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US 5,641,053 AGranted
Equally spaced product conveying method and line
AssigneeAzionaria Costrusioni Macchine Automatiche A.C.M.A. S.p.A.
InventorsLuciano Nannini, Giulio Strazzari
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and line for feeding products in equally spaced manner to a user machine, whereby the products, aligned and traveling with a constant spacing and at constant speed along a supply path, are each removed off the supply path by a respective gripping unit for initially accelerating the product and then feeding it with the above spacing and at the above speed into a respective pocket on the input conveyor of the user machine.
Claims11
A method of feeding products (2) in equally spaced manner to a user machine (5) having an input conveyor (6) traveling in a feed direction (14) at a first given substantially constant speed (V3), and comprising an orderly succession of pockets (13) arranged with a first given spacing along a first given path (6a);
- the method comprising an ordering stage wherein mutually aligned products (2) are fed to the input of an ordering conveyor (16) comprising an orderly succession of pushers (23) moving substantially in said feed direction (14) at a second given substantially constant speed (V2) along a second path (24), and arranged with a second given spacing (P1) along said second path (24);
- and a transfer stage wherein each product (2) is transferred from the output of the ordering conveyor (16) to a respective pocket (13) on the input conveyor (6) along a third path (38) and by means of a transfer device (15);
- the second speed (V2) being at least equal to the first speed (V3), and said first and second spacings (P2, P1) presenting the same relationship as said first and second speeds (V3, V2), so that the two conveyors (16, 6) operate at the same rate;
- said transfer stage comprising the substages of removing the products (2) from the second path (24) at a speed equal to said second speed (V2);
- feeding the products (2) successively with said second spacing (P1) along said third path (38);
- and accelerating the products (2) along at least an initial portion of the third path (38);
- the products (2) being fed along said third path (38) by gripping them by means of respective gripping heads (62) of respective gripping units presenting respective axes (52) crosswise to said feed direction (14), arranged with said second spacing (P1) along the third path (38), and traveling at said second speed (V2) along the third path (38);
- each gripping head (62) being located a given distance from the respective said axis (52);
- and each product (2) being temporarily accelerated by rotating the respective gripping head (62) by a given angle about the respective said axis (52) and in the same direction as said feed direction (14).
6 more elements
A line for feeding products (2) in equally spaced manner to a user machine (5);
- the line (1) comprising a first conveyor (6) traveling in a feed direction (14) at a first given substantially constant speed (V3), and comprising an orderly succession of pockets (13) arranged with a first given spacing (P2) along a first given path (6a), the first conveyor being the input conveyor (6) of the user machine (5);
- an ordering conveyor (16) for receiving a succession of aligned products (2), and comprising an orderly succession of pushers (23) moving substantially in said feed direction (14) at a second given substantially constant speed (V2) along a second path (24), and arranged with a second given spacing (P1) along the second path (24);
- and a transfer device (15) for successively transferring the products (2) from the output of the ordering conveyor (16) to respective pockets (13) on the input conveyor (6) along a third path (38);
- the second speed (V2) being at least equal to the first speed (V3), said first and second spacings (P2, P1) presenting the same relationship as said first and second speeds (V3, V2), so that the two conveyors (16, 6) operate at the same rate;
- said transfer device (15) comprising a number of gripping units (40) equally spaced along the third path (38) with a spacing equal to the second spacing (P1);
- a gripping head (62) fitted movably to each gripping unit (40);
- first drive means (19) for moving said gripping units (40) along the third path (38) at a speed equal to said second speed (V2);
- and second drive means (31, 58, 56) for moving each gripping head (62) in relation to the respective gripping unit (40) and in said feed direction (14) at least at an initial portion of the third path (38);
- the gripping units (40) having respective axes (52) extending crosswise to said feed direction (14), arranged with said second spacing (P1) along the third path (38), and traveling at said second speed (V2) along the third path (38);
- each gripping head (62) being parallel to and a given distance from the respective said axis (52);
- and said second drive means (31, 58, 56) rotating each gripping head (62) by a given angle about the respective said axis (52) and in the same direction as said feed direction (14).
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.