Overhead pusher lug assembly for packaging machines
AssigneeRiverwood International Corporation
InventorJeff A. Disrud
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An overhead pusher lug assembly for stabilizing the top portions of cartons in a carton packaging machine comprises an endless chain conveyor having an array of pusher lugs rotatably mounted thereto at spaced intervals. The lugs are rotatable between a first position wherein the lugs extend upwardly from the lower flight of the conveyor and a second position wherein the lugs extend downwardly from the lower flight of the conveyor for insertion between adjacent cartons on a carton conveyor. As the pusher lugs move onto the lower flight of the conveyor, they engage the end of an elongated bar, which rotates or flips the pusher lugs into place between underlying cartons so that the lugs do not impact and disfigure trailing cartons on the carton path.
Claims12
An overhead pusher lug assembly for use in article packaging machines wherein cartons to be packed are conveyed sequentially along a path with a predetermined space being provided between each carton and its immediately trailing carton, said overhead pusher lug assembly being generally disposed above the carton path and comprising:
- an endless flexible lug conveyor having an upper flight and a lower flight with said lower flight of said lug conveyor being positioned to overlie cartons on said path and being oriented substantially along the direction of carton movement;
- said lug conveyor having an upstream end and a downstream end and being driven to move said lower flight of said conveyor from said upstream end to said downstream end at a rate synchronized with the rate at which cartons are conveyed along the path;
- an array of pusher lugs rotatably mounted at spaced intervals along said lug conveyor;
- each of said pusher lugs being rotatable on said conveyor between a first position wherein said lug projects generally upwardly from said lower flight of said conveyor in a direction away from the carton path and a second position wherein said lug projects generally downwardly from said lower flight of said conveyor in a direction toward the carton path;
- said pusher lugs, when in their second positions, projecting into the spaces between cartons on the carton path with each downwardly projecting lug engaging the trailing edge of a carton on the path to stabilize the carton as it is conveyed along the path;
- first means at the upstream end of said pusher lug assembly for rotating said pusher lugs from their first positions to their second positions as the lugs move onto said lower flight of said lug conveyor to insert the lugs into the spaces between leading and trailing cartons on the path and to avoid impact between the lugs and trailing cartons on the path;
- and
- second means on said pusher lug assembly for rotating said pusher lugs from their second positions back to their first positions after said pusher lugs have traversed said lower flight of said lug conveyor.
An overhead pusher lug assembly for use in article packaging machines wherein cartons to be packed are conveyed in spaced sequential relationship along a path, said overhead pusher lug assembly being disposed generally above the carton path and comprising a pair of spaced endless flexible conveyors each having a lower flight and an upper flight with the lower flights of said flexible conveyors being substantially parallel relative to each other, positioned to overlie cartons on the path, oriented to extend along the direction of carton movement, and driven to move said lower flight of each conveyor in the direction of and at a rate corresponding to the rate of carton movement along the path, each of said flexible conveyors being provided with a plurality of lugs rotatably secured at spaced intervals along the conveyor with each lug being rotatable between a pushing orientation wherein a portion of said lug depends from the lower flight of said conveyor to extend between and engage cartons on the path and a retracted orientation wherein said lug is displaced from cartons on the path, a first cam means on said assembly for engaging and rotating said lugs from their retracted orientations to their pushing orientations as said lugs move onto said lower flight of said conveyors to insert the lugs between cartons on the path, and second cam means on said assembly for rotating said lugs from their pushing orientations back to their retracted orientations prior to engagement with said first cam means, whereby the lugs are rotated into the spaces between cartons so that the lugs do not impact and deform cartons onto the path.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.