Apparatus for forming packaging units

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9637256-B2
Application number	US-201314387626-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 16, 2013
Priority date	Mar 27, 2012
Publication date	May 2, 2017
Grant date	May 2, 2017

Abstract

An apparatus for producing bundles of containers received from a wide container stream that is converted into plural single-track container streams. The apparatus has a dividing-off and/or compactor unit that divides off and compacts a predetermined number of containers to form a partial bundle to be combined with other partial bundles to form a full bundle. The apparatus also includes application elements that apply adhesive to a container, a linear transporter having a controllable drive, a guide element, a transport element that moves linearly along the guide element, and as many head guides as there are containers in a bundle. The head guides move and/or rotate relative to the transport element.

First claim

Having described the invention, and a preferred embodiment thereof, what we claim as new, and secured by Letters Patent is:

1. An apparatus for producing bundles of containers received from a wide container stream that is converted into plural single-track container streams, said apparatus comprising a dividing-off and/or compactor unit, application elements, a linear transporter, a transport element, a controllable drive, a guide element, and head guides, wherein said dividing-off and/or compactor unit divides off and/or compacts a predetermined number of containers to form a partial bundle to be combined with other partial bundles to form a full bundle, wherein said application elements are configured such that at least one contact face of at least one container in a bundle of containers has an adhesive and/or an application of adhesive thereon, wherein said transport element is a constituent of said linear transporter, wherein said controllable drive is a constituent of said transport element, wherein said transport element is movable back and forth linearly along said guide element, wherein said head guides are attached to said transport element, wherein a cardinality of said head guides equals a cardinality of containers in a bundle of containers, wherein said head guides are at least one of axially movable relative to said transport element and rotatable relative to said transport element, said apparatus further comprising a section of said guide element along which said application elements are carried along with said containers.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a first leg along which said transport element transports suspended containers and a second leg along which said transport element transports no containers.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said transport element is movable back and forth linearly along said guide element at a speed that can be varied by said controllable drive.

4. An apparatus for producing bundles of containers received from a wide container stream that is converted into plural single-track container streams, said apparatus comprising a dividing-off and/or compactor unit, application elements, a linear transporter, a transport element, a controllable drive, a guide element, and head guides, wherein said dividing-off and/or compactor unit divides off and/or compacts a predetermined number of containers to form a partial bundle to be combined with other partial bundles to form a full bundle, wherein said application elements are configured such that at least one contact face of at least one container in a bundle of containers has an adhesive and/or an application of adhesive thereon, wherein said transport element is a constituent of said linear transporter, wherein said controllable drive is a constituent of said transport element, wherein said transport element is movable back and forth linearly along said guide element, wherein said head guides are attached to said transport element, wherein a cardinality of said head guides equals a cardinality of containers in a bundle of containers and rotatable relative to said transport element, and wherein said head guides are rotatable relative to said transport element.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein said head guides are axially movable relative to said transport element.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein said transport element is movable back and forth linearly along said guide element at a speed that can be varied by said controllable drive.

7. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein said transport element comprises a carriage, and wherein said controllable drive is coupled to said carriage.

8. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein said transport element comprises a longitudinal side, and wherein said transport element is guided at said longitudinal side on said guide element.

9. The apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising a first leg along which said transport element transports suspended containers and a second leg along which said transport element transports no containers.

10. The apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising a controllable conveyor belt, wherein said transport element is configured to guide containers at a top thereof, wherein said containers stand, on bottoms thereof, on said controllable conveyor belt.

11. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein said head guides are actuatable independently of each other.

12. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein said transport element is configured such that plural subsequent bundles are transportable by said transport element.

13. The apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising a section along which said application elements accompany said containers.

14. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein said transport element is configured to move at a first speed along a return leg and at a second speed along an outward leg.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein said first speed exceeds said second speed.

16. An apparatus for producing bundles of containers received from a wide container stream that is converted into plural single-track container streams, said apparatus comprising a dividing-off and/or compactor unit, application elements, a linear transporter, a transport element, a controllable drive, a guide element, and head guides, wherein said dividing-off and/or compactor unit divides off and/or compacts a predetermined number of containers to form a partial bundle to be combined with other partial bundles to form a full bundle, wherein said application elements are configured such that at least one contact face of at least one container in a bundle of containers has an adhesive and/or an application of adhesive thereon, wherein said transport element is a constituent of said linear transporter, wherein said controllable drive is a constituent of said transport element, wherein said transport element is movable back and forth linearly along said guide element, wherein said head guides are attached to said transport element, wherein a cardinality of said head guides equals a cardinality of containers in a bundle of containers, wherein said head guides are at least one of axially movable relative to said transport element and rotatable relative to said transport element, said apparatus further comprising a section of said guide element along which said application elements are carried along with said transport element.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein said head guides are actuatable independently of each other.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein said transport element comprises a longitudinal side, and wherein said transport element is guided at said longitudinal side on said guide element.

Assignees

• Khs Gmbh

Inventors

• Van Wickeren Ernst
• Nitsch Thomas
• Wagner Stefan
• Zahn Volker

Classifications

• B65B35/58

  Turning articles by positively-acting means, e.g. to present labelled portions in uppermost position · CPC title

• B65B35/36

  by grippers · CPC title

• B65B21/06

  Forming groups of bottles · CPC title

• B65G47/08

  spacing or grouping the articles during feeding (during transit by conveyor B65G47/28) · CPC title

• B65B27/04

  Bundling groups of cans or bottles · CPC title