Conveyors: power-driven – Conveyor system for establishing and moving a group of items – Subdivides continuous item stream into longitudinally spaced...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-03
2001-02-06
Krizek, Janice L. (Department: 3652)
Conveyors: power-driven
Conveyor system for establishing and moving a group of items
Subdivides continuous item stream into longitudinally spaced...
C053S532000, C053S542000, C198S419100, C198S428000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06182814
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to packaging machinery and more particularly to forming and transporting slugs of product by use of a vacuum.
2. Description of the Related Art
Serially produced product, such as cookies or crackers, lined up standing on end, front-to-back on a conveyor belt, needs to be formed into slugs for packaging. There are several problems associated with forming such slugs. If the product is front-to-back then a means for separating the product into uniform groups known as slugs, needs to be found which does not damage the product. The slugs must then be transported to the wrapping apparatus and wrapped, while maintaining the product in its front-to-back position.
In some packaging systems a product serially transported on a first conveyor belt is collected into slugs and transferred as rows of slugs to a second conveyor belt traveling perpendicularly to the first conveyor belt. This requires a 90 degree transfer of the slug's direction. Depending on the packaging methods, the slugs may have to be transferred again to a third conveyor belt perpendicular to the second conveyor for serial alignment of the slugs as required by some packaging machinery. Multiple handlings and orientations of product complicates the packaging process and damages the product.
In order to form slugs for a continuous line of incoming product, the product has to be stopped and a barrier introduced between slugs formed. The barrier must be inserted without impacting and damaging the product. The slug of product then needs to be pushed or otherwise moved out of the way for a new slug to be formed. The slug must be maintained with all product upright while being transported to the wrapping machine.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention uses a vacuum to pull product forward from a line of front-to-back product being transported on a conveyor belt. The product is released from the line of continuous front-to-back product in predetermined slug lengths. The slugs are then transported by the vacuum in a vacuum chamber having dimensions slightly larger than the cross section of the product. A stopping finger is inserted before each slug in the vacuum chamber to partition the slugs and to prevent the slug from moving too fast in the vacuum. A pushing finger is inserted after each slug to push it along against positive pressure in the downstream portion of the vacuum chamber, and to push the slug after it exits the vacuum chamber. The pushing finger may be used to propel the slug to the wrapping device.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to form slugs by use of a vacuum.
It is an object of the invention to transport slugs by use of a vacuum.
It is an object of the invention to create slugs without damaging the product.
It is an object of the invention to move slugs without damaging the product.
It is an object of the invention to increase slug forming and product wrapping rates.
It is an object of the invention to provide a slug feeding apparatus having an easily adjustable slug length or count.
It is an object of the invention to form slugs of product having variable size, shape and weight.
It is an object of the invention to separate product into slugs with an in-line feed.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4098392 (1978-07-01), Greene
patent: 4611705 (1986-09-01), Fluck
patent: 5020655 (1991-06-01), Cruver
patent: 5983701 (1999-04-01), Pruett
Krizek Janice L.
Nikolai Mersereau & Dietz, P.A.
SIG Pack, Inc., Doboy Division
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