EP1642834B1 - Method of discontinuously distributing and aligned loading of elongate products - Google Patents

Abstract

The method involves maintaining a flexible and long preservation container (17) at a loading station, and subjecting the container to a to and fro movement at a product receiving zone. The movement is directed horizontally along an alignment direction of elongated products. The container is supplied with products that are subjected to a to and fro movement synchronous with that of the container. An independent claim is also included for an installation for discontinuous distribution and aligned loading of elongated products such as green bean in flexible container.

Description

The present invention relates to a method of discontinuous distribution and aligned loading of filiform products. It will particularly find a particular application for filling conservation bags with green beans.

Traditionally, the consumer knows canned green beans. The green beans are then aligned longitudinally in a direction of the can to optimize the filling. Various processes and installations are known which make it possible to continuously fill the cans with green beans stored and aligned.

Today, long-life bags are increasingly used for food packaging. However, known methods or installations do not allow to properly fill and aligned flexible containers with filiform products such as beans. Indeed, if the methods and installations of the prior art are suitable for cans, they can not be used as such with bags because of the flexibility of the containers.

There are also known various filling lines of food products in flexible bags which however are not suitable for packaging filiform products.

An installation according to the preamble of claim 6 is known from US-A-4541228.

The object of the present invention is to provide a method and a device for discontinuous distribution and aligned storage filiform products that overcome the aforementioned drawbacks.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an installation that can integrate between different workstations, including by means of common container support devices.

Other aims and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description which follows, which is given for information only and which is not intended to limit it.

• on maintient un récipient souple ouvert, au moins au niveau du poste de chargement,
• on fait subir un mouvement de va-et-vient au récipient au niveau de la zone de réception des produits, lesdits mouvements de va-et-vient étant dirigés sensiblement horizontalement selon la direction d'alignement des produits filiformes,
• on alimente le récipient en produits en faisant subir un mouvement de va-et-vient synchrone aux produits filiformes chutant de la zone d'alimentation, ledit mouvement étant dirigé selon la direction d'alignement des produits filiformes.

The invention relates first of all to a method of discontinuous distribution and aligned storage of filiform products, such as in particular green beans, in flexible containers, at a filling station. loading, having a feed zone and a product receiving zone, in which process:

• a flexible container is kept open, at least at the loading station,
• reciprocating the container at the product receiving zone, said reciprocating movements being directed substantially horizontally along the alignment direction of the filiform products,
• the container is fed with products by making a synchronous reciprocating movement filiform products falling from the feed zone, said movement being directed in the direction of alignment of filiform products.

• des moyens pour déplacer le dispositif support au niveau de la zone de réception des produits, et pour évacuer ledit dispositif support hors de ladite zone de réception,
• des moyens pour faire subir au dispositif support un mouvement de va-et-vient, au moins au niveau de la zone de réception des produits, lesdits mouvements de va-et-vient étant dirigés sensiblement horizontalement selon la direction d'alignement des produits filiformes, les mouvements de va-et-vient ayant une amplitude sensiblement du même ordre que la longueur des produits filiformes,
• des moyens pour former un flux homogène avec lesdits produits et laisser tomber lesdits produits filiformes en les animant d'un mouvement de va-et-vient dirigé selon la direction d'alignement des produits filiformes et synchrone avec celui imposé audit dispositif support.

The invention also relates to a discontinuous dispensing and aligned storage facility of filiform products, such as in particular green beans, in flexible containers, equipped at least with a loading station having a feeding zone and a receiving zone. products, said installation comprising a support device for vertically holding a flexible container, having means for keeping the container open, at least at the loading station, said installation being characterized in that it comprises:

• means for moving the support device at the product receiving area, and for evacuating said support device from said receiving area,
• means for subjecting the support device to a back-and-forth movement, at least at the product receiving zone, said reciprocating movements being directed substantially horizontally in the direction of alignment of the filiform products the reciprocating movements having an amplitude substantially of the same order as the length of the filiform products,
• means for forming a homogeneous flow with said products and dropping said filiform products by moving them back and forth in the direction of alignment of the filiform products and synchronous with that imposed on said device support.

• la figure 1 est une vue de dessus d'une installation de distribution discontinue et de rangement aligné de produits filiformes, conforme à l'invention,
• la figure 2 est une vue de côté de l'installation de distribution discontinue et de rangement aligné de produits filiformes telle qu'illustrée à la figure 1,
• la figure 3 est une vue de dessus des moyens pour faire subir au dispositif de support un mouvement de va-et-vient,
• la figure 4 est une vue de côté d'un détail d'une articulation illustrée à la figure 3,
• la figure 5 est une vue de face des moyens pour faire subir au dispositif de support un mouvement de va-et-vient,
• la figure 6 est une vue de dessus de la zone de réception des produits telle qu'illustrée à la figure 1,
• la figure 7 est une vue de côté de la zone d'alimentation telle qu'illustrée à la figure 2,
• la figure 8 est une vue de côté d'une trémie au niveau de la zone d'alimentation,
• la figure 9 est une vue de dessus d'un dispositif de fermeture en entrée de trémie,
• la figure 10 est une vue de face d'un battant de l'alimentation de la trémie,
• la figure 11 est une vue de face d'un dispositif de support conforme à l'invention.

The invention will be better understood on reading the following description accompanied by the appended drawings, which form an integral part thereof and among which:

• FIG. 1 is a plan view of a discontinuous distribution and aligned storage installation of filiform products, according to the invention,
• FIG. 2 is a side view of the discontinuous distribution and aligned storage installation of filiform products as illustrated in FIG. 1,
• FIG. 3 is a view from above of the means for subjecting the support device to a back and forth motion,
• FIG. 4 is a side view of a detail of an articulation illustrated in FIG. 3,
• FIG. 5 is a front view of the means for subjecting the support device to a back-and-forth movement,
• FIG. 6 is a view from above of the receiving zone of the products as illustrated in FIG. 1,
• FIG. 7 is a side view of the feed zone as illustrated in FIG. 2,
• FIG. 8 is a side view of a hopper at the feed zone,
• FIG. 9 is a view from above of a closure device at the hopper inlet,
• FIG. 10 is a front view of a leaf of the feed of the hopper,
• Figure 11 is a front view of a support device according to the invention.

The invention relates first of all to a method of discontinuous distribution and aligned storage of filiform products, such as in particular green beans, in flexible containers, at a filling station. loading, presenting a feeding area and a product receiving area.

• on maintient le récipient souple 17 ouvert, au moins au niveau du poste de chargement,
• on fait subir un mouvement de va-et-vient 36 au récipient 17 au niveau de la zone de réception des produits, lesdits mouvements de va-et-vient 36 étant dirigés sensiblement horizontalement selon la direction d'alignement des produits filiformes,
• on alimente le récipient 17 en produits en faisant subir un mouvement de va-et-vient synchrone aux produits filiformes chutant de la zone d'alimentation, ledit mouvement étant dirigé selon la direction d'alignement des produits filiformes.

According to the process according to the invention:

• the flexible container 17 is kept open, at least at the loading station,
• reciprocating 36 is effected to the container 17 at the product receiving zone, said reciprocating movements 36 being directed substantially horizontally in the alignment direction of the filiform products,
• the container 17 is supplied with products by making a synchronous reciprocating movement filiform products falling from the feed zone, said movement being directed in the alignment direction of filiform products.

• on amène un récipient souple 17 au niveau de la zone de réception des produits, le récipient souple 17 présentant une ouverture par le haut 35,
• on fait subir un mouvement de va-et-vient 36 au récipient 17 au niveau de la zone de réception,
• on forme un flux homogène avec les produits filiformes au niveau de la zone d'alimentation et on laisse chuter lesdits produits vers l'ouverture 35 dudit récipient en animant les produits d'un produit de va-et-vient synchronisé avec celui du récipient,
• on arrête le flux homogène avec les produits filiformes,
• on arrête le mouvement de va-et-vient 36,
• on évacue le récipient hors de la zone de réception.

According to one embodiment, a filling cycle of a container 17 obeys at least the following steps:

• a flexible container 17 is brought to the product receiving zone, the flexible container 17 having a top opening 35,
• reciprocating 36 is effected to the container 17 at the receiving zone,
• a homogeneous flow is formed with the filiform products at the level of the feed zone and said products are allowed to fall towards the opening 35 of said container by feeding the products of a reciprocating product synchronized with that of the container,
• we stop the homogeneous flow with filiform products,
• we stop the movement back and forth 36,
• the container is evacuated from the receiving zone.

According to one embodiment, the flexible container 17 is oriented so that the reciprocating movement 36 is directed in the direction of the major axis of symmetry of the opening 35 of said container. Thus, in the case of a bag, the filiform products and in particular the beans are arranged horizontally and parallel to the wall surfaces.

According to one embodiment, the reciprocating movement has an amplitude substantially of the same order as the length of the filiform products for a frequency of 1 to 5 hertz.

For example, in the case of green beans, the back and forth movement provides an amplitude of 70 to 80 mm.

Advantageously, each container must be filled with the same amount of filiform products. According to one embodiment of the method, the filiform products are first dose in a first receptacle to form a predetermined quantity of products. To do this, the said quantity is weighed in the receptacle, and the receptacle is continued to feed as long as the measured weight is not greater than or equal to the weight of filiform products intended to fill a receptacle.

The invention relates to a discontinuous dispensing and aligned storage installation of filiform products, such as in particular green beans, in flexible containers, equipped at least with a loading station having a feed zone and a receiving zone of products.

• des moyens 2 pour déplacer le dispositif support au niveau de la zone de réception des produits et pour évacuer ledit dispositif support 18 hors de ladite zone de réception,
• des moyens 6, 13, 19 pour faire subir au dispositif support 18 un mouvement de va-et-vient 36 au moins au niveau de la zone de réception des produits, ledit mouvement de va-et-vient étant dirigé sensiblement horizontalement selon la direction d'alignement des produits filiformes, le mouvement de va-et-vient ayant une amplitude sensiblement du même ordre que la longueur des produits filiformes,
• des moyens 22 pour former un flux homogène avec lesdits produits et laisser tomber lesdits produits filiformes en les animant d'un mouvement de va-et-vient 36 dirigé selon la direction d'alignement des produits filiformes et synchrone avec celui imposé audit dispositif support.

According to the invention, said installation comprises a support device 18 for vertically holding a flexible container, having means 24 for holding the container open, at least at the loading station, said installation being characterized in that it includes:

• means 2 for moving the support device at the product receiving zone and for evacuating said support device 18 from said receiving zone,
• means 6, 13, 19 for subjecting the support device 18 to move back and forth 36 at least at the receiving area of the products, said reciprocating movement being directed substantially horizontally in the direction alignment of the filiform products, the reciprocating movement having an amplitude substantially of the same order as the length of the filiform products,
• means 22 for forming a flow homogeneous with said produced and drop said filiform products by moving them back and forth 36 directed in the direction of alignment of filiform products and synchronous with that imposed on said support device.

As illustrated in Figure 11, the support device 18 may have two clamps 24 for holding the container vertically at its upper lateral ends. Advantageously, it makes it possible, in particular, to keep the container open while allowing said tongs 24 to be brought closer to one another.

According to one embodiment, the means for moving the support device 18 are constituted by a conveyor including chain 2, belt or band. As illustrated in Figure 1 a chain conveyor 2 extends between the two ends of a frame 50 between two axes of rotation 41, 42. One of the axes of rotation 41, meshing by means of toothed wheels with the chains 2, is actuated by means of a motor 3, in particular electrical. As illustrated in Figure 1, the installation 1 can be integrated as a loading station between several workstations. The support devices 18 are advantageously autonomous, and thus allow greater flexibility of use.

According to one embodiment, the means for carrying out a reciprocating movement 36 are constituted by an oscillating structure 13, said oscillating structure 13 being free of movement at least in the direction of alignment of the filiform products, said structure oscillator being set in motion by actuating means 6. As illustrated in Figures 2 or 5, the oscillating structure is in the form of a frame 13 disposed perpendicular to the direction of travel of the conveyor 2. This frame is adapted to move at least for a certain stroke transversely to said conveyor 2.

According to one embodiment, the means for actuating the frame 13 are constituted by a disk 10 animated by a rotary movement by motor means, in particular electrical means, and a link 11 pivoted to one of its ends at an eccentric axis of the disk 10, said Rod 11 being pivotally mounted at its other end 12 to said oscillating structure 13. This actuating means advantageously makes it possible to transform a rotational movement into a translational movement.

According to one embodiment, the oscillating structure is decoupled from the means 2 for moving the support device 18.

Thus, the oscillating structure does not cooperate with the conveyor and in particular the chain 2. The oscillating structure 13 is advantageously articulated in translation to the frame 50.

The oscillating structure 13 advantageously has a degree of freedom and is articulated to the frame by means of at least one sliding pivot connection 28, 29 as illustrated in FIG. 2 and a device 5, 26 with a double pantograph such as 1, and more specifically in FIG. 3. Each pantograph consists of two parallel bars 5, each of said bars being mounted at one of their pivot ends to an element of the oscillating structure 13, the other end being being mounted in articulation with a pivot of a link 26, said link 26 being pivotally mounted at its other end to a column 31 secured to the frame 50.

The two parallel bars 5 of said pantographs are located on the same horizontal plane as the base 25 of the support device 18 when the latter is placed, in particular on the chain 2, of the conveyor.

When the oscillating structure 13 is at rest in the median axis of the conveyor, said bars 5 pantographs then constitute lateral guides that ensure the proper positioning of the support device 18 in the edge of the oscillating structure 13.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the chain 2 of the conveyor passes, at least in the forward direction, said frame 13. In the return direction, the chain 2 can pass below said frame 13. Thus, advantageously, the Conveyor 2 can bring a support device 18 into the edge of the cover 13. The frame 13 can then be subjected to oscillation movements at least for a certain stroke. It will be noted that the amplitude of back and forth movements is limited by the free space between the chains 2 and the amount of the frame 13.

Advantageously, the back and forth movement has an amplitude substantially of the same order as the length of the filiform products for a frequency of 1 to 5 hz.

Advantageously, the support device 18 is oriented such that the reciprocating movement 36 is directed in the direction of the major axis of symmetry of the opening 35 of the container 17.

As illustrated in particular in Figures 5 and 6, the oscillating structure 13 has locking means 8, 19 for securing in motion the support device 18 to said oscillating structure 13.

According to one embodiment, the locking means are constituted by at least one clamp 19 adapted to grip said support device 18. As illustrated in FIG. 5 or 6, the oscillating structure 13 has two grippers 19 capable of gripping the uprights 30 of the support device 18 as illustrated in FIG.

Since the support device 18 is simply placed on the conveyor 2, the oscillating structure 13 can then drive said support device 18 in a swinging or reciprocating movement 36 transverse to the conveyor 2. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the jaws of said clamps 19 are articulated to a pivot 20 of the oscillating structure 13, the clamps being actuated by means of jacks 8.

In FIG. 5, it may be noted that the jaws of said clamps 19 are pivotally articulated at the level of the bottom rail of the frame.

Each of the two jaws of said clamps 19 is actuated by means of a jack 8 pivotally attached to a lateral upright of said frame 13.

According to one embodiment, the means for forming a homogeneous flow at the feed zone and dropping the products are constituted by a hopper 14 secured to said oscillating structure 13 above and directly above the feed zone. receipt of products. The hopper will remain substantially in the median axis of the support device 18.

According to one embodiment, the oscillating structure 13 has actuating means 51, 52 capable of lowering the nose of the hopper 14 at the opening 35 of the container 17 or up the hopper 14 in an erasure position.

In FIG. 5, it can be seen that the hopper 14 is carried by a cross beam 53. The frame 13 has two vertically arranged jacks 21 capable of operating in a vertical translation movement, said cross beam 53.

According to one embodiment, the hopper 14 has a double leaf bottom 22 whose opening can be regulated to create a homogeneous stream of filiform products. The leaves can be opened independently of each other during the oscillation movement of the oscillating structure 13 to evenly distribute the container 17. As illustrated in Figure 8 or 10, the wings are articulated in particular to 23 as shown in Figure 4, the installation has a fixed frame 54 for the support of feed means 15 of the hopper.

According to one embodiment, the hopper 14 is fed with a quantity of products determined by feed means 15 having a closure device 16, 37. As illustrated in FIG. 9, the feeding of the hopper is controlled by the opening device consisting of a sliding plate 37 actuated by a jack 16. The hopper may be fed by a device consisting of a receptacle for weighing a quantity of specific products.

Said installation will present all the arrangements and in particular the presence sensors 9 of the support devices 18 and the sensors and devices necessary for its proper operation.

• un dispositif support 18 étant détecté par un capteur de présence 9 en début de convoyeur 2, ledit convoyeur déplace ledit dispositif support 18 dans le chant du cadre 13,
• les pinces 19 assujetties au cadre 13 saisissent alors les montants 30 du dispositif de support 18 et le nez de la trémie 14 est abaissé dans le récipient 17 au niveau de son ouverture 35,
• le cadre 13 peut être alors mis en oscillation pour transmettre au dispositif support 18 un mouvement de va-et-vient 36 dirigé sensiblement horizontalement selon la direction d'alignement des produits filiformes,
• la trémie 14 ayant été préalablement remplie d'une dose de produit, les battants 22 de la trémie 14 sont ouverts pour créer un flux homogène de produits filiformes, et ainsi remplir le récipient 17,
• la trémie étant vide, le nez de la trémie 14 est remonté, les battants 22 sont fermés et le mouvement de va-et-vient au cadre 13 est arrêté,
• le cadre 13 à l'arrêt, les pinces 19 relâchent les montants 30 du dispositif support 18,
• le convoyeur 2 peut alors évacuer le dispositif support 18 et un nouveau cycle peut recommencer.

Thus, the filling cycle of a container in such an installation can follow the following steps:

• a support device 18 being detected by a presence sensor 9 at the beginning of the conveyor 2, said conveyor moves said support device 18 in the edge of the frame 13,
• the clips 19 secured to the frame 13 then grip the uprights 30 of the support device 18 and the nose of the hopper 14 is lowered in the container 17 at its opening 35,
• the frame 13 can then be oscillated to transmit to the support device 18 a reciprocating movement 36 directed substantially horizontally along the alignment direction of the filiform products,
• the hopper 14 having been previously filled with a dose of product, the leaves 22 of the hopper 14 are opened to create a homogeneous stream of filiform products, and thus fill the container 17,
• the hopper being empty, the nose of the hopper 14 is raised, the leaves 22 are closed and the movement back and forth to the frame 13 is stopped,
• the frame 13 stopped, the clamps 19 release the uprights 30 of the support device 18,
• the conveyor 2 can then evacuate the support device 18 and a new cycle can begin again.

Of course, the feeding of the hopper 14 is advantageously performed in masked time when the leaves 22 are closed.

Naturally, other modes of implementation within the reach of ordinary skill in the art, could have been envisaged without departing from the scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Claims (17)

1. A method for discontinuous distribution and aligned arrangement of wire-shaped products, such as French beans, in flexible vessels, at a loading station, exhibiting a feeding zone and receiving zone of the products, wherein :

   - the flexible vessel (17) is kept open at least at the loading station,

   - the vessel (17) is reciprocated at the product receiving zone, said reciprocating motion being oriented substantially horizontally along the arrangement direction of the wire-shaped products,

   - the vessel is fed with products while subjecting the wire-shaped products coming from the feeding zone to a synchronous reciprocating motion, said motion being oriented along the alignment direction of the wire-shaped products.
2. A method according to claim 1, wherein a filling cycle of the vessel obeys at least the following steps:

   - a flexible vessel (17) is brought (2) to the product receiving zone, whereas the flexible vessel has a top opening (35),

   - the vessel (17) is subjected to a reciprocating motion (36) at the receiving zone,

   - a homogeneous flow is formed with the wire-shaped products at the feeding zone, and said products are dropped towards the opening (35) of said vessel while subjecting the products to a reciprocating motion synchronised with that of the vessel,

   - the homogeneous flow with the wire-shaped products is stopped,

   - the reciprocating motions are stopped,

   - the vessel is extracted from the receiving zone.
3. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that the flexible vessel (17) is oriented so that the reciprocating motion (36) is oriented along the direction of the greater axis of symmetry of the opening (35) of said vessel.
4. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that the reciprocating motion (36) has an amplitude substantially of the same order as the length of the wire-shaped products for a frequency of 1 to 5 Hz.
5. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that the wire-shaped products are dosed in advance in a first container to form a predetermined quantity of the products, said quantity is weighed in the container, and the container is fed further as long as the measured weight is not greater than or equal to the weight of wire-shaped products intended for filling a vessel.
6. An installation for discontinuous distribution and aligned arrangement of wire-shaped products, such as in particular French beans, in flexible vessels, fitted with at least one loading station exhibiting a feeding zone and a product receiving zone, and intended for the implementation of the method according to claim 1, said installation including a supporting device (18) for holding vertically a flexible vessel having means (24) for keeping the vessel (17) open, at least at the loading station, said installation being characterised in that it comprises:

   - means (2) for moving the supporting device (18) at the product receiving zone, and for extracting said supporting device (18) outside said receiving zone,

   - means (6, 13, 19) for subjecting the supporting device to a reciprocating motion, at least at the product receiving zone, said reciprocating motion (36) being oriented substantially horizontally along the alignment direction of the wire-shaped products, the reciprocating motion having an amplitude substantially of the same order as the length of the wire-shaped products,

   - means (14, 22) for forming a homogeneous flow with said products and for dropping said wire-shaped products while subjecting them to a reciprocating motion (36), oriented along the alignment direction of the wire-shaped products and synchronous with that subjected to said supporting device (18).
7. An installation according to claim 6, characterised in that the means for moving the supporting device (18) are composed of a chain, belt or band-type conveyor (2).
8. An installation according to claim 6, characterised in that the means for subjecting a reciprocating motion include a swing structure (13), said swing structure (13) being free to move at least along the direction of alignment of the wire-shaped products, said swing structure being brought in motion by actuating means (6).
9. An installation according to claim 8, characterised in that the actuating means are formed of a disk (10) caused to rotate by motorised means (4) and a rod (11) pivoting at one of the ends at an eccentric axis of the disk (10), said rod (11) being mounted pivotally at the other end thereof on said swing structure (13).
10. An installation according to claim 8, characterised in that the swing structure (13) is decoupled from the means (2) for moving the supporting device (18).
11. An installation according to claim 8, characterised in that the swing structure (13) shows a certain degree of freedom and is hinged to the frame by means of a sliding pivot link (28, 29) and of a double-pantograph device.
12. An installation according to claim 8, characterised in that the swing structure (13) has locking means (8, 19) enabling to slave the motion of the supporting device (18) to said structure (13).
13. An installation according to claim 12, characterised in that the locking means are formed by at least a gripper (19) capable of grasping said supporting device (18).
14. An installation according to claim 8, characterised in that the means for forming a homogeneous flow at the feeding zone and for dropping products are composed of a hopper (14) slaved to said swing structure (13) orthogonal to said product receiving zone.
15. An installation according to claim 14, characterised in that the swing structure (13) has actuating means (51, 52) capable of lowering the nose of the hopper (14) at the opening of the vessel (17) or rising the hopper into a clearance position.
16. An installation according to claim 14, characterised in that the hopper (14) has a double batten bottom (22) whereof the opening may be regulated for creating a homogeneous flow of wire-shaped products.
17. An installation according to claim 14, characterised in that the hopper (14) is fed with a quantity of products determined by feeding means (15) including a closing device (16, 37).

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