Continuous motion product selection and grouping system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9764904-B2
Application number	US-201615148308-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 6, 2016
Priority date	Jun 28, 2013
Publication date	Sep 19, 2017
Grant date	Sep 19, 2017

Abstract

A product selection and grouping system for the metering, selection, grouping and accumulation of varying size and/or configuration products into packs for packing in a substantially continuous motion operation is provided. The product selection and grouping system includes a metering station that receives the products in a substantially continuous line of flow from a product infeed, and meters the line of products to selectively form a series of spaces therebetween. The metered products are formed and fed to a product grouping conveyor in groups of sets a selected number of products, and are engaged by laning flights of a laning unit, which transfer the product groups to selected ones of a series of lanes defined along the product grouping conveyor. The groups of products are accumulated for transfer to a downstream packing machine.

First claim

We claim:

1. A product selection and grouping system, comprising:
a metering station receiving and directing a flow of products along a path of travel defined therethrough, the metering station including:
at least one metering wheel located along the path of travel of the products, the metering wheel configured to engage and create a series of initial spaces between adjacent products of the flow of products;
a gapping wheel located downstream from the at least one metering wheel and having a series of lugs spaced thereabout, the lugs engaging at least some of the initial spaces between the products as the products move along their path of travel so as to introduce product gaps between selected ones of the products for metering the flow of products, wherein at least selected ones of the lugs of the gapping wheel are selectively articulable between a retracted position and an extended position to engage the initial space between the products and form the product gaps therebetween;
a transfer mechanism arranged downstream from the gapping wheel and having at least one finger movable into selected ones of the product gaps to separate a series of products from the flow of products for forming product groups; and
a conveyor adjacent the metering station located in a position to receive and direct the product groups away from the metering station.

2. The product selection and grouping system of claim 1 , further comprising a dead plate extending along the path of travel, and over which the products are moved by rotation of the metering wheel.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the metering station further comprises a series of guides defining a substantially arcuate path of travel for the flow of products moving through the metering station.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein non-selected ones of the lugs of the gapping wheel are retractable away from engagement with the flow of products as the selected ones of the lugs are in or are moving to their extended positions, to form the product gaps between the products.

5. A product selection and grouping system, comprising:
a metering station receiving and directing a flow of products along a path of travel defined therethrough, the metering station including:
at least one metering wheel along the path of travel of the products, the metering wheel configured to engage and create a series of initial spaces between adjacent products of the flow of products;
a gapping wheel located downstream from the at least one metering wheel and having a series of lugs spaced thereabout, the lugs engaging at least some of the initial spaces between the products as the products move along their path of travel so as to introduce product gaps between selected ones of the products for metering the flow of products; and
a transfer mechanism arranged downstream from the gapping wheel and comprising at least one finger movable into selected ones of the product gaps to separate a series of products from the flow of products for forming product groups;

a conveyor adjacent the metering station at a position to receive and direct the product groups away from the metering station; and
a laning unit adjacent the conveyor on which the product groups are received, the laning unit comprising at least one laning flight movable along the conveyor with the product groups received on the conveyor and movable across the conveyor in a direction transverse to the movement of the product groups along the conveyor to engage selected product groups.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the conveyor comprises a series of lanes defined thereacross, and wherein the laning unit further comprises a plurality of laning flights and a series of cam tracks each engaged by an associated one of the plurality of laning flights so as to cause movement of the laning flights across the conveyor to engage and transfer the selected product groups to selected lanes of the product conveyor.

7. A product selection and grouping system, comprising:
a metering station receiving and directing a flow of products along a path of travel defined therethrough, the metering station including:
at least one metering wheel along the path of travel of the products, the metering wheel configured to engage and create a series of initial spaces between adjacent products of the flow of products;
a gapping wheel located downstream from the at least one metering wheel and having a series of lugs spaced thereabout, the lugs engaging at least some of the initial spaces between the products as the products move along their path of travel so as to introduce product gaps between selected ones of the products for metering the flow of products; and
a transfer mechanism arranged downstream from the gapping wheel and comprising at least one finger movable into selected ones of the product gaps to separate a series of products from the flow of products for forming product groups;

a conveyor adjacent the metering station at a position to receive and direct the product groups away from the metering station,
wherein each of the lugs of the gapping wheel further comprises a lug pin mounted thereto for adjustably coupling each lug along the body of the gapping wheel, and wherein the lug pins of at least selected ones of the lugs engage a cam track as the gapping wheel is rotated so as to cause the selected ones of the lugs to be moved toward and away from engagement with the flow of products to selectively form the product gaps of a desired gap size between the products.

8. A method of selecting products for grouping, comprising:
receiving a series of products generally arranged in a line at a metering station and redirecting the products along a path of travel through the metering station;
as the products are moved along the path of travel of travel through the metering station, forming a series of initial spaces between adjacent products;
moving one or more lugs of a series of lugs radially between a retracted position and an extended position, wherein the one or more lugs are each moved between selected adjacent ones of the products and are configured to separate the adjacent products sufficient to create a series of product gaps having a desired gap size therebetween so as to define product groups each having a selected number of products, wherein selected lugs of the series of lugs are moved radially outwardly into the spaces between the selected ones of the products and non-selected lugs of the series of lugs are moved radially inwardly away from the products, such that a series of products are collected together;
engaging and urging each of the product groups forwardly along the path of travel and away from a next product group; and
discharging the product groups from the metering station.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein forming the series of initial spaces comprises engaging the products with a metering wheel as the products are moved along an arcuate path of travel through the metering station to cause at least a partial separation between the products of the line of products.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the selected ones of the lugs are each coupled to a cam follower that engages a first cam track as the gapping wheel is rotated, and are moved toward their extended position as their cam followers are moved along the first cam track, and wherein the non-selected ones of the lugs are each coupled to a cam follower engaging a second cam track as the gapping wheel is rotated, and are moved toward their retracted position as their cam followers are moved along the second cam track.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein discharging the product groups comprises releasing the product groups into selected product lanes at varying

Assignees

• Graphic Packaging Int Inc

Inventors

• Barber Jared B
• Ford Colin

Classifications

• B65G47/086 Primary

  cubiform articles · CPC title

• B65G37/00

  Combinations of mechanical conveyors of the same kind, or of different kinds, of interest apart from their application in particular machines or use in particular manufacturing processes (series of co-operating belt conveyor units B65G15/22; series of co-operating chain conveyor units B65G17/26; sequence control of combined conveyors B65G43/10) · CPC title

• B65G47/30

  during transit by a series of conveyors · CPC title

• B65G47/845

  the article engaging elements being pushers moving in parallel and independently from the supporting conveyor · CPC title

• B65G47/846

  Star-shaped wheels or wheels equipped with article-engaging elements · CPC title