain, especiallir ~the~a the mandrel. is carrying heavy loads such as ~ive or ten pounds, for example.
FIereto~tar~, this hammering has limited the speed o1~
the automatic packaging machine. to relatively slow levels which cause a smoofih transifi off' fibs cixcsalar x~e~it~~s ofi fibs spy; ticket wheel .
The invention provides means ~,~r .$s~oxeasix~g th.e 2o speed Q~ the pac%aging machine by a 7~a~or whip may be in fide axder ~t:~ 100, far example, by coping wifih fibs cen~crifuga~. forces aotin~ upon the mandrel. The invention uses a stabix~.z~.t~s~ bad w:~'~h ~ slot ~rh:ioh :~s long ena~agh to g~rovid~! 'travel for a guide bar carrying 2~ the anandrel in order t,~ d:~ss:iyate cer~vreffuc~a~. forces as fibs ~aamdrel traverses the circular path around a sprocket.

~e 8lot is eon a tx,~~,lir~~ ec~e~e of the a~a~dre7, support to enable the convayor chain to pul3. the a~andaee2 at a pivpt pc~ant' U..S. k'atent 3,~~8, ?a2 shor~8 a sf~ilas slat, but it is orb a leading end of the mandrel support and only provides ~rel~,e~ from binding, ~tlaic~x r3oes ncrt do much for relieF Pram centrifugal faxGes ~rta.loh a~ay s,g~
tsae Mandrels.
In this invention, as a solution to the aforementioned problem (Fic~. 7) , a st2sbili~anr~ lacer 7t7 as provided wh~,ch is c~enera~.~,y U-shaped in cox~ficluratiot~.
The U has a base 7~ including a tl~r~ugYa bore 74 for~ti;~g beax~inc~ means ri.dirag on a 3.ead~,raa~ area of, the slide rod 50. Thus, base 72 may move bade and forth (directions x, X) between the two Conv~:~rors. A pair of arms 76, ~6 extend out~raxdly from opposite ends of base 72 and include enclosed slot Means 78 , 78 fs~r s3idable acceptance of the c~th~er spaced par~lle~, slide rod ~0.
A ric~~.d transverse platform aueans 8t1 extends between and i$ mounted on the a.xms 76, 76 witty a central$y d3~sposed aperture 82 ,intermediate the arms and Gt9,'th a pa~.~' o:~ blocks 84 havirac~ through bores ,g6 wh~,~gx are on arms 76. The bloal~s 8Q accept and re'~ain the second pair of sZ.id~ rods 53; ~3 which are ort~x~gona7.ly disposed x'ela~t~.~re i~b~ ~i~st ~lide~ rods: a0, 50. ~,'ha reads ~~, provade a~or rack and fo~yh sliding Motion ~.n dxreati~r~a Y, Y. A pc~3r s~f ca~rie~c means 9~0, each provided with spaced bearing blocks 9~, a:~e sl~,dably carried by ;Aide .fi'ads 53, 53 fan appasxte sides of platferrt~ mans 8~, The aPposa,t~7.~r disposed two hal-wes, ~,~a gnd 3~b, fsa7rmit~g the mandrel ~4 are each mounted by sui,t~b~.e .fastener m~anns ~~, onto one of the sl3.dable carrier mean: ~~.
shaft 10~ is cerri.ed by a 7.ever plate I02 ~rrhiah is coricavely embassed at l~4. I°h~: aan~rex po~-ta,~n L~c~ of plate ~.~2 rests within ses~ent~l bearing ~aeai'es ~8 su:rrour~d~,ng the central aper'~t~e ~2 3.n the ~alat~orm means ~0. The shaft Ic~p e~te~ds do~ri~arc~3.y through muse Ip ~~ . The cam fc~3.loc~er ~~ is carried b~Z a cxan3s arm L0~
mounted an shaft 1C~0. .~z-m ~.~J~ has an ~tpexture ~,~78 at the end opposite to fal;lawex 42 a~gr aacep~t~nce pf the shaft 300. The plate i(J2 includes appositely dfsposed beariaec~
apertures 2~.0 that are each connected to an apextured 3.5 crank I12 bea~~xng x,14. Th,e aperture II6 at the c~ppcsite end of each cran~t ar~u II2 is s~titab7.y fastened to one of the carrier means 9g fntertaedi~ate fi~t,s length, as at lava.
This, ~s it travels ~.n the cam slot ~t7, the a~av~aent of the cam folla~wer 42 Gauss a ,rotat~,on of the shaft lpp x0 and its attached plate 102, resulting .in a convergea~t ar divergent movement of. each terrier m,a~ns 9~ as it slides slang the Aide tads 53, ~3 ceus3.ng the ~,andrml hal~re~s 14a and l~hb to moue :inwardly or outWasclly relative to the ~,x~starttane~aus pr~siticrt they are in along the cam track 2~ ~0. ~imi~,asly, the platform means ~0 ~.a sub~eat to the farces exerted by the cam follawer 4z and, when dl~,rp~cted, move along the rods 50, Via, Fienae, the crthagt~nal relationship of the slidable movement along fibs ~°ait3s and Y aerie maintains the desired wxd~th ref the mar~dxe~.
during its progression along the conveyer. These ~to~emc~nts result fn the desired thrust p~ysitian of a 8 selected ruandrel wa.dth far introdracti,on of product iota a hex.
In aperataor~,, the conveyer cha3,ns 6~, ~6~ circle endlessly (Fic~. 4) around longitudana~lly displaced spracket wheels, two of which are shown axe detail at ~~, l0 62 (Fig. S). As they circle the spx°ockets, th,~ Zeng.~h8 weight and oration of the mandrel might cause it to rock bank and forth, sl~rikxng the chain ua'less restrai.nad.
According to an aspect tsf tl3e anventaor~, the d,ead3.r~g end c~f the manclreJl is carr~,ed ova a rrd 50a while the 15 trailing end of the ~aandxel .~s carried by rod ~~b which is free tea slide in the slots 78, ~8r anc~ there~ry dissipate cer~trifug~z~, i~c~rces. At the start of one excursion around the s~x~aaket wheel, red ~Ob is in i~he ba~:k or t.railxng end. of the s~,ot '78, as st~awn at A. ~t 2p the center of tlxe sprocket, point ~, 'the rod ~O~a advanoes to the (rant cr 2eading end ref slat 78. $y the t,it,~aat the mandrel leaves the sprocket, ~r~int C, the r,ad g~g~
returns to the trail.ir~g end c~f the slat. Thus, there ~,~:
na whipping ioack and Earth responsive to centrixugal forces.
The mandrel aarxying tT-shaped bas, 7~ xs free to slide back and forth (da,xectiohs x-Xj a,lar~g the ors gyp, ~~9"~~ ~a l4 50. Ther~~o~-~, as ~ mandrel on the conveyor approas the loadinr~ station or Forward ttaraast p~aaitic~n D (p~,g.
cam ~o:~x~awex~ (wheels) 43, ~~ (~iga. 12, ~.~) a~~~.~t~d tc, u-~sriaped plat~rrrm ~o exagag~s cap ~l causing tae ~andr~l to app~oaoh the boxes 1~ (Figs. 3, 4j theret~y de~in.ing t~x~ loading station area.
riSearzwhi~.e, a.s tlae xaandrels arc caxr~.eci by the:
conveyor, the cam ~olaowers 42 ~a~.low the aa5ra s$ot ~~0 (7Fig. 3 ) . At ithe ~os~,tion of follower 4~a, the cx~ax~3c a~
106 is turned tta rotate shaft 100 (dig, 7jr plate 202 and le~rer a,sms 1.12, 212, wh~.ch push apart (directa,ons Y-'~j the mandre2 sides 19, 29 that ~lidc divergently ox1 rods

5~~ 5~ tcs make the mandrel w3,dex, as shown at ~ (Fig. 3) .
~~'oduCt is loaded into the manddx~el, at dais wide mandrel 25 location. 5~ca~as~ the mandrel, is w~.de, them do~~ 33~ot have to 1ba a too ac~cux2ate drop c~i' px,~duct into 'tae mandrel, regardless a~ whether the product as weal shapadl o~ ~3sa~aap~n.
The conveyors carry the mandrels to a lacata,on shown by the cam ~c~liower 42b where the crank array lOfs i~
turned. Sha~'~ 200 (Fig. ~) rc~tatcs rannd~r the dri~iaag force c~~ tile crank arm x,06. This, in turn, rcatat~s plat$
3.Ox and pulls ax--ms 1.302, ~,1~ tc cmnv~,rgently draw ~.r~ the 711~~7~Z'~ 90, 90 ~~'11C~ txi~~'~~Clr~ t~]~ 1Il~IldrP~. :37,d~s ~.$s'1, At this lo~ata.on, the man~~r~~, ~,$ nar~.Qw, as show at F'.
Tf the product is misshapen, fi~~ c~,csing of the mandrel.
shapes it tQ fit ~.ntta a box. Also, the final ~tidth og a~
'the '~andr~l at. F is suxtabxe to fit .~r~to and t~
aalaampassed by an o~Qning in a box, as shown at ~ ~~'i.g.
4) .
Iz~ the areas between the pos3tivns of cam foa~.c~rsrs ~2b, 4~c (Fxg» 3), the shapes c~f the two cam traoks ~C~, 41 are sac,~~a that cam folxowers 4~, 43 (l~~.gts. ~.~,, a3j maintain a predetermined r~3ati,trrash.~~r ~ritk~. resge to oath other. As daer~ sho~tn, 'the two oam fol3.o~aers do hot move 7celative to eaoh other so that the w~.dth og t3xe mandrel dcras not change dur~.ng the f~arward thTCUSt thereof.
7f f some ~rther nnendre~. ~rx,dtk~ ~r~laavic~r is d~siraby~
during 'Ghe far~ard thrust, the coa~tours of saots ~0 may be g~.ven any suitablr~, mutuaa share. For exampae, i,t c~uld be desirable far 'the mandrol shade to o~aange ~t the moment when it i.s thrust into the box.
Orloe the mandrel is properly positioned relative tc a bvx, a pushor .~4 (Fig. 4) pushes pxoduc~t from the maridx~e~, and iE~to the box a8. T)1e operation of the gushers 2Q is oant~o3lec~ ~y Cam followers ~~ which ride in anather cam track (not shown).
while a specifac; embod~.ment has be~~ shoc~ri anc~
described, it ~hc~uxd ba ur~dar~tood that madifi~sat.3.ons~
will orsG~ar to ttac~se who are sk3.laed irn the art»
25 ~her~fore, the appended cla,~~as should crrnstr~aad to o~ver all reasvnab~.~ equava~.ents.

Claims (14)

The claimed invention is:

1. In an automatic packaging machine, a combination comprising a pair of spaced parallel vertical conveyor means mounted to turn about horizontal axes, said conveyor means establishing a path through said packaging machine, support means comprising a first pair of spaced parallel horizontal guide bars suspended between and traveling with said vertical conveyor means, platform means slidingly mounted on said horizontal guide bars for moving between transport and forward thrust positions along said established path, a second pair of guide bars carried by said platform means, said first and second pairs of guide bars being orthogonally related, a width adjustable transport mandrel comprising two side members mounted to slide toward and away from each other on said second pair of guide bars, whereby said mandrel has two axial motions along said orthogonal guide bars while being carried by said conveyors, and means for maintaining a predetermined adjustment of said width of said mandrel during said movement of said platform between said transport and forward thrust positions.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said conveyor means are link chains trained around spaced sprocket wheels mounted to turn on said horizontal axes, whereby said mandrel experiences centrifugal forces while circling said sprocket wheels, and stabilizing bar means associated with said support means, said stabilizing bar being pivotally associated with a leading one of said first pair of guide bars and being slidingly associated with a trailing one of said first pair of guide bars whereby said centrifugal forces are dissipated by motion of said trailing bar in said sliding association with said stabilizing bar.

3. The combination of claim 1 and means controlled by a crank arm for sliding said two side members of said mandrel toward and away from each other in order to make said width adjustment of said mandrel in responses to a position of said crank arm.

4. The combination of any one of the claims 1-3 and at least one cam track associated with said conveyor means and extending along at least part of said established path, means associated with said mandrel for moving said mandrel between said transport and forward thrust position responsive to said conveyor moving said mandrel means along said at least one cam track, said crank arm moving along said at least one cam track in order to control the position thereof, whereby said at least one cam track adjusts the width of said mandrel responsive to said conveyor moving said mandrel along said cam track.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said one cam track is a first of a pair of cam tracks extending along at least part of said established path, a second of said cam tracks controlling said transport and forward thrust position of said mandrel, said pair of cam tracks being mutually contoured to synchronize the width of said mandrel with the transport and forward thrust positions thereof, whereby this width of said mandrel may be controlled independently of this transport or thrust positions of said mandrel.

6. The combination of claim 5 and packaging means for receiving product from said mandrels, means comprising said conveyor for carrying said packaging means in synchronization with said mandrels, said mandrels and packaging means coming into confrontation during at least part of an excursion of said mandrels along said established path followed by said conveyors, said two cam tracks having contours which adjust the width of said mandrel to fit into said packaging means during the part of said excursion where said confrontation occurs.

7. The combination of claim 6 wherein said second cam track is contoured to make said mandrel wide while in a product receiving position along said established path and narrow when in a position of said established path where said confrontation occurs.

8. A high speed automatic packaging machine including a conveyor means for transporting mandrels in a given direction, orthogonally disposed rigid slide bar means having a pair of spaced parallel bars disposed parallel to an X-axis and perpendicular to said given direction, with said X-axis slide bar means being oriented relative to said conveyor means to thrust said mandrels forward to a loading position in at least part of a transportation excursion of said mandrels, a sliding stabilizer means supported on and slidably moveable along both of said X- axis bar means, said stabilizer means supporting a second pair of spaced parallel Y-axis bar means, a pair of carrier means slidably carried by said second pair of bar means, and a two piece width adjustable mandrel, each one of said mandrel pieces being carried on individually associated ones of said pair of carrier means, movement of said carrier means along said second pair of bar means causes said mandrel to divergently or convergently move between wide and narrow configurations.

9. A machine as claimed in claim 8 wherein a pair of cam tracks are associated with said conveyor means at least in said forward thrust loading position, a first cam follower means operatively connected to said carrier means and adapted to follow one of said cam tracks, a second cam follower means associated with the mandrel and adapted to follow the other of said cam tracks, said pair of cam tracks being mutually contoured to cause said carrier means carrying said mandrels to ride on said conveyor in a transport position for a substantial portion of its journey on said conveyor and in said forward thrust position for a limited portion of its said journey, said mutual contour enabling this width configuration of said mandrel to be controlled independently of the transport or forward thrust position of said mandrel.

10. A machine as claimed in claim 8 wherein said mutual contour enables said mandrel to be thrust forward without changing the width of said mandrel.

11. A machine as claimed in claim 9 wherein said second cam follower means comprises a crank arm mounted at one end of a rotatable shaft having a rotatable leverage head at the opposite end of said shaft, actuator means extending from and being connected at one thereof to opposite ends of said leverage head and being connected at the opposite end of said actuator means to said carrier means, whereby movement of said cam follower causes rotation of said leverage head which results in force being applied to said carrier means by said actuator means for causing the carrier means and their attached mandrel pieces to move toward and away from each other.

12. An automatic packaging machine comprising means for transporting a plurality of mandrels around an endless path including at least a product receiving work station and a loading work station, means for moving said mandrels in directions transverse to said path in response to said mandrel being at particular work stations, means for adjusting a width of said mandrel in response to said mandrel being at particular stations, and means for independently operating said moving and adjusting means.

13. The machine of claim 12 wherein said work stations include at least a product receiving work station and a package load work station, said moving means thrusting said mandrel into either a product receiving position or a product loading position, and said adjusting means adapting said mandrel to receive or deposit a product.

14. The machine of claim 13 and means extending along at least part of said path for operating said moving and adjusting means independently of each other.