Stacking packaging machine

A process for stacking and packaging a plurality of workpieces comprising:

• a first step in which a first group of workpieces are moved to a first position where they can be moved vertically;
• at least one second step in which said first group of workpieces are lowered to another position;
• at least one third step in which a subsequent group of workpieces are moved into said first position and said workpieces are supported only at their sides;
• said first group not touching said subsequent group initially;
• at least one fourth step in which at least one said subsequent group is released from said first position;
• a fifth step in which said first group is raised toward and into contact with said subsequent group at a rate sufficient that said subsequent group does not move substantially toward said first group before said respective groups are in contact;
• said subsequent group then being in contact with the top of said first group to form a stack of groups;
• both said groups continuing to move upward in said vertical direction into contact with overlying packaging material;
• a sixth step in which said packaging material drapes over the sides of both said groups;
• a seventh step at which said workpieces stop moving upward and are moved to a final processing point;
• whereby the workpieces are stacked and do not abrade each other.

In a stacking packaging machine, an input conveyor capable of supplying groups of product, flight bars on the input conveyor capable of pushing said product onto a platform, said platform being on a level with said input conveyor in a first position and dropping to a second position after it receives a group of said products from said input conveyor, said second position being far enough below said input conveyor so that a second group of said products fed over said platform do not touch said product already on said platform;

• product holders, including side support means for supporting only the sides of the groups of product, being located on each side of said platform and brought into a holding position while said platform drops to receive said second groups of incoming products supplied by said input conveyor, the arrangement of said product holders being such that said product holders can support said incoming products without any support from said products previously placed on said platform by said input conveyor;
• said platform being raised to a third position above said level at which said product arrives from said input conveyor after all of the layers of product have been placed over the platform;
• said layers of product being wrapped;
• whereby to raise all of the layers of rolls of product to a higher level, a wrapping film supply mechanism which feeds wrapping film over the products on the platform before the platform raises to a third position, means to fold the film around the product in the third position, and conveyor means to remove the product and the wrapper from the platform after the platform has risen to the third position and the film has been placed around the product.

In a stacking packaging machine, an input conveyor capable of supplying groups of product, flight bars on the input conveyor capable of pushing said product onto a platform, said platform being on a level with said input conveyor in a first position and dropping to a second position after it receives a group of said products from said input conveyor, said second position being far enough below said input conveyor so that a second group of said products fed over said platform do not touch said product already on said platform;

• product holders, including side support means for supporting at least some of the sides of the groups of product, being located on each side of said platform and brought into a holding position while said platform drops to receive said second groups of incoming products supplied by said input conveyor, the arrangement of said product holders being such that said product holders can support said incoming products without any support from said products previously placed on said platform by said input conveyor;
• said platform being raised to a third position above said level at which said product arrives from said input conveyor after all of the layers of product have been placed over the platform;
• said layers of product being wrapped;
• whereby to raise all of the layers of rolls of product to a higher level, a wrapping film supply mechanism which feeds wrapping film over the products on the platform before the platform raises to a third position, means to fold the film around the product in the third position, and conveyor means to remove the product and the wrapper from the platform after the platform has risen to the third position and the film has been placed around the product;
• said product holders each consisting of a series of bars parallel to the longitudinal axes of said products, with spaces between said bars, the first said bar in each said product holder being located above the central longitudinal axes of said products, the second said bar being located slightly below said central axes of said products, and the third said bar being located substantially below said central axes of said products, so that the total distance between each said product holder is generally smaller than the total width of all said workpieces to be held for one layer;
• whereby the product roll must be squeezed to enter the space between the product holder bars, and the ramps at the end of the bars to facilitate the squeezing of the rolls.