Automatic packaging equipment
OwnerStevan Tismainventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An automatic packaging machine comprises a spaced parallel pair of conveyor chains for transporting a plurality of mandrels. A pair of guide rails connected between the conveyor chains for slidably carrying each mandrel, so that a mandrel may be moved in a product transport position to a loading station. At the loading station, the mandrel is thrust forward to confront a box so that the product may be pushed into a box. The mandrel may be made wider to accept product without a precise alignment between mandrel and product or more narrow to fit the product into a box at the loading station. Two cam slots are provided to independently control the thrust position and the width of the mandrel. A stabilization support provides enough play to dissipate centrifugal force and thereby enable the machine to operate at a higher speed.
Claims8
A method of conditioning a fragile product which is packaged in an automatic packaging machine having at least two conveyors, one of said conveyors transporting product and the other of said conveyors transporting containers over at least part of an established path through said packaging machine, said established path including at least a product pickup work station and a package loading work station;
- said method comprising the steps of:
- transporting containers via said one of said conveyors and over said part of said path and past at least said package loading work station;
- providing a modular variable width product reception means, said modular means being easily removable and replaceable without requiring a substantial amount of disassembly of said automatic packaging machine, per se;
- transporting said modular variable width product reception means via said other of said conveyors, and over said part of said path past both of said work stations;
- providing at least one cam track along at least part of said path for controlling said transporting of said modular variable width product reception means, said cam track having contours which provide a desired width behavior for said variable width product reception means;
- opening said modular variable width product reception means at least once responsive to said cam track contour deviating at least once in one direction relative to said other of said conveyors in order to provide a relatively wide stance at least while passing said product pickup work station, said fragile product being received into said wide container without requiring a precise positioning and without damage to said fragile product;
- closing said variable width product reception means at least once responsive to said cam track contour deviating at least once in an opposite direction relative to said other of said conveyors in order to fit said fragile product into container, said closing occurring after said modular variable width product reception means receives said product at said pickup work station and before said received product is discharged at said loading work station;
- and
- discharging said fragile product from said modular variable width product reception means into said container while in said loading work station.
A method of conditioning product which is packaged in an automatic packaging machine having at least two conveyors for transporting product and containers over at least an established path through said packaging machine, said established path including at least a product pickup work station and a package loading work station;
- said method comprising the steps of:
- transporting containers via one of said conveyors and over said path past at least said package loading work station, a cam track extending along at least part of said path;
- transporting a variable width product reception means via another of said conveyors, and over said path past both of said work stations;
- opening said variable width product reception means responsive to said cam track deviating at least once in one direction relative to said conveyors in order to provide a relatively wide stance at least while passing said product pickup work station, whereby misshapen product may be received and said product may be deposited into said wide container without requiring precise positioning;
- closing said variable width product reception means responsive to said cam track deviating at least once in an opposite direction relative to said conveyors in order to fit said product to said container, said closing occurring after said variable width product reception means receives said product at said pickup work station and before said received product is discharged at said loading work station;
- discharging said product from said variable width product reception means into said container while in said loading work station;
- and
- dissipating potentially violent motion imparted to said variable width product reception means during said transporting step.
A method of conditioning a bagged fragile product during a transportation thereof over a conveyor in an automatic packaging machine, said conveyor extending over part of a path at least from a product pick-up station to a station for inserting said bagged fragile product into a container, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing a modular product reception means having variable width vertical side walls for receiving said fragile product,
- providing a cam track having contours conforming to a desirable conditioning of said product., said cam track extending adjacent said conveyor,
- transporting said product reception means via said conveyor through at least said part of said path extending through an automatic packaging machine, and
- controlling the instantaneous width between said vertical side walls of said modular product reception means responsive to the contours of said cam track at instantaneous positions of said product reception means as it is being transported over said path.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.