GB2038766A

GB2038766A - Fruit bagging apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2038766A
Application number: GB7943590A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1978-12-21
Filing date: 1979-12-18
Publication date: 1980-07-30
Also published as: AU5393479A

Abstract

An apparatus and method for bagging round articles, in particular oranges, comprising a rotatable table 1 and a plurality of downwardly extending chutes 2, 3, 4, (5) which are arranged to feed a former 15 which dictates the position of the articles in the former. When the former is full a bag is positioned over the former so that inversion of the former enables the bag and articles in their predetermined position to be removed. Alternatively the former may be radially extendible to grip a net bag, the bag being released with the contents on contraction of the former. The former may comprise a central rod with four cylindrical chambers spaced about it. Articles are released two at a time from opposite chutes to fall into opposite chambers, the pairs of chutes alternately releasing the articles. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Fruit bagging apparatus This invention relates to apparatus for bagging round articles and in particular relates to apparatus for bagging citrus fruits, and also includes a method for bagging citrus fruits.

It is currently common practice to market oranges in pressed plastics mesh bags of cylindrical profile, sealed at one end by loose stitching with a tied opening at the other end.

Retailers and in particular supermarkets impose requirements on the fruit distributors that oranges should be positioned within the bags in a particular way to improve the aesthetic appearance of the packaged article. The oranges have to be placed in the bag in alternating pairs with the diametric lines joined through the point of contact of each pair extending mutually perpendicularly. The bags are then filled with any number of oranges between 10 and 20 until a total weight is greater than about three kilograms. The result of this arrangement is that the full bag consists of four equally spaced columns of oranges. The random placement of the oranges within the bag is not considered desirable and causes the retailer to reject the product.

Accordingly, the precise filling of bags with oranges substantially increases the labour content required to bring the orange from the tree to the retailer. The current technique for filling the bags is to manually place the oranges in pairs in the bags until the bag is full.

It is an object of this invention to provide apparatus for placing round articles such as oranges in bags of this kind.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided apparatus for bagging round articles in a particular arrangement comprising a former having a profile to define the arrangement of the articles, means to automatically feed the articles into the former, and means to effect release of the articles from the former, the former being arranged to support a bag in a manner that removal of the bag from the former causes release of the articles into the bag in the particular arrangement.

Preferably, the feeding means comprises a downwardly extending chute into which the articles are located. The feeding means may also include means to periodically release one article from the lower end of the chute to fall into the former. In a preferred embodiment the means to periodically release the article comprises an abutment means coupled to a lever, the lever being associated with clamping means to hold the adjacent article whilst the article adjacent the end of the chute moves past the abutment means and four chutes are arranged in an equally spaced configuration in mutually perpendicular pairs so that the chutes extend radially from a common centre.

Preferably, the upper ends of each chute are arranged to be fed by a rotatable table upon which the article rest, and the rotatable table is annular and dished towards the centre so that as the table rotates the articles roll towards the upper end of each chute.

In a preferred embodiment the former comprises an elongate frame arranged to be mounted in a vertical plane and having a profiled mouth which dictates the path of the articles as they fall from the feeding means and the bag is located over the exterior of the frame so that the profile of the bag is defined by the profile of the frame. Advantageously, the frame comprises a plurality of spaced parallel rods extending from a base platform, the rods defining two pairs of mutually perpendicular columns into which the articles fall, one pair to each horizontal plane extending through the axes of the articles. Preferably, the mouth of each column is arranged to be positioned under the end of each chute so that alternate release of the articles from each pair of chutes causes formation of the alternating pairs of articles in the former.The frame is preferably mounted so that it can be inverted so that the bag can be pulled off the frame from the mouth thereof, the articles moving with the bag in the particular arrangement.

In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of bagging round articles comprising feeding the articles into a former which defines the arrangement of the articles, placing a bag over the former either before or after the articles enter the former and removing the bag with the articles in the predetermined position.

Preferably, the method comprises transferring the articles onto a rotatable table, feeding the articles into a plurality of downwardly and convergently extending chutes and selectively releasing the articles into the former positioned underneath the outlet of the chutes, and the bag is placed on the former by pulling the bag over the mouth of an elongate frame when fed with articles. In a preferred embodiment the method also includes inverting the former and pulling the bag off the former whilst allowing the articles to fill the bag in the predetermined position.

One embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of apparatus for bagging round articles, Figure 2 is a sectional view of the apparatus taken along the lines 2-2 of figure 1, Figures 3 is a sectional view taken along the lines 3-3 offigure 1, Figure 4 is a sectional view of a chute for feeding the round articles, Figure 5 is a plan view of the chute of figure 4, Figure 6 is a perspective view of a former which supports the round articles, Figure 7 is a side elevation of the former with a bag placed thereover, and Figure 8 is a side elevation oftheformerillustrat- ing removal of the bag.

Apparatus for bagging oranges as illustrated in the accompanying drawings comprises an overhead annular rotatable distribution table 1 arranged to feed the inlets 30. of four downwardy extending chutes 2, 3, 4, and 5, the chutes being arranged to converge towards a common vertically extending axis B-B about which the table 1 rotates. The chutes as shown in Figure 2 are arranged in mutually perpendicular pairs 2 and 4 and 3 and 5. Each chute is also arranged to extend downwardly at an acute angle of approximately 30 to horizontal, as shown in Figure 1.

The table 1 is supported by a centrilever frame 20 and is driven by an electric motor 21 through a drive wheel 22 which engages the underside 23 of the table. Additional wheels 24 and 25 are positioned around the periphery of the table to support the table for rotary motion.

Underneath the chutes is provided a rotatable bag supporting frame assembly 10 shown in Figures 1 and 3. This frame assembly 10 comprises a rotatable turret 14 having three equally spaced radially extending arms 11, 12 and 13. The turret is driven by means (not shown) to rotate about a vertically extending axis T-T. Each arm is arranged to support a bag supporting former 15, the details of which will be described later. As can be seen from Figure 1 the axis of rotation T-T of the turret 14 is displaced from the axis of rotation B-B of the overhead distribution table 1, but is arranged so that the axis X-X of each bag support former 15 passes through the axis B-B of rotation of the rotating table.

In this way rotation of the turret 14 causes each former 15 to be indexed into position underneath the lower end 18 of each chute as shown in Figure 2 so that oranges may be dropped from the rotating distribution table 1 down the chutes into a bag support former 15.

The bags which are conventionally used to hold oranges comprise plastics mesh of cylindrical profile which are cut to length and then loosely stitched at one end to provide the closed end of the bag, the opposite end of the cylinder defining the mouth of the bag. Retailers, particularly supermarkets, dictate that the bags must be filled with oranges of uniform diameter in a particular configuration, i.e. in abutting pairs placed one on top of each other but with diametric lines through the point of contact, extending mutually perpendicularly. This arrangement means that the bag when full comprises four vertically extending equally spaced columns of oranges.

The rotating distribution table 1 is supported by the frame 20 and is provided with inner and outer peripheral wall portions 28 and 29 preventing the oranges from escaping from the sides of the table.

As shown in Figure 1, the table is dished towards the centre and the mouths 30 of the chutes 2, 3,4, 5, are positioned equally spaced around the inner wall 28.

As the rotating table 1 rotates clock-wise, as shown in Figure 2, the oranges travel from a feed conveyor 33 around the table 1 and roll down the inclined base 23 of the table to the mouths 30 of the chutes. The oranges then fall freely from the mouths 30 of the chutes to the lower ends 18 of the chutes.

Each chute is provided with the means to selectively release one orange from the lower end 18 of the chute and also to hold the adjacent orange from release. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, each chute comprises a channel section member 40 having vertically extending wall portion 41 and 42 joined by a base portion which comprises two downwardly inclined portions 43 and 44.

The inclined portions 43 and 44 assist to locate the oranges within the chute. The release means comprises a dispensing gate 45 which extends across the lower end 18 of the chute and is coupled to an arm 46 which extends parallel to the side wall 42 of the chute and is pivoted on a transversely extending rod 47 extending through the upper portion of the side walls 41 to be rotatable thereto. Attached to the rod 47 is an actuation lever 48 which is arranged to be displaced in the direction of the arrow shown in Figures 4 and 5 by a pneumatic ram 48a. The arm 46 of the dispensing mechanism is also provided with a cranked portion 50 which extends upwardly from the arm 46 and is provided at its free end with the rod 51 which extends above the upper level of the side walls 41 of the chute.The rod 51 is arranged to rest against the underside of a holding mechanism 60 which comprises an arm 61 extending from the mid point of a rod 62 rotatably mounted to extend across the side walls 41 of the chute adjacent the mouth 30.

The other end of the arm 61 is provided with a step portion 59 to which is attached a sponge rubber pad 63, the under surface 64 of this pad being arranged to rest on the top of the oranges. The rod 61 of the holding mechanism is coupled to a lever 70, the free end of which is connected to the head of the mechanism by coil spring 72.

The spring acts to urge the head of the holding device downwardly so that the sponge rubber pad 63 abuts the oranges. As the oranges fill the device they roll down from the upper end 30 past the head 63 until the first orange abuts the gate 45 and then the remaining oranges bank up behind this orange.

To allow release of a single orange, the pneumatic ram is actuated to pull the lever 48 and cause the gate 44to pivot upwardly away from the path of the oranges. This allows the first orange to fall from the lower end 43 of the chute.

As the gate 45 pivots upwardly, the rod 51 adjacent the crank 50 moves downwardly away from the underside of the arm 61 of the holding means thereby allowing the spring to urge the sponge rubber pad 63 against the orange adjacent the one that has left the chute. This arrangement thereby ensures that only one orange at a time leaves the chute. The pneumatic ram is then actuated to close the gate 45 the crank 50 moving upwardly so that the rod abuts the underside of the arm 61 to lift the head and rubber pad away from the orange, thereby allowing the row of oranges to roll down by one orange so that the second orange then abuts the gate 45.

As described above, the arrangement of four chutes as shown in Figure 1, each having a dispensing mechanism of the above kind with carefully timed actuation can be arranged so that two oranges are released at any one time from each pair of in-line chutes, i.e. 5,3,2 and 4 as shown in Figure 2. The oranges are released in alternating pairs from the chutes to the support assembly 10 which is located underneath the area 6 adjacent the lower ends of each chute.

Three bag supportformers 15, are located to be rotatable with a turret 14 which has three radially extending arms 11, 12 and 13. The details of each bag support former 15 is shown in Figure 6. The bag support former 15 comprises a closed wire loop 70 shaped as shown in Figure 6 to define four substantially part circular orifices 71,72,73,74, the orifices being arranged to accommodate oranges from each of the four chutes.

The loop 70 or mouth of the bag support former is joined to a similarly profiled base plate 75 by a plurality of spaced apart parallel rods 76. The rods are welded to the base plate 75 and are welded to the inside surface of the ring 70 to ensure that they do not project on the outer side of the device. The rods are also spaced apart so that they define the substantially circular cross-section of the orange locating apertures 71,72, 73, and 74.

Mounted on the base plate 75 of the support means is a V shaped bridge member 78 which is located substantially centrally of the base plate and is arranged so that inclined portions 79 and 80 direct oranges to fall to one or other side of the bridge. A centrally positioned rod 77 is welded to the apex of the bridge 78 and extends upwardly to the mouth 70 of the former parallel to the rods 76. The base plate is also provided with two outwardly extended flanges 81 and 82 which merge into vertically extending flange portions 83 and 84, the free ends of which support pins 85 which support in a pivotable manner the links 90 and 91 of arms 11, 12 and 13 of the frame assembly 10. A latch 92 is provided to lock the formers in the vertical position shown in Figure 7.

In operation, the bag supportformer 15 is filled with oranges with the mouth 70 extending underneath the chutes so that the orange apertures 71,72, 73 and 74 are respectively located underneath the chutes 5, 2, 3 and 4. When the former is full of oranges an extended net bag 100 is then positioned over the top of the support means with the closed end 101 adjacent the mouth 70 as shown in Figure 7.

The latch 92 is then released enabling the support former to be partially inverted (as shown in Figure 8) so that the oranges all descend into the closed end 101 of the bag 100 adjacent the mouth 70. The operator can then simply slide the bag 100 and oranges off the support means with the oranges escaping from the mouth 70 being located within the bag to assume the precise arrangement that they assume within the support means.

To operate the device the oranges are fed from the feed conveyor 33 onto the rotatable table 1 and then into the downwardly extending chutes. The oranges are then released in alternating pairs from the chutes so that the first pair fall from the chutes 3 and 5 and roll down the inclined sides 79 and 80 of the bridge 78 to rest in the base of the support former 15. The next pair of oranges are then released from the opposite pair of chutes 2 and 4 and rest across the first pair. The first pair of chutes then release another pair which rest on the first pair and so the operation is repeated until the support former is full. In this way it can be seen that the oranges assume the desired position, i.e. forming four vertically extending columns.

The turret 14 that supports the support former is then rotated through 120"to bring the loaded support former away from the ends of the chutes and to position an empty support former under the chutes. A bag 100 is then positioned over the loaded support former and the former is inverted by a pivoting action to release the bag of oranges. At the same time, the other support former is being filled from the chutes in the same manner as described above. Accordingly, the turret can be rotated to bring the three support formers successively to the loading zone and through the bagging and unloading zones.

It is understood that any suitable indexing means may he used to accurately ensure the rotation of the rotatable turret and a locking means may comprise a rod which locates in a hole in a stationary plate, the rod being actuated by an air piston/cylinder to accurately position the mouth of the support means under the chutes.

Furthermore, it is understood that the cylinders operate by conventional control mechanisms ensure that the orange dispensing means dispenses in pairs oranges at the desired intervals.

The precise arrangement of the orange support former, in particular the wire framework, ensure that the oranges are accurately positioned within the support means and assume the configuration desired by the retailer.

The technique of placing the bag over the support former and then inverting the former to remove the bag of oranges provides a simple, yet very effective, solution to the problem of ensuring that the oranges not only assume their desirable position as they leave the chute but maintain this position within the bags.

To further improve the automation of the process and to assist the operator in placing the bags on the former it is understood that the former may be radially extensible and may be provided with an open base so that a bag is initially placed on the former in the collapsed state with the closed end of the bag adjacent the end of the former. The former is then radially extended to firmly locate the bag on the former due to the resilience of the excruded net structure of the bag. The oranges can then be fed into the bag to assume the particular arrangement referred to above. To remove the bag and oranges the former can be slightly radially reduced to facilitate a simple and swift removal of the bag and oranges.

Other modifications and variations to the method and apparatus described above falling within the ambit of the skilled addressee are understood to be encompassed by the monopoly of this invention as defined in the claims annexed hereto.

Claims

1. Apparatus for bagging round articles in a particular arrangement comprising a former having a profile to define the arrangement of the articles, means to automatically feed the articles into the former, and means to effect release of the articles from the former, the former being arranged to support a bag in a manner that removal of the bag from the former causes release of the articles into the bag in the particular arrangement.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the feeding means comprises a downwardly extending chute into which the articles are located.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the feeding means includes means to periodically release one article from the lower end of the chute to fall into the former.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the means to periodically release the article comprises an abutment means coupled to a lever, the lever being associated with clamping means to hold the adjacent article whilst the article adjacent the end of the chute moves past the abutment means.

5. Apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein four chutes are arranged in an equally spaced configuration in mutually perpendicular pairs so that the chutes extend radially from a common centre.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the upper ends of each chute are arranged to be fed by a rotatable table upon which the articles rest.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the rotatable table is annular and dished towards the centre so that as the table rotates the articles roll towards the upper end of each chute.

8. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the former comprises an elongate frame arranged to be mounted in a vertical plane and having a profiled mouth which dictates the path of the articles as they fall from the feeding means.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the bag is located over the exterior of the frame so that the profile of the bag is defined by the profile of the frame.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the frame comprises a plurality of spaced parallel rods extending from a base platform.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the rods define two pairs of mutually perpendicular columns into which the articles fall, one pair to each horizontal plane extending through the axes of the articles.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11 when dependent on claim 5, wherein the mouth of each column is arranged to be positioned under the end of each chute so that alternate release of the articles from each pair of chutes causes formation of the alternating pairs of articles in the former.

13. Apparatus according to any one of claims 8 to 12, wherein the frame is mounted so that it can be inverted so that the bag can be pulled off the frame from the mouth thereof, the articles moving with the bag in the particular arrangement.

14. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein three formers are mounted on the respective arms of a rotatable turret.

15. Apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the axis of rotation of the turret is arranged so, as the path at the open end of each former is coincident with the common centre of the radially extending chutes, the lower end of each chute directly communicates with the mouth of the former.

16. Apparatus for bagging round articles substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

17. A method of bagging round articles comprising feeding the articles into a former which defines the arrangement of the articles, placing a bag over the former either before or after the articles enter the former and removing the bag with the articles in the predetermined position.

18. The method according to claim 17, comprising transferring the articles onto a rotatable table, feeding the articles into a plurality of downwardly and convergently extending chutes and selectively releasing the articles into the former positioned underneath the outlet of the chutes.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the bag is placed on the former by pulling the bag over the mouth of an elongate frame when fed with articles.

20. The method according to claim 19, comprising inverting the former and pulling the bag off the former whilst allowing the articles to fill the bag in the predetermined position.

21. The method according to either claim 17 or 18, comprising placing the bag over the former and securing the bag thereon, feeding the articles into the bag and former and subsequently removing the bag with the articles in the predetermined position.

22. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 21, wherein the articles are positioned in the former in mutually opposed pairs, each pair relatively vertically displaced.

23. A method of bagging round articles substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.