Drive system and method for forming a transportable container for bulk goods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10358242-B2
Application number	US-201615179044-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 10, 2016
Priority date	Oct 10, 2011
Publication date	Jul 23, 2019
Grant date	Jul 23, 2019

Abstract

A packaging system (20) for forming and filling a transportable container (22) of plurality of bulk goods includes a frame (26) having a bottom support (48) and an upper support (32). An upper turntable (34) is rotatably supported within the upper support (32) and a lower turntable (50) is rotatably supported on the bottom support (48). A drive system (58) includes at least one pulley system (62, 64, 66) interconnected to the upper and lower turntables (34, 50) for simultaneously driving and synchronizing rotation of the upper and lower turntables (34, 50) with the at least one pulley system (62, 64, 66). A slip frame former (42) extends downwardly from the upper turntable (34) and a roll of stretch wrap (92) is disposed in overlapping relationship with the slip frame former (42) and the bottom support (48) during simultaneous and synchronized rotation of the turntables (34, 50) with the at least one pulley system (62, 64, 66).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A packaging system for forming and filling a transportable container with a plurality of bulk goods received from a feed source comprising:
a frame including a bottom support and an upper support and at least one support column extending therebetween;
an upper turntable rotatably supported within said upper support and defining a feed opening for receiving the bulk goods from the feed source;
a lower turntable rotatably supported on said bottom support;
a drive system including a drive interconnected to said upper and lower turntables for generating a rotational force to drive rotation of said upper and lower turntables; and
said drive system including a plurality of pulley systems interconnected to said upper and lower turntables and said drive, said plurality of pulley systems configured to receive the rotational force from said drive and transmit the rotational force from said plurality of pulley systems to said upper and lower turntables to simultaneously drive and synchronize a rotational speed of said upper and lower turntables.

2. A packaging system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising:
said plurality of pulley systems including an upper pulley system in communication with said upper turntable for driving rotation of said upper turntable and a lower pulley system in communication with said lower turntable for driving rotation of said lower turntable.

3. A packaging system as set forth in claim 2 further comprising:
a slip frame former extending downwardly from said upper turntable and having at least one former wall to define a frame opening disposed in fluid communication with said feed opening;
at least one of said bottom support and said upper support being vertically movable relative to the other of said bottom support and said upper support along said at least one support column to define a first position wherein said bottom support is disposed adjacent said upper support and said slip frame former; and
a stretch wrapping device including a roll of stretch wrap disposed in overlapping relationship with at least a portion of said former wall and said bottom support in said first position to encircle said former wall and said bottom support during an initial simultaneous rotation of said upper and lower turntables in said first position to form a transportable container extending therebetween for receiving the bulk goods from the feed source.

4. A packaging system as set forth in claim 3 further comprising:
at least one sensor extending downwardly from said upper support for sensing a fill level of the bulk goods within the transportable container in said first position;
said drive system including a controller in communication with said at least one sensor for receiving the fill level and comparing the fill level to a predetermined threshold to generate a fill signal when the fill level exceeds the predetermined threshold; and
said controller in communication with at least one of said bottom support and said upper support to initiate vertical relative movement of said bottom support and said upper support in response to said fill signal for disengaging previously disposed portions of said stretch wrap from said slip frame former and overlapping the previously disposed portions of stretch wrap and said former wall with said roll of stretch wrap during continue simultaneous rotation of said turntables and vertical relative movement of said supports.

5. A packaging system as set forth in claim 4 further comprising:
said drive system including a clutch disposed between said drive and said upper pulley system being adjustable between an engaged position to allow transfer of the rotational force from said drive to said upper pulley system and a disengaged position to cease transfer of the rotational force from said drive to said upper pulley system; and
said controller disposed in communication with said clutch of said drive system to disengage said clutch during said relative vertical movement of said supports and continue to drive rotation of said upper turntable using only said overlapped portions of stretch wrap extending between said bottom support and said slip frame former.

6. A packaging system as set forth in claim 5 further comprising:
said upper turntable including at least one upper proximity flag and said upper support including an upper proximity switch for monitoring said supper proximity flag during rotation of said upper turntable to generate an upper proximity signal when said upper proximity flag rotates past said upper proximity switch;
said lower turntable including at least one lower proximity flag and said bottom support including a lower proximity switch for monitoring said lower proximity flag during rotation of said lower turntable to generate a lower proximity signal when said lower proximity flag rotates past said lower proximity switch; and
said controller in communication with said upper and lower proximity switches for receiving said upper and lower proximity signals and associating a time stamp with each receipt of said proximity signals and comparing respective time stamps of said upper and lower proximity signals to calculate a timing difference between respective time stamps and comparing each of said timing differences to a lower predetermined timing threshold to generate a first alignment signal in response to said timing difference being less than said lower predetermined timing threshold and engage said clutch in response to said first alignment signal to reapply the transfer of rotational force from said drive to said upper pulley system for resynchronizing the rotational speeds of said upper and lower turntables.

7. A packaging system as set forth in claim 6 wherein said controller is further configured to compare each of said timing differences to an upper predetermined timing threshold to generate a second alignment signal in response to said timing difference exceeding said upper predetermined timing threshold and disengage said clutch in response to said second alignment signal to cease transfer of the rotational force from said drive to said upper pulley system.

8. A packaging system as set forth in claim 5 further comprising:
said drive system including a coupling shaft extending downwardly from said upper pulley system to a drive coupling; and
a variable pulley system interconnected between said clutch and said drive coupling for transferring the rotation force from said drive to said coupling shaft to drive rotation of said upper pulley system in said engaged position of said clutch.

9. A packaging system as set forth in claim 8 further comprising:
said variable pulley system including a variable pulley and a variable belt surrounding both of said variable pulley and said drive coupling; and
a jump shaft extending between said variable pulley and said clutch.

10. A packaging system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising:
said upper turntable being circular and having a circumferential edge to define said feed opening and including an upper guide track extending downwardly from said circumferential edge;
said lower turntable including a turntable shaft rotatably connected to said bottom support and a lower guide track fixedly attached to said turntable shaft for rotation therewith and a lower turntable platform secured to said lower guide track for rotation with said turntable shaft and said lower guide track;
said upper pulley system including an upper pulley and an upper belt extending around both of said upper pulley and said upper guide track of said upper turntable; and
said lower pulley system including a lower pulley and a lower belt extending around both of said lower pulley and said lower gu

Assignees

• Kellog Co

Inventors

• Ours David C
• Drouin Paul D
• Gunia Gary W
• Aloff Stephen Michael

Classifications

• B65B2011/002

  Prestretching mechanism in wrapping machines · CPC title

• B65B43/62

  about an axis located at the filling position, e.g. the axis of the container or receptacle · CPC title

• B65B43/58

  vertically movable · CPC title

• B65B11/04

  the articles being rotated · CPC title

• B65B65/02

  Driving gear · CPC title