Automated clipping packaging apparatus and associated devices, methods, systems and computer program products
AssigneeDelaware Capital Formation, Inc.
InventorsSamuel Griggs, Dennis May, David Wince, William Poteat, Derek Brown
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods, devices and computer program products automatically or semi-automatically package an object in a covering material such as casing and/or netting by pulling a covering material upstream of a product chute off an exterior surface of the product chute to automatically enclose the object in the covering material as the object exits the product chute, then applying a clip to the covering material to secure the object in the covering material.
Claims39
An automated or semi-automated clipper mechanism for attaching at least one closure clip to a product held in covering material, comprising:
- a pivotable clipper mechanism having a clipper body configured to automatically deliver clips to a clip window and attach at least one clip to gathered covering material, wherein the clipper mechanism has an automatic stroke cycle that comprises a first retracted home position, a second pre-clip dwell position, and a third clipping position.
20-21. (canceled)
A method of packaging a product in netting, comprising:
- weighing a product;
- conveying the product on a first conveyor along a first travel direction;
- conveying the product in a primary travel path on a second conveyor, the primary travel path being substantially orthogonal to the product first travel direction;
- automatically wrapping the product in netting as it exits a netting product chute;
- and
- clipping an end portion of the netting to enclose the product therein.
37-44. (canceled)
A method of operating an automated and/or semi-automated packaging apparatus comprising a clipper mechanism and a product chute with a supply of covering material held thereon, comprising:
- weighing a product;
- directing the product to travel through the product chute to automatically encase the product in the covering material as the product exits the product chute;
- electronically transmitting the weight of the product to a printer held downstream of the product chute;
- automatically clipping the covering material encasing the product;
- automatically
- attaching a label from the printer with the product weight printed thereon onto the encased product proximate to the clipping step;
- pivoting the printer laterally away from the clipper mechanism;
- and
- sliding the printer to allow external access to the printer for reloading consumable items.
A computer program product for operating a packaging apparatus, the packaging apparatus including a product chute and a clipping apparatus that applies at least one closure clip to target gathered covering material, the computer program product comprising:
- a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied in said medium, said computer-readable program code comprising:
- computer readable program code that automatically controllably actuates a clipper mechanism actuation cylinder to direct the clipper mechanism to travel through a retracted home position, a pre-clip dwell position and a full-clip position;
- and
- computer readable program code that automatically controllably directs the clipper mechanism to apply at least one clip during a clipping operation when the clipper mechanism is in the full-clip position.
47-49. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.