US 5,669,482 A · Trailing end air hold-up assembly

Abstract

An article hold-up assembly for use with an article handling apparatus to maintain at least one article defining a trailing end of a group of articles in an abutting orientation with a group as the group is moved by a conveyor along an elongated lane. The article handling apparatus includes an elongated lane defining an axis of elongation for merging a finite series of articles defining a group of articles with a generally continuous series of articles defining an outfeed stream of articles. The article handling apparatus includes a conveyor for moving articles through at least a portion of the lane. The article hold-up assembly includes an air supply device, a plenum chamber communicating with the air supply device, and a plurality of apertures in the plenum chamber. The air supply device provides positive air flow into the plenum chamber. The plenum chamber and the apertures therein are positioned spaced away from the axis of elongation. The air flowing from the air supply device to the plenum chamber and through the apertures creates a directional air flow against a trailing end article of the group of articles. The directional air flow maintains at least one article which defines the trailing end of the group of articles in an abutting orientation with the group of articles as the group of articles is moved by the conveyor along the elongated lane.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An article hold-up assembly for use with an article handling apparatus having an elongated lane defining an axis of elongation for merging a finite series of articles defining a group of articles with a generally continuous series of articles defining an outfeed stream, said article handling apparatus having a conveyor for moving said group of articles and a portion of said generally continuous series of articles through at least a portion of said lane, said article hold-up assembly comprising:

an air supply device providing positive air flow;
a plenum chamber communicating with said air supply, said plenum chamber being positioned spaced away from said axis of elongation;
and
a plurality of apertures in said plenum chamber said apertures in said plenum chamber being arranged for emitting a directional, generally angular air flow against a trailing end of said group of articles for maintaining at least one article defining said trailing end of said group of articles in an abutting orientation with said group of articles as said group of articles is moved by said conveyor along said elongated lane.

1 more element

An article handling apparatus for merging a finite series of articles defining a group of articles with a generally continuous series of articles defining an outfeed stream of articles, said apparatus comprising:

a generally elongated lane defining an axis of elongation;
an outfeed station at one end of said elongated lane, said outfeed stream of articles extending through said outfeed station;
a receiving station disposed in said elongated lane for receiving a group of articles, said receiving station communicating with said outfeed station;
a conveyor positioned in said lane extending at least partially through said receiving station and at least partially through said outfeed station for moving said group of articles in said receiving station and said outfeed stream of articles in said outfeed station along said elongated lane;
and
an article hold-up assembly positioned in said elongated lane, an air directing structure of said article hold-up assembly emitting directional air flow from a position spaced away from said axis of elongation against a trailing end of said group of articles for maintaining at least one article defining said trailing end of said group of articles in an abutting orientation with said group of articles as said group of articles is moved by said conveyor along said elongated lane.

3 more elements

An article handling apparatus for merging a finite series of articles defining a group with a generally continuous series of articles defining an outfeed stream of articles, said apparatus comprising:

a generally elongated lane defining an axis of elongation;
an outfeed station at one end of said elongated lane, said outfeed stream of articles extending though said outfeed station;
a receiving station disposed in said lane for receiving a group of articles, said receiving station communicating with said outfeed station;
a moving belt conveyor having at least one belt positioned in said lane generally parallel to and spaced away from said axis of elongation, said belt extending at least partially through said receiving station and at least partially through said outfeed station for moving said group of articles in said receiving station and said outfeed stream in said outfeed station along said elongated lane;
and
an article hold-up assembly including an air supply device, a plenum chamber communicating with said air supply and a plurality of apertures in said plenum chamber, said air supply device providing positive air flow to said plenum chamber which is positioned spaced away from said axis of elongation, and below said group of articles in at least a portion of said receiving station, said apertures in said plenum chamber being arranged for emitting a directional, generally angular air flow against a trailing end of said group of articles for maintaining at least one article defining said trailing end of said group of articles in an abutting orientation with said group of articles as said group of articles is moved by said moving belt conveyor along said elongated lane.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Trailing end air hold-up assembly

Life of this patent

Trailing end air hold-up assembly

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20