Article grouper for case packer
AssigneeStandard-Knapp, Inc.
InventorsJohn L. Raudat, Timothy H. Thompson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Two chain conveyor systems have two sets of grouper pins mounted on flight bars at a predetermined pitch so that the pins move upwardly between articles fed through a common upper run of the chain conveyors. One chain conveyor system is driven at a speed that varies sinusoidally and is synchronized with the speed of the articles. The other chain conveyor system is driven through a differential means so that its pins move at a speed which varies oppositely to the one chain conveyor system.
Claims6
A conveyor system for forming discrete groups of articles from a column of advancing articles in a downstream direction between lane guides, said system comprising at least two conveyor chains, projecting pins carried by said chains, variable speed drive means for moving one chain at a speed which varies cyclically as said one chain follows a closed orbit that includes an upper run so oriented that said pins move in the same path and in the same direction as the advancing articles, differential means coupling said one chain to the other chain so that its pins move in the same orbit but at a speed which varies inversely to that of said one chain and pins, said pins provided in staggered relationship to one another in said orbit to provide a predetermined pitch distance between said pins as they move along said upper run, and said pitch distance between pins in said two conveyor chains varying cyclically between maximum and minimum limits, and means for adjusting said differential means to provide a desired spread or difference between said maximum and minimum pin pitch limits.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.