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US 3,938,648 AGranted
Package transfer unit
OwnerRobert H. Ganzinventor
Life of this patent
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OwnerRobert H. Ganzinventor
Estimating the term…
This disclosure relates to a transfer unit for transferring packages in the form of a film wrapped around a plurality of containers from a package forming or wrapping machine to a shrink tunnel unit, wherein the shrink tunnel unit has a conveyor which moves at a faster rate than a conveyor of the packaging machine. In order that partially formed packages may be transferred between the two conveyors, there has been provided a transfer unit in the form of two rollers spaced so as to receive articles arranged in one behind the other relationship, the two rollers being driven normally in accordance with the speed of the packaging machine conveyor and there being means for momentarily driving the rollers at the same general speed as the shrink tunnel unit conveyor, the changing of roller speed being automatically accomplished when the package being transferred is properly positioned relative thereto.
An accelerating transfer unit for transferring articles from a first conveyor to a faster moving second conveyor, said accelerating transfer unit comprising a conveying member and drive means for selectively driving said conveying member at first and second surface speeds, said drive means including a first drive unit incorporating first drive element means for coupling to a first conveyor drive for the first conveyor to be driven at a first speed, overrunning clutch means between said first drive element means and said conveying member to drive said conveying member at a first speed, and a second drive unit incorporating second drive element means for coupling to a second conveyor drive for the second conveyor to be driven at a second speed, and selectively actuated clutch means for coupling said second drive element means to said conveying member in driving relation.
A conveyor system comprising a first conveyor, a second conveyor in adjacent aligned relation and having means for operating at a higher surface speed than said first conveyor, and a transfer unit for transferring articles from said first conveyor to said second conveyor, said transfer unit including a conveying member disposed intermediate said first and second conveyors and drive means for selectively driving said conveying member at first and second surface speeds generally corresponding to the surface speeds of said first and second conveyors, said drive means including independent clutch controlled first and second drives for selectively coupling said first and second conveyors, respectively, to said conveying member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.