Drive mechanism and methods of grouping articles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9540127-B2
Application number	US-201514734345-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 9, 2015
Priority date	Jun 9, 2015
Publication date	Jan 10, 2017
Grant date	Jan 10, 2017

Abstract

An apparatus includes a frame defining a machine direction. The apparatus includes first and second transport members operatively engaged with the frame. The apparatus includes first carriage and second carriage drive mechanisms each having a carriage drive belt, a drive shaft, and a sprocket drive belt operatively engaged with the drive shaft. The carriage drive belts are operatively engaged with the carriage drive mechanisms and operatively connected with the respective transport member such that the carriage drive belt moves the transport member in the machine direction about an endless loop. The sprocket drive belts engage the drive mechanism in a position of the drive mechanism not connected with the carriage drive belt.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a frame defining a machine direction;
a first transport member operatively engaged with the frame;
a second transport member operatively engaged with the frame;
a first carriage drive mechanism comprising a first carriage drive belt, a first drive shaft, and a first sprocket drive belt operatively engaged with the first drive shaft, wherein the first carriage drive belt is operatively engaged with the first carriage drive mechanism and operatively connected with the first transport member such that the first carriage drive belt moves the first transport member in the machine direction about an endless loop, wherein the first sprocket drive belt engages the first drive mechanism in a position of the first drive mechanism not connected with the first carriage drive belt and wherein the first carriage drive belt is operatively engaged with a first carriage idler sprocket; and
a second carriage drive mechanism comprising a second carriage drive belt, a second drive shaft, and a second sprocket drive belt operatively engaged with the second drive shaft, wherein the second carriage drive belt is operatively engaged with the second carriage drive mechanism and operatively connected with the second transport member such that the second carriage drive belt moves the second transport member in the machine direction about an endless loop, wherein the second sprocket drive belt engages the second drive mechanism in a position of the second drive mechanism not connected with the second carriage drive belt and wherein the second carriage belt is operatively engaged with a second carriage idler sprocket.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first drive mechanism is a carriage drive sprocket and the second drive mechanism is a carriage drive sprocket.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first drive shaft is operatively connected with a first motor, wherein the second drive shaft is operatively connected with a second motor.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first carriage drive mechanism comprises a third carriage drive belt that is operatively connected with the first transport member, and wherein the second carriage drive mechanism comprises a fourth carriage drive belt that is operatively connected with the second transport member.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an infeed carrier apparatus and an outfeed carrier apparatus, wherein the first carriage drive belt moves the first transport member in the machine direction from an article receiving zone adjacent to the infeed carrier apparatus to an article discharge zone adjacent to the outfeed carrier apparatus, and wherein the second carriage drive belt moves the second transport member in the machine direction from the article receiving zone to the article discharge zone.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 further comprising a third transport member operatively engaged with the frame and a third carriage drive mechanism operatively connected with the third transport member, wherein the third carriage drive mechanism comprising a third carriage drive belt, a third drive shaft, and a third sprocket drive belt operatively engaged with the third drive shaft, wherein the third carriage drive belt is operatively engaged with the third carriage drive mechanism and operatively connected with the third transport member such that the third carriage drive belt moves the third transport member in the machine direction about an endless loop, wherein the third sprocket drive belt engages the third drive mechanism in a position of the third drive mechanism not connected with the third carriage drive belt.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first transport member comprises a first carriage and the second transport member comprises a second carriage, wherein each of the first and second carriages comprises a plurality of support members extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the machine direction and defining a plurality of article receiving compartments for receiving individual articles.

8. An apparatus comprising:
a frame defining a machine direction;
a first transport member operatively engaged with the frame;
a second transport member operatively engaged with the frame;
a third transport member operatively engaged with the frame;
a first carriage drive mechanism comprising a first carriage drive sprocket, a first carriage idler sprocket, and a first carriage drive belt operatively engaged with the first carriage drive sprocket and the first carriage idler sprocket, wherein the first carriage drive belt is operatively connected with the first transport member such that the first carriage drive belt moves the first transport member in the machine direction about an endless loop; and
a second carriage drive mechanism comprising a second carriage drive sprocket, a second carriage idler sprocket, and a second carriage drive belt operatively engaged with the second carriage drive sprocket and the second carriage idler sprocket, wherein the second carriage drive belt is operatively connected with the second transport member such that the second carriage drive belt moves the second transport member in the machine direction about an endless loop; and
a third carriage drive mechanism comprising a third carriage drive sprocket, a third carriage idler sprocket, and a third carriage drive belt operatively engaged with the third carriage drive sprocket and the third carriage idler sprocket, wherein the third carriage drive belt is operatively connected with the third transport member such that the third carriage drive belt moves the third transport member in the machine direction about an endless loop,
wherein the first carriage idler sprocket, the second carriage drive sprocket, and the third carriage idler sprocket are arranged in a side-by-side configuration and are configured to rotate about a first axis of rotation, wherein the second carriage drive sprocket is disposed between the first and third carriage idler sprockets, wherein the first carriage drive sprocket, the second carriage idler sprocket, and the third carriage drive sprocket are arranged in a side-by-side configuration and are configured to rotate about a second axis of rotation, and wherein the second carriage idler sprocket is disposed between the first and third carriage drive sprocket.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first carriage drive sprocket is operatively engaged with a first sprocket drive belt that is operatively engaged with a first drive shaft, wherein the first drive shaft is operatively connected with a first motor, wherein the second carriage drive sprocket is operatively engaged with a second sprocket drive belt that is operatively engaged with a second drive shaft, wherein the second drive shaft is operatively connected with a second motor, and wherein the third carriage drive sprocket is operatively engaged with a third sprocket drive belt that is operatively engaged with a third drive shaft, wherein the third drive shaft is operatively connected with a third motor.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the first sprocket drive belt is operatively engaged with a different portion of the first carriage drive sprocket than the first carriage drive belt, wherein the second sprocket drive belt is operatively engaged with a different portion of the second carriage drive sprocket than the second carriage drive belt, and wherein the third sprocket drive belt is operatively engaged with a different portion of the third carriage drive sprocket than the third carriage drive belt.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first carriage drive belt is engaged with the first carriage drive sprocket and the

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Papsdorf Clifford Theodore
• BLAIR Chris Albert
• Howdyshell Mark Neil

Classifications

• B65B2220/16

  Packaging contents into primary and secondary packaging · CPC title

• B65G47/30

  during transit by a series of conveyors · CPC title

• B65B65/02

  Driving gear · CPC title

• B65G17/06

  having a load-carrying surface formed by a series of interconnected, e.g. longitudinal, links, plates, or platforms · CPC title

• B65G47/082

  grouping articles in rows · CPC title