Apparatus and method for loading a packaging station of an insulation batt packager

An apparatus and method for loading insulation batts into a packaging station of a batt-packaging machine includes: an up-stacking station for receiving a plurality of the insulation batts to form a vertical stack of the insulation batts; a staging station from which the insulation batts are elevated into the up-stacking station of the batt-packaging machine; batt engaging members of a first endless conveyor on the first side of the staging station for successively feeding batts into the staging station; batt engaging members of a second endless conveyor on the second side of the staging station for successively engaging the bottom major surfaces of the insulation batts as the insulation batts are successively fed into the staging station and in cooperation with the batt engaging members of the first endless conveyor for vertically raising the insulation batts from the staging station into the up-stacking station.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The subject invention relates to an insulation batt-packaging machine and, in particular, to an improved, versatile, high-speed apparatus and method of loading insulation batts into a packaging station of a batt-packaging machine, a batt-packaging machine incorporating such an apparatus, and the method of utilizing such an apparatus for loading insulation batts into a packaging station of a packaging machine. The apparatus and method of the subject invention are especially well suited for economically, efficiently, and rapidly delivering unfolded and single-fold insulation batts into the loading station of an insulation batt-packaging machine.

Faced and unfaced fiberglass insulation batts are currently produced and packaged in unfolded and single-fold insulation batt form on high capacity production lines. Typically, these high capacity production lines each include a high capacity fiberglass insulation batt manufacturing operation that produces the fiberglass insulation batts, ready for packaging, as batts in unfolded or single-fold form and a packaging operation for packaging the insulation batts in packages that contain between two and twelve compressed batts per package. For sales to builders and commercial insulation contractors, the fiberglass insulation batts are commonly sold in a package containing between four and sixteen compressed batts. The shorter length batts (e.g. batts about four feet in length) are typically packaged in an unfolded condition. The longer batts (e.g. batts about eight feet in length) are typically folded in half so that the length of the package containing the batts approximates one-half of the length of the batts within the package (e.g. about four feet)

Current packaging operations may use a batt-packaging machine and method, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,805,383, issued Feb. 21, 1989, that up-stacks unfolded or single-fold insulation batts into an up-stacking station of the packaging machine to form a vertical stack of the insulation batts. This stack of insulation batts is then delivered to a packaging station of the packaging machine where the stack of insulation batts is compressed and packaged. As shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,805,383, this type of batt-packaging machine currently utilizes a reciprocating loader mechanism to individually up-stack insulation batts into an up-stacking station of the packaging machine and form the vertical stack of the insulation batts. This vertical stack of insulation batts is then delivered to the packaging station of the machine. To load each individual insulation batt into the up-stacking station of the packaging machine and form the vertical stack of insulation batts, the current reciprocating loader mechanism cycles through a loading stroke and a return stroke. While the return stroke of this reciprocating loader mechanism cycle may be somewhat faster than the loading stroke, in general, the need for the reciprocating loader mechanism to return to its initial position before the up-stacking of the next insulation batt can commence causes a pause in the batt up-stacking operation and essentially doubles the loading time for each batt loading cycle. Thus, there has remained a need for an apparatus and method for use in such packaging machines that enables the continuous or substantially continuous loading of insulation batts into an up-stacking station of the packaging machine to thereby essentially reduce by half the time for forming a stack of insulation batts in the up-stacking station. The apparatus and method of the subject invention provide for the continuous up-stacking of insulation batts into the up-stacking station of such a packaging machine and thereby essentially reduce the up-stacking time of the packaging operation by half. By replacing the up-stacking apparatus and method currently used in packaging machines of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,805,383 with the up-stacking apparatus and method of the subject invention, packaging machines of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,805,383 will easily accommodate the production capacities of current fiberglass insulation batt production lines and other insulation batt production lines as well as increased production line capacities for these and other insulation batt production lines.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The apparatus of the subject invention for loading insulation batts into a packaging station of a batt-packaging machine of the subject invention includes an up-stacking station with an up-stacking chamber for receiving a plurality of the insulation batts to form a vertical stack of the insulation batts; a staging station from which the insulation batts are elevated into the up-stacking station of the batt-packaging machine; a first endless conveyor assembly on a first side of the staging station that has a vertical run forming a first side of the staging station; and a second endless conveyor assembly on a second side the staging station that has a vertical run spaced from the vertical run of the first endless conveyor and forming a second side of the staging station.

The first endless conveyor assembly has a lower batt infeed run, the vertical or substantially vertical run that extends upward from the infeed run and forms the first side of the staging station, and an upper return run. The second endless conveyor assembly has a lower run, the vertical or substantially vertical run that extends upward from the lower run and forms the second side of the staging station, and an upper return run. The first and second endless conveyor assemblies each have batt engaging blades.

Then, during their infeed run, the batt engaging blades on the first endless conveyor assembly successively engage and convey the insulation batts toward and into the staging station with the insulation batts oriented to have their longitudinal centerlines extending in a direction transverse to the direction in which the insulation batts are being conveyed by the first endless conveyor assembly. In the staging station, the batt engaging blades of both the first and second endless conveyor assemblies successively extend into the staging station from the first and second sides of the staging station, successively engage the bottom major surfaces of the insulation batts as the insulation batts are successively fed into the staging station by the first endless conveyor assembly; and cooperate with each other as the batt engaging blades move upwardly in the vertical runs of the first and second endless conveyor assemblies to successively raise the insulation batts from the staging station into the up-stacking station of the batt-packaging machine. Thus, unlike batt up-stacking mechanisms of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,805,383, which intermittently feed the insulation batts into the up-stacking station of the batt-packaging machine, the batt stacking mechanism of the subject invention continuously feeds the insulation batts to form a vertical stack of the insulation batts for subsequent packaging in the packaging station of the batt-packaging machine and essentially cuts the up-stacking time of the packaging operation by half.

Once a stack containing the selected number of insulation batts is formed, the up-stacking of insulation batts is temporarily paused and the stack of insulation batts is moved from the up-stacking and staging stations down into the packaging station by a compression plate where the packaging of the stack of insulation batts is completed. An apparatus for delivering a stack of insulation batts from the up-stacking and staging stations into the packaging station of the batt-packaging machine and completing the packaging of the insulation batts in the packaging station, of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,805,383, may be used with the apparatus and method of the subject invention to move stacks of insulation batts from the up-stacking and staging stations into the packaging station and compete the packaging of the insulation batts in the packaging station. The disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 4,805,383, issued Feb. 21, 1989, inventor Robert J. Allwein, is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As shown inFIG. 1, the packaging machine20of the subject invention includes an infeed station22, a staging station24, an up-stacking station26, a packaging station28, a first endless conveyor assembly30, and a second endless conveyor assembly32. The first endless conveyor assembly30forms part of the infeed station22and the staging station24. The second endless conveyor assembly forms part of the staging station. Insulation batts34, in unfolded or single-fold form, are fed through the infeed station22into the staging station24. In the staging station24the first and second endless conveyor assemblies30and32cooperate to raise the insulation batts34from the staging station into a stacking chamber of the up-stacking station26where a stack of insulation batts is formed. Once a stack of insulation batts, that includes an insulation batt located in the staging station24is formed, the stack36of insulation batts is transferred from the staging and up-stacking stations24and26into the packaging station28where the packaging of the stack36of insulation batts is completed.

As shown inFIGS. 1 and 2, the infeed station22, in addition to the first endless conveyor assembly30, includes a first endless infeed conveyor38; a modulator gate assembly40; a second endless infeed conveyor42formed by a series of endless belts43that are spaced apart from each other across the width of the infeed station; and a slideway44. The first endless infeed conveyor38conveys insulation batts34from a production line (not shown) to the packaging machine20where the insulation batts34are successively brought into contact with the modulator gate46of the modular gate assembly40. The modular gate46of the modular gate assembly40is formed by a series of gate blade arms47that are spaced apart from each other across the width of the infeed station. The modular gate assembly40is controlled by a conventional control system to coordinate the downstream feed of insulation batts34by the second endless infeed conveyor42with the first endless conveyor assembly30for the completion of the infeed of the insulation batts34into the staging station24. The modular gate assembly40accomplishes this function by simultaneously pivoting the gate blade arms47of the modulator gate46upward and actuating a third endless infeed conveyor48so that the insulation batts34are successively fed, one at a time, downstream by the third endless infeed conveyor48. The third endless infeed conveyor48includes a series of belts49that are spaced apart from each other across the width of the infeed station so that the gate blade arms47of the modular gate46can pass up through the third endless infeed conveyor when an insulation batt34is being released from the modulator gate assembly40. Once fed downstream by the third endless infeed conveyor48, the insulation batt34is picked up by the second endless infeed conveyor42and conveyed by the second endless infeed conveyor to the slideway44. Once an insulation batt34has been metered past the modulator gate46, the gate blade arms47of the modulator gate46are pivoted back down to their original position to hold back the following insulation batts and the third endless infeed conveyor48is stopped. When it is time for the next insulation batt34to be fed onto the second endless infeed conveyor42, the metering cycle just described is repeated.

The slideway44of the infeed station22, as well as a staging platform50of the staging station24are each made of vertically oriented slats52and54respectively. The vertically oriented slats52of the slideway44are spaced apart from each other across the width of the infeed station22and the vertically oriented slats54of the staging platform50are spaced apart from each other across the width of the staging station24. The slideway44of the infeed station22is fixed in place. The staging platform50of the staging station24is movable from a first position (shown inFIGS. 1 and 2) where the staging platform receives incoming insulation batts34from the infeed station22to a second retracted position where the absence of the staging platform50leaves the bottom of the staging station24open for the transfer a stack of insulation batts36from the staging and up-stacking stations into the packaging station28.

The first endless conveyor assembly30has a lower batt infeed run, the vertical or substantially vertical run that extends upward from the infeed run and forms a first side of the staging station24, and an upper return run. The second endless conveyor assembly32has a lower run, a vertical or substantially vertical run that extends upward from the lower run and forms a second side of the staging station24, and an upper return run. The first and second endless conveyors assemblies30and32each have sets of batt engaging blades56. The batt engaging blades56of the first endless conveyor assembly30are spaced apart from each other across the width of the first endless conveyor assembly30so that the blades56of each set of blades can pass between the belts49of the third endless infeed conveyor48, the belts43of the second endless infeed conveyor42, the slats52of the slideway44, and the slats54of the staging platform50. The batt engaging blades56of the second endless conveyor assembly32are spaced apart from each other across the width of the second endless conveyor assembly32so that the blades56of each set of blades can pass between the slats54of the staging platform50.

As shown inFIGS. 1 and 2, the first endless conveyor assembly30has four sets of batt engaging blades56and the second endless conveyor assembly32has three sets of batt engaging blades56. Since, except for their different lengths and sets of batt engaging blades56, the first endless conveyor assembly30and the second endless conveyor assembly32are and function the same, only the first endless conveyor assembly30will be described in detail. However, it is to be understood that this detailed description of the first endless conveyor assembly30also applies the second endless conveyor assembly32.

The first endless conveyor assembly30includes first and second lateral endless cam tracks60that define a path of travel for the first endless conveyor assembly30.FIG. 4shows the lateral endless cam track60that is located on the left side of the infeed and staging stations22and24of the apparatus as shown inFIG. 2. The other lateral endless cam track60of the first endless conveyor assembly30, which cannot be seen inFIG. 2, is the mirror image of the lateral endless cam track shown and functions in the same manner as the lateral endless cam track60.

As shown inFIG. 2, the insulation batts34are fed in a first direction through the infeed station22into the staging station24. The first and second lateral endless cam tracks60of the first endless conveyor assembly30are spaced from each other in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction a distance greater than the lengths of the insulation batts34in unfolded or folded form. This transverse spacing of the first and second endless cam tracks60is sufficiently great to enable the insulation batts34, in unfolded or folded form, to be conveyed through the infeed station22into the staging station24with the longitudinal centerlines of the insulation batts oriented perpendicular to the direction of travel of the insulation batts34.

As shown inFIGS. 2 to 4, the transversely spaced apart batt engaging blades56of each set of batt engaging blades of the first endless conveyor30are affixed to and extend radially out from a cross member support rod62. Each cross member support rod62extends in the second direction and between the lateral endless cam tracks60. With the batt engaging blades56of each set of batt engaging blades affixed to and extending radially out from one of the cross member support rods62, when a cross member support rod62is angularly displaced about its longitudinal axis, the batt engaging blades56affixed to that cross member support rod will likewise be angularly displaced about the longitudinal axis of that cross member support rod.

Each cross member support rod62has a first cam member64at a first end of the cross member support rod62that is engaged with and travels in the first lateral endless cam track60of the first endless conveyor assembly30and a second cam member64at the second end of the cross member support rod62that is engaged with and travels in the second endless cam track60of the first endless conveyor assembly30. The first and second cam members64cooperate with the first and second lateral cam tracks60of the endless conveyor assembly30in the same way. Accordingly, only the cooperative operation of the first cam member64with the first lateral cam track60will be discussed in detail. However, it is to be understood that this detailed description of the cooperative operation of the first cam member64with the first lateral cam track60of the first endless conveyor assembly30also applies the cooperative operation of the second cam member64with the second lateral cam track60of the first endless conveyor assembly30.

The first cam member64has a leading cam track follower66and a trailing cam track follower68that are each engaged with and travel in the first lateral endless cam track60. The leading cam track follower66of the first cam member64is axially aligned with or substantially axially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the cross member support rod62. The trailing cam track follower68of the first cam member64is mounted on an arm69of the first cam member, which extends radially out from the cross member support rod62, at a location that is spaced radially outward from the longitudinal axis of the cross member support rod.

As best shown inFIGS. 4 and 5, the first lateral endless cam track60of the first endless conveyor assembly30diverges from a single track into upper and lower vertically spaced apart track segments70and72adjacent an upper end of the vertical run of the first lateral endless conveyor assembly30and converges in the upper return run of the first lateral endless cam track60into the single track. The leading cam track follower66of the first cam member64of each cross member support rod62of the first lateral endless conveyor assembly30enters and travels through the upper track segment70of the first lateral endless cam track. However, the trailing cam track follower68of the first cam member of each cross member support rod62of the first lateral endless conveyor30is engaged by and diverted into the lower track segment72of the first lateral endless cam track60by a transfer mechanism74. The transfer mechanism74is mounted on a drive axle and includes a yoke76at its outer end for engaging the trailing cam track follower68. As shown inFIG. 5, after the leading cam track follower passes, the transfer mechanism74is rotated from an initial retracted position (shown in phantom line) up and into engagement with the trailing cam track follower68. Once the yoke76of the transfer mechanism74engages the trailing cam track follower68, the transfer mechanism74continues to rotate, guides the trailing cam track follower68into the lower track segment72, and moves the trailing cam track follower68part of the way through of its passage through the lower track segment72before disengaging. The transfer mechanism74moves the trailing cam track follower68through the first portion of the lower cam track segment72so that the trailing cam track follower68remains directly below or substantially directly below the leading cam track follower66as it passes through the upper cam tack segment70until the batt engaging blades56of mounted on the cross member support rod62are withdrawn or substantially withdrawn from the staging station24. With the trailing cam track follower68being maintained directly below or substantially directly below the leading cam track follower66until the batt engaging blades56are withdrawn or substantially withdrawn from the staging station24, the batt engaging blades56rather than pivoting from a generally horizontal orientation to a generally vertical orientation as the leading cam track follower66passes from the vertical run to the upper return run of the first endless conveyor assembly30is withdrawn in a horizontal or substantially horizontal direction from the staging station24. Once the transfer mechanism74is disengaged from a trailing cam track follower68, the trailing cam track follower68moves upward and behind the leading cam track follower66as the upper and lower cam track segments70and72converge to rotate the batt engaging blades56from a generally horizontal to the generally vertical orientation and the transfer mechanism74is returned to its initial retracted position where the transfer mechanism74stays until the transfer mechanism is again activated to bring the transfer mechanism74into engagement with the next trailing cam track follower and the operation is repeated. By withdrawing the batt engaging blades56from the staging station24in a generally horizontal orientation rather than by pivoting the batt engaging blades56out of the staging station, the free edges of the batt engaging blades56are not drawn across the bottom edge portions of the insulation batts34where the batt engaging blade edge could damage the insulation batts and the insulation batts34are easily transferred from being supported by the batt engaging blades56to being supported by the escapement assemblies78.

As shown inFIG. 2, the escapement assemblies78each include a series of batt support blades80, a support blade cross member82, and a conventional eccentric drive mechanism84. The batt support blades80of each of the two escapement assemblies78are spaced apart from each other across the width of the staging station24and are affixed to the support blade cross member82. The crank arms and drive linkage of the eccentric drive mechanisms84reciprocate the support blade cross members82and the batt support blades80of the escapements between a retracted position (shown inFIG. 2) where the batt support blades80are withdrawn from the staging station24and an extended position (shown inFIG. 1) where the batt support blades80extend into the staging station24to support one or more insulation batts34as a stack of insulation batts is being formed. In the embodiment shown, the batt support blades80of each of the escapement assemblies78are guided by and pass between upper and lower guide members (not shown) that extend transversely across the width of the station so that the batt support blades80move in a generally horizontal direction between their retracted and extended positions. However, it is also contemplated that the batt support blades80could be mounted on and moved between the extended and retracted positions by a drive with parallel linkage that moves the batt support blades80inward and upward when the blades are being extended to the extended position from the retracted position and outward and downward when the batt support blades are being withdrawn from the extended position to the retracted position.

As shown inFIGS. 4,6, and7, the first endless cam track60of the first endless conveyor assembly30has a pivotal track segment assembly86adjacent a lower end of the vertical run of the first endless conveyor assembly that is angularly displaceable between a first position (shown inFIGS. 4 and 6) where the pivotal track segment assembly86forms a continuous portion of the first endless cam track60and a second angularly displaced position (shown inFIG. 7) where a lower end of the pivotal track segment assembly86is angularly displaced from the first endless cam track60. With this structure, when the leading cam track follower66of the first cam member64of any of the cross member support rods62is located in the first endless cam track60in the vertical run of the first endless conveyor assembly30above the pivotal track segment assembly86of the first endless cam track60and the trailing cam track follower68of that first cam member64is located in the pivotal track segment assembly86of the first endless cam track60as shown inFIG. 6and the pivotal track segment assembly86is angularly displaced to its angularly displaced position shown inFIG. 7, the batt engaging blades56mounted on that cross member support rod62are angularly displaced downward from the substantially horizontally extending orientation ofFIG. 6to the substantially vertically extending orientation ofFIG. 7. This angular movement of the sets of batt engaging blades56by the pivotal track segment assembly86is utilized to move the sets of batt engaging blades out of the way when a stack36of insulation batts34is being loaded from the staging and up-stacking stations into the packaging station28.

The method of utilizing the apparatus of the subject invention to load the packaging station28of a packaging machine20of the subject invention will now be described in connection withFIGS. 8 to 14. In the method of the subject invention, insulation batts34are fed from a production line (not shown) into the infeed station22of the packaging machine20by a conveyor38. In the infeed station22, the modulator gate assembly40periodically feeds the insulation batts34, one at a time, from the infeed conveyor38onto the infeed conveyor42, which conveys the insulation batt to the slideway44. The metering of the insulation batts34by the modulator gate assembly40onto the infeed conveyor42for conveyance by the infeed conveyor42to the slideway44is coordinated with the movement of the sets of batt engaging blades56on the infeed run of the first lateral endless conveyor assembly30so that the insulation batts are delivered to the slideway one at a time and between successive sets of the batt engaging blades56. At the slideway44, each insulation batt34conveyed to the slideway by the infeed conveyor42is engaged by the next set of batt engaging blades56of the first endless conveyor assembly30and moved over the slideway44and onto the staging platform50of the staging station24by the first lateral endless conveyor assembly30. As shown inFIG. 8, an insulation batt34is being engaged on a rear surface and conveyed by a set of the batt engaging blades56of the first endless conveyor assembly30from the slideway44of the infeed station22onto the staging platform50of the staging station24; after being released by the modulator gate assembly40of the infeed station22an insulation batt34has been conveyed by the endless infeed conveyor42from the modulator gate assembly to the slideway44; and a series of insulation batts are being brought into the infeed station22from a production line (not shown) by the endless infeed conveyor38with an insulation batt34engaged by the modulator gate46of the modulator gate assembly.

As an insulation batt34is moved across the slideway44and onto the staging platform50of the staging station24by a set of the batt engaging blades56of the first endless conveyor assembly30, the set of batt engaging blades56passes between the vertically oriented slats52of the slideway44and the vertically oriented slats54of the staging platform50. As the set of batt engaging blades56move from the lower infeed run of the first endless conveyor assembly30to the vertical run of the first endless conveyor assembly, the set of batt engaging blades56is angularly displaced about the longitudinal axis of the cross member support rod62on which the set of batt engaging blades is mounted and thereby moves from engagement with a rear surface of the insulation batt34to engagement with a bottom surface of the insulation batt34. As the loading of this insulation batt34onto the staging platform50of the staging station24by the set of the batt engaging blades56of the first endless conveyor assembly30is being completed, a set of batt engaging blades56of the second endless conveyor assembly32is also passing between the vertically oriented slats54of the staging platform50. As the set of batt engaging blades56of the second endless conveyor assembly32move from the lower run of the second endless conveyor assembly32to the vertical run of the second endless conveyor assembly, this set of batt engaging blades56is angularly displaced about the longitudinal axis of the cross member support rod62on which the set of batt engaging blades is mounted and thereby moves into engagement with the bottom surface of the insulation batt34at the same time the set of batt engaging blades56of the first endless conveyor assembly30moves into engagement with the bottom surface of the insulation batt34. As these two sets of batt engaging blades56of the first and second endless conveyor assemblies30and32move upward along their vertical runs, these two sets of batt engaging blades cooperate to elevate the insulation batt from the staging station24into a vertically extending chamber of the up-stacking station26.FIG. 9shows the insulation batt34that was being loaded onto the staging platform50inFIG. 8, being elevated into the chamber of the up-stacking station26by these two sets of cooperating batt engaging blades56of the first and second endless conveyor assemblies30and32. As this up-stacking operation is being carried out, the next insulation batt34is being loaded onto the staging platform50by the next successive set of batt engaging blades56of the first endless conveyor assembly30and following insulation batts are being metered into and conveyed through the infeed station22as described above in connection withFIG. 8.

At the upper end of their vertical run, the sets of batt engaging blades56of the first and second endless conveyor assemblies30and32are withdrawn horizontally from the staging station as described above in connection withFIGS. 4 and 5. Simultaneously with the withdrawal of these sets of batt engaging blades56, the batt support blades80of the escapement assemblies78are being moved from their retracted positions outside the staging station24to their extended positions within the staging station24so that the support of the insulation batt34just elevated by these sets of batt engaging blades56and any other insulation batts in the up-stacking station26is transferred to the batt support blades80of the escapement assemblies78.FIG. 10shows the insulation batt34just elevated immediately after the support of the insulation batt has been transferred to the batt supporting blades80escapement assemblies78. As shown inFIG. 10with the insulation batt34that has just been elevated and any other insulation batts34in the up-stacking station26supported by the escapement assemblies78, these insulation batts34will not interfere with the loading of the next insulation batt34onto the staging platform50.

As shown inFIG. 11, which shows a number of insulation batts34in the up-stacking station26, the up-stacking of insulation batts34into the chamber of the up-stacking station26continues. Once a preselected number of insulation batts34, including an insulation batt34in the staging station24, have been accumulated in the staging station24and the vertical chamber of up-stacking station26to form a stack36of insulation batts as shown inFIG. 12, the escapement assemblies78are automatically retracted and the loading of the stack36of insulation batts34from the staging and up-stating stations into packaging station28is ready to commence. In this loading operation, the staging platform50is withdrawn from the staging station24so that the bottom of the staging station24is open for the passage of the stack36of insulation batts from the staging and up-stacking stations into the packaging station. Simultaneously with the retraction of the staging platform50or immediately thereafter, the sets of batt engaging blades56supporting the insulation batt34currently in the staging station24and, with the retraction of the escapement assemblies78, the batts34in the up-stacking station, are angularly displaced downward from their horizontal orientation shown inFIG. 12to a vertical orientation (as described above in connection withFIGS. 6 and 7) to enable the stack36of insulation batts to be moved from the staging and up-stacking stations into the packaging station28. When the stack36of insulation batts is driven from the up-stacking and staging stations26and24into the packaging station28by the compression plate88, the infeed of the next insulation batt into the staging station24is momentarily stopped while the compression plate passes through the up-stacking and staging stations and the staging platform50is moved out of and back into the staging station.FIG. 13shows, the infeed of insulation batts34into the staging station stopped and a stack36of insulation batts in the process of being driven from the staging and up-stacking stations into the packaging station by the compression plate88. Once the compression plate88has passed below the sets of batt engaging blades56in the staging station24, these sets of batt engaging blades are returned to their generally horizontal orientation.

As the compression plate88passes below the staging station24into the packaging station28, the staging platform50is moved back to its initial position to close the bottom of the staging station24and receive the next insulation batt34from the infeed station22.FIG. 14shows the compression plate88in the packaging station28and the staging platform moving back to its initial position to close the bottom of the staging station. As shown inFIGS. 13 and 14, the stack36of insulation batts are driven by the compression plate88into a hopper90of the packaging station28where the stack36of insulation batts is compressed between the compression plate88and a support plate92of the packaging station. As the stack of insulation batts is being compressed in the hopper90, the compressed stack of insulation batts is being wrapped and packaged in a sheet94of packaging material. The packaging of the stack36of insulation batts in the packaging station28may be in accordance with the packaging operation described in columns 6 and 7 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,805,383 with reference toFIGS. 5 to 9of U.S. Pat. No. 4,805,383 or other packaging operations wherein the stack36of compressed insulation batts is enclosed within a sleeve, bag or the like. After the stack36of insulation batts has been compressed and packaged in the packaging station28, the compression plate is withdrawn from the packaging station hopper90and returned to the upper end of the up-stacking station26for the next packaging cycle and the packaging cycle just described in connection withFIGS. 8 to 14is repeated.

It is contemplated that the use of the escapement assemblies78to support the insulation batts34in the up-stacking station26might be eliminated. This could be accomplished by adjusting the height of the vertical runs of the first and second endless conveyor assemblies30and32so that the loading of the next insulation batt34onto the staging platform50is already completed when the sets of batt engaging blades56of the first and second endless conveyor assemblies30and32are withdrawn at the top of their runs and no longer support the insulation batts in the up-stacking station. Once the insulation batts34in the up-stacking station26are no longer supported by the sets of batt engaging blades56being withdrawn from the staging station24, the up-stacked insulation batts would drop onto the insulation batt34that has just been loaded onto the staging platform50of the staging station24.

In describing the invention, certain embodiments have been used to illustrate the invention and the practices thereof. However, the invention is not limited to these specific embodiments as other embodiments and modifications within the spirit of the invention will readily occur to those skilled in the art on reading this specification. Thus, the invention is not intended to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, but is to be limited only by the claims appended hereto.