Arrangements for handling conical thread packages

An arrangement for handling articles, especially thread packages, which are so configurated as to permit distinguishing between at least two opposite orientations thereof, comprising main conveyor means for conveying the articles in a predetermined direction in a conveying path such that each article arrives at the downstream end of said main conveyor means with an arbitrary one of said opposite orientations;

• auxiliary conveyor means arranged at said downstream end for receiving the articles in succession from said main conveyor means;
• means for sensing the orientation of the articles at the juncture of said main and auxiliary conveyor means;
• means for manipulating only any such article whose orientation at said juncture as sensed by said sensing means is opposite to a desired orientation which such article is to assume on said auxiliary conveyor means downstream of said manipulating means to give such article such desired orientation;
• and means for removing the articles from said auxiliary conveyor means, including article-engaging members, means for mounting said article-engaging members for movement together and apart and for pivoting about an axis, including a carrier mounted to one side of said auxiliary conveyor means for movement substantially transversely to the plane of said auxiliary conveyor means and carrying said axis of pivoting, means for displacing said article-engaging member about said pivoting axis and moving said carrier in said path for at least one of said article-engaging members to engage the respective article at a region situated at the surface portion of the article which faces said auxiliary conveyor means, and abutment means arranged to contact said one article-engaging member and deflect the same before reaching said auxiliary conveyor means.

An installation for transporting conical thread packes, comprising conveying means for moving packages in succession along a predetermined path;

• means for halting each package at a package orientation station by temporarily terminating at said station the conveying action exerted on the respective package by said conveying means, and a package orienting unit disposed above said conveying means at said station, including a pair of package engaging members movable between a first relative disposition thereof in which said package engaging members are situated outside said predetermined path so as not to interfere with the movement of the respective package into and out of the station, and a second relative disposition in which said package engaging members engage the respective package at said station at opposite sides of the respective package, a package orientation sensor carried by at least one of said package engaging members and operative for sensing the orientation of the respective package engaged by said package engaging members, selectively operable means for raising and lowering said package engaging members to lift the respective package which is engaged thereby clear of said conveying means and to return such package to said conveying means, and means for rotating said package engaging members in their raised position to reverse the orientation of the respective package engaged thereby.

An installation for transporting conical thread packages and depositing such packages in a predetermined array, comprising conveying means for moving the thread packages in succession along a predetermined path and for halting each package in succession at a package orientation station arranged at said path by temporarily terminating the conveyance of the respective package at said station;

• means for sensing the orientation of the respective package halted at said station;
• selectively operable means for reversing the orientation of the respective package halted at said station;
• means for receiving oriented packages downstream of said station and for forming such oriented packages into a predetermined array;
• means for generating a signal representative of the orientation required of the respective package halted at said station for inclusion in said array;
• and control means responsive to said sensing means and to said signal generated by said generating means and operative for actuating said reversing means if required to provide the respective package halted at said station with orientation repersented by said signal.