Smooth handoff of containers using multiple grippers
AssigneeWestRock Packaging Systems, LLC
InventorsJean-Christophe Bonnain, Frederic Limousin, Fabrice Avril, Amelie Strohm-Volondat
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A conveyor system for grouping containers includes a first track including a first plurality of lugs, each lug having a respective gripper coupled thereto configured to drive containers along the first track and a second track configured to move a second plurality of lugs wherein each of the lugs is coupled to a respective gripper configured to receive containers from the first track, and move the containers along the second track wherein the grippers of the second track contact the container while the gripper of the first track contacts the container.
Claims19
A method of grouping containers into a package of containers comprising:
- conveying a stream of containers using a first plurality of grippers along a first portion of a first track;
- transferring the containers to a second plurality of grippers, wherein transferring the containers comprises moving each of the containers by a respective gripper of the second plurality of grippers while maintaining contact with a respective gripper of the first plurality of grippers along a second portion of the first track for a period of time;
- and
- withdrawing the respective gripper of the first plurality of grippers from contacting the container of the stream of containers.
A method of grouping containers into a package of containers comprising:
- conveying a stream of containers using a first plurality of grippers in contact with the containers along a first portion of a first track;
- transferring the containers to a second plurality of grippers, wherein transferring the containers comprises moving each of the containers by a respective gripper of the second plurality of grippers while maintaining contact with a respective gripper of the first plurality of grippers along a second portion of the first track;
- and
- withdrawing the respective gripper of the first plurality of grippers from contacting the container of the stream of containers,
- wherein the respective gripper of the first plurality of grippers accelerates after initially contacting the container to convey the container along the first portion of the first track.
A conveyor system for grouping containers comprising:
- a first track including a first plurality of lugs, each lug having a respective gripper coupled thereto configured to drive containers along the first track;
- and
- a second track configured to move a second plurality of lugs wherein each of the lugs is coupled to a respective gripper configured to receive containers from the first track and move the containers along the second track wherein the grippers of the second track contact the container while the gripper of the first track contacts the container, wherein the first plurality of grippers and the first plurality of lugs are configured to move about a horizontal plane and the second plurality of grippers and the second plurality of lugs are configured to move about a vertical plane.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.