Cartoner with intermediate transfer
AssigneeR. A. Jones & Co. Inc.
InventorsJohn M. Paselsky, Matthew R. Lukes
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cartoner has an intermediate transfer disposed between each article infeed area and an adjacent bucket conveyor to transfer separate rows of select article count into buckets on the adjacent bucket conveyor. The intermediate transfer runs only the length necessary to feed rows into a bucket for one tier or group of articles. Row selecting and forming devices on, or extending from, buckets or bucket walls are eliminated. A sheet feeder feeds partitions over the upstream end of a group receiving bucket conveyor for deposit on a lower group of articles on which an upper group is to be formed.
Claims13
A cartoner for loading articles into cartons and comprising:
- a first plurality of infeed lanes of articles, said articles engaging each other within said lanes;
- a bucket conveyor for receiving rows of articles in a group and transporting said group of articles for loading into a carton;
- a first transfer conveyor disposed at one elevation and between said infeed lanes and said bucket conveyor, said transfer conveyor having article selecting transfer guides mounted thereon, said guides intersecting articles proximate respective downstream ends of said infeed lanes, selecting respective rows of articles from said infeed lanes, separating said selected rows from other articles in said lanes and transferring said respective rows toward buckets of said bucket conveyor to form a first group of articles;
- and
- said transfer conveyor being operably coordinated with said bucket conveyor but being independent and separate therefrom.
In a cartoner for loading articles into a carton wherein said cartoner includes a bucket conveyor having buckets thereof for transporting groups of articles for loading into cartons, article handling apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of article feed lanes;
- an intermediate transfer conveyor disposed between said bucket conveyor and said plurality of article feed lanes, each lane for feeding articles in a path, toward said bucket conveyor and wherein articles are engaged together serially;
- a plurality of transfer guides on said intermediate article transfer conveyor, said guides intersecting articles in said lanes, selecting a count of articles from said lanes, separating said selected count of articles from said lane, and transferring said articles toward said bucket conveyor;
- said intermediate article transfer conveyor being separate and independent from said bucket conveyor and said guides being indexed operably with said buckets.
A cartoner for loading articles into cartons carried on a cartoner conveyor and comprising:
- a first plurality of infeed lanes of articles, said articles engaging each other within said lanes;
- a bucket conveyor having buckets for receiving rows of articles in a group;
- a first transfer conveyor disposed at one elevation and between said infeed lanes and said bucket conveyor, said transfer conveyor having article selecting transfer guides mounted thereon, said guides intersecting articles proximate respective downstream ends of said infeed lanes, selecting respective rows of articles from said infeed lanes, separating said selected rows from other articles in said lanes and transferring said respective rows toward buckets of said bucket conveyor to form a first group of articles in said buckets;
- said first transfer conveyor being operably coordinated with said bucket conveyor but being independent and separate therefrom;
- a carton conveyor;
- and
- said bucket conveyor extending operably alongside a portion of said carton conveyor for loading groups of articles from said bucket conveyor into cartons on said carton conveyor.
In a cartoner for loading articles into a carton wherein said cartoner includes a bucket conveyor having buckets thereof for transporting groups of articles for loading into cartons carried on a carton conveyor, article handling apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of article feed lanes;
- an intermediate transfer conveyor disposed between said bucket conveyor and said plurality of article feed lanes, each lane for feeding articles in a path, toward said bucket conveyor and wherein articles are engaged together serially;
- a plurality of transfer guides on said intermediate article transfer conveyor, said guides intersecting articles in said lanes, selecting a count of articles from said lanes, separating said selected count of articles from said lane, and transferring said articles toward said bucket conveyor;
- said intermediate article transfer conveyor being separate and independent from said bucket conveyor and said guides being indexed operably with said buckets;
- and
- said bucket conveyor operably disposed alongside said carton conveyor for transfer of articles on said bucket conveyor into cartons carried on said carton conveyor.
A cartoner for loading articles into cartons and comprising:
- a bucket conveyor having buckets for receiving articles and transporting articles in groups to a position for insertion as a group from said bucket conveyor into cartons;
- a first plurality of article infeed lanes, having articles engaging each other in said lanes;
- a first transfer conveyor extending in a direction proximate said bucket conveyor and separate and independent thereof;
- and
- said transfer conveyor having a plurality of article selecting transfer guides thereon, said guides intersecting articles proximate respective downstream ends of said infeed lanes, separating said selected rows from other articles in said lanes, and transferring said respective rows towards buckets of said bucket conveyor to form a first group of articles in said buckets,
- said first transfer conveyor being coordinated with said bucket conveyor but remaining separate and independent thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.