CA2218035C

CA2218035C - Apparatus for loading bottom-loading basket-style carrier

Info

Publication number: CA2218035C
Application number: CA002218035A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Glenn Robinson; Will L. Culpepper
Original assignee: Meadwestvaco Packaging Systems LLC
Current assignee: WestRock Packaging Systems LLC
Priority date: 1995-04-13
Filing date: 1996-04-15
Publication date: 2007-06-26
Anticipated expiration: 2016-04-15
Also published as: CZ322297A3; EP0817748A2; CA2218041A1; DK0817748T3; ES2180763T3; TW315353B; PL322762A1; PT817748E; ATE221488T1; DE69622699T2; WO1996032327A3; PT820404E; TW307730B; IL117899A; EP0817746A1; EP0820404A4; DK0820404T3; JP3830516B2; BR9604963A; WO1996032324A1

Abstract

An apparatus (10) for loading containers into basket-style bottom-loading carriers (3) has a container infeed mechanism; a carrier infeed supplier (30); a carrier feeder mechanism (50) for removing carriers from the carrier infeed supplier; a carrier timer-transport assembly (60 or 260) for receiving carriers (3) from the carrier infeed supplier and initiating transport of the carriers in synchronous parallel motion above the containers; a gripper (82) assembly for opening the carriers (3); a declination belt assembly (90) forming a pathway for receiving transversely extending bottom panels of said carriers and transporting said carriers downwardly over the groupings of containers; a seating assembling (120) for engaging tops of handles of carriers such that as the seating members rotate the bottommost seating member engages the respective tops of the handles of the carriers; and bottom-panel closure mechanisms (130, 140, 182) for placing the bottom panels together in locking relationship with respect to one another.

Description

APPARATUS FOR LOADING BOTTOM-LOADING
BASKET-STYLE CARRIER

The invention relates to bottom-loading basket-style carriers for articles such as beverage bottles.

Previous methods and apparatus for loading bottles into basket -style carriers from the bottom are disclosed in US patent number 2,276,129 to Wesselman, US
patent number 2,603,924 to Currie et al., US patent number 3,521,427 to Masch, US
patent number 3,627,193 to Helms, US patent number 3,698,151 to Arneson, US
patent number 3,751,872 to Helms, US patent number 3,747,294 to Calvert et al., US patent number 3,805,484 to Rossi, US patent number 3,842,571 to Focke et al., US patent number 3,848,519 to Ganz, US patent number 3,924,385 to Walter, US
patent number 3,940,907 to Ganz, US patent number 4,915,218 to Crouch et aI., US
patent number 4,919,261 to Lashyro et al., US patent number 5,234, 103 to Schuster, and US patent number Re. 27,624.

Turning in particular to US 3 848 519 to Ganz, which discloses the pre-characterising portion of claim 1, there is shown a seating mechanism for open bottomed carriers aligned over transported groupings of articles. The mechanism comprises a plurality of seating members that engage a handle on the carrier.
The seating members are carried by endless chain to engage the handles and impel the carriers in a downward direction.

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for the continuous opening and loading of basket-style bottom-loading carriers.

One aspect of the invention provides a mechanism for seating open-bottomed carriers aligned over transported groupings of predetermined numbers of containers.
The mechanism comprises at feast one seating member adapted for engaging a respective one of the carriers mounted in synchronous downward and forward motion in operable disposition above the transported groupings of predetermined numbers of containers. The at least one seating member travels through the synchronous downward and forward motion. The at least one seating member engages the respective one of the carriers and impels the respective carrier downwardly in relation to the containers during continuous forward movement.

According to an optional feature of this aspect of the invention, the at least one seating member may engage a top most region of a respective one of the carriers. Preferably, the top-most region of the carriers may be a handle structure and a bottom surface of the at least one seating member includes a groove extending longitudinally therethrough.

According to another optional feature of this aspect of the invention the at least one seating member may be spring-loaded such that the at least one seating member retracts away from the respective carrier if substantial resistance to impelling the respective carrier downward is incurred.

According to yet another optional feature of this aspect of the invention the at least one seating member may travel through a synchronized rotary motion, and engages the carrier through the lower arc of the rotary motion. Preferably, the at least one seating member may be mounted upon a planet gear of a planetary gear mechanism.

In a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a system for seating open-bottomed carriers with respect to groupings of predetermined numbers of containers. The system comprises a conveyor transporting a column of the groupings of predetermined numbers of containers with the open-bottomed carriers aligned thereover, and a mechanism according to the first aspect of the invention, or any of its preferred features.
A third aspect of the invention provides an apparatus for loading containers into open-bottomed carriers, the carriers having a pair of opposing bottom panels adjoining side walls thereof. The apparatus comprises a container feeder assembly having conveyor mechanism for translating at least one column of a series of groupings of predetermined numbers of containers along a first level; a carrier feeder for retrieving the carriers from a carrier infeed supplier; a carrier timer-transport assembly disposed in operative communication with the carrier feeder for receiving the carriers from the carrier feeder and initiating transport of the carriers in synchronous parallel motion with the at least one column of a series of groupings of predetermined numbers of containers at a second level above the first level such that the carriers are aligned over respective ones of the groupings of predetermined numbers of containers; a gripper assembly for grasping and pulling the bottom panels of the carriers outwardly with respect to a centerline thereof such that the bottom panels are substantially transversely disposed with respect to side walls of the carriers as the carriers are translated; a declination belt assembly having a downwardly-declining pair of opposing elongated endless belt pairs in face-to-face relationship forming a pathway therebetween for receiving transversely extending bottom panels of the carriers and transporting the carriers in synchronous downwardly-declining linear motion over respective ones of the groupings of predetermined numbers of containers; a mechanism for seating open bottomed carriers; according to the first aspect of the invention or any of its preferred features and a bottom panel closure mechanism for securing the bottom panels of each carrier together.

Exemplary embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: -Fig. 1 is an isometric illustration of a carrier suitable for loading by an apparatus for loading bottom-loading basket-style carriers according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;
Fig. 2 is a plan view of a blank for forming the carrier of Fig. 1:
Fig. 3 is an illustration of the carrier of Fig. 1 in collapsed condition;
Fig. 4 is a schematic illustration of an apparatus for loading bottom-loading basket-style carriers according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.
Figs. 5 and 6 are schematic representations of the panel-gripper assembly of the apparatus of Fig. 4 in operation.
Fig. 7 is an end elevational illustration of the nip belt assembly and panel-gripper assembly of the apparatus of Fig. 5 engaging a carrier.
Fig. 8 is a side elevational illustration of a panel gripper in engagement with a camming track of the apparatus of Fig. 5.
Figs. 9, 10 and 11 are illustrations of the cooperation between the opening rollers and opening ramp member of the panel-gripper assembly of the apparatus of Fig. 5.
Fig. 12 is an Isometric Illustration of the bottle transport conveyor of the apparatus of Fig. 5.

Fig. 13 is a side elevation a! view of declination and seating assemblies of the apparatus of Fig. 4.
Figs. 14 and 15 are end elevational views from the declination belt section of the apparatus of Fig. 4.
Fig. 16 is an Isometric illustration of an alternate version of a declination block of the apparatus of Fig. 4.
Fig. 17 is an elevational illustration of a planetary gear version of the carrier seating assembly of the apparatus of Fig. 4.
Fig. 18 is an isometric illustration of a folder-gluer assembly of the apparatus of Fig. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Carrier 10 described herein as the preferred embodiment of the invention is particularly suitable for loading carriers such as the bottom-loading basket-style carrier 3 shown in Fig. 1. Although use of the method and apparatus 10 of the subject invention is not limited to the carrier 3 described below, the features of the invention are very clearly described by reference to the invention's handling and loading of the carrier 3 illustrated. A blank 906 for forming the carrier 3 is shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the collapsed carrier 3 of Fig. 1.

The carrier 3 is of the nature described in US patent number 5,547,074 issued August 20, 1996. That patent is also owned by the owner of the present invention application. The carrier 3 and blank 906 for forming the carrier 3 are described below to facilitate understanding of the invention. First, reference is made to Figs. 1 and 2 simultaneously. The carrier3 illustrated is generally designed to accommodate two rows of bottles. The examples of carriers 3 discussed herein describe use of the invention with carriers 3 that accommodate two rows of three bottles and two rows of four bottles, that is, a six-pack version and an eight-pack version.
However, the invention may also be practiced to accommodate rows of other multiples of bottles.
Both sides of the carrier are the same. Thus, the features described with respect to the side shown in Fig. 1 are equally applicable to the unseen side. The side wall 920, 930 has a cut-out portion that generally defines a lower side wall band 921, 931 and an upper side wall band 923, 933. Foldably connecting the lower 921,931 and upper 923, 933 bands to respective end walls 940, 942, 950, 952 are respective corner tabs 922, 932,924,934. The corner tabs 922, 932, 924, 934 respectively form bevelled corners at the intersections of the side walls 920, 930 and end walls 940, 942, 950, 952. The cut -way area also defines a center portion 928, 938 left intact in the side wall 920, 930. A center cell is formed on each side of the carrier by cell bands 925, 935, comer tabs 926, 936 foldably connected to the cell bands and a central cell portion 927,937 integrally formed with the sidewall 920, 930.
Riser panels 960, 962, 970, 972 extend between the bottom of the carrier 3 and the handle structure formed by panels 980, 982, 990, 992. A handhold flap 984 is also visible from the view shown. Cut lines between center cell portions of side walls 920, 930 and respective handle structure panels 980, 982, 990, 992 terminate in respective curved cut lines 986, 988, 996, 998. Cut lines between the upper bands 923, 933 of respective side walls 920, 930 and corresponding center cell portions terminate in respective curved cut lines 987,989,997,999. In collapsed condition (as shown in Fig. 3) the carrier 3 has nick members 929, 939 strategically located upon cut lines between the side wall and center cell at the bevelled corner tabs.
This feature is not evident in the fully erected carrier but can be seen in the blank 906 of Fig. 2 and collapsed carrier 3 shown in Fig. 3. The blank 906 is essentially symmetric about a perforated fold fine dividing the handle panels 980, 982, 990, 992, and halves, of the carrier 3 from one another. One of the two bottom wall panels 910, 912 is widthwise greater than the other and for convenience is designated the greater bottom wall 912. The other bottom wall panel is conveniently designated the lesser bottom wall panel 910. Each side wall 920, has a cut-out, or cut-away, area which helps define a lower side wall band 921, 931 with adjacent corner tabs 922, 932 and a top band 923, 933 with adjacent corner tabs 924, 934. Elements for forming a center cell are central cell bands 925, 935, central cell corner tabs 926, 936 and center cell central portions 927, 937 which are integral with the respective side walls 920, 930. Solid nick members 929, 939 connect top sidewall bands 923,933 and respective center cell corner tabs 926, 936.
End walls 940, 942, 950, 952 lie adjacent respective side walls 920, 930 connected thereto by respective side wall corner tabs 922, 932, 924,934. Riser panels are connected to respective end walls 940, 942, 950, 952 along perforated fold lines.
Support tabs 981, 983, 971, 973 for attachment to the bottom wall panels 91 0, are foldably connected to the lower edges of respective riser panels 960,962,970,972. A suitable carrier for loading by the invention may also have the support tabs connected to the lower edges of respective end walls 940, 942, 950, 952 along fold lines without departing from the scope hereof. The center cell bands 925, 935 are connected along perforated fold lines to the lower portions of respective handle panels 980, 982, 990, 992. Handhold apertures 981, 983, 991, 993 are formed in the respective handle panels 980, 982, 990, 992. Cut lines separating center cell bands 925, 935 and accompanying center cell terminate corner tabs 926, 936 from respective handle panels in curved cut lines 986, 988,996, 998. Cut lines separating the top bands 923,933 and accompanying corner tabs 924, 934 from respective center cell bands 925, 935 and accompanying center cell corner tabs 926, 936 terminate in curved cut lines 987, 989, 997,999 in the respective side walls 920, 930. Handhold flaps 984, 994 are connected along perforated fold lines to respective handle panels 980,990 within the respective handhold apertures 981, 991 thereof.
Curved cut lines 986, 987, 988, 989, 996, 997, 998, 999 help direct stress away from strategic termination points of cut lines in the carrier 3.
As previously mentioned, the method and apparatus described herein are particularly suitable for loading carriers having the general characteristics of the type described above. The elements of the carrler3 enable it to be fanned in collapsed condition, shipped, loaded into the apparatus described herein, and then erected and loaded with bottles. Although several types of bottles are suitable for handling and loading by the invention, the invention is particularly useful for loading so-called contoured PET bottles into the carrier 3 illustrated.

The carrier 3 is received by the apparatus of the invention in collapsed condition, as illustrated in Fig. 3, with the bottom wall panels 910, 912 pivoted upwardly into face contacting relationship with the side walls of the carrier 3. In this condition, the carrier 3 is easily loaded into and subsequently erected and loaded by the apparatus of the invention. However, the support tabs 961, 963, 971, 973 are exposed and may be damaged when the carrier is transported in this condition.
The invention includes a suitable means of preparing carriers 3 for loading into the apparatus. As a means "for preventing damage to the support tabs 961, 963, 971, 973 of the carrier 3 during shipment to the loading site and as a means to facilitate loading of the carriers 3 into the apparatus (as described below), the carriers 3 are packaged in a container 5, essentially upside-down. In this condition the handle portion is positioned downward and the lower edge is upwardly oriented. The end walls 2 and side walls 4 of the container 5 for the carriers 3 extend above the exposed, protruding support tabs 961, 983, 971, 973 and thereby protect the tabs 981, 963.

Overview of Apparatus and Method Referring first to the schematic illustration in Fig. 4 of the overview of the apparatus 10 according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the apparatus is constructed upon an elongated frame. In the illustration the direction of 10 movement of bottles 1 and carriers 3 is from left to right. As a general overview, bottles move through the apparatus 10 in two rows along an essentially linear path.
As the bottles move along their defined path, carriers (in collapsed condition with bottom wall panels folded upwardly flat against the sides of the collapsed carrier) are moved along the hopper 30 to a point of interface with the carrier feeder 50.
The feeder 50 moves individual carriers 3 from the hopper 30 to a timing section 60. A
timing-transport section meters out carriers at set intervals and a predetermined rate of speed. In one embodiment, the timing-transport section consists of two consecutive assemblies. The first segment of the two is a timing section 60 in which each carrier 3 is removed from suction cups 54 of the feeder 50 and conveyed at a predetermined stagger to the downstream components of the apparatus 10. In what may generally be referred to as the transport segment of the timing-transport section a path is defined between a pair of vertically oriented belts. More specifically, this segment is referred to as a nip belt assembly 70. The vertical nip belts 72 are a pair of opposing endless belts that pinch, or "nip," the handle area of each carrier (the carrier's topmost portion) and move the carriers in a defined linear path down the apparatus 10. In an alternate embodiment of the timing-transport section the timing and transport functions are less distinct. In the second embodiment the carriers 3 are engaged through the hand-hole openings in their handles and transported thereby. Timing and transport are achieved by reciprocal movement of a hand-hole insert mounted upon earn-engaging rods. The rods in turn are in slidable engagement with an endless chain. When the carriers 3 are in the hopper 30, they are in collapsed condition with the bottom wall panels 910, 912 pivoted up and lying flat against the sides of the carrier 3. Upon removal from the hopper 30, the bottom wall panels 910, 912 of the carrier 3 fall away from their position flat against the sides of the carrier 3. As a carrier 3 moves through the timing section the bottom wall panels 910, 912 are engaged and pulled outward to open the carrier 3 for loading. As the carriers 3 are being pulled open along the carrier path of the apparatus 10, bottles are moved along in a path beneath the carriers. In the lower path (the bottle path) a star wheel 105 on either side of the apparatus 10 meters a row of bottles 3 into distinct groups for loading. For example, groups of three or four bottles in each row. An endless chain with lugs is one of the means for transporting bottles after they have been metered by the staIWheeli 05. Bottle grippers 113 (moving in conveying fashion such as upon an endless chain) immediately follow the star wheels 114 and maintain the spacing and alignment of each bottle grouping. As the bottles 3 move further along the length of the apparatus 10 the bottle grippers 113 assure the spacing between bottles and groups of bottles. At the same time, the carriers 3 move to a position whereby each bottom wall panel 910, 912 is received by a pair of downwardly-sloping declination belts 92,94 & 93,95. An overhead conveyor mechanism such as an endless overhead chain assembly 100 is aligned over the centrally located handles of the carriers 3 in parallel alignment with the declination belt assembly 90. Block members 102 mounted upon the overhead chain engage the tops of the handle portions of the carriers 3. The declination belt assembly 90 and overhead chain assembly 100 move the carriers 3 forward and downward over the dual-row groups of bottles. The lowering work of the declination belt assembly 90 and overhead chain assembly 100 is completed by the pusher wheel assembly 120. The pusher wheel assembly 120 has block members 122 mounted upon it to push downwardly upon the tops of the handles of the carriers 3, thereby fully lowering the carriers onto respective groups of bottles. As the carriers 3 move from the pusher wheel assembly 120 a package conveyor 130 such as side lugs 134 mounted upon respective opposing endless chains 132 engage the trailing end panel of the carriers 3/packages 7 and push them further along the apparatus 10. As the carriers 3 are moved along by the package conveyor 130, a bottom panel locking section 140 folds carrier support tabs 961, 963, 971, 973 and bottom wall panels 910, 912 into position for attachment of the support tabs 961, 963, 971, 973 to the bottom wall panels 910,912 and for closure of the bottom of the carrier 3.
The bottle panels 910, 912 are drawn together for proper alignment and held in that position while closure of the bottom of the carrier 3 is completed by a rotating punch lock mechanism. The loaded, fully closed carrier is then ejected from the apparatus 10.

Bottle Infeed Conveyor Referring to Fig. 4, bottles are brought into the apparatus 10 by an infeed conveyor assembly 20. Infeed conveyors typically used in the beverage packaging industry are suitable. In the preferred embodiment illustrated the conveyor assembly 20 has partitions 22 that segregate incoming bottles into two rows.
Conveyor means such as an endless belt or chain move bottles through the apparatus 10 for loading into carriers 3. Different endless chains or belts and a combination of different endless chains or belts is used for effecting movement of bottles. The carriers 3 and bottles are moved part of the way through the apparatus 10 simultaneously in separate paths, with the carriers 3 proceeding in a path disposed above the path of bottles. Then, as will be described further below, the two paths become one when the carriers 3 are moved downwardly over groups of bottles.
Carrier Feeder Referring momentarily to Fig. 4, as previously noted, the layout of the apparatus is generally linear with bottles and carriers 3 being moved along separate linear paths, one over the other, part of the way through the apparatus 10, and then packages formed of the loaded carriers moving along a single path the rest of the way through the apparatus 10. Referring now to Fig. 5, the carrier feeder 50 removes carriers 3 from the hopper 30 and passes them on to elements in a linear carrier path disposed over the bottle path.
Timina-Transport Section The first version is described referring to Fig. 4. As previously mentioned, the timing-transport section moves carriers 3 from the feeder 50 to downstream components of the apparatus 10. The timing-transport section staggers the carriers 3 a predetermined distance apart and begins their travel at a predetermined rate of speed. This timed spacing of carriers 3 causes the carriers 3 to begin synchronized aligned movement with respective groups of bottles as the carriers 3 and bottles move downstream.

The first version of the timing-transport section achieves timing and transport in two distinct segments, namely, a timing assembly 60 and a transport section for convenience herein referred to as a nip-belt assembly 70. The timing assembly has conveyor-driven carrier support fingers for engaging and moving carriers 3 at predetermined intervals and inserting the carriers into nip belts at the predetermined intervals. The carrier support conveyor 60 is a pair of an upper 61 and a lower 63 endless timing chain. Each timing chain 61, 63 contains respective sets of lugs, or fingers, that engage portions of a collapsed carrier 3 as the carrier is released by the suction cups 54 of the feeder 50. The upper timing chain 61 has a series of upper engagement lugs 62 one of which en gages the trailing edge of the handle portion of an engaged carrier 3. In the preferred embodiment illustrated an upper engagement lug 62 engages the carrier 3 at the intersection of the handle portion and the wall panels. The corner formed at the intersection provides a stable point of engagement.
The lower timing chain 63 has a set of lower engagement lugs 64, 65, 66 that work in tandem with each upper engagement lug 62 of the upper chain 61 to hold the carrier 3 steady and guide it into the nip belt assembly 70. Although several combinations of lower engagement lugs in the set would be effective, in the preferred embodiment illustrated there are three lower engagement lugs 64, 65, 66 in each set. All three lugs 64, 65, 66 support the carrier from the bottom. The trailing lower engagement lug 66 is especially effective in helping push the collapsed carrier 3 forward. The nip belt assembly 70 receives collapsed carriers 3 from the feeder 50 and timing assembly 60. The nip belt assembly 70 moves carriers 3 along at the predetermined spacing initiated by the timing section 60 as the bottom panels 910, 912 of the carrier 3 are gripped and moved outwardly to open the bottom of the carrier 3 for loading. Referring now to Fig. 5, the nip belt assembly 70 has a pair of endless belts 72 mounted upon respective elongated rods of rollers 74. The belts 72 press together in an elongated vertical plane whose direction of movement 71 with respect to an engaged carrier 3 is downstream of the apparatus. The topmost portion of the handles of the carriers 3 are sandwiched between the belts 72 and translated along the path between the moving belts 72. An upper belt guide 76 directs the top portion of handles of carriers 3 into the pathway between the belts 72. The lower belt guide 78 extends along the length of the belts 72. The opening to the lower belt guide 78 directs the downwardly-extending support tabs 961, 971, 963, 973 of carriers 3 into the guide 78. Referring now also to Fig. 4, as the top portion of the handles of carriers 3 are pinched and translated along by the belts 72, the support tabs 961, 971, 963, 973 travel along through the lower belt assembly guide 78.

Bottom-Panel Grinpers Referring to Fig. 4, in a panel-gripper assembly 80, panel-grippers open the collapsed carrier 3 in preparation for loading. As the carriers 3 move through a timing-transport section (which are described above) carrier-panel grippers 82 moving on conveyors in a parallel path beneath the timing section grasp the bottom panels 910, 912 and pull them outward to open the carrier 3. Each carrier gripper 82 is a clamp that grasps a respective bottom panel 910, 912. Referring now again particularly to Fig. 4, the grippers 82 are mounted upon two sets of conveyors (endless chains) 84, 86. Each set of chains 84, 86 is a pair of opposing endless chains that are respectively positioned on each side of the collapsed carriers moving through the timing section. Referring now also to Figs. 5 and 6 the opening motions of the elements of the gripper assembly are schematically illustrated.
The grippers 82 on both sets of gripper chains 84, 86 move outwardly of the centerline 901 of the carrier 3 in the direction indicated by the direction arrow denoted 81. At the same time, each chain 84, 86 rotates in the downstream direction indicated by direction arrow 83. The grippers 82 and chains of the first set of chains 84 open carriers 3 by pulling outwardly upon the bottom panels 910, 912 of the carriers. The first set of chains 84 and grippers 82 opens carriers 3 from the fully collapsed condition and 13 to an open condition. The chains 84 in the first set of chains 84 move at a greater speed than the relative speed of the carriers 3 as they are moved by the transport mechanisms of either the nip belts 72 or the inserts 262. (In turn, the movement of the carriers 3 by the timing-transport section of the apparatus is in timed sequence with the movement of the bottles in a parallel path below the carriers.) As can be seen in Fig. 5, the collapsed carrier 3 is folded in a collapsed condition in a manner resembling the bellows of an accordion wherein the front portion of the collapsed carrier projects outwardly and the rear portion is folded inwardly. The greater relative speed of the first set of chains 84 enables the panels 910, 912 to be pulled forward faster than the carrier 3 itself is moving forward. This movement enables the carrier to become opened in a squared-up condition wherein the bottom panels 910, 912 "catch up" with the center portion of the carrier 3. After the carrier 3 has been erected in the first gripper chain 84 section the panel grippers 82 of the second set of gripper chains 86 engage the bottom panels 910, 912 of the carrier 3 and pull the carrier 3 open further to the maximally-opened condition illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7. The second set of chains 86 of the gripper assembly also passes opened carriers 3 on to the next carrier-handling portion of the apparatus 10, namely, the carrier lowering section 90. The grippers 82 and chains 84 of the second set of gripper chains do not move at a greater relative speed than the carrier transport mechanism but move in synchronous downstream motion (as indicated by the direction arrow 83) with the nip belts 72 or inserts 262. The grippers 82 continue to hold the respective bottom panels 910, 912 outward during movement.
Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate the end of carrier 3 opening in which the carrier 3 is fully opened and ready to be passed on to the declination belt assembly 90. Fig. 4 is an elevational illustration of a fully-opened carrier 3 engaged by elements of the nip belt assembly 70 and panel grippers 82. Referring now momentarily to Fig. 5, a pair of opposing conveyors in the form of endless chains 88 assist in passing opened carriers 3 from the first set of chains 84 to the second set of chains 86. As carriers 3 leave the first set of chains 84, lugs 89 mounted upon the chains 88 engage the front and rear of open carriers to help them maintain their opened position as the bottom panels 910, 912 are again grasped by the grippers 82 of the second set of chains 86.
Referring now also to Fig. 8, the structure of a panel gripper 82 suitable for use with the panel-gripper assembly described above is described in greater detail.
In the gripper 82 an upper arm 284 and a lower arm 286 form clamping jaws that are pivotally 283 connected to one another and meet at a clamping point where each arm 284, 286 terminates in a respective pad 285, 287. Each gripping pad 285, is made of a substance that has a high coefficient of friction relative to the smooth surface of a carrier. A suitable substance is rubber. The pads 285, 287 may also have a corrugated surface or a surface otherwise containing ribs or other protruding structures to enhance friction. The arms 284, 286 are spring-biased 288 in a closed, clamping position for the gripper 82. The arms 284, 286 are mounted upon a truck 296 which in turn is mounted upon and transported by a gripper chain 84 or 86.
The arms 284, 286 are translatable with respect to the truck 296 through the cooperation of V-shaped rollers 294 mounted on the truck and a roller engagement member which has V-shaped edges and which is attached to the lower gripper arm 286. A
cam follower 290 is attached to the lower arm 286 and rides within a camming groove (or track) 292 that defines the translational movement of the arms 284, 286.

The manner in which the gripper's 82 upper arm 284 is made to pivot to open and close with respect to the bottom arm 286 to clamp and release the bottom panels 910, 912 of the carrier 3 is described with reference to Figs. 9, 10 and 11.
Figs. 20, 21 and 22 are representations of the movement of the gripper 82 as it is transported by its mounting chain 84 or 86. The view is from a vantage point looking at the front end of the gripper 82 toward the rear of the upper arm 284 where the opening roller 300 is attached. As the gripper is transported in the direction indicated by the arrow 301 the rear of the upper arm 284 is pushed downward, held down for a period and subsequently allowed to return to its upwardmost position through interaction of the opening roller 300 with the opening ramp member 302.
The opening ramp member is a plate, bar or other structure having a cross-sectional configuration defining a leading downwardly-inclined ramp 303 and ending in an upwardly-inclined trailing ramp 305. A flat portion 304 may be inserted between the two ramps 303, 305 to maintain the jaws (arms 284, 286) of the gripper 82 open for a short period. Fig. 20 illustrates the relative position of the opening roller 300 and opening ramp member 302 prior to contact between the roller 300 and leading ramp 303. In Fig. 21, as gripper 82 travels in the direction 301 shown, the roller 300 is engaged by the leading ramp 303 and rotates 306. The upper arm 284 is thus pushed downward 307 opening the laws of the clamp. If the ramp 302 contains a level portion 304 the jaws of the gripper 82 are held open during engagement of the roller 300 with the level portion. Travel of the roller 300 upon the trailing ramp 305 closes the jaws of the gripper 82.

Referring now momentarily to Fig. 2 and the schematic illustration of Fig. 5, it is noted that the carrier 3 may contain nick members 929, 939 to promote opening of the collapsed carrier in a particular fashion. The nick members 929, 939 are weak connecting members extending between respective center cell corner tabs 926, 936 and upper side wall bands 923, 933. The nick members 929, 939 cause separation of the upper side wall bands 923, 933 from the center cell bands 925, 935 to be delayed. The delay causes the angles between the center cell bands 925, and respective center cell corner tabs 926, 936 to more sharply form in the erected carrier.

Each gripper 82 in the first set of grippers may also have a hook-like member for engaging the top bands 923, 933 on either side of the collapsed carrier as the grippers engage the respective bottom panels 910, 912 to pull the carrier open.
Bottle Metering and Transport As previously mentioned, a starwheel 105 meters bottles from the bottle infeed conveyor into groups for loading into the carriers. After metering, timed, spaced transport of the groups of bottles is achieved through use of a conveyor 106 which travels under the bottles and a bottle-gripper conveyor 112 which engages the sides of the bottles. Referring now to Fig. 12, a bottle transport conveyor 106 has a spaced-apart pair of endless chains 107 upon which bottle lugs 108 are mounted and each of which is flanked by a pair of bottle support rails 109. The rails 109 serve as ledges which help support the outer periphery of the bottom of bottles. The lugs 108 engage the rearmost bottle in each column of a bottle grouping. Although a single lug may be used to engage the rearmost bottle in a column, paired sets of lugs 108 allow more stable contact with bottles because two points on the bottle are contacted rather than one. The slot, or spacing 110, extending longitudinally between the chain structures provides a travel path for the tabs 961, 971, 963, 973 when carriers are lowered onto groups of bottles. This aspect will be explained in greater detail below.

Carrier Lowering Section After opening, carriers 3 are lowered onto groups of bottles 1 moving in a parallel path beneath the path of the carriers 3. With reference now to Figs.
4 and 13, carrier lowering is accomplished through the combination of a declination belt assembly 90 and an overhead declination block assembly 100. When the erect carrier 3 leaves the nip belt 70 and gripper 80 assemblies it is upright with its bottom panels 910, 912 extended outwardly of a center line 901 of the carrier 3. As the erect carrier 3 leaves the nip belt assembly 70 and the grippers 82 mounted upon the second gripper chain 86, it is directed toward the declination assembly where the extended bottom panels 910, 912 are respectively received by left and right opposing pairs of declination belts 92, 94 and 93, 95. Referring now generally to Figs. 4 and 13 but more particularly to Figs. 14 and 15, the pairs of belts 92, 94 and 93, 95 of the declination belt assembly 90 are spaced apart so that the carriers 3 may pass between them. For reference, one pair of upper 92 and lower 94 belts is considered the "right" declination belts while the opposing upper 93 and lower belts are considered the "left" pair. Each of the four belts 92, 93, 94, 95 is an endless belt. The spacing shown between the facing surfaces of each pair of belts is for illustration purposes. The facing surfaces of each pair of belts 92, 94 and 93, 95 belts are disposed closely enough so that the panels 910, 912 of the carrier 3 are wedged between each pair of moving belts. The carriers 3 are thus translated along the apparatus 10 by the moving belts.

Although only the general structure of the belts assembly 90 is shown it can be appreciated that means of endless belt movement commonly used by those skilled in the art are employed. For example, the use of a circular roller mechanism 91 disposed at the ends of the belt runs with additional rollers disposed between the ends of the runs to maintain opposing belts in surface-to-surface contact. The belts 92, 94 and 93, 96 movements are in synchronization with the movement of the bottle-group conveying mechanism (that is, the bottle-gripper conveyors 112).
Each carrier 3 is received by the declination belts such that each carrier 3 overlies a group of bottles 5. Referring now particularly to the side elevational view of Fig.
13, an optimum angle of declination of the pairs of belts 92, 94 (and 93, 95 which are parallel to 92, 94 but not visible in Fig. 13) and the horizontal plane of the groups of bottles 5 is shown as an angle denoted "A" of 4 degrees. The angular orientation of the declination belts 92, 94 and 93, 96 causes the carriers 3 to gradually descend upon the groups of bottles 5. Lowering of the carriers 3 is aided by the overhead declination block assembly 100 in which a series of handle-engaging blocks 102 are mounted upon an endless chain which in turn is in alignment and synchronization with the declination belts. Referring momentarily particularly to Fig. 14, each block 102 has a groove or slot 103 for receiving the handle of a carrier 3. The overhead assembly is disposed with respect to the declination belts 92, 94 and 93, 96 such that as carriers are moved by the belts 92, 94 and 93, 96 the apex of the carrier 3, that is, the top of the handle portion, is engaged by the groove/slot 103 and helps stabilize and reinforce the movement of the downward traveling carriers. The blocks may be spaced for synchronization but a simple means of utilization as illustrated is to have the blocks 102 abut one another so that essentially a continuous groove or slot is formed.

Referring momentarily to Fig. 15, to further ensure stable movement of carriers 3 an alternate version of the declination belt assembly 90 includes a guide 98, 99 positioned to engage the fold line created between each bottom panel 910, 912 and an adjacent side wall of the carrier 3. The guide 98, 99 is parallel and coextensive with the length of the belts 92, 94 and 93, 96. The guides 98, 99 thus further aid in lowering the carriers 3 and further stabilization of the carriers 3 as they are lowered.

To obtain optimum performance and reliability from the apparatus 10, rather then being completely lowered over a group of bottles 5, each carrier is only substantially lowered prior to the departure of the carrier panels 910, 912 from the declination belts 92, 94 and 93, 96 and departure of the handle portion from the overhead declination blocks 102.
Completed lowering of each carrier 3 over a group of bottles 5 is achieved in the seating wheel assembly 120 which follows the declination belt assembly 90 and overhead declination block 100 assemblies. Carriers 3 and groups of bottles 5 exit the declination belt 90 and overhead declination block 100 assemblies as a unit denoted by the number 6 in Fig. 13. The carrier-bottle unit 6 is a package in which the fully-erected carrier 3 is substantially but not completed lowered over the bottle grouping 5. The carrier 3 is either angularly disposed with respect to the bottle-grouping 5, due to the angular placement of the carrier 3 over the bottles 5, or the carrier 3 may be horizontally disposed as it exits the declination section due to contact of the rearmost end of the carrier handle by the last declination block 102.
Referring now also to Fig. 17, the seating wheel assembly 120 is a ferris-wheel-like structure wherein seating blocks 122 are attached to a revolving wheel or drum in a manner which maintains their downwardly-directed (that is, wherein the handle-receiving slot is downwardly directed) orientation. The seating blocks 122 maintain the same orientation as they travel in the circular path of the wheel 124.
Suitable means for preservation of the orientation of the seating blocks 122 as the wheel 124 turns is to allow the seating blocks 122 to freely pivot with respect to the wheel.
This arrangement is simply illustrated in Fig. 13. A more precise means of maintaining alignment is illustrated in Fig. 17. Fig. 17 illustrates the use of a planetary gear system to maintain the downward orientation of the seating blocks.

In Fig. 17, the seating blocks 122 are mounted upon "planet" gears 127 that revolve around a centrally disposed "sun" gear 126 in known mechanical manner.

The seating blocks 122 have a handle-receiving groove or slot 123 like the handle-receiving groove/slot 103 of the overhead declination blocks 102. Since the handle-receiving portion 123 of the seating block 122 is not fully visible in the illustration of Fig. 4 and not visible in Fig. 13, the blocks 102, 122 may be considered identical in this aspect. The rotation of the wheel 124 is synchronized with the movement of the carrier-bottle units 6 so that consecutive seating blocks 122 engage the handles of consecutive carriers of the units 5. The movements of the wheel and carrier-bottle unit conveyor are synchronized such that the handle of a carrier-bottle unit 6 intersects the angular path of the wheel 124 as the handle-receiving portion 123 of a seating block 122 reaches that same point. Thus, after the seating block 122 engages the handle of a carrier rotation of the wheel moves the block 122 both downward and forward. Placement of the carrier 3 over a group of bottles 5 is thus completed and the carrier is fully "seated" with respect to the group of bottles 5.
The unit of a group of bottles 5 and a fully-seated carrier 3 is denoted by the reference numeral 7 in Fig. 26. The unit 7 is now ready for closure.
The seating blocks 122 may be spring-loaded such that if a bottle is engaged rather than a carrier-handle the resistance will cause the seating block to be pushed backward toward its point of coupling. In this manner damage and jamming is prevented if a misaligned bottle is engaged by a seating block 122.
In Figs. 13 and 14 the bottles 1 are shown in groupings 5 of two by three arrays, a total of six bottles per group. However, as previously mentioned, it is noted that the system of the invention works well with various multiples of bottles to be packaged. To reinforce this point, the description and illustrations of the preferred embodiment utilize both six- and eight-bottle configurations. For example, the bottle grippers 114 illustrated in the isometric schematic of Fig. 4 is configured for an eight-bottle group while the carriers 3 and bottle groupings in other illustrations depict a six-bottle configuration. The principles of the invention are equally applicable to both six- and eight-bottle configurations as well as other arrayed configurations.

Referring now briefly to Fig. 16, in an alternate version of the overhead declination block 102a bevelled bottom walls 101 a lead to the groove, or slot 103a for receiving the carrier handle.
Folder and Gluer Referring now again particularly to Fig. 4, upon leaving the seating portion 120 of the apparatus 10 each package 7 is engaged and transported by a package lug assembly 130. The package lug assembly 130 primarily consists of a pair of opposing endless chains 132 upon which are mounted lugs 134 that engage each package 7. Closure of the carton 3 of each package 7 is accomplished in the folding and gluing area 140 of the apparatus 10 as the packages are moved along by the package lugs 134.
Referring now particularly to Fig. 18, therein is illustrated a folder-gluer assembly 140 of the apparatus for loading bottom-loading basket-style carriers according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. The gluing operation will be discussed later, however, for clarity of understanding it is now noted that glue is applied to the interior side (that is, the side which faces the inside of the erected carrier 3) of the so-called greater bottom wall panel 912 of the carrier 3.
Glue is applied to adhere the riser panel support tabs 961, 963, 971, 973 to the interior side of the greater bottom wall panel 912. In a version of the carrier without support tabs 961, 963, 971,973 folding and adherence of the support tabs would obviously not be necessary for such a carrier. The elements of the folder-gluer assembly 140 are positioned to fold the elements of the carrier 3 in sequence. The folding features of the folder 140 are static elements that engage applicable panels and flaps of carriers 3 as the packages 7 are moved by the package lugs 134 in the direction indicated by the direction arrow 71. As the packages approach the folding section the bottom panels flaps 910, 912 are generally more horizontally inclined rather than downwardly vertically oriented. In the folding section, the bottom panels 910, are first folded vertically downward, then under the carrier 3 into face-to-face relationship for later locking. The support tabs 961, 963, 971, 973 are folded into a horizontal position. The support tab folding elements are contained in what is conveniently referred to as a tab folding block 141. Consistent with the carrier orientation discussed above, the greater bottom panel flap 912 is the first of the two bottom panel flaps 190, 912 engaged. The greater panel flap 912 is engaged and caused to be folded vertically downward by the inclined edge of the first vertical panel-folding wedge 162. The first vertical panel-folding wedge 162 folds the greater panel 912 to a vertically downward position wherein it is sandwiched between the wedge 162 and the folding block 141. The folding block 141 provides edges and surfaces which separate and fold the support tabs into place and spaces which accommodate the tabs as they are being manipulated. Each pair of a long and short support tab 961 & 971, 963 & 973, at opposing ends of the carrier is engaged simultaneously by the block 141 (note Fig. 3, the end of the carrier with support tabs 961, the longer tab, and 971, the shorter tab, is the leading end).

Closure of the Carrier Closure of the bottom of the carrier 3 may be achieved by several means. For example, adherence of the bottom panels 910, 912 to one another by an adhesive.
Another effective means for closure is the use of a locking mechanism known as a "punch lock" in the packaging field wherein the outermost of the two bottom panels has male locking members that are superimposed over corresponding female apertures and members formed in the inside bottom panel. To help effectively close the bottom of the carrier 3, particularly if the carrier will be closed utilizing a punch lock, the two bottom panels 910, 912 can be drawn inwardly to help align the two bottom panels 910, 912. This is particularly useful, and necessary, to engage male and female lock features and is also useful to generally ensure that the carrier 3 is in its optimum squared-up condition with the bottom panels 910, 910 overlapping by a predetermined amount.

Other modifications may be made in the foregoing without departing from the scope and spirit of the claimed invention.

Claims

1. A mechanism for seating open-bottomed carriers aligned over transported groupings of predetermined numbers of containers, the mechanism comprising at least one seating member adapted for engaging a respective one of the carriers characterized in that said at least one seating member is mounted in synchronous downward and forward motion in operable disposition above the transported groupings of predetermined numbers of containers and in that as said at least one seating member travels through said synchronous downward and forward motion said at least one seating member engages the respective one of the carriers and impels the respective carrier downwardly in relation to the containers during continuous forward movement.

2. The mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one seating member engages a top most region of a respective one of the carriers.

3. The mechanism of claim 2, wherein the top-most region of the carriers is a handle structure and a bottom surface of said at least one seating member includes a groove extending longitudinally therethrough.

4. The mechanism of any of claims 1 to 3, wherein said at least one seating member is spring-loaded such that said at least one seating member retracts away from the respective carrier if substantial resistance to impelling the respective carrier downward is incurred.

5. The mechanism as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the at least one seating member travels through a synchronized rotary motion, and engages said carrier through the lower arc of the rotary motion.

6. The mechanism as claimed in claim 5, wherein said at least one seating member is mounted upon a planet gear of a planetary geer mechanism.

7. A system for seating open-bottomed carriers with respect to groupings of predetermined numbers of container, the system comprising: a conveyor transporting a column of the groupings of predetermined numbers of containers with the open-bottomed carriers aligned thereover; and the mechanism as claimed in any claims 1 to 6.

8. An apparatus for loading containers into open-bottomed carriers, the carriers having a pair of opposing bottom panels adjoining side walls thereof, the apparatus comprising:
a container feeder assembly having conveyor mechanism for translating at least one column of a series of groupings of predetermined numbers of containers along a first level;
a carrier feeder for retrieving the carriers from a carrier infeed supplier;
a carrier timer-transport assembly disposed in operative communication with said carrier feeder for receiving the carriers from said carrier feeder and initiating transport of the carriers in synchronous parallel motion with said at least one column of a series of groupings of predetermined numbers of containers at a second level above said first level such that the carriers are aligned over respective ones of said groupings of predetermined numbers of containers;
a gripper assembly for grasping and pulling the bottom panels of the carriers outwardly with respect to a centerline thereof such that the bottom panels are substantially transversely disposed with respect to side walls of the carriers as the carriers are translated;
a declination belt assembly have a downwardly-declining pair of opposing elongated endless belt pairs in face-to-face relationship forming a pathway therebetween for receiving transversely extending bottom panels of the carriers and transporting the carriers in synchronous downwardly-declining linear motion over respective ones of said groupings of predetermined numbers of containers;
a seating assembly having at least one seating member mounted in synchronous vertical cyclically-revolving motion in operable disposition above said groupings of predetermined numbers of containers such that as said at least one seating member travels through a lower arc of said synchronous vertical cyclically-revolving motion said at least one seating member engages a respective one of the carriers and impels the respective carrier downwardly in relation to a respective grouping of the containers; and a bottom panel closure mechanism for securing the bottom panels of each carrier together.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, said at least one seating member having a groove extending longitudinally through a bottom surface for engaging a top-most region of the carriers.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said at least one seating member is spring-loaded such that said at least one seating member retracts away from the respective carrier if substantial resistance to impelling the respective carrier downward is incurred.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said at least one seating member is mounted upon a planet gear of a planetary gear mechanism.