Carton Packaging

Apparatus, particularly, for packing egg cartons into wire baskets includes a movable tray for delivering cartons to a basket filling station where the cartons are lowered into the basket. Tines support the cartons after the movable tray is withdrawn and a movable press urges the cartons downwardly onto the tines while the tines move downwardly. The sequence is repeated and layers of cartons are progressively added to fill the basket. A sensor determines when the baskets are full and removes full baskets and replaces new baskets for filling. The basket filling station is fed from multiple filling trays fed by multiple conveyors.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to packing elements into larger containers. In 
particular, the invention relates to packing egg cartons into wire 
baskets. 
Existing equipment is available to grade size and package eggs in egg 
cartons automatically. Before the cartons are shipped to market the 
cartons are packed in turn in wire baskets for protection against 
crushing. 
Different devices have been developed for automatically packing cartons 
such as egg cartons into baskets or crates. Difficulties however arise in 
the automatic feed, and the tendency of the cartons to catch on the sides 
of the baskets. This results in breakage or mispacking. Moreover, the 
system to control the drop of cartons into the basket requires generally 
complex electronics to control the packaging operation. Other automatic 
systems which are available provide other difficulties, for instance, in 
not being adaptable to different size cartons for packing in the basket. 
In the Applicant's knowledge there is currently no system which is 
available for effectively achieving the objective of automatically 
packaging egg cartons as described. 
It is an object of the present invention to provide a packaging machine 
which overcomes problems of existing packaging apparatus and is 
particularly adaptable to packaging of egg cartons in wire or similar 
baskets. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Apparatus for packing articles such as egg cartons in a basket or crate 
comprises a movable tray for delivering cartons from a loading position to 
an unloading position above the basket mouth. The basket is located at a 
basket filling station. At the station there are movable supports in the 
form of tines extending upwardly from a lower position through the basket 
whereby the free ends of the tines support the cartons from underneath on 
removal of the tray from over the basket. At the filling station, above 
the cartons is a removable press for progressively urging the cartons 
downwardly onto the support and into the basket for discreet distances. 
The supporting tines simultaneously move downwardly into the basket. This 
operation is repeated as the basket is loaded with cartons. 
Layers are counted as the basket fills and, when a basket is full, the 
basket is thereupon removed from the filling station by conveyor means. A 
new basket is replaced at the filling station and the filling sequence is 
repeated. 
The invention is described with reference to egg carton packaging as 
exemplary of different articles which can be packaged in a basket or crate 
in the uniform controlled manner. The control for the loading is affected 
by a microprocessor-computerized system and appropriate sensors for 
optically determining the positions of different elements in the loading 
apparatus. The invention is directed to both the apparatus and method for 
packaging articles into the basket. 
The invention is further described with reference to the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Apparatus for packing elements being egg cartons into a container being 
basket receives filled egg cartons 10 from delivery conveyors 11 at an egg 
processing plant. The conveyor 11 is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 5 and 
includes a conventional belt conveyor system. At the delivery end of the 
conveyor 11 there is located an escapement conveyor 13 which includes an 
endless belt 14. 
In the packaging apparatus of FIG. 1 there are shown two side-by-side 
escapement conveyors 13 in parallel arrangement feeding a basket filling 
station 15. Several escapement conveyors can be provided from different 
delivery conveyors 11 as required. 
For simplicity, the description will refer to only a single delivery system 
from the escapement conveyor to a delivery tray 16 at the basket filling 
station 15. At the basket filling station 15 there is a movable tray 16 
which is fed by the escapement conveyor 13. Similar apparatus and 
operations are effective for the associated parallel escapement conveyor 
and movable tray 16. The movable tray 16 delivers a load of egg cartons 10 
from the loading position at the discharge point from the escapement 
conveyor 13 to an unloading position above a basket mouth at the basket 
filling station. The basket 17, as illustrated in FIG. 3, has a metallic 
wire or plastic configuration with a rim to the mouth 18 of the basket 17. 
The tray 16 can accommodate three, one dozen, cartons which are urged from 
the escapement conveyor 15 onto the movable tray 16. When this happens the 
leading carton 10 at leading end 19 blocks reflection of light 20 to an 
optical module 21 thereby indicating that the movable tray 16 is full. The 
two outside sections of the discharge end 22 of the escapement conveyor 13 
are lifted by a cylinder 23 such that the fourth carton 10 in line is 
lifted off of the belt 14 and abuts a stop plate 24 with the leading end 
25 of the carton 10. This stops further delivery of cartons 10 onto the 
movable tray 16. At this time the movable tray 16 is rendered movable to a 
location over the mouth 18 of the basket 17. 
The movable tray 16 is driven by a motor 26 to move from the escapement 
conveyor 16 discharge end 22 to a position over the mouth 18 of the basket 
17. Activation of the motor causes the tray 16 to move to the position 
over the mouth 18. 
When the tray 16 is located over the mouth 18, the leading end 27 of the 
forward egg carton 10 engages an oppositely located stop fence 28 which is 
hinged at 29 for movement between the position shown in solid line 31 and 
the position 30 shown in phantom which is raised. In the position shown by 
the solid line 31 the cartons are prevented from overshooting the far side 
of the basket 17. Power is supplied to the motor 26 until a signal is 
received that the movable tray 16 is over the basket mouth 18 from a 
position sensor 32. Power is then removed from the motor 26 and another 
fence 33 is moved from the position shown in solid line 34 to the position 
shown in phantom line 35 thereby in position to push off the cartons 10. 
The fences 28 and 33 are powered by air cylinders. 
At this time the motor 26 driving the movable tray 16 is powered in a 
direction moving back towards the discharge end 22 of the escapement 
conveyor 13 where the tray can again be filled by cartons. As this happens 
the cartons 10 on the tray move against the cartons stop fence 33 and the 
tray 16 slides out from underneath them. The cartons 10 thereupon fall 
into the basket 17 and are supported on the free ends of movable supports 
which are a series of tines 36. When packing standard cartons, the free 
ends 37 locate in grooves or wells 38 which are the underneath formation 
of the cartons 10. The movable tines protrude upwardly through the bottom 
39 of the basket 17. 
When the movable tray 16 returns to the filling position 22, the optical 
module 21 receives light from a reflector on the tray and the tray 16 is 
stopped. The escapement conveyor 13 is lowered so that the cartons 10 
again contact the belt 14 and the stop fence 24 does not impede further 
loading onto the tray 16. The operation for loading is then repeated. 
Continuation of the packaging of the three cartons 10 into the basket is 
affected by ensuring that the cartons are not sitting on the rim of the 
mouth 18 to the basket 16. The fence 33 is activated by a second air 
cylinder to a location 40 shown in phantom wherein the fence shown in 
phantom position 40 aligns the cartons 10 relative to the basket 17. Both 
the carton stop fences 28 and 33 are then returned to the upwardly located 
position 30 and 34 respectively. 
A movable press 41 is activated by a press cylinder 42 for urging the 
cartons 10 downwardly onto the supporting tine ends in the basket 17 for a 
discreet distance. The supporting tines 36 move progressively downwardly 
into the basket 17. 
The supporting tines 36 ar activated by a motor 43 which can move the tines 
36 upwardly and downwardly as required, and is preferably programmed to 
move in intervals of one carton height. The travel distance of the tines 
36 is controlled by a two phase lead screw position encoder 44 and a Z-8 
microprocessor. Once the carton press cylinder 42 is fully down as 
detected by a sensor 45, the cylinder 42 is again pressurized to return to 
its upwardly located position. After each discreet movement downwardly the 
panel or plate 46 is then also withdrawn and the system is ready to 
receive second and subsequent layers of egg cartons from either of the 
escapement conveyors 13. In the illustrated apparatus five layers of 
cartons 10 are packed as described. After the fifth layer the carton 
support tines 36 are located in a position below the bottom 39 of the 
basket 17 as detected by sensor 47. 
At this time, basket conveyor 48 is activated whereby a basket 17 is 
removed from the basket filling station 15. The basket conveyor 48 
includes endless belts 49 which engage the bottom sides of the basket 17. 
An empty basket 17 is then brought to the basket filling station 15 to be 
filled by the next cycle. A basket stop cylinder 51 is pressurized to 
locate the incoming empty basket 17 at the correct location at the basket 
filling station 15. The sensor 50 signals the microprocessor that an empty 
basket 17 is in position for filling. The basket conveyor 48 is stopped 
and the carton lift tines 36 move upwardly through the basket bottom 39 
under action of the motor 43 and the lead screws 52 to a packing position 
for the first layer of cartons 10. 
A complete cycle of a system has been described. When the apparatus is 
first powered for a packing operation, the micro-processor goes through an 
initializing cycle where all elements of the system are conditioned to 
receive a basket 17 and egg cartons 10 for packing. 
Cartons 10 on the conveyor belt 12 approaching the escapement conveyor 13 
from the existing conveyors are generally off centered and skewed as 
illustrated in FIG. 5. At the feed end to the escapement conveyor 13 there 
are two fences 53 and 54 respectively which are driven by air cylinders 55 
and 56 respectively simultaneously to center and straighten the cartons 10 
as they enter the escapement conveyor 13. The two fences 53 and 54 move 
towards each other to center the cartons 10 and then relax to positions 
outside the bounds of the existing feed conveyor 11. Above the conveyor 
belt 14 on the escapement conveyor 13 are two guide rails 57 and 58 
respectively which are longitudinally directed along the length of the 
escapement conveyor 13. The rails 57 and 58 are bolted to the escapement 
conveyor outside of the belt 14 and positioned to match the spacing 
between the egg wells or grooves in the bottoms of cartons 10. This also 
helps alignment by not allowing the cartons 10 to enter the escapement 
conveyor 13 until they are straight. An electronic oscillator connected to 
a four-way solenoid valve provides air for the cylinders 55 and 56. 
At the transition point at the downstream end of the escapement conveyors 
13 prior to entry onto the movable tray 16 there is an air driven jogging 
plate driven by an air cylinder 60 which moves at a rate of approximately 
one Hertz, which is the same rate as the fences 53 and 54. The jogging 
plate encourages cartons 10 to slide off the escapement conveyor belt 14 
and to flow evenly onto the tray 16. The downstream ends of the guide 
rails 57 and 58 are bolted to the jogging plate at locations 61 and 62 so 
that the guide rails 57 and 58 also flex and move and this encourages 
further movement of the cartons 10. 
The escapement conveyor 13 itself consists of two main parts which are 
separate from each other: namely, a center section 14 and outside sections 
114 to either side of the center section 14. The center section 14, 
consisting of the gearhead drive motor, two belt rollers, bearings, the 
belt itself, and a supporting frame, are stationary, except for the belt 
mechanism during operation. The outside sections 114 pivot at the carton 
leading end on the same shaft that carries the entry end belt roller and 
moves at the discharge end to lift the cartons 10 off the belt on center 
section 14. Lifting the cartons 10 from the center section and belt 14 
normally stops the carton flow, but when large numbers cartons 10 
accumulate on the delivery conveyor 11, the carton stop 24 action is 
necessary. 
The two carton movable trays 16 are supported by two rails 63 and 64 
extending from the left to the right side of the machine. Both rails 63 
and 64 are used by both trays 16. Each tray 16 hangs from a front plate 65 
and a rear plate 66, each plate having four trolley wheels 67 t provide 
rolling attachment on the support rails 63 and 64. The trays 16 have right 
angle bends at their front and rear edges that bolt to the bottom edges of 
the front and rear plates. 
The drive force to move the one tray 16 is supplied to the front plate 65 
on one side of the machine and to the rear plate 66 on the other side to 
move the second tray 16. A large pulley, a motor, shaft with friction 
drive, and a small pulley on motor shafts provides drive and speed 
reduction for the trays 16. Bidirectional drive is obtained by reversing 
the direction of motor rotation. A stopple is provided on each tray 16 to 
position the cartons 10 correctly when the trays 16 are full. 
Four trolley wheels, similar to the wheels used for each carton movable 
tray 16, are mounted to the frame of the machine to hold the press bar or 
plate 46 and thereby guide the press as it moves to push on the top of the 
cartons 10 into the basket 17. Force is supplied by the air cylinder 42, 
one end of which is fastened to the press assembly and the other end is 
fastened to the frame of the machine. 
The conveyor 48 consists of two narrow belts 49 which pass from the front 
to the rear of the machine to hold the edges of the baskets 17 and leave 
most of the bottom of the basket 17 accessible from the bottom 39. The 
conveyor belts 49 are both driven by a common shaft and are fitted with 
vertical guide fences at their outer edges to keep the baskets 17 squared 
with the filling station of machine. The basket stop cylinder 51 is 
positioned at the front edge of the basket packing position at the filling 
station to stop precisely the baskets 17 at the filling station. A metal 
proximity detector 50 under the front edge of the basket filling position 
15 signals the control microprocessor that the basket 17 is overhead. The 
basket conveyor motor is stopped after a basket 17 is in the filling 
position. 
Lift is provided by three lead screws 52 and ball nut assemblies positioned 
in a triangle outside of the tines 36. The ball nuts are fastened to a 
tine support plate 68 and the lead screws 52 are held in bearing blocks 
mounted to the frame of the machine at their upper and lower ends. A drive 
is supplied to the lead screws 52 by a toothed belt passing around pulleys 
on their lower ends and a drive motor pulley. The toothed belt keeps the 
lead screws 52 in synchronism and thereby keeps the tines 36 precisely 
positioned during their travel into and out of the basket 17. A two phase 
position encoder 44 supplies signals that enable the control 
microprocessor-computer to keep track of the position of the tines 36 at 
all times. 
Full baskets 17 are discharged by the conveyor 48 to a shelf, about 16 
inches wide, in turn to be pushed onto a full basket cross conveyor. The 
cross conveyor carries filled baskets from other packing machines, and 
filled baskets are pushed onto the cross conveyor at a time when no 
baskets are passing in front of the packer position. 
A self controlled ram system consisting of a ram, air cylinder, basket 
cross conveyor photo sensor, basket waiting photo sensor, and logic 
controller controls the flow of baskets to the cross conveyor. The ram is 
a rectangular frame having a round shaft as top and bottom members and 
tubing as the left and right side members. The top shaft is held by two 
pillow block bearings attached to the machine frame at a position above 
the point where baskets exit the packing machine. The bottom shaft carries 
a roller to allow easy vertical movement as the roller moves up the rear 
side of the full basket as it is pushed onto the cross conveyor. The 
cylinder acts upon a lever fastened to the top shaft to force rotation and 
ram action. If sensor signals tell the logic that a basket 17 is waiting 
to be pushed onto the cross conveyor and that no other basket is in front 
of the packer, the ram is activated and the full basket 17 is pushed onto 
the cross conveyor. 
The packaging system for egg carton packaging has unique advantages. The 
tines are easily adapted to be accommodated in the grooves or wells 
forming the underneath of the cartons 10. Likewise the movable tray system 
with its fence guiding means ensures that the cartons are effectively 
packaged in the crate or basket without mispacking, and jamming on the 
sides. Consequently, the apparatus operates smoothly and effectively 
without causing damage or breakage to the fragile contents of the cartons. 
The support and press system working in unison effectively ensure positive 
movement and location of the cartons in each packaging crate or basket. 
The system is also readily adaptable to different size cartons. 
The system is automatically controlled by a microprocessor-computer so that 
the movements of the various components is effected in the requisite 
sequence as signaled by various sensors of the apparatus. 
While the invention has been particularly shown and described with 
reference to a preferred embodiment relating to egg carton packaging, many 
of the uses and modifications of the method of this invention will be 
apparent to those skilled in the art. The invention therefore is not to be 
limited other than by the legal scope of the following claims.