IES80789B2 - A produkt packing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

A product packing apparatus (1) has a support frame (2). A product feed conveyor (3) is mounted on support frame (2) for delivery of box shaped cartons (7) of rectangular cross section to an alignment station (5). A pusher (6) is operable to deliver a carton (7) onto an accumulation station (8). The accumulation station (8) accumulates a desired quantity of cartons (7) into an array of predetermined configuration. A pusher (17) delivers the accumulated array of cartons (7) into a storage case (22). The storage case feed conveyors (23) and (25) are mounted on the support frame (2) for delivery of an empty storage case (22) to a case packing station (34) adjacent the accumulation station (8) and subsequent discharge of a filled storage case (22) to a holding area (29).

Description

This invention relates to a product packing apparatus.

The invention particularly relates to the packing of a box shaped carton having a uniform rectangular cross section into a storage case. Manual packing is available, whereby a quantity of cartons are taken manually from a production line and packed into a storage case. A problem with the existing manual packing system is that it slows down the carton production process. Further, operators must be available to manually pack each carton, thus adding to the production cost.

The present invention is directed towards overcoming these problems .

According to the invention there is provided a product packing apparatus, comprising conveyor means for delivery of a product to an alignment station, discharge means for delivering the product to an accumulation station, accumulation means for stacking and accumulation of products into an array of predetermined configuration, array discharge means for delivering the accumulated array of products into a storage case and discharge means for delivery of the storage case to a holding area.

In one embodiment of the invention, the product feed conveyor means delivers the product to an alignment station and sensing means is provided to sense location of a product in the alignment station, said sensing means being connected to a controller which is operable to activate the discharge means . 580789 Conveniently the sensing means may be provided by an opto-electric fibre sensor.

In a preferred embodiment, the discharge means comprises a pusher mounted adjacent the alignment station, the pusher operable to push a product from the alignment station into the accumulation station.

In another embodiment the accumulation station has a nesting plate for reception of the product from the alignment station, and sensing means is provided to sense location and quantity of products on the nesting plate, said sensing means being connected to the controller for operation of a nesting plate lifter means in response to location and quantity of products on the nesting plate. Conveniently the sensing means may be provided by an opto-electric fibre sensor.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the nesting plate lifter means comprises a ram attached to the nesting plate, for movement of the nesting plate between a retracted loading position and a raised accumulation position.

In another embodiment, the accumulation means comprises a pair of one way stacking gates situated directly above and parallel to the nesting plate, operable to engage an open position, allowing the nesting plate lifter means deliver the nesting plate containing an array of products thereon through the open stacking gates to the raised accumulation position, the stacking gates original position thereupon, provided to sense the location of the nesting plate in the raised accumulation position, said sensing means returning Sensing to their means is being connected to the controller for operation of the retraction means of the nesting plate lifter, leaving the stack of products captured on the topside of the stacking gates. Conveniently the sensing means may be provided by an opto-electric fibre sensor.

Xn another embodiment, sensing means is provided to sense the number of stacks of products captured on the stacking gates, said sensing means being connected to the controller for repeat operation of the aforementioned accumulation cycle in response to the number of product stacks sensed on the stacking gates.

In another embodiment, the accumulation station comprises two pairs of flaps, each pair of flaps movable between a retracted supporting position and an extended position, one pair of said flaps forming a supporting side wall to the accumulation array of products when in a retracted supporting position, and forming a discharge guide for the accumulated array of products when in an extended position.

In another embodiment, the array discharge means comprises a pusher mounted adjacent the accumulation station, the pusher operable to push the accumulated array of products into a storage case.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of an embodiment thereof, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings , in which:Fig.1 is a plan view of a product packing apparatus according to the invention; Fig.2 is a side elevational view of the apparatus, and Fig. 3 is an electrical circuit diagram for the apparatus.

Referring to the drawings, there is illustrated a product packing apparatus according to the invention indicated generally by the reference numeral 1. The apparatus 1 has a support frame 2. A product feed conveyor 3 is mounted on the support frame 2 for delivery of products to the alignment station 5. The feed conveyor 3 comprises an endless belt 14 mounted around rollers and driven by an electric motor (not shown). Upstanding side walls 30 are provided at each side of the belt 14 to guide the products, in this case, box shaped cartons 7 of rectangular cross section in a longitudinal orientation to the alignment station 5. An opto-electric sensor (not shown) is provided to detect the presence of a carton 7 in the alignment station 5.

Mounted adjacent the alignment station 5 is a pusher ram 6 having a pusher head 18 movable across the conveyor 3 and the adjacent slide 39 to push a carton 7 in a sideways orientation from the conveyor 3 across the slide 39 onto the adjacent nesting plate 9.

An opto-electric sensor (not shown) connected to the controller is provided to detect the arrival of a carton 7 at an upstanding stop-plate 31 located at the opposite end of the nesting plate 9 to the alignment station 5.

The nesting plate lifter ram 36 operably connected to the controller, is mounted on frame 2 vertically beneath the nesting plate 9, having a pusher arm 20 attached to the underside of the nesting plate 9, which is movable vertically between a retracted loading position and a raised accumulation position vertically above the stacking gates 4. The retracted loading position is oriented such that the nesting plate 9 is horizontally level with the belt 14 of the conveyor 3.

The stacking gates 4 are held in a resting position in response to a spring (not shown) and when located in their resting position have an aperture width greater than the nesting plate 9 but less than the longitudinal dimension of a carton 7.

An opto-electric sensor (not shown) adjacent the pusher arm 20 and connected to the controller, detects the location of the nesting plate 9 in the raised accumulation position, and the controller operates the nesting plate lifter ram 36 to retract the nesting plate 9 downwards through the aperture in stacking gates 4 to the retracted loading position, the array of cartons 7 remaining captured on the stacking gates 4.

Mounted adjacent the accumulation station 8 on support frame 15 is the pusher ram 17 having a pusher arm 10 connected to a moveable head 13, moveable across the stacking gates 4 to push accumulated cartons 7 previously captured on the stacking gates 4 into the case packing station 34. A pressure sensor 16 is provided on the pusher arm 10. The pusher ram 17 and pressure sensor 16 are operably connected to the controller and the controller will halt the operation of the pusher ram 17 in response to detection of excess pressure in the pressure sensor 16. The support frame 15 is mounted on the frame 2.

A case feed conveyor 23 operably connected to the controller is mounted on the support frame 2 for delivery of an empty storage case 22 to the case prepacking station 33. The feed conveyor 23 comprises an endless belt 26 mounted around rollers and driven by an electric motor (not shown) . The belt 26 has mounted upstanding cleats 24, spaced at regular intervals to engage and push a storage case 22.

A case feed conveyor 25 operably connected to the controller is mounted on the support frame 2 for discharge of a packed storage case 22 from the case post-packing station 35. The feed conveyor 25 comprises an endless belt 27 mounted around rollers and driven by an electric motor (not shown). The belt 27 has mounted upstanding cleats 24, spaced at regular intervals to engage and push a storage case 22.

Mounted adjacent and vertically above the case prepacking station 33 on support frame 38 is a pusher ram 32, operably connected to the controller, having a pusher head 28 moveable horizontally across the case pre-packing station 33 to push an empty storage case 22 along guides 37 from the case pre-packing station 33 onto the adjacent case packing station 34. The pusher head 28 is also moveable horizontally across the case packing station 34 to push a packed storage case 22 from the case packing station 34 onto the adjacent case post-packing station 35.

Opto-electric sensors (not shown) are provided to detect location of a storage case 22 in the case prepacking station 33, the case packing station 34 and the case post-packing station 35. The support frame 38 is mounted on frame 2.

Mounted adjacent the accumulation station 8 are two flap 11-rotary actuators (not shown) operably connected to the controller, each flap 11-rotary actuator having a rotatable horizontal shaft 21 rotatable through 90°. The accumulation station 8 has the flaps 11 forming a supporting side wall for the accumulation stack of cartons 7 resting on the stacking gates 4. Each flap 11 is mounted on a shaft 21.

Mounted adjacent the accumulation station 8 are two flap 12-rotary actuators (not shown) operably connected to the controller, each flap 12-rotary actuator having a rotatable vertical shaft 19 rotatable through 90° . Mounted adjacent and between the flaps 11 and the case packing station 34 are the flaps 12. Each flap 12 is vertically orientated and mounted on a shaft 19.

Operation of the flap 12-rotary actuator causes rotation of the flaps 12 through 90° engaging the flaps 12 flush against the inside vertical sides of a storage case 22 located in the case packing station 34, aligning the storage case 22 with the accumulation station 8 and providing a smooth lead in for cartons 7 discharged from the accumulation station 8 into the carton 22.

Operation of the flap 11-rotary actuator causes rotation of the flaps 11 through 90° engaging the flaps 11 flush against the inside horizontal sides of the storage case 22 located in the case packing station 34, further aligning the storage case 22 with the accumulation station 8 and further providing a smooth lead in for cartons 7 discharged from the accumulation station 8 into the carton 22.

In use, cartons 7 are delivered along the conveyor 3 to the alignment station 5. Upon entering the alignment station 5, location of a carton 7 in the alignment station 5 is detected by the location sensor and the controller then operates the pusher ram 6 to move the carton 7 sideways across the slide 39 onto the nesting plate 9 in the accumulation station 8.

Successive cartons 7 pushed onto the nesting plate 9 from the alignment station 5, displace the previous cartons 7 stacking on the nesting plate 9 in an orderly sideways orientation, such that a continuous array of cartons 7 are stacked side by side at a height of one carton 7, along the nesting plate 9 until the leading carton 7 reaches the upstanding stop-plate 31 where it is detected by the location sensor. In this example only, the array comprises ten cartons 7 long by one carton 7 high.

The controller then operates the nesting plate lifter ram 36, the stacking gates 4 are pushed open by the upthrust array of cartons 7 sitting on the nesting plate 9, rising as the pusher arm 20 moves the nesting plate 9 vertically through the aperture of the stacking gates 4 into the raised accumulation position. The stacking gates 4 return to their original position under automatic spring action.

Location of the nesting plate 9 in the raised accumulation position is detected by the location sensor and the controller then operates the retraction of the pusher arm 20 returning the nesting plate 9 to the retracted loading position, leaving the array of ten cartons 7 long by one carton 7 high captured on the topside of the stacking gates 4.

The controller repeats the above processes and the subsequent array of cartons 7 on the nesting plate 9 lifted upwards through the stacking gates 4, smoothly displaces upwards the previous carton 7 array resting topside on the stacking gates, thus forming a new accumulation array of ten cartons 7 long by two cartons 7 high, captured on the topside of the stacking gates 4.

The controller repeats the above accumulation cycle to accumulate the desired size of carton 7 array on the stacking gates 9.

A storage case 22 is delivered by the conveyor 23 to the case pre-packing station 33. Location of the storage case 22 in the case pre-packing station 33 is detected by the location sensor and the controller then operates the pusher ram 32 to move the storage case 22 along the guides 37 onto the case packing station 34. The storage case 22 is positioned on its side so as to present the open mouth of the storage case 22 to the accumulation station 8.

Location of the storage case 22 in the packing station 34 is detected by the location sensor and the controller then operates the flap 12-rotary actuators, engaging the flaps 12 flush against the vertical inside walls of the storage case 22 thus aligning the storage case 22 located in the case packing station 34 with the accumulation station 8. The controller then operates the flap 11-rotary actuators, engaging the flaps 11 flush against the horizontal inside walls of the storage case 22, thus further aligning the storage case 22 located in the case packing station 34 with the accumulation station 8.

The controller then activates the pusher ram 17 to push the accumulated carton 7 array located on the stacking gates 9 into the storage box 22 located in the case packing station 34, the flaps 11 and the flaps 12 providing a smooth lead in for the accumulated array of cartons 7 into the storage case 22. At the end of the pusher ram 17 stroke the cartons 7 are located against the rear vertical wall of the storage case 22, providing sufficient clearance for the flaps 11 and the flaps 12 to retract from the storage case 22.

The controller then operates the pusher ram 17 to retract the pusher head 13 from the storage case 22, operates the flap 11-rotary actuators to retract the flaps 11 from the storage case 22 and operates the flap 12-rotary actuators to retract the flaps 12 from the storage case 22.

The controller then activates the pusher ram 32 to push the packed storage case 22 onto the case postpacking station 35. Upon entering the case post11 - packing station 35, location of the storage case is detected by the location sensor, and the controller activates the conveyor 25 to deliver the packed storage case 22 to the holding area 29. V 5 During the aforementioned operations, the controller monitors for obstructions to the extension of the pusher am 10 through the response of the pressure sensor 16 and halts the operation of the pusher ram 17 if obstructions are detected. 10 It will be appreciated that the present invention allows a product, in particular a box shaped carton of rectangular cross section, to be readily and easily packed in an automatic fashion. 15 The invention is not limited to the embodiment hereinbefore described which may be varied in both construction and detail.

ENDA BRENNAN

Claims (5)

1. A product packing apparatus for packing a box shaped carton having a uniform rectangular cross section into a storage case, comprising:conveyor means for delivery of a carton in a certain orientation to an alignment station, sensing means to sense location of a carton at the alignment station, discharge means in response to sensed location of a carton at the alignment station to deliver the carton in a desired orientation to an accumulation station, sensing means to sense quantity and location of cartons in the accumulation station, accumulation means in response to sensed location and quantity of cartons delivered the accumulation station to capture and accumulate an array of cartons, conveyor means for delivery of an empty storage case to a case packing station adjacent the accumulation station, discharge means for delivering the array of accumulated cartons into a storage case, conveyor means for delivery of the packed storage case into a holding area.

2. Apparatus as claimed In claim 1 wherein the discharge means comprises :a pusher operable to push a carton from the alignment station onto the accumulation station, a pusher adjacent the accumulation station operable to lift a stack of cartons upwards through a pair of stacking gates and position the stack of cartons on the topside of the stacking gates so that each successive uplifted stack forms the bottom layer of an accumulated array of cartons on the topside of the stacking gates, a pusher adjacent the accumulation station operable to push the accumulated array of products Into a storage case positioned In the adjacent case packing station with alignment provided by four guiding array discharge flaps, a pusher adjacent the accumulation station operable to transfer an empty storage case from an Inlet case conveyor to the case packing station and operable to transfer a packed storage case from the case packing station to a case outlet conveyor for delivery of a packed storage case to a holding area. Apparatus as claimed In claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the array discharge flaps are mounted on shafts, rotatable so that one pair of flaps

3. adjacent the accumulation array of products provide a supporting wall to the accumulation array of products during accumulation.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 5 wherein the stacking gates are one way in operation so positioned as to receive delivery of and capture of a stack of cartons in a repetitious manner in the formation of an accumulated array of cartons thereon. 10

5. A carton packing apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.