Transfer arrangement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9994401-B2
Application number	US-201515318308-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 10, 2015
Priority date	Jun 11, 2014
Publication date	Jun 12, 2018
Grant date	Jun 12, 2018

Abstract

A transfer arrangement for transfer of packaging containers from a first conveyor arrangement to a second conveyor arrangement, wherein the transfer arrangement comprises at least one gripper arranged to engage the packaging containers frictionally.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A transfer arrangement for transfer of packaging containers from a first conveyor arrangement to a second conveyor arrangement, wherein the transfer arrangement comprises at least one gripper configured to engage the packaging containers frictionally, the at least one gripper comprising two gripper elements configured to interact with a constructional detail of the packaging container so as to secure the packaging container, the transfer arrangement also comprising a carrier mounted on a movable endless conveyor so that the carrier moves together with the endless conveyor, a shaft mounted on the carrier so that the shaft moves together with the carrier and the endless conveyor, the shaft being movable in a vertical direction relative to the carrier to change a vertical position of the shaft, the two gripper elements being mounted on the shaft to move together with the shaft and vary the vertical position of the two gripper elements, a cam follower arranged on the shaft and engageable with a cam surface so that engagement of the cam follower with the cam surface moves the shaft in the vertical direction and thereby also moves the two gripper elements in the vertical direction, at least one of the gripper elements being movable between a position engaging the packaging container and a position releasing the packaging container by virtue of a cam arrangement.

2. The transfer arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the at least one gripper element is pivotally arranged.

3. The transfer arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the cam surface is part of a cam curve.

4. The transfer arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the at least one gripper is configured to turn the packaging container a set angle during transfer from the first conveyor arrangement to the second conveyor arrangement.

5. The transfer arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the two gripper elements are arranged to apply a compressing force on the packaging container, in a longitudinal direction of the packaging container, during handover to the second transport arrangement.

6. The transfer arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the cam follower is a first cam follower and the cam surface is a second cam surface, and the cam arrangement comprises a second cam follower operatively connected to the at least one gripper element and engageable with a second cam surface.

7. The transfer arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the two gripper elements are arranged to pick up the packaging container from the first conveyer arrangement at a first pitch and to release the packaging container to the second conveyer arrangement at a second pitch, wherein the first pitch is greater than the second pitch.

8. An arrangement that conveys packaging containers, the arrangement comprising:
a first conveyor to convey the packaging containers;
a second conveyor to convey the packaging containers, the first conveyor being spaced apart from the second conveyor;
a transfer arrangement positioned to transfer the packaging containers from the first conveyor to the second conveyor, the transfer arrangement comprising a plurality of spaced apart grippers each mounted on a movable conveyor and each configured to frictionally engage one of the packaging containers, each of the grippers comprising a pair of gripper elements configured to interact with a constructional detail of the packaging container to secure the packaging container;
a plurality of carriers mounted on the movable conveyor and movable with the conveyor;
a first pair of the gripper elements being mounted on a shaft;
the shaft being mounted on one of the carriers to move together with the movable conveyor so that movement of the movable conveyor results in movement of the one carrier, the shaft and the first pair of gripper elements;
the shaft being slidable relative to the one carrier to move the shaft in a vertical direction;
a first cam follower arranged on the shaft and engageable with a first cam surface on a plate so that engagement of the first cam follower with the first cam surface moves the shaft in the vertical direction and thereby also moves the first pair of gripper elements in the vertical direction; and
a second cam follower operatively connected to one of the gripper elements and engageable with a second cam surface to move the one gripper element between a position engaging the packaging container and a position releasing the packaging container.

9. The arrangement of claim 8 , wherein the gripper elements are gripper jaws that clamp a portion of the packaging container by frictionally engaging the packaging container.

10. The arrangement of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the gripper elements forming each gripper is pivotally arranged.

11. The arrangement of claim 8 , wherein the conveyor on which the grippers are mounted is an endless conveyor, and the grippers are mounted on the endless conveyor in spaced apart relation to one another.

12. The arrangement of claim 8 , wherein the grippers are arranged to pick up packaging containers from the first conveyer at a first pitch and to release the packaging containers to the second conveyer at a second pitch, wherein the first pitch is different from the second pitch.

13. The arrangement of claim 8 , wherein the first conveyor includes a plurality of grippers that grip respective ones of the packaging containers and transfer them to one of the grippers of the transfer arrangement.

14. The arrangement of claim 13 , wherein the second conveyor includes a plurality of grippers that each grip one of the packaging containers transferred from the first conveyor.

15. The arrangement of claim 8 , wherein the first cam surface comprises: i) a first cam segment engaged by the first cam follower to raise the first pair of gripper elements from a first elevational position to a second elevational position higher than the first elevational position; ii) a second cam segment engaged by the first cam follower to move the first pair of gripper elements while the first pair of gripper elements is at the second elevational position; and iii) a third cam segment engaged by the first cam follower to lower the first pair of gripper elements from the second elevational position.

16. The arrangement of claim 15 , wherein the third cam segment is configured to lower the first pair of gripper elements to a third elevational position lower than the first elevational position.

Assignees

• Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance

Inventors

• Zetterstrom Hakan

Classifications

• B65G47/842 Primary

  the article-engaging elements being grippers · CPC title

• B65G2201/0244

  Bottles · CPC title

• B65G17/323

  Grippers, e.g. suction or magnetic · CPC title

• B65G17/26

  comprising a series of co-operating units, e.g. interconnected by pivots · CPC title

• B65G17/12

  comprising a series of individual load-carriers fixed, or normally fixed, relative to traction element · CPC title