# US 12,006,083 B2 · Pouch containment and carton loading

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- Number: US 12,006,083 B2
- Document ID: US12006083B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/536,329
- Filed: 2021-11-29
- Published: 2022-03-17
- Granted: 2024-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2018-04-23
- Assignees: R.A. Jones & Co. Inc.
- Applicants: R.A Jones & Co.
- Inventors: William E. Engelhardt; Steven C. Hamilton; Eric M. Schaefer
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12006083B2

## CPC

- B65B 5/061: {Filled bags}
- B65B 7/20: by folding-down preformed flaps
- B65B 35/40: by reciprocating or oscillatory pushers
- B65B 35/405: {linked to endless conveyors}
- B65B 35/44: by endless belts or chains {(B65B35/405 takes precedence)}
- B65B 35/50: Stacking one article, or group of articles, upon another before packaging
- B65B 63/022: {using compressing chambers or plates moving in an endless path}
- B65B 39/007: {Guides or funnels for introducing articles into containers or wrappers}
- B65B 39/145: {in an endless path}
- B65B: MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING (bundling and pressing devices for cigars A24C1/44; devices for tensioning and securing binders adapted to be supported by the article or articles to be bound B25B25/00; applying closure members to bottles, jars or similar containers B67B1/00-B67B6/00; concurrent cleaning, filling and closing of bottles B67C7/00; emptying bottles, jars, cans, casks, barrels or similar containers B67C9/00)

## Abstract

A stack of products such as pouches are formed in a product bucket, pushed into a stack guide bucket and from there into a carton. A stack tamp descends over the stack, engages and confines it downwardly during stack pushing from product bucket and through stack guide bucket into a carton. Multiple product buckets, stack guide buckets and cartons move downstream during cartoning, and are respectively aligned in a cartoning station. Reciprocal containment blades hold the stack in respective cartons prior to flap closing.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus for loading stacks of product into cartons, comprising:
a product bucket having a discharge end;
an elongated static stack guide having a terminal end;
a product stack guide bucket;
said static stack guide being operably disposed between said discharge end of said product bucket and said stack guide bucket upstream from the terminal end of said static stack guide;
a reciprocally and vertically operable tamp foot oriented to tamp down a product stack in said product bucket and said product stack guide bucket;
a stack pusher oriented to push a product stack from said product bucket into said stack guide bucket, past said terminal end of said static stack guide and into a carton;
a reciprocally and vertically operable stack containment blade extending in a vertical direction of a reciprocal motion of the stack containment blade and being configured to directly confront and confine a rearward end of said pushed stack within said carton; and
at least one flap closer configured to close at least one flap of said carton against a loaded product stack.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said product bucket, said stack guide bucket, said tamp foot, said containment blade and said stack pusher are driven in parallel machine directions, and further comprising a first cam operably oriented to reciprocate said tamp foot, and a second cam operably oriented to reciprocate said stack containment blade.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus as in claim 1 further comprising a plurality of product buckets moveable in a machine direction; a plurality of stack guide buckets moveable in said machine direction; and a plurality of stack pushers moveable in said machine direction and perpendicular thereto; a plurality of tamp feet moveable in said machine direction and perpendicularly thereto; and a plurality of stack containment blades moveable in said machine direction and perpendicularly thereto.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said apparatus includes a carton loading station, wherein said terminal end of said elongated static stack guide is positioned in said machine direction upstream from said carton loading station.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The apparatus as in claim 4 wherein said elongated static stack guide has an upper edge tapering downwardly upstream of said elongated static stack guide terminal end.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The apparatus as in claim 5 further comprising respective cams for respectively reciprocating said tamp foot and said stack containment blade at positions downstream from the taper of said upper edge of said elongated static stack guide.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said product bucket includes partial spaced apart side walls opposite said discharge end, said stack pusher being extendible into said product bucket between said partial side walls.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The apparatus as in claim 1 further comprising an extended minor flap guide extending in a machine direction through and beyond a carton loading station.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the at least one flap closer comprises a plurality of flap closers configured to close flaps of said carton against the loaded product stack.