METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING DISPOSABLE ARTICLES AS WELL AS THE ARTICLES OBTAINED

Abstract: A method to make packages of objects for celebrations or parties, such as paper cups, plates, cutlery, napkins, etc. with graphical or figurative elements different from one another, an apparatus that carries out this method and a package resulting therefrom. The method comprises the steps of: printing or application on each object (10a) a first plurality of a first graphical or figurative element (11a); repetition of the printing or application step for further pluralities of equal objects (10b, 10c), with a second graphical or figurative element (11b) for a second plurality (10b), with a third graphical or figurative element (11c) for a third plurality (10c), etc.; creation of stacked groups of objects picked up one at a time from each plurality of equal objects, whereby each unit comprises only one of said objects of each plurality (10a or 10b or 10c); packaging the stacked groups (30). The step of stacking the different pluralities of objects with different graphical or figurative elements can be carried out in different feeding means (20a, 20b, 20c), and it is possible that groups of objects (30) are picked up one at a time at the passage under the feeding means.

Description: TITLE METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING DISPOSABLE ARΗCLES AS WELL AS THE ARΗCLES OBTAINED 5 DEfiCRTPTTfW Field of the invp.πt-.inn The present invention relates to a method for packaging articles for parties, such as disposable paper cups, plates, cutlery, napkins, etc. 10 The invention relates also to an apparatus that carries out this method. Furthermore it relates to packages of articles obtained with the this method. Description of ths prior art 15 For organising celebrations or parties with a buffet of food and drinks, packages are available on the market of disposable paper cups, plates, cutlery in paper or plastics, napkins, in various shapes and fancy patterns. The paper cups, plates, cutlery or napkins of every 20 package are normally all equal to one another, and are given to the users at the moment of the drink or snack. In some cases, paper cups, plates, cutlery or napkins are used for more drinks or snacks, or the participants stop the drink or snack for resuming it later 25 on. In this case, at the moment of resuming the drink or snack the participants does not remember the place where the object had been left, or they confuse it with equal objects of other participants. For avoiding said confusion 30 the participants often leave the objects and pick up new ones . This is one of the reasons why during celebrations or parties there is a consumption of objects, such as ION paper cups, plates, cutlery or napkins, very larger than the number of participants, often with exhaustion of the stocks owing to insufficient amount for all the participants, as well as with the heavier work for people serving or for disposing of the used objects. Summary of the imran i nπ It is an object of the present invention to provide a package of objects such as disposable paper cups, plates, cutlery in paper or plastics, napkins, so that they can be used by every participant of a buffet party without confusion with those used by other participants. It is another object of the present invention to provide a method that, in addition to a manual method, allows a partial or complete automatic operation. It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for packaging said articles in an automatic or semi-automatic way with high precision and production rates. According to a first aspect of the present invention, a method for packaging disposable articles for parties, such as paper cups, plates, cutlery or napkins and the like, with graphical or figurative elements different from one another, comprises the steps of: - in a first plurality of equal objects, printing or application of a first graphical or figurative element on each object; - repetition of the printing step or application step for further pluralities of equal objects, with a second graphical or figurative element for a second plurality, with a third graphical or figurative element for a third plurality, etc.; - creation of output stacked groups of objects picked up one at a time from each plurality of equal objects, whereby each unit comprises only one of the objects of each plurality; - packaging of the output stacked groups . Preferably, the further steps are provided of: - accumulating the different pluralities of objects with different graphical or figurative elements in different feeding means; - creating output stacked groups picking up said objects one at a time at the passage under the feeding means, - packaging each group. According to another aspect of the invention, an apparatus for making packages of objects having each a different graphical or figurative element, comprises: - at least a plurality of feeding means arranged along a line or a curve in each of which an input stack is present of objects having a same graphical or figurative element; - at least a support associated to the plurality of feeding means and movable relatively with respect to the plurality of feeding means, the support having at least a housing suitable for receiving in turn the objects from the feeding means; - means for transferring selectively an object at a time from each feeding means on an output stack of mixed objects formed in the or each housing, whereby each output stack is formed by objects coming from different feeding means . In a first embodiment, the feeding means are arranged on at least a circular line on a first platform, the movable support being arranged on a second platform provided coaxially under the first platform, and having a plurality of housings arranged on at least a circular line under the feeding means, the relative motion between the platform about the common axis aligning in succession each feeding means and the housings, the means for transferring releasing selectively one object at a time on an output stack that is formed in the housings at the passage under the feeding means, means being provided for removing the output stack from the housings after passage under a predetermined number of feeding means . Alternatively, in a second embodiment, the feeding means are arranged on at least a line, the movable support being a conveyor arranged under the or each line, the means for transferring releasing selectively one object at a time on an output stack that is formed on the conveyor at the passage under the feeding means . Preferably, in the first or second embodiment the feeding means are arranged according to a plurality of concentric or parallel lines respectively, whereby a plurality of partial output stacks are formed on each line, means being provided for combining the partial output stacks, so that a single final stack is formed each with different objects. In the first embodiment, the feeding means that are arranged according the or each circular line of the first platform are spaced angularly, the second platform having housings angularly spaced like the first platform, means being provided for rotating stepwise the second platform with respect to the first platform, at each step the transferring means releasing the objects from the feeding means in the housing present under it . In both embodiments the transferring means are associated to sensing means that detect the correspondence of the feeding means and the housings, the transferring means releasing the objects responsive to the sensing means. In the first embodiment, discharge means may be provided of the output stacks comprising a third platform under the second platform, the second platform having the housings that have at the lower end an opening so that the output stacks rest and slide on the third platform, at least a hole being provided for the or each circular line of housings, whereby the output stack the in turn pass on the hole fall through it on withdrawing means . According to a third aspect of the invention a package of disposable objects such as paper cups, plates, cutlery, napkins, is provided comprising a homogeneous plurality of the objects, each with a different graphical or figurative element from the other. Brief description of the drawings Further characteristics and/or advantages of the present invention will be made clearer with the following description of some its embodiments, exemplifying but not limitative, with reference to attached drawings wherein: - figure 1 shows a perspective view of some plates made with the method according to the invention; - figure 2 shows a perspective view of some paper cups made with the method according to the invention; - figure 3 shows a perspective view of some napkins made with the method according to the invention; - figure 4 shows an elevational view of a first embodiment of a stacking apparatus that carries out the method according to the invention with structure on a line. - figure 5 shows an elevational partial view of a second embodiment of a stacking apparatus that carries out the method according to the invention with circular structure; - figures 6 and 7 and 8 show a top plan view respectively of a first, a second and a third circular platform of the apparatus of figure 5. - Figure shows a partial perspective view an apparatus like that of figure 5; - Figure 10 shows a top plan view of a releasing device of the apparatus of figure 5. Description of a preferred embodiment With reference to figure 1, a plate la, which can be a soup, plain or dessert plate, comprises a rim 2a and a bottom 3a. On rim 2a and/or on bottom 3a scripts or drawings or numbers are present indicated with numerals 4a and/or 5a suitable for identifying the article. This means that equal plates lb or lc have scripts or drawings or numbers 4b, 4c and/or 5b, 5c different from 4a and/or 5a. For example, if plate la has on bottom 4a letter A, plate lb has on bottom 4b letter B, plate lc has on bottom 4c letter C, and so on. The same concept can be followed for more complex scripts or numbers, for example phrases, proverbs, pieces of poetry, fancy names, as well as drawings or characters of cartoons or famous people, or fancy patterns of different colours or different colour tones. Therefore, in a package of 10, 20, 50 and more plates, each plate la, lb, lc... has at least a different graphical or figurative element 4a, 5a; 4b, 5b; 4c, 5c... With reference to figure 2, a similar case is that of glasses or paper cups 10a, 10b, 10c, etc., that have on the side surface graphical or figurative elements 11a, lib, lie, etc., different from one another. In an analogous way, in figure 3 napkins 15a, 15b, 15c have one or several sides with graphical or figurative elements 16a, 16b, 16c, etc. all different to one another. Therefore, users that wish to arrange a celebration or a party can use these packages with a plurality of paper cups, plates, napkins, cutlery, etc. all different from one another. In a first embodiment of the invention, the stacking and packaging steps can be carried out in a completely manual way, picking up in turn the different articles from different stacks. The automatic or semiautomatic packaging is, however preferred for industrial production. With reference figure 4, a method for making such packages, according to the present invention, comprises the steps of : - in a plurality of equal objects 10a, in particular paper cups, printing or application on each object 10a of a graphical or figurative element 11a; - repetition of the printing or application step for a further plurality of equal objects 10b of a graphical or figurative element lib, and for a further plurality of equal objects 10c of a graphical or figurative element lie, etc. - stacking the different pluralities of equal objects 10a, 10b, 10c,..., in different feeding means 20a, 20b, 20c,..., aligned above a conveyor 21 or equivalent means; - creation of groups 30 of stacked objects picked up one at a time at the passage under said feeding means, whereby each unit 30 comprises only one of each object 10a, 10b, 10c, .... - packaging each group 30. This process can be carried out by the apparatus of figure 4 both manually and in a completely automatic way. For example, the apparatus of figure 4 can comprise a pallet 31, or equivalent container, that at the passage on conveyor 21 under each distributor 20a, 20b, 20c, operates means for automatically releasing a glass 10a, 10b, 10c, etc. at a time. The means for automatically releasing can be operated by optical sensors or abutments that hit the pallet 31. Alternatively, the feeding means may have means for manual release, for example levers that an operator moves after having carried in turn under each feeder 20a, 20b, 20c, the stack that is being formed. The feeding means 20a, 20b, 20c, are in number sufficient to contain and distribute articles of the same shape but all different and distinguishable among one another as above described. For example, distributors aligned 10, 20, 50 or 100 can be provided. At the end of conveyor 21, which can be a conveyor belt, a chain, etc., not shown unloading and packaging means are provided. With reference to figure 5, feeders 40a, 40b, 40c can be arranged along a circular line on a first circular platform 40. To each feeder a releasing device 45 (fig. 10) is associated. Tubes 44 protect the stacked objects 10a, 10b, 10c. Under first circular platform 40 a second circular platform 50 with housings 50a, 50b, 50c,..., is provided Tubes 54 protect output stacks 30. Platforms 40 and 50 are coaxial to each other and the latter can rotate with respect to the former. A third platform 60 has a hole 61 through which output stacks of objects 30 can fall. The rotation of second platform 50 in turn brings housings 50a, 50b, 50c to align under feeders 40a, 40b, 40c of platform 40. With reference to figures 6 e 7, to increase the production rate without increasing the diameter of platforms 40, 50, 60, three groups of feeders 41a, 41b, 41c...; 42a, 42b, 42c...; 43a, 43b, 43c...; arranged along three circular lines on first circular platform 40 are provided. To each feeder the releasing device 45 is associated. Under first circular platform 40 on second circular platform 50 housings 51a, 51b, 51c ...; 52a, 52b, 52c ...; 53a, 53b, 53c ... are provided. These housings are also arranged along three circular lines on platform 5u . Also in this case platforms 40 and 50 are coaxial and the latter is movable with respect to the former. Third platform 60 has holes 61, 62, 63 through which output stacks 31, 32, 33 of objects can fall (fig. 9) . Feeders 41a, 41b, 41c...; 42a, 42b, 42c...; 43a, 43b, 43c...; are arranged on first platform 40 angularly distanced, and second platform 50 has housings 51a, 51b, 51c ...; 52a, 52b, 52c ...; 53a, 53b, 53c ... angularly spaced like the first platform. Second platform 50 can rotate stepwise with respect to first platform 40 through drive means not shown. At each step releasing devices 45 leaves the objects from the feeding means in the housings present under it . Alternatively second platform has a continuous motion and releasing devices 45 are associated to sensing means (not shown) that detect the correspondence of the feeders 41a... and the housings 51a ... , so that the releasing devices 45 release the objects responsive to the sensing means. With reference to figure 9, the output stacks 31, 32, 33 fall through third platform 60 on slides 71, 72, 73 that end on a common slide 70. This way a final output stack 30 can be formed by partial output stacks 31, 32, 33. The embodiments of figure 5-9 relate to a very compact apparatus for carrying out the invention that requires minimum assistance by operators and has a high production rate. The foregoing description of a specific embodiment will so fully reveal the invention according to the conceptual point of view, so that others, by applying current knowledge, will be able to modify and/or adapt for various applications such an embodiment without further research and without parting from the invention, and it is therefore to be understood that such adaptations and modifications will have to be considered as equivalent to the specific embodiment. The means and the materials to realise the different functions described herein could have a different nature without, for this reason, departing from the field of the invention. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

Claims: C AIMS 1. Method for packaging disposable articles for parties, such as paper cups, plates, cutlery or napkins and the like, with graphical or figurative elements different to one another, comprising the steps of: - in a first plurality of equal objects, printing or application of a first graphical or figurative element on each object; - repetition of the printing step or application step for further pluralities of equal objects, with a second graphical or figurative element for a second plurality, with a third graphical or figurative element for a third plurality, etc.; - creation of stacked groups of objects picked up one at a time from each plurality of equal objects, whereby each unit comprises only one of said objects of each plurality; - packaging of said stacked groups to obtain said packages . 2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the further steps are provided of : - stacking the different pluralities of objects with different graphical or figurative elements in different feeding means; - creation of said stacked groups of objects picked up one at a time at the passage under said feeding means, - packaging of each group. 3. Apparatus for making packages of objects having each a different graphical or figurative element, comprising: - at least a plurality of feeding means arranged along a line or a curve in each of which an input stack is present of objects having a same graphical or figurative element; - at least a support associated to said plurality of feeding means and movable relatively with respect to said plurality of feeding means, said support having at least a housing suitable for receiving in turn said objects from said feeding means ; means for transferring selectively an object at a time from each feeding means on an output stack of mixed objects formed in the or each housing, whereby each output stack is formed by objects coming from different feeding means . 4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said feeding means are arranged on at least a circular line on a first platform, said movable support being arranged on a second platform provided coaxially under said first platform, and having a plurality of housings arranged on at least a circular line under said feeding means, the relative motion between said platform about the common axis aligning in succession each feeding means and the housings, said means for transferring releasing selectively one object at a time on an output stack that is formed in said housings at the passage under said feeding means, means being provided for removing said output stack from said housings after passage under a predetermined number of feeding means . 5. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said feeding means are arranged on at least a line, said movable support being a conveyor arranged under said or each line, said means for transferring releasing selectively one object at a time on an output stack that is formed on said conveyor at the passage under said feeding means . 6. Apparatus according to claims 4 or 5 wherein said feeding means are arranged according to a plurality of concentric or parallel lines respectively, whereby a plurality of partial output stacks are formed on each line, means being provided for combining said partial output stacks, so that a single final stack is formed each with different objects. 7. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the feeding means that are arranged according said or each circular line of said first platform are spaced angularly, said second platform having housings angularly spaced like said first platform, means being provided for rotating stepwise said second platform with respect to said first platform, at each step said transferring means releasing said objects from the feeding means in the housing present under it . 8. Apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, wherein said transferring means are associated to sensing means that detect the correspondence of said feeding means and said housings, said transferring means releasing said objects responsive to said sensing means. 9. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein discharge means provided of said output stacks comprising a third platform under said second platform, said second platform having said housings that have at the lower end an opening so that said output stacks rest and slide on said third platform, at least a hole being provided for the or each circular line of housings, whereby the output stack the in turn pass on said hole fall through it on withdrawing means . 10. Package of objects such as paper cups, plates, cutlery, napkins, characterised in that it comprises a plurality homogeneous of said objects, each with a different graphical or figurative element from the other.

Inventors: BIANCHI MARCO, BIANCHI, MARCO
Applicants: BIANCHI MARCO, BIANCHI, MARCO
Application year: 2000
Main classification: B65G57
IPC codes: B65B5, B65B35, B65B61, B65G57