Metering apparatus with independent tool drive means
AssigneeMeadWestvaco Packaging Systems, LLC
InventorPascal Martini
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A metering system (1) for grouping and spacing articles (A) that are initially in a stream of articles passing within a working reach of the metering system, which metering system comprises a plurality of tools (10), which tools are arranged and adapted to be brought into contact with and subsequently accelerate some portion of the article stream, thereby to create a spaced group, wherein each tool comprises an integral drive means that is controllable independently of the integral drive means of each other tool.
Claims23
A metering system for grouping and spacing articles that are initially in a stream of articles that passes within a working reach of the metering system, which metering system comprises a plurality of tools, which tools are arranged and adapted to be brought into contact with and subsequently accelerate some portion of the article stream, thereby to create a spaced group, wherein each tool comprises an integral drive means that is controllable independently of the integral drive means of each other tool.
A method of grouping and spacing articles from a stream of articles, which method comprises the steps of bringing a tool into contact with one or more articles in said stream, controlling an independent drive means that is integrated into that tool, thereby accelerating said tool so as to accelerate a desired number of articles with respect to the velocity of said stream and conveying said desired number of articles over the working reach of the metering system.
A tool for use in a metering system, which tool comprises a comb for engaging with articles, and which comb comprises shaped protrusions for insertion between adjacent articles wherein one or more of the protrusions is slidably mounted to a body portion of the tool such that the spacing between that protrusion and another of the protrusions may be altered.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.