Device and method for feeding a container group to a clocked processing machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11247847-B2
Application number	US-201916966587-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 22, 2019
Priority date	Feb 16, 2018
Publication date	Feb 15, 2022
Grant date	Feb 15, 2022

Abstract

An apparatus includes a linear feeding-unit having a first linear section and a transfer device that transfers containers, as a group, from the linear feeding-unit to a clocked processing-machine and an entry device having a main feeding-unit distribution-stars. The first distribution-star receives containers from the main feeding-unit at a first transfer-region and transfers and the second distribution-star receives containers from the main feeding-unit at a second transfer-region. A periphery of the first distribution-star comprises a receiving section that receives containers from the main feeding-unit and an empty section interrupts receiving of the containers. The empty section is devoid of supporting-and-retaining elements. However, the receiving section comprises as many supporting-and-retaining elements as there are containers in the container group.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising a linear feeding-unit and an entry device, wherein said linear feeding-unit comprises a first linear section and a transfer device that transfers containers, as a group, from said linear feeding-unit to a clocked processing-machine, wherein said entry device comprises a main feeding-unit, a first distribution-star, and a second distribution-star, wherein said main feeding-unit comprises a first number of supporting-and-retaining elements, from each of which hangs a container, wherein said first distribution-star receives containers from said main feeding-unit at a first transfer-region and transfers said containers to said first linear section, wherein said second distribution-star receives containers from said main feeding-unit at a second transfer-region, wherein a periphery of said first distribution-star comprises a receiving section that receives containers from said main feeding-unit and an empty section interrupts receiving of said containers, wherein said empty section is devoid of supporting-and-retaining elements and said receiving section comprises a second number of supporting-and-retaining elements, said second number being a pre-determined number of containers in said container group, and wherein said containers move along said entry device in a transport direction, wherein said second transfer-region is downstream of said first transfer-region, and wherein said second distribution-star receives all containers that have been bypassed by said first distribution-star and further transports said bypassed containers.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said first number is an integer multiple of said second number.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said linear feeding-unit comprises a second linear-section that lies parallel to said first linear-section, and wherein said second distribution-star transfers containers received from said main feeding-unit to said second linear-section.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said second distribution-star comprises a pocket star.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said second distribution-star comprises a toothed star.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said second distribution-star comprises, along a periphery thereof, a receiving section and an empty section that adjoins said receiving section, wherein said receiving section is occupied by a third number of supporting-and-retaining elements and said empty section is devoid of supporting-and-retaining elements, said third number being equal to said pre-determined number of containers in said container group.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said main feeding-unit comprises an entry star.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said main feeding-unit comprises an endlessly circulating transport section.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said main feeding-unit comprises an entry oval, two parallel linear transport sections, and two deflection sections that are arranged opposite one another and that connect said linear transport sections.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said main feeding-unit comprises an endlessly circulating gripper chain.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said main feeding-unit comprises a transport rail with associated carriage elements.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said linear feeding-unit comprises a second linear-section, said apparatus further comprising dividing units disposed in a region of said first and second linear-sections, and wherein said dividing units are arranged before or inside a transition region between said linear feeding-unit and said transfer device.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said dividing units are formed by dividing worm elements or by pocket chains.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a distribution star selected from the group consisting of said first and second distribution-stars comprises plural receiving sections, each of which comprises as many supporting-and-retaining elements as there are containers in said container group and wherein a linear section is arranged between each pair of said receiving sections.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said transfer device is a clocked or pulsed transfer device that is configured to transfer a container group from said linear feeding unit into said clocked processing machine.

16. A method comprising using a main feeding-unit to transport hanging containers in a continuous container-flow, at a first transfer-region, using a first distribution-star to remove a pre-determined number of containers from said main feeding-unit and to provide said containers to a first linear-section of a linear feeding-unit, at a second transfer-region, using a second distribution-star to remove, from said main feeding-unit, containers that were bypassed by said first distribution-star as a result of said first distribution-star having interrupted removal of said containers from said main feeding-unit, and causing a transport device to take up said containers that were removed by said first distribution star as a container group from said first linear-section and to hand over said container group to a clocked-processing machine, wherein using a first distribution-star to remove said pre-determined number of containers comprises causing a receiving section of said first distribution-star to pass through said first transfer-region, said receiving section extending along a periphery of said first distribution-star and having a first number of supporting-and-retaining elements, each of which receives a hanging container from said main feeding-unit, said first number being equal to said pre-determined number, whereby, as a result of having passed through said first transfer-region, said receiving section receives said pre-determined number of containers and wherein using said first distribution-star to interrupt removal of containers from said main feeding-unit comprises causing an empty section of said first distribution star to pass through said first transfer-region, said empty section extending along said periphery of said first distribution-star following said receiving section and being devoid of supporting-and-retaining elements.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein rotation of said first distribution-star causes said receiving section and said empty section to take turns passing through said first transfer-region.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising causing said second distribution-star to provide said containers received from said main feed-unit to a second linear-section of said linear feeding-unit.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising causing said transfer device to alternate between taking up a container group from said first linear section and taking up a container group from a second linear section of said linear feeding-unit.

Assignees

• Khs Gmbh

Inventors

• Singur Igor
• Niehr Thomas

Classifications

• B65G47/088

  cylindrical articles · CPC title

• B65G47/084 Primary

  grouping articles in a predetermined 2-dimensional pattern · CPC title

• B65G2201/0247

  Suspended bottles · CPC title

• B65G47/847 Primary

  the article-engaging elements being grippers · CPC title

• B65G47/71

  the articles being discharged {or distributed} to several {distinct separate} conveyors {or to a broader conveyor lane} · CPC title