Methods of transporting products and packages of products made therefrom

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9132971-B2
Application number	US-201313916756-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 13, 2013
Priority date	Jun 14, 2012
Publication date	Sep 15, 2015
Grant date	Sep 15, 2015

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed, in part, to a method of transporting products. The method comprises providing a V-shaped conveying mechanism and positioning a plurality of the products on the V-shaped conveying mechanism such that a first portion of the plurality of the products engages a first side of the V-shaped conveying mechanism, and such that a second portion of the plurality of the products engages a second side of the V-shaped conveying mechanism.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of transporting rolled products, the method comprising:
providing a V-shaped conveying mechanism; and
positioning a plurality of the rolled products on the V-shaped conveying mechanism such that a first portion of the plurality of the rolled products engages a first side of the V-shaped conveying mechanism, and such that a second portion of the plurality of the rolled products engages a second side of the V-shaped conveying mechanism, wherein the positioning step is accomplished through the use of one or more robots configured to provide one or more positioning maneuvers.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rolled products are rolls of paper towels or toilet tissue.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the V-shaped conveying mechanism comprises a first conveyor and a second conveyor.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the positioning comprises placing at least one rolled product on at least another rolled product using at least one of a batch process and a continuous process.

5. A method of transporting rolled products, the method comprising:
providing a V-shaped conveying mechanism;
positioning a plurality of the rolled products on the V-shaped conveying mechanism in a group; and
transporting the group of the plurality of the rolled products between a first position and a second position using the V-shaped conveying mechanism,
wherein each rolled product has a core extending therethrough and defining a longitudinal axis of the rolled product, and wherein the positioning step comprises placing the rolled products on the V-shaped conveying mechanism with the longitudinal axis of each core in a direction generally perpendicular to the direction of transport between the first position and the second position.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of the rolled products comprise rolls of paper towel or rolls of toilet tissue.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the V-shaped conveying mechanism comprises a first conveyor and a second conveyor.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the positioning comprises placing at least one rolled product on at least another rolled product.

9. A method of transporting a group of rolled products, the method comprising:
providing a conveying mechanism comprising a first conveyor and a second conveyor, wherein the first conveyor defines a first axis extending in a direction generally perpendicular to a direction of movement of the group of the rolled products on the conveying mechanism, wherein the second conveyor defines a second axis extending in a direction generally perpendicular to the direction of movement of the group of the rolled products on the conveying mechanism, and wherein the first axis extends in a direction that is transverse to the direction of extension of the second axis;
engaging a first portion of a first rolled product with the first conveyor;
engaging a second portion of the first rolled product with the second conveyor; and
engaging a second rolled product with a third portion of the first rolled product and with the first conveyor or the second conveyor,
wherein each rolled product defines a core, and wherein a longitudinal axis of each core is positioned generally perpendicular with the direction of movement of the conveying mechanism.

10. The method claim 9 , wherein an angle A between the first conveyor and the second conveyor is between about 60 degrees and about 160 degrees.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the angle A is between about 80 degrees and about 150 degrees.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the angle A is between about 85 degrees and about 125 degrees.

13. The method claim 9 , wherein an angle A between the first conveyor and the second conveyor is about 90 degrees or about 120 degrees.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the second rolled product is engaged with the first conveyor, the method comprising engaging a third rolled product with a fourth portion of the first rolled product and with the second conveyor.

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Overly Matthew Bernard
• Brokopp Jr Wesley Bernard
• Noll Joseph Clifford
• Hartline Jeffrey Dean

Classifications

• B65B35/16

  by grippers · CPC title

• B65B25/146

  packaging rolled-up articles · CPC title

• B65B35/44

  by endless belts or chains {(B65B35/405 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B65G2201/0232

  Coils, bobbins, rolls · CPC title

• B65B35/243

  using cooperating conveyors engaging the articles simultaneously · CPC title