Patent GB-1465203-A (GB)
Title: Transfer apparatus in a packaging machine
IPC: B65G47/84
Filed: 1974-01-31
Abstract: 1465203 Packaging; transferring packets between endless conveyers R A JONES & CO Inc 31 Jan 1974 [1 Feb 1973] 04644/74 Headings B8C and B8A Filled pouches 80 are sequentially transferred from a continuously moving first conveyer 82 and stacked in each successive compartment 106 of a second conveyer 86, preparatory to mechanically or manually loading the pouches into a carton, by vacuum grippers 104 of an endless carrier, e.g. rotary wheel 90, which sequentially release their pouches at different positions along the path of movement of the second conveyer so that each compartment is successively filled. As shown, vacuum is successively applied to each gripper of one of two groups of six grippers through a respective one of wheel ports 130a- 130f, which are brought into communication with vacuum header slots 158 in a fixed plate 136, so that pouches are picked up from the first conveyer by successive grippers and released over the same compartment when each associated wheel port is successively brought into communication with a pressure header slot 162 in the plate. Since the conveyer compartment being filled is moving to the lift as seen in Fig. 2, the second conveyer being continuously movable, the ports 130a-130f are circumferentially and radially staggered around the wheel so that each gripper sequentially releases its pouch at a different angular wheel position 190a-190f, Fig. 9 (not shown), over the same moving compartment to build a pile of pouches therein. The conveyer compartments each have an internal rearward-facing projection (196), Fig. 9 (not shown), on a front wall under which the forward part of the first-loaded pouch engages to inhibit bouncing up of the pouch. A pair of shallow S- shaped springs 192 assist in release of the pouches from the grippers and direct them into the compartments. In a modification, Figs. 10 and 11 (not shown), wherein the second conveyer is intermittently movable so that pouch stacks or piles may be ejected from the compartments during conveyer dwell periods by a pusher 220 on to a platform 222 for lifting the stacks into a carton, three grippers are arranged to release their pouches at the same angular wheel position 190a-190c during the conveyer dwell period whilst the following three grippers release their pouches sequentially at different angular wheel positions 190d-190f during conveyer movement. In a further modification, Fig. 12 (not shown), the second conveyer is driven at variable speeds and the gripper release positions 190a- 190f are correspondingly varied. In another arrangement, the vacuum grippers 310 are carried on a continuously moving endless chain 306 following a triangular path and are connected by flexible tubes 312 to respective heads movable into communication with vacuum and pressure header slots 317 and 319 of a fixed plate a pressure pulse being applied to the slot 319 under the control of control mechanism 320 to release a pouch from the foremost of successive pouch-carrying grippers to over the same compartment 304 carried on the second continuously moving conveyer 303 at different positions. The pouches are formed and filled (Fig. 1) by longitudinally folding a plastic-coated web through a plough 38, heat-sealing the web adjacent the fold by a device 44, forming transverse welds on a wheel 46 to form an interconnected chain of empty open top edge pouches, filling the pouches with granular material, e.g. sugar, at a circular filling station 70, passing the filled pouches through top edge sealing station 72 to close the pouches, and severing the filled sealed pouches from each other in a cutting station 78.