Method for advancing and sealing preformed containers
AssigneeRapidpak, Inc.
InventorRaymond G. Buchko
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An indexing motion apparatus and method for advancing and vacuum sealing a plurality of connected, preformed trays. The connected, preformed trays are supplied by an indexing conveyor belt assembly which delivers the preformed trays to an advancement mechanism indexingly driven by a programmable servo motor. After the preformed trays are loaded and evacuated, a flexible web of packaging material is disposed in overlying relation to the preformed trays and sealed thereto. A cutting mechanism severs the sealed, preformed trays longitudinally and transversely.
Claims16
A packaging machine for use in combination with a series of preformed containers, each of which includes sidewall structure defining a cavity and a pair of opposed flanges extending laterally relative to the sidewall structure comprising:
- indexing means for supplying said preformed containers and temporarily preventing the preformed containers from advancing thereon;
- movable advancement means for gripping the flanges of the preformed containers as the preformed containers are prevented from advancing on the indexing means and for subsequently advancing the preformed containers;
- wherein the indexing means comprises a conveying means for moving the preformed containers horizontally to the advancement means and vertically to enable the advancement means to grip the flanges of the preformed containers;
- loading means for loading a product into the cavities of the preformed containers;
- web supply means for supplying a flexible web of packaging material in overlying relation to the preformed containers after the preformed containers have been loaded, wherein the packaging material encloses the cavity of each container and overlies the container flanges;
- sealing means for sealing the flexible web of packaging material to the flanges of each preformed container;
- and
- programmable motor means for indexingly advancing said advancement means to move the preformed containers from the indexing means to the loading means, web supply means and sealing means.
A packaging method, comprising the steps of:
- supplying a series of preformed containers in a first direction along a first path, wherein the preformed containers each include sidewall structure defining a cavity land a pair of opposed flanges extending laterally relative to the sidewall structure;
- temporarily maintaining the preformed containers stationary along the first path;
- moving the preformed containers in a second direction, transverse to the first direction, along a second path to a movable gripping mechanism while the preformed containers are temporarily maintained stationary along the first path;
- selectively actuating the gripping mechanism while the containers are temporarily maintained stationary along the first path to engage the gripping mechanism with the container flanges, so that the preformed containers are movable with the gripping mechanism;
- and
- indexingly driving the gripping mechanism along the packaging apparatus by means of a programmable motor whereby the motor functions to temporarily maintaining the gripping mechanism stationary while the preformed containers are temporarily maintained stationary along the first path.
A packaging machine for sealing a plurality of connected, preformed containers defining a pair of laterally extending flanges, wherein each container includes sidewall structure defining a cavity, comprising:
- bi-directional indexing means for supplying a plurality of the connected, preformed containers in a first direction and temporarily maintaining the preformed containers against movement in the first direction, wherein the bi-directional indexing means includes linear motor means for moving the indexing means in a second direction transverse to the first direction;
- and
- movable advancement means for gripping the flanges of the preformed containers subsequent to movement of the preformed containers in the second direction.
A packaging method, comprising the steps of:
- supplying a series of preformed containers, wherein each of the preformed containers defines a pair of laterally extending flanges and includes sidewall structure defining a cavity;
- directly engaging the flanges of the preformed containers with an advancing mechanism;
- indexingly driving the advancing mechanism along the packaging machine such that the advancing mechanism moves in a first direction;
- wherein the step of directly engaging the flanges of the preformed containers with the advancing mechanism is carried out by temporarily preventing movement of the containers in the first direction and moving the containers in a second direction transverse to the first direction into engagement with the advancing mechanism, and
- subsequently driving the advancing mechanism in the first direction to advance the containers along with the advancing mechanism along the packaging machine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.