Conveyors: power-driven – Conveyor section – Load simultaneously engaged between and moved by a plurality...
Reexamination Certificate
1998-06-15
2001-01-30
Ellis, Christopher P. (Department: 3615)
Conveyors: power-driven
Conveyor section
Load simultaneously engaged between and moved by a plurality...
C198S475100, C198S476100, C198S726000, C198S799000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06179115
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a continuous product spacing and transfer mechanism.
Such a mechanism can for example be incorporated in a packaging machine for bottles, pots or other receptacles with round, oval, rectangular or polygonal cross sections.
EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION
2. Description of Related Art
Document EP-A-450 915 describes a conveying mechanism for a packaging machine in which articles are transported along a feed path and formed into a group for the purpose of subsequently packaging, this mechanism comprising spacing elements mounted on an endless chain.
Other product spacing and conveying mechanisms are described in the following documents: FR-A-2 052 128, FR-A-2 243 894, GB-A-926 776, GB-A-974 995, DE-A-38 39 498, CH-A-520 023, EP-A-60 720, EP-A-709 913, EP-A-708 028, U.S. Pat. No. 3,454,142, U.S. Pat. No. 3,092,234, U.S. Pat. No. 4,757,893, and WO-A-87 06170.
The continuous product spacing and transfer mechanisms of the prior art have a certain number of drawbacks.
The mechanisms conventionally include spacing elements mounted on one or two endless chains, the methods of fixing these spacing elements onto the movable endless chain or two chains not providing a predefined stable positioning of these elements when the conveying mechanism is in operation, particularly at high throughput.
The lack of rigidity of the fixing of the spacing elements on the chain or two chains may allow uncontrolled movements, for example flexing movements, of the spacing elements driven by the chain or two chains.
These uncontrollable unwanted movements may have serious consequences for the conveyed products, which are then no longer grouped together and may possibly be damaged.
This phenomena limits the maximum permissible speed of the spacing and transfer mechanisms of the prior art.
When these mechanisms include spacing elements mounted on two chains, the spacing elements are conventionally disposed between a top plane defined by the top chain and a bottom plane defined by the bottom chain.
So that, when small objects such as pots of yoghurt or the like must be grouped together and transported, the top part of these objects, such as the lid of the pots, is disposed in a plane which may be positioned lower than the top plane defined by the top chain.
Such mechanisms therefore do not allow free access for one or more tools placed above the objects being conveyed, which necessarily complicates the use of these tools.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a mechanism for transferring and spacing articles which does not have the drawbacks of the known mechanisms of the prior art.
To this end, the invention relates to a continuous transfer and spacing mechanism, this mechanism having a plurality of spacing and transporting elements, movable in a circuit comprising at least one substantially rectilinear section, this mechanism also comprising a first guiding and driving member such as a top endless chain, a second guiding and driving member such as a bottom endless chain, each spacing and transporting element being associated with the first and second guiding and driving members by means of supports, this mechanism having a third guiding and driving member such as an endless chain, each transporting and spacing element being associated with the third guiding and driving member by means of a lever.
Each lever is mounted so as to be able to move in rotation with respect to the third guiding member on a substantially vertical axis situated at a first end part of the lever, the lever also being mounted so as to be able to move in rotation on a substantially vertical axis of each associated support, this axis being situated at the second end part of the lever.
In one embodiment, the first and second guiding members are endless chains or belts, placed opposite each other and one above the other between a control head including a return pulley for the top endless chain, coaxial with a return pulley for the bottom endless chain, the return head including a return pulley for the top endless chain, coaxial with a return pulley for the bottom endless chain.
In one embodiment, the third guiding and driving member is an endless chain or belt placed opposite and below the first and second guiding and driving members, between two return pulleys with a substantially vertical axis.
The axis of the return head is separated by a distance L from the axis of a first return pulley for the third guiding and driving member, this distance L being equal to the distance separating the axis of the control head from the axis of the second return pulley for the third guiding and driving member.
The distance L is substantially equal to the distance separating the rotation axes of the lever.
The top and bottom endless chains define a movement circuit for the supports comprising two substantially rectilinear and parallel sections and two curved lateral end sections.
The endless chain forming the third guiding and driving member is contained in a groove in the frame of the mechanism, this groove comprising two substantially rectilinear and parallel sections and two curved lateral end sections.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1719585 (1929-07-01), Brown
patent: 2190783 (1940-02-01), Hardy
patent: 3454142 (1969-07-01), Holstein
patent: 0 450 915 A1 (1991-02-01), None
patent: 0 708 028 A1 (1995-10-01), None
Cartier Alain
de Guglielmo Pascal
Aries Packaging
Deuble Mark A.
Ellis Christopher P.
Nawrocki, Rooney & Sivertson P.A.
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