Conveyors: power-driven – Conveyor system for establishing and moving a group of items – Having items discharged from plural distinct outlets into group
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-14
2001-05-08
Kramer, Dean J. (Department: 2167)
Conveyors: power-driven
Conveyor system for establishing and moving a group of items
Having items discharged from plural distinct outlets into group
C198S432000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06227346
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a method of conveying with a particular longitudinal spacing p products arriving in a particular longitudinal direction and at least on average at a particular rate c, the method consisting in having the products rest on first conveyor surfaces in succession in that direction and moving in that direction at a particular speed V
1
equal to the product of the particular rate c by the particular spacing p. It also concerns a device for conveying products arriving at least on average at a particular rate c in a particular longitudinal direction with a particular longitudinal spacing p, the device including first conveyor surfaces in succession in that direction, means for moving the first conveyor surfaces in that direction at a particular speed V
1
equal to the product of the particular rate c by the particular spacing p and means for placing the products on the most upstream first conveyor surface, with reference to that direction, at least on average at the particular rate c.
In the present context “product” refers either to an individual object such as a cake or a cheese whose transportation by the method of the invention and/or by means of the device of the invention constitutes a preliminary step before individual packaging or a group, whether organized or not, of individual objects whose transportation constitutes a preliminary step before collective packaging, such as chocolates to be packaged in rows in a common box or sweets adapted to be packaged loose in a common sachet. It is to be understood that the above examples are in no way limiting on possible applications of the method and device in accordance with the invention. In particular, the method and device in accordance with the invention apply equally to non-food products such as tools, hardware or knick-knacks, hygiene or other items, and to the orderly transportation of food or non-food products for forms of processing other than packaging.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many forms of automatic processing of large numbers of products, such as individual or collective packaging processes, require the products to be presented in a precisely ordered manner.
In particular, products fed to automatic packaging machines, for example, must conform as accurately as possible to a particular spacing referred to a particular direction of movement towards the packaging machine, and if several rows of products are fed in this direction to be packaged simultaneously, whether collectively or individually, it may be essential not only for the products in each row to be at the same spacing but also for the products in the different rows to arrive at the packaging station in phase or with a particular phase difference.
Two techniques are currently available for setting products at a particular spacing or assuring that they retain a particular spacing and/or for setting adjoining rows of products in phase or with a particular phase relationship.
One of the above techniques consists in lowering onto one of the first conveyor surfaces barriers against which the products strike and which are raised sequentially to release simultaneously all the products that have struck a barrier during a particular time period. This solution is compatible only with hard products, i.e. when there is no risk of the products being damaged by striking the barriers. It necessitates fast lowering and raising of the barriers and thus requires rugged and therefore costly mechanical resources to assure these movements. Its operation also generates a high level of noise. Finally, it is important to prevent a barrier being lowered onto a product and it is therefore necessary to provide electronic means for sensing the presence of products, in order to prevent such accidents, and to increase the number of barriers so that a product escaping from one is nevertheless stopped and then released at a time at which it occupies a particular position relative to the other products, which complicates the device and makes it even more costly in that it is of course necessary to provide the same ruggedness and to take the same precautions against a barrier encountering a product while it is being lowered for all the barriers.
Another prior art solution consists in moving the products along successions of individual conveyor surfaces whose speeds are individually controlled by sensing the relative positions of the products using appropriate sensors. This solution can be applied to a wider range of products in that it is compatible with soft products and a device using it is much quieter than a device using the other prior art solution previously commented on. However, sensing the relative positions of the products and controlling the individual conveyor surfaces leads to great complexity of the mechanical equipment driving the conveyor surfaces and the electronic control equipment, making this a particularly costly solution.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The aim of the present invention is to overcome these drawbacks and to this end the present invention consists in a method of conveying with a particular longitudinal spacing p products arriving at least on average at a particular rate c in a particular longitudinal direction, said method consisting in having said products rest on first conveyor surfaces in succession in said direction and moving in the particular direction at a particular speed V
1
equal to the product of the particular rate c by the particular spacing p, and placing the products on a second conveyor surface between two of the first conveyor surfaces that is moved in the particular direction at a speed V
v
made to oscillate systematically about the particular speed V
1
at a rate equal to the particular rate c.
The invention further proposes, for implementing the above method, a device for conveying products arriving at least on average at a particular rate c in a particular longitudinal direction with a particular longitudinal spacing p, the device including first conveyor surfaces in succession in the aforementioned particular direction, means for moving the first conveyor surfaces in the aforementioned particular direction at a particular speed V
1
equal to the product of the particular rate c by the particular spacing p and means for placing the products on the most upstream first conveyor surface, with reference to the aforementioned particular direction, at least on average at the particular rate c, a second conveyor surface between two first conveyor surfaces, and means for moving the second conveyor surface in the aforementioned particular direction at a speed V
v
oscillating systematically about the particular speed V
1
at a rate equal to the particular rate c.
The skilled person will understand that successively crossing transitions between a second surface and the first surfaces that respectively precede it and follow it in the aforementioned particular direction can sometimes produce an effect of stopping a product followed by releasing it that is comparable with the effect of a barrier and sometimes an acceleration effect, depending on the value of the speed V
v
or to be more precise the difference between that speed and the speed V
1
of the first surfaces at the time the product crosses one or other of the transitions. Experience shows that these effects, which are obtained systematically, i.e. without it being necessary to take account of the position of a product relative to the other products when it arrives at the transition between the first and second conveyor surfaces, and consequently without requiring complex and costly mechanical and electronic means, can rearrange with an accurate spacing products arriving in a disorderly manner, i.e. with any longitudinal spacing. To summarize, a method and a device in accordance with the invention can set a spacing (or where appropriate preserve an existing spacing) using means that are much simpler, much more reliable and much less costly than those used for this purpose in the prior art; also, the invention
Lassoudry Daniel
Le Senechal Pascal
Lecomte Jean-Luc
Kramer Dean J.
Levine & Mandelbaum
“Societe Nouvelle Eurocri” Europeenne de Creation et Realistatio
LandOfFree
Method and device for conveying products with a particular... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Method and device for conveying products with a particular..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method and device for conveying products with a particular... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2485041