US 6,170,635 B2Granted

Device for handling objects, for example hygienic and sanitary articles

AssigneeFameccania.Data S.p.A.

InventorGuido Rommelli

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A device for handling objects or articles capable of receiving at its input a substantially continuous flow of single or multiple articles to be assorted into groups intended to be discharged from the output side in a phased or intermittent manner. The device includes a conveyor for transferring the articles that is provided with appropriate reception seatings for the said articles. The transfer conveyor has an associated expulsion unit capable of acting simultaneously on a group of the said articles contained in the appropriate seatings of the said transfer conveyor maintained in a condition of standstill or substantial standstill. The device also includes an input conveyor that receives a flow of the articles at its upstream end and distributes them into the reception seatings of the said transfer conveyor. The downstream end of the input conveyor is capable of performing a to and fro motion along the transfer conveyor and can thus move the incoming articles into their appropriate seatings, this also as the result of a relative scanning movement within the individual seating, so that a stack of individual products can be formed in that seating. This can be done both when the transfer conveyor is in standstill conditions during the expulsion of a group of articles and when the said transfer conveyor is moving to transfer the articles into the region where they become subject to the action of the expulsion unit.

Claims28

Dependent claims

In a device for handling articles, including a transfer conveyor with an active branch provided with seatings for receiving the articles, said transfer conveyor having associated with it first motor means to impress upon said active branch a forward movement between an input position and an output position for realizing the transfer of the articles contained in said seatings from said input position to said output position, the device including loading means on the input side capable of receiving a continuous flow of articles and transferring the articles of said input flow towards appropriate seatings of said active branch of the transfer conveyor;

said loading means on the input side having associated with them second motor means to move said loading means on the input side with respect to said transfer conveyor in such a way as to enable them to:
follow said active branch of the transfer conveyor in said forward movement between said input position and said output position, and
selectively vary the length of said active branch of the transfer conveyor comprised between said input position and said output position and thus permit the articles to accumulate on said active branch of the transfer conveyor while they are being transferred, the improvement wherein
said transfer conveyor and said loading means on the input side are kinematically uncoupled from each other;
there are provided control means that act in a coordinated manner on said first and second motor means to realize said movement of following the active branch of the transfer conveyor in said forward movement between said input position and said output position to selectively vary the length of said active branch of the transfer conveyor comprised between said input and output positions.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.