US 7695421 B2
A carton feeding system for feeding a series of cartons into selected flights of a carton conveyor is disclosed. The carton feeding system generally includes a rotary feeder having a series of carton feeding assemblies rotated thereabout. The carton engaging assemblies are attached to a gearing system or mechanism that controls the operating angle of the carton engaging assemblies as they engage or pick the cartons from a magazine or supply. Thereafter, the cartons are erected within the flights of a carton conveyor moving beneath the rotary feeder as the carton engaging elements are carried about their path of travel.
1. A system for feeding cartons from a magazine into flights of a carton conveyor, comprising:
a frame having a central shaft;
feeder supports mounted on said frame;
at least one carton engaging assembly carried along a path of travel between a carton pick position for engaging and removing the cartons from the magazine, and a loading position for depositing the cartons into selected flights of the carton conveyor;
at least one rocker arm connected to said at least one carton engaging assembly, and pivotable about said central shaft; and
said at least one carton engaging assembly including a series of vacuum cups mounted along a feeder bar, a linkage connected to said feeder bar and to said at least one rocker arm and moveable radially for controlling pivoting of said feeder bar toward and away from the magazine and carton conveyor to control an operating angle of said vacuum cups; and a gear mechanism engaging said feeder bar for controlling oscillating movement of said vacuum cups so as to vary radial position of said vacuum cups with respect to the cartons in the magazine to control dwell time of said vacuum cups in engagement with the cartons to enable engagement and picking of cartons of varying sizes;
wherein said gear mechanism comprises a pinion gear connected to a feed bar arm attached to said feeder bar, and a segment gear adapted to engage and cause rotation of said pinion gear so as to adjust the radial position of said vacuum cups.
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7. A method of loading cartons from a magazine into flights of a carton conveyor, comprising:
varying a gear ratio between segment and pinion gears of a carton engaging assembly of a carton feeder to vary the radial position of vacuum cups of the carton feeder to adjust the operation of the carton feeder to load varying sizes of cartons;
moving the carton engaging assembly of the carton feeder about a path of travel between a pick position and a carton loading position;
as the carton engaging assembly approaches its pick position, oscillating the carton engaging assembly radially toward a next carton in the magazine;
as the carton engaging assembly is oscillated toward the carton, moving a cam follower along a cam track to vary and control radial position of the carton engaging assembly with respect to the carton in the magazine and control a dwell time of the engagement of the carton in the magazine by the vacuum cups as the carton is engaged to enable cartons of varying sizes to be picked from the magazine;
controlling an operating angle of the vacuum cups to orient the vacuum cups in a position for engaging the carton in the magazine;
picking and drawing the carton radially away from the magazine;
moving the carton toward engagement with a lug of a selected flight of the carton conveyor;
opening and depositing the carton in the selected flight of the carton conveyor; and
moving the vacuum cups radially away from the selected flight as the carton is deposited therein.
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The present invention generally relates to packaging systems for packaging articles in containers or cartons. In particular, the present invention relates to a carton feeding system for consistently picking, opening, and depositing cartons within the flights of a flighted conveyor, which feeder is able to accommodate a range of varying sizes and/or configurations of cartons.
In the automated packaging of goods such as soft drink cans, pouches, and other similar products into cartons or boxes, the cartons typically can be fed from a stack or supply of preglued carton sleeves, opened, and deposited on a carton conveyor prior to being fed into a product packaging machine. The cartons generally will be deposited within the flights of a carton conveyor with the products thereafter being inserted through the open ends of the carton sleeve. Thereafter, the end flaps of the cartons are folded and typically adhesively attached to seal the ends of the cartons. The cartons often are fed into the flights of the carton conveyor for a packaging machine by a rotary style carton feeder. Such rotary feeders typically will include a series of vacuum cups that are rotated about a carton path for picking individual cartons from a stack or supply of cartons, and rotating the cartons downwardly and into a flight of the carton conveyor moving therebelow.
Such conventional rotary feeders tend to have a fixed geometry, however, which limits their path of movement, and thus limits the size or range of sizes of cartons that can be fed and/or deposited into the flights of the carton conveyor. To feed different size cartons, it therefore generally has been necessary to adjust or reconfigure the feeder elements of most conventional rotary feeders, and/or adjust the height or position of the feeder to accommodate the feeding of tall, narrow cartons or shorter, wider cartons as necessary. Such adjustments are needed to ensure that there will be a sufficiently deep draw and/or pick of the cartons to enable the cartons to be sufficiently opened by the time they are deposited in the next selected flight of the carton conveyor, as well as to ensure that the vacuum cups of the rotary feeder, will not interfere with or engage the lugs of the carton flights as the cartons are deposited therein.
Accordingly, it can be seen that a need exists for a carton feeder that addresses the foregoing and other related and unrelated problems in the art.
Briefly described, the present invention generally relates to a rotary carton feeder for engaging, opening, and depositing cartons or other similar articles into selected flights of a flighted conveyor passing therebeneath. The carton feeder of the present invention is designed to accommodate and enable feeding of a variety of different sizes or configurations of cartons or similar articles into varying height or size flights of a flighted conveyor such as a carton conveyor for a packaging machine.
The carton feeder generally includes a frame mounted along the carton conveyor and including pairs of spaced disks or plates, with one of the plates of at least one of the feeder supports including a cam track formed on an interior facing surface thereof. A series of carton engaging assemblies are mounted on rocker arms of at least one rocker element attached to and driven by a central shaft so as to move the carton engaging assemblies about a generally circular path of travel about the rotary feeder. The carton engaging assemblies are moved about their path of travel between a pick point or position, wherein the cartons each are engaged and picked from a carton supply or carton magazine, and a loading position in which opened cartons are deposited within a selected flight of the carton conveyor.
Each of the carton engaging assemblies typically includes a feed bar having one or more spaced vacuum cups mounted therealong. The feed bar is attached to and carried by a linkage arm attached to an associated rocker arm mounted on the central shaft of the feeder so as to move or orient the vacuum cups of each carton engaging assembly into an attitude to engage the cartons as each carton engaging assembly is moved about its path of travel about the feeder. The feed bar further generally is attached to a feed bar arm, which itself is connected at its opposite end to a pinion gear. The pinion gear of each carton engaging assembly engages a segment gear that is mounted on a cam arm having a cam follower at its free or distal end. The cam follower rides along the cam track formed in at least one of the feeder supports, so as to cause a pivoting or rotating movement of the segment gear, which in turn engages and rotates the pinion gear. As a result, the operating or approach angle of the vacuum cups with respect to the carton face to be engaged by the vacuum cups is amplified.
Accordingly, as the vacuum cups of each of the carton engaging assemblies approach the cartons contained within the magazine, the vacuum cups are moved into a position to engage the forward, flat face of the next carton within the magazine. At the same time, the radial position of the vacuum cups is controlled and varied by the rotation of the pinion gear attached to the feed bar arm upon engagement with its segment gear. As a further result of the cooperative action of the gear mechanism and oscillating movement of the rocker element, the dwell time of the engagement of the vacuum cups with the front face of the carton being picked can be increased to enable a greater draw or picking of the carton radially inwardly and away from the magazine to ensure that the cartons will be picked cleanly from the magazine, even where taller or thinner cartons are being engaged.
Thereafter, as the carton is pivoted downwardly toward the carton conveyor, the opening of the carton is initiated. As the carton is moved into engagement with the front or forwardmost lugs of a selected flight of the carton conveyor, the continued forward movement of the feeder running at a slightly faster speed than the movement of the carton conveyor causes the carton to engage the lugs and be opened as the carton is deposited between the lugs of the selected flight. As the carton is substantially opened, the vacuum applied thereto by the vacuum cups generally can be discontinued as the vacuum cups thereafter are moved upwardly and away from the carton face to avoid engagement with the front lugs of the flight. In addition, one or more skids and/or hold down elements can be attached to the feeder and feed bar of each carton engaging assembly, respectively, to engage and bear against the carton to help maintain the carton in an opened configuration as it is carried away by the carton conveyor.
Various objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a review of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Referring now to the drawings in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views,
It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention can be used for feeding and opening cartons of varying sizes including beverage containers, cartons for beverage containers such as 6, 8, 12, or even 24 packs, and further can be used for opening and feeding a variety of other, different sizes or configurations of cartons, such as narrow, tall cartons (i.e. “pizza boxes”), or shorter and wider cartons such as for packaging juice pouches, etc., into varying size flights of the carton conveyor without requiring substantial adjustment or reconfiguration of the rotary feeder to accommodate such different sized cartons while avoiding interference with the tallest height lugs of the carton conveyor. The carton feeder of the present invention further enables the feeding of varying sizes of cartons into taller or deeper flights without requiring the changing or replacement of the lugs to feed shorter or smaller cartons.
The rotary feeder generally includes a frame 21 that is supported above the carton conveyor 13 by one or more vertical supports 22 attached to the frame 21 of the rotary feeder 10 by brackets 23. The position of the rotary feeder is adjustable along the vertical supports 22 to enable adjustment of the position of the rotary feeder with respect to the lugs of the carton conveyor 13 passing therebeneath. The magazine 11 generally is mounted along an upstream side or edge 24 of the rotary feeder, and typically includes an adjustable shelf or platform 26. As illustrated in
As shown in
As generally illustrated in
Each of the carton engaging assemblies 50 generally includes a feed bar 53, which typically is an elongated, laterally extending rod or bar and will include a series of vacuum cups 54 mounted in spaced series therealong. As indicated in
As further illustrated in
In addition, the ends 62 of each of the feed bars 53 generally are attached to a gear mechanism 61 for controlling and amplifying the operating or approach angle of the vacuum cups of the carton engaging assemblies as they are moved toward the carton magazine in their pick position. Each gear mechanism 61 generally includes feed bar arms 63 that are attached to the feed bars at one end and to the inner plates 37 of each of the feeder supports by pivot pins 64. As indicated in
The movement of the cam followers 69 along the cam tracks 71 causes the segment gears 67 to be pivoted upwardly and downwardly depending on the slope of the cam track. In response, the engagement of the segment gears 67 with the pinion gears 66 causes rotation of the feed bar arms 63 so as to accordingly adjust or vary the path, and thus the radial position, of the vacuum cups 54 of each of the carton engaging assemblies with respect to the front face F of the next carton C in the magazine. This causes the carton engaging assemblies 50 to move about the path of travel 46 and to be reciprocated or oscillated radially inwardly and outwardly from a centerline or central axis “X” (
As a result, the point at which the vacuum cups will engage the front face of the carton can be amplified to increase engagement time, and the dwell time during which the cartons are picked and pulled inwardly out of the magazine prior to beginning their downward movement toward the carton conveyor further can be increased and/or amplified to ensure clean picking and opening of the cartons even where taller or thinner cartons are being fed, without requiring significant adjustment or reconfiguration of the rotary feeder to accommodate such varying sizes of cartons. As a further result, taller lugs can be used for the carton conveyor as needed for receiving the tallest cartons being fed, with the rotary feeder 10 being able to feed a variety of different size cartons therein, without requiring replacement of the lugs to run such varying size or height cartons.
In addition, one or more skids or rails 75 can be mounted between the side plates of the frame 21, typically spaced inwardly of the lugs of the carton conveyor and between vacuum cups 54. These skids or rails generally will engage at the top or upper faces F of the cartons C once the cartons have been fully opened and deposited within the flights of the carton conveyor so as to help hold down the cartons and prevent the cartons from folding back into a substantially flat, unopened condition. The skids further help prevent the cartons from being pulled upwardly as the vacuum is released by the vacuum cups and the vacuum cups are thereafter moved away from the flights of the carton conveyor.
In operation of the rotary feeder 10 of the present invention, the carton engaging assemblies 50 will be rotated about their path of travel, indicated by arrow 46, as shown in
Thereafter, as the gear mechanism 61 is further rotated, the cam follower 69 moving along cam track 71 will pull the carton engaging assembly 50 in the direction of arrows 76′ (
As indicated in
It will be understood by those skilled in the art that while the present invention has been discussed above with reference to particular embodiments, various modifications, additions and changes can be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
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