Device and method for repeatedly forming a preselected arrangement of conveyed articles

A device for repeatedly forming a predetermined arrangement of articles, said device comprising:

• accumulating means at an accumulating area for receiving articles to be formed into said predetermined arrangement, said accumulating area having a discharge end for discharging articles therefrom in a predetermined direction;
• stop means movable between a stop position and a pass position, said stop means when in said stop position being engagable with articles at said discharge end of said accumulating area for preventing said articles from passing by said stop means in said predetermined direction, and said stop means when in said pass position allowing articles from said accumulating area to pass by said stop means in said predetermined direction;
• sweep means including first and second sweep arms operable within at least a sweep area for engaging articles passed by said stop means, said sweep arms being operated at different speeds and reversed in direction in conveying said articles passed by said stop means through said sweep area;
• conveyor means at least said sweep area for engaging articles and urging said engaged articles in said predetermined direction through said sweep area;
• receiving means for receiving articles from said sweep area;
• and
• control means controlling operation of said stop means between said stop and pass positions to enable preselected numbers of articles to be passed by said stop means each time said stop means is in said pass position, and said control means also controlling said sweep means and said conveyor means with both said sweep means and said conveyor means being caused to be operated at varying speeds so that articles are conveyed to said receiving means from said sweep means in said predetermined arrangement.

A device for repeatedly forming a predetermined arrangement of conveyed cylindrical articles, said device comprising;

• accumulating means at an article accumulating area for receiving cylindrical articles to be formed into said predetermined arrangement, said accumulating area having a discharge end for discharging articles from said accumulating area in a predetermined direction;
• stop means movable between a stop position and a pass position, said stop means when in said stop position being engagable with articles at said discharge end of said accumulating area for preventing said articles from passing by said stop means in said predetermined direction, and said stop means when in said pass position allowing articles from said accumulating area to pass by said stop means in said predetermined direction;
• repositioning means operable in conjunction with said stop means for removing preselected ones of said articles passed by said stop means and later inserting said removed preselected ones of said articles whereby said articles pass said stop means and said repositioning means by groups;
• sweep means including first and second sweep arms operable at least within a sweep area for causing articles passed by said stop means and said repositioning means to be conveyed through said swep area and discharged therefrom;
• receiving means at a receiving area for receiving articles discharged from said sweep area;
• and
• control means controlling operation of said stop means and said repositioning means whereby said stop means passes a preselected number of articles each time that said sweep means is in said pass positon, and for controlling said sweep arms of said sweep means so that said sweep arms are moved at different speeds in conjunctin with control of said stop means and said repositioning means in conveying said articles through said sweep area and into said receiving area to thereby repeatedly convey said articles by groups to said receiving means.

A device for palletizing cylindrical articles, said device comprising:

• accumulating means at an accumulating area for receiving articles to be formed into tiers for palletizing, said accumulating area having a discharge end for conveying articles therefrom in a predetermined direction;
• stop means movable between a stop position and a pass position, said stop means when in said stop position being engagable with articles at said discharge end of said accumulating area for preventing said articles from passing by said stop means in said predetermined direction, and said stop means when in said pass position allowing articles from said accumulating area to pass by said stop means in said predetermined direction;
• article repositioning means operable in conjunction with said stop means for engaging preselected articles that pass said stop means and removing said preselected articles, said article repositioning means later inserting said removed preselected articles when said stop means is in said stop position whereby articles pass said stop means and said repositioning means by groups;
• sweep means including at least first and second sweep arms operable within a sweep area for engaging articles passed by said stop means and said article repositioning means;
• conveying means for conveying articles discharged from said discharge end of said accumulating means through at least said sweep area whereby said conveying means and said sweep means cause said groups of articles to be conveyed by tiers through said sweep area and discharged therefrom;
• palletizing means for receiving said tiers of articles discharged from said sweep area;
• and
• control means for controlling operation of said stop means and said articles repositioning means whereby a sufficient number of articles to form a first tier plus said preselected articles to be removed are passed by said stop means while in a first pass position, a sufficient number of articles to form a second tier are passed by said stop means while in a second pass position, and a sufficient number of articles to form a third tier minus said preselected number of articles to be inserted are passed by said stop means while in a third pass position, said control means also causing said conveying means and said sweep means to be operated at different speeds during movement of said articles through said sweep means and onto said palletizing means in conjunction with control of said stop means and said article repositioning means to thereby cause said preselected articles to be removed while said stop means is in said first pass position and to be inserted while said stop means is in said third pass position whereby said sweep means conveys articles by like tiers to said palletizing means.

A method for repeatedly forming a predetermined arrangement of articles, said method comprising:

• providing articles at an accumulating area;
• repeatedly allowing a preselected number of said articles to move from said accumulating area to a sweep area;
• and
• providing sweep means having first and second sweep arms and conveying means at said sweep area to engage articles and convey said articles to a receiving area, and causing both said sweep means and said conveying means to be operated at varying speeds, including at least two speeds other than zero speed, for repeatedly forming said articles into said predetermined arrangement.

A method for repeatedly forming a predetermined arrangement of articles, said method comprising:

• providing articles at an accumulating area;
• repeatedly allowing a preselected number of said articles to move from said accumulating area to a sweep area;
• and
• providing sweep means and conveying means at said sweep area to engage articles and convey said articles to a receiving area, at least one of said sweep means and said conveying means being operated at varying speeds for repeatedly forming said articles into said predetermined arrangement, and said sweep means being reversed and moved to a home position when said articles have been conveyed to said receiving area.

A method for palletizing cylindrical articles, said method comprising:

• providing articles at an accumulating area;
• repeatedly allowing groups of articles to be discharged in a downstream direction from said accumulating area;
• removing predetermined ones of said articles discharged from said accumulating area and then later inserting said removed articles whereby like groups of articles are provided downstream of said accumulating area;
• and
• providing conveying means and sweep means that includes first and second sweep arms at said sweep area to engage each said like group of articles received from said accumulating area and, in conjunction with removal and insertion of articles, forming each said like group of articles into a tier that is cooperatively moved by said conveying means and said sweep arms of said sweep means to a palletizing area.

A method for palletizing cylindrical articles, said method comprising:

• providing articles at an accumulating area;
• repeatedly allowing groups of articles to be discharged from said accumulating area;
• removing predetermined ones of said articles discharged from said accumulating area and then later inserting said removed articles;
• and
• providing conveying means and sweep means at said sweep area to engage each said group of articles received from said accumulating area and, in conjunction with removal and insertion of articles, forming each said group of articles into a tier that is cooperatively moved by said conveying means and said sweep means to a palletizing area, said conveying means being moved at a predetermined fast speed during initial movement of articles toward said sweep area and said sweep means being moved from a home position at a predetermined slow speed less than that of said fast speed of said conveying means, said conveying means being slowed to a speed equal to about one-half that of said fast speed after said articles have been removed and said sweep means being moved at a speed about twice that of the slow speed of said sweep means and greater than said fast speed of said conveying means, said sweep means being reversed in direction after said articles have been moved by said sweep means to said palletizing area to move said sweep means to said home position, said conveying means being thereafter moved to a speed between that of said first and second speeds to convey articles toward said home position of said sweep means, and said conveying means being then returned to said fast speed.