US 5,211,529 AGranted

Horizontal staging hopper

AssigneeR. A. Pearson Company

InventorsDavid A. Esala, Michael J. Johnson

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Abstract

A staging hopper for supplying packaging blanks includes a first conveyor positioned downstream of a second conveyor. The first conveyor supports and periodically transfers packaging blanks in a primary group of blanks to a blank delivery position. A second conveyor supports and intermittently transfers packaging blanks in a secondary group of blanks onto the first conveyor. The top edges of the secondary group of blanks rest at an angle against the primary group of blanks to define a longitudinal gap between the lower edges of the blanks in the primary and secondary groups. Photosensors are provided to detect the presence and absence of packaging blanks within the longitudinal gap. In addition to advancing the primary group of blanks, the first conveyor advances the forward blanks in the secondary group across the gap toward the primary group. The photosensors detect the presence of these blanks as their lower edges move across the gap. Upon failure to detect any packaging blanks within the gap, the photosensors activate the second conveyor to move successive forward blanks in the secondary group onto the first conveyor.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A staging hopper for packaging blanks, comprising:

a first longitudinal conveyor engaging a plurality of transverse blanks across their lower edges within a primary group of upright blanks having a lead blank available for discharge at a blank delivery position;
a second longitudinal conveyor leading to the first conveyor and engaging a plurality of transverse blanks across their lower edges within a secondary group of upright blanks, the top edges of the forward blanks in the secondary group of blanks resting at an angle against the primary group of blanks;
first drive means for periodically moving the first conveyor as part of a blank delivery cycle in which a lead blank is discharged from the primary group of blanks, the first conveyor being moved under the primary group of blanks at a linear speed overrunning the rate of discharge of lead blanks at the blank delivery position to advance individual blanks in the primary group successively to the blank delivery position and to longitudinally transfer forward blanks in the secondary group to the primary group;
second drive means operably connected to drive the second conveyor for selectively transferring forward blanks of the secondary group onto the first conveyor;
and
sensor means directed across a predetermined longitudinal gap separating the lower edges of blanks in the primary and secondary groups at an elevational location above the first conveyor for intermittently operating the second drive means in response to the absence of blanks within the gap.

3 more elements

A staging hopper for packaging blanks, comprising:

a primary hopper for supporting a plurality of transverse blanks in a primary group of blanks arranged in upright positions substantially perpendicular to a feed axis;
a secondary hopper positioned upstream from the primary hopper for supporting a plurality of transverse blanks in a secondary group of blanks with top edges of forward blanks of the secondary group of blanks leaning against the primary group of blanks at non-perpendicular angles to the feed axis to define a longitudinal gap between the lower edges of the primary and secondary groups of blanks;
a first longitudinal conveyor located beneath the primary hopper to engage the blanks of the primary group across their lower edges;
a second longitudinal conveyor located beneath the secondary hopper to engage the blanks of the secondary group across their lower edges;
first drive means for periodically moving the first conveyor to longitudinally advance the primary group of blanks and to longitudinally transfer the lower edges of forward blanks in the secondary group across the gap;
second drive means operably connected to drive the second conveyor for selectively transferring the forward blanks of the secondary group onto the first conveyor;
and
sensor means directed across the gap at an elevational location above the first conveyor for intermittently operating the second drive means in response to the absence of blanks within the gap.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.