Abstract:
A system and method for case-packing articles utilizing an infeed conveyor and spaced apart outfeed conveyors positioned at opposite sides of the infeed conveyor and a robotic operating arm arranged for transverse operation with respect to the longitudinal movement of each of said conveyors.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to packaging and casing systems and specifically to a packaging process whereby a plurality of articles may be removed from a supply, or infeed conveyor and alternatively placed into shipping boxes or cartons transported on outfeed conveyors located on opposite sides of the supply conveyor.  
           [0002]    The process may be performed using a single, two-axis robot arm for pickup, transporting and release of an article or articles.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    Past efforts in the field of packaging and casing of processed articles involved tedious and time-consuming manual operations, usually required a large number of personnel possessing a high degree of dexterity. Early mechanical innovations were also beset with numerous problems, such as high initial cost of apparatus involved, inability of such apparatus to adapt itself for use with other existing equipment utilized in the production of such articles, inability of such apparatus to meet the demands for high production of articles, or objects, to be packaged and encased in shipping cartons, and the susceptibility of such apparatus to repeated breakdown and repair, and thus incurring a high maintenance cost.  
           [0004]    A known current operating system of which the applicant herein is aware, provides a single conveyor line used for transporting containers, or empty cartons, to be filled and operating in an “open” position and a “load” position. A box or carton is formed and opened at the “open” position. Articles are placed in the carton at the “load” position. In that location, the single conveyor line must be stopped during loading and a package-transporting robot arm is also stopped when the carton has been filled, and is retained in the stopped position until a new empty carton is placed in front of the robot arm. In contrast, the present system is continuous in operation. The present loading system for transferring manufactured articles into shipping boxes eliminates the need to stop the conveyor or the robot arm movement.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    The present invention, in a preferred embodiment, provides a packaging and casing system, wherein a plurality of articles are removed from a supply, or infeed conveyor and are alternatively placed into shipping boxes or cartons transported on outfeed conveyors located at opposite sides of the supply conveyor. This embodiment may also include the use of a single, two-axis robot arm operating in a path transverse to the longitudinal, parallel paths of an intermediately disposed supply, or infeed conveyor, and a pair of outfeed conveyors located at opposite sides of the infeed conveyor. The robot arm and its end effector are designed to reach across its closest outfeed conveyor, the infeed conveyor, and thereafter to the outermost outfeed conveyor.  
           [0006]    Thus, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a continuously operated packaging and casing system which will overcome the disadvantage of prior systems, wherein a single conveyor line must be stopped during loading and its cooperating robot arm must be stopped when a carton has been filled, and until a new empty carton has been placed in filling position directly in the operating path of the robot arm. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]    [0007]FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the various cooperating elements or components involved in the operation of the improved system encasing process of this invention.  
         [0008]    FIGS.  2 - 7 , inclusive, are end views, with respect to FIG. 1, and are arranged in sequence of operation of the improved system depicted in FIG. 1. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0009]    Although the disclosure hereof is detailed and exact to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, the physical embodiments herein disclosed merely exemplify the invention which may be embodied in other specific structure. While the preferred embodiment has been described, the details may be changed without departing from the invention, which is defined by the claims herein.  
         [0010]    Like elements illustrated and described herein are denoted by like reference characters.  
         [0011]    The packaging and casing system of the present invention is illustrated in the various FIGS.  1 - 7 , inclusive, and is generally indicated by the reference character S. With reference to the plan view of FIG. 1, the system S is preferably contained within the confines of a workstation W, and is preferably arranged to utilize a two-axis robot R. The controller C and the I/O cabinet I for the robot R are each conventional, and are usually positioned externally of the workstation W for convenience and safe operation of the system components. The robot R and its operating arm  50 , along with its end effector  14 , are arranged for transverse operational movement in a plane substantially normal to the respective longitudinal planes of the infeed conveyor  10  and outfeed conveyors  11  and  12 . The outfeed conveyors  11 , 12  are respectively located at opposite sides of the infeed conveyor  10 , and are preferably in general parallel arrangement therewith.  
         [0012]    The outfeed conveyors  11  and  12  may move from left to right, as shown by the arrow  16 , in the view of FIG. 1. The intermediate infeed conveyor  20  may move in either longitudinal direction, as shown by the arrow  18 , relative to the pre-selected direction of the outfeed conveyors  11  and  12 , depending upon the location of the source of an object or article  20  and transporting tray  21  carried thereby. The infeed conveyor  10  may carry unpacked product, such as produce, or prepackaged product, such as baked muffins, or the like. For purpose of illustration, the product, or article, identified by the reference numeral  20 , will have been conventionally placed on trays  21  during and/or after processing.  
         [0013]    The product  20  and respective trays  21  are transported on the conveyor  10  to a workstation area designated herein by the phantom lines identified by the letter W. There is no particular configuration assigned to the workstation W, other than an unloading/loading area for alternative disposal of an article or product  20  from the infeed conveyor  10  to either of outfeed conveyors  11  and  12 .  
         [0014]    It is usual to supply an end-effector  14  of the robot arm  50  with suction cups  22  or other grasping means (see FIG. 2). The product  20  is lifted by the suctions cup or cups  22 , or other grasping means, from the infeed conveyor  10  and placed in the empty cartons  25   a  of the outfeed conveyor  11  and, alternatively, from the infeed conveyor  10  to an empty box or container  25   b  resting on the outfeed conveyor  12 . Previously, where only one outfeed conveyor (not shown) was supplied, it was necessary to stop the action of the robot R after filling an empty box  25 , and after that box was filled, it would have been released, and a new empty box  25  would have been placed in line with the arm  50  for filling. When either box  25   a  or  25   b  has been filled, the robot arm  50  immediately begins filling box  25   a  or  25   b  located on the opposite outfeed conveyor  11  or  12  without interruption, and there will be continuous operation which may be readily controlled to provide for heavy-duty items, as well as delicate items, such as bottled medicine, or the like.  
         [0015]    The present system S exhibits increased speed of operation and ease in product handling, and completely eliminates the need for expensive manual labor. This will become apparent with reference to the views of FIGS.  2 - 7 , inclusive, wherein FIG. 2 is considered as illustrative of a pickup position of the end effector  14 , and its suction cup(s) 22  being positioned to remove an article  20  (shown in phantom) from the infeed conveyor  10 . The empty carton  25   b  will have been momentarily held in place during loading, against its stop  26   b . Upward, movement of the stop  26   b  is controlled by the robot controller C, and is timed to work in sequence with movement of the conveyors  10 , 11  and  12 , in order to minimize any prolonged stopping during transfer and loading operations.  
         [0016]    Next, with reference to FIG. 3, the robot R controller C causes the arm  50  to place the article to be transported into its empty carton  25   b  resting on outfeed conveyor  12 , and against its stop  26   b . Meanwhile, an empty container  25   a  has been moved by conveyor  11  to loading position, resting against raised stop  26   a.    
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 4 is illustrative of the components of the system S disposed in relative operating position for movement of the arm  50  of the robot R to operating position of its end effector  14  and grasping element(s)  22 , relative to infeed conveyor  10  and its contents  20  ready for removal of the articles  20  and transfer to an awaiting unfilled carton, or container  25   a , supported by outfeed conveyor  11 . The next sequential position of the cooperating components of the system S is illustrated in the view of FIG. 5, wherein it will be observed that the arm  50  of the robot R has been moved to the position with its end effector  14  being located directly above the outfeed conveyor  11  for encasement of the transported article  20  in the empty container  25   a.    
         [0018]    Next, with respect to the view of FIG. 6, the robot arm  50  is moved for pickup position of the product, or article, previously moved to that location by the infeed conveyor  10 . FIG. 7 illustrates the movement of the robot arm  50  back to the original position shown in FIG. 1, ready for transfer to and loading of the container  25   b , which has been momentarily restrained by its stop  26   b.    
         [0019]    It will be apparent that each of the various stages of operation of the components illustrated in the sequential views of FIGS.  2 - 7 , inclusive, are completed with minimal interruption of the respective operating movements of the conveyors  10 ,  11 , or  12  or of the robot arm  50 . Furthermore, it should be appreciated that the sequence of operation of the robot arm  50  may be varied without departing from the present invention. For example, the robot arm  50  may grasp, transport and release articles  20  between infeed conveyor  10  and outfeed conveyor  12  multiple times before grasping articles and transferring them to outfeed conveyor  11 . As a further example, the requisite number of articles  20  required to fill tray  21  may be conveyed from the infeed conveyor  10  to the outfeed conveyor  12  before articles a transferred to outfeed conveyor  11 .  
         [0020]    Alternatively, the invention may be described as a method for alternatively transferring objects from a source to a work station, said method comprising the steps of: providing an infeed conveyor and a pair of outfeed conveyors; providing a two-axis robot having a continuously operating arm arranged to pickup an object from said infeed conveyor and transfer said object to one of said outfeed conveyors; controlling said arm to effect pickup of said object at said infeed conveyor; moving said operating arm from said infeed conveyor to said one of said outfeed conveyors; controlling said arm to release and deposit said object on said outfeed conveyor; returning said operating arm to said infeed conveyor; controlling said arm to effect pickup of a second object at said infeed conveyor; moving said continuously operating arm from said infeed conveyor to said other of said outfeed conveyors; controlling said arm to release and deposit said second object on said other of said outfeed conveyors; and returning said operating arm to said infeed conveyor for subsequent pickup and transfer of additional objects to a selected one of said outfeed conveyors.  
         [0021]    The above-described embodiments of this invention are merely descriptive of its principles and are not to be limited. The scope of this invention instead shall be determined from the scope of the following claims, including their equivalents.