U.S. patent number 3,867,807 [Application Number 05/416,733] was granted by the patent office on 1975-02-25 for carrier applicator machine for bottles.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Owens-Illinois, Inc.. Invention is credited to Eugene F. Doucette.
United States Patent |
3,867,807 |
Doucette |
February 25, 1975 |
CARRIER APPLICATOR MACHINE FOR BOTTLES
Abstract
The invention disclosed is a machine for applying in series a
molded plastic shell-like carrier over a pre-arranged grouping of
containers, such as bottles. The machine includes a storage
magazine turret supplying the carriers in nested fashion to a
hopper device at a feeding station. The magazine turret indexes a
magazine to the feeding station and a camoperated device releases
the nested carrier stack in a magazine to the underlying hopper. A
carrier feed device continuously separates the lowermost carrier
and drops it to an underlying carrier delivery conveyor. Bottles
are advanced in parallel rows under the conveyor and past a carrier
gate at the end of the carrier conveyor. First star wheel mechanism
spaces the bottles on the conveyor to correspond as groups with
compartment cavities in the carrier. Bottles moving through the
first star wheel pull carriers from the feed gate; whereupon each
such carrier falls over a group of bottles. A horizontal overhead
guide rail holds down the carrier in a preliminary position of
assembly whereat the bottles are each inserted into a compartment
cavity of the carrier. The bottle conveyor moves bottles and
carriers through a second star wheel device stabilizing the bottles
under a rotary applicator wheel. The wheel has peripherally spaced
pockets that coincide with the compartments of the carrier and the
wheel, on a yieldable arm, bears against the carrier to seat the
annular retaining bead in the carrier compartments over an enlarged
end portion of the bottles. The grouping of bottles is held in the
carrier as a packaged unit.
Inventors: |
Doucette; Eugene F.
(Burlington, MA) |
Assignee: |
Owens-Illinois, Inc. (Toledo,
OH)
|
Family
ID: |
23651084 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/416,733 |
Filed: |
November 19, 1973 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
53/48.1; 53/580;
53/314 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65B
17/025 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65B
17/02 (20060101); B65B 17/00 (20060101); B65b
021/00 (); B65b 043/44 () |
Field of
Search: |
;53/48,49,196,299,313,314 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Spruill; Robert L.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Nelson; J. R.
Claims
What is claimed as the invention is:
1. A machine adapted for applying a succession of molded shell-like
carriers having a plurality of article receiving compartments
formed therein to a procession of containers having necks and
closures at the top end thereof to form carrying packs of the
containers comprising, in combination
supply means supporting said carriers in a nested relation in a
vertical stack,
separating and feeding means operable at the lower end of said
stack for separating the lowermost carrier in succession and
feeding it vertically below the stack,
carrier conveyor means below said separating and feeding means
receiving said carriers and moving them horizontally to a
preliminary assembly station spaced from said feeding means,
bottle conveyor means disposed beneath said conveyor means for
directing a procession of containers to the preliminary assembly
station,
means at the preliminary assembly station guiding the carriers
serially over the top of the containers advancing by said last
named means, said bottle conveyor means advancing the bottles and
carriers horizontally to a final assembly station horizontally
spaced from the preliminary assembly station, and
rotary assembly means mounted above said final assembly station for
engagement with the top surface of said carriers,
said rotary assembly means comprising
a rotary applicator wheel mounted on an axle disposed horizontally
and transversely to the movement of the containers, and
pockets in the peripheral surface of said wheel spaced around the
circumference of said drum to correspond with the spacing of the
tops of the compartments of said carriers, said pockets being
shaped to receive a compartment top therewithin, and support means
for the applicator wheel, including
a pivotal mounting arm, a pivotal connection at one end of said arm
on the frame of the machine and a pivotal mounting at the other end
of said arm for the applicator wheel axle, the support means
permitting the applicator wheel to engage the containers at the
final assembly station and relatively press the compartments and
container tops into locking engagement, whereby each carrier
compartment encircles a container neck and the carrier embraces the
group of containers.
2. A machine for assembling containers into carrying packs
comprising, in combination,
means for directing containers in a pair of lines to an elongated
assembly station, said assembly station having an entrance and an
exit,
means for feeding shell-like carriers having individual container
compartments aligned parallel to each other in rows for embracing a
container in each compartment, said means being disposed above the
containers,
means receiving said carriers and directing them toward the
assembly station over the tops of the containers,
first star wheel means rotatably mounted in the proximity of the
entrance of the assembly station for engaging the containers of
each of the lines successively as they are directed forwardly and
spacing the several containers in parallel lines of common spacing
therebetween in the direction of movement to correspond with the
spacing of the compartments of said carriers,
means overlying the containers and said carriers at the assembly
station entrance for engaging said carriers and guiding them
downwardly over a group of containers in the assembly station and
holding each of said carriers over a group of containers with the
top ends of the latter inserted into compartments of said
carrier,
a rotary applicator member mounted above the containers at the exit
of the assembly station and engageable with the top portion of the
carriers on the containers as they are advanced therebeneath, said
applicator member pressing the walls of the carrier compartments
into embracing engagement with the top of the containers locking
them in the carrier as a carrying pack, and
a second star wheel means in the proximity of the exit of the
assembly station engaging the grouped containers and advancing them
through the exit of the assembly station and past said applicator
member.
3. A machine for assembling a processing of containers into carrier
packs held together by encircling compartmented carriers, embracing
in said compartments the top ends of the containers, comprising, in
combination,
a carrier supply means including a support for a vertical, nested
stack of the carriers and dispensing elements engaging the
lowermost carrier of the stack and feeding it by gravity from the
stack,
a horizontal conveyor below said supply means receiving said
carriers in succession and advancing them in an end to end
series,
a carrier gate disposed along said conveyor, the said carriers at
said gate being inclined with the forward edge in a lowermost
exposed position, and adapted to engage and receive containers
travelling beneath said gate,
means advancing a procession of containers in predetermined spaced
relation to each other beneath said assembly gate and engaging said
forward edge of a carrier in said gate, the containers pulling a
carrier through said gate and in overlying relationship to said
containers, the compartments of said carrier receiving the top ends
of a group of containers,
hold down means for maintaining said carriers in registry and flat
relationship overlying the containers,
an endless series of carrier applying elements, and
means for continuously moving said series of applying elements in
procession through an endless path extending over said carrier and
containers, said carrier applying elements engaging each of the
carrier compartment walls and positively forcing them into firm
engagement with the top ends of the respective containers in said
carrier, whereby the containers are secured into packs within the
carrier.
4. Apparatus for feeding a stack of shell-like carrier articles
having a peripheral out-turned flange means thereon comprising
a vertical chute defined by plural vertical walls, the interior
perimeter of said chute being slightly larger than the perimeter of
the articles permitting vertical flow of the articles therein,
plural rotary feed means rotatably mounted adjacent said vertical
wall structure, said feed means being rotatable about an axis
parallel to said walls and having a helical means on each of said
rotary feed means,
a horizontal conveyor spaced vertically below the chute for
receiving the articles fed from the chute, comprising an endless
traveling conveyor surface adapted to travel along an upper
conveying span for receiving the articles and around an end turn
changing direction of said traveling surface, and including a
stationary gate means mounted at the end turn of the traveling
surface in spaced horizontal relation thereto, the gate means
arresting movement of the carriers on the traveling surface for
dispensing them singly upon demand from the gate by a positive
force applied to the carrier from a source separate from the
conveyor,
drive means,
means connecting the drive means to said plural rotary feed means
for rotating the latter in unison in one direction of rotation, the
helical means thereon positively guiding the articles one at a time
out of the lower end of the chute, and
means connecting the drive means to said horizontal conveyor for
moving the latter past the lower end of said chute,
the last two-mentioned means operating the feed means and
horizontal conveyor at a synchronous speed, whereby the carrier
articles are fed vertically onto said conveyor in a line moved by
the conveyor away from the chute, and
a horizontal bottle conveyor extending beneath said gate means
adapted to move a group of bottles in upright position past the
gate, the bottle conveyor being spaced vertically from the gate
such that the top end of upright bottles thereon engage the carrier
article in the gate and pull it from the gate for overlying
assembly on the group of bottles.
5. The apparatus of claim 4, including a horizontal guide rail
means and means mounting the guide rail means over the bottle
conveyor downstream from said gate means and in closely spaced
relation to the top end of the bottles thereon, said guide rail
means holding a carrier article on the group of bottles during
their movement under the guide rail means providing initial
assembly of the carrier on the group of bottles.
6. The apparatus of claim 4, including an applicator wheel, a
horizontal shaft supporting said wheel for rotary movement,
cantilevered support arms, the shaft being rotatably supported
therein spaced from the one end and the one end being rotatable on
stationary support means over said bottle conveyor, the applicator
wheel being disposed in the path of the partially assembled carrier
and bottle group on the bottle conveyor for engaging the top of the
latter, whereby said wheel presses the carrier into final assembly
over the group of bottles forming a carrying pack thereof.
7. A machine for assembling containers into carrying packs
comprising, in combination,
means for directing containers in a pair of lines to an elongated
assembly station, said assembly station having an entrance and an
exit,
means for feeding shell-like carriers having individual container
compartments aligned parallel to each other in rows for embracing a
container in each compartment, said means being disposed above the
containers,
means receiving said carriers and directing them toward the
assembly station over the tops of the containers,
first star wheel means rotatably mounted in the proximity of the
entrance of the assembly station for engaging the containers of
each of the lines successively as they are directed forwardly and
spacing the several containers in parallel lines of common spacing
therebetween in the direction of movement to correspond with the
spacing of the compartments of said carriers,
means overlying the containers and said carriers at the assembly
station entrance for engaging said carriers and guiding them
downwardly over a group of containers in the assembly station and
holding each of said carriers over a group of containers with the
top ends of the latter inserted into compartments of said carrier,
and
a rotary carrier engaging member mounted above the containers at
the exit of the assembly station and engageable with the top
portion of the carriers on the containers as they are advanced
therebeneath, said rotary member pressing the walls of the carrier
compartments into embracing engagement with the top of the
containers locking them in the carrier as a carrying pack.
Description
There is devised a container carrier that is molded from plastic as
a shell-like article having upstanding cells or compartments each
provided with an internal annular bead or radial flange adapted to
receive the neck and closure of a bottle product and retain the
bottle in position in the compartment. Thusly, the group of product
bottles comprise a carrier package. These carrier packages are
often referred to as "six-paks" or "eight-paks," and most commonly
used in the handling and marketing of carbonated beverages and beer
products. This form of carrier is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.
3,752,305 and copending application, Ser. No. 294,171 of J.
Hatfield, filed Oct. 2, 1972, commonly owned with the present
application.
The present invention provides a machine for the continuous
assembly of a supply of containers or bottles into carrying
packages with the aforementioned type of shell-like carrier.
The applicator machine provides a production capacity in
fabricating and handling the assembled carrier packages. One
sub-assembly of the machine provides for continuous supply of the
plastic carriers that are stacked or nested in plural magazines.
The several magazines are each on a radial arm of a turret that is
indexed periodically about a vertical shaft. The turret is located
at an upper level and the carriers are forced through the vertical
magazines by gravity. At the bottom end of each magazine there are
pivotally mounted carrier stack support bars. These are normally
biased to close the lower end of the magazine and retain the stack
of carriers in the magazine. By control system to the turret index
drive, a magazine is advanced to a position at the carrier feed
station. A full magazine, for example, is advanced into the feed
station upon a photo beam signal that a prior magazine has been
emptied of carriers, or is in fact empty. As the new magazine moves
into place at the feed station by turret index, a cam follower of
the carrier support arms (normally closed) engages a stationary cam
on the frame of the machine in proximity of the feed station. The
cam actuates the support bars to an "open" position, and a stack of
carriers in this magazine is released for flow by gravity along the
magazine vertical axis.
Underneath the magazine, just mentioned, is the feed station which
is comprised of a hopper and the carrier feeder mechanism mounted
in stationary position on the machine. The hopper receives the
overhead stack of carriers and feeds carriers one at a time onto a
carrier delivery belt. The belt single lines the carriers at a gate
where each unit group of bottles passing through the machine picks
up a carrier that is applied over the bottles. The carrier feeder
includes the hopper comprised of a walled chute or box-like frame;
and, four rotary feed worms are positioned at the corners along the
bottom edge of the hopper frame. The feed worms are rotated in
unison at a synchronous rate with carrier belt and bottle movement.
Each of the wheels includes a helix land or surface engaging in
succession the lower radial flange of the carriers in the stack.
The helix surface is rotated such that it separates the lowermost
carrier from the stack in the hopper and drops it from the lower,
exit end of the feed chute onto the carrier delivery belt. The rest
of the stack in the hopper is retained by the corner feed worms.
The carriers in nested relationship as a stack in the hopper do
have a tendency to stick together as a stack. The helical feed
worms serve to separate the lowermost carrier from the stack, and
then after such separation, drop the carrier out of the end of the
carrier feed chute. The feed worms of the invention assure the
individual separation of successive carriers and feeding them
singly onto the moving carrier belt.
Just below the carrier feeder is a horizontal upper reach of an
endless delivery belt followed by a downwardly inclined reach of
the belt. The carriers drop from the feeder hopper by gravity onto
this horizontal portion of the belt. This belt is timed in movement
with rate function of the machine so as to receive the carriers
from the feed device without interference or overlap and the
carriers are laid in a single line on the belt. The carrier
delivery belt, after traversing the horizontal span under the
feeder worms, extends down the incline toward an end-turn and in a
reversing direction. At the end of the inclined span of the belt, a
pair of carrier retaining rods are fixed in position to normally
prohibit carriers from falling from the end of the incline without
further assistance, such as pulling them from the rods. Each
carrier on the belt is held up by the retaining rods at this point
until positively removed; which, in essence, defines the carrier
gate at the end of the carrier delivery conveyor.
The bottle supply conveyor is positioned on the machine to extend
under the carrier gate. The carrier delivery belt is operated at a
linear speed to maintain a group of two or three carriers in
end-to-end fashion backed up from the gate. In this manner, there
is assured a carrier at the gate as the bottles in groups move
along the path past the gate and just beneath it. There will be no
gap between the carriers in this mode of operation.
Along either side of the bottle conveyor just before the point
where the bottles enter into engagement with a carrier in the gate,
there is a first set of pocketed star wheels. The set is comprised
of a star wheel on either side of the conveyor so that the pockets
engage the sides of the rows of bottles controlling their movement.
The star wheels receive the bottles in the two rows and maintain
their positioning in-line in the rows and laterally on the
conveyor. The pockets of the star wheels further stabilize the
bottles just prior to the carrier pick up from the gate. The set of
star wheels are driven in synchronism one to the other and are
driven at a rate compatible with the bottle conveyor.
As the leading pair of bottles in the two rows pass below the
carrier gate, they engage the underside surface of a carrier
protruding into the bottle path. The forward movement of the bottle
group (six or eight) drags the carrier from the gate to fall over
the top of the bottle group. Thereafter, the carrier moves with
this bottle group.
Beyond the carrier gate there is an overhead horizontal guide bar
supported on the machine frame and extending for a distance along
the bottle conveyor. The guide bar assures that the carrier will
remain in an initially assembled position over the bottle group
until it passes through the rotary applicator wheel. The applicator
wheel includes peripheral pockets spaced on radial centers of the
wheel that correspond with center-to-center spacing of the
compartments of the carrier. As the bottles move under the
applicator wheel, a second set of opposed star wheels mesh with the
rows of the bottle group to stabilize them in movement through the
applicator wheel. The rolling action of the applicator wheel over
the carrier top snaps the retaining bead in the compartments of the
carrier over the enlargement on the top end of each bottle in the
group to retain them in the carrier. The means of retaining the
bottle in the carrier is set forth in detail in the aforementioned
patent and application.
The invention therefore resides in the machine and its component
parts for efficiently and economically packaging container articles
in contoured shell-like carriers.
The invention further provides a machine that is capable of
assembling containers in carriers to form assembled packs of
containers for carrying and producing them at a high rate of
production.
Other aspects of the invention including further advantages
provided thereby will become apparent from the following
description of the exemplary form of the invention illustrated in
the drawings, on which:
FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the machine;
FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the carrier assembly station on the
machine of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the carrier supply turret and carrier
feeding station on the machine;
FIG. 4 is a side perspective view of the carrier turret, feeding
mechanism and carrier delivery belt of the machine;
FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional plan view of the carrier feeding
worms shown on FIG. 3;
FIG. 6 is a partially sectioned, fragmentary view taken along line
6--6 on FIG. 5, illustrating one of the four corner feeding worms
in engagement with the peripheral radial flange of a carrier;
FIG. 7 is a fragmentary, sectional view of the applicator wheel of
the machine, shown seating the carrier sockets on the upper ends of
containers advancing beneath the applicator wheel; and
FIG. 8 is a partially schematic and perspective view of the drive
system for the machine showing the means for operation of various
machine components simultaneously and synchronously by a single
motor.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
On the drawings is shown a bottle carrier applicator machine which
will automatically dispense and apply carriers for 6-pack or 8-pack
bottle groupings at relatively high rates of production, i.e., on
the order of 800 bottles per minute.
THE CARRIER APPLICATOR MACHINE
The supply of bottles 10 filled with product, such as carbonated
beverage or beer, advances them in two parallel rows from the
left-hand side of FIG. 1. The bottles 10 have a top closure 11 that
provides a lip enlargement 12 (FIG. 7) at the top end. In one form
of bottles 10 shown on FIG. 7, the major portion of the body side
wall is covered with a layer of plastic 13 such as a shrunken
sleeve of foamed polystyrene on the order of 30-35 mils in
thickness. This layer coupled with the carrier 9 after it is
applied provides substantially total light protection and scratch
resistance protection for the glass bottle. However, the invention
is not limited by the type of bottle that is packed into the
carrier 9, nor is the plastic layer 13 essential to the invention.
The disclosed embodiment merely illustrates the versatility of the
type of package that may be constructed using the invention.
Bottles 10 in one form or another are advanced by delivery conveyor
equipment (not shown) onto the conveyor 14 (FIG. 1), which extends
longitudinally through the Applicator Machine. Conveyor 14 is
reeved over end pulleys 15 and 16 pivotally mounted on shafts 17
and 18, respectively, mounted for rotation in the machine frame
structure 19. Shaft 18 at the exit end of the machine includes a
sprocket 20 connected thereon for driving the conveyor. Power is
transmitted to sprocket 20 by chain 21 trained over drive gear 22
keyed on a horizontal shaft 23. Synchronized drive system for
powering the conveyor and other assemblies will be described
hereinafter.
The two lines of bottles are carried forward into engagement with a
first set of opposed star wheels 24 and 25 (FIG. 2). Each star
wheel 24 includes an upper star 24 and lower star 24a attached to a
central hub 26 which vertically spaces the two stars. The pockets
at the periphery of stars 24, 24a are shaped to correspond to the
size (diameter) and shape of the particular bottle in production.
Similarly, star wheel 25 includes an upper star 25 and lower star
25a on a spacer-hub 27. The assemblies 24 and 25 are therefore
essentially duplicates, but will be driven in counter rotation to
each other for controlled feeding of the bottles. The spacer-hubs
26 and 27 of the two star wheels each include a vertical shaft
which extends below the bottom star wheel, 24a and 25a,
respectively. The shafts each include a timing sprocket keyed
thereon for rotating the star wheels and this sprocket is connected
through a drive train, such as a timing belt, (not shown) to a
sprocket of a right angle gear box unit 28. The drive train between
hub 26 and gear box 28 is enclosed by a guard 29. Gear box 28 has a
vertical output shaft 30 and a lower horizontal power input shaft
31, the latter being driven by a sprocket 32 connected in the main
drive system, to be described.
The pockets of the opposed star wheels are arranged in radial,
angular spacing on the wheels 24 and 25 to receive the bottles and
maintain precise center-to-center spacing of the bottles in each
row and stabilize the bottles of the two rows prior to pick-up of
the bottle carrier 9. The opposed stars 24 and 25 extend inwardly
of the stationary side rail assemblies 33 and 34 mounted on frame
19 along the sides of conveyor 14 and the pockets of the stars 24
and 25 mesh with the bottles to achieve this bottle spacing and
stabilizing effect. The stars 24 and 25 are driven in opposite
directions of rotation in synchronism with each other and with the
line speed of the machine by the drive system.
The carriers 9 are advanced by the overhead carrier delivery belt
35 that is inclined downwardly at a carrier assembly gate
(indicated generally at 36) which comprises an inclined dead plate
section 37 and overhead hold down guide 38. Guide 38 is pivotally
mounted at 39 on the upper carrier feeding assembly, to be
described presently in more detail, and is tensioned by spring
means (not shown) normally tending to rotate hold down guide 38
clockwise on FIG. 1 into top engagement with a carrier 9. The guide
38 includes the upstream inclined segment attached to the pivot 39
and a terminal segment that extends horizontally when engaging the
carrier top on a bottle grouping. The lowermost corner of a carrier
9 extends beyond the forward edge of dead plate 37 in the path of
an oncoming grouping of bottles 10 on conveyor 14 as the grouping
is in mesh with the first star wheel means 24, 25 (FIG. 1). As this
bottle grouping advances further, the front pair of bottles 10
thereof engages the front wall of this carrier 9 held in the
carrier assembly gate 36 and pulls the carrier therefrom with the
advance of the bottles. The trailing end of the carrier will leave
the end of dead plate section 37 and rock down over the grouping of
bottles 10 therebeneath assisted by hold down guide 38. One such
carrier 9 is shown in place over the bottle grouping near the
middle of FIG. 1. This performs the initial assembly function of
the carrier on the bottles.
Thereafter, the bottle grouping and carrier advances by the
conveyor 14 toward final application of the carrier on the bottles.
A spring-like hold down shoe 40 is mounted in relatively fixed
position on the upper frame 41 for the applicator wheel. This
retains the carrier 9 in place over the bottle grouping during
movement thereof into the applicator wheel 42.
Beneath and just ahead of the applicator wheel 42 there is a second
star wheel means comprised of opposed star wheels 43 and 44. The
star wheels in this second set are made up similar to the first
set, described above. The star wheel (FIG. 1) includes an upper
star 43 and a spaced lower star 43a separated by the spacer-hub 45.
The pockets of the stars are shaped to conform to the bottles being
processed, as were the star pockets of the first star wheel means
described earlier herein. The star wheels 43 and 44 are rotated in
counter directions to maintain the bottle grouping in oriented
position and advance them without undue bottle-to-bottle contact.
The stars 43 and 44 are each on vertical shafts 46 and 47,
respectively, and the lower end of shafts 46 and 47 are each
connected with a timing sprocket that meshes with a timing belt 49
extending around drive sprocket 50 on the upper end of vertical
output shaft 51 of the right angle gear box 52. The horizontal
input shaft 48 of the gear box 52 has a drive sprocket 53 keyed
thereon which receives power from the drive system, to be presently
described. The timing belt 49 is covered with a safety guard
54.
The final application of carrier 9 to a bottle group is
accomplished at the final assembly station located beneath
applicator wheel 42 while the group of bottles is under guidance of
the second star wheel means, and while the star pockets of stars 43
and 44 and the transverse rows of applicator wheel pockets 55 move
in synchronism toward a diametric, vertical center plane of wheel
42. At this point, the carrier is fully on two bottles. The
peripheral speed of applicator wheel 42 matches the linear speed of
the bottles at this point resulting in a "roll-on" action of the
carrier to the group of bottles.
Applicator wheel 42 is supported by a pair of bifurcated side arms
56 and 57 integrally connected with the bearing trunion 58 that is
rotatably supported at its ends in the upper frame 41. The trunion
58 is allowed to pivot and therefore the applicator wheel is
allowed to yield vertically, so that the pockets 55 mesh with the
cell tops of the of the carrier 9 (FIG. 7). The hub 59 of wheel 42
is connected to horizontal shaft 60 that extends through side arm
57 and is rotated by a sprocket 61 keyed on the outer end thereof.
A horizontal shaft 63 is rotatably mounted at one end in upper
frame 41 and is rotatable in a bearing 64 on the frame near its
other end. A sprocket 65 is keyed on the outer end of shaft 63. A
drive chain 62 is on running engagement with sprocket 66 keyed on
the opposite end of shaft 63 and sprocket 61 on applicator wheel
shaft 60. The applicator wheel 42 is rotated counter clockwise on
FIG. 1 by a chain 141 of the drive system that passes through a
slot 67 in the horizontal deck of frame 19. The drive system, as
will be presently described, operates the applicator wheel 42 in
synchronism with the lineal movement of conveyor 14 and star wheels
43 and 44.
In the event of any mis-alignment of the bottles and the applicator
wheel pockets 55, the applicator wheel 42 will be free to lift as
needed by the yieldable type of mounting support, thus preventing
any bottle breakage.
The applicator wheel 42 is constructed with rubber inserts 68 held
in the periphery of the wheel to define the wheel pockets 55. The
inserts are preferably relatively soft and yieldable to prevent
damage to the bottle carrier and bottles in the final assembly
stage. The wheel 42 having a downward force component by its weight
will exert a peripheral force downwardly at the base of each
carrier cell neck to relatively nest the cells of the carrier in
the pockets 55 and in turn snap on the cell of the carrier over the
end enlargement 12 of the bottle and closure. The upper end of the
carrier cells in a relaxed state contain the interior bead 9a that
is of a lesser diameter than the bottle's enlarged diameter at the
end section 12 (FIG. 7). Therefore, in pressing the carrier at the
pocket 55 the plastic of the carrier is enlarged in a force fit
over the end section of the bottle until the carrier is in place on
the bottle grouping. In such a position, the bottles are
individually held in the carrier cells at the annular bead 9a of
the carrier and a resulting carrying pack of bottled product is
formed.
As shown on FIG. 1, the carrying pack of assembled bottles and
carrier are moved beyond applicator wheel 42 by conveyor 14. At
this point, the carrying packs of product may be oriented and fed
into cases or pallet loads or both for subsequent handling.
THE AUTOMATIC CARRIER FEED MECHANISM
Attached to operate in conjunction with the carrier applying
machine, just described, is an automatic carrier supply and feed
device.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3-6, the device is supported on an upright
frame 69 that is in part columnar in structure. The frame 69 may be
connected to machine frame 19 or may be separated. The upper part
of frame 69 provides a base for mounting rotary turret 70 by
vertical pintle shaft 71. The shaft 71 is connected with the output
shaft of an intermittently indexing drive means, generally shown on
FIGS. 1 and 4. One such indexing drive means may be purchased from
Commercial Cam and Machine Co., Chicago, Ill., Model No.
CC8H32-270. The detailed description of this drive means is shown
and described in one or more of the following U.S. Pat. Nos.:
2,986,949; 3,282,387; 2,999,311; 3,525,268 and 3,049,017. The
indexing drive includes an electric motor 72 operated by a
controller to index the turret 1/8 revolution or one position at a
time. In the turret of the present disclosure of the invention, one
revolution is accomplished through 8 indexing movements; however,
any number of indexes per revolution may be obtained by control of
the motor drive 72. The motor controller is operated in response to
a photocell 100 located just below the level of the magazine 79 of
the mechanism. When the photo beam is interrupted, the controller
keeps motor 72 in an inactive state. After the stack of carriers
diminishes so as to project the light beam onto the photocell 100,
the magazine turret 71 will index one station or 1/8 revolution. If
the magazine at the next station is empty so that carriers do not
interrupt the beam, the motor 72 is immediately energized to
advance turret 71 another station, etc. until a loaded magazine is
in position to interrupt the beam.
The motor 72 is connected to operate a gear reduction unit 73
having a drive sprocket 74. The input shaft 75 of the turret drive
includes a sprocket 76 connected thereon and power is transmitted
between sprockets 74 and 76 by a drive chain 77. As is
schematically indicated on FIG. 4, the input shaft 75 and turret
shaft 71 are drivingly connected by the aforementioned indexing
drive unit indicated generally at 78.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, the turret 71 includes plural carrier
magazines 79 that are fastened to the turret at equal peripheral
intervals thereon by the radial arms 80. In the example shown on
the drawings (FIG. 3), there are eight identical magazines on
turret 71. For sake of simplicity on the drawings in FIGS. 1, 3 and
4, some of the magazines 79 are omitted from the showing. Each
magazine 79 is constructed as a vertical chute having upright and
opposed wall members 81 and 82 that define a vertical opening for
the passage of a stack of nested carriers 9. The wall members 81
and 82 are connected by lateral elements 83 and the box frame made
by walls 81, 82 and elements 83 is fastened to a radial arm 80 by
vertically spaced brackets 152 and cross-pins 153 extending through
brackets 152 and apertures in the outer end of radial arm 80.
Each magazine 79 will hold a stack of several nested carriers 9,
say about 80 such carriers to the stack. The stack is retained in
the magazine by two pairs of rocker arms 84 and 85 that position
two carrier stack support bars 86 and 87 across the lower end of
the magazine chute. The support bars 86 and 87 are each end
connected across the bottom end of the pairs of rocker arms 84 and
85, respectively. The first pair of rocker arms 84 are pivotally
connected on the vertical members 88 of the magazine mounting frame
rigidly connected with the lateral elements 83 thereof by the rock
shaft 89. Shaft 89 includes a crank arm 90 on the inner end thereof
and on the outer end of arm 90 there is a rotatably connected cam
follower 91 (see FIG. 4). Clockwise rotation (rocking movement) of
arm 90 moves the first pair of rocker arms 84 outwardly (FIG. 4)
about pivot point 92 which in turn moves the stack support bar 86
out of its position for supporting carriers in the chute. The pair
of rocker arms 85 are pivotally mounted at their upper end by a
pivot pin 93 extending laterally across the opposite vertical
members 94 of the magazine. The upper end of rocker arm 84 about
pivot 92 on one side of the magazine is connected at the pin 95 to
an intermediate point on the opposite rocker arm 85 by a rod 96,
whereby movement of arm 84 clockwise drives arm 85 counter
clockwise about the pivot pin 93 and moves the second stack support
bar 87 from its position for supporting the carriers in the chute.
The bars 86 and 87 are moved in unison responsive to cam action
between their "closed" and "open" positions with respect to the
magazine chute. The cam follower 91 is carried by each of the
magazines 79 in the path of a stationary plate cam 97 mounted on
the frame structure. The cam 97 is located to trip or raise each
cam follower of the magazines at the time each magazine enters a
carrier feeding station, indicated at 98 on FIGS. 3 and 4. The
"open" position of the support bars 86, 87 is shown on FIG. 1 at
station 98. The indexing drive 72, 73 is under control of an
"electric eye" comprised of a light source and a photocell 100
(FIG. 3). Photocell 100 is in the control circuit for the motor 72.
The light beam is transmitted across the feeding station 98 and if
a stack of carriers extends above the level of the light beam so as
to break it, as shown on FIG. 4, the drive for the turret 71
remains de-energized. As soon as the level of the carrier stack at
station 98 descends below the light beam, the turret drive is
energized to advance the next magazine 79 into the feeding station.
As this next magazine arrives at station 98, cam 97 opens the lower
end of the chute of the magazine by pivoting the support 86, 87 in
the manner described. The stack of carriers in the magazine falls
by gravity onto the carriers piled below at station 98.
The photocell level placement on the machine assures a stack of
carriers in the hopper 117-119 above the feeder assembly to assure
a supply or stack of carriers during the time it takes to index the
next magazine 79 into position and "open" the support bars to
release the next stack of carriers into the hopper.
The stack of carriers is now under control of the means for
separating and feeding carriers onto the underlying carrier
delivery belt 35. Dispensing of carriers from the stack to the
underneath carrier delivery belt is accomplished by a worm feed
that is timed to supply carriers per machine speed demand. The
separating and feeding means comprises a cantilevered frame 101
extending across the feeding station 98. A center aperture 102 in
frame 101 provides a feed path for the stack of carriers. On the
underside of frame 101 are mounted plural rotatable members 103
located at the corners of aperture 102. Each of the rotatable
members 103 is constructed as shown on FIG. 6. A cylindrical barrel
104 is attached for rotation by the vertical shaft 105 and
supported thereon by an adjusting collar 106. Barrel 104 includes a
helical spline or groove 107 formed on its peripheral surface
extending at least one full revolution on the barrel. As shown on
FIG. 6, groove 107 extends approximately 360.degree.
circumferentially on barrel 104 and travels axially approximately
the height of barrel 104. The groove size or width is just slightly
more than the thickness of the peripheral flange 9b of the plastic
carrier 9. The stack of carriers rests at its four corners by the
lateral flange surface at 9b which fits into an opening to the
grooves 107 so as to initially rest upon the land surface at 108 on
one side of the groove. The top open portion for entry of the
flange into the four helical grooves 107 occurs for a short
peripheral span, say 80.degree.-90.degree.. Thereafter, the helical
groove 107 is made up of the two axially spaced, parallel side
walls. (See FIG. 5). The stack of nested carriers is compacted,
and, as such, the carriers tend to stick together as a body. To
first separate the lowermost carrier slightly from the rest of the
stack, and, secondly, discharge this separated lowermost carrier
vertically downwardly by gravity is achieved by rotation of the
four rotary feed members 103 in unison. On FIG. 5, members 103 are
rotated counter clockwise.
The members 103 are driven by a link chain 109 reeved around a
drive sprocket 110 and the four driven sprockets 111 each attached
on the upper end of one of the shafts 105 of the rotary members
103. Drive sprocket 110 is power rotated by a vertical shaft 112
supported in the sleeve bearing 113. Shaft 112 is the output of a
right angle gear box 114 fastened on frame 69 and having a power
input sprocket 115 driven by a chain 116 (FIG. 1), which is
included in the synchronized drive system to be described
presently. The drive shaft 112 is rotated continuously and for
every revolution imparted to the rotary members 103 thereby, one
carrier 9 is separated and fed from the bottom of the stack of
carriers at the feeding station.
The stack of carriers is stabilized in the aperture by the hopper
walls extending above the cantilever frame 101. The hopper is made
of side wall plates 117 each flared outwardly at their upper ends
and corner plates 118 interleaved between wall plates 117. Corner
plates 118 are likewise flared outwardly at their upper ends, the
combined structure 117 and 118 forming a funnel-like entry to the
hopper. Below the frame 101 there is a pair of opposite,
spaced-apart guide plates 119, which assure the drop of each
carrier onto the underlying carrier delivery belt 35.
Carriers 9 are dropped singly and in succession onto the top
horizontal reach of the carrier delivery belt 35 which is guided
around the end pulleys 120 and 121 and an intermediate idler 122
that serves as an adjustable belt tensioning device. The pulleys
and idler are rotatable on horizontal shafts that are rotatably
bearing mounted in the opposed side plates 123 and 124, the side
plate 124 being supported by the column of frame 69. Extending
interiorly laterally between plates 123, 124 is a bent upper belt
guide plate 125 (FIG. 1) which provides a guide surface for
defining a horizontal span and an adjacent downwardly inclined span
of the belt 35 on the upper course of its closed path, the inclined
span extending onto pulley 121. The plate 125 also serves as a
structural member to unify the delivery belt frame. Carrier
delivery belt 35 is driven in a clockwise path (FIGS. 1 and 4) by
chain 116 that is drivingly engaged with an end sprocket 126 keyed
on the end of the mounting shaft for the belt end pulley 120. The
chain 116 is powered by the drive system, and the belt 35 and
rotary feed screws 103 are operated synchronously with each
other.
As the carriers 9 are moved down the inclined section of belt 35,
they are subject to confinement in a path into the gate end of the
mechanism by the spaced side guides 127 extending parallel and
above the side of belt 35 and the parallel, central top guide bar
128. Together, the inclined part of belt 35, guides 127 and 128
direct the carriers in a single line into carrier assembly gate 36,
described earlier herein. The oncoming succession of bottles 10
processed into spaced, oriented groupings by the first star wheel
means engages the forward edge of the carriers 9 by the front pair
of bottles of the grouping and pulls them into a top assembly on
the bottle grouping. The assembly of the carrier is performed by
the applicator wheel 42 in the manner described earlier.
DRIVE SYSTEM
The integrated drive system for the applicator machine and the
carrier feed device is shown schematically on FIG. 8. All of the
drive functions on the machine are integrally connected except for
the indexing drive of magazine turret 70.
A main electric drive motor 129 is connected to drive a gear
reduction unit 130 that reduces shaft speed of motor 129 to a ratio
of about 26 to 1. A 1-1/2 hp motor (129) sold by Westinghouse
Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, Pa., including an SCR drive that
provides controlled acceleration and deceleration, overload
protection, jog and variable speed control is preferred. The power
shaft 131 of unit 130 includes two spaced-apart drive gears 132 and
133 on the power shaft.
The one drive sprocket 133 drives a chain 134 that meshes with a
sprocket 135 on shaft 23 and an idler gear 154, which operates
bottle conveyor 14. The other drive sprocket 132 is operatively
connected by chain 136 to input shaft of a geared transmission unit
137, such as sold by Eberhardt Denver Company, Model 2172.
Transmission 137 has two power output shafts 138 and 139. The first
shaft 138 drives sprocket 140 in running engagement with a chain
141 connected about sprocket 65 and an idler 142. The chain 141
drives applicator wheel 42. A second sprocket 143 on shaft 138 is
connected for driving a chain 144 that is reeved about a first
idler 145, sprocket 32, sprocket 53 and a second idler 146. The
chain 144 drives both the first and second star wheel means 24-25
and 43-44. Thus, the applicator wheel and two star wheel means
controlling bottle movement therebeneath are powered from the same
shaft (138).
The second output shaft 139 of the transmission has its drive
sprocket 148 in running engagement with the chain 116 reeved about
two idlers 149 and 150, then end sprocket 126 for the carrier belt
drive, then input sprocket 115 for gear box 114, about an idler 151
and back to sprocket 148. The chain 116 drives the carrier delivery
belt 35 and carrier feed screws 103 in unison.
ADJUSTABLE CARRIER DELIVERY BELT
As described earlier herein, the end pulley 121 for the delivery
belt 35 and the deadplate section 37 are mounted on the side plates
123 and 124. The vertical position of the carrier gate 36 is
adjustable for various size or height of bottles 10 is achieved by
the side plate extension 158 being connected by a pivot pin 155
onto the side plates 123 and 124. The extensions 158 are fastened
in place by a bolt 156 through arcuate slot 157. By unscrewing bolt
156, the side extension portions 158 carrying the shaft for the end
roller 121 for the belt may be pivoted vertically up or down about
the pin connection at 155 to adjust the height of end delivery of
the conveyor for the carriers with relation to the bottles on the
conveyor 14. The angular relation of side guides 127 and the
central top guide bar 128 may be adjusted by set screw connections
thereof on the frame in a manner well understood by those skilled
in the art.
Although a specific embodiment has been shown and described, it is
with full awareness that many modifications thereof are possible
within the skill of one versed in the art. The invention,
therefore, is not to be restricted except insofar as is
necessitated by the prior art and by the spirit and scope of the
claims.
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