Rotary carton feeder

A method for operating a rotary feeder (10) for feeding items (B) from a first position to a second position, comprising the following steps:

• providing a first sun member (20) and a second sun member (30) with first and second outer ring surfaces (40, 41) respectively, said first sun member (20) and second sun member (30) axially displaced from each other along a central axis of rotation (18);
• operatively engaging one or more first planetary members (1, 2, 3) and one or more second planetary members (4, 5, 6) with said first outer ring surfaces (40, 41) and second outer ring surfaces (40, 41) respectively, wherein each of said one or more first planetary members (1, 2, 3) and one or more second planetary members (4, 5, 6) are configured to rotate about a different and separate planetary axis of rotation (55) parallel to said central axis of rotation (18);
• selectively mounting spindle assemblies (16) on respective planetary members (1, 2, 3;
• 4, 5, 6) of said one or more first planetary members and one or more second planetary members;
• and
• rotating the mounted spindle assemblies (16) about said axes of rotation (55) at different and separate positions angularly spaced about said central axis of rotation (18) to couple the mounted spindle assemblies (16) 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 (16) to respective first planetary members (1, 2, 3) of a first sun member (20) of a feeder (10), and a second number of object-holding spindle assemblies (16) to respective second planetary members (4, 5, 6) of a second sun member (30) of the feeder (10), wherein
• the first sun member (20) and the second sun member (30) are coaxially mounted about and axially displaced along a central axis of rotation (18),
• each of said first planetary members (1, 2, 3) and second planetary members (4, 5, 6) is rotatable about a different and separate planetary axis of rotation (55), and
• the mounted spindle assemblies (16) 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 (18), said combined number resulting as the sum of said first number and second number of item-holding spindle assemblies (16);
• and
• feeding the objects through the object-holding spindles from said first position to said second position.

A rotary carton feeder (10) for feeding carton blanks (B) from a carton magazine (11) to a carton conveyor (12), said feeder (10) comprising:

• a plurality of cams (20, 30), each cam having cam surfaces (40, 41) in angular phase with those cam surfaces (40, 41) of another cam;
• said cams (20, 30) of said plurality coaxially mounted about a central axis (18) with said cam surfaces (40, 41) of one cam (20) oriented in the same angular phase with respect to the cam surfaces (40, 41) of said another cam (30) about said central axis (18);
• said cams (20, 30) spaced axially along said central axis (18) one from the other, and
• a plurality of rotatable planetary members (1, 2, 3;
• 4, 5, 6);
• a first set of planetary members (1, 2, 3) of said plurality respectively mounted in operative engagement with a first cam (20) of said cams (20, 30) and a second set of planetary members (4, 5, 6) of said plurality in operative engagement with a second cam (30) of said cams (20, 30);
• respective carton holding spindle assemblies (16) selectively mountable on and removeable from respective ones of said rotatable planetary members (1, 2, 3;
• 4, 6);
• said rotatable planetary members (1, 2, 3;
• 4, 5, 6) respectively moveable in a circular path about said central axis (18) while in respective operative engagement with one of said cams (20, 30) for rotation about a respective planetary axis of rotation (55).

A rotary feeder (10) of the type having a first sun ring (20), a first set of rotatable planetary members (1, 2, 3) in operative engagement with said first sun ring (20) and item holding spindles (16) selectively mountable on and removeable from selected planetary members (1, 2, 3) of said first set, the rotary feeder (10) further comprising:

• a second sun ring (30) in angular phase with said first sun ring (20), about a central axis (18);
• a second set of rotatable planetary members (4, 5, 6) in operative engagement with said second sun ring (30);
• said first and second sets of rotatable planetary members (1, 2, 3;
• 4, 5, 6) moveable in circular paths about said central axis (18);
• and
• respective spindles (16) mountable on and removeable from selected ones of said second set of rotatable planetary members (4, 5, 6).

A rotary feeder (10) comprising:

• a plurality of guides (20, 30), each guide having a set of guide surfaces (40, 41);
• a first set of planetary members (1, 2, 3) mounted in operative engagement with a set of said guide surfaces (40, 41) on a first guide (20) of said plurality of guides (20, 30);
• a second set of planetary members (4, 5, 6) mounted in operative engagement with a set of said guide surfaces (40, 41) on a second guide (30) of said plurality of guides (20, 30);
• said guides oriented in respective planes, coaxially mounted about a central axis (18), and axially spaced along said central axis (18);
• and
• respective spindles (16) removably mountable on respective said planetary members (1, 2, 3;
• 4, 5, 6).

A rotary blank feeder (10) comprising:

• a plurality of rotatable members (1, 2, 3;
• 4, 5, 6) mounted for respective rotation about a central axis (18) in a circular path,
• a plurality of blank holding spindles (16) selected ones of which are individually mounted on and removeable from selected ones of said rotatable members (1, 2, 3;
• 4, 5, 6);
• said rotatable members (1, 2, 3;
• 4, 5, 6) with spindles (16) thereon being alternately selectable for feeding, in the alternative, one, two, three or four blanks (B) for each revolution of the rotatable members (1, 2, 3;
• 4, 5, 6) about said central axis (18);
• and
• wherein spindles (16) are removed from non-selected rotatable members (1, 2, 3;
• 4, 5, 6).

A method for picking carton blanks (B) from a pick station proximate a carton magazine (11) 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 (10) having a plurality of carton holding spindles (16) mounted respectively on rotatable planetary members (1, 2, 3;
• 4, 5, 6), in turn mounted for respective motion in a circular path about a central axis (18) and in operative engagement respectively with one of two respective circular cam rings (20, 30);
• selecting the total number of spindles (16) from one of one, two or four spindles (16);
• and
• alternatively selecting the total number of three spindles (16) on rotatable planetary members (1, 2, 3) in operative engagement with only one of said circular cam rings (20, 30).