WO2008116246A1 - Distribution d'articles dans un conteneur - Google Patents

Distribution d'articles dans un conteneur Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO2008116246A1
WO2008116246A1 PCT/AU2007/001547 AU2007001547W WO2008116246A1 WO 2008116246 A1 WO2008116246 A1 WO 2008116246A1 AU 2007001547 W AU2007001547 W AU 2007001547W WO 2008116246 A1 WO2008116246 A1 WO 2008116246A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
article
transferrer
delivery
container
drum
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/AU2007/001547
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Louis Lance Magyar
Mathew Louis Magyar
Original Assignee
Cryovac Australia Pty Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from AU2007901575A external-priority patent/AU2007901575A0/en
Application filed by Cryovac Australia Pty Ltd filed Critical Cryovac Australia Pty Ltd
Publication of WO2008116246A1 publication Critical patent/WO2008116246A1/fr

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B35/00—Supplying, feeding, arranging or orientating articles to be packaged
    • B65B35/10—Feeding, e.g. conveying, single articles
    • B65B35/16—Feeding, e.g. conveying, single articles by grippers
    • B65B35/18—Feeding, e.g. conveying, single articles by grippers by suction-operated grippers
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G47/00—Article or material-handling devices associated with conveyors; Methods employing such devices
    • B65G47/74—Feeding, transfer, or discharging devices of particular kinds or types
    • B65G47/84—Star-shaped wheels or devices having endless travelling belts or chains, the wheels or devices being equipped with article-engaging elements
    • B65G47/846—Star-shaped wheels or wheels equipped with article-engaging elements
    • B65G47/848—Star-shaped wheels or wheels equipped with article-engaging elements the article-engaging elements being suction or magnetic means
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G59/00—De-stacking of articles
    • B65G59/08—De-stacking after preliminary tilting of the stack

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to the delivery of articles, such as liners or absorbent pads, to containers such as trays.
  • One apparatus that uses a vacuum to transfer articles has a vacuum applied to a plurality of suction caps.
  • Each suction cap contacts the top surface of an article to collect and transfer it to a container.
  • the article is suspended in the air for some distance before it is deposited into the container.
  • the dispensing speeds of these apparatus are relatively low.
  • the vacuum is separately interrupted, e.g. by a complex valving arrangement, to cause the article to drop off the suction cap.
  • the invention provides a method of delivering an article to a container using an article transferrer, the method comprising the steps of: applying a vacuum to the article transferrer to induce a suction at the surface of the article transferrer; collecting an article when the article transferrer is in an article collection position by allowing said suction to suck the article to the surface of the article transferrer; supporting the collected article from below during at least a part of the transfer of the article transferrer from the article collection position to an article delivery position; and delivering the article from the article transferrer via a delivery chute to the container when the article transferrer is in the article delivery position by at least partly interrupting the suction between the article transferrer and the article by allowing the delivery chute to pass therebetween.
  • an apparatus for delivering an article to a container including: an article transferrer rotatable between an article collection position and an article delivery position, the article transferrer being capable of having a vacuum applied thereto in order to induce a suction at the surface of the article transferrer to thereby collect an article when in the article collection position and the article transferrer being adapted to support the collected article from below during at least a part of the transfer of the article to the article delivery position; and a delivery chute for receiving the article from the article transferrer and delivering the article to the container; wherein, when the article transferrer is in the article delivery position, the delivery chute acts to at least partly physically interrupt suction between the article transferrer and the article by passing therebetween.
  • the presence of the delivery chute alleviates the need for the suction at the surface of the article transferrer to be separately interrupted e.g. by a valve arrangement.
  • separate means for interrupting the vacuum at the surface may be provided in addition to instead of the delivery chute. Physically supporting the article on the article transferrer can improve the reliability of the apparatus.
  • the article transferrer is a drum capable of rotating between at least the article collection position and the article delivery position. In another embodiment, the article transferrer is a drum rotatable through 360 degrees.
  • One or more apertures can be provided in the circumferential peripheral surface of the article transferrer. Suction can be induced at the, or each aperture, by evacuating a space inside the article transferrer.
  • the vacuum is delivered by means of a passageway through the article transferrer. In one embodiment, the vacuum is delivered to the article transferrer along an axial support for the article transferrer.
  • the axial support can be a stainless steel rod.
  • an apparatus for transferring articles including: a rotatable article transferrer having axial end walls and a support surface extending between the axial end walls, the support surface having one or more apertures therein and one of the axial end walls having a passage to the one or more apertures for supplying a vacuum to the one or more apertures; a fixed end plate engaging with the said one of the axial end walls and adapted to have a vacuum applied thereto for supply via a plenum to said passage, the vacuum being supplied to the passage or interrupted according to the relative angular orientation of the article transferrer and the end plate.
  • the plenum may be formed on the end plate or on the said one of the axial end walls. When the latter is the case, the plenum will rotate with the article transferrer.
  • the vacuum is interrupted to the passage to coincide with the delivery chute passing between the article transferrer and the article.
  • the article delivered by the apparatus to a container is an absorbent pad.
  • the absorbent pad may be the type used in the food packing industry to line containers such as trays prior to the insertion of food products such as meat or fish. These types of absorbent pads are used to keep food products fresh while in transportation or storage.
  • the apparatus can further include an article supply for supplying articles to the article transferrer when in the article collection position.
  • the article supply can be a stacker for articles arranged adjacent to the article transferrer.
  • the articles can be collected from the supply sequentially as required.
  • an article supply guide can be provided to prevent unwanted movement of the articles in the supply.
  • the article supply guide may act to ensure only one article, such as the lower-most article, in the supply is collected at a time by the article transferrer.
  • the container may be passed to a delivery end of the delivery chute by a conveyor such as a conveyor belt. It is desirable that the time at which the article is delivered from the apparatus is controlled so as to be the same as the time at which a container is passing or is positioned at the end of the delivery chute.
  • a means can be provided for coordinating the conveying of the container to the delivery end of the delivery chute and the delivery of the article into the container.
  • the means includes a photo-electric eye for detecting the position of the container on the conveyor.
  • the invention also encompasses a tray to which an absorbent pad has been delivered by the apparatus according to the second or third aspects of the invention or by the method of the first aspect of the invention.
  • the apparatus is retrofitted to existing packaging equipment.
  • FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIGURES 2A to 2D are cross-sectional schematics of the apparatus of Figure 1 showing the steps involved in the collection, transfer and delivery of an article to a container;
  • FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of an article transferrer that can be used in the apparatus of the present invention.
  • FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of an embodiment of an end plate that can be used with the article transferrer of Figure 3;
  • FIGURE 5 illustrates the apparatus of Figure 1 as part of packaging equipment.
  • apparatus 10 includes an article transferrer 12 disposed between an article supply 14 and a delivery chute 18.
  • article transferrer 12 collects an article from supply 14 and transfers the article to delivery chute 18 down which the article is delivered to a container 22.
  • the articles in article supply 14 are stacked in supply chute 16.
  • the articles are shown as thin absorbent pads of the type used in the meat packing industry to line the bottom of a meat tray before meat is inserted into the tray for sale.
  • One type of absorbent pad that is used to line trays is 110mm x 165mm and made from woven polyester and a laminate.
  • the articles could be of any shape and could be made from any material provided they are capable of being collected, transferred and delivered to containers by the apparatus and method described below.
  • article supply chute 16 is shown disposed at an angle with respect to article transferrer 12, the supply could arranged in any position, including vertically, provided the articles are capable of being collected from the supply by the transferrer, sequentially. In one embodiment, although not a preferred embodiment, the articles are collected one by one rather than from a stack.
  • article transferrer 12 is a drum having axial end walls and a support surface extending between the axial end walls. Article transferrer 12 is rotatable about an axis in the direction of the arrow shown. The inside of drum 12 is machined out so that a space or passage is formed in the drum (i.e. not solid). A vacuum is generated in the space by means of a vacuum pump (not shown). In one embodiment, a 1.5 hp vacuum pump is used to generate an 80 mbar vacuum which is piped via a flexible hose (not shown) to the drum via an in-line filter and a hollow drum axle 17. The axle 17 may be formed of stainless steel. There is at least one aperture 20 in or on the circumferential periphery of the drum and the vacuum applied to the drum is capable of inducing suction at the aperture(s) in the surface of drum 12.
  • the time and speed of the rotation of drum 12 is controllable.
  • the drum is controlled by a variable speed drive, such as an electrical motor and a gearbox. It is an option that only the outer periphery of the drum is rotatable while the centre portion of the drum remains fixed. It is also an option that the drum is not rotatable through 360 degrees. Thus it might only be rotatable between the pad supply 14 and the delivery chute 18.
  • the drum can be made from any material provided it is rotatable and is capable of having a vacuum applied thereto.
  • the drum can be made from food grade acetyl. If desired, the drum may have surface undulations provided these do not adversely affect its use as an article transferrer as described.
  • a drum is the preferred article transferrer
  • other elements capable of supporting and transferring articles are within the scope of the invention.
  • the article transferrer might have a hemi-spherical cross-section with a movable surface portion which acts in substantially the same way as the drum described below.
  • two apertures or slots 20 are shown on the circumferential peripheral surface of drum 12 (the support surface).
  • Figure 2A shows that when apertures 20 are positioned to contact an absorbent pad at the base of supply 14, the pad is collected by being attracted to (or sucked to) the surface of drum 12 by the suction at the surface induced by the vacuum.
  • any number of apertures could be provided on the support surface of the drum provided the suction induced at the surface is sufficient to collect an absorbent pad from supply 14.
  • the apertures are only arranged in one portion of the drum surface so that, at any one time, only one pad is being collected/transferred or delivered. It is an option, however, that there is a second set of aperture(s) in another portion of the drum surface (for example, on the opposite side of the drum and screened from view in Figure 1). If more than one set of apertures is provided, a first pad may be collected by one set of apertures while, for example, a second pad is transferred by another set of apertures at the same time.
  • the width, length, and number of apertures in the drum surface can be chosen with regard to the material type and size of the pad or other article being collected, transferred and delivered.
  • the articles are absorbent pads of 1 1 Omm x 165mm and non woven polyester and a laminate (as above) there are two slots in the drum surface preferably, of 6mm x 40mm.
  • the pad-type for delivery changes during a packaging shift.
  • 100 of a first type of absorbent pad might be delivered to a first tray type, followed by 100 of a second type of absorbent pad being delivered to a second tray type.
  • the drum-part of the apparatus is inter-changeable to allow a first drum having a first aperture set to be used with a first type of absorbent pads and a second drum having a second, different aperture set to be used when delivering the second type of absorbent pads.
  • Drum 12 might have quick-connect fittings (not shown) to allow for the change of a drum during a packaging shift. As drum 12 rotates, the pad held to the support surface by suction moves with the drum ( Figure 2B).
  • the suction required to hold it in place may be less than if the pad were held from the top and suspended.
  • the width of drum 12 is larger than the pad being transferred and delivered, to increase the surface area of the pad that is supported during transfer.
  • the apparatus having an article supply further includes an article supply guide 23 on the article supply to ensure that the pad(s) are guided to the drum.
  • the article supply guide can also be used to ensure that pad(s) adjacent to the pad collected are not able to inadvertently move from supply chute 16 as the lower-most pad is collected by the drum.
  • the article supply guide is a brush having bristles stiff-enough to prevent unwanted movement of the pads in the supply.
  • any means of preventing unwanted movement of the pads could be provided e.g. a plastic barrier disposed so as to allow one pad to be collected and to prevent others from moving.
  • article supply guide 23 may not be needed, for example, if there is a low likelihood that the articles in the supply chute will move inadvertently.
  • the pad is rotated with drum 12 to an article delivery position.
  • delivery chute 18 passes between the pad and the drum thereby at least partly physically interrupting suction holding the pad to the surface of the drum ( Figure 2C).
  • the pad is released from the drum and slides down the inclined delivery chute 18. The pad is delivered to container 22 from a delivery end of chute 18.
  • suction at the drum surface is not interrupted except by the delivery chute.
  • drum 12 has an end plate assembly through which the vacuum is delivered to a vacuum passage in the drum from the drum axle 17. The end plate assembly is arranged in such a way that it at least partly blocks vacuum flow to the apertures in the drum as the drum rotates.
  • FIG 3 is a side view of drum 12 connected to axle 17 and Figure 4 is a view of end plate assembly 11.
  • End plate assembly 11 is mounted on the drum axle 17 and engages an end wall of the drum shown in Figure 3.
  • End plate assembly 11 is fixed rotationally, that is the axle 17 and drum 12 rotate relative to it.
  • the end plate has an arcuate plenum portion 111 and a part-annular vacuum groove 112.
  • plenum portion 111 is effectively an extension of vacuum groove 112 that completes the annulus and extends radially outwards of the line of groove 112.
  • a permanent vacuum is created in plenum 11 1 and groove 112 via one or more openings in the end wall of drum 12 shown in Figure 3 as an annular array of openings 13.
  • the vacuum induced in the plenum and groove of the end plate can be further delivered to the aperture(s) 20, by means of a vacuum passage 15 in the end wall of the drum.
  • the end plate is configured so that the vacuum can only pass to the apertures via passage 15 when the vacuum passage is aligned with the plenum 111.
  • Seals 113a and 113b define the ends of plenum 111.
  • vacuum passage 15 passes over seal 113b and out of alignment with the plenum, thereby causing the vacuum at the apertures to be interrupted or cease. Effectively, the vacuum is supplied to the passage or interrupted according to the relative angular orientation of the article transferrer and end plate.
  • the vacuum delivered to the apertures is initially blocked or interrupted to coincide with the drum apertures being in the article delivery position adjacent the delivery chute 18. This combination with the delivery chute vacuum interruption allows improved pad dispensing at a higher speed without turning the vacuum pump on and off.
  • the padded container 22a moves away from the apparatus and a new, empty container is moved into position.
  • Drum 12 (now having no pad attached) moves from the delivery position back to article collection position, i.e. to the article supply 14 in order to collect another pad. This process is repeated as many times as desired to fill a number of containers.
  • the drum might continue on its path of rotation from the delivery position back to supply 14 (thereby completing one full 360 degree revolution as shown in Figure 2D) or the drum might retrace a partial rotation back to the supply.
  • Container 22 is a tray having dimensions complementary to the absorbent pad delivered to it.
  • An example of a tray which could be used with the apparatus is 165mm and 225mm and a depth of between 30 to 80 mm. It should be understood that the container type will alter depending upon the article delivered. For example, if the article is a food item, a box with a lid might be the preferred container.
  • the trays supplied to the apparatus 10 are passed to the apparatus from a stacked tray supply which is destacked or denested by a denester apparatus 30.
  • the trays 22, once denested, are passed along a conveyor 24.
  • the conveyor is a conveyor belt made from 316 stainless steel and having a food grade Interlox belt.
  • the time at which pads are delivered from apparatus 10 is controlled so as to be in time with an approaching tray. This gives some flexibility in the process so that pads do not pile up on the conveyor if there are no trays in position (for example when the supply of trays is being restocked).
  • the flow of the trays need not be interrupted by any part of the process and the apparatus may work according to the tray delivery speed. Accordingly, the system may not need to be stopped as frequently as with prior art arrangements.
  • a means for coordinating the conveying of the container to the delivery end of the delivery chute and the delivery of the article to the container may include a photo-electric eye for detecting the position of the container on the conveyor, e.g. the photo-electric eye (not shown) can detect when a tray is approaching the end of chute 18 along conveyor 24.
  • the pad is held by the drum just above the delivery chute 18 and, as tray 22 moves into position, the mechanisms which control the rotation of the drum cause the drum to rotate to the delivery position. In the delivery position, the suction connection between the pad and the drum is broken and the pad is delivered to the passing tray via the delivery chute 18.
  • the rotation of the drum may be increased to dispense the pad and decreased when picking up a pad.
  • FIG. 5 shows apparatus 10 in combination with a denester apparatus 30.
  • the packaging equipment 40 has a small foot-print (e.g. 625 mm width, 2000 mm length).
  • an operator places a stack of rigid trays 22 into denester 30 and a stack of absorbent pads into pad supply chute 16 before pressing the "Start" button.
  • the denester automatically denests trays onto the transfer conveyor 24 via scroll denesters 26.
  • the trays 22 are conveyed in the direction of the arrows shown in Figure 3 to apparatus 10. As each tray passes beneath the end of delivery chute 18, a pad is delivered to the tray. Padded trays are conveyor away from apparatus 10 and might continue on other conveyors (not shown) to be filled with a product such as meat.
  • the present apparatus may have fewer moving parts; a greater surface area in contact with the pads; and a delivery speed approximately 30 % greater (up to 60 pads per minute (ppm)) compared with prior arrangements. Furthermore, the apparatus minimises labour requirements since it requires low maintenance and is easy to use. The apparatus can be retro-fitted to an existing piece of equipment if desired.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)

Abstract

Selon l'invention, un article est distribué à un conteneur à l'aide d'un dispositif de transfert d'articles. Du vide est appliqué au dispositif de transfert d'articles de manière à induire une aspiration à la surface de ce dernier et à permettre ainsi la collecte d'un article. L'article est soutenu par le dessous pendant une partie au moins de son transfert vers un emplacement de distribution au niveau duquel il est alors distribué à un conteneur via une goulotte de distribution. La distribution de l'article dans le conteneur s'effectue par l'interruption au moins partielle de l'aspiration exercée entre le dispositif de transfert d'articles et l'article, ladite interruption résultant de la mise en place de la goulotte de distribution entre le dispositif de transfert d'articles et l'article.
PCT/AU2007/001547 2007-03-26 2007-10-11 Distribution d'articles dans un conteneur WO2008116246A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AU2007901575A AU2007901575A0 (en) 2007-03-26 The delivery of articles to containers
AU2007901575 2007-03-26

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2008116246A1 true WO2008116246A1 (fr) 2008-10-02

Family

ID=39787952

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/AU2007/001547 WO2008116246A1 (fr) 2007-03-26 2007-10-11 Distribution d'articles dans un conteneur

Country Status (1)

Country Link
WO (1) WO2008116246A1 (fr)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN106395372A (zh) * 2015-07-31 2017-02-15 苏州普京真空技术有限公司 一种真空吸附装置

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4523671A (en) * 1983-06-21 1985-06-18 Paper Converting Machine Company Apparatus for multiple lane stacking
US5441248A (en) * 1994-05-13 1995-08-15 Jay L. Kristola Feeding mechanism
WO2003097459A2 (fr) * 2002-05-21 2003-11-27 I.M.A. Industria Macchine Automatiche S.P.A. Unite servant a remplir des recipients avec des produits, en particulier des produits pharmaceutiques
EP1777179A2 (fr) * 2005-08-26 2007-04-25 Halm Industries Co., Inc. Dispositif de transport sous vide pour un matériau

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4523671A (en) * 1983-06-21 1985-06-18 Paper Converting Machine Company Apparatus for multiple lane stacking
US5441248A (en) * 1994-05-13 1995-08-15 Jay L. Kristola Feeding mechanism
WO2003097459A2 (fr) * 2002-05-21 2003-11-27 I.M.A. Industria Macchine Automatiche S.P.A. Unite servant a remplir des recipients avec des produits, en particulier des produits pharmaceutiques
EP1777179A2 (fr) * 2005-08-26 2007-04-25 Halm Industries Co., Inc. Dispositif de transport sous vide pour un matériau

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN106395372A (zh) * 2015-07-31 2017-02-15 苏州普京真空技术有限公司 一种真空吸附装置

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