# US 5,706,633 A · Packaging machine and method of packaging articles

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- Number: US 5,706,633 A
- Document ID: US5706633A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/634,199
- Filed: 1996-04-18
- Granted: 1998-01-13
- Earliest claimed: 1993-09-02
- Assignees: Riverwood International Corporation
- Inventors: Frank Moncrief; Kelly W. Ziegler; Michael Hiney; Dennis Grimm
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5706633A

## CPC

- B65B 5/106: {by pushers (B65B5/12 and B65B5/108 take precedence)}
- B65B 21/06: Forming groups of bottles
- B65B 35/54: Feeding articles along multiple paths to a single packaging position
- B65B 43/52: using roller-ways or endless conveyors
- B65B 59/001: {Arrangements to enable adjustments related to the product to be packaged}
- B65B 59/005: {Adjustable conveying means}
- B65B 59/04: Machines constructed with readily-detachable units or assemblies, e.g. to facilitate maintenance
- B65B: MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING (bundling and pressing devices for cigars A24C1/44; devices for tensioning and securing binders adapted to be supported by the article or articles to be bound B25B25/00; applying closure members to bottles, jars or similar containers B67B1/00-B67B6/00; concurrent cleaning, filling and closing of bottles B67C7/00; emptying bottles, jars, cans, casks, barrels or similar containers B67C9/00)

## Abstract

A continuous motion, end loading packaging machine forms article groups of a predetermined number and configuration using a flight type article selector. The packaging machine is flexible in its ability to package articles of different heights and diameters in various product configurations. The packaging machine includes adjustable guide rails to selectively change product infeed lane widths. The machine also includes phase adjusts the selector flights, and allows for easy selector flight replacement.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for loading articles of different diameters into respective article containers sized to receive said articles using a packaging machine having an infeed guide rail section, a downstream corner guide rail section and an angled guide rail section downstream thereof and extending toward an article container transport conveyor moving in the direction of a longitudinal path of travel, the packaging machine having a framework for supporting each one of the guide rail sections thereon, each of the guide rail sections having a spaced series of guide rails positioned parallel to one another and being supported above the surface of an article infeed conveyor and an adjacent article selector device extending in the direction of the path of travel, the guide rails of each guide rail section defining a series of parallel article infeed lanes for guiding the articles toward the respective article containers for placement therein, said method comprising the steps of:
(a) delivering articles of a first diameter to the article infeed conveyor;
(b) forming said articles of a first diameter into discrete lanes of a first article width sized to receive said articles of a first diameter;
(c) delivering said articles of a first diameter to the article selector device;
(d) selecting a predetermined number of said articles of a first diameter with the article selector device to form a first article group;
(e) conveying a first article container along the container transport conveyor and positioning said first container in alignment with said first article group;
(f) transferring said first article group from the selector device into said first container;
(g) adjusting the width of the guide rails of at least the infeed guide rail section by slidably moving at least one of the guide rails thereof on the framework of the packaging machine toward and away from at least another one of the guide rails thereof and forming at least one lane of a second article width sized to receive articles of a second diameter in response thereto;
(h) delivering articles of said second diameter to the article infeed conveyor;
(i) forming said articles of a second diameter into at least one discrete lane of articles of the second article width;
(j) selecting a predetermined number of said articles of a second diameter with the article selector device to form a second article group;
(k) conveying a second article container on the container transport conveyor and positioning said second container in alignment with said second article group; and
(l) transferring said second article group from the selector device into said second container.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein in step (g) said lane width is adjusted by adjusting the respective position of said at least one guide rail with respect to a stationary guide rail supported on the framework of the packaging machine.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein said at least one guide rail is adjusted by movement of said at least one guide rail in a direction parallel to said stationary guide rail.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein in step (b) the direction of movement of said articles of a first diameter is changed as said articles of a first diameter are moved within said lanes of a first article width from the article infeed conveyor to the article selector device.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein step (g) further comprises the step of slidably moving the guide rails of at least the infeed guide rail section on the framework of the packaging machine toward and away from one another and forming a spaced series of lanes of said second article width in response thereto.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, the step of forming said spaced series of lanes of a second article width including the step of selecting said second lane width from a predetermined range of article widths.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein step (g) comprises the step of slidably moving the guide rails of the infeed guide rail section and of the angled guide rail section, respectively, on the framework of the packaging machine toward and away from one another to form a spaced series of lanes of said second article width.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, step (g) comprising the additional step of replacing the corner guide rail section with a second corner guide rail section having a spaced series of guide rails supported thereon of said second article width.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, step (g) comprising the additional step of replacing the corner guide rail section with a second corner guide rail section having a spaced series of guide rails supported thereon of said second article width.

### Claim 10

A method of loading articles into article containers sized to receive a predetermined number of the articles for packaging within respective ones of the containers being advanced along a path of travel on a packaging machine, the packaging machine having a spaced series of generally parallel article infeed lanes defined by a spaced series of adjustable guide rails supported on the packaging machine and a lug conveyor that moves the article containers into position for receiving the articles, said method comprising the steps of:
(a) determining the size of the articles to be packaged;
(b) adjusting the width of each of the article infeed lanes to a width sufficient to accommodate passage of the articles therebetween;
(c) installing selector means on an article selector moving in the direction of the path of travel and having a configuration substantially matched to the size of the articles for urging the articles into respective ones of the containers;
(d) delivering the articles to an article infeed conveyor spaced below the spaced series of guide rails;
(e) selecting a predetermined number of the articles with said article selector to form article groups of said predetermined number;
(f) successively moving each such article group from the article selector into respective ones of the article containers being advanced along the path of travel, and
(g) repeating steps (a)-(f) for loading articles of different sizes and configurations.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10 and further including the steps of moving the article containers along a longitudinal path toward the article selector and positioning respective ones of the article containers in alignment with successive ones of the article groups.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11 and wherein the step of adjusting the width of the article infeed lanes comprises the step of adjusting the respective positions of the guide rails in a direction substantially parallel to one another and extending generally in the direction of the path of travel toward the path of movement of the article containers.

### Claim 13

A method for loading predetermined groups of articles selected from one of a range of article diameters into respective article containers sized to receive the predetermined groups of articles on a packaging machine, the packaging machine having an elongate framework supporting an article infeed conveyor extending in the direction of a longitudinal path of travel along at least a portion of the length of the packaging machine, the infeed conveyor being provided with an unordered plurality of articles for being packaged, an article selector device supported on the framework adjacent the infeed conveyor and moving in the direction of the path of travel, and an article container transport conveyor supported on the framework adjacent the article selector and moving a spaced series of article containers thereon in the direction of the path of travel, said method comprising the steps of:
(a) providing an infeed guide rail section having a spaced series of guide rails positioned parallel to one another and supported on the framework of the packaging machine spaced above the infeed conveyor, the guide rails defining a first predetermined number of lanes of a first article width therebetween;
(b) providing a corner guide rail section downstream of said infeed guide rail section having a spaced series of guide rails positioned parallel to one another and supported on the framework of the packaging machine spaced above the infeed conveyor and the article selector device, the guide rails thereof defining said first predetermined number of lanes of said first article width therebetween;
(c) providing an angled guide rail section downstream of said corner guide rail section having a spaced series of guide rails positioned parallel to one another and supported on the framework of the packaging machine spaced above the infeed conveyor and the article selector device and extending toward the article container transport conveyor, the guide rails thereof defining said first predetermined number of lanes of said first article width therebetween;
(d) delivering articles of said first article width to the article infeed conveyor;
(e) forming said articles of said first article width into said first predetermined number of lanes and sequentially passing said articles through said guide rail sections;
(f) selecting a first predetermined number of said articles of said first article width with the article selector device and forming said articles into a first article group;
(g) positioning a first article container in alignment with said first article group; and
(h) transferring said first article group from the selector device into said first article container.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of adjusting the width of the guide rails of the infeed guide rail section and of the angled guide rail section, respectively, by slidably moving the respective guide rails of said respective spaced series of guide rails on the framework of the packaging machine toward and away from one another and defining said first predetermined number of lanes of a second article width therebetween.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of adjusting the width of the guide rails of the corner guide rail section by replacing said first corner guide rail section with a second guide rail section having a spaced series of guide rails of said first predetermined number of lanes and having said second article width defined therebetween.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, comprising the steps of:
(d) delivering an unordered plurality of articles of said second article width to the article infeed conveyor;
(e) forming said articles of said second article width into said first predetermined number of lanes and sequentially passing said articles through said guide rail sections;
(f) selecting a second predetermined number of said articles of said second article width with the article selector device and forming said articles into a second article group;
(g) positioning a second article container in alignment with said second article group; and
(h) transferring said second article group from the selector device into said second article container.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, comprising the step of selectively stopping passage of the articles of said second article width through selected ones of said first predetermined number of lanes along said guide rail sections as the remainder of said articles of said second article width continue to progress through the other ones of said first predetermined number of lanes to form a third article group in response thereto.

### Claim 18 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, comprising the step of selectively stopping passage of the articles of said first article width through selected ones of said first predetermined number of lanes along said guide rail sections as the remainder of said articles of said first article width continue to progress through the other ones of said first predetermined number of lanes to form a second article group in response thereto.