US 10,131,508 B2Granted

Stacking of gloves

AssigneeSafedon Limited

InventorsJonathan William Stollery, Kim Marie Stollery

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A glove stacking apparatus for forming a stack of gloves for packing into a box comprises a packing recess for receiving gloves to be stacked and for containing the stack as the stack is being formed, and a glove placement means for moving and depositing gloves at the recess one of top of another for forming the stack of gloves. The recess has a pair of opposite side edges. A movable floor within the recess is lowered as the stack of gloves grows whereby the stack of gloves continues to be retained within the recess as gloves are added to the stack. The glove placement means is arranged to deposit gloves with a portion of each glove overlapping alternately one or the other of the opposite side edges of the recess as subsequent gloves are deposited. The apparatus also comprises a pair of movable flaps adjacent the opposite side edges of the recess for folding alternately inwards towards the recess the portions of that gloves that overlap alternately one or another of the opposite side edges of the recess.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A glove stacking apparatus for forming a stack of folded gloves, comprising a glove stacking station and a glove manipulator for providing gloves one at a time to said station for subsequent folding and stacking and a processor for controlling the operation of the glove stacking station and the glove manipulator, the glove stacking station comprising a packing recess, a movable floor, and a pair of movable flaps, wherein:

the packing recess has an upwards facing opening for receiving said gloves to be stacked and is configured to contain said stack as the stack is being formed;
the movable floor is provided within said recess, said floor being configured to move away from said opening as said stack of gloves grows whereby said stack of gloves continues to be retained within said recess as folded gloves are added to the stack;
and
each of said flaps has a corresponding pivot axis, said flaps being provided on opposite sides of said opening and each being movable when folding gloves from a first orientation in which said flap extends away from said opening to a second orientation as said flap is pivoted about said axis towards said opening;
the glove manipulator comprises a glove lifting and depositing portion, said lifting and depositing portion being operable to lift each of said gloves and to deposit said lifted gloves at said stacking station with a first portion of each glove overlying said opening and a second portion of said glove overlying alternately one or the other of said flaps when in said first orientation;
and
the processor is configured to synchronize the operation of the glove manipulator and said flaps such that, in use, said lifting and depositing portion deposits a sequence of gloves at the glove stacking station with a first portion of each of said gloves overlying said opening and a second portion of each of said gloves overlying alternately one or the other of said flaps when in said first orientation prior to folding alternately by said flaps of said second portions to form said stack of folded gloves within said recess.

4 more elements

A glove stacking apparatus for forming a stack of folded gloves, comprising:

a packing recess in a work surface for receiving said gloves to be stacked and for containing said stack as the stack is being formed, said recess being substantially square or rectangular and having a pair of opposite side edges and having side walls for aligning gloves stacked one on another inside said recess and having a movable floor within said recess which can be lowered as the stack of gloves grows so that the topmost glove in the stack of gloves is substantially level with the work surface whereby said stack of gloves continues to be retained within said recess as gloves are added to the stack;
and
a glove placement means including a lifting and depositing portion for lifting each of said gloves and for depositing said lifted gloves above said recess one of top of another for stacking within said recess;
wherein the glove placement means is arranged to deposit said gloves such that a portion of each glove is contained by said recess and another portion of said glove overlaps alternately one or the other of said opposite side edges of said recess as subsequent gloves are deposited and wherein the apparatus comprises a pair of movable flaps adjacent said opposite side edges of said recess for folding alternately inwards towards said recess said overlapping portions of said gloves lying alternately on one or the other of said flaps, so that each of said folded gloves is contained by said recess.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/073,902Filed 18 Mar 2016 · continuation
Priority: GB 0918345.020 Oct 2009
Published: US 2016/0236879 A118 Aug 2016
Granted: 20 Nov 2018
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification27 codes

B65G 57/035
From above: with a stepwise downward movement of the stack
A61L 2/18
Using chemical substances: liquid substances
B65B 35/50
Arranging and feeding articles in groups: stacking one article, or group of articles, upon another before packaging
B65B 35/58
Orientating, i.e. changing the attitude of, articles, e.g. of non-uniform cross-section: turning articles by positively-acting means, e.g. to…

Family

PCT/GB2010/051768Parent of this continuation · filed 20 Oct 2010
US 2016/0236879 A1Pre-grant publication · published 18 Aug 2016
Application13/503,062Parent of this continuation
US 9,315,353 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2012/0204517 A1Published application
US 10,131,508 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.