Abstract:
An article aligning apparatus for aligning a plurality article tiers to be loaded into a carton. Each article tier comprises an article array delivered from an in-feed stream at an in-feed end of a packaging machine. The apparatus comprises an article conveyor for conveying a lower article tier, a first article conveying means including one or more lugs mounted on an endless track for selecting an upper article tear and for conveying the upper article tier to a point of vertical alignment with the lower article tier, thereafter to be stacked and conveyed to the out feed end of the apparatus.

Description:
This is a continuation of international application No. PCT/US2003/039680, filed Dec. 11, 2003, which is hereby incorporated by reference. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates to packaging of primary articles such as so-called brick packages or interconnected cups or pots in multiple packaged cartons and is more particularly concerned with feeding articles from an in-feed stream and for initiating and then completing a loading operation of articles in a multiple tier carton. 
   A majority of known packaging machines are dedicated machines, which construct only one type of carton. Therefore, modern bottling plants are required to use a plurality of packaging machines to package different carton types, each machine taking up considerable floor space and being expensive to both purchase and operate. 
   A limited number of packaging machines are capable of packaging different sizes of one carton, for example, six, eight or twelve bottles of a wraparound carton. All such machines require adjustment when switching from one size or type of carton to another. This adjustment includes the manual removal of all of the cartons within the packaging machine and possibly the mechanical adjustment of components in the machine. During this changeover period, which can be thirty minutes or more, a machine cannot be used (known as “downtime”), which is an expensive delay in a bottling plant. Such a delay may even result in downtime for the entire bottling line, not just the packaging machine, if problems arise during the changeover procedure. 
   It is envisaged that the present invention can be used in various types of packaging machine. Alternatively, the aligning apparatus of the present invention can be sold as an individual module to be fitted to new equipment or to existing equipment on a retro fit basis. 
   More particularly, this invention relates to a mechanism for aligning a plurality of rows of articles from an in-feed stream at an in-feed end of a packaging machine and is particularly useful for grouping together a plurality of bottles or connected pots in a multiple packaging machine. 
   In a known mechanism, each tier of articles is selected and aligned at the same time by means of a star wheel feeder. The star wheel feeder comprises two opposed star wheel mechanisms; each mechanism having a star wheel corresponding to a tier. Thus for a three tier pack, each mechanism has three star wheels mounted on a common shaft and adapted to the rotated in unison. Each tier of articles is fed to the star wheel and a backpressure applied to the articles to ensure a continuous flow. Each star wheel selects a particular article in the same relative position for each array and moves each array forward so that each tier is aligned. Thus, the star wheel assembly selects and aligns in one operation. 
   One problem with this approach is that the speed of the star wheel assembly increases so does the likelihood that the article selection part of the process is not carried out properly and the wrong article from the array is selected, which results in the misalignment of the tiers. One consequence of this problem is that a packaging machine throughput is dictated by the speed of the star wheel assembly, which is undesirable. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention seeks to overcome the commercial disadvantages of known packaging machines by providing a grouping mechanism, which is able to group articles for loading into more than one type of carton. Further, the invention is capable of switching from one configuration of grouped articles to another for loading into different carton types or sizes with minimum downtime. Further, the modular nature of the present invention enables a “fully flexible” machine to be constructed, which overcomes, or at least mitigates, the problems of known machines. 
   One aspect of the invention provides an article aligning apparatus for aligning a plurality article tiers to be loaded into a carton, each article tier comprising an article array delivered from an in-feed stream at an in-feed end of a packaging machine, which apparatus comprises an article conveyor for conveying a lower article tier, a first article conveying means including one or more lugs mounted on an endless track for selecting an upper article tear and for conveying the upper article tier to a point of vertical alignment with the lower article tier, thereafter to be stacked and conveyed to the out feed end of the apparatus. 
   Preferably, there further comprises a second article conveying means including one or more lugs mounted on an endless track for conveying an article from the third tier and for conveying the article of array to be aligned for the first and second article tiers at the alignment point. Optionally, the lugs from the first article conveying means and second article conveying means are driven by drive means to bring their respective article tiers into alignment with the lower most article tier. 
   There may further comprise control means to control the speed of the or each lug on the first and, as the case may be, second article conveying means to control the number of articles in each grouping and the position of alignment between adjacent tiers. The control means may receive information regarding the speed of each article tier at the in-feed end of the article conveying means. 
   Optionally, control means comprises a manual input means. 
   In some embodiments, the control means comprises a sensor arranged to measure the speed of articles at the in-feed end of the article conveying means, and/or the speed of the lower article tier at the in-feed end of the article conveying means, and/or the speed of said lug or lugs. 
   The control means may vary the speed of the lug or lugs to lie within the range plus or minus 1–30% of the speed of the articles at the in-feed end of the article conveying means. 
   A second aspect provides a controller for controlling the speed of a lug in such an apparatus, the controller comprising a central processor, a manual input means, and separate means controlled by said central processor for individually positioning and/or relocating the or each lug and the endless track. 
   A third aspect of the invention provides a method of metering articles into groupings having a predetermined pitch comprising the steps of: continuously feeding the articles of a first and second article tiers into the in-feed end of an article conveyor at a known rate; synchronizing a lug such that it is interposed between the articles downstream thereof so as to select the article tier; conveying the lug and each article tier to a pre-determined position to be aligned therewith. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Exemplary embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a top plan view of the aligning apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a side elevation view of the article alignment apparatus shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is perspective view of the article aligning apparatus shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Referring to the drawings, there is shown an article aligning apparatus for selecting and aligning at least one article tier from a plurality of in-feed streams of article tier. Each in-feed stream supplies one tier of a multi tiered group of articles ready to be packaged into an outer carton. 
   Referring first to  FIG. 1 , there is shown three in-feed streams A 1 , A 2 , A 3  on each of which there is supplied an array of connected pots, for example six arranged in two by three arrangement. Each in-feed stream A 1 , A 2 , A 3  is supplied by article conveyors  20 ,  22  and  18 . 
   The central article conveyor  20  supplies the lowest tier of articles A 1 . Conveyor  22  supplies an intermediate tier of articles A 2  and conveyor  18  supplies the upper tier of articles A 3 . The intermediate and upper in-feed conveyors  18 ,  20  and  22  can be raised or lowered by suitable known devices so as to be able to convey articles with a different height. Thus, the machine M is able to package a variety of article types. 
   The lowest article arrays A 1  are conveyed into the article aligning apparatus  10  and continue on the same path through the apparatus to the out-feed conveyor  16 . The central in-feed stream A 1  is continuously supplied with article arrays in abutment with the adjacent arrays due to the forward pressure applied to the stream. 
   In order to align the intermediate and upper article tiers A 2 , A 3  with the lowermost tier A 1 , the aligning apparatus is provided with a pair of side lug assemblies  12 ,  14  supplied on opposed sides of the central article stream A 1 . Each lug assembly  12 ,  14  is provided with a plurality of lugs  24 ,  26  mounted on an endless chain which in turn is powered by suitable drive means  32 ,  30 , for example servo motor. 
   The intermediate tier A 2  is fed from the in-feed conveyor  22  to an aligning position P ( FIG. 2 ) in the apparatus by the lug assembly  14 . Thus, an array A 2  arrives upstream of the lug assembly  14  and an article of that array is engaged by the lug  26 , shown in  FIG. 1 , so that the article array is selected upstream (at point S in  FIG. 2 ) of the point of alignment P. The article array A 2  is moved forward by the lug  26  and into co-planar arrangement with the central array A 1 . In some embodiments, the intermediate array A 2  is supported on the underside by a suitable support means for example a plate  21 . As the lug  26  continues to move forward, it moves the intermediate array A 2  into vertical alignment with the lowermost array A 1  so that at the front end of the base plate  21 , the array A 2  is placed directly on to the lowermost array A 1  in an aligned position. 
   By moving the article selection point S upstream of the alignment point P, the throughput speeds of this operation can be improved because the selection process is more accurate. 
   In those embodiments with a third (or upper) tier, for example as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the upper tier A 3  is fed from the in-feed conveyor  18  to the aligning position P ( FIG. 2 ) in the apparatus by the lug assembly  12 . Thus, an array A 3  arrives upstream of the lug assembly  12  and an article of that array is engaged by the lug  24 , shown in  FIG. 1 , so that the article array is selected upstream (at point S in  FIG. 2 ) of the point of alignment P. The article array A 3  is moved forward by the lug  24  and into co-planar arrangement with the central array A 1 . In some embodiments, the upper array A 3  is supported on the underside by a suitable support means for example a plate  23 . As the lug  24  continues to move forward, it moves the upper array A 3  into vertical alignment with the lowermost array A 1 , and intermediate array A 2  so that at the front end of the base plate  23 , the array A 3  is placed directly on to the intermediate array A 2  in an aligned position. 
   In a preferred embodiment, forward movement of the lowest array A 1  is controlled by a lug assembly  40 , which in turn moves the multi tiered articles from the alignment point P to the out-feed end. Optionally fixed guides  34 ,  36  offer lateral support to the aligned grouping A 4 . 
   In order to align different article sizes, the lug assemblies  12 ,  14  can be moved in the ‘X’ and ‘Y’ planes, such that each assembly  12 ,  14  is connected to a frame  38   a  to  38   d . Each frame is identical so only frame  38   a  will be described in any greater detail. Frame  38   a  comprises a connection device  50   a  connected to a moveable shaft  52   a , which is moveable in both planes in a vertical slot  54   a.    
   It is envisaged that the apparatus may be controlled by a suitable controller. The controller may be a dedicated processor or may be control means for a packaging machine M with which the apparatus of the invention is used. Alternatively, the controller may preferably be a known programmable servo control system. 
   The controller has a central processor; a manual input means through which specific instructions can be programmed, and optionally, a display, which indicates useful information to the machine operator. The central processor and the display can display operational information such as the speed of operation of the machine M and its compliance with particular safety requirements, in the normal manner. 
   The controller controls the positions of the moveable components as well as the speed of movement of variable speed components. For example, the central processor controls the motors  30 ,  32  that power the lug assemblies  12 ,  14   40 , which move articles to be packed, so that the position and speed of each tier is known and can be adjusted to maintain accurate alignment. 
   Data regarding the in-feed rate of articles A 1 , A 2 , A 3 , the dimensions of the articles, the required number of articles in each grouping and the spacing of the lugs is input into the controller. The data may be input manually or may be supplied by one or more sensors (not shown) provided on the in-feed stream of the articles and the endless chain. Taking this data, the controller computes the relative positions of the articles at the in-feed end of the article conveyor means. The controller then signals the drive means driving the apparatus to increase or decrease the downstream velocity of lug assemblies  12 ,  14   40  in order that the correct point of interposition can be achieved. 
   The control means is preferably capable of varying the speed of the lugs in the range plus or minus 1–30% of the speed of the articles at the aligning position. 
   If the device is switched regularly between a number of standard groupings and pitches, information regarding the dimensions of articles, and the spacing of the lugs preferably stored in memory associated with the controller to speed changeover between different configurations. 
   It will be recognized that as used herein the terms “top”, “bottom” and “side” with respect to the device are relative terms, and that the device may be re-orientated as necessary or as desired. 
   Whilst the preferred embodiment described herein is for loading article arrays, it will be recognized that the invention is not limited to such pots. The invention may be used with machines for packaging, cans, bottles, and paperboard bricks into cartons. 
   The aligning apparatus of the present invention may be sold as an integral part of a packaging machine M. Alternatively, the device may be sold as an individual module to be fitted to new equipment or existing equipment on a retrofit basis. 
   Numerous changes may be made within the scope of the present invention, for example for mechanism for deploying the lugs may be substituted for some form of hydraulic or pneumatic actuators, the design of the lug assemblies may be adjusted for different article types.