Abstract:
An apparatus for charging containers with groups of flat, stacked items, includes a first conveying device including an item group carrying arrangement for advancing spaced groups of items in a flat-lying, stacked state; a second conveying device for placing empty containers underneath the item group carrying arrangement in a container charging station; a first charging device for releasing item groups in the container charging station from the item group carrying arrangement means into a container in a flat-lying, stacked state; and a second charging device for taking item groups in the container charging station from the item group carrying arrangement and for releasing the item groups into a container in an edge-wise standing, stacked state.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the priority of Swiss Application No. 2443/98 filed Dec. 9, 1998, which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This application relates to an apparatus for introducing groups of flat, stacked articles into packaging containers. 
     French Published Patent Application 2,142,471 discloses an apparatus for charging packaging containers (trays) with groups of flat confectionery items in a stacked state. The groups are periodically separated by a lance moved by a pusher at the lower end of a vertically oriented supply hopper and are lowered by a vertically movable carrier to a slide on which they are introduced into a standby tray by another pusher. The tray is rotated and pushed onto a removal mechanism. It is a disadvantage of such an apparatus that it is of a relatively complex structure and it does not have a satisfactory flexibility of use. The trays may be charged only with edge-wise standing items and further, a substantial number of individual steps are required to perform such a charging operation. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the invention to provide an improved apparatus of the above-outlined type which is flexible in its application and has a simple construction. 
     This object and others to become apparent as the specification progresses, are accomplished by the invention, according to which, briefly stated, the apparatus for charging containers with groups of flat, stacked items, includes a first conveying device including an item group carrying arrangement for advancing spaced groups of items in a flat-lying, stacked state; a second conveying device for placing empty containers underneath the item group carrying arrangement in a container charging station; a first charging device for releasing item groups in the container charging station from the item group carrying arrangement means into a container in a flat-lying, stacked state; and a second charging device for taking item groups in the container charging station from the item group carrying arrangement and for releasing the item groups into a container in an edge-wise standing, stacked state. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of the apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a schematic side elevational view of a first conveying device of the preferred embodiment. 
     FIG. 3 is schematic top plan view of the construction shown in FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective schematic view of a component of the invention illustrating degrees of freedom of motion. 
     FIG. 5 is schematic sectional top plan view of the component illustrated in FIG.  4 . 
     FIG. 6 is a schematic side elevational view of another component of the preferred embodiment. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     FIG. 1 illustrates the apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, having a first conveying device  1  advancing items in a first conveying direction A along a working track between a charging station  2  for introducing the items in the conveying device  1  and a tray charging station  3 . A supply conveyor belt  6  advances groups  4  of stacked, wafer-shaped items  5 , particularly confectionery items, to the charging station  2  and are transferred to the conveyor device  1  by means of a pusher  7 . Underneath the conveying device  1  and oriented perpendicularly thereto, a second conveying device  8  is arranged which has a horizontal conveying direction B and on which packaging containers such as trays  9  are cyclically supplied. The trays  9  are introduced in the tray charging station  3  and are charged with items  5  in one of two ways: the items  5  are received by the tray  9  either in an edgewise standing orientation as shown for the tray  9   a  or in a flat-lying state as shown for the tray  9   b.    
     The conveying device  1  has two endless, parallel extending, superposed conveyors  15  and  16 , for example toothed belts, which are supported by end sprockets  17  and  18 . One of the sprockets  17 ,  18  of the conveyors  15 ,  16  is driven by a respective motor  19  and  20 . Carrier components  24  project downwardly from the conveying device  1  at uniform distances. The carrier components  24  are formed of two carrier arms  25 ,  26 . The arm  25  is mounted on the conveyor  15  while the arm  26  is mounted on the conveyor  16 . On the lower end of the arms  25 ,  26  respective carrier plates  27  and  28  are mounted for a pivotal motion about horizontal axes  29  which are oriented perpendicularly to the conveying direction A. Also referring to FIG. 6, the carrier plates  27 ,  28  may be pivoted downwardly from the horizontal basic position in which their edges  30  are oriented with a clearance towards one another. The carrier plates  27 ,  28  are biased by springs  31  into their basic position. At the tray charging station  3  a pusher  33  is arranged which is movable in a vertical direction by a drive  32  such as a linear motor. Upon actuation of the drive  32 , the pusher  33  displaces the group  4  downwardly; during this occurrence the plates  27 ,  28  pivot downwardly against the force of the springs  31  and the group  4  is deposited into the underneath located tray  9  as a flat-lying stack. 
     Turning to FIGS. 4 and 5, in addition to the tray charging device (pusher)  33  a second tray charging device  42  is provided which includes two fixed vertical columns  36  and a transverse carriage assembly  37 . The carriage assembly  37  includes a carriage  38  displaceable vertically on the columns  36  (FIG. 5 shows only one column  36 ) and a further carriage  39  supported on the carriage  38  for horizontal travel thereon. The vertical carriage  38  is moved by means of a drive  40  whereas the horizontal carriage  39  is displaced by a drive  41 . On the horizontal carriage  39  a carrier beam  44  is supported which is pivotal about an axis y oriented parallel to the conveying direction A and is thus perpendicular to the x and z directions. The pivotal motion of the carrier beam  44  is controlled by a drive  45  whose drive element  46  engages a pin  47  affixed to the carrier beam  44  eccentrically to the axis y. 
     A plurality of holders  51  are mounted on the carrier beam  44  and are spaced from one another at the same distance as the division of the carrier members  24  or as an integer multiple thereof. Each holder  51  is supported on the carrier beam  44  by a tubular stub  52  for rotary motion about a respective axis  50  oriented perpendicularly to the y axis. On the tubular stub  52  of each holder  51  a ring  53  is mounted from which a respective arm  54  extends. In the illustration of FIG. 5, the arms  54  are at a 45° inclination downwardly from the drawing plane. A pin  55  is affixed to the free end of each arm  54 . All pins  55  are interconnected by coupling rods  56  illustrated symbolically by dash-dotted lines, and one pin  55  is connected with a drive element  57  of a drive  58 . All the holders  51  are, by means of the drive  58 , jointly pivotal from their end position illustrated in FIG. 5 about 90° into the basic position as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. 
     Each tubular stub  52  carries, at its end opposite the ring  53 , a head  62  which has a transverse slot  63  in which pins  64  are mounted to support two parallelogram linkages  65  composed of links  66 . One of the links  66  in each linkage  65  has an angled arm  67 , in the free end of which a respective pin  68  is inserted. The pins  68  engage into a transverse groove  69  of a plunger  70  which is urged by a spring  7  in one direction. At the ring  53  the plungers  70  project beyond the end of the tubular stub  52  and may be pressed in against the force of the spring  71  by a rod  72  which may be shifted by a further drive  73  parallel to the axis  50 . Two gripping arms (gripping jaws)  74  of a gripping unit  75  are jointed to the parallelogram linkages  65 . By operating the drive  73  all gripping units  75  open simultaneously. In the closed position the gripping unit  75  holds the item group  4 , with a force predetermined by the biasing force of the spring  71 , practically independently from the thickness of the item group  4  so that thickness tolerances are automatically compensated for. 
     For introducing the item group (stack)  4  in an edgewise upstanding orientation into the trays  9 , first the holders  51  are, by means of the drive  58 , turned into the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 and the gripping units  75  are opened by means of the drive  73 . The conveying device  1  is stopped in the position shown in FIG.  1 . The carrier beam  44  is, by means of the drive  41 , advanced in the x direction and the rod  72  is retracted to cause the gripping units  75  to close. Thereafter the carrier beam  44  is retracted, the gripping units  75  are rotated 90° about the axes  50  and are pivoted downwardly about the y axis so that the item groups  4  are deposited into the trays  9 . Subsequently the gripping units  75  are opened and guided back into their basic position. 
     The described apparatus is very flexible: the item groups may be deposited into the trays  9  selectively in an edgewise-standing or a flat-lying position. The charging operation only requires a single handling step. By adjusting the conveyor belts  15  and  16  relative to one another, the apparatus may be adapted in a very simple manner to different item widths. Such an adjustment may be made by altering the rotary angle between the two servomotors  19  and  20 . The mobility of the carrier beam  44  in the z direction makes possible a very simple setting to different group thicknesses. Instead of the pivotal motion about the y axis, such a mobility may be used for depositing the item groups  4  into the trays  9 . The apparatus is of modular construction; the items  5  are gently handled and a high output is achieved. 
     As a departure from the described embodiment, the two conveyors  15  and  16  may be driven by a joint motor in which case one of the sprockets  17  may be adjusted in its angular relationship to the other sprocket, for example, by a differential drive. In the illustrated embodiment according to FIG. 1, two grippers  75  and two plungers  33  are shown. It is to be understood that a desired number of such components may be arranged side-by-side in which case then a corresponding number of columns of trays  9  are to be presented simultaneously. It is further feasible to arrange two conveying devices  1  above one another which are provided with carrier members  24  over less than one-half of their circumference in which case the carrier arms  25  and  26  of the upper conveying device  1  are correspondingly of longer construction to ensure that all carrier plates  27  and  28  circulate in the same plane. This variant has the advantage that the operating cycle of the pusher  7  of the charging station  2  is independent from the tray charging cycle at the charging station  3  since one of the two conveying devices  1  is active at the station  2  and at the same time, the other is active at the station  3 . 
     It will be understood that the above description of the present invention is susceptible to various modifications, changes and adaptations, and the same are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the appended claims.