Package making – Group forming of contents unit and subsequent or further... – Layer – stack – or column
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-27
2002-06-25
Gerrity, Stephen F. (Department: 3721)
Package making
Group forming of contents unit and subsequent or further...
Layer, stack, or column
C053S147000, C198S433000, C198S469100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06408602
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to mixing equipment for mixing objects for packaging, and more particularly to an apparatus for intermittently-intermixing multiple objects, compressing the objects into a compressed grouping, accelerating the compressed grouping up to the speed of a constant velocity transfer conveyor, and transferring the compressed grouping thereto.
2. Related Background Art
Many popular candies, snack and other foodstuffs are often packaged together in multiple flavor or multiple color groupings. These groupings are often packaged in single, in-line rows or what is commonly referred to in the art as “stickpacks”. However, the quality of the groupings is frequently poor when using existing packaging techniques, since individual items often become disoriented and/or break during the packaging process.
It has also been a problem that the existing techniques for packaging stickpacks also require excessive amounts of direct labor, space and complicated equipment, resulting in an economically unsatisfactory overall candy making and packaging operation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention presents new apparatuses and methods for virtually eliminating objects becoming disoriented and broken when packaged in in-line groupings, with relatively simple and low-cost designs that require minimal space.
The present invention provides an automatic mixing, compressing, and transfer mechanism which automatically collects uniformly sized individual objects, such as pieces of candy, from a multi-lane infeed conveyor system, assembles the multiple items in a single row, compresses the objects into a compressed grouping, accelerates the compressed grouping from a stationary position and transfers the compressed grouping to a steady, continuous motion, constant velocity transfer conveyor.
The invention includes a hollow indexing cylinder, or rotor-ring, which provides reduced inertia for increased speed capability. The high speed of the compressing device according to the present invention enables, for example, approximately 400 groupings per minute to be fed to a constant velocity transfer conveyor, while maintaining high quality groupings, i.e., the process is substantially free of individual objects that fall, break or become disoriented.
The preferred transfer conveyor which transports the compressed groupings includes a constant velocity belt or chain running through the rotor ring, and includes a cam operated, pivotal front-lug that captures, with the aid of a rear-lug, a compressed grouping of objects each time the rotor-ring pauses at a transfer position.
As explained in the detailed description which follows, operation of the automatic transfer mechanism according to the present invention, and more specifically, the movement of objects from a receiving position where the objects are provided in parallel, expanded arrangement on an infeed conveyor, produces an assembled and compressed in-line, serial type grouping. Each compressed grouping is accelerated to a velocity that matches a constant velocity of the transfer conveyor, which receives the compressed grouping for transfer to a packaging device. The compression and transfer operation is synchronized to provide smooth, efficient and high speed operation.
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a mixing and compressing apparatus which is simple in design.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a mixing and compressing apparatus which is low cost.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a mixing and compressing apparatus for mixing and compressing a plurality of objects to produce compressed groupings of any size.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a mixing and compressing apparatus that intermittently-intermixes a plurality of different color/flavor candies.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a mixing and compressing apparatus that intermittently-intermixes a plurality of different objects of the same dimensions.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a mixing and compressing apparatus for mixing and compressing a plurality of objects into a compressed grouping, and then accelerating the grouping from a stationary position to a constant velocity, and transferring the compressed grouping to a transfer conveyor.
To accomplish the foregoing objects and advantages, one aspect of the present invention is directed to a compression apparatus which includes a rotatable body having a receiving area positioned on the perimeter of the body for receiving a plurality of objects in expanded arrangement from an infeed conveyor at a receiving position. The apparatus also includes a compression conveyor positioned longitudinally adjacent the body at a transfer position. The compression conveyor includes a compression element for pushing an end object into the other objects to form the compressed grouping at the transfer position and transport the compressed grouping away from the transfer position.
Another aspect of this invention is directed to a compression apparatus having a rotatable body including a receiving area positioned on the perimeter of the rotatable body for receiving a plurality of objects in expanded arrangement from an infeed conveyor at a receiving position and also includes a compression member positioned on an end of the rotatable body, surrounding a portion of a side of the rotatable body. The compression member includes an inclining portion commencing from a start position on the side of the compression member facing the longitudinal center of the rotatable body and inclining toward the longitudinal center of the rotatable body to a transfer position. The start position is aligned adjacent said receiving position, and the objects received in said receiving area are compressed by relative motion between the rotatable body and the compression member.
Yet another aspect of the present invention is directed to a compression apparatus as described above and also includes a transfer conveyor located longitudinally through the rotatable body and having a capture member for capturing the compressed grouping at the transfer position and transporting the compressed grouping to a packaging device.
Yet another aspect of the present invention is directed to a method for compressing a plurality of objects into a compressed grouping and transferring the compressed grouping to a packaging device. The compression apparatus includes a rotatable body having a receiving area positioned on the perimeter of the rotatable body for receiving a plurality of objects in expanded arrangement from an infeed conveyor at a receiving position, and a compression conveyor located longitudinally adjacent the rotatable body at a transfer position and includes a compression member for forcing an end object in the receiving area into the other objects to compress the objects into a compressed grouping and transport the compressed grouping away from the transfer position. The method includes the steps of receiving a plurality of objects from the infeed conveyor into the receiving area at the receiving position, rotating the rotatable body to the transfer position, pausing the rotation of the rotatable body when the receiving area having the plurality of objects reaches the transfer position, positioning the compression member immediately behind an end object from the receiving area when the objects arrive at the transfer position, compressing the objects together to form a compressed grouping by forcing the compression member into the end object and the remaining objects, and transporting the compressed grouping out of the receiving area during the pausing of the rotation of the cylinder.
Still another aspect of the present invention is directed to a method for compressing a plurality of objects into a compressed grouping with a compression apparatus. The compression apparatus includes a rotatable body having a receiving area positioned on the perimeter
Black Johnny
Brinkerhuff Terry
Lenart Dennis
McGee Mike
Rejcek Dennis
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
Gerrity Stephen F.
Huynh Louis K.
Mars Incorporated
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