Method and unit for forming a group of products on a cartoning machine
AssigneeAzionario Costruzioni Macchine Automatiche A.C.M.A. S.p.A.
InventorsCarlo Corniani, Roberto Risi, Attilio Maggi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and unit for forming, on a cartoning machine, a group having at least one row defined by a given number of products, whereby an orderly succession of products, traveling at a substantially constant first speed, is fed to conveyor traveling at a substantially constant second speed greater than the first speed; a leading product in the succession is braked on the conveyor until a portion of the succession corresponding to the row being formed moves onto the conveyor; and the leading product in the row is then released gradually to accelerate the row up to the second speed and detach the row from the rest of the succession.
Claims25
A method of forming a group (2) of products (3) on a cartoning machine (1), said group (2) comprising at least one row (5) defined by a given number of products (3);
- the method comprising the steps of forming an orderly succession (12) of products (3);
- feeding said succession (12) at a substantially constant first speed (V1) and along a first portion (P1) of a path (P) by means of a first conveyor (13);
- feeding said succession (12) onto a second conveyor (14) located along a second portion (P2) of said path (P) and traveling at a substantially constant second speed (V2) greater than the first speed (V1);
- braking, on said second conveyor (14), a leading product (3a) in said succession (12) until a portion of said succession (12) comprising said given number of products (3) moves onto the second conveyor (14) with the products in the portion abutting one another, and releasing said leading product (3a) gradually to accelerate said portion to said second speed (V2) so as to cause said portion to detach from said succession (12) to form said row (5).
A unit for forming a group (2) of products (3) on a cartoning machine (1), said group (2) comprising at least one row (5) defined by a given number of products (3);
- the unit comprising a compacting device (11) for forming an orderly succession (12) of products (3);
- a first conveyor (13) for feeding said succession (12) at a substantially constant first speed (V1) and along a first portion (P1) of a path (P);
- a second conveyor (14) located along a second portion (P2) of said path (P) to receive said succession (12) from said first conveyor (13) and to convey said succession (12) at a substantially constant second speed (V2) greater than said first speed (V1);
- and braking means (16) for engaging, on said second conveyor (14), a leading product (3a) in said succession (12) until a portion of said succession (12) comprising said given number of products (3) moves onto said second conveyor (14) with the products in the portion abutting one another, and for releasing said leading product (3a) gradually to enable said portion of the succession (12) to accelerate up to said second speed (V2).
A method of forming a group (2) of products (3) on a cartoning machine (1), said group (2) comprising at least one row (5) defined by a given number of products (3), the method comprising the steps of forming an orderly succession (12) of products (3);
- feeding said succession (12) of products (3) at a substantially constant first speed (V1) and along a first portion (P1) of a path (P) by means of a first conveyor (13);
- feeding said succession (12) of products (3) onto a second conveyor (14) located along a second portion (P2) of said path (P) and traveling at a substantially constant second speed (V2) greater than said first speed (V1);
- braking, on said second conveyor (14), a leading product (3a) in said succession (12) until a portion of said succession (12) comprising said given number of products (3) moves onto said second conveyor (14) with the products in the portion abutting one another, said braking comprising contacting the leading product (3a) with stopping means (37) for stopping the leading product along an initial portion of said second conveyor (14);
- said stopping means (37) being conveyed initially at said first speed (V1), and being subsequently accelerated;
- and then releasing said stopping means from said leading product (3a) to cause said portion gradually to accelerate to said second speed (V2) and detaching said portion from said succession (12) to form said row (5);
- said row (5) being engaged from behind, in a traveling direction along said path (P), by a first bar (18) that is disposed crosswise to said path (P) and traveling at substantially the same speed as said row (5);
- said first bar (18) coming into contact with said row (5) after the row (5) leaves the first conveyor (13).
A unit for forming a group (2) of products (3) on a cartoning machine (1), said group (2) comprising at least one row (5) defined by a given number of products (3), the unit comprising a compacting device (11) for forming an orderly succession (12) of products (3);
- a first conveyor (13) for feeding said succession (12) at a substantially constant first speed (V1) and along a first portion (P1) of a path (P);
- a second conveyor (14) located along a second portion (P2) of said path (P) to receive said succession (12) from said first conveyor (13) and to convey said succession (12) at a substantially constant second speed (V2) greater than said first speed (V1);
- braking means (16) for engaging, on said second conveyor (14), a leading product (3a) in said succession (12) until a portion of said succession (12) comprising said given number of products (3) moves onto said second conveyor (14) with the products in the portion abutting one another, and for releasing said leading product (3a) gradually to enable said portion to accelerate to said second speed (V2);
- a first bar (18) disposed crosswise to said path (P);
- and first actuating means (48) connected to said first bar (18) for moving the first bar (18) parallel to said path (P) so as to engage said row (5) from behind in a traveling direction (15) along said path (P), said first actuating means (48) being associated with a first guide (49), which is engaged in sliding manner by said first bar (18) and comprises a work portion (T2) parallel to said path (P), and an approach portion (T3) disposed upstream from said work portion (T2) and sloping at a given angle with respect to said path (P).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.