Rotary carton feeder
AssigneeR.A. Jones & Co. Inc.
InventorsRobert M. Kalany, Andrew James Nelson, Robert Todd Gatman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A rotary carton feeder includes a planetary drive having two sun rings with angular phase, cam surfaces on each ring about a common axis. Planetary members rotate about the common axis with a number of said planet members in operative engagement with one of the cams and another number of planet members in operative engagement with a second one of said sun rings. Spindles are selectively combined with selected planet members to selectively accommodate handling variably sized cartons of 1, 2, 3 or 4 count. Suction cups on spindle ends traverse an enclosed path having four cusps. Variations are disclosed.
Claims53
A rotary feeder for feeding items (B) from a first position to a second position, comprising:
- a first sun member provided with a pair of first outer ring surfaces;
- a second sun member provided with a pair of second outer ring surfaces, said pair of first and pair of second outer ring surfaces being axially displaced from each other, respectively, along a central axis of rotation, said first sun member and second sun member being coaxially mounted about, and axially displaced along, said central axis of rotation;
- one or more first planetary members in operative engagement with only said pair of first outer ring surfaces and one or more second planetary members in operative engagement with only said pair of second outer ring surfaces, each of said one or more first planetary members and one or more second planetary members being configured to rotate about a different and separate planetary axis of rotation parallel to said central axis of rotation;
- a first set of spindle assemblies configured to be selectively mountable on first planetary members of only said one or more first planetary members and a second set of spindle assemblies configured to be selectively mountable on second planetary members of only said one or more second planetary members,
- wherein the mounted spindle assemblies of said first set and second set are located at different and separate positions angularly spaced about said central axis of rotation in order to be coupled with at least a portion of said items (B).
A method for operating a rotary feeder for feeding items (B) from a first position to a second position, comprising the following steps:
- providing a first sun member and a second sun member each having a pair of first and a pair of second outer ring surfaces, respectively, said pair of first and pair of second outer ring surfaces being axially displaced from each other, respectively, along a central axis of rotation, and said first sun member and second sun member being axially displaced from each other along the central axis of rotation;
- operatively engaging one or more first planetary members and one or more second planetary members with only said pair of first outer ring surfaces and only said pair of second outer ring surfaces, respectively, wherein each of said one or more first planetary members and one or more second planetary members are configured to rotate about a different and separate planetary axis of rotation parallel to said central axis of rotation;
- selectively mounting spindle assemblies on respective planetary members of only said one or more first planetary members and only one or more second planetary members;
- and
- rotating the mounted spindle assemblies about said axes of rotation at different and separate positions angularly spaced about said central axis of rotation to couple the mounted spindle assemblies with at least a portion of said items (B).
A method for feeding items (B) from a first position to a second position, comprising the following steps:
- coupling a first number of item-holding spindle assemblies only to respective first planetary members of only a first sun member of a feeder, and a second number of item-holding spindle assemblies only to respective second planetary members of only a second sun member of the feeder, wherein
- the first sun member and the second sun member are coaxially mounted about and axially displaced along a central axis of rotation,
- each of said first planetary members and second planetary members is rotatable about a different and separate planetary axis of rotation, and
- the mounted spindle assemblies of said first set and second set are located at a combined number of different and separate positions angularly spaced about said central axis of rotation, said combined number resulting as the sum of said first number and second number of item-holding spindle assemblies;
- and
- feeding the items (B) through the item-holding spindles from said first position to said second position.
A rotary carton feeder for feeding carton blanks (B) from a carton magazine to a carton conveyor, said feeder comprising:
- a plurality of cams, each cam having cam surfaces in angular phase with those cam surfaces of another cam;
- said cams of said plurality coaxially mounted about a central axis with said cam surfaces of one cam oriented in the same angular phase with respect to the cam surfaces of said another cam about said central axis;
- said cams spaced axially along said central axis one from the other, and
- a plurality of rotatable planetary members;
- a first set of planetary members of said plurality respectively mounted in operative engagement with only a first cam of said cams and a second set of planetary members of said plurality in operative engagement with only a second cam of said cams;
- respective carton holding spindle assemblies being selectively mountable on and removeable from only respective ones of said first set of rotatable planetary members and only respective ones of said second set of rotatable planetary members;
- said rotatable planetary members being respectively moveable in a circular path about said central axis while in respective operative engagement with one of said cams for rotation about a respective planetary axis of rotation.
A rotary feeder of the type having a first sun ring, a first set of rotatable planetary members in operative engagement with only said first sun ring, and item-holding spindles selectively mountable on and removeable from selected planetary members of only said first set, the rotary feeder further comprising:
- a second sun ring in angular phase with said first sun ring, about a central axis;
- a second set of rotatable planetary members in operative engagement with only said second sun ring;
- said first and second sets of rotatable planetary members moveable in circular paths about said central axis;
- and
- respective spindles being mountable on and removeable from selected ones of said second set of rotatable planetary members.
A rotary feeder comprising:
- a plurality of guides, each guide having a set of guide surfaces;
- a first set of planetary members mounted in operative engagement with a set of said guide surfaces on only a first guide of said plurality of guides;
- a second set of planetary members mounted in operative engagement with a set of said guide surfaces on only a second guide of said plurality of guides;
- said guides oriented in respective planes, coaxially mounted about said central axis, and axially spaced along said central axis;
- and
- respective spindles removably mountable on only respective ones of said first set of planetary members and only respective ones of said second set of planetary members.
A rotary blank feeder comprising:
- a plurality of rotatable members mounted for respective rotation about a central axis in a circular path,
- a plurality of blank holding spindles, selected ones of which are individually mounted on and removeable from selected ones of said rotatable members;
- said rotatable members with spindles thereon being alternately selectable for feeding, in the alternative, one, two, three or four blanks (B) for each revolution of the rotatable members about said central axis;
- and
- wherein spindles are removed from non-selected rotatable members.
A method for picking carton blanks (B) from a pick station proximate a carton magazine and placing picked blanks (B) in a place station, the method accommodating a variety of blank sizes and including the steps of:
- picking and placing carton blanks (B) with a rotary feeder having a plurality of carton holding spindles mounted respectively on rotatable planetary members, in turn mounted for respective motion in a circular path about a central axis and in operative engagement respectively with only one or another of two respective circular cam rings;
- selecting the total number of spindles from one of one, two or four spindles;
- and
- alternatively selecting the total number of three spindles on rotatable planetary members in operative engagement with only one of said circular cam rings.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.