Article transfer and placement apparatus with active puck

An apparatus for transferring articles such as absorbent cores or disposable diaper chassis components from a rotary mechanism, such as a pad turner, to a linear mechanism, such as a conveyor, for further processing. A puck on the apparatus is capable of manipulating the article during this transfer procedure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention related to an apparatus for transferring articles such as absorbent pads in the manufacture of disposable absorbent articles such as diapers, incontinence control garments or female sanitary pads as they advance along a production line.

In the production and manufacture of disposable products such as sanitary napkins-or pants-type diapers, it frequently becomes necessary to manufacture a component of the product in one orientation, and then to rotate that component part 90° so that it is suitably oriented for use in another step in the production process. Various devices have been developed for this purpose and are known to those experienced in the industry. Examples of such apparatus are those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,726,876, 4,880,102, and 5,025,910, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

As discussed above, a typical article to be reoriented by the apparatus of this invention is an absorbent pad. Because absorbent pads are typically comprised of several webs, an absorbent core and several elastic members, there is a tendency of these assemblies to contract and become distorted during transfer operations which greatly complicates handling of the pad during further processing. Control of the pad is important.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The apparatus of the present invention is an active puck that is capable of rotating and stretching an article between a pick-up and a lay-down point.

An active puck is disclosed that picks up an article from a first conveying means, the article traveling in a first orientation, carries, stretches and rotates the article, so the article is traveling in a second orientation, and deposits the article onto another conveying means. A cam plate comprising a guiding structure of increasing radius cooperates with a vacuum slide to urge stretching of the article is provided. A vacuum puck carries the article while the slide rotatably operates through the increasing (or decreasing) radius.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring more particularly to the drawings, there is seen inFIG. 1an apparatus10carrying pucks, or transfer heads16, of the present invention. The apparatus10is adapted to receive a series of articles14from an upstream conveyor or vacuum drum (not shown) onto a pad turning device12which includes a plurality of radially extending transfer heads16.

The location where articles14are received from the upstream point onto the pucks16is known as the pick up point. The location where articles14are deposited from the pucks16to a downstream drum or conveyor20is known as the lay down point.

The pad turning device12may be, for example, a rotary pad turner of the type more fully described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,025,910 which is incorporated herein by reference. The articles14, such as absorbent pads, may be any elongated articles which need to be rotated approximately 90° during the course of a manufacturing operation. In the present invention, the elongated articles are also stretched away from their center point in a direction, such as a radial direction, away from the axis of the puck16as will be described later.

Such pad turning devices12are especially needed and are suited for use in connection with the manufacture and packaging of sanitary napkins as well as absorbent pads which are used in the assembly of disposable garments such as adult incontinence garments or children's training pants.

Also seen inFIG. 1, articles14are successively and individually picked-up by the transfer heads16of the pad transfer device12. In the illustrated embodiment, the articles14are picked up from a vacuum drum (not shown). Various conventional conveying and direction changing devices such as rollers may be employed in the feeding of the web and do not form a part of this invention.

After the articles14have been rotated90degrees, they are deposited at the lay down point onto drum20. The pucks16of the present invention can stretch the articles14, as will be described below, and deposit them in the stretched condition onto drum20. A conveyor28or the like transport the articles14for further processing or to a packaging device, as required by a particular application.

Referring toFIG. 2, there is seen a diagrammatic depiction of the travel path of the web22and the resultant pads14which are formed therefrom. In this depiction the various apparatus have been eliminated but are partially illustrated by means of phantom lines.

As can be seen, the article is rotated 90° from the pick up point to the lay down point, and is also stretched during this time it spends on the puck16. The active puck16of this invention is more fully described in the remaining Figures. Referring generally toFIGS. 2,3and4, the process of constructing disposable products is traditionally performed in assembly-line fashion, with the product construction generally following a “machine direction.” The machine direction is understood, in reference toFIG. 2, to be generally from left to right, or in the direction of the process. The “cross-machine direction” is generally perpendicular to, or across the machine direction. Referring toFIG. 3, the puck assembly38initially is oriented lengthwise parallel to the machine direction, and as shown inFIG. 4, rotates roughly 90° so that the puck assembly38is oriented lengthwise in the cross-machine direction. Referring toFIGS. 3 and 4vacuum slides34will exhibit linear movement along the arrows shown inFIG. 4, with directional components of the linear movement in both the machine direction (left to right relative to the orientation ofFIG. 3) and the cross-machine direction (up and down relative to the orientation ofFIG. 3).

As shown inFIG. 3, a top view of an embodiment of an active pad turning puck16of the present invention is shown. A plurality of vacuum slides34are positioned about a puck assembly38. The vacuum slides34are intended to engage a portion of articles14(not shown) by vacuum ports42, and manipulate by stretching or otherwise the articles14. As is well known in the art, each of the segments can be connected internally to a source of vacuum. A pattern of holes is provided on the surface of each'segment through which the internal vacuum acts to draw the pads14towards the surface. It is clear that this technology can be applied to the transfer and placement of many different types of articles in the disposable goods industry and other industries as well.

In use, rotation of the puck assembly38relative to a cam plate40causes cam followers32to track through channels36. Channels36are of an increasing radius from the center of the cam plate40. Because cam followers32are coupled with vacuum slides34, rotation of the puck assembly38relative to the cam plate40causes sliding of the vacuum slides inwardly and outwardly as shown inFIG. 4. The cam followers32are urged inwardly and outwardly due to the increasing radius of the channels36in a first direction of travel, and the decreasing radius of channels36in the second rotational direction of travel, preferably in a washing machine-like back and forth style.

Referring now toFIG. 5, a top view the active pad turning puck16of the present invention is shown. In this embodiment, vacuum ports42are shown, and may be applied to the vacuum slides34, the puck assembly38, or both. The vacuum ports are coupled to a manifold44and ultimately a source of vacuum (not shown).

Referring now toFIG. 6, an exploded view of the active pad turning puck16of the present invention is shown. In this embodiment, a shaft adaptor plate46is shown to receive shaft48, through a void provided proximal to the center of cam plate40. The support subassembly50is provided for coupling of the puck16to the pad turning device12.

Referring now toFIG. 7, a top view of an alternate embodiment of an active pad turning puck16of the present invention is shown. In this embodiment, ends39of the puck assembly38are slidably enabled, as the vacuum slides34described previously. Rotation is again a driving force of sliding movement caused by the cam follower32coupled to the ends39, as shown inFIG. 8.

Referring now toFIGS. 9 and 10, a top view of an additional alternate embodiment of an active pad turning puck16of the present invention is shown. In this embodiment, a plurality of channels36are provided, each channel36receiving a cam follower32coupled to a slidable element, either ends39or slides34. Of course, a single circuitous channel36could be provided for receiving multiple cam followers32. Again, cam followers32, upon rotation, urge the slidable elements outward and inward.

Referring now toFIG. 11, an additional alternative embodiment of a puck16of the present invention is shown. In this embodiment, it can be seen that a slidable elements46are provided at corners of the puck assembly38. These slidable elements46will move somewhat radially away from the center of the puck16, although the direction of movement can be controlled through different arrangements of the channel or channels36.

In use, the transfer apparatus10rotates from the pick up point, stretches the article14while the article is upon a puck16by slidable elements, and deposits the article14on a conveyor28or the like for downstream processing. As the puck16rotates between the pick up and deposition points, the cam followers are urged into an increasing radius of the channel36. Between the deposition point and the next subsequent pick up point, the puck16will rotate back to its initial position, and the cam followers are urged into an its decreasing radius of the channel36, causing the slidable elements34or39to return to their initial, retracted position, ready to receive another article14.