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
  • B65B25/00—Packaging other articles presenting special problems
  • B65B25/06—Packaging slices or specially-shaped pieces of meat, cheese, or other plastic or tacky products
  • B65B25/10—Forming sector-shaped packages of cheese or like plastic products
• • 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
  • B65B35/00—Supplying, feeding, arranging or orientating articles to be packaged
  • B65B35/10—Feeding, e.g. conveying, single articles
  • B65B35/26—Feeding, e.g. conveying, single articles by rotary conveyors

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a method and a device for forming groups of packages of a pasty, liquid or semi-liquid food product, in particular, wrapped processed cheese portions, to be packed in cartons or boxes.
• Each package forms a solid having a base in the shape of a triangle or circular sector, first and second side walls tapering to a front vertical edge or tip, and a rear wall or heel end.
• the packages In the group to be prepared, the packages must be placed close together with the side walls of each package touching the side walls of the adjacent packages.
• machines operating with stop/start or stepping motion are equipped with systems for preparing the groups of packages.
• These prior art systems normally comprise a collating unit based on a positioning unit that rotates in steps and comprises a plurality of slots defined by radial walls for guiding and positioning the packages, each slot being open on its outside edge to enable a package to be inserted into it with the tip facing the inside of the slot.
• the packages are fed into the slots in stepped sequence. Once a package has been inserted into a slot, the positioning unit or wheel is turned through a predetermined angle so that another slot moves to the position where it can receive the next package. When all the slots are full, that is to say, when the group of packages has been completed, the positioning wheel is lifted and the plate supporting the group of packages is moved away from the grouping area and transferred to the cartoning machine. This procedure is extremely lengthy since the positioning wheel must be rotated each time a single package is inserted into a slot. Moreover, the step of transferring a completed group and moving an empty supporting plate into position, ready to receive another group, is a particularly critical one. Thus, between the moment the last package in one group is inserted into the last empty slot and the moment the first package in the next group is presented for insertion, there must be enough time to substitute the full supporting plate with an empty plate by appropriate drive movements of the positioning wheel.
• the present invention provides a method for forming groups of packages of a pasty food product, in particular, wrapped processed cheese portions to be packed in cartons or boxes, in a machine for making these wrapped pasty product packages, each package having a first side wall, a second side wall and a rear wall or heel end, and where the packages are placed close together in a group with the side walls of each package touching the side walls of the adjacent packages, the method being characterised in that it comprises a step of arranging the packages in a spaced apart configuration where they are distributed around the grouping area and each package is separated from the others by a certain space, and a step of moving the packages into contact with each other to form the required group of packages.
• the present invention also provides a device for forming groups of packages of a pasty, liquid or semi-liquid food product, in particular, wrapped processed cheese portions, to be packed in cartons or boxes, in a machine for making these wrapped pasty product packages, each package being in the form of a solid having a first and a second side wall and a rear wall or heel end, and where the packages are placed close together with the side walls of each package touching the side walls of the adjacent packages.
• the device comprises means for grouping the packages and is characterised in that said grouping means comprise means for arranging the packages in a spaced apart configuration where they are distributed around the grouping area and each package is separated from the others by a certain space, and means for moving the packages into contact with each other to form the required group of packages.
• the group of packages formed can be transferred while the next group reaches the grouping device and is positioned in the spaced apart configuration.
• the packages can be fed at considerably faster rates than in prior art machines, while at the same time allowing ample time to perform the operations on the packages without the risk of squashing the packages or damaging the wrappers and contaminating the product, which in turn means that the machine does not need to be stopped to remove damaged packages.
• at least the first package to reach the supporting means of the grouping station is moved towards the central position ahead of the others in the group being formed so that the position occupied by it can be taken by the first package in the next group to be formed when it reaches the grouping means.
• the packages are grouped together following a circular feed motion accompanied by a radial positioning movement that puts the packages in a closely grouped configuration.
• the invention makes it possible to form one group of packages and, at the same time, continue feeding the packages continuously towards the grouping unit. This means improved performance: that is to say, machines whose output is comparable to that of prior machine but which are more delicate on the product, with lower risk of damaging the packages.
• Figure 1 is a schematic view from above of the part of the packaging machine equipped with a grouping device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention
• Figure 2A is a side view of a preferred embodiment of the bottom part of the grouping device according to the present invention
• - Figure 2B is a longitudinal vertical cross section of the bottom part of the grouping device according to the present invention
• Figure 3 is a horizontal cross section showing the bottom part of the grouping device;
• Figures 4A to 4G schematically illustrate the different positions of the packages while they are being grouped together;
• Figure 5 is a side view of a preferred embodiment of the bottom part of the transfer unit forming part of the grouping device according to the present invention
• Figure 6 is a horizontal cross section of the preferred embodiment of the package transfer unit.
• Figure 1 illustrates the area at the end of a machine that wraps portions of a pasty product to make individual packages.
• This end part of the machine is equipped with the preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention for forming groups G of the packages of the pasty product, consisting in particular, of processed cheese portions, to be packed in cartons or boxes at a station downstream (not illustrated in Figure 1) .
• packages are made by suitably folding a sheet of aluminium foil into the shape of shell which is then filled with a charge of the processed cheese and covered over by another sheet of foil.
• packages of this kind are very well known in the field and will not therefore be described in more detail in this specification. More specifically, the packages, which are labelled 12 when referred to generically or 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d, 12e, 12f when referred to as individual packages making up a group, have the form of a solid with a base shaped like a triangle or circular sector and comprise, as shown in Figure 4A, a first side wall 14 and a second side wall 16 tapering to a front vertical edge or tip 18, and a rear wall or heel end 20.
• the packaging machine also comprises a package grouping station 22 equipped with suitable means for grouping the packages.
• these means for grouping the packages comprise means for arranging the packages in a spaced apart configuration where they are distributed peripherally - and in particular in a circle - around the grouping area and each package is separated from the others by a certain space, and means for moving the packages into contact with each other to form the required group of packages.
• the packages are arranged in a circle and are radially spaced from each other to form a shape corresponding to that of the final grouped configuration.
• the grouping means comprise means 24, 26 for supporting the packages which, looking in more detail, comprise means 24 which support the packages when these are in the spaced apart condition, and which consist of a circular plate 24 - and, more specifically, a circular crown - suitably connected to the machine frame (in a manner not illustrated in the accompanying drawings) and on which the packages are fed at angular intervals from each other, as - described in more detail below.
• the means 24 for supporting the packages in the spaced apart configuration have an infeed end 24 ' where the plate 24 receives the packages in succession at predetermined intervals from each other.
• the plate 24 has a circular central opening 25, in which the means for supporting the packages in the closely grouped configuration G are mounted.
• the means for supporting the packages in the closely grouped configuration consist, more specifically, of an inner circular plate whose diameter is substantially the same as that of the opening in the outer plate 24, and which are mobile so that the packages in the closely grouped configuration can be moved away from the grouping station.
• the means for supporting the -packages in the closely grouped configuration can be lowered relative to the outer plate 24 to allow the group of packages to be easily moved away from the grouping station (this feature not being illustrated in the accompanying drawings) .
• the grouping means also comprise means for feeding the packages 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d, 12e, 12f along a path for arranging the packages in the spaced apart configuration.
• feed means have continuous feed motion and, as illustrated, are mounted above the supporting means 24, 26.
• the feed means comprise a plurality of elements 30, each having a surface 32 for radially contacting the side wall 14 of one of the packages 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d, 12e, 12f.
• Means 33 for mounting the feed means consist of a substantially conical body 33 which is hollow to permit the passage of the means for mounting and driving the radial push plates (as described in more detail below) .
• the feed means consist of a shaped plate 30.
• the plate 30 has a vertical portion 36 extending from the mounting means 33 to a radially protruding portion of which it is fixed by respective screws 34, and a lower portion 38 for contacting the packages 12, and which is offset with respect to the portion 36 by which it is fixed to the mounting body 33.
• the packages are received sequentially at predetermined intervals and fed along a circular path around the grouping area to be arranged at angular positions which are radially spaced on the outside of the positions they will have been moved to when they are in the closely grouped configuration, as described in more detail below.
• the grouping device according to the invention comprises means for moving the processed cheese packages from a spaced apart configuration to a closely grouped configuration where the packages are in contact with each other.
• the means for moving the packages consist of means for pushing the packages radially from an outer position where they are not closely grouped to an inner position where they are close together on the central supporting plate.
• these pushing means comprise a plurality of push plates 44 designed to contact the back ends of the processed cheese packages.
• the push plates are made from thin sheet and their profiles are curved relative to the horizontal, each forming a curved contact surface 44' that matches the shape of the heel end 20 of the package.
• the push plates 44 slide in respective guides 46 and each plate 44 is mounted on a block 48, to which it is fastened by screws 49.
• the guides 46 consist of radial rods with rectangular cross section.
• the block 48 has formed in it a slot 50 into which the guide 46 is slidably fitted.
• Means are provided for driving the push plates from an outer position to an inner grouped position.
• the means for driving the push plates comprise a drive roller 57 that runs in a vertical groove 56 made in the sliding block 48 which mounts the respective push plate 44 so as to drive the push plate mounting block in a radial direction.
• the drive roller 54 is connected to an arm 58 attached to a pivot pin 60 attached to a toothed wheel 62 which imparts rotational motion on the arm 58 so as to drive the roller 57 and which is rotationally driven by suitable means 64 in such a way as to drive the push plate 44 inwards and outwards.
• Means for supporting the pushing means are provided. These supporting means mount the radial guides 46 and consist of a mounting shaft 52, whose lower end 52' is fastened by screws 54 to one end of the radial guide rods 46 and from which the radial guide rods 46 project.
• the shaft 52 mounting the radial guide rods 44 fits into and protrudes downwardly from the means for supporting the feed elements 30.
• the means 52 that mounting the radial pushing means are connected to the means 33 that mount the feed means in such a way as to rotate with the latter (this feature not being shown in the accompanying drawings) .
• Means are provided for lowering and lifting the push plates.
• the push plates in the lowered position, have pushed the backs of the packages radially inwards to form a group, they can be lifted and moved back behind the next group of packages to be formed. For this purpose, they perform a backward movement in the raised position and, once they have reached the position behind the packages, they are lowered again, ready to push the packages inwards .
• the means for lowering and lifting the push plates act by lowering and lifting the shaft 52 relative to the means mounting the feed elements 30.
• centring means 66 are provided for guiding and centring the packages as they move in a circle in the spaced apart configuration.
• These centring means consist of a raised edge 68 extending circumferentially around the grouping area and defining an inside surface 66 for contacting the heel end surface of the packages as they move in a circle round the grouping area.
• the opposite ends 68a, 68b of the raised edge 68 have a gap between them creating an inlet for the packages at the infeed end 24' of the means for supporting the packages.
• At least the first package to reach the supporting means of the grouping station is moved towards the central position ahead of the others in the group 'being formed.
• At least the push plate 44' corresponding to the first package 12a to reach the supporting means of the grouping station is moved radially inwards before the other push plates so that the radial position occupied by this first package 12a can be taken by the first package 12 'a of the next group to be formed.
• This movement enables the first package 12 'a of the next group to be ready for grouping without interrupting the flow.
• grouping operations can be carried out at a faster rate to achieve higher output or, conversely, grouping can be carried out at a lower speed so as to reduce the risk of damaging the packages. This too improves performance and increases output compared to prior art since it prevents all the stops which, in prior art machines, are necessary to remove squashed and damaged packages .
• the push plate 44' is mounted on a shaft 52a whose lower end 52 'a is fastened by screws 54' to the radial guide 46 of the push plate 44', the mounting shaft 52a extending into the cavity of the main mounting body 33 so that it is positioned on the inside of the shafts 52 of the other plates 44 that push the packages 12b, 12c, 12d, 12e, 12f.
• the means for guiding the packages along the grouping path consist of the same contact and feed surfaces and therefore consist of a plurality of elements 30 having a radial sliding surface 32 for one of the side walls of the package.
• These guide means thus consist of a plate supported by the push plate guide means and having a lower portion 38 which contacts the packages and which, thanks to the short horizontal portion 40 of appropriate width, is offset with respect to the portion 36.
• Means 70 for feeding the packages to the grouping station are also provided, these means being illustrated in particular in Figure 1.
• the feed means 70 convey the packages 12 to the grouping station in sequence at equidistant intervals from each other.
• These feed means consists of a straight conveyor belt 70 positioned next to and at the same level as means upstream of it (not illustrated in the drawings) for feeding and preparing the packages, and feed the packages 12 with continuous feed motion.
• means 80 are also provided for transferring the packages from the upstream feed means (not shown in the drawings) where the packages are wrapped to the feed means 70 which convey them to the grouping station, the transfer means being designed to position the packages with their longitudinal axes L placed transversely to the linear direction of feed indicated by the arrow A in Figure 4A.
• the means for transferring the packages to the means 70 that feed them to the grouping station are therefore means which not only rotate the packages through a defined angle bit also shift them sideways.
• the means for transferring the packages to the means that feed them to the grouping station simultaneously move the packages sideways and turn them through a defined angle. More specifically, the packages are turned through an angle of 90°.
• the transfer means 80 comprise means for contacting and engaging the package and consisting of an L- shaped push plate 82 having a portion 82a that contacts the side of the package and a portion 82b that contacts the back of the package .
• Drive means are provided for imparting on the push plate 82 a movement that includes rotational motion, forward translational motion that follows the straight-line movement of the package feed means, caused by the longitudinal feed of the longitudinally mobile block on which it is supported, and backward translational motion such as to move the contact back behind the next package to be transferred, this backward motion also causing the push plate 82 to rotate about its longitudinal support block.
• the transfer means are such that the packages are transferred and fed continuously.
• Each package 12, which is conveyed along the line in an appropriate seat that accommodates it, is carried to the height of the corresponding belt 70 on which it must be placed, thanks to a lifting action imparted by the mobile bottom of the seat.
• the lifting action of this mobile bottom is suitably synchronised with the movements of the push plates 82 that transfer the packages and of the equipment that feeds them so that the push plates come into contact with the packages 12 only when they have to be transferred to the belt 70.
• the packages are kept in a position such as not to interfere with the path of the push plates 82 when the latter are moving back to the position where they start pushing the next package 12 onto the belt 70.
• the means for driving the means for contacting and engaging the packages comprise a revolving body 84 for supporting the means 84 for contacting and engaging the packages and a supporting block
• the revolving body is carried by a pin 88 which extends downwardly and which is rotatably supported by the block 86 and, at the end of it which is inserted in the block 86, mounts a toothed drive wheel 90 driven by a central toothed wheel 92.
• This toothed wheel 90 is in turn rotationally driven in opposite angular directions through a pin 94, that is eccentrically connected to the central toothed wheel 92 and moved backwards and forwards alternately through a rod 96 which is in turn connected to a crank lever 98 driven in oscillating fashion by suitable control means (not illustrated in detail in the accompanying drawings) .
• the supporting block 84 moves along a path consisting of a forward section and a return section.
• the supporting block 84 mounts a pair of longitudinally spaced shaped push plates 82 for each row of packages 12 fed.
• the block 84 mounts four shaped push plates and their related supporting and drive means.
• the central drive wheel 92 simultaneously drives the four toothed wheels 90 for respective shaped push plates 82 located at the corner of the rectangular block 86.
• the device according to the present invention operates as follows. As shown in Figures 4A and 4B, the packages are conveyed by the feed means 70 onto the fixed plate 24, where they are delivered to the rotational feed means 32 which cause the packages to move in a circle on the plate 24, sliding on the latter' s top surface.
• Figure 4B shows the first and second packages 12a and 12b being delivered to the respective feed elements 32.
• the push plates 44' and 44 are in the raised position at a height above package and are moving radially outwards to a position behind the packages.
• infeed continues with the third, fourth, fifth and sixth packages 12c, 12d, 12e, 12f of the group being conveyed onto the fixed plate 24, where they are delivered to the rotational feed means 32 which cause the packages to move in a circle on the plate 24.
• the push plates 44' and 44 have reached their outermost, radial positions where they are spaced apart behind the packages but still in the raised position.
• the push plate 44' corresponding to the first package 12a to reach the supporting means of the grouping station is advantageously made to move radially inwards before the other push plates so .that the radial position occupied by this first package 12a can be taken by the first package 12 'a of the next group to be formed, as illustrated in Figure 4F.
• the push plate 44' moves down so that it can push the package 12a from the back.
• the other push plates 44 begin moving down after a defined delay time relative to the lowering of the push plate 44'.
• the group forming procedure is faster and more efficient, and is completed by the radial pushing action of the other push plates 44 which move the other packages onto the inner plate 26 from they can be removed from the grouping unit, as shown in Figure 4G.
• the packages Preferably, all the packages must reach the closely grouped configuration simultaneously. Therefore, the radial movement of the push plate 44', which has been advanced, must be slowed down to allow the other push plates to catch up with it so that all the packages simultaneously reach the closely grouped configuration shown in Figure 4G.
• the packages are grouped together by a radial positioning movement that puts the packages in a closely grouped configuration while they continue following a circular feed motion.
• the invention makes it possible to form one group of packages and, at the same time, continue feeding the packages continuously towards the grouping unit.
• the grouping means might be driven in such manner that, if one of the packages in a group is rejected - that is to say, removed from the feed line - because it is incorrectly wrapped or damaged, the grouping means can be slowed down or even stopped to wait for another package to arrive and complete the group being formed, since the packages on the feed line move continuously and are fed to the grouping means one after the other without interruption. This would prevent incomplete groups of packages from being formed.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Preparation Of Fruits And Vegetables (AREA)
• General Preparation And Processing Of Foods (AREA)
• Auxiliary Devices For And Details Of Packaging Control (AREA)
• Supplying Of Containers To The Packaging Station (AREA)
• Packging For Living Organisms, Food Or Medicinal Products That Are Sensitive To Environmental Conditiond (AREA)
• Dairy Products (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (2)

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Family Applications (1)

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• 2002
  • 2002-04-24 IT IT2002BO000236A patent/ITBO20020236A1/it unknown
• 2003
  • 2003-04-22 AT AT03715267T patent/ATE352490T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2003-04-22 AU AU2003219455A patent/AU2003219455A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-04-22 DE DE60311445T patent/DE60311445D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2003-04-22 EP EP03715267A patent/EP1497179B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2003-04-22 WO PCT/IB2003/001712 patent/WO2003091105A1/en active IP Right Grant

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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