Back to results
US 7,313,896 B2Granted
Automated clipping packaging systems
AssigneeTipper Tie, Inc.
InventorsSamuel D. Griggs, Dennis J. May, William M. Poteat, Derek L. Brown, David R. Gupton
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods, devices and computer program products automatically package an object in a covering material such as casing and/or netting by: (a) automatically pushing at least one object through a product chute; (b) pulling a covering material upstream of the product chute off an exterior surface of the product chute to automatically enclose the object in the covering material as the object exits the product chute; and then (c) applying a clip to the covering material to secure the object in the packing material.
Claims35
A system, for automatically enclosing a semi-solid or solid product in a covering material, comprising:
- an elongate product chute having an outer surface and opposing receiving and discharge end portions with an interior cavity extending therethrough;
- a product pusher mechanism having a pusher head that is configured to controllably automatically advance into and retract from the product chute to thereby advance a product from a position upstream of the product chute, through the product chute and out of the discharge end portion of the product chute;
- and
- a clipper mechanism disposed downstream of the product chute, the clipper mechanism configured to automatically apply at least one clip to a covering material that encloses the product from the product chute,
- wherein the clipper mechanism is retractable and, in operation, the clipper mechanism is configured to travel toward the product to apply at least one clip and then travel away from the product so as to allow the product to move downstream thereof, and wherein the clipper mechanism defines a clip window for supplying at least one closure clip to an underlying product, the system further comprising first and second spaced apart clipper gathering plates mounted to the retractable clipper mechanism so that, in operation, the clipper gathering plates advance and retract in concert with the clipper mechanism, a respective clipper gathering plate disposed on each side of the clip window, and
- wherein the clipper gathering plates are configured with a pair of outwardly extending fingers defining respective inclined upper and lower surfaces, and wherein, when viewed from the side, the fingers have an intermediate gap space between the upper and lower surfaces, and wherein the gap space narrows as the fingers approach the clipper mechanism.
3 more elements
A system for automatically enclosing a semi-solid or solid product in a covering material, comprising:
- an elongate product chute having an outer surface and opposing receiving and discharge end portions with an interior cavity extending therethrough;
- a product pusher mechanism having a pusher head that is configured to controllably automatically advance into and retract from the product chute to thereby advance a product from a position upstream of the product chute, through the product chute and out of the discharge end portion of the product chute, wherein the product pusher mechanism causes the pusher head and an associated actuation rod to reciprocally travel in the product chute;
- and
- a clipper mechanism disposed downstream of the product chute, the clipper mechanism configured to automatically apply at least one clip to a covering material that encloses the product from the product chute,
- wherein the product pusher mechanism comprises a pair of spaced apart elongate rearwardly extending guidewalls having opposing first and second end portions, the first end portions attached to opposing sides of a product contacting member of the pusher head, with one of the second end portions attached to one of two spaced apart elongate guide rods residing rearward of the product contacting member and with the other second end portion attached to the other elongate guide rod, wherein the guide rods reside on opposing sides of the pusher head actuation rod, and wherein the guidewalls have a length that is greater than a length of the pusher head product contacting member.
2 more elements
A system for automatically enclosing a semi-solid or solid product in a covering material, comprising:
- an elongate product chute having an outer surface and opposing receiving and discharge end portions with an interior cavity extending therethrough;
- a product pusher mechanism having a pusher head that is configured to controllably automatically advance into and retract from the product chute to thereby advance a product from a position upstream of the product chute, through the product chute and out of the discharge end portion of the product chute;
- a clipper mechanism disposed downstream of the product chute, the clipper mechanism configured to automatically apply at least one clip to a covering material that encloses the product from the product chute;
- and
- a pair of gripping members residing on opposing sides of the chute configured to travel a brake stroke cycle substantially in concert, the brake stroke cycle having axial and lateral movements sufficient to allow the gripping members to press against then release the covering on the product chute.
2 more elements
A system for automatically enclosing a semi-solid or solid product in a covering material, comprising:
- an elongate product chute having an outer surface and opposing receiving and discharge end portions with an interior cavity extending therethrough;
- a product pusher mechanism having a pusher head that is configured to controllably automatically advance into and retract from the product chute to thereby advance a product from a position upstream of the product chute, through the product chute and out of the discharge end portion of the product chute, wherein the product pusher mechanism causes the pusher head and an associated actuation rod to reciprocally travel in the product chute;
- and
- a clipper mechanism disposed downstream of the product chute, the clipper mechanism configured to automatically apply at least one clip to a covering material that encloses the product from the product chute,
- wherein the product chute interior cavity has a cross-sectional profile that is sized and configured to snugly receive and/or compress a product as the product moves along the length thereof, wherein the product pusher head is sized and configured to substantially occupy the cross-sectional area of the interior cavity, and wherein the product pusher mechanism comprises a stabilizer mechanism with at least one elongate rod disposed on either side of an actuation cylinder that is in communication with the actuation rod, with at least one elongate rod attached to opposing sides of the product pusher head with the actuation cylinder residing above and therebetween.
2 more elements
A system for automatically enclosing a semi-solid or solid product in a covering material, comprising:
- an elongate product chute having an outer surface and opposing receiving and discharge end portions with an interior cavity extending therethrough;
- a product pusher mechanism having a pusher head that is configured to controllably automatically advance into and retract from the product chute to thereby advance a product from a position upstream of the product chute, through the product chute and out of the discharge end portion of the product chute, wherein the product pusher mechanism causes the pusher head and an associated actuation rod to reciprocally travel in the product chute;
- a clipper mechanism disposed downstream of the product chute, the clipper mechanism configured to automatically apply at least one clip to a covering material that encloses the product from the product chute;
- and
- a controller in communication with the clipper mechanism and the product pusher mechanism, wherein the controller is configured to automatically activate the clipper mechanism to apply the at least one clip to covering material on a target product discharged from the product chute after a forward stroke cycle of the pusher head upon partial retraction of the pusher head toward the receiving end of the product chute.
2 more elements
A system for automatically enclosing a semi-solid or solid product in a covering material, comprising:
- an elongate product chute having an outer surface and opposing receiving and discharge end portions with an interior cavity extending therethrough;
- a product pusher mechanism having a pusher head that is configured to controllably automatically advance into and retract from the product chute to thereby advance a product from a position upstream of the product chute, through the product chute and out of the discharge end portion of the product chute, wherein the product pusher mechanism causes the pusher head and an associated actuation rod to reciprocally travel in the product chute;
- a clipper mechanism disposed downstream of the product chute, the clipper mechanism configured to automatically apply at least one clip to a covering material that encloses the product from the product chute;
- and
- a product transfer zone with a floor and ceiling defining an interior space with a fixed size which directs product to travel into the product chute receiving end portion positioned upstream of the receiving end portion of the product chute and downstream of the pusher head when the pusher mechanism is in a retracted configuration,
- wherein the product transfer zone is configured to automatically advance a product into the system so that the product is aligned with the product pusher mechanism and the cavity of the product chute.
3 more elements
A system for automatically enclosing a semi-solid or solid product in a covering material, comprising:
- an elongate product chute having an outer surface and opposing receiving and discharge end portions with an interior cavity extending therethrough;
- a product pusher mechanism having a pusher head that is configured to controllably automatically advance into and retract from the product chute to thereby advance a product from a position upstream of the product chute, through the product chute and out of the discharge end portion of the product chute;
- a clipper mechanism disposed downstream of the product chute, the clipper mechanism configured to automatically apply at least one clip to a covering material that encloses the product from the product chute;
- and
- a safety interlock configured to automatically detect the presence or absence of a product chute from the system and to inhibit operation of at least the product pusher mechanism when the product chute is not in proper operative position.
2 more elements
A system for automatically enclosing a semi-solid or solid product in a covering material, comprising:
- an elongate product chute having an outer surface and opposing receiving and discharge end portions with an interior cavity extending therethrough, wherein the product chute has a floor;
- a product pusher mechanism having a pusher head that is configured to controllably automatically advance into and retract from the product chute to thereby advance a product from a position upstream of the product chute, through the product chute and out of the discharge end portion of the product chute, wherein the product pusher mechanism causes the pusher head and an associated actuation rod to reciprocally travel in the product chute in an unsealed manner, and wherein the product pusher mechanism is configured so that the pusher head and associated rod travel substantially horizontally above the floor of the chute;
- and
- a clipper mechanism disposed downstream of the product chute, the clipper mechanism configured to automatically apply at least one clip to a covering material that encloses the product from the product chute,
- wherein the system comprises a product transfer zone residing between the pusher mechanism in a retracted configuration and the product chute, the transfer zone being configured to serially introduce encased products having a shape, the transfer zone having a static interior space configuration that does not change the encased product shape, wherein the product transfer zone is configured to automatically advance a product into the system so that the product is aligned with the product pusher mechanism and the cavity of the product chute, and wherein the product pusher mechanism automatically repetitively actuates responsive to electronic input from at least one position sensor residing in the product transfer zone upstream of the product chute to serially automatically push products through the product chute and enclose the respective products in serial lengths of a sleeve of the covering material that is pulled from the product chute.
2 more elements
A system for automatically enclosing a semi-solid or solid product in a covering material, comprising:
- an elongate product chute having an outer surface and opposing receiving and discharge end portions with an interior cavity extending therethrough;
- a product pusher mechanism having a pusher head that is configured to controllably automatically advance into and retract from the product chute to thereby advance a product from a position upstream of the product chute, through the product chute and out of the discharge end portion of the product chute, wherein the product pusher mechanism causes the pusher head and an associated actuation rod to reciprocally travel in the product chute;
- and
- a clipper mechanism disposed downstream of the product chute, the clipper mechanism configured to automatically apply at least one clip to a covering material that encloses the product from the product chute,
- wherein the system comprises a product transfer zone residing between the pusher mechanism in a retracted configuration and the product chute, the transfer zone being configured to serially introduce products having a shape, the transfer zone having a static interior space configuration that does not change the product shape, and
- wherein the product transfer zone comprises a floor and ceiling and upstanding side housing walls that remain closed as product travels automatically into the product transfer zone while the pusher head is in a retracted home position then travels automatically axially into and out of the product chute using the pusher head to thereby inhibit operator access to the product travel path during operation of the product pusher mechanism.
3 more elements
A system for automatically enclosing a semi-solid or solid product in a covering material, comprising:
- an elongate product chute having an outer surface and opposing receiving and discharge end portions with an interior cavity extending therethrough;
- a product pusher mechanism in communication with the product chute, the product pusher mechanism comprising an actuation cylinder and corresponding actuation rod, the actuation rod and pusher head having an axially in-line travel path during a machine stroke cycle, the product pusher mechanism configured to controllably automatically advance the pusher head and actuation rod into and retract from the product chute to thereby advance a product from a position upstream of the product chute, through the product chute and out of the discharge end portion of the product chute;
- a product loading zone disposed upstream of the travel path of the product pusher mechanism, the loading zone merging into a product transfer zone, the product transfer zone automatically positioning product in alignment with the product chute and the pusher mechanism when the pusher mechanism is in a retracted position;
- and
- a clipper mechanism disposed downstream of the product chute, the clipper mechanism configured to automatically apply at least one clip to a covering material that encloses the product from the product chute.
2 more elements
A system for automatically enclosing a semi-solid or solid product in a covering material, comprising:
- an elongate product chute having an outer surface and opposing receiving and discharge end portions with an interior cavity extending therethrough;
- a product pusher mechanism having a pusher head attached to an actuation rod that is attached to an actuation cylinder, wherein the rod, the cylinder and the pusher head are axially aligned, whereby the pusher head is configured to controllably automatically advance into and retract from the product chute to thereby advance a product from a position upstream of the product chute, through the product chute and out of the discharge end portion of the product chute;
- a clipper mechanism disposed downstream of the product chute, the clipper mechanism configured to automatically apply at least one clip to a covering material that encloses the product from the product chute;
- and
- at least one gathering plate operatively associated with the clipper mechanism disposed downstream of the product chute, and wherein a forwardmost portion of the pusher head extends outside the product chute downstream of the at least one gathering plate at the forwardmost position of the pusher head.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.