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US 4,038,807 AGranted
Apparatus for packaging and the like
AssigneeBlueberry Equipment, Inc.
InventorsPaul G. Beardsley, Albert W. Patzlaff
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A berry packaging apparatus including a denesting subassembly, a produce or berry dispenser, a cover pick-up and applicator subassembly, and a conveyor for transporting a plurality of corner-slotted containers. The denesting subassembly employs a plurality of opposed, shaped fingers to separate the lowermost container of a stack and deposit same onto the conveyor. The containers are filled with produce at the dispenser. The cover pick-up and applicator picks up a flexible film wrapper or cover and wipes the cover down around the container periphery.
Claims16
An apparatus for packaging produce such as berries and the like in a slotted container, comprising:
- a main support frame;
- a conveyor mounted on and extending the length of said support frame;
- a stack retaining and denesting means mounted at one end of said main support frame above said conveyor for retaining a stack of the slotted containers and for separating the lowermost container of the stack and depositing the container on the conveyor;
- a dispenser mounted above said conveyor and spaced from said denesting means, said dispenser adapted to fill each container positioned on said conveyor with produce;
- a cover wiping means supported above and adjacent said conveyor and spaced from said dispenser for wiping a wrapper down and around a filled container, said stack retaining and denesting means comprising:
- a pair of spaced support members;
- a magazine secured to said spaced support members for retaining a vertical stack of bottom corner-slotted containers, said magazine having an open bottom exposing the lower portion of the lowermost container in the stack;
- separating means supported on said support members for reciprocating movement for lifting the stack of containers from the lowermost container and depressing the lowermost container away from the remainder of the stack to separate it and deposit the container on said conveyor, wherein said magazine further includes rim engagement lugs pivotally supported relative to said magazine and said stack of containers, said lugs engageable with the top rim of the bottom container of the stack;
- and
- means biasing said lugs to a stack retention position, said lugs being shiftable against the bias of said biasing means to a container release position by depressing the lowermost container and raising the stack of containers with said separating means.
7 more elements
An apparatus for packaging produce such as berries and the like in a slotted container, comprising:
- a main support frame;
- a conveyer mounted on and extending the length of said support frame;
- a stack retaining and denesting means mounted at one end of said main support frame above said conveyer for retaining a stack of the slotted containers and for separating the lowermost container of the stack and depositing the container on the conveyor;
- a dispenser mounted above said conveyer and spaced from said denesting means, said dispenser adapted to fill each container positioned on said conveyer with produce;
- a cover wiping means supported above and adjacent said conveyer and spaced from said dispenser for wiping a wrapper down and around a filled container, said cover wiping means comprises:
- a cover holder for containing a supply of covers disposed adjacent said conveyer;
- a cover pick-up and applicator means mounted for movement between said cover holder and a position above a filled container disposed on said conveyer, said pick-up and applicator means including means for temporarily retaining the cover thereon and means for peripherally placing the cover around the outer periphery of the container;
- first power means operatively connected to said pick-up and applicator means for shifting said pick-up and applicator means between said cover holder and said conveyer;
- second power means operatively connected to said pick-up and applicator means for shifting said cover pick-up and applicator means down around the outer periphery of the container;
- and wherein said cover pick-up and applicator means includes a wiper plate having a rectangular central opening matching the container configuration and wherein said means for temporarily retaining a cover thereon includes said plate having internal passages terminating in openings at the undersurface of said plate, said openings being in communication with a vacuum source.
7 more elements
A cover pick-up and applicator assembly for picking up and wiping a flexible cover over a filled container, comprising:
- a container support;
- a cover holder disposed adjacent said container support containing a supply of covers;
- a cover pick-up and applicator means mounted for movement between said cover holder and a position above a filled container disposed on said container support, said pick-up and applicator means including means for temporarily retaining the cover thereon and means for peripherally placing the cover around the outer periphery of the container;
- first power means operatively connected to said pick-up and applicator means for shifting said pick-up and applicator means between said cover holder and said container support;
- second power means operatively connected to said pick-up and applicator means for shifting said cover pick-up and applicator means down around the outer periphery of the container;
- and wherein said cover pick-up and applicator means includes a wiper plate having a rectangular central opening matching the container configuration and wherein said means for temporarily retaining a cover thereon includes said plate having internal passages terminating in openings at the undersurface of said plate, said openings being in communication with a vacuum source.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.