Fragile premium separator
AssigneeInsight Promotions, LLC
InventorsAndrew YOUNT, William DAY
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Upstream and downstream grippers clamp to one or more seal zones on a bandolier of packaged premiums, such that the downstream gripper(s) and upstream clipper(a) are on opposite sides of a wakened separation line. The upstream and downstream gripper(s) are independently displaced by motive devices in a downstream direction. Further displacement of the downstream gripper(s) relative to the upstream gripper(s) causes the separation line to tear, thus separating an end premium package from the rest of the bandolier. In one embodiment, the grippers clamp to the seal zones at locations offset from the bandolier axis and to one side thereof, thus causing a gradual tearing along the separation line and easier, less stressful separation.
Claims44
Apparatus for separating a packaged premium from a bandolier of packaged premiums wherein each packaged premium is separated from adjacent packaged premiums by upstream and downstream wakened separation lines, each packaged premium having a trailing seal zone adjacent an upstream separation line and a leading seal zone adjacent a downstream separation line, the apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of grippers disposed alongside a path of the bandolier of packaged premiums, each gripper actuable to assume an engaged position in which the gripper clamps to a packaged premium only within a selected seal zone of the packaged premium, and actuable to assume a disengaged position in which the last said gripper does not clamp to any packaged premium, the plurality of grippers including at least one upstream gripper and, spaced from the upstream gripper in a downstream direction along the path, at least one downstream gripper;
- an upstream gripper motive device coupled to said at least one upstream gripper and actuable to displace the upstream gripper in an upstream direction parallel to the path and in a downstream direction opposite the upstream direction;
- a downstream gripper motive device coupled to said at least one downstream gripper and actuable independently of said upstream gripper motive device to displace said at least one downstream gripper in an upstream direction parallel to the path and in a downstream direction opposite the upstream direction;
- and
- a processor in communication with and controlling said grippers and said motive devices to clamp respective seal zones at locations respectively upstream and downstream from the separation line, the processor controlling the downstream gripper motive device to displace said at least one downstream gripper in a downstream direction relative to said at least one upstream gripper, thereby causing a premium package to separate from the bandolier of premium packages along the separation line.
Apparatus for separating a premium from a bandolier of premiums wherein each premium is separated from adjacent premiums in the bandolier by upstream and downstream wakened separation lines, each premium having at least one gripping zone adaptable to be clamped by a gripper, the apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of grippers disposed alongside a path of the bandolier of premiums, the path having a longitudinal axis, each gripper having at least one finger disposed, in an unengaged condition, above a plane occupied by the premiums in a direction perpendicular to the path, an opposed surface of the gripper disposed, in a disengaged condition, below the plane occupied by the premiums in a direction perpendicular to the path, said at least one finger, in an engaged position, clamping a selected gripping zone to the opposed surface of the gripper;
- the plurality of grippers including at least one upstream gripper and at least one downstream gripper disposed in a downstream direction from said at least one upstream gripper,
- an upstream gripper motive device coupled to said at least one upstream gripper and actuable to displace said at least one upstream gripper in an upstream direction parallel to the path and in a downstream direction opposite the upstream direction;
- a downstream gripper motive device coupled to said at least one downstream gripper and actuable independently of said upstream gripper motive device to displace said at least one downstream gripper in an upstream direction parallel to the path and in a downstream direction opposite the upstream direction;
- and
- a processor in communication with and controlling said grippers and said motive devices to clamp to gripping zones respectively upstream and downstream from a wakened separation line, the processor controlling the downstream gripper motive device to displace said at least one downstream gripper in a downstream direction relative to said at least one upstream gripper, thereby causing a premium to separate from the bandolier of premiums.
A method of separating a packaged premium from a bandolier of packaged premiums separated from each other by transverse seals, each transverse seal containing a wakened separation line, the method comprising the steps of:
- actuating at least one upstream gripper to clamp to a selected seal zone in an area which is displaced from the separation line in the last said seal zone;
- actuating at least one downstream gripper positioned to be downstream from the upstream gripper to clamp to a selected seal zone in an area which is across the last said separation line;
- moving the upstream and downstream grippers in a downstream direction along a path of the bandolier;
- displacing the downstream gripper relative to the upstream gripper, causing an end packaged premium to tear off of the bandolier along the separation line;
- releasing the downstream and upstream grippers;
- moving the downstream and upstream grippers in an upstream direction;
- and
- repeating the above steps for a desired plurality of packaged premiums.
A method of separating a packaged premium from a bandolier of packaged premiums separated from each other by transverse seals, each transverse seal containing a wakened separation line, the method comprising the steps of:
- actuating an upstream gripper to clamp to a selected seal zone in an area which is displaced from the separation line in the last said seal zone, and which is laterally offset to one side of an axis of the path of the bandolier of packaged premiums;
- actuating a downstream gripper positioned to be downstream from the upstream gripper to clamp to a selected seal zone in an area which is across the last said separation line, and which is laterally offset from said axis and on the same side of the axis as the upstream gripper;
- displacing the downstream gripper relative to the upstream gripper, causing an end packaged premium to gradually tear off of the bandolier along the separation line from said side, toward and through the axis, and to the other side opposite said;
- releasing the downstream and upstream grippers;
- moving at least the downstream gripper in an upstream direction;
- and
- repeating the above steps for a desired plurality of packaged premiums.
A method of separating a packaged premium from a bandolier of packaged premiums separated from each other by transverse seals, each transverse seal containing a wakened separation line, the method comprising the steps of:
- clamping, by at least a first upstream gripper disposed adjacent a path of the bandolier, to a transverse seal of a second packaged premium upstream from a first packaged premium;
- clamping, by at least a first downstream gripper disposed adjacent the path to be downstream from the first upstream gripper, to a transverse seal of the first packaged premium;
- moving the first downstream gripper in a downstream direction;
- responsive to said step of moving, tearing the first packaged premium from the second packaged premium along a wakened separation line separating the first packaged premium from the second packaged premium;
- while the first downstream gripper is still moving, opening the first downstream gripper;
- and
- responsive to the last said step of opening, throwing the first packaged premium in a downstream trajectory.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.