GB2090804A

GB2090804A - Grouping articles before packaging

Info

Publication number: GB2090804A
Application number: GB8200570A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft
Current assignee: Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft
Priority date: 1981-01-08
Filing date: 1982-01-08
Publication date: 1982-07-21
Also published as: IT8168579A0; IT1145221B; DE3144449A1; SE8200025L

Abstract

Grouping apparatus comprises fingers (7a, 8a and 9a, 10a) which are secured to cross-members (7, 8 and 9, 10 respectively) and which engage in pairs between incoming bottles or other articles (4) packed together on a conveyor belt (3), and are driven at different speeds, e.g. one at and one slower than the speed of the conveyor belt (3) to form gaps between groups of bottles. Drive elements (6) of a further conveying means (5) extend into these gaps and move the groups of bottles forward. The cross-members may be driven via cam discs 13 and levers, and may alternatively be in a rested form which lifts up an article (e.g. a square box) on the conveyor belt, lifted article being separated from the article in front by the divergence of the fingers. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements relating to packaging apparatus This invention relates to packaging apparatus.

For the purpose of automatically packing groups of upstanding articles, such as bottles, in cardboard packaging means, it is necessary to form groups comprising a specific number of articles which are then surrounded by a wrapper. Machines for performing this type of operation are already known.

It is known from US-PS 3,482,372, for example, to stack articles, e.g. cans, on a rotating table having an inclined axis of rotation and then to move the articles to an inclined outlet track, which communicates with a slide which receives a predetermined group of articles. Movement of the articles is then stopped, and the group of articles is separated by lowering the slide. A disadvantage of this arrangement is that the apparatus, driven in a stepwise manner, causes considerable noise, and sliding of the articles over the rotating table results in wear. In addition, because of the periodic halting and acceleration of the articles, considerable forces due to inertia are setup and these permit only a low conveying capacity.

Also known are machines for grouping flat biscuits and the like, stood on their edges, these being moved in a row; the groups are formed by introducing blades between the biscuits from above, these blades moving a separated group forward at a fairly high speed. Such machines are not suitable for moving bottles, for example, since they do not take into account the special circumstances associated with such articles, i.e. tendency to clatter, the high position of the centre of gravity combined with a small standing surface, etc.

The present invention seeks to provide packaging apparatus wherein articles to be packed, in particular bottles, can be divided into groups without, as far as possible, suffering damage, but in very efficient manner, and with minimal creation of noise and ease in supervising the apparatus.

According to the invention, there is provided apparatus for the arrangement, in groups, of articles which are moved at uniform speed on a conveyor track in a plurality of parallel rows while upright and bearing against each other in the conveying direction, which groups are contacted and moved forward by drive elements associated with a circulating conveying means, separating devices being provided which periodically penetrate the rows of bottles and form gaps between groups of adjacent articles, wherein the separating devices are members which move in pairs, each pair comprising a front member and a rear member, along a track curve disposed in a vertical plane and which engage from below between adjacent articles in the zone of the conveyor track, each rear separating member of a pair being moved, in the zone of the conveyor track, more slowly than the track in the conveying direction in order to create a gap between the articles, thus separating a group of articles from the remainder, whereas each front separating member of a pair is moved at at least the same speed as the conveyor track so as to maintain the gap untii a drive element associated with the circulating conveyor means has engaged in the gap.

In order that the invention may be better understood, an embodiment thereof will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a cross section through the apparatus of the invention; Figure 2 is a side view of the apparatus showing the drive mechanism for the horizon tal movement of the separating means; Figure 3 is a side view of the apparatus showing the drive mechanism for the vertical movement of the separating means; Figure 4 is a plan view of the apparatus from which the inlet conveyor belts and the outlets conveyor means are ornitted; Figure 5 is a side view of a modified form of the separating means; and Figures 6a to 6d illustrate the path of movement of the tips of a pair of separating means during a separating movement.

Mounted in a machine frame 1 are the direction-changing rollers of four conveyor belts 3, on each of which a series of upstanding bottles 4 are arranged in a row and are moved while in contact with each other. The purpose of the apparatus is to separate, for example, four bottles 4 in each row from the bottles being moved and to pass them to an endless conveyor chain 5 which comprises drive elements 6 and passes round a direction-changing wheel 5a in the zone of the conveyor belts 3.

Each drive element 6, associated with the conveyor chain 5, thus moves a total of 1 6 bottles 4 over a conveyor table 11 to a packaging station, not illustrated, where they are put into a cardboard packaging means.

The formation of the groups of bottles is carried out by two pairs of separating crossmembers 7, 8; 9, 10, which are provided with fingers 7a, 8a; 9a, 1 Oa (see Fig. 4). The two cross-members 7 and 8 are driven by a rod mechanism at one side of the frame 1, whereas the two other cross-members 9 and 10 are driven by a similar rod mechanism at the other side of the frame 1.

The drive for the cross-members 7 and 8 will now be described in greater detail by reference to Figs. 2 and 3. These members circulate in a closed track, illustrated in Figs.

6a to 6d, which track is disposed in a vertical plane. At the beginning of their working stroke, the fingers 7a and 8a engage from below in the conveyor belts 3 between the lateral gaps between the bottles 4 od round cross-section. This position of the fingers 7a and 8a is illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. The cross-members 7 and 8 are now moved to the right along the conveyor belts 3, the crossmember 7 being displaced rather more slowly than the conveyor belts 3, whereas the crossmember 8 is displaced at the same speed as or somewhat more rapidly than the conveyor belts 3. Thus, gaps are formed between the leading four bottles and the following rows, into which gap a drive element 6 of the conveyor chain 5 can extend.Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate the second pair of cross-members 9 and 10 in a position in which one of the groups of bottles has been taken over by a drive element 6. At the next moment, the pair of cross-members 9 and 10 are moved downwardly so that they lie below the conveyor belts 3 and can be moved to the left.

Fig. 6a illustrates diagrammatically the path of movement of the tips of the pairs of fingers during passage along half of the circulatory stretch. During their movement to the right, the pairs of fingers 7a and 8a engage in the conveyor belts 3 and the gap between them increases progressively. At the same time, the pairs of fingers 9a and 1 0a move back to the left below the conveyor belts 3, and as they do so they continuously approach each other until they are in contact, as shown in Fig. 6d, and are able to penetrate the row of bottles.

The return movement of the pairs of fingers takes place somewhat more rapidly than does their forward movement.

The two pairs of cross-members 7, 8; 9, 10 are driven by a common shaft 12, which is rotated at a uniform speed by a common shaft 12, which is rotated at a uniform speed by a motor, not illustrated. Mounted on the shaft 1 2 are two pairs of cam discs 1 3 and 14. The cam discs 1 3 actuate the rod systems for horizontally moving the cross-members 7-10, one of the rod systems being illustrated in Fig. 2. The cam discs 14 impart vertical movement to the cross-members 7-10 by means of a rod system illustrated in Fig. 3.

Figs. 1 and 4 show that the pairs of crossmembers 7, 8 and 9, 10 are guided on a cross-head 1 5 and 16 respectively. Each cross-head 1 5 and 1 6 slides on two horizontal parallel bars 1 7 which are connected to the machine frame 1. Furthermore, each crosshead 1 5 and 1 6 carries two vertical guide bars 18, on which the cross-members are mounted and displaceable in the vertical direction. The cross-members 7 to 10 have arms 7b-1 Ob which extend vertically downwards and carry slide rollers 7c-1 Oc. These slide rollers engage in horizontal guide rails 19, which are periodically moved upwards and downwards in a vertical plane by the cam discs 14.

Each guide rail 19, connected at both ends to an angled plate 20, is mounted on an intermediate carrier 1 a, associated with the frame 1, and can be swung about shafts 21.

The two angled plates 20 are hinged to each other by means of a bar 22. The cam disc 14 actuates a lever 23 which can be swung in a bearing 24 secured to the machine frame and which is likewise hinged to an angled plate 20 by way of an intermediate lever 25. A restoring spring 26 continuously pulls the lever 23 against the cam disc 14. Thus, rotation of the cam disc 14 causes a periodic upward and downward swinging of the guide rails 19, the cross-members 7, 8; 9, 10 executing the same movement.

At the same time, the cross-members 7 and 8 are moved in the horizontal direction by the rod system illustrated in Fig. 2. The crossmembers 9 and are driven by a similar rod system.

The cam disc 1 3 actuates a lever 27, which is swingable in a bearing 28 secured to the machine frame. The lever 27 is continuously pressed against the cam disc 1 3 by a restoring spring 29. Mounted in a double bearing 30 are two rocking levers 31 and 32 which, by way of further intermediate levers 33 and 34, are connected to the cross-heads 1 6 and therefore to the cross-members 7 and 8. The rocking lever 31 is connected to the lever 27 by a lever 35. The rocking lever 32 is connected to the lever 27 through the drive levers 36, 37 and 38.When the cam disc 13 rotates, this lever rod system causes the above-described horizontal movement of the cross-members 7 and 8, which movement, together with the vertical movement of the guide rail 19, constitutes the circulatory path of the cross-members 7 to 10 that is illustrated in Figs. 6a to 6d.

The lever 35 is mounted in an adjusting slot 31 a formed in the rocking lever 31, and it can be displaced and secured in this slot.

This enables the stroke of the cross-member 7 to be adjusted to suit the length of the groups to be separated.

Fig. 5 illustrates diagrammatically a modified form of the cross-members 7, 8; 9, 10, which is intended for use in the grouping of articles 4a of square cross-section. The articles may be, for example, bottles which have already been packed individually in containers of square cross-section. In this case, when the articles move on to the conveying belts 3, they are in contact with each other their entire lateral faces. Thus, the fingers 7a, 8a; 9a, 1 ova cannot engage between the articles 4a.

In modified arrangement shown in Fig. 4, carrier plates 7b and 9b are placed on the cross-members 7 and 9 respectively. These carrier plates have openings 7c and 9c re spectively in which drive fingers 8b and lOb, secured to the cross-members 8 and 10 respectively, are accommodated. The mode of operation can be seen from Fig. 5. The leading article of each group is lifted slightly from the carrier plate 7b and 9b so that the drive fingers 8b and 10b respectively can be introduced, and the group of articles disposed in front of a finger can be separated from the raised article which is held back.

Minimal creation of noise is achieved by the small differences in speed and the smooth running of .', apparatus. Furthermore, this system offers the advantage that the moving articles do not change direction during the formation of the groups, and no differences in level have to be overcome.

Claims

1. Apparatus for the arrangement, in groups, of articles which are moved at uniform speed on a conveyor track in a plurality of parallel rows while upright and bearing against each other in the conveying direction, which groups are contacted and moved forward by drive elements associated with a circulating conveying means, separating devices being provided which periodically penetrate the rows of bottles and form gaps between groups of adjacent articles, wherein the separating devices are members which moves in pairs, each pair comprising a front member and a rear member, along a track curve disposed in a vertical plane and which engage from below between adjacent articles in the zone of the conveyor track, each rear separating member of a pair being moved, in the zone of the conveyor track, more slowly than the track in the conveying direction in order to create a gap between the articles, thus separating a group of articles from the remainder, whereas each front separating member of a pair is moved at at least the same speed as the conveyor track so as to maintain the gap until a drive element associated with the circulating conveyor means has engaged in the gap.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the rear and forward separating members are fingers which are secured to respective separating cross-members which extend transversely of the conveyor track.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the separating cross-members are moved in a curved track, extending in a vertical plane, by means of vertically reciprocating guide rails and horizontally reciprocating cross slides.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the guide rails and the cross slides are driven by respective cam discs by way of respective lever systems.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein a drive lever for the cross slide has an adjusting slot for receiving the end of another drive lever so as to adjust the stroke of the cross slide to suit the length of the group that is formed.

6. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the rear separating members are designed as support plates for lifting individual articles of a group.

7. Apparatus for the arrangement, in groups, of articles to be packed substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.