Continuous loading system

A system for loading items into a plurality of containers comprising:

• (a) a first puck conveyor for moving a plurality of pucks, each of said pucks retaining an item, along a first path with a frictional force exerted on said pucks by said first puck conveyor, each of said pucks being capable of varying its respective position in relation to the remaining pucks on said first puck conveyor upon application of an opposing force that is greater than said frictional force exerted on each of said pucks;
• (b) a second continuous puck conveyor for moving said plurality of pucks along a second path in series while each of said pucks is in a fixed position on said second continuous puck conveyor and each of said pucks when moved by said second continuous puck conveyor being restrained from movement in a direction of movement of said second continuous puck conveyor relative to said second continuous puck conveyor;
• (c) an apparatus for facilitating the transition and transfer of each of said plurality of pucks from said first puck conveyor to said second continuous puck conveyor, said apparatus being operable to accumulate said plurality of pucks to form a plurality of groups of said pucks for transition and transfer from said first puck conveyor to said second continuous puck conveyor, said transition apparatus being operable to form a first group of pucks for said transition and transfer to said second continuous puck conveyor, then terminate said accumulation of said first group of said pucks and subsequently accumulate said plurality of pucks to form a second group of said pucks for said transition and transfer to said second continuous puck conveyor;
• (d) a container conveyor moving a plurality of containers in series with fixed longitudinal positions in the direction of the movement of said container conveyor along a third path;
• (e) an item transfer apparatus for transferring each of said items from each of said plurality of pucks on said second continuous puck conveyor to a corresponding container being moved on said container conveyor;
• said second continuous puck conveyor having a path portion of said second path proximate a path portion of said third path of said container conveyor, and wherein the movement of said continuous puck conveyor along said path portion of said second path and the pucks carried therewith is synchronized with the movement of the container conveyor along said path portion of said third path and the plurality of containers carried therewith;
• wherein said apparatus facilitates the transition and transfer of said plurality of pucks from said first puck conveyor to said second continuous puck conveyor.

A system for loading a plurality of items into a plurality of containers from a plurality of pucks, each of said pucks adapted to retain an item, said system comprising:

• (a) a puck in-feed conveyor operable to move each of a plurality of pucks in series along a puck in-feed conveyor path while retaining at least one item, said puck in-feed conveyor moving said plurality of pucks with a frictional force imparted on each of said plurality of pucks by said puck in-feed conveyor;
• (b) an apparatus operable to facilitate the transition and transfer of said plurality of pucks while retaining at least one item, from said puck in-feed conveyor to engage a continuous puck unloading conveyor, said continuous puck unloading conveyor being separate from said puck in-feed conveyor;
• (c) said puck unloading conveyor having continuous movement which is operable to move said pucks in a first longitudinal direction on a puck unloading conveyor path, wherein each of said pucks is fixed in a relative longitudinal position in said first longitudinal direction relative to said continuous puck unloading conveyor;
• (d) an apparatus operable to continuously move a plurality of containers in series in a second longitudinal direction along a puck unloading conveyor path, said plurality of containers each being in a fixed longitudinal position relative to said puck unloading conveyor along said puck unloading conveyor path, and with a portion of said puck unloading conveyor path being positioned adjacent to a portion of said puck unloading conveyor path;
• (e) an apparatus for transferring each said item from each of said plurality of pucks on said puck unloading conveyor to a corresponding container while said apparatus moves said pucks on said continuous puck unloading conveyor.

A system for loading a plurality of items into a plurality of containers from a plurality of pucks, each of said pucks adapted to retain an item, said system comprising:

• (a) a puck in-feed conveyor operable to move each of a plurality of pucks in series along a puck in-feed conveyor path while retaining at least one item;
• (b) a continuous puck unloading conveyor operable to move said pucks along a puck unloading conveyor path, said continuous puck unloading conveyor being a separate conveyor from said puck in-feed conveyor;
• (c) an apparatus operable to facilitate the transition and transfer of said plurality of pucks while retaining at least one item, from said puck in-feed conveyor to engage said continuous puck unloading conveyor;
• (d) a container loading conveyor operable to continuously move a plurality of containers in series along container conveyor path with a portion of said puck unloading conveyor path being positioned adjacent to a portion of said puck unloading conveyor path;
• (e) an apparatus for transferring each said item from each of said plurality of pucks on said puck unloading conveyor to a corresponding container while said puck unloading conveyor moves said pucks on said portion of said continuous puck unloading conveyor and said container loading conveyor moves said plurality of containers along said portion of said container conveyor path.

A system for loading items into a plurality of containers comprising:

• (a) a first puck conveyor for moving a plurality of pucks, each of said pucks retaining an item, along a first path with a frictional force exerted on said pucks by said first puck conveyor, each of said pucks being capable of varying its respective position in relation to the remaining pucks on said first puck conveyor upon application of an opposing force that is greater than said frictional force exerted on each of said pucks;
• (b) a second continuous puck conveyor for moving said plurality of pucks along a second path in series while each of said pucks is in a fixed longitudinal position in a longitudinal direction of movement of said second continuous puck conveyor and each of said pucks is restrained from movement in said direction of movement of said second continuous puck conveyor relative to said second continuous puck conveyor;
• (c) an apparatus for facilitating the transition and transfer of each of said plurality of pucks from said first puck conveyor to said second continuous puck conveyor, said apparatus also being operable to accumulate a plurality of pucks from said puck in-feed conveyor into a group of said pucks, said group of pucks being transferred as a group from said first puck conveyor to said second continuous puck conveyor;
• (d) a container conveyor moving a plurality of containers in series with fixed longitudinal positions in the direction of the movement of said container conveyor along a third path;
• (e) an item transfer apparatus for transferring each of said item from each of said plurality of pucks on said second continuous puck conveyor to a corresponding container being moved on said container conveyor;
• said second continuous puck conveyor having a path portion of said second path proximate a path portion of said third path of said container conveyor, and wherein the movement of said continuous puck conveyor along said path portion of said second path and the pucks carried therewith is synchronized with the movement of the container conveyor along said path portion of said third path and the plurality of containers carried therewith;
• wherein said apparatus facilitates the transition and transfer of said plurality of pucks from said first puck conveyor to said second continuous puck conveyor.