Patent ID: 6571532
Filing Date: 2003-06-03
Classification: B65B

Abstract:
Apparatus for continuously transferring articles from a pick-up station to a release station which includes a first conveyor for conveying the articles to the pick-up station and a second conveyor for conveying said articles away from said release station, said apparatus comprising:a plurality of article transfer arms; a plurality of article pick-up heads carried by said transfer arms for picking up said articles at said pick-up station and for releasing said articles at said release station; a plurality of article gripper tubes included in said pick-up heads having grippers which retain said articles in a gripped position and release said articles in a release position; said gripper tubes having a first part and a second part, and said first and second parts being axially movable relative to each other; said first and second parts of said gripper tubes having a first relative axial position in which said gripper tubes have standard lengths for gripping articles in an upright configuration; said first and second parts having a second relative axial position in which said gripper tubes have an effectively shortened length when engaging an article in an upside down configuration so that the remaining article grippers in a pick-up head may grip articles which are in said upright configuration; a revolving carriage continuously moving said transfer arms along a path between said pick-up and release stations to continuously move said pick-up heads and articles from said pick-up station to said release station; a pick-up head actuator for actuating said gripper tubes to assume said gripped position at said pick-up station and to assume said release position for releasing said articles at said release station; said first part of said gripper tubes including a slip collar, and said second part including an inner tube slidably received in said slip collar; and a reciprocating mechanism carried interiorly within said slip collar biasing and maintaining said inner tube in said first axial configuration.