Article transport apparatus

A case packing apparatus for loading groups of articles into cases, the articles having engageable side portions, the case packing apparatus comprising:

• conveying means for supplying a flow of articles in a pretermined direction;
• a receiving station for receiving articles supplied by said conveying means, said receiving station allowing a group of articles of a predetermined number to be formed thereat by said conveying means;
• a loading station for loading groups of articles into cases;
• a carriage movable between said receiving station and said loading station for carrying groups of articles from said receiving station to said loading station;
• carriage transfer means for moving said carriage to a receiving position in a direction opposite said predetermined direction of said flow of article supplied by said conveying means and for causing said carriage to arrive at said receiving station substantially simultaneously with said formation of said group of articles of a predetermined number at said receiving station, thereby allowing said carriage to encompass said group of articles of said predetermined number formed at said receiving station;
• said carriage transfer means moving said carriage to said loading station in substantially said predetermined direction od said flow of articles supplied by said conveying means;
• and
• fluid pressurizable means attached to said carriage, said fluid pressurizable means engaging the engageable side portions of said group of said predetermined number of articles at said receiving station upon pressurization thereof for substantially fixing the articles with respect to said carriage, thereby allowing movement of the articles with said carriage;
• said fluid pressurizable means allowing upon depressurization thereof for said carriage to move relative to the articles;
• and said fluid pressurizable means being pressurized when said carriage is at said receiving station and depressurized when said carriage is at said loading station.

A case packing apparatus for loading group of articles into cases, comprising:

• conveying means for supplying a flow of articles in a predetermined direction;
• a receiving station for receiving articles supplied by said conveying means and for allowing a group of a predetermined number of articles to be formed thereat;
• a loading station for loading said group of articles into a case;
• a carriage movable back and forth between said receiving station and said loading station for carring said group of articles from said receiving station to said loading station;
• means for forming said group of articles at said receiving station while said carriage moves from said receiving station to said loading station and back towards said receiving station such that upon said carriage moving to said receiving station, said group of articles is already formed at said receiving station;
• carriage transfer means for moving said carriage to said receiving station in a direction opposite said predetermined direction of said flow of articles supplied by said conveying means for causing said carriage to receive said group of articles at said receiving station, thereby allowing said carriage to encompass said group of articles at said receiving station;
• said carriage transfer means moving said carriage to said loading station in substantially said predetermined direction of said flow of articles supplied by said conveying means;
• and
• actuatable longitudinally extending gripping means attached to said carriage for receiving said group of articles at said receiving station, said actuatable longitudinally extending gripping means upon actuation gripping said group of articles for substantially fixing said group of articles with respest to said carriage.

A case packing machine for loading group of articles into cases, the case packing machine comprising:

• conveying means for supplying a stream of articles in a plurality of aligned rows in a predetermined direction;
• a receiving station for receiving articles supplied by said conveying means in said plurality of aligned rows;
• a plurality of partitions associated with said receiving station which define a plurality of individual lanes;
• said partitions defining tracks extending therealong;
• a loading station for loading articles in said plurality of aligned rows in cases;
• a carriage movable between said receiving station and said loading station for carrying articles in said plurality of aligned rows from said receiving station to said loading sattion, said carriage defining a receiving end having article passageways through which articles may be received;
• carriage transfer means for moving said carriage to a receiving position in a direction opposite said predetermined direction of said stream of articles supplied by said conveying means for causing said carriage to encompass articles at said receiving station;
• article engagement means carried by said carriage for selectively engaging articles encompassed by said carriage and for substantially fixing the articles to said carriage for movement therewith;
• said article engagement means having track members for engaging said tracks of said partitions, whereby upon movement of said carriage to said receiving station, said article engagement means are moved along said partitions through engagement of said track members with said tracks;
• means for disengaging said article engagement means for depositing the articles carried by said carriage at said loading station;
• and
• loading means associated with said loading station for loading the articles deposited at said loading station into cases.

A case packing machine for loading groups of articles into cases, the case packing machine comprising:

• conveying means for supplying a stream of articles in a plurality of aligned rows in a predetermined direction;
• a receiving station for receiving articles supplied by said conveying means in said plurality of aligned rows;
• a loading station for loading articles in said plurality of aligned rows into cases;
• a carriage movable between said receiving station and said loading station for carriage articles in said plurality of aligned rows from said receiving station to said loading station, said carriage defining a receiving and having article passageways through which articles may be received;
• carriage transfer means for moving said carriage to a receiving position in a direction opposite said predetermined direction of said stream of articles supplied by said conveying means for causing said receiving end of said carriage to receive said articles at said receiving station, thereby allowing said carriage to encompass the articles at said receiving station;
• article engagement means carriage by said carriage for selectively engaging articles encompassed by said carriage and for substantially fixing the articles to said carriage for movement therewith, said article engagement means including a plurality of longitudinally extending inflatable members, each of said inflable members having a longitudinally extending interior passage, said interior passage defining an upper interior surface portion and a lower interior surface portion;
• a support member provided in each of said longitudinally extending passages, said support member defining an upper edge and a lower edge;
• each of said inflatable memebrs defining an outer peripheral portion of a predetermined dimension which expands outwardly upon inflation of said inflatable member for gripping articles to said carriage, said peripheral portion expanding outwardly until at least one of said upper and lower interior surface portions contacts at least one of said upper and lower edges of said support member, said predetermined dimension of said peripheral potion being substantially the same when said inflaatble member is inflated and deflated.

A case packing machine for loading groups of articles into cases, the case packing machine comprising:

• conveying means for supplying a stream of articles in a plurality of aligned rows in a predetermined direction;
• a receiving station for receiving articles supplied by said conveying means in said plurality of aligned rows;
• a loading station for loading articles in said plurality of aligned rows into cases;
• a carriage movable between said receiving station and said loading station for carriage articles in said plurality of aligned rows from said receiving station to said loading station, said carriage defining a receiving end having article passageways through which articles may be received;
• carriage transfer means for moving said carriage to a receiving position in a direction opposite said predetermined direction of said stream of articles supplied by said conveying means for causing said receiving end of said carriage to receive said articles at said receiving station, thereby allowing said carriage to encompass said articles at said receiving station;
• a plurality of partitions associated with said receiving station which define a pluarlity of individual lanes;
• said partitions defining tracks extending therealong;
• article engagement means carried by said carriage for selectively engaging articles encompassed by said carriage and for subsatntially fixing the articles to said carriage for movement therewith;
• said article engagement means including a plurality of longitudinally extending inflatable members;
• said inflatable members being inflatable for gripping articles between said partitions in said aligned rows and deflatable for allowing the articles to be deposited at said loading station;
• said inflatable members having track members for engaging said tracks of said partitions, whereby upon movement of said carriage to said receiving station, said inflatable members are moved along said partitions through engagement of said track members with said tracks;
• said partitions including outer surfaces facing said lanes, said inflatable members projecting outwardly from said outer surfaces of said partitions when inflated for gripping articles, and said inflatable members being recessed from said outer surfaces when defined for preventing contact of said inflatable members with the articles in said lanes;
• means for disengaging said article engagement means for depositing the articles carried by said carriage at said loading station;
• and
• loading means associated with said loading station for loading the articles deposited at said loading station into cases.

A case packing machine for loading groups of articles into cases, the case packing machine comprising:

• conveying means for supplying a stream of articles in a plurality of aligned rows in a predetermined direction;
• a receiving station for receiving articles supplied by said conveying means in said plurality of aligned rows;
• a loading station for loading articles in said plurality of aligned rows into cases;
• a carriage movable between said receiving station and said loading station for carryin articles in said plurality of aligned rows from said receiving station to said loading station, said carriage defining a receiving end having article passageways through which articles may be received;
• carriage transfer means for moving said carriage to a receiving position in a direction opposite said predetermined direction of said stream of articles suplied by said conveying means for causing said receiving end of said carriage to receive articles at said receiving station, thereby allowing said carriage to encompass articles at said receiving station;
• a plurality of partitions associated with said receiving station which define a plurality of individual lanes;
• said partitions defining tracks extending therealong;
• article engagement means carriage by said carriage for selectively engaging articles encompassed by said carriage and for substantially fixing the articles to said carriage for movement therewith;
• said article engagement means including a plurality of longitudinally extending inflatable members;
• said inflatable members being inflatable for gripping articles between said partitions in said aligned rows and deflatable for allowing the articles to be deposited at said loading station;
• said inflatable members having track members for engaging said tracks of said partitions, whereby upon movement of said carriage to said receiving station, said inflatable members are moved along said partitions through engagement of said track members with said tracks;
• said partitions including upper and lower portions extending above said receiving station, said tracks of said partitions including grooves formed in said upper and said lower portions of said partitions, and said track members of said inflatable members including tongues for slidingly engaging said grooves of said tracks;
• said carriage transfer means moving said carriage to said loading station in substantially said predetermined direction of said stream of articles supplied by said conveying means, after engagement of said article engagement means with the articles encompassed by said carriage;
• means for disengaging said article engagement means for depositing the articles carried by said carriage at said loading station;
• and
• loading means associated with said loading station for loading the articles deposited at said loading station into cases.