Method and apparatus for arranging articles

Abstract: A method and apparatus for arranging articles V, such as packagings for a product, whereby the articles V are supplied one by one or group-wise in a feed direction P1, wherein a support 4 for stacking, such as holder to be filled, is carried in a direction of movement P2 which encloses an angle with the feed direction P1 of the articles. As a result of this angular setting of the two directions of movement, it is possible to adapt the position of the support 4 to the shape and type of packaging of the articles, and wherein the articles can be directly stacked onto each other in the holder, whereby the force of gravity can be used to order the articles in rows and/or columns in the holder, this such that these articles lie in a position allowing them to be sold directly from the holder.

Description: The invention relates to an apparatus for arranging articles, such as stacking packages or products having a frusto-conical shape, in a holder or support, said apparatus comprising a first continuous conveyor for conveying said articles one by one or groupwise in a feed direction and a second conveyor for stepwise conveying downwards said holder or support in a direction of movement, said directions enclosing an angle. In stacking or the packaging of the articles it often occurs that the articles have to be placed in a particular arrangement allowing an easy introduction in a holder, for instance a box, which box later serves as "display" at the retail point, a supermarket for example, whereby the arrangement is such that the product is optimally visible to the customer. The customer then takes the article directly from this holder or box. Up until the present it has been usual to first stack the articles separately and to arrange the stacks one by one or group-wise in the holder. A stacking device as to the preamble is disclosed in SU-A-169 444. The invention has for its object to improve this, so that the packaging of products that are difficult to stack, for instance round or frusto-conical boxes and the like, can take place simply and flexibly, and in particular continuously. The apparatus according to the invention is distinguished in that said first conveyor is provided with separating means for supplying the articles or a group of said articles at an interval from each other, whilst said second conveyor is an endless belt conveyor provided with supporting strips, wherein a third endless conveyor is arranged in parallel relationship to said second conveyor for moving the filled holders or supports upward to the high entrance level of said second conveyor and displacement means are provided for transferring the holder or support from the second to the third conveyor at a lower level. As a result of this angular setting of the two directions of movement, it is possible to adapt the position of the support to the shape and type of packaging of the articles, and wherein the articles can be directly stacked onto each other in the holder, whereby the force of gravity can be used to order the articles in rows and/or columns in the holder, this such that these articles lie in a position allowing them to be sold directly from the holder. The invention will be further elucidated in the figure description given below of an embodiment. In the drawing: Fig. 1 is a perspective top view of an embodiment of an apparatus operating according to the principles of the invention, fig. 2 is a perspective top view of a box in the form of a display having therein articles arranged according to the invention. The embodiment shown in fig. 1 and 2 consists of a first conveyor 1 for supplying the articles V for processing and a second conveyor 2 which supplies on its active portion 3 successive holders 4 into which the articles have to be arranged. Placed on the conveyor 1 on its upper portion is a number of articles V. The upper portion 3 of the second conveyor 2 likewise runs at an angle to the horizontal and in the embodiment shown the angle between the feed direction P₁ and the direction of forward movement P₂ of the upper part 3 of conveyor 2 is 90°. The conveyor 2 is also embodied as endless belt 8 which is provided with strips 9, each for supporting a holder 4. The holder 4 comes from a collecting or folding station 10 formed with a tiltable platform 12 which can be tilted in the direction of arrow P₃ to a position indicated with the broken line 12 in fig. 1. Under the influence of the force of gravity a holder 4 will strike against a strip 9 and as soon as a holder 4 lies against a strip 9, the strip 9 can be carried downwards, whereupon the filling of the articles into the holder can be carried out. To this end the conveyor 1 is set in motion in the direction of arrow P₅. The second conveyor 2 is rather vertically positioned and therefor the feed of the articles V can be simplified by shifting them first on a fixed table 41, and by using a pusher 42, driven by double actuated cilinder 43. The articles drop one by one into holder 4 under the influence of the force of gravity. Each time an article V has fallen into the holder this latter is moved downward in the direction of arrow P₂ over a distance at least equal to the height of article V. A holder 4 can thus be entirely filled with a row of articles V. Further the holder 4 is filled and a filled holder 4 is thereupon moved sideways by means of a pusher 44 to a third conveyor 2' in construction similar to second conveyor 2, but driven in upward direction. So the filled holder 4 is brought back to the feed in level as given by conveyor 10 and tiltable platform 12. A second tiltable platform 12' will bring the filled holder from an upright position to a horizontal position, in order to be able to discharge it onto the discharge conveyor 15 at the same level as conveyor 10'. It will be apparent that in this embodiment also more than one row of articles can be supplied so that the support 40 can simultaneously accommodate articles arranged in multiple rows. The final result can be seen in fig. 2 whereby the holder 4 takes the form of a folded cardboard box, of which the front wall 4' is lower than the other side walls thereof. The low front wall 4' gives the user a full view of the promotion material placed here on the side of the packaging of small diameter. The articles displayed can be of random type and shape, for instance cone-shaped tubes for packaging butter, margarine and other spreadable substances. The invention is not limited to the above described embodiments.

Claims: Apparatus for arranging articles (V), such as stacking packages or products having a frusto-conical shape, in a holder or support (4), said apparatus comprising a first continuous conveyor (1) for conveying said articles one by one or groupwise in a feed direction (P₁) and a second conveyor (2) for stepwise conveying downwards said holder or support in a direction of movement (P₂), said directions (P₁, P₂) enclosing an angle, characterized in that said first conveyor is provided with separating means for supplying the articles or a group of said articles at an interval from each other, whilst said second conveyor is an endless belt conveyor provided with supporting strips (9), wherein a third endless conveyor (2') is arranged in parallel relationship to said second conveyor (2) for moving the filled holders or supports upward to the high entrance level of said second conveyor and displacement means (44) are provided for transferring the holder or support from the second to the third conveyor at a lower level.

Inventors: VAN OORD JAN JASPER JACOB, VAN OORD, JAN JASPER JACOB
Applicants: BREDA PACKAGING BV, BREDA PACKAGING B.V.
Application year: 1989
Main classification: B65B5
IPC codes: B65G47, B65G57, B65B5, B65B35, B65B61