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US 10,093,442 B1Granted
Infeed system and method for product packaging machine
AssigneeValley Tissue Packaging, Inc.
InventorMichael Rooyakkers
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An infeed system for feeding a product downstream to a packaging machine for packaging a product with a packaging material includes a first conveyor section, a second conveyor section, and a third conveyor section. Each one of the conveyor sections includes a top belt and a bottom belt that engage respective surfaces of the product. The speeds of each belt may be adjusted to control the processing rate of the product and prevent any gaps between successive products. The top belt of the first conveyor system may also be inclined relative to the bottom belt to compress the product.
Claims19
An infeed system for feeding a product downstream to a packaging machine for packaging a product with a packaging material comprising:
- a first conveyor section having an inlet configured to receive product and having an outlet, the first conveyor section having a top belt and a bottom belt configured to convey product through the first conveyor section, wherein each of the belts of the first conveyor section has a relatively high coefficient of static friction;
- a second conveyor section having an inlet configured to receive product from the outlet of the first conveyor section and having an outlet, the second conveyor section having a top belt and a bottom belt configured to convey product through the second conveyor section, wherein each of the belts of the second conveyor section has a relatively low coefficient of static friction when compared to that of the belts of the first conveyor section;
- a third conveyor section having an inlet configured to receive product from the outlet of the second conveyor section, the third conveyor section having a top belt and a bottom belt configured to convey product through the third conveyor, wherein each of the belts of third conveyor section has a relatively high coefficient of static friction when compared to that of the belts of the second conveyor section.
A method of operating an infeed system comprising the steps of:
- feeding a product into a first conveyor section in between a top belt and a bottom belt;
- compressing the product between the top and bottom belts, thus reducing a height of the product;
- gripping the product with the top and bottom belts of the first conveyor section firmly without slipping;
- advancing the product from the first conveyor section to a second conveyor section in between a top belt and a bottom belt of the second conveyor section while allowing slippage of product between the top and bottom belts of the second conveyor section;
- advancing the product from the second conveyor section to a third conveyor section in between a top belt and a bottom belt of the third conveyor section while gripping the product with the top and bottom belts of the third conveyor section firmly without slipping;
- matching a speed of the top and bottom belt of the third conveyor section with a delivery speed of a packaging material;
- centering the product uniformly in between a predetermined length of packaging material required to wrap the product.
4 more elements
An infeed system for packaging a product with a packaging material comprising:
- a first conveyor section having an inlet and outlet and configured to move the product between a top belt and a horizontal bottom belt, wherein the top belt of the first conveyor section is inclined at an adjustable compression angle with respect to the horizontal bottom belt for gradually compressing the product between the horizontal bottom belt and the inclined top belt of the first conveyor section as the product is conveyed through the first conveyor section;
- a second conveyor section having an inlet that receives product from the outlet of the first conveyor section and having an outlet, the second conveyor section having a top belt and a bottom belt configured to maintain the product compressed between the bottom belt and the top belt of the second conveyor section;
- a third conveyor section having an inlet that receives product from the outlet of the second conveyor section and having an outlet, the third conveyor section having a top belt and a bottom belt configured to maintain the product compressed between the bottom belt and the top belt of the third conveyor section, wherein a speed of the top and bottom belts of the third conveyor section match a delivery speed of the packaging material to a downstream packaging machine;
- and
- wherein the top and bottom belts of the second conveyor section move at the same speed as one another and at the same speed, a faster speed, a slower speed, or a modulating speed as the top and bottom belts of the third conveyor section, and wherein the top and bottom belts of the second conveyor section have a lower coefficient of static friction than a coefficient of static friction of the top and bottom belts of the first conveyor section and the top and bottom belts of the third conveyor section.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.