Package making – Methods – Applying a partial cover
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-11
2003-02-25
Gerrity, Stephen F. (Department: 3721)
Package making
Methods
Applying a partial cover
C053S420000, C053S442000, C053S053000, C053S133100, C053S282000, C053S585000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06523328
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to a method and apparatus for an automated container filling production line, which at one end has a supply of unoriented containers and at the other end provides a filled, sealed and consumer packaged end product. In the preferred application of the invention the filled, sealed and consumer packaged end product includes a wrapped telescoping straw attached to the outside of the container packaged for final consumer use.
More specifically, the invention relates to an automated container filling production line having continuous and discontinuous operating systems integrated together to form a seamless production line controlled by a computer and related software to automatically take unfilled, unoriented containers, orient those containers, fill, seal, inspect and remove unsatisfactory containers from the novel filling and sealing machine and then automatically transport properly filled and sealed containers to a sleever to automatically label the container, heat-shrink the sleeve to the container and optionally apply a pre-packaged straw to the outside of the container in the novel automated integrated container filling production line.
The novel method and system for the integrated automated container filling production line includes, in the preferred application, an infeed conveyor which includes a novel orientation conveyor to transport randomly oriented containers from a supply hopper and orient and provide a rough sequencing of those containers into a plurality of individual production lines that are introduced into a novel filling and sealing machine having a plurality of production lines. The novel orientation conveyor removes the randomly oriented containers from the supply bin and then orients and roughly sequences the containers into the plurality of production lines by utilizing the pliant orientation plates that imitate the action of the human hand in sequencing and orienting the containers in a ‘bottom up’ ‘top down’ orientation and then transports the ‘bottom up’ ‘top down’ containers to a turning plate and drop-chute which turns the ‘bottom up’ ‘top down’ container to a ‘top lip’ ‘bottom down’ configuration in a plurality of production lines before transporting the oriented and roughly sequenced containers to the novel filling and sealing machine in the novel production line of the invention.
In an alternative application of the invention the integrated automated container filling production line includes an embodiment of the novel orientation conveyor which orients randomly oriented containers in a ‘top up’ ‘bottom down’ orientation and then roughly sequences the containers in a plurality of production lines by utilizing pliant orientation plates and pivotable rods that simulate the action of the human hand to orient and roughly sequence the containers in a plurality of production lines. The ‘bottom down’ ‘top up’ containers are transported in the orientation conveyor to a plurality of drop guide plates disposed in each of the plurality of production lines to assist in dropping the containers in a ‘top up’ ‘bottom down’ orientation in a plurality of drop chutes. The ‘top up’ ‘bottom down’ oriented and roughly sequenced containers are then deposited on an infeed conveyor that introduces the oriented and rough sequenced containers to a positive positioning screw conveyor having a plurality of production lines in a novel filling and sealing machine.
The novel filling and sealing machine of the novel production line of the invention receives a plurality of ‘top up’ ‘bottom down’ flat-bottomed containers from a conveyor that provides a rough sequencing of containers and introduces those containers to a positive positioning screw control conveyor system in a plurality of production lines in which positive conveyor control forces are maintained on the bottom and sides of the container in a screw conveyor that provides a discontinuous travel of the container to a plurality of filling and sealing stations in the novel filling machine. In one operational mode of the invention a plurality of screw conveyors receive a first plurality of oriented and roughly sequenced containers which are then positively engaged around the sides and bottom and then conveyed to the filling portion of the machine. At this point both the screw conveyor is stopped and the advancement of the containers is stopped by the positive controlled conveyor means at which time the first plurality of containers are filled with a filler mechanism providing for the positive control and metering of food, beverage or other fluid materials into the containers.
Once the containers are filled the positive controlled discontinuous conveyor apparatus moves those filled first plurality of containers to a sealing station while a second plurality of oriented, roughly sequenced containers are transported to the fill position previously occupied by the first plurality of containers. At this point the screw conveyor again stops and the first plurality of containers are purged of ambient air and sealed while the second plurality of containers are being simultaneously filled. Once the filling of the first plurality of containers and the sealing of the second plurality of containers has been completed the screw conveyor advances the first plurality of containers to an inspection station for fill and seal inspection and defective containers are optionally marked while the second plurality of containers are sealed in the sealing station and a third plurality of roughly oriented containers that had been transported to the fill station are simultaneously being filled while the screw conveyor remains stopped. At this point the first plurality of containers, inspected for fill and seal requirements, could also optionally be removed at the completion of inspection by opening discard doors at the bottom of the novel filling and sealing machine while the second plurality of containers are sealed and the third plurality of containers are filled.
Once the filling of the third plurality of containers, the sealing of the second plurality of containers and the optional inspecting and tagging of defective containers of the first plurality of containers are completed the screw conveyor again turns to transport the first plurality of containers from the screw conveyor to be removed at a defective container removal station in the novel filling and sealing machine or be discharged from the screw conveyor to be removed further down the production line while the second plurality of containers are transported to the inspection station, the third plurality of containers are moved to the seal station, and a fourth plurality of oriented and roughly sequenced containers are moved to the fill station and the screw conveyor again stops. While the screw conveyor remains stopped all the preceding steps are repeated on each new subsequent plurality of containers. In the preferred application of the invention the filling and sealing operations are provided for simultaneously on both sides along the axial length of a single screw conveyor while the screw conveyor is stopped. In the best mode inspection stations, reject stations and other processing stations may be added along the axial length of the screw conveyor.
The novel filling and sealing apparatus is able to achieve its multiple filling and sealing processes on both sides of a single screw conveyor as a result of the positive conveyor control forces maintained at all times to provide precise positioning of the plurality of containers resulting from the positive conveyor control of forces exerted by the threads of the screw conveyor on the walls of the container as well as the positive conveyor control of forces exterted on the flat bottom of the container and the sides of the container through the use of guide rails and rods or bottom support plates in combination with the threads of the screw conveyor to at all times maintain positive conveyor control forces on the containers along the axial length of the screw conveyor
Barker Kenneth N.
De Cardenas Gilbert L.
Breneman William D.
Breneman & Georges
Georges Peter J.
Gerrity Stephen F.
LandOfFree
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