GB2196596A

GB2196596A - Container handling and collating apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2196596A
Application number: GB08625364A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Reginald Pointer; John William Auld
Original assignee: United Glass Ltd
Current assignee: OI Glass Ltd
Priority date: 1986-10-23
Filing date: 1986-10-23
Publication date: 1988-05-05
Also published as: GB8625364D0

Abstract

An apparatus for collating containers (e.g. of glass) into predetermined patterns to enable the pattern to be packed as a unit, in e.g. a tray, comprises a first conveyor 2 delivering containers 4 in a single or multiple row to a profile plate 16 having slots 18 in the form of the desired pattern. The plate 16 is indexed in the direction of conveyor 26 for successive filling of the slots. After filling the slots with containers, the profile plate 16 delivers the collated pattern onto the second conveyor 26 which delivers them as a unit to a packing station 34, the plate being lifted clear of the containers. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Container handling apparatus This invention relates to an apparatus and method for collating containers into predetermined patterns to enable the collated pattern to be packed as a unit. It relates specifically, but not exclusively, to an apparatus designed for the cold end of a glass container moulding line to enable such containers to be collated into predetermined patterns for packing as collated units into trays.

When it is desired to pack a number of moulded glass containers into trays in a specific pattern, it is known to build up the pattern on a row-by-row basis. The containers arrive at the cold end of the glass moulding line on a single row conveyor. A specific number of containers are counted at the end of the conveyor and this number transferred sideways onto a further conveyor by guide bars. The latter then return to the end of the single row conveyor ready to receive and transfer the next row of containers. In receiving and transferring this next row it may be necessary (dependent upon the desired pattern) to index this row sideways by, say, half a container diameter to enable adjacent rows to nest with one another. The number of containers in adjacent rows may not necessarily be the same.In this manner a predetermined pattern of containers of a given number of rows and given number of containers in each row may be built up. The pattern, when collated, is then transferred by the second conveyor to an appropriate tray-packing station.

A disadvantage of this technique is that collating the pattern on a row-by-row basis is relatively slow. The present invention enables such patterns to be created more quickly.

According to the invention there is provided an apparatus for collating containers into a predetermined pattern to enable the collated pattern to be packed as a unit, which comprises a profile plate provided with a plurality of slots of predetermined number and length to create the predetermined pattern when filled with containers, means for filling the slots with containers, and means for removing the pattern of containers built up as à collated unit from the profile plate.

According to the invention there is also provided a method of collating containers into a predetermined pattern to enable the collated pattern to be packed as a unit, which comprises providing a profile plate with a plurality of slots of predetermined number and length to create the predetermined pattern when filled with containers, filling the slots with containers, and removing the patttern of containers built up as a collated unit from the profile plate.

The removing means preferably includes a second conveyor. The profile plate may be lifted away from the collated pattern of containers that are held in the slots-the second conveyor may then remove the collated pattern so released to a packing station.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing.

The latter is a schematic plan view of the cold end of a glass container moulding line, where the containers are to be collated in patterns for packing into cardboard trays.

Referring to the drawing, the apparatus comprises a slot conveyor 2 for receiving cooled, annealed glass containers 4 from the container moulding line. A pair of guide rails 6 are provided to assist in conveying the containers past a hold-back device 8 to a collating station 10 where the containers are to be collated into (viewing in plan) a two dimensional pattern for packing into a tray. In this example there are to be seven rows of containers, with the rows alternately containing 9 and 8 containers each; each adjacent row being nested (i.e. being displaced along the row length by half a container diameter) relative to the adjacent row.

The collating station 10 includes a container stop 12 which, when actuated, restrains the containers from passing further along conveyor 2 and a sensor 14 for counting the number of containers allowed to pass stop 12. Immediately downstream of stop 12 is a moveable profile plate 16 machined with slots 18 of width so as just to receive a row of containers. The number of slots, and the length of each are designed specifically to create the predetermined pattern of containers for packing, as a unit, in a single tray. Thus in this example, there are seven slots, with the odd-numbered slots being sufficiently long just to the plate to the right from the position shown in the drawing. A second driving arm (not shown) is also attached to the profile plate for lifting it clear of the containers when the plate is in its rightmost position (see below).

Adjacent to the collating station 10 is a transfer plate 24 leading to a conveyor 26.

The latter is provided with fixed guides 28 and an adjustable guide 30. The downstream end of conveyor 26 is provided with a container stop bar 32, which is adjacent to a tray packing station 34.

The apparatus operates as follows. The slot conveyor 2 runs continuously to deliver a steady stream of containers to the hold-back device 8. The latter accumulates containers and automatically releases a specific number as a "slug", the number being preset so that the slug length is greater than the longest length of containers in the pattern to be collated. In this example the preset number is 10 or more. Allowing the containers to arrive at the container stop 12 as such a slug ensures that the last container to be loaded into a given row is unlikely to fall over accidentally.

With the profile plate 16 located as illustrated, the sensor 14 counts 9 containers and actuates the stop 12 to restrain the tenth container. In this manner, 9 containers are loaded into the first slot of the profile plate 16. The latter is then indexed rightwards so that the second slot is able to receive containers. The stop 12 releases and the sensor 14 counts a further 8 containers. The stop 1 2 restrains the next container to provide 8 containers in slot 2. The cycle repeats until all seven slots are filled with containers.

The driving arm 22 then indexes further rightwards to transfer all the containers across the transfer plate 24 onto conveyor 26. Although the latter is moving, the profile plate 1 6 restrains its containers against movement along the conveyor. When the containers are all located on the conveyor 26 it stops. The second driving arm 22 lifts the profile plate 16 vertically clear of the containers, indexes the plate leftwards and then downwards to return slot 1 adjacent the stop 12 ready to be refilled. The conveyor 26 re-starts and conveys the collated pattern of containers towards the tray packing station 34 where the pattern is restrained against stop bar 32. It will be noted that as the rows of containers back-up against the stop bar 32, the gaps between the rows disappear.An operator stationed at the tray packing station is then able to load the collated pattern as a single unit into a cardboard tray by any of a number of techniques. In one technique, the operator pulls the collated pattern off the conveyor as a single unit, using a pull board, into an empty cardboard tray, one side of which (adjacent the conveyor) remains flat. After the tray has been filled with containers the remaining side is turned up and secured to the other sides.

The filled tray is then replaced with a further empty tray ready to receive the next collated pattern of containers. Sensors (not shown) are provided adjacent conveyor 26 to stop the latter in the event, for example, of a collated pattern trying to arrive at the tray packing station 34 when the operator is not ready to pack it.

The apparatus is under computer control and the profile plate 16 is removable so that different patterns of plates may be fitted according to the collated pattern of containers desired. The computer is also re-programmable (e.g. by means of EPROMs) so that, for example, the container stop 12 knows exactly when to release or restrain containers on conveyor 2. Although the example described illustrates the packing of containers of circular cross-section, it will of course be appreciated that containers of other cross-sections may be handled by the apparatus.

Although the invention has been described with reference to the use of the conveyor 2 feeding containers to the profile plate as a single row, this is not essential and the profile plate could be feed on a multiple row basis, thus increasing the speed of collating. For example, twin row feeding can be achieved by feeding two rows of containers on conveyor 2 and using twin hold-back devices 8 and container stops 12, one for each row so that adjacent pairs of slots in the profile plate are filled simultaneously.

Claims

1. An apparatus for collating containers into a predetermined pattern to enable the collated pattern to be packed as a unit, which comprises a profile plate provided with a plurality of slots of predetermined number and length to create the predetermined pattern when filled with containers, means for filling the slots with containers, and means for removing the pattern of containers built up as a collated unit from the profile plate.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the filling means comprises a conveying means, and means are provided for moving the profile plate and conveying means relative to one another so that the slots may receive containers from the conveying means.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the conveying means comprises a conveyor for conveying the containers in one or more uniform rows.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the conveyor comprises a single row conveyor.

5. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the conveying means comprises a horizontal conveyor for delivering a single row of containers, and the moving means comprises means for indexing the profile plate across the conveyor on a slot-by-slot basis.

6. An apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 5 wherein the removing means comprises means for moving the profile plate away from the collated pattern of containers held in the slots thereof, and conveying means for removing the collated pattern so released.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the conveying means for removing the collated pattern is arranged to transfer the collated pattern to a packing station.

8. An apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 7 which comprises means for counting a predetermined number of containers into each slot.

9. An apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 8 when forming part of the cold end of a glass container moulding line.

10. A method of collating containers into a predetermined pattern to enable the collated pattern to be packed as a unit, which comprises providing a profile plate with a plurality of slots of predetermined number and length to create the predetermined pattern when filled with containers, filling the slots with con tainers, and removing the pattern of containers built up as a collated unit from the profile plate.

11. A method according to claim 10 wherein the profile plate is disposed horizontally and containers are conveyed horizontally to be filled into the slots on a slot-by-slot basis.

12. A method according to claim 10 or 11 which comprises counting a predetermined number of containers into each slot.

13. A method according to any of claims 10 to 12 wherein the containers are glass and the profile plate is disposed at the cold end of a glass container moulding line.

14. An apparatus for collating containers into a predetermined pattern to enable the collated pattern to be packed as a unit, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.