Component feeding with continuous motion escapement
AssigneeThe Gillette Company
InventorsDikrun DerMarderosian, Matthew T. Brightman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention relates to methods and systems for transferring a stream of a components (28, 84, 100, 100′), either as individual components (28, 84, 100′) or as a continuous strip (100) or band from which individual components are cut, from a component feeder (62a) to a component receiver (92, 108), e.g., in a processing machine, with controlled, e.g., continuous, motion escapement of the individual components (28, 84, 100, 100′) from the feeder (62a).
Claims30
A continuous motion escapement system (60) comprising
- a rotatable disk (40, 64, 64a, 104) comprising a central axis (44, 66);
- a capture location (50) at a first distance from, and at a first radial position of, the central axis;
- a delivery location (54) at a second radial position of the central axis;
- and
- a plurality of component transfer mechanisms (70, 70a) arranged on the disk, wherein each component transfer mechanism (70, 70a) comprises a component holder (42, 74, 74a, 102) configured to actively grip a component (28, 84, 100′) at the capture location (50), and wherein each component transfer mechanism (70, 70a) is configured to move the component holder (42, 74, 74a, 102) from the capture location (50) to the delivery location (54), enable the component holder (42, 74, 74a, 102) to deposit the component (28, 84, 100′) in a defined orientation at the delivery location (54), and return the now empty component holder (42, 74, 74a, 102) to the capture location (50) within one rotation or less of the disk (40, 64, 64a, 104).
A method of continuously transferring a stream of components (28, 84, 100, 100′) from a capture location (50) to a delivery location (54), the method comprising:
- capturing and gripping each component (28, 84, 100, 100′) with a component transfer mechanism (70, 70a) at a capture location (50) at a first distance from, and at a first radial position of, a central axis (44, 66);
- moving the component transfer mechanism (70, 70a) gripping the component (28, 84, 100, 100′) to a delivery location (54) at a second radial position with respect to the central axis (44, 66) different from the first radial position;
- and
- depositing the component (28, 84, 100, 100′) in a defined orientation into a component receiver (92, 108) at the delivery location.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.