GB2024763A

GB2024763A - Apparatus for arranging objects in a container

Info

Publication number: GB2024763A
Application number: GB7922127A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Stork Bepak BV
Current assignee: Stork Bepak BV
Priority date: 1978-06-26
Filing date: 1979-06-26
Publication date: 1980-01-16
Also published as: FR2429709A1; DE2925596A1; FR2429709B1; NL7810566A; GB2024763B

Abstract

Apparatus for placing objects, such as sugar cubes, in a plurality of layers into a container 3 comprises one or more pairs of guide members 22b arranged above the conveyor 7 and corresponding in number to the number of rows of objects, means such as fluid pressure operated piston and cylinder units for reciprocatably driving the guide members in a direction transverse to the conveyor feed path, and one or more grippers 72 arranged at or adjacent to the end of the conveyor for picking up a closely packed group of objects supplied by the conveyor (7) and for transferring this group of objects to the container 3. The container 3 is positioned on a conveyor belt support 35 which is lowered, as the number of layers in the container increases, by a cam disc 46 connected to the drive 48-52, 63 for the gripper. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Apparatus for arranging objects in a container The invention relates to apparatus for arranging objects, in a serried manner and in a plurality of layers in a container.

More particularly but not exclusively, the invention relates to apparatus for packing cubes of sugar into boxes, the individual cubes being supplied by means of a conveyor in a relatively loose and disorderly condition.

The invention provides apparatus for placing objects in a serried manner and in a plurality of layers into a container, the objects being supplied, in use, on a conveyor in one or more adjacent rows, the apparatus comprising one or more pairs of guide members arranged, in use, above the conveyor and corresponding in number to the number of rows of objects, means for reciprocatably driving the guide members in a transverse direction on the conveyor, and one or more grippers arranged, in use, at or adjacent to the conveyor for picking up a closed group of objects supplied by the conveyor and for transferring said group of objects to a container.

It is thus possible to provide apparatus wherein the reciprocatable guide members cause the objects such as sugar cubes supplied by frictional contact with the conveyor, to be arranged into a number of compact rows from which a predefined number of cubes is picked up and arranged into the container.

Since due to the successive filling of the container, the surface on which the objects rest would rise continually unless special measures were taken, the apparatus preferably further comprises a container supply conveyor the level of which is adjustable by means of an adjuster coupled to the drive of the grippers in such a way that the level descends from a maximum value occurring when empty containers are located before the conveyor by a distance corresponding to the height of the objects at each stroke of the grippers.

Such a measure allows the driving mechanism of the grippers to be of simple design since it has only to carry out one and the same stroke.

Preferably, the grippers are reciprocably movable by a continuously rotatable shaft which is coupled to a curved disc via a reduction mechanism having a transmission ratio equal to the number of layers to be stacked, the radius of the disc having a corresponding number of different values and the circumference of the disc being scanned by a follower which is coupled to the container supply conveyor.

Advantageously, a support for the container supply conveyor is pivotably coupled to respective first ends of two parallel arms which are located at different levels and which are each pivotally supported equidistantly from their first ends, the lower arm being extended past its pivot axis about which it is supported so that at the opposite end of said arm a downwardly directed force can be or is applied.

Conveniently, the containuously rotatable shaft is coupled to a section of a chain which runs over two freewheeling toothed wheels mounted at different levels, the upper toothed wheel being coaxial with a third, fixed toothed wheel and carrying an arm, the free end of which is provided with a journal supporting a fourth toothed wheel which is coupled to a gripper carrier, the arm carried by said upper toothed wheel having a length between the axis of said upper toothed wheel and the axis of said fourth toothed wheel which is equal to the length of each of said two parallel arms between the pivot support axis thereof and the axis about which the respective parallel arm is connected to the container supply conveyor support. This prevents swaying of the gripper when carrying out its movement between the two extreme positions and maintains a simple design.

A change of position occurring as a result of changes of the level of the support of the conveyor is compensated in horizontal direction by a corresponding change of position of the grippers in horizontal direction due to the mutually equal effective length of the above mentioned three arms.

In order to obtain correct positioning of both the empty and the filled containers, the container supply conveyor may be provided with projecting stops which define the spacing between the containers.

An installation having a plurality of the above apparatuses may be provided, wherein the apparatuses are arranged along a common infeed conveyor for empty containers, each apparatus being provided with a manually operable stop- and pushoff device for transmitting a number of containers from the common infeed conveyor to the container supply conveyor which forms part of the respective apparatus.

In the above case, conveniently, the container supply conveyor of each apparatus is closed in itself and is coupld to a discharge conveyorfortransport- ing filled containers, coupled in each apparatus to a common discharge conveyor, and each apparatus is provided with a stop for blocking filled containers supplied stream-upward and with an inserterforthe filled containers which run from the respective apparatuses and which are carried off, in use, on the discharge conveyor.

The invention will now be more particularly described with reference to the drawings in which: Figure lisa plan view of one embodiment of apparatus according to the invention; Figure 2 is a side-view of the apparatus of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a plan view of the guiding frames and the respective drive; Figure 4 is a schematic side-view of the gripper drive and the support of the conveyor; Figure 5 shows the gripper drive in more detail; Figure 6 is a plan view of a complete installation comprising a plurality of apparatuses according to Figures 1 to 5.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 shows apparatus which is indicated by general reference-number 1 and arranged along a conveyor 2 on which empty containers 3 to be filled with sugar cubes are supplied. The apparatus comprises an enclosed container conveyor 4 on which the containers to be filled are spaced by raised stops 5; the conveyor 4 being driven intermittently by suitable driving means which are not shown. A filling station where always three containers are filled at the same time during a stationary period of the conveyor 4, is indicated by general reference-number 6 and is arranged at the end of the conveyor belt 7 on which sugar cubes are supplied in three rows 8,9, in irregular condition.In compaction apparatuses to be described hereinafter and shown in further detail in Figure 3, the sugar cubes are arranged to form closed rows from which always a group of closely packed cubes is picked up in the filling station 6 and positioned in the containers supplied by the container conveyor 4. Subsequently, the filled containers are fed to a discharge conveyor 12 from which, via a device still to be described, they are fed to a common discharge conveyor 13.

Each apparatus is operated and supervised by an operator in the space enclosed by the conveyor 4 and this person places each time three empty containers 3, supplied by the conveyor 2, on the container conveyor 4. For this purpose, the operator operates a combined stop-push-off device 14 which is operated by means of a handle 15 and which pivots around point 16, has a stop which protrudes to above the conveyor 2. When the handle 15 is moved inward to the first position drawn in dashed lines, the stop moves in the container track and a number of containers are stopped. As soon as three empty containers are positioned one after another, the handle 15 is moved further inward and the containers 3 are pushed off the conveyor 2. Then they are placed manually in the correct interspaces.

In this way, always groups of three juxtaposed containers are placed on conveyor 4.

The device for positioning the cubes in closed rows is indicated by general reference-number 11 and shown in an enlarged scale and in more detail in Figure 3. The device comprises three pairs of guide members, i.e. frames 20a and 20b, 21a and 21b, 22a and 22b. The two frames of each pair are movable towards and away from each other by means of fluid pressure operated piston and cylinder units 23 and 24 the pistons of which controlled by a pneumatic or hydraulic controller, perform a periodically limited stroke. The cylinder 25 of the unit 23 is fastened to a support 26 which is attached to the frames 20a, 21a, 22a and which can move relative to a rod 27 an end, 28 of which is attached to the frame 29.The piston rod 30 is fastened to a support 31 which is connected to the frames 20b, 21b, 22b and which can move relative to a rod 32 the end 33 of which is also attached to the frame 29. In a similar way, the cylinder 24 is coupled to the frames 20a-22b; the supports and couplings being indicated by the same reference-numbers provided with the suffix "a". As a result of reciprocating movement of the frames, the loose rows of cubes 8,9, 10 are arranged to form compact rows of serried cubes.

A predetermined number of cubes should now be picked up and placed into the empty containers supplied on conveyor 4. Figures 4 and 5 show respectively an end-view and a side-view of a suitable device. Use is made of three commonly driven vacuum grippers, each having a plurality of suction apertures corresponding to and arranged according to the cubes to be gripped in a singie stroke, in combination with a suitable driving device and a support for the conveyor 4 whereby at each stroke of the grippers the level of the conveyor 4 decreases by a predetermined value corresponding to the height of the cubes. For this purpose, the conveyor 4 has adjacent to the filling station 6, a vertically reciprocatable base 35 which is supported by a rod 36 which is pivotably connected to two parallel arms 39,40, at pivot points 37 and 38 respectively.The arm 39 is pivotably connected to the frame at a pivot point 39a and the arm 40 can pivot about pivot point 42. The arm 40 has an extended portion 40a to which a weight 41 is attached, and an arm 43 depends from the arm 40 and at its end carries a scanning roller 45 rotatable about axis 44. This roller co-operates with a curved disc 46 which is rotatable about an axis 47 and is driven in a manner to be described hereinafter. A crankarm 48 is also rotatable about axis 47 and is coupled, via a rod 49 and a coupling 50, to a chain 51 which runs over two toothed wheels 52,53. A rotary movement of the crankarm 48 over 360" results in a reciprocating movement of the coupling 50 which during this movement effects movement of the chain 51. The chain 51 (Figure 5) drives the toothed wheel 52 in a reciprocating manner.It will be observed that the coupling 50 is connected to an intermediate element 50a to which the ends 51a, 51b of the chain 51 are fastened and which stands under the pressure of two springs 54, 55 which are respectively taken up in the fixed bushes 56,57. In this manner, the movement is always effected against spring-pressure and the gripper lifting is supported by spring-pressure.

Toothed wheel 52 can freely rotate around a fixed shaft 58 via bearings 59,60, the outer ring of which is included in a bush 61 which, by means of bolts 62, supports an arm 63, at the end of which a shaft 64 is fastened. A toothed wheel 67 is supported on shaft 64 by ball bearings 65, 66. The toothed wheel 67 is fastened to a bush 69 (which also includes the bearing 66) by means of bolts 68. An extension piece 70 of the bush 69 supports a vacuum gripper 72 via a support 71. A chain 76 runs around the toothed wheel 67 and a toothed wheel 73 which is fastened to a fra ne 75 via a bush 74.

During a reciprocating movement of the chain 51, the arm 63 will sway from the position shown in Figure 4, in which the gripper 72 is positioned above the cubes 74, to a position in which the packet of cubes supplied is located above the container 5.

Now the conjunction between the fixed toothed wheel 73, the chain 76 and the toothed wheel 67 which is connected to the gripper carrier 71, always causes the gripper 72 to adopt a verticaliy extending position due to the rolling off of the toothed wheel 67 over chain 76.

The length of the arms 39 and 40 between respective pivot points 37, 39a and 38,42 is preferably chosen to be equal to the length of the arms 63 as measured between the shaft 58 and the shaft 64 which supports the grippers 72. This allows that, in case of a change of level of the base 35, the resulting displacement thereof in horizontal direction is com pensated by a corresponding displacement of the gripper 72 in the horizontal plane at the moment that the grippers arrive within the upper limits of the respective containers. This ensures that at each filling step and on each level of the containers the grippers always extend to within the containers.

The device operates as follows: The row of cubes 73 comes to a standstill against the stop 74 and when three containers are located on the conveyor 4 in front of the filling station, the grippers are driven by a suitable control mechanism (not shown), a packet of cubes per gripper being each time picked up and transferred to the container.

The level of the containers is defined by that of the support 35 which is coupled to the rod 36 the position of which is defined by the position of the curved disc46 with respect to the roller 45. The arm 48 is continuously rotatingly driven and this rotatingly driven and this rotating movement is transmitted to the curved disc 46 via a reduction geartrain having a ratio of transformation equal to the number of layers to be stacked. The diameter of the disc 46 decreases stepwise and, in the embodiment shown, it has three values, because the device is designed to fill a container with three layers and the gear ratio is 1:3. With each sway of the grippers 72, the level of the containers to be filled descends over a distance equal to the height of the layer of sugar cubes; after three sways the container is filled and the level is restored to the starting level.Now, it will be clear that the control of the various sections to be driven can be realized in any suitable way by the skilled operator; for instance, a pneumatic control can be used in combination with electrical or optical scanners, possibly with a suitable programmer.

Figure 6 shows in plan a complete installation, which in this case comprises six apparatuses of the type described above. They work independently of each other. Empty containers are supplied via a container stock 80 on the conveyor 2 which passes in front of filling units la-1f, each of which operates in conjunction with an infeed conveyor 7a-7f on which the cubes are supplied via infeed units 81a-81f. Via individual discharge conveyors 1 2a-1 2f of the Units la-if, the filled containers are fed to common discharge conveyor 13. The filled containers are fed to a drying station 82 and subsequently to a packaging station 83. To ensure a uniform discharge of the filled containers (Figure 1 - reference number 84) the following measure is taken at each stallion.

The discharge conveyor in question off loads onto conveyor 13 via an infeed conveyor section 13a which connects with the conveyor 13 via an inclined section 85. A part 86 of section 85 rotates around a vertical shaft and functions both as a stop and as a sluice. When filled containers are supplied via a conveyor 12whilstfilled containers also arrive from stations positioned upstream, the operator of the station in question places part 86 into the transverse position shown, as a result of which the containers 84a are held back and the containers 84b can pass.

After turning part 86, the containers 84a can arrive on conveyor 13 without interruption and then be carried off further.

It will be clearthat an optional number of units be combined to form a complete installation with a given desired capacity. The simple design results in an optimum dependability and makes such an installation most suitable for use in those countries where less specialized staff is available for maintenance.

Claims

1. Apparatus for placing objects in a serried manner and in a plurality of layers into a container, the objects being supplied, in use, on a conveyor in one or more adjacent rows, the apparatus comprising one or more pairs of guide members arranged in use, above the conveyor and corresponding in number to the number of rows of objects, means for reciprocatably driving the guide members in a transverse direction on the conveyor, and one or more grippers, arranged in use, at or adjacent to the conveyor for picking up a closed group of objects supplied by the conveyor and for transferring said group of objects to a container.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a container supply conveyor, the level of which is adjustabie by means of an adjuster coupled to the drive of the grippers in such a way that the level descends from a maximum value occurring when empty containers are located before the conveyor by a distance corresponding to the height of the objects at each stroke of the grippers.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the grippers are reciprocably movable by a continuously rotatable shaft which is coupled to a curved disc via a reduction mechanism having a transmission ratio equal to the number of layers to be stacked, the radius of the disc having a corresponding number of different values and the circumference of the disc being scanned by a follower which is coupled to the container supply conveyor.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a support for the container supply conveyor is pivotally coupled to respective first ends of two parallel arms which are located at different levels and which are each pivotally supported equidistantly from their first ends, the lower arm being extended past its pivot axis about which it is supported so that at the opposite end of said arm a downwardly directed force can be or is applied.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the continuously rotatable shaft is coupled to a section of a chain which runs over two freewheeling toothed wheels mounted at different levels, the upper toothed wheel being coaxial with a third, fixed toothed wheel and carrying an arm the free end of which is provided with a journal supporting a fourth toothed wheel which is coupled to a gripper carrier, the arm carried by said upper toothed wheel having a length between the axis of said upper toothed wheel and the axis of said fourth toothed wheel which is equal to the length of each of said two parallel arms between the pivot support axis thereof and the axis about which the respective parallel arm is connected to the container supply conveyor support.

6. Apparatus according to anyone of claims 2 to 5, wherein the container supply conveyor is pro vided with protruding stops for spacing successive containers thereon.

7. An installation having a plurality of apparatuses according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the apparatuses are arranged along a common infeed conveyor for empty containers, each apparatus being provided with a manually operable stopand push-off device for transmitting a number of containers from the common infeed conveyor to the container supply conveyor which forms part of the respective apparatus.

8. An installation according to claim 7, wherein the container supply conveyor of each apparatus is closed in itself and is coupled to a discharge conveyor for transporting filled containers, coupled in each apparatus to a common discharge conveyor, and each apparatus is provided with a stop for blocking filled containers supplied streamupward and with an inserterforthefilled containers which run from the respective apparatuses and which are carried off in use, on the discharge conveyor.

9. Apparatus for placing objects in a serried manner and in a plurality of layers into a container, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figures 1 to 5 of the accompanying drawings.

An installation comprises a plurality of apparatuses as claimed in claim 9, substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in Figures 1 to 6 of the accompanying