Abstract:
An apparatus for packaging articles, which apparatus comprises a first packaging mechanism ( 14 ) for forming secondary packages, in a sequential manner, around successive groups of articles, transfer means ( 20 ) to convey each of the formed secondary packages, each containing a group of articles, to a second packaging mechanism ( 42 ), and to manipulate selected ones of those secondary packages, as they are so conveyed, so as to form successive groups of secondary packages, the second packaging mechanism then forming tertiary packages ( 50 ) around those groups of secondary packages.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to packaging machines of a type for packaging articles such as beverage containers into paperboard or similar cartons. 
         [0002]    It is known to package liquid products including as beverages such as soft drinks, juices, beer, and liquid yogurts and other dairy drinks into liquid containers such as bottles, cans, or pouches. Such containers are frequently referred to within the packaging industry as “primary packaging” in that they directly contain the final product. The primary packages may then in turn be packaged into multiple packages formed from paperboard or similar sheet material to form packages of, e.g., six, eight, twelve, or some other multiples of products. These packages, often used as the retail package for consumers to purchase the product, are referred to as “secondary packaging.” Multiple secondary packages are then often further packaged into cases or trays formed from corrugated board or the like to facilitate shipment and distribution of the products. This further packaging is referred to as “tertiary packaging.” 
         [0003]    Machines for forming secondary packaging by gathering primary packages into a group of a desired number and then forming a secondary package around that group are well known. In typical secondary packaging machines, an infeed stream of primary packages is directed into the machine, with an output of finished secondary packages resulting from the machine. If tertiary packaging is desired, the completed secondary packages are delivered to a tertiary packaging machine, which machines are also well-known. The secondary packages are gathered for delivery into the tertiary machine. 
         [0004]    This may be accomplished by bulk delivery, e.g., using a pallet to support the secondary packages, or by conveyor directly from the secondary packaging machine. However, because of differences in machine operating method and/or machine speed, it is necessary to provide for accumulation of secondary packages so that properly spaced feeding of the secondary packages into the tertiary packaging machine may be accomplished. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    A first aspect of the invention provides an apparatus for packaging articles, which apparatus comprises a first packaging mechanism for forming secondary packages, in a sequential manner, around successive groups of articles, transfer means to convey each of the formed secondary packages, each containing a group of articles, to a second packaging mechanism, and to manipulate selected ones of those secondary packages, as they are so conveyed, so as to form successive groups of secondary packages, the second packaging mechanism then forming tertiary packages around those groups of secondary packages. 
         [0006]    Preferably, the first packaging mechanism forms the secondary packages about the groups of articles as those secondary packages are conveyed at a first speed, and wherein the transfer means alters the speed of those secondary packages to a second speed as those secondary packages are grouped. 
         [0007]    An optional aspect of the invention provides that the transfer means comprises means to form the aforementioned formed secondary packages into at least two conveyance paths, which at least two conveyance paths comprise at least a first conveyance path and a second conveyance path. 
         [0008]    Preferably, the transfer means comprises a aligning mechanism, which aligning mechanism alters the velocity of the secondary packages in at least one of the first conveyance path and the second conveyance path, thereby to alter the positioning of those secondary packages relative to the secondary packages in the or each other conveyance paths. 
         [0009]    An optional aspect of the invention provides that the secondary packages formed by the first packaging mechanism are initially disposed in the first conveyance path, and wherein the transfer means comprises actuators to move selected secondary packages from the first conveyance path, into the second conveyance path. 
         [0010]    An optional aspect of the invention provides that each of the aforementioned one or more conveyance paths comprises an independent conveying means. 
         [0011]    Preferably, the independent conveying means is a conveyor belt. 
         [0012]    Preferably, the rate at which the second packaging mechanism completes the formation of tertiary packages about the grouped secondary packages is proportional to the number of secondary packages in the groups of secondary packages. 
         [0013]    Preferably, the rate at which the second packaging mechanism completes the formation of tertiary packages about the grouped secondary packages is proportional also to the rate at which the first packaging mechanism completes the formation of secondary packages about the grouped articles. 
         [0014]    A second aspect of the invention provides a method according packaging articles, which method comprises: forming secondary packages around groups of articles; conveying the formed secondary packages, each containing a group of articles, whilst simultaneously manipulating those secondary packages so as to form successive groups of secondary packages; and forming tertiary packages around the groups of tertiary packages. 
         [0015]    Preferably, the secondary packages are conveyed at a first speed as they are being formed, and wherein the speed of those secondary packages is altered to a second speed as those secondary packages are grouped. 
         [0016]    An optional aspect of the invention provides that the formed secondary packages are formed into at least two conveyance paths, which at least two conveyance paths comprise at least a first conveyance path and a second conveyance path. 
         [0017]    Preferably, the formed secondary packages are initially conveyed at a first speed, and wherein secondary packages in at least one of the first conveyance path and the second conveyance path are accelerated or retarded so as to be conveyed at a second speed that is not equal to the first speed, thereby to alter the positioning of those secondary packages relative to the secondary packages in the or each other conveyance paths. 
         [0018]    An optional aspect of the invention provides that the secondary packages are initially disposed in the first conveyance path when they are formed, and wherein selected secondary packages are moved from the first conveyance path into the second conveyance path. 
         [0019]    An optional aspect of the invention provides that each of the aforementioned one or more conveyance paths comprises an independent conveying means. 
         [0020]    An optional aspect of the invention provides that the rate at which the tertiary packages are formed about the grouped secondary packages is proportional to the number of secondary packages in the groups of secondary packages. 
         [0021]    Preferably, the rate at which the tertiary packages are formed about the grouped secondary packages is proportional also to the rate at which the secondary packages are formed about the grouped articles. 
         [0022]    A third aspect of the present invention provides an integrated secondary and tertiary packaging machine, comprising a secondary packaging machine portion for receiving an infeed of articles, forming the articles into article groups, and for forming a carton around each of the article groups, and for conveying the completed cartons at a first speed; a decelerating and grouping mechanism for slowing the completed cartons to a second speed, and for forming the cartons into groups of cartons; and a tertiary packaging machine portion for receiving the groups of cartons, and for forming a case around each of the carton groups, and for conveying the completed cases from the machine. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0023]    An exemplary embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to the attached Figures, in which: 
           [0024]      FIG. 1  shows a perspective schematic view of a machine in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0025]      FIG. 2  shows an enlarged, perspective schematic view of a portion of the machine of  FIG. 1  illustrating a variation of the decelerator section of the machine. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0026]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , a machine  10  in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention is shown. An infeed  14  supplies articles such as beverage containers (not shown) into the secondary packaging portion of the machine. This portion of the machine  10  is of conventional construction, and may be for example similar to the Evotech® packaging machine offered by MeadWestvaco Packaging Systems, LLC. Secondary packages in the form of cartons C are supplied to the machine  10  from a carton hopper  16 . The articles are grouped into the proper quantity for each package and a wraparound-style carton is applied to the articles in the portion of the machine generally designated at  18 . Glue is applied and the carton C is sealed generally at  20 , again in accordance with conventional packaging machine construction. 
         [0027]    Referring now to  FIG. 2 , completed cartons C can be seen exiting the gluing section of the machine  20  along a first path, transported by a conveyor belt  21  at a velocity VI. Positioned adjacent the carton conveyor is a transfer belt  22  that carries a series of laterally-movable transfer arms  24 . Belt  22  is driven in the same direction as the carton conveyor at a speed V 2  that is slightly slower than V 1 , so that the cartons are firmly engaged by arms  24  and slowed to the speed V 2 . As can be seen from the drawing, every other arm  24  is laterally actuated to shift every other carton C laterally onto a second path parallel to the first path. The cartons on the second path are supported by a conveyor (not shown) that is driven at the speed V 1  to match the conveyor speed of the first path. 
         [0028]    A decelerator  26  is located adjacent the second path. Decelerator  26  includes a lug  28  driven around decelerator  26  along a chain in the path indicated generally by arrow  30 . 
         [0029]    The chain is driven by a servo motor under the control of a programmable control system. Lug  28  is thereby caused to be moving at a speed V 3  that is slightly slower than V 2 , thereby ensuring that the carton is firmly engaged by lug  28 . Arm  24  is then withdrawn. Lug  28  is then slowed while in engagement with the carton to a speed V 4  that is slower still than V 3 , thereby slowing the carton to the desired speed for entry into the tertiary packaging section of the machine. While still in engagement with lug  28 , the carton is transferred from the end of the supporting conveyor onto another conveyor, which conveyor is driven at speed V 4  to move the carton away from the decelerator  26 . 
         [0030]    Meanwhile, those cartons which were not shifted onto the second path are carried in engagement with the respective arms  24  to a second decelerator  32  that operates in a manner identical to decelerator  26 . The decelerator slows the cartons in the first path to a speed V 4 , and the cartons are at the same time transferred onto a conveyor moving at speed V 4 . 
         [0031]    Speeds V 2 , V 3  and V 4  are selected so that cartons in the first path are able to “catch up” to cartons in the second path in the region between decelerators  26  and  30 , and aligned cartons moving in two rows at speed V 4  are delivered into the tertiary packaging section  34  of the machine. 
         [0032]    Tertiary section  34  may be of generally conventional construction. Case blanks  36  are supplied to a hopper  38  located beneath the travel path of the cartons through the decelerator section. Case blanks are then transported along inclined conveyor  40  to a position beneath divider  42 . Divider  42  includes a series of divider bars  44  that are moved along the carton path at a speed V 5  slightly slower than the speed V 4  of the carton conveyor. By providing appropriate spacing between bars  44  for the number of cartons C desired for each case, the cartons are collected into groups for tertiary packaging. A case is then applied to each group of cartons using, for example, conventional wrap-around type case forming equipment. 
         [0033]    Referring back to  FIG. 1 , a variation of the machine  10  can be seen in which cartons are packed into cases in a single row of transversely-oriented cartons C rather than the two rows of longitudinally-oriented cartons shown in  FIG. 2 . In this version of the machine  10 , a rotator  46  is provided after the carton gluing section  20 . Rotator  46  may operate in a conventional manner, such as by applying a gripper to the top portion of each carton and rotating the gripper to turn the carton through 90°. After rotating, a single decelerator  48  of a construction and operation substantially identical to that described for decelerators  26  and  30  is used to slow the cartons C before they are conveyed into the divider  42  for arrangement into groups for tertiary packaging. 
         [0034]    With either variation of the machine, completed cases emerge from the machine output. 
         [0035]    The machine of the present invention may be operated at high speeds typical of continuous-motion secondary packaging machines. Because of the decelerator section of the machine, which decelerates cartons in a controlled and gradual manner, the cartons are not subjected to shocks that might be introduced through more severe decelerator, or through handling necessary to move cartons to a separate tertiary packaging machine. Thus the cartons face a lower risk of damage, or of falling over. Finally, the machine saves substantial floor space in the packaging facility, since no accumulator is required between the secondary and tertiary packaging operations. This will also save operating costs, as a single operator can operate both the secondary and tertiary mechanisms of the machine, rather than requiring two individual operators to operate two separate machines.