Rake conveyor apparatus

A rake conveyor apparatus for incrementally conveying containers and the like on a packaging machine, said apparatus comprising:

• frame means for supporting said apparatus above a surface of a floor;
• conveyor platform means carried by said frame means on which said containers are supported for conveyance along a conveyor path;
• reciprocating elongated rake means carried by said frame means adjacent said conveyor platform;
• actuation means for reciprocating said rake means in a reciprocating motion between a forward and a return position;
• spaced pivotable rake dog means pivotably carried by said rake means at spaced locations along the length of said rake means having a non-engaging container position and a container engaging position for engaging said containers;
• said rake dog means pivoting to said container engagement position on the forward stroke of said rake means to engage said containers and advance them incrementally along said conveyor path;
• motion limiting means contacting said rake dog means as said rake dog means moves between said engagement position and said non-engagement position for initially limiting to linear motion the movement of said rake dog means during the return stroke while said rake dog means contacts said motion limiting means;
• and
• positioning means for stopping said containers along said conveyor path upon advancement by said rake means and positioning said containers at selected positions along the length of said conveyor.

Apparatus for conveying packaging containers in discrete increments on an article loading machine comprising:

• frame means;
• conveyor platform means carried by said frame means establishing a conveyor path along which said containers are conveyed;
• non-continuous conveyor means carried by said frame means adjacent said conveyor platform means for incrementally advancing said containers to a selected position along said conveyor path in a non-continuous manner, said non-continuous conveyor means including:
• an elongated reciprocating rake assembly;
• a plurality of pivotal rake dogs carried by said elongated rake assembly, said rake dogs being pivotably carried by said rake assembly so that said rake dogs pivot outwardly toward an engagement position with said containers prior to being advanced forward on said forward stroke of said elongated rake means;
• said rake assembly reciprocating in a forward stroke in which said rake dogs engage and advance said containers incrementally and a return stroke in which said rake dogs are retracted out of engagement with said containers;
• means for actuating said reciprocating rake means in said forward and return strokes, including connecting means connecting said actuation means and said elongated rake assembly;
• limit means for limiting the movement of said rake dogs to generally linear motion during a portion of the return stroke of said elongated rake assembly, preventing any forward movement of said rake dogs as normally accompanied by the pivoting of said rake dogs so that the selected positions of said containers are not disturbed;
• positioning means carried adjacent said platform means along said adjacent conveyor path for positively stopping and positioning said containers at said selected position upon incremental advancement of said containers by said conveyor means corresponding to said discrete increment of advancement, said positioning means including:
• positioning blocks carried at spaced positions along the length of said conveyor platform means corresponding to a number of selected positions;
• said positioning blocks being biased towards said containers coming downstream along said conveyor path;
• and
• said containers overcoming the biasing of said blocks to pass thereby upon advancement of said containers by said incremental advancement.