Conveyors: power-driven – Conveyor system for moving a specific load as a separate unit – System includes a rotating or endless carrier with a load...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-30
2001-11-06
Ellis, Christopher P. (Department: 3651)
Conveyors: power-driven
Conveyor system for moving a specific load as a separate unit
System includes a rotating or endless carrier with a load...
C198S377080, C198S470100, C198S471100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06311831
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to tube loading systems, and more particularly, is directed to a tube loading system that eliminates the need for a pocket wheel.
In order to separately load hollow tubes, for example, empty toothpaste tubes having their bottom ends open, the tubes are provided in stacked or side by side relation on a conveyor. The tubes travel from the conveyor into a chute which conveys and transfers the tubes to a rotatable pocket wheel. The pocket wheel includes a plurality of pockets or recesses along the outer periphery thereof and all tubes that are conveyed through the chute are deposited one at a time into a corresponding pocket during rotation thereof.
A pin chain moves adjacent to the pocket wheel and is provided with a plurality of pins. Each pin is aligned with a pocket. Thus, the tubes are deposited in the pockets and then rotated to a position where one or more air jets blow each tube out of the respective pocket and onto a respective pin. The pins are then moved by the chain to another location downstream thereof. The tubes are then stripped by a stripper wheel from the pins and supplied to another pocket wheel and then onto a mandrel for printing on the tubes.
In order to prevent the tubes from falling out of the pockets before they are transferred to a respective pin, a shield surrounds a portion of the pocket wheel.
However, various problems result with this arrangement. Specifically, a new pocket wheel must be provided each time that the diameter of the tubes substantially changes in order to change the dimensions of the pockets which carry the tubes. Thus, there may be a plurality of pocket wheels for an entire line of tubes. The pocket wheels are relatively large and expensive items.
In addition, because the tubes are not filled and are open at one end, they can be relatively flexible. As a result, they tend to become flattened somewhat. In this regard, a tube may deform and be caught between the end of the chute and another tube already in the receiving pocket, which results in jamming and a consequent shut-down of the machine.
There are many variations of the above arrangement. For example, the pocket wheel can be made of axially sliding individual pockets having a vacuum associated therewith, with the pockets axially sliding to move the tubes onto the pin chain. However, there is a mechanical sliding motion for each pocket, rendering the arrangement very complicated in structure and costly, and also suffering the same disadvantages as discussed above.
Prior copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/151,458 overcomes many of the disadvantages of the above prior art. In this arrangement, the tubes are held by a vacuum through a single belt having a V-shaped configuration. However, the V-shaped belt is a custom made item, and must be molded specifically for this purpose.
It would therefore be preferable to use flat belts or round belts having a circular cross-section, which are common commercial items, to obtain a two line contact with the tubes. Such flat or round belts are also easy to splice so that particular lengths can easily be formed.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a tube loading system that overcomes the aforementioned problems.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a tube loading system that uses a vacuum and conveyor belt assembly to transport the forwardmost tube from the stack to a pin on a moving pin chain.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a tube loading system that eliminates the need for a pocket wheel, shield and other interchangeable parts.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a tube loading system that is simpler in construction and easier to use than existing systems.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a tube loading system that is much more reliable than conventional systems.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a tube loading system that provides two lines of contact for each tube, with a vacuum therebetween that holds the tubes at the two lines of contact.
It is a yet further object of the present invention to provide a tube loading system that can use conventional flat belts or belts having a circular cross-section.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a tube loading system includes at least one conveyor belt for holding a tube having an open end thereagainst with two lines of contact; a motor drive for moving the at least one conveyor belt; a gap between the two lines of contact; a vacuum source for supplying a vacuum to the gap so as to pull the tube against the at least one conveyor belt in engagement with the two lines of contact; a pin chain having a plurality of pins spaced therealong for receiving the open ends of the tubes thereon, the pins being positioned adjacent the at least one conveyor belt; and a delivery device for supplying the tubes in sequence to the at least one conveyor belt such that each tube is held in engagement against the at least one conveyor belt with the two lines of contact by the vacuum at the gap, and as the belt moves, each tube is deposited on a respective pin of the pin chain.
The at least one conveyor belt includes at least one endless belt wrapped about two pulleys, with said gap extending lengthwise therealong between said two lines of contact. There may be two parallel, spaced apart conveyor belts with the gap therebetween. In one embodiment, the two conveyor belts are oriented at an angle relative to each other, and specifically, are substantially perpendicular to each other, with adjacent edges separated by the gap. In another embodiment, each conveyor belt has a substantially circular cross-sectional configuration. In a further embodiment, each conveyor belt has a substantially trapezoidal cross-sectional configuration.
In another embodiment, there is a single conveyor belt having a substantially V-shaped cross-sectional configuration, with the gap extending lengthwise along the belt at a center of the V-shape.
The motor drive includes a motor for rotating at least one of the pulleys, and preferably, a servo motor that incrementally rotates the at least one pulley.
In one embodiment, the vacuum source includes a vacuum plenum against which the at least one conveyor belt rides, the vacuum plenum including an opening in alignment with the gap for applying the vacuum through the opening to the gap. A vertical adjusting assembly is provided for adjusting a vertical position of the vacuum plenum and thereby a vertical position of the at least one conveyor belt.
In another embodiment, the vacuum source includes a vacuum plenum positioned behind the at least one conveyor belt at the gap, for applying a vacuum to the gap.
The pins extend in a direction substantially parallel to the at least one conveyor belt such that the open ends of the tubes are positioned over the pins. A pin alignment mechanism guides the pins to a position adjacent to and substantially parallel with the at least one conveyor belt. The pin alignment mechanism includes at least one chain guide assembly for guiding the pin chain along a predetermined path. The pin alignment mechanism further includes at least one pin guide assembly for engaging free portions of the pins to provide a predetermined alignment of the pins as the pins pass by the at least one conveyor belt.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description thereof which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawing.
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patent: 3655026 (1972-04-01), Hirn
patent: 3760453 (1973-09-01), Neumann
patent: 4138941 (1979-02-01), McMillin et al.
patent: 4274532 (1981-06-01), Johnson
patent: 4388990 (1983-06-01), Michalik
patent: 4435114 (1984-03-01), Fardin
patent: 5523101 (1996-06-01), Fitch, Jr.
patent: 5531312 (1996-07-01), Dickey
patent: 5564334 (1996-10-01), Burke
patent: 5634764 (1997-06-01), Re
Dutkevitch Dennis
van der Griendt Pieter S.
Ellis Christopher P.
Goldberg Richard M.
Polytype America Corporation
Sharma Rashmi
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