RU2511317C2 - Double package line and dosing system - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: packing industry.

SUBSTANCE: group of inventions relates to package of primary goods, such as cans or bottles, into package sets. Package machine includes at least two independent lanes where primary goods placed in groups into secondary package are fed from package machine input into full-cycle third package device where secondary packages supplied directly from each of the two independent lanes are combined with a half-finished third package. Third package loaded by two or more secondary packages is completed and transported by transmission device from the mentioned third packing device basically at the same speed with each of two independent lanes where incoming primary goods are put.

EFFECT: optimum package mode for packages of different types and sizes at low rates without reduction of capacity of different product types.

12 cl, 8 dwg, 1 tbl

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to the packaging of primary products, such as cans or bottles, in numerous packaged packages. More specifically, but not exclusively, the invention relates to a device and method for packaging products transported simultaneously in several adjacent flows; a device, as well as a method for dispensing and grouping products moving along two lines in several adjacent flows; a packaging line containing such a dispensing system and comprising an integrated tertiary packaging system and a quaternary wrapping system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the field of packaging, the creation of adaptable machines is required, capable of packaging various types of primary products, such as cans and bottles, in secondary packaging (boxes), which contains or holds together a number of products in group packaging. It is known to use such group packages on subsequent subnodes in order to combine a number of group packages or packages into a tertiary package. In addition, it is known that groups of such tertiary packages are also used on additional subsequent subnodes to combine a number of such tertiary packages and wrap them in the form of stacked cargo on pallets for distribution among retail outlets.

In the interest of providing cost-effective and efficient packaging, it is necessary to achieve, as far as possible, the maximum production volume of boxes and wrapped tertiary packaging. The linear size of the packaging line, the type of product and the type of carton that can be processed with the packaging line are also important parameters, as well as machine wear. More production can be achieved if the machine lines can be made to work faster, but this is not always possible if the processing of the boxes leads to difficulties that limit the speed of work. In addition, operating at high speed can lead to wear and damage to machine components due to friction and high temperature. This, in turn, can lead to a downtime of the packaging machine and, possibly, the entire bottling line, as well as costly machine repairs. Therefore, it is preferable to optimize machine performance in other ways than simply increasing the operating speed of the machine. In fact, due to the possibility of wear, friction and thermal damage, it is advisable to operate the machine at lower speeds without reducing the throughput of packaged products.

Many well-known machines are capable of packing only one type of box, and bottle filling machines may need to use many machines to pack boxes of various types, with each machine occupying a significant area in a room and can be expensive in cost and operating costs. Therefore, it is desirable to have packaging machines configured to process various products, types and sizes of boxes. It is also advisable to minimize the linear size of the packaging machines in order to reduce the amount of space occupied in the room.

The present invention is intended to provide a number of advantages and improvements in the field of packaging.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect, the present invention provides a packaging machine comprising at least two independent tracks along which primary products to be contained in the secondary packaging are moved from the loading side of the packaging machine to an integrated tertiary packaging device in which the secondary packages directly leaving two the said independent tracks are connected and combined with a tertiary package, characterized in that the tertiary package moves along the transfer unit a property from said tertiary packaging device at the same speed as each of the tracks on which incoming primary products are located.

The packaging machine preferably includes a device for grouping products capable of interacting with products on each track at the same time. It is possible to install a device for grouping products located between the two adjacent adjacent tracks and designed to group and dispense primary products that simultaneously move along each of the tracks.

In addition, or alternatively, the packaging machine includes a transfer conveyor for feeding the tertiary product to the tertiary packaging device for combining with the combined processed products, the transfer conveyor having a loading side located above or below a horizontal plane containing the two mentioned tracks and inclined so that the discharge side of the conveyor is located between and essentially in the same plane with the two tracks, on which connecting processed products and combined with a tertiary product.

Above the processing line from the said tertiary packaging device, it is possible to install a final processing device, while the final processing device is arranged and configured to receive products directly from the exit of the tertiary packaging device and move the finished packages from the said final processing device to a transfer device moving with the same speed, as each of the tracks on which incoming primary products are located.

The packaging machine may include a secondary packaging feeder on each of the two tracks for combining with the primary products; a tertiary packaging feeder for combining with primary products and secondary packaging, wherein the tertiary packaging feeder is located upstream of the secondary product feeder; as well as a single loading device, which, in turn, serves to load secondary packages and tertiary packages into the corresponding feeders of secondary and tertiary products.

Accordingly, a second aspect of the invention provides a device for grouping products to be contained in a secondary package, the device comprising a first row of spacer elements arranged to move along a predetermined track, each spacer element being engaged with at least one of the articles of the first supply stream and moves the product through the working section of the device, while the device further comprises a second row of dividing elements made with the ability to move along a similar predetermined track, and each separation element of the second row engages with at least one of the products of the second feed stream of products, characterized in that the separation element of the first row of separation elements is connected to the separation element of the second row of separation elements using the drive device in this way that the connected dividing elements move at the same speed.

The dividing elements of the first and second row are preferably located close to each other and interact with separate streams of primary products located on separate independent conveyors in order to synchronize the processing of primary products on said separate independent conveyors, so that the device-processed primary products moved on each individual the aforementioned independent conveyor, are similarly grouped and dosed, and simultaneously exit from the unloading side separate independent conveyor.

The dividing elements of the first row can be connected in pairs with the dividing elements of the second row using common jumpers, while the aforementioned pairs of dividing elements are arranged and configured to follow the cam working surface of the device in order to control and synchronize their movement through the working section of the device.

According to a third aspect, the invention provides a loading device for feeding products, such as billets, to a machine for processing these products, wherein the loading device comprises a loading mechanism (70), a conveyor (32) for feeding pallets loaded with products (8); a conveyor (36) for removing empty pallets (4) and a first pallet elevator (38), wherein the conveyor (32) for feeding pallets loaded with products (8) is located substantially parallel to the conveyor for removing empty pallets, so that full pallets are fed as empty pallets are removed.

The loading device may further include a second conveyor for feeding the loaded pallets and a second pallet elevator, while the same loading mechanism is also adapted to receive products from the loaded pallet on the second conveyor and feed them to another loading point of the packaging machine, and the second pallet elevator is adapted to move a pallet from a second pallet conveyor for feeding pallets to said conveyor for removing empty pallets, the conveyor for removing empty pallets being serviced both the first and second feed conveyors loaded pallets.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Illustrative embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

1A and 1B show examples of carton packages arranged by a packaging machine according to a first embodiment of the invention;

2 is a perspective view of an example packaging line according to a first embodiment of the invention;

figure 3 presents an enlarged view of the loading side of the packaging line shown in figure 2;

figure 4 shows an enlarged view of the dispensing device and section forming the packaging of the packaging line shown in figure 2;

figure 5 presents an enlarged view of the load of the package and the formation of the package, as well as the dispensing device shown in figure 2-4;

figure 6 presents an enlarged view of the dispensing device of the packaging line shown in figure 1; and

in Fig.7 presents an enlarged view of the tertiary packaging section of the packaging line shown in Fig.1.

For ease of reference to the features shown in the drawings, below is a list of features and their corresponding reference positions:

Reference position Sign Reference position Sign X The direction of movement of products and packaging along the packaging line fifty Second bunker for packaging blanks C Primary products 52 Workpiece Packer Lift

four Empty pallet (used for tertiary packaging blanks) 54 Tertiary bunker 6 Tertiary packaging 56 Loading side 8 Secondary packaging 58 Swivel vacuum mechanism 10 Packing line 60 Cup suction cups 12 Tertiary packaging loading mechanism 62 Ratchet fourteen Finishing device 64 Grouping mechanism 16 Auto Download Host 66 Delay mechanism eighteen Gear robot 68 Finishing mechanism twenty Rotator robot 70 Loading mechanism 24 Tertiary packaging secondary loading section 72 Lifting arm 26 First conveyor 74 Shaper 28 Second conveyor 76 Single bracket thirty Pallet loaded with secondary packaging blanks 78 Tertiary blank conveyor 32 Conveyor for feeding a pallet loaded with secondary packaging blanks 80 Ready-made secondary packaging 34 Conveyor for feeding a pallet loaded with tertiary packaging blanks 82 A group of two pairs of finished secondary packaging

36 Conveyor for empty pallets 84 External Closed Drive Device 38 First pallet lift 86 Internal Closed Drive Unit 40 Second pallet lift 88 Separation elements 42 The first stream of primary products 90 Jumpers 44 Secondary primary product flow 92 Cam working surface 46 Pallet loaded with tertiary packaging blanks 94 External grouping mechanism 48 The first bunker for packaging blanks 96 Internal grouping mechanism

Detailed Description of Illustrative Embodiments

A packaging line according to the present invention will be described with a general reference to each of FIGS. The present invention provides for efficient packaging of primary products, such as cans or bottles (C), in secondary boxes, such as upper-gripping fastening means 8a and 8b (as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B), using two incoming product streams. Products in each inlet stream are processed simultaneously, thereby doubling productivity compared to a single-line packaging machine operating at the same linear speed.

The packaging line 10 of the present invention is shown in FIG. The packaging line comprises a loading side generally indicated at 56; an automatic loading unit, generally indicated at 16, for loading preforms 8 of secondary packages and preforms of 6 tertiary packages; a tertiary package loading mechanism generally indicated at 12; generally indicated by 24, the secondary packaging loading section 8 to the tertiary packaging 6 and the final processing device 14.

On the packaging line 10, primary products C are conveyed in two streams to the first conveyor 26 and primary products C are transferred in two streams to the second conveyor 28. On the one hand, primary products C are fed from the unloading side to the first conveyor 26 and the second conveyor 28 bottle or can filling lines, on the other hand, conveyors feed them to the loading side 56 of the packaging line 10. The conveyors 26 and 28 can have an adjustable width so that the packaging line can accept a variety of items C (such as 330 ml cans and whether 500 ml of a bottle). In a preferred embodiment, the first conveyor 26 and the second conveyor 28 are dimensioned such that the two primary products C supplied to them are arranged adjacent to each other. The first primary product stream C is indicated in FIG. 3 by 42, and the second primary product stream C is indicated by 44.

Secondary packages 8a and 8b are configured to accommodate four and six cans C arranged in 2 × 2 and 2 × 3 configurations, respectively. From the further description with reference to the drawings, it will be understood that the secondary fastening packaging means 8a and 8b are illustrative examples of secondary packaging or secondary cardboard wrappers, it being contemplated that the packaging machine of the present embodiment and other embodiments will be able to process various types of secondary packaging (more generally indicated in FIGS. 2-7 by reference numeral 8), containing, along with banks, other primary products such as bottles and, for example plastic containers with dairy products. Such primary products may be contained in secondary packaging in various configurations. The direction of movement of the primary products C is indicated by the arrow "X".

For the continuous supply of blanks 8 secondary packaging and blanks 6 tertiary packaging (see figure 3) in the first and second hoppers 48 and 50 packs, the elevator 52 of the tertiary packs and the hopper 54 of the tertiary boxes provides an automatic loading unit 16. Node 16 automatic download most clearly shown in figure 3. The automatic loading unit 16 comprises a loading mechanism 70; conveyor 32 for feeding pallets loaded with blanks 8 of secondary packaging; conveyor 34 for feeding pallets loaded with blanks 6 tertiary packaging; conveyor 36 for removing empty pallets 4; a first pallet elevator 38 and a second pallet elevator 40.

The automatic loading unit 16 is compact and, therefore, minimizes the amount of floor space required to supply pallets 30 and 38 loaded with secondary and tertiary packaging blanks. In addition, the automation of this process reduces the need for operator use. The automatic loading unit processes conveyors 32 and 34, feeding pallets 30 loaded with blanks 8 of secondary packages, and pallets 46 loaded with blanks 6 of tertiary packages, respectively. At the end of each conveyor 32 and 34, elevators 40 and 38 are installed. When the elevator 40 and 38 are not occupied by the pallet 30 and 46, the loaded pallet 30 and 46 is fed through the corresponding conveyor 32 and 34. In this embodiment, the loaded pallet 30 and 46 moves from the end a conveyor 32 and 34 to a corresponding adjacent elevator 40 and 38 of the loading mechanism 70. In other embodiments, a transmission device connected to the elevator 40 and 38 is used to feed a pallet 30 loaded with blanks 8 of secondary packages and a pallet 46 loaded with zag otovyki 6 tertiary packages, on the corresponding lift 40 and 38.

After the pallet 30 loaded with the blanks 8 of the secondary packaging and / or the pallet 46 loaded with the blanks 6 of the tertiary packages is mounted on the lift 40 and 38, the loading mechanism 70 (provided with an articulated lifting arm 72) picks up a stack of blanks 8 or 6 using the articulated the lifting lever 72, and unloads the workpiece 8 or 6 on the corresponding hopper 48/50 or 52, respectively. After carrying out a sufficient number of loading operations and cleaning the pallet from the blanks 6 or 8 of the secondary and tertiary packings, the elevator 40 and 38 holding the empty pallet 4 lowers essentially to the height of the conveyor 36 for empty pallets. In this embodiment, the empty pallet is conveyed by the loading mechanism to the conveyor 36 for empty pallets, which serves to remove the empty pallet (empty pallets) from the automatic loading unit 16. Conveyors 32, 34, and 36 are controlled using a programmable logic controller, and therefore there is no need to use a human operator in this section.

An external conveyor 36 for removing empty pallets 4 is located below the conveyor 34 for feeding pallets 46 loaded with blanks 6 of tertiary packages. This means that the feeding and removal mechanisms are located on the same area, and thereby minimizing the number of areas required for feeding and removing loaded pallets. This compact solution reduces the area required for packaging line 10.

It is envisaged that in other embodiments, an external conveyor 36 is located under another conveyor 32 for feeding pallets 30 loaded with secondary packages 8. In yet another embodiment, both internal feed conveyors 34 and 32 have their own external conveyor 36. However, the most preferred it looks like installing only one external conveyor 36 serving two internal conveyors 32 and 34. Another advantage of the present invention is achieved due to the fact that the elevator 5 of the tertiary boxes and the hopper 54 for tertiary boxes are located within the operating range of the loading mechanism 70. The loading mechanism 70 can feed the blanks 8 both to the bins 48 and 50 for the secondary blanks, and to the elevator 52 of the tertiary boxes, which, in turn, serves the hopper 54 of the tertiary packages. The compact nature of the loading mechanism 70 and its versatility makes it possible to efficiently feed the blanks 6 and 8 to the packaging line. In packaging machines known in the art, the tertiary packaging unit is in the form of a separate unit to the secondary packaging unit or is installed so far down the processing line from the secondary preform supply unit that a separate tertiary preform supply unit 6 is required. It is preferable that according to the present invention, the packaging line is arranged and configured so that the supply and removal of preforms of secondary packaging occurs in close proximity to the supply and removal of preforms of tertiary packaging, and therefore, a single loading mechanism 70 could effectively serve both of them, thus increasing efficiency (since fewer components and / or machine operators are required) and making packing line 10 more compact.

In this case, two inlet streams 42 and 44 of the products are supplied using ratchets 62 with a constant pressure in the line. As you know, in the art ratchets are used to control the flow of products. In this embodiment, four ratchets are used on each side of each inlet stream 42 and 44 of the products. In other embodiments, in which one or each thread contains only one line of products, the number of ratchets can be reduced. In an alternative embodiment, where more than two incoming product streams are supplied to the ratchets, the number of ratchets is more than four. In the present embodiment, each ratchet 62 has its own independent drive, preferably a servomotor. With independent ratchet ratchets, the packaging line is still fully adjustable in order to synchronize incoming streams 42 and 44.

The dispensing mechanism 64 (described below) groups the incoming flows 42 and 44 of the products in the desired configuration. In the described and illustrated example, the blanks 8 secondary packaging contain 6 products C in a 2 × 3 configuration (see figv). The dispensing mechanism 64 according to the present embodiment runs on each side of each inlet product stream 42 and 44 and subdivides the article C into 2 × 3 product groups.

After the blanks 8 of the secondary packages arrive on the first and second hoppers 48 and 50, at the moment of the formation of the first group of products C, the first and second hopper 48 and 50 are simultaneously dispensed on a separate blank to the rotary vacuum mechanism 58, which using vacuum cup suction cups 60 (known in the art) lays the blank 8 at the same time on the group of products C of each incoming stream 42 and 44. This is shown in Fig.5. In this illustrated embodiment, one rotary vacuum mechanism 58 is used to feed the blanks 8 to each of the incoming streams 42 and 44. This simplifies processing and minimizes the number of required motors. Thus, the need for synchronization of two independent drive rotary vacuum mechanisms is reduced, one of which could be used for laying out blanks 8 on groups formed in one input stream 42, and the other for laying out blanks 8 on groups formed in second input stream 44 However, this embodiment provides for the use of two independent drive rotary vacuum mechanisms where each inlet stream 42 and 44 contains dissimilar products C and C '(not shown). In addition to a slight increase in complexity, this possible feature provides the advantage that the packaging line 10 acquires a higher degree of flexibility.

Subsequent product groups are formed as both product streams 42 and 44 move down the production line from loading side 56. In this embodiment, the secondary packages are placed on groups of products using the shaper 74. In other embodiments, the 2 × 3 shaper is replaced by a corresponding shaper, providing the desired configuration of the packaged packages. In other embodiments, the shaper is not used, since such a shaper is completely optional.

Now the grouping mechanism will be described specifically with reference to Fig.6. The first and second product inlet streams 42 and 44, each of which contains products closely adjacent to each other, are fed to the loading side of the grouping mechanism 64. As already mentioned above, the products C are preferably controlled by feed ratchets 62, which are well known in the art. areas of technology. The product grouping mechanism 64 groups the desired number of products C into a package, as described below, while the mechanism also controls the flow of products C so that they can connect to the packages at a speed similar to the speed of the boxes below the processing line from the grouping mechanism 64.

The grouping mechanism 64 comprises a grouping unit 94 located on each side of the product conveyor. Each grouping unit 94 has a similar design; first, an external grouping unit 94 will be described, and then an internal grouping unit 96 will be described (comprising two grouping units located adjacent to each other).

The assembly 96 includes a plurality of spacer elements 88 mounted on a closed conveyor comprising an exploded pair of closed circuits 84. In this embodiment, each spacer element 88 includes an engaging portion comprising three partially cylindrical recesses adjacent to each other. If the packaged articles are the same size, then each recess has the same length, and its shape essentially corresponds to the peripheral wall portion of the bottle or can C (or another product) with which the recess engages. Spacer elements 88 may be paired with master or slave spacer elements.

Cam followers protrude from underneath the lower portions of the housing of the separation elements (not shown). Each separation element 88 is connected to closed circuits 94 by means of appropriate fasteners. In this embodiment, a section of the housing of each element is movably mounted on a pair of jumpers 98 passing between them and attached to closed circuits 94 (only one is shown). This arrangement allows lateral movement, but prevents the rotational or longitudinal movement of the spacer elements 88 relative to closed circuits 94.

Closed circuits 94 are mounted on guide assemblies 94. The assembly 94 further comprises a cam work surface 92 receiving cam followers protruding from each spacer 88. The closed circuits 94 are driven by a motor, such as a servomotor (not shown), using a drive shaft. As each dividing element 88 moves down the processing line along a portion of the cam working surface 92, the recesses are held in a plane parallel to the direction of movement of the articles C along the conveyor 26 and 28 with the articles.

In the process, continuous movement down the processing line of closed circuits 94 leads to the engagement of the lead isolating element 88 with the products C in front of the driven isolating element, thereby the mechanism forms two groups of products with a maximum length of three products and a relatively short pitch between them.

So that the grouping mechanisms 94 and 96 can be used to form groups from one to three products in length in the direction of flow, or, alternatively, one group from four to six products in length in the direction of flow, the mechanism may have a second operating mode.

To this end, in addition to the primary cam working surface 92 (which brings the spacer elements 88 into contact with the articles C to effect the desired grouping), in another embodiment, a secondary cam working surface (not shown) is provided to delay the spacers elements 88, following the secondary working surface of the cam, from coming into contact with products C. A control or selective device is provided that determines the order in which the lead is fed flax element 88 on the secondary working surface of the cam according to a specific mode of operation. At the output of the secondary cam working surface, a blocking element is preferably mounted so that the driven engagement element (not shown) is not partially retracted when the hole passes or is retained in the hole.

The internal grouping unit 96 is arranged and configured to optimize the space required for this part of the packaging line 10. Separating elements 88 on the internal grouping unit 96 are installed at each end of the two-way jumpers 90, which pass between them and are attached to closed circuits 86. Thus, the internal grouping unit 96 is formed by two external grouping nodes located close to each other, but with a significant difference, consisting in the fact that the separation element is installed on at each end of the jumpers 90, and to drive two opposed spacer elements 88, only two closed circuits 86 are needed, whereas on the external grouping unit 94, two closed circuits (or other suitable drive devices) are required for a single-sided unit only. Therefore, the internal node 96 is already the total width of the two external nodes 94, which ensures the operation of the two-sided metering system between the two processed streams 26 and 28. It is envisaged that in other embodiments, the separation elements on each side of the two-sided metering system can be arranged, arranged in different ways, and / or formed for processing products of various types on each of the two strips 42 and 44.

As described above, product grouping C is an adjustable process that allows you to create groups of one to six products (as you know, groups of 4-6 products require a double cam face arrangement and two adjacent spacer elements 88 are paired). Grouping of products C may be a possible sign of a common packaging line 10, and accounting can be carried out in other ways, however, for the described two-lane packaging line, the double-sided grouping mechanism 96 is a compact solution, adaptable to different sizes of products and processing packages of various configurations. Since the grouping mechanism 96 is already the total width of the two outer nodes 94, the total width of the packaging line 10 remains small enough so that the sortable groups of 82 packages can be easily transferred to the tertiary blank 6 (see description below).

In addition, it is envisaged that in other embodiments, the spacer elements on one side of the grouping unit 96 may differ in shape and / or size from the spacer elements on the other side for receiving various types of products entering the first and second processing lines 26 and 28. B In such an embodiment, the final tertiary package could contain two packs of cans and two packs of bottles.

The carton package is filled when grouped products and secondary packages pass through the finishing mechanism 68, in this case, through a pair of rollers 68 that apply pressure on each side of the package so that the side portions of the package are held together in place. As mentioned above, the specific features of the packaged packaging are determined by the choice of the user, and therefore the use of a pair of rollers 68 is completely determined by the desire of the user. The finished package 80 is then fed to a delay mechanism comprising a single chain bracket 76. When the finished package 80 arrives at the delay mechanism 66, the movement of the lead package 82 is slowed down and it is immediately followed by the driven package. Slowing the course of the package, resulting in a group of two packages, is achieved by using a system of conveyor belts, ratchets, a robot or chains, as well as the working surface of the cam, while the products are rearranged into 2 × 6 products (two product packages located in configuration 2 × 3, or three packages arranged in a 2 × 2 configuration), and is not limited to the mechanism described here.

While the carton packs 80 are being assembled, the blanks 6 of the tertiary packs are conveyed by conveyor 78 from the blank of the blanker packer 52 to the hopper of the tertiary packs 54, and then fed under and between the grouping mechanisms of the first inlet stream 42 and the second inlet stream 44. Using a two-tier the design, the linear size of the packaging line is reduced, and it is made more compact. The supply of blanks 6 of tertiary packages is synchronized with the assembly of cardboard packages 80, so that the tertiary cardboard packages are fed approximately to the level of grouped packages 82 and between two process flows (see Fig. 8). Almost immediately after the formation and grouping of a pair of packages 80 in each process stream, a tertiary blank 6 is supplied for acceptance. On each side of the process streams 42 and 44, a transfer robot 18 acts to move the grouped pair of packages 82 from each process stream 42 and 44 to the one located between them tertiary preform 6 (as shown in Fig.7). Using robots to capture and move grouped packages 82 allows you to maintain the step of the packaging line 10 and the operation of the tertiary packaging unit as part of the packaging line 10, without the need to submit finished packages 82 to a separate subassembly for transporting the grouped secondary package to the tertiary package.

At the possible last stage of processing carried out by the described packaging line 10, the tertiary packages are fed to the final processing device using a robot rotator 20, in this embodiment, this is a shrink wrapping device.

The molding of box 8, as shown in the figures, is an example of how the advantages of the present invention can be applied to form a particular secondary package and packaging a tertiary box in a container. It is envisaged that boxes formed as a result of various sequential operations, preferably in a straight-line machine, may not be assembled in a packaging machine according to the invention, optionally using the described grouping, molding and finishing steps. As such, this invention should not be construed as limited in application to the described specific types of packages or products, or to the described methods of assembly and molding, and these embodiments may vary according to specific production requirements.

After reading the foregoing, it should be understood that the present invention provides improvements in the field of packaging technology. In a single-line packaging machine known in the art, products are grouped by using a secondary tightening belt, then grouped products are conveyed to a secondary flow subnode, a divider, where a single line is subdivided so that two packages located adjacent to each other are fed to a third flow subnode. Tertiary packaging blanks are fed to a third in-line subassembly, and secondary packaging is loaded into tertiary packages, which are then conveyed to a fourth in-line subassembly, where the final shrink wrapping is performed. The average length of such a machine is 300 m, while the above-described packaging line according to the present invention has a length of only 120 m. As is known, a single-line machine operates at an average linear operating speed of 760 m per minute, while the two-line complex packaging line proposed by the present invention can operate at an average linear operating speed of only 380 m per minute, with a capacity of 300 packages per minute (containing four products in a 2 × 2 configuration) and 50 tertiary packages (with holding twenty-four items). Thus, the present invention provides a compact and efficient machine with high throughput, while its length is less than half the length of an equivalent machine known in the art, and the machine itself can be operated at a speed half that of the linear operating speed of known machines, without reducing bandwidth. These advantages are achieved by using a two-line machine with simultaneous processing of two (or more) product streams; using a compact (narrow and short) dosing and grouping mechanism serving both product flows simultaneously; using an automatic loading mechanism that serves both secondary bunkers and tertiary bins; the use of an external conveyor located on the same vertical line with the pallet conveyor (to reduce the linear dimensions of the machine); the use of a tertiary packaging feeding and transporting device located on the same vertical line with the secondary packaging forming device (to reduce the linear dimensions of the machine) and located so that the tertiary packaging blanks are connected to the packed secondary products in just a few steps of the line (preferably in one) from the place of filling of the secondary packaging; and also due to the immediate supply of tertiary packages to the finishing device.

It is understood that various changes can be made within the scope of the present invention, for example, in other embodiments, the dimensions and shapes of the packaged products and packages, as well as the style of the secondary and tertiary packages, will be different from those illustrated in this document. In other embodiments of the invention, it is provided that the final processing device is absent, or in other embodiments where the final processing device is present, the final processing method may be different than wrapping in heat-shrinkable material.

In addition, it is envisaged that along with the above-described simultaneous processing on two lines in other embodiments, there are three incoming bands or technological bands, and all of them operate simultaneously. In such an embodiment, the metering device may comprise two twin sections and two single sections. In addition, the tertiary package dispenser in this embodiment may be located between the first and second and / or second and third strips, or, alternatively, may be aligned with the end of the second strip, so that packages from the second stripe will be immediately delivered on a tertiary box blank, and secondary boxes from the first and third technological strip are fed by the transfer robot to the tertiary packaging. However, the optimal advantage in the form of reduced complexity is achieved by using two production lines, while, although it is envisaged to use more than two production lines, it is clear that the advantage of reducing the linear dimensions is offset by a mandatory increase in the width of the packaging machine.

It should be recognized that when used in this document, direction indicators, such as “to”, “end”, “up”, “down”, “side”, do not limit the described attribute of such a direction, but serve only to distinguish between directions of one relative to the other .

Claims (12)

1. A packaging machine comprising at least two independent tracks along which primary products placed in groups in secondary packages are fed from the loading side of the packaging machine into an integrated tertiary packaging device, where secondary packages directly exiting from each of the two said independent tracks, are connected and combined with the tertiary package blank, while tertiary packages loaded with more than one secondary package are formed and fed through a transfer device from removed tertiary packaging device, move at essentially the same speed as each of the two independent tracks on which the incoming primary products are located. 2. The packaging machine according to claim 1, containing a device for grouping products made with the possibility of interaction with primary products located on two independent tracks simultaneously. 3. The packaging machine according to claim 2, in which the device for grouping products is located between the two independent tracks for grouping and dispensing primary products supplied on each of the two tracks at the same time, and the device contains dividing elements located adjacent to each other and connected between a common drive means, so that the dividing elements operate synchronously in the flows of primary products located on said two independent tracks. 4. The packaging machine according to claim 1, comprising a transfer conveyor for supplying a tertiary packaging preform to a tertiary packaging device for combining with the connected secondary packaging, the transfer conveyor having a loading side located above or below a horizontal plane containing the two independent tracks and having tilting so that the discharge side of the transfer conveyor is located between and substantially in the same plane as the discharge side of said two independent tracks, where connected-lingual packaging and tertiary packaging combined with the workpiece. 5. The packaging machine according to claim 4, containing a final processing device located downstream of said tertiary packaging device, the final processing device is arranged and configured to receive products directly from the output of the tertiary packaging device, as well as to supply finished packages from said finishing device for a transmission device moving at the same speed as each of the tracks on which the incoming e primary products. 6. The packaging machine according to claim 1, containing a device for supplying blanks of secondary packaging to each of two independent tracks for combining with primary products of each of these two independent tracks; a tertiary packaging feeder for combining with packaged primary products exiting from each of two independent tracks; a tertiary package blank feeding device located in close proximity to a secondary packaging blank feeding device; and a single loading device, which, in turn, serves to load the secondary packaging blanks and tertiary packaging blanks into the respective feeding devices of the secondary packaging blanks and tertiary packaging blanks. 7. A device for grouping products placed in a secondary packaging intended for use in a packaging machine containing at least two independent paths along which primary products placed in groups of secondary packaging are fed from the loading side of the packaging machine into a complex tertiary packaging device, this device contains a first row of dividing elements configured to move along a first predetermined track, and where each dividing element of the first row is a method m to engage with at least one primary product from a first feed stream of primary products and move said at least one primary product through a working portion of a packaging machine, the device further comprising a second row of spacer elements configured to move along a second similar predetermined track , and where each dividing element of the second row is able to mesh with at least one primary product from the second feed stream x products and move the specified at least one primary product product through the working section of the packaging machine, while the separation element from the first row of separation elements is connected to the separation element from the second row of separation elements using the drive means so that the connected separation elements are moved from one speed. 8. The device according to claim 7, in which the dividing elements of the first and second row are located close to each other and operate on separate streams of primary products located on separate independent conveyors for synchronizing the processing of primary products on said separate independent conveyors so that the primary products processed by the device during their passage through each of the aforementioned separate independent conveyors are similarly grouped, dosed and synchronously unloaded from the side dressing their respective separate independent conveyors. 9. The device according to claim 8, in which the dividing elements of the first row are paired with the dividing elements of the second row using a common jumper, wherein said pairs of dividing elements are arranged and configured to follow the cam working surface available in the device for control and synchronization their movement through the working section of the device. 10. A loading device for feeding products, such as billets, into a packaging machine containing at least two independent tracks along which primary products placed in groups in secondary packaging are fed from the loading side of the packaging machine into a complex tertiary packaging device, wherein the device comprises a loading mechanism, a first conveyor for feeding pallets loaded with blanks of secondary packaging, a conveyor for removing empty pallets and a first pallet elevator, and with this conveyor for supplying pallets loaded with secondary package blanks, positioned substantially parallel alignment with the conveyor for removal of empty pallets such that full pallets feed produced as removal of empty pallets. 11. The loading device of claim 10, in which the loading mechanism is adapted to receive products from a loaded pallet and feed them to one or more loading points of the packaging machine, while the first pallet lifter is adapted to move the pallet from the first conveyor for feeding pallets loaded with products to conveyor for removing empty pallets, immediately after the loading mechanism has accepted products from the loaded pallet. 12. The loading device according to claim 11, further comprising a second conveyor for feeding the loaded pallets and a second pallet elevator, the same loading mechanism also being adapted to receive products from the loaded pallet on the second conveyor and feed them to another loading point of the packaging machine, and the elevator the secondary pallets are adapted to move the pallet from the second conveyor for feeding pallets to said conveyor to remove empty pallets, the conveyor for removing empty pallets serving as the first, t As well as a second conveyor for feeding loaded pallets.

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