Method and apparatus for the automatic filling of trays with upright products
AssigneeHenkel Kommanditgesellschaft auf Aktien
InventorsJoachim Holze, Michael Kik, Juergen Leitzen, Helmut Korn, Hans Plotsch, Leo Meschler
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
To load products, particularly lipsticks or glue sticks, delivered upright from a packing unit, into a plurality of receiving trays, the products are grouped in at least two rows in a segregating station, conveyed in spaced groups to a transfer station, and moved to a filling station into a prepared tray by means of a handling unit equipped with a gripper means. Each tray, filled with products, is removed from the filling station by an output conveyor and is replaced with a similar empty tray while another group of products is formed and moved into the transfer station.
Claims19
A device for placing at least two rows of articles in a receiving tray having a plurality of recesses therein to support said articles in an upright position;
- said device comprising a first conveyor belt on which said articles, standing upright, are delivered individually and aligned in parallel rows to a preliminary loading station and thereat said articles are divided into a group having a predetermined number of articles;
- a tray unstacking means associated with a tray conveyor belt leading to a tray positioning station;
- said tray positioning station being connected to a tray carriage which is movable over a guide rail to a tray filling station;
- a handling device for gripping and raising said group having a predetermined number of articles to a loading station and for placing said group of articles into said receiving tray at said tray filling station;
- said handling device being adapted to rotate about an axis which is conveyed linearly between two stations and consisting essentially of a gripper head having a centering frame with a rigid core portion conforming to the outer surface contours of said group of articles, and inflatable rubber pads mounted int he lateral boundaries of said gripper head which are connected to compressed air supply lines;
- and an output conveyor for transporting the receiving tray away from said tray filling station.
The method of loading at least two rows of articles into a receiving tray having a plurality of recesses therein to support said articles in an upright position, comprising providing a continuous supply of said articles in an upright position on a conveyor surface, aligning said articles into a plurality of parallel rows corresponding to the recesses in said receiving tray, segregating said articles into a group of articles corresponding to the recesses in said receiving tray, sequentially moving said group of articles into a gripping station, gripping said group of articles as a unit and lifting then rotating horizontally through about 90.degree. said group of articles into a loading station having a receiving tray positioned therein, lowering said group of articles onto said receiving tray, releasing said group of articles, and replacing the loaded receiving tray with an empty tray to receive another group of said articles from the gripping station.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.