Transfer apparatus for transferring articles in succession
AssigneeBellaplast GmbH
InventorPeter Wolf
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Apparatus for transferring articles, e.g. thermoformed plastic cups along a conveyor and then removing them from the conveyor. To overcome problems of interference between closely positioned cups on the conveyor when removing them, a device is provided to accelerate cups in succession as they approach their position for removal from the device. This acceleration increases the distance between cups and permits sufficient time for their individual removal. In a practical apparatus, the accelerating device is an air nozzle to apply pressurized air along the conveyor and push along the cups.
Claims27
Transfer apparatus for conveying articles in succession along a feed path comprising transfer conveyor means extending from an article onput station where relatively lightweight articles are placed in a row on said conveyor means in relatively close succession to an article removal station, holding means for positively retaining said articles in said close succession along said conveyor means, an article separating and feed accelerating device disposed in a position intermediate the onput and removal stations, said device being operable and disposed to apply a force in the direction of travel of the conveyor means, in succession to each of the leading articles moving along the conveyor means to overcome said holding means sufficiently to cause each said leading article to accelerate in turn beyond the speed of the conveyor means along the conveyor means towards the removal station and thus to successively increase the distance between each leading article and the next succeeding article, and means for removing said separated articles in succession from the conveyor means at said removal station, said articles being held in said close succession on said conveyor means by suction means as they move toward said separating and feed accelerating device, and said device comprising means for directing air under pressure against the leading article in such direction and with sufficient force to overcome the suction holding action sufficiently to displace the leading article along said conveyor means to effect said separation.
Transfer apparatus for conveying articles in succession along a feed path comprising a moving transfer conveyor extending from an article output station of the conveyor to an article removal station;
- suction means for drawing air through said conveyor to hold the articles by suction in spaced relation on the said conveyor during conveying, said suction means extending effectively on said conveyor from said onput station to the inlet region of the said removal station and being constructed and arranged to avoid suction effect upon said articles within the said removal station;
- an article separating and feed accelerating device disposed in operative association with said conveyor in a position before the said inlet region of the removal station, said device being operable and oriented to apply a pressurized air stream in the direction of travel of the moving conveyor, in succession to articles along the moving conveyor to cause the said articles while held on the conveyor by the holding action of the said suction means to accelerate in turn along the conveyor beyond the speed of the conveyor towards the removal station and within said inlet region and thus to increase their distances from succeeding articles when at the removal station and before becoming free of the said suction effect;
- and a removal device within the said removal station comprising pneumatic means adapted and disposed to take off each separated article from the said conveyor.
A method of transferring articles comprising disposing the articles in spaced succession on a moving conveyor at an onput station;
- said articles being conveyed towards a removal station, continuously holding the said articles on the said conveyor by suction, applying pressurized air stream force in the direction of travel of the moving conveyor to the articles while said holding suction is effective as they approach in succession towards the inlet region of the said removal station to cause said articles to accelerate in turn along the conveyor beyond the speed of the conveyor and thus increase their distances from succeeding articles on the conveyor, reducing or eliminating the suction holding the articles on the conveyor and removing the said separated articles from the conveyor under pneumatic effect at the said removal station.
Transfer apparatus for conveying articles in succession along a feed path comprising transfer conveyor means extending from an article onput station where relatively lightweight articles are placed in a row on said conveyor means in relatively close succession to an article removal station, holding means for positively retaining said articles in said close succession along said conveyor means, an article separating and feed accelerating device disposed in a position intermediate the onput and removal stations, said device being operable and disposed to apply a force in the direction of travel of the conveyor means, in succession to each of the leading articles moving along the conveyor means to overcome said holding means sufficiently to cause each said leading article to accelerate in turn beyond the speed of the conveyor means along the conveyor means towards the removal station and thus to successively increase the distance between each leading article and the next succeeding article, and means for removing said separated articles in succession from the conveyor means at said removal station, said article separating and feed accelerating device comprising at least one article accelerating nozzle defining a nozzle outlet directed in a direction inclined towards the article carrying surface of the conveyor means and also towards the removal station, said nozzle being connectable to a source of pressurized gas to direct the pressurized gas in said inclined direction and thus to trailing surfaces of each leading article as it moves along the conveyor means, and the apparatus also comprising guide means provided at the sides of the feed path and between the nozzle and the removal station to retain articles laterally upon the conveyor means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.