GB2255762A

GB2255762A - A conveyor system.

Info

Publication number: GB2255762A
Application number: GB9205408A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Richard Payne
Original assignee: Thurne Engineering Co Ltd
Current assignee: Thurne Engineering Co Ltd
Priority date: 1991-03-12
Filing date: 1992-03-12
Publication date: 1992-11-18
Also published as: GB9105123D0; GB9205408D0

Abstract

A conveyor system includes a rotary unit 3 which receives a group of products from an input conveyor 1 and rotates them through 90 DEG before forwarding them to an output conveyor. As shown, the rotary unit 3 includes arms 5 constituted by a plurality of parallel fingers 9 which are interdigitated with both the strips of a strip conveyor 2 and the rollers of a roller conveyor 6, with the fingers of the rotary unit 3 moving up to lift products from the conveyor 2, being rotated through 90 DEG and then being lowered to transfer products onto the roller conveyor 6. In the modification of Figure 4 the arms 5 are cranked. Rotation of unit 3 is driven from a cam box. <IMAGE>

Description

A CONVEYOR SYSTEM The conversion of a single product input lane into a multi-lane output pattern is commonly achieved by using channelisers and lane diverters such as those described in the present applicant's earlier application W089/10318, or using marshalling conveyors such as those described in EP A-0274229 in conjunction with a variety of row and lane marshalling systems which, in various combinations, produce sets of portions in a format suitable, for example, for the die-pattern of a packaging machine.

A problem arises when the product, which may be a portion of a sliced foodstuff, is severely asymmetric.

Such is the case, for example, with a stacked bacon slice portion which has a length very much greater than its width. Then the optimum die format for a packaging machine will typically be with the longest portion dimension in line with the direction in which the packaging film moves.

For example, a 400mm wide film could not even accommodate two lanes of portions requiring 210mm x 60mm pouches when the 210mm dimension extends across the film, but could easily accommodate 3 lanes x 60mm wide.

According to the present invention a conveyor system comprises an input conveyor extending in a first, transverse direction, an output conveyor also extending in the transverse direction and an intermediate rotary unit positioned between the input and output conveyors and including at least one arm, which in a first configuration of the rotary unit extends in the transverse direction substantially aligned with the input conveyor and receives a plurality of products discharged from the input conveyor arranged along its length, the rotary unit in use rotating through 900 so that the at least one arm extends in the longitudinal direction, the system further comprising means to discharge the products from the arm in the longitudinal direction onto the output conveyor.

Preferably the rotary unit includes four arms, each adjacent pair of arms being spaced by 900. The arms may extend in a radially outwards direction from the centre of rotation of the rotary unit but preferably each arm is cranked so that its outer part extends generally tangentially from the rotary unit.

Preferably each arm comprises at least an outer part in the form of a plurality of fingers extending along the arm. Preferably the rotary unit is preceded by a strip conveyor and followed by a roller conveyor and the fingers are arranged to be interdigitated with both the strips of the strip conveyor and the rollers of the roller conveyor.

In this case the rotary unit is arranged to be raised and lowered to lift products off the strip conveyor, turn them, and then lower them onto the roller conveyor.

One example and a modification of the present invention will now be described with now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings; in which: Figure 1 is a plan of the first example; Figure 2 is a side elevation of part of the first example; Figure 3 is a plan of the rotary unit; Figure 4 is a plan of a modification of the first example; Figure 5 is a partially sectioned side elevation through the modification with the rotary unit in its lowered position; and, Figure 6 is a partially sectioned side elevation through the modification with the rotary unit in its raised position.

The conveyor system includes a feed conveyor 1 providing stacks or shingles of a sliced product such as a sliced cooked meat. Preferably the stacks or shingles are grouped together with a predetermined spacing between the stacks or shingles in each group. Stacks or shingles are moved along to a predetermined position on the feed conveyor 1 and then this is stopped. The feed conveyor 1 and the strip conveyor 2 are then gradually accelerated together to transfer the group of products onto the strip conveyor 2. The strip conveyor 2 is then decelerated and stopped to locate the group of products at a precise location along its length. Subsequently when the next group of products on the feed conveyor have been brought into their predetermined position the input conveyor 1 is also stopped.

The conveyor system also includes a rotary unit 3 comprising a central turntable 4 with arms 5 extending generally radially outwards from it. The turntable 4 and arms 5 are also movable upwards and downwards. In the modification shown in Figure 4 the arms 5 are cranked and so extend somewhat tangentially outwards from the turntable 4. The conveyor system also includes a roller conveyor 6, a marshalling conveyor 7 and an output conveyor 8 which leads into a vacuum packaging machine (not shown).

The arms 5 are formed by a number of separate parallel bars 9 which are sized and spaced to fit between the individual elements of the strip conveyor 2 and the roller conveyor 6. The upwards and downwards movement of the rotary unit 3 causes the top surface of the bars 9 to move below and rise above the conveying surface of the strip conveyor 2 and roller conveyor 6. The rotary unit 3 is arranged to index through 900 upon each rotation. The rotation is preferably driven from a cam box which provides constant acceleration and deceleration.

In operation of the conveyor system the group of stacks or shingles of product are transferred from the input conveyor 1 and on to the strip conveyor 2 and then gradually brought to a stop at a predetermined position.

During this feeding step the rotary unit 3 is in its lowermost position with the bars 9 below the conveying surface of the strip conveyor 2. The turntable 4 of the rotary unit 3 is then raised and as the bars 9 move upwards between the strips of the strip conveyor 2 they lift the stacks or shingles of product from the conveying surface of the strip conveyor 2. The turntable 4 of the rotary unit is then indexed through 900 in a clockwise direction as shown in Figure 1 or in an anti-clockwise direction as shown in Figure 4. The turntable 4 is then lowered and in this position the bars 9 carrying the stacks or shingles of product are lowered and pass between the rollers of the roller conveyor 6. In doing so the stacks or shingles of product are deposited on to the conveying surface of the roller conveyor.The roller conveyor is then gently accelerated to convey the products onto the marshalling conveyor 7. Meanwhile a further group of stacks or shingles are transferred from the input conveyor 1 to the strip conveyor 2 and located in the predetermined position.

The rotary unit then lifts and rotates to repeat the transfer operation. When the next group of stacks or shingles of product are transferred from the roller conveyor 6 to the marshalling conveyor these two conveyors are controlled to ensure the required spacing between the products in the adjacent rows so that an array of products is produced which matches the die spacing of the vacuum packaging machine. Once the array of products is complete the array is transferred from the marshalling conveyor 7 to the output conveyor 8 to be vacuum packaged.

Thus this example enables a single stream of products to be converted into a multi-lane stream of products for feeding into a vacuum packaging machine.

The modification shown in Figure 4 enables the input conveyor 1 and the strip conveyor 2 to be aligned with the roller conveyor 6, the marshalling conveyor 7 and the output conveyor 8.

Claims

1. A conveyor system comprising an input conveyor extending in a first, transverse direction, an output conveyor also extending in the transverse direction and an intermediate rotary unit positioned between the input and output conveyors and including at least one arm, which in a first configuration of the rotary unit extends in the transverse direction substantially aligned with the input conveyor and receives a plurality of products discharged from the input conveyor arranged along its length, the rotary unit in use rotating through 90 so that the at least one arm extends in the longitudinal direction, the system further comprising means to discharge the products from the arm in the longitudinal direction onto the output conveyor.

2. A conveyor system according to claim 1, in which the rotary unit includes four equiangularly spaced arms and in which the rotary unit is arranged to index into discrete angular positions separated by 90 .

3. A conveyor system according to claim 1 or 2, in which the arms extend radially outwards from the centre of rotation of the rotary unit.

4. A conveyor system according to claim 1 or 2, in which the arms are cranked so that their outer parts extend generally tangentially to the rotary unit.

5. A conveyor system according to any one of the preceding claims, in which each arm has the form of a plurality of parallel fingers, in which the rotary unit is preceded by a strip conveyor and followed by a roller conveyor, and in which the parallel fingers are arranged to be -interdigitated with both the strips of the strip conveyor and the rollers of the roller conveyor.

6. A conveyor system according to claim 5, in which the rotary unit is arranged to be raised and lowered to lift products off the strip conveyor, turn them, and then lower them onto the roller conveyor.

7. A conveyor system according to any one of the preceding claims, which also includes a marshalling conveyor.

8. A conveyor system substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.