Apparatus for packaging articles and method of making such apparatus

In an apparatus for packaging articles of roughly equal size in package means therefor comprising, first conveyor means for said articles, said first conveyor means having a plurality of receptacles each for receiving and supporting an individual one of said articles, second conveyor means for sequentially moving a plurality of package means in a first plane for receiving said articles, and transfer means for transferring a predetermined number of said articles from said first conveyor means into associated package means, the improvement wherein initially each of said receptacles provides the total support and movement of an associated one of said articles including movement in a vertical transfer zone during a first portion of substantially vertically downward movement between said first and second conveyors before said transfer means provides total support thereof, said transfer means comprises means which maintains said articles separate from each other until said articles are in a second plane disposed above and parallel to said first plane, said transfer means accumulates articles in second plane until said predetermined number have been accumulated, said means of said transfer means which maintains said articles separate comprises a rotatable star wheel and cooperating stationary finger means, said star wheel having a plurality of radial arms which are adapted to extend through said finger means and cooperate therewith to transfer said articles into said second plane.

In a method of making an apparatus for packaging articles of roughly equal size in package means therefor, said method comprising the steps of providing first conveyor means for said articles, attaching on said first conveyor means a plurality of receptacles each for receiving and supporting an individual one of said articles, providing second conveyor means for sequentially moving a plurality of package means in a first plane for receiving said articles, and providing transfer means for transferring a predetermined number of said articles from said first conveyor means into associated package means, the improvement in said method wherein initially each of said receptacles provides the total support and movement of an associated one of said articles including movement in a vertical transfer zone during a first portion of substantially vertically downward movement between said first and second conveyors before said transfer means provides total support thereof, said step of providing transfer means comprises providing means of said transfer means which maintains said articles separate from each other until said articles are in a second plane disposed above and parallel to said first plane, said transfer means operating to accumulate articles in said second plane until said predetermined number have been accumulated, said steps of providing first and second conveyor means comprise providing said first and second conveyor means with portions thereof in parallel facing relation, and said method comprising the further step of providing drive means for operating said conveyor means in a continuous non-indexing manner to thereby continuously package said predetermined number of articles in an associated package means.

In a method of making an apparatus for packaging articles of roughly equal size in package means therefor, said method comprising the steps of providing first conveyor means for said articles, attaching on said first conveyor means a plurality of receptacles each for receiving and supporting an individual one of said articles, providing second conveyor means for sequentially moving a plurality of package means in a first plane for receiving said articles, and providing transfer means for transferring a predetermined number of said articles from said first conveyor means into associated package means, the improvement in said method wherein initially each of said receptacles provides the total support and movement of an associated one of said articles including movement in a vertical transfer zone during a first portion of substantially vertically downward movement between said first and second conveyors before said transfer means provides total support thereof, said step of providing transfer means comprises providing means of said transfer means which maintains said articles separate from each other until said articles are in a second plane disposed above and parallel to said first plane, said transfer means operating to accumulate articles in said second plane until said predetermined number have been accumulated, said step of providing means of said transfer means comprises the steps of providing a rotatable star wheel and providing cooperating stationary finger means for operation with said star wheel, said step of providing said star wheel comprises providing said star wheel having a plurality of radial arms which are adapted to extend through said finger means and cooperate therewith to transfer said articles into said second plane.