Apparatus and method for transmitting elements to articles

An apparatus for transferring elements to articles which are moved in sequence first to a second station and then to a first station, said apparatus comprising:

• means for releasably retaining first and second of the elements at the first and second stations, respectively;
• means for transferring the first and second elements from the retaining means to the first and second articles, respectively, as the first and second articles are moved through the first and second stations, respectively;
• and
• control means for controlling said transferring means so that said transferring means initiates transfer of the first element to the first article before initiating transfer of the second element to the second article.

An apparatus for transferring elements to articles which are moved in a first direction through a work station, said apparatus comprising:

• means for repetitively supplying elements to a plurality of positions, said positions defining a row at said work station with the axis of the row extending generally in said first direction and with a first of the positions being downstream, in the direction of article movement, of a second of said positions;
• means for releasably retaining first and second of the elements at said first and second positions, respectively;
• means for transferring the first and second elements from the retaining means to first and second of the articles, respectively, as the first and second articles are moved through said station;
• and
• control means for controlling said transferring means so that said transferring means initiates transfer of the first element to the first article before initiating tranfer of the second element to the second article.

A method of transferring elements to articles wherein at least some of the articles have unequal spacing comprising:

• repetitively supplying elements to a plurality of positions with such positions being arranged in a sequence which defines a row at a working station and with a first of said positions being next in said sequence to a second of said positions, first and second of said elements being supplied to said first and second positions, respectively;
• releasably retaining the elements supplied to said positions, respectively;
• advancing a plurality of articles at least some of which are unequally spaced , including first and second articles in a sequence, through said work station generally from one end of said row to the other end of said row with said first article being next in the sequence of articles to the second article and with the first article leading the second article, said other end of said row being closer to said first position than to said second position;
• and
• transferring the first and second elements from the first and second positions to said first and second articles, respectively, as the articles are advanced through the work station and preventing the transfer of elements from the first and second positions to the second and first articles, respectively, as the articles are advanced through the work station.

An apparatus for transferring elements to articles [which] regardless of the spacing between articles wherein the articles are moved in a series in a first direction through a work station and wherein a first of the articles is next in the series of articles to a second of the articles and [with] the first article [leading] leads the second article, said apparatus comprising:

• first means for supplying elements and transferring the elements to articles at a first location;
• second means for supplying elements and transferring the elements to articles at a second location which is upstream in the direction of article movement from the first location ;
• and
• control means [for] responsive to the position of at least one of the first and second articles for causing the first means to transfer at least one of the elements to the first article at the first location and for causing the second means to transfer at least another of the elements to the second article at the second location regardless of the spacing between the first and second articles , said control means preventing the transfer of elements to the first and second articles at the second and first locations, respectively.

A method of transferring elements to articles comprising:

• repetitively supplying elements to a plurality of positions with such positions being arranged in a sequence which defines a row at a work station and with a first of said positions being next in said sequence to a second of said positions, first and second of said elements being supplied to said first and second positions, respectively;
• with said first and second elements releasably retained at the first and second positions, respectively, advancing a plurality of articles, including first and second articles in a sequence, through said work station generally from one end of said row to the other end of said row with said first article being next in the sequence of articles to the second article and with the first article leading the second article, said other end of said row being closer to said first position than to said second position;
• said step of advancing including advancing said first article past said second element at said second position;
• and
• transferring the first and second elements from the first and second positions to said first and second articles, respectively, as the articles are advanced through the work station and preventing the transfer of elements from the first and second positions to the second and first articles, respectively, as the articles are advanced through the work station.

An apparatus for transferring elements to articles which are moved in a first direction through a station wherein a first of the articles leads a second of the articles through the station, said apparatus comprising:

• means for releasably retaining first and second of the elements at first and second positions with said positions defining a row at said station, the axis of the row extending generally in said first direction and the first position being downstream, in the direction of article movement, of said second position;
• sensor means responsive to the location of at least one of the first and second articles for providing a control signal;
• means for transferring the elements from the retaining means to the articles as the articles are moved through said station;
• and
• control means responsive to said control signal for controlling said transferring means so that said transferring means transfers the first element to the first article and the second element to the second article, said control means preventing the transfer of elements to the first and second articles at the second and first positions, respectively.