GB2147871A

GB2147871A - A method of, and apparatus for, collating product items for wrapping thereof

Info

Publication number: GB2147871A
Application number: GB08425609A
Authority: GB
Inventors: William Glover
Original assignee: Baker Perkins Ltd
Current assignee: Baker Perkins Ltd
Priority date: 1983-10-14
Filing date: 1984-10-10
Publication date: 1985-05-22
Also published as: GB8425609D0; GB8327565D0

Abstract

In a means of collating dissimilar product items P1, P2, P3, P4 as a preliminary to wrapping them in a common wrapper to form a "multipack", items P1 are stripped from a magazine M1 and pushed by pusher lugs L along an infeed track 16, where they gather in sequence further items P2, P3, P4 previously bought down onto the track 16 by the action of collating lugs B which strip the items P2, P3, P4 from further magazines M2, M3, M4. The collating lugs B are preferably cam operated to rock back out of engagement with the items once they have been moved onto the track 16. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A method of, and apparatus for, collating product items for wrapping thereof This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for collating product items as a preliminary to wrapping the product items in a common wrapper to form a so-called multipack. More particularly, but not exclusively, it concerns such a method and apparatus useful for wrapping dissimilar items in a "multipack".

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of collating successive ones of at least first and second articles on an infeed track of a machine for enclosing the said articles together in a common wrapper, the method comprising the steps of: (i) providing a supply of the first articles in a first magazine; (ii) providing a supply of the second articles in a second magazine; (iii) extracting a leading one of the first articles from the first magazine and urging the said leading first article downstream along the infeed track;; (iv) extracting a leading one of the second articles from the second magazine and bringing the said leading second article onto the infeed track, downstream of the said leading first article, in a position where the said leading first article, in its movement downstream, comes up behind the said leading second article and urges it downstream towards the said wrapping machine.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided apparatus for collating successive ones of at least first and second articles on an infeed track of a machine for enclosing the said articles together in a common wrapper, the apparatus comprising: an infeed track; a plurality of spaced pusher lugs which advance downstream along the infeed track; a first magazine for holding a supply of the first articles; a second magazine for holding a supply of the second articles; means for extracting successive ones of the supply of first articles from the first magazine and bringing the extracted first articles onto the infeed track downstream of successive respective ones of the pusher lugs; and means for extracting successive ones of the supply of second articles from the second magazine and bringing a respective one only of the extracted second articles onto the infeed track in the path of each different one of the extracted first articles on the infeed track, to be pushed downstream by the said one extracted first article.

The infeed plate can be a deadplate and the means for urging the articles downstream along the infeed track can be a chain conveyor bearing a plurality of evenly spaced pusher lugs. Extraction tips can be provided on these same lugs to extract leading first articles from the first magazine, which is conveniently in the form of a column with the leading article at the lower end thereof. Preferably, each of the first, second and any further magazines holds the articles in an array which presents a leading article at an extraction bay and presents a fresh article at the bay each time an article is extracted therefrom.

The second and any further magazines are also conveniently in the form of columns, conveniently situated successively further downstream on the infeed track from the first magazine. In one form of the invention, leading articles from the second and any further magazines are extracted from respective extraction bays at the foot of the columns by extraction tips on collating lugs which alternate on the infeed conveyor with the pusher lugs.

These collating lugs are, in one embodiment, longer than the pusher lugs by the length of their extraction tips, such that they project upwardly above the infeed track further than the pusher lugs and extend above a horizontal transfer surface which supports a column of articles at the bottom of the second one or any further one magazine, while the pusher lugs pass freely below the transfer surface.

The collating lugs move through a slot in the transfer surface to strip a lowermost product item from an extraction bay at the foot of the column and urge it along the transfer surface, while the length of the column falls down by gravity by the thickness of the extracted product item.

The collating lugs urge the stripped items off the downstream end of the transfer surface in order that the product item may pass onto the infeed track, but such passage may not be immediate as will be apparent hereinafter.

In this embodiment, there are camming arrangements to ensure that the collating lugs fall back after they have brought down onto the infeed track each item from the second or any further magazine, so as to enable transport of the article brought down to be taken up by a pusher lug (together with a first and any other article which it is already pushing).

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a first embodiment of an infeed conveyor of a horizontal form-fill-seal wrapping machine; and Figure 2 is a similar section of a second embodiment of such a conveyor.

The apparatus shown in Fig. 1 includes an infeed conveyor comprising a single circuit of chain 30 onto which is attached, at regular pitches, lugs Ll...n for pushing product items P.

Evenly spaced along the entire length of the chain, and alternating with the pusher lugs L, are collating lugs Bl...n.

Each pusher lug L is a standard pushing lug known per. se. It remains in an upright mode throughout its travel along the upper run of the infeed conveyor, along a deadplate infeed track 16, until it reaches the terminal head sprocket 20 where it falls back when it strikes lug knocker D5.

Each collating lug B has an extraction tip which results in it being longer than the pusher lugs L, that is to say, on the upper run it is higher. All-the collating lugs, but not the pusher lugs, are arranged to be influenced by camming surfaces 10, 11 and 12. Engagement of a collating lug B with the cam 10,11 and 12 at A holds it in an upright position until it strikes knocker D2, D3 and D4 respectively at the end of the cam track at T.

To effect a collation of a required number of product items, each is singularly stripped by the extraction tip of one of the collating lugs B from a different one of separate supplies of products. The example illustrated shows four supplies, each held in a vertical stack or magazine Ml to M4.

To achieve a collation comprising four individual product items the following sequence is followed.

A first pusher lug LI passes under magazine MI and extracts one leading product item PI from the foot of the column, on the track 16.

A first collating lug BI strikes cam track 10 at A2 and is held in the upright position by its base running along the upper cam track surface E2. In this upright position its upper end, that is to say, its extraction tip strips one leading product item P2 from an extraction bay H2 at the foot of the column of product items P2 in the magazine M2 and pushes it along a transfer surface F2 which is bifurcated (not shown) to allow the lug BI (and every other collating lug) to pass and move product items to point C2. At this point, the transfer surface F2 terminates to allow product items to descend to the infeed track 16, and the lug BI engages with the knocker D2 causing it to fall back to pass under D2. Thereafter, it regains its upright position when it strikes cam track 11 at A3.

in practice, as described hereinbelow, each product item P2 at C initially rests on a similar item, itself resting on the track 16, thereby forming a two member column. At the moment when the lower member of this column is stripped from this small column and taken into a forming multipack ahead of a pusher lug L, e.g. lug LI, the upper member drops down onto the infeed track behind the lug LI.

As lug LI continues along the feed track, it pushes in front of it one product item P2, P3 and P4 previously brought down by the collating lug BI onto the infeed track pushing surface 16 at each position C2,C3 and C4 immediately downstream of each magazine M2,M3 and M4, the handling of product items P3 and P4 being the same as for items P2, as described above.

Before start up, at least one product item P is positioned on the infeed track 16 precisely at all the positions C2,C3 and C4 thereby to prime the system. Each extraction bay H2,3,4 is re-filled immediately after extraction of a product item P from it by the effect of gravity in moving the whole column of items in the respective magazine down through one unit of product item height.

When each pusher lug passes around the head sprocket 20 the lug falls back and leaves successive collated assemblies of product items inside a folding box 21 from where each assembly is separately entubed in a web 22 of wrapping material and carried into a long seam sealing section and cross sealing (crimp) jaws known per se and not shown.

The collating lugs B remain in the reclining, otherwise called withdrawn, position from point D4 onwards until they are re-erected at A2, after they have advanced around the head sprocket 20, along the lower run of the chain 30 and over the opposing head sprocket (not shown).

At each position C, the leading product item of each forming collated multipack assembly which is being pushed by a pusher lug L abuts and pushes the product item at C which is the lowest member of the small (in this case, two member) column.

The pushed item slides on the track surface 16 but the or each other member in the small column is restrained from moving with the lowest member by a fixed stop surface G2. As the pusher lug passes point C the or each said product item remaining in the column is left unsupported and falls to the pusher infeed track surface 16 through a distance of one unit of product item height.

It should be noted that the length of the multipack assembly must not be so great that the swing of each collating lug B as it rides up cam shape A4 brings it into contact with the leading product item P3 of the forming multipack assembly being pushed by the pusher lug L next adjacent upstream.

The apparatus shown in Figure 2 is in most respects identical to that of Figure 1, and the same reference numerals are used for corresponding parts. What is different is the construction of the downstream end of the transfer surface F beneath each of the magazines M2, M3 and M4.

A hinged portion J2,3 and 4 is provided at the downstream end of each surface F to provide a downwardly inclined ramp K, down which a product stripped from the magazine above descends to the pushing surface 16 by the pressure from behind it of a collating lug B propelling it to the end of the inclined ramp K. At the end of the ramp K the product-propelling collating lug is caused to retract below the line of product travel by its contact with the cam surface at T. This retraction leaves the product item stationary on the feed track 16.

The next following pusher lug L already pushing a product item PI from magazine MI, picks up the resting product P2 from its stationary position downstream of magazine M2 and propels it along the infeed track 16 to the next magazine M3.

As the pusher lug L, now pushing two products PI and P2 in front of it, reaches the next product magazine M3 position, the leading product P2 contacts the inclined ramp portion K3 and causes it to swing upward to allow the lug L and the product items ahead of it to pass underneath the surfaces F3 and K3 and at the end of this passage to pick up a third product P3 previously positioned there by a collating lug B.

The length of the ramp portion K of the transfer surface F is constrained by the height of the products to be collated. Thus, the ramp K must never be so steep as to introduce a tendency for the products to tumble. Also, it must never be so shallow that its consequent excessive length necessitates a pitch between successive pusher lugs L which is unreasonably large in relation to the length of the collated group of product items being conveyed. An excessively large pitch relative to the length of the collation demands an infeed speed which would be unacceptably high compared with the speed of the product wrapper in the downstream wrapping machine. In practice, the product collation length compared to the pitch of the pusher lugs L should be not more than 3:1 under normal circumstances.

Referring to Fiqure 2, each of the magazines contains product items which have a common width (that is to say, size in the direction of their transport along the infeed track 16) of X. Thus, the length of the collation is initially X, then 2X, 3X and finally 4X. The pitch of the pusher lugs is a constant length V. It is preferred that V is not greater than three times 4X.

It will be appreciated that the ramp portions K could be raised, if desired, by contact with some component of the pusher lugs L and their associated drive, rather than by the leading product item in a product group undergoing collation, especially where the product items are susceptible to mechanical damage and the magazine constructions are modified accordingly.

It is possible that the articles in the feeding magazines could be collations of articles, e.g. biscuits in pile wraps, and the articles are not necessarily restricted to relatively small items. On a more robust scale they could be cases collated prior to stacking onto a pallet. The nature of the stack or magazine could also be varied depending upon the nature of the article. Thus, for heavy items, side loading from a horizontal magazine could be employed.

An alternative (not preferred at present) to a transport chain with longer alternate lugs is a dual side-by-side, chain circuit with collating lugs on one circuit and pusher lugs on the other. The collating lugs could be cranked so that their distal ends travel above the pushing/collating track on the same centre line as those of shorter pusher lugs.

Claims

1. A method of collating successive ones of at least first and second articles on an infeed track of a machine for enclosing the said articles together in a common wrapper, the method comprising the steps of: (i) providing a supply of the first articles in a first magazine; (ii) providing a supply of the second articles in a second magazine; (iii) extracting a leading one of the first articles from the first magazine and urging the said leading first article downstream along the infeed track; (iv) extracting a leading one of the second articles from the second magazine and bringing the said leading second article onto the infeed track, downstream of the said leading first article, in a position where the said leading first article, in its movement downstream, comes up behind the said leading second article and urges it downstream towards the said wrapping machine.

2. A method of collating articles substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1 or Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.

3. Apparatus for collating successive ones of at least first and second articles on an infeed track of a machine for enclosing the said articles together in a common wrapper, the apparatus comprising: an infeed track; a plurality of spaced pusher lugs which advance downstream along the infeed track; a first magazine for holding a supply of the first articles; a second magazine for holding a supply of the second articles; means for extracting successive ones of the supply of first articles from the first magazine and bringing the extracted first articles onto the infeed track downstream of successive respective ones of the pusher lugs; and means for extracting successive ones of the supply of second articles from the second magazine and bringing a respective one only of the extracted second articles onto the infeed track in the path of each different one of the extracted first articles on the infeed track, to be pushed downstream by the said one extracted first article.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein the first magazine holds the supply of first articles in an array which presents a leading article at a first extraction bay, for extraction therefrom, and presents a fresh leading article at the extraction bay each time an article is extracted therefrom.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein the supply of first articles is in a vertical column with the extraction bay at its foot, the magazine being so constructed as to utilise the effect of gravity to refill the extraction bay.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 or 5 wherein the first magazine is disposed adjacent the infeed track and the means for extracting articles from the first magazine comprises an extraction tip on each said pusher lug which tip, in its advance along the infeed track, passes through the said first extraction bay thereby to extract a first article therefrom.

7. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 6 wherein the second magazine holds the supply of second articles in an array which presents a leading article at a second extraction bay for extraction therefrom and presents a fresh leading article at the extraction bay each time an article is extracted therefrom.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein the supply of second articles is in a vertical column with the extraction bay at its foot, the magazine being so constructed as to utilise the effect of gravity to refill the extraction bay.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7 or 8 wherein the second magazine is disposed adjacent the infeed track and the means for extracting articles from the second magazine comprises a plurality of collating lugs which advance in the direction of, and in synchronism with, the pusher lugs, which alternate with the pusher lugs along the direction of the infeed track, and of which each has an ex traction tip which, in its advancing movement along the infeed track, passes through the second extraction bay thereby to extract a leading second article therefrom, bring the extracted article onto the infeed track, and thereafter withdraw so as to leave the article on the infeed track to be pushed downstream by the next following first article on the infeed track.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein the collating lugs and the pusher lugs are both mounted on a common continuous loop drive means, the collating lugs are pivotable between an extended disposition for extracting articles from the said second extraction bay and a withdrawn disposition for leaving the second article on the infeed track.

11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10 including means for camming the collating lugs between the extended and withdrawn dispositions, and comprising a camming surface opposite the second extraction bay and a cammed surface on each collating lug.

12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9,10 or 11 wherein the second extraction bay is located above the infeed track and comprises a transfer surface for facilitating transfer of extracted articles down onto the infeed track while permitting passage underneath the extraction bay of pusher lugs pushing first articles.

13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein the transfer surface has a downstream end, the upper surface of which is held spaced above the surface of the infeed track, and spaced upstream from a stop surface, whereby in use a column of said second articles rising from the infeed track immediately downstream of the said downstream end, and upstream of the stop surface, is replenished at the top by articles advancing to it over the transfer surface, and depleted from the bottom by the passage of pusher lugs along the infeed track.

14. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein the transfer surface comprises a downstream ramp portion which is movable between a lower disposition for sliding movement of second articles down the ramp onto the infeed track, and an upper disposition to permit pusher lugs and first articles to pass beneath the ramp portion.

15. Apparatus as claimed in claim 14 wherein the ramp portion is normally in its lower disposition and is pushed into its upper disposition, in use, by pressure on its lower surface from a first article advancing along the infeed track ahead of a pusher lug.

16. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 15 including a third magazine and means for extracting successive ones of a supply of third articles from the third magazine, and bringing a respective one only of the extracted second articles onto the infeed track in the path of each different one of the extracted second articles on the infeed track, to be pushed downstream by the said one extracted second article.

17. Apparatus as claimed in claim 16, as dependent upon claim 9, wherein the same collating lugs which extract articles from the second magazine serve also to extract articles, in analogous fashion, from the third magazine.

18. Apparatus for collating articles substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, Figure 1 or Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.