Variable count direct deposit knife

A rotary knife apparatus for directly depositing filled pouches in preselected count stacks along a travelling product conveyor, comprising:

• a rotating knife hub driven by a first driving element and having a series of suction cups circumferentially spaced and radially extending from said knife hub, said suction cups being carried in a circular path by said knife hub, said knife hub further having a series of axial ports communicating with said suction cups;
• a product conveyor disposed beneath said knife hub;
• at least one negative and positive pressure shoe cooperating with said knife hub;
• at least one pressure source for operationally conveying negative and positive pressure to said at least one negative and positive pressure shoe;
• and
• rotating disc valve driven by a second driving element and being mounted intermediate said knife hub and said at least one negative and positive pressure shoe, said rotating disc valve being operable to communicate said at least one pressure source with said axial ports of said knife hub proximate a predetermined number of different angular drop-off points, said rotating disc valve having a rotational speed which is variable relative to a rotational speed of said knife hub for changing said predetermined number of different angular drop-off points during a period of rotation of said knife hub.

A rotary knife apparatus for directly depositing filled pouches in preselected count stacks along a travelling product conveyor, comprising:

• a knife hub being driven by a first motor;
• a product conveyor disposed beneath said knife hub;
• a series of suction cups circumferentially spaced and radially extending from said knife hub, said suction cups being carried in a circular path by said knife hub;
• first and second negative pressure sources communicating with each of said suction cups along respective first and second segments of said circular path so that each of said suction cups grasps a pouch overlying said suction head during said first and second segments;
• a positive pressure source communicating with each of said suction cups to propel said pouches off of said respective suction cups and onto said product conveyor at a predetermined number of different angular drop-off points along a segment of said circular path, said product conveyor being operable to receive said pouches in stacks of a preselected count corresponding to said number of angular drop-off points;
• and
• a rotating disc valve operable to communicate said second negative pressure source and said positive pressure source with each of said suction cups and further being driven by a second motor whereby changing a rotational speed of said rotating disc valve relative to a rotational speed of said knife hub changes both said predetermined number of different angular drop-off points and said corresponding number of pouches being deposited onto said product conveyor in said preselected count stacks.