Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Apparatus for a~plxing articles individually to a series
of containers
.
The present invention relates to apparatus for applying
articles individually to a series of containers.
There is a need for automatically applying art;cles
(e.g. spoons, straws) in small bags to containers, e.~. for
~ood or other content~. The purpose of the present
invention is to provide improved apparatus for carrying out
this function and to this end the invention consists of
apparatus for applying articles individually to a series o~
containers, comprising (a) a rotatable wheel having an odd
number of receptacles each adapted to hold a container
therein; (b) a conveyor for presentin~ the contAiner~ to
the receptacles Eor retention thereby and or receiving
the containers back ~rom the receptacles upon release of
such containers by the receptacles after one rotation of
the wheel; (c) a transEer drum for applying a saicl article
to each container while carried by the wheel during such
rotation; (d) the receptacles being spaced around the wheel
with a predetermined pitch; and (e) the conveyor includinc3
means Eor presenting the series of container~s to the wheel
with adjacent containers o~ the series spaced apart by
twice said pitch whereby the cont~iners are presellted to
and carried by alternate ones of said receptacles, and the
container~ are returned to the conveyor at locations inter-
mediate those that they occupied on presentation to the
wheel.
A preferred embodiment of the present invention w;ll
now be described in corljunction with the accompanying
drawings in which:-
Figure 1 is a front vie~ o~ a machine embodying the
invention;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of a package container
to which a small bag has been adhered;
Figure 3 is a perspective view of a strip of such bags;
Figures 4 to 10 is a series of views illustrating how
such containers are handled by the machine;
Figure 11 is a front view of a part of the machiner
partially cut away to show a control mechanism;
Figure 12 is a side view of Figure 11; and
Figures 13 to 16 is a series of views illustrating the
function of such control mechanism.
Figures 1 and 4 to 10 show a wheel 1 for receiving
from a conveyor 3 the containers P shown in Figure 2.
Rotation of the wheel 1 picks up and holds successive
containers P to bring them each into contact with a drum 2
at which there is applied a small bag B containing an
article, e.g., a spoon. ~ach ba~ B is detached from a
strip C of such bags, as shown in Figure 3, and is adhered
to the side of a container P which (now desi~nated P') is
returned to the conveyor. The strip C is a long and narrow
strip of continuous package comprising two sheets of
synthetic resin film. After the spoons have been inserted
the sheets are welded together around each spoon
Apparatus Eor so detaching the bags rom the strip and
applying them to the containers P is disclosed in copending
Canadian patent applications Serial Nos. ~ ,103 of
N. Tsubota filed December 22, 1983; 4~4,104 of Y. Utsumi
filed December 22, 1983; 444,171 oE K. Yamamoto filed
December 28, 1983 and 444,36L o N. Tsubota Eiled
December 28, 1983.
Figures 4 to 10 illustrate this process in more detail.
The wheel 1 possesses an odd number oE receptacles D (15 in
the example). The pitch between stops on the conveyor 3 is
double that of the receptacles D oE the wheel 1, such sto~s
being effectively in phase with the receptacles or the
transfer of containers P to the wheel 1 and return of the
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containers P' to the conveyor, as shown by the sequence o~
views of Figures 4 to 10.
As shown in Figures 11 and 12, suction pipes N ~or
holding the containers P by vacuum action are provided with
apertures on the bottoms of the receptacles D arranged on
the external periphery oE the wheel 1. Each of these pipes
N has a valve for applying and releasing the suction and a
lever L for closing and opening the valve. More details
of apparatus for holding the containers in the receptacles
lQ are given in copending Canadian patent application Serial
No. 444,102 of K. Takagi filed December 22, 1983. A fixed
cam 4 is supported on a frame 9 and a movable cam 5 is
rotatively supported at a fixed location on the frame 9.
The active parts of these cams are or can be located in the
path of rotational travel of an actuating roller L' pivoted
to the top end of each lever ~.
Figures 13 to 16 illustrate the relationship between
each lever L on the wheel 1 and the fixed cam 4, as well as
the relationship between the levers and the movable cam S
which is moved in synchronism with the wheel 1. The Eixed
cam 4 causes each lever L to apply suction, while the
movable cam 5, which is oscillated by a crank 7 and a
connecting rod 8 controlled by a circular cam 6 that is
rotated once for each two-pitch movement of the wheel 1,
2~ acts to release the vacuum each time (Figure 15) a
container (e.g. the container P3') is to drop back onto
the conveyor 3.
The full sequence will now be explained in further
detail.
~s shown in Figure 4, the container Pl which has
reached a position on the conveyor 3 directly under the
wheel 1 is sucked into a receptacle D. To facilitate this
action, it may be advantageous to have separate means (not
shown) for pushing the container upwards in synchronism
with the movement o~ the wheel. Subsequently, a~ter the
~9C~
wheel 1 has turned clockwise hy two pitches the container
P2 will be picked up and so on. Thus, with continuing
rotation of the wheel 1, the containers on the conveyor 3
are picked up and housed one by one in alternate
receptacles of the wheel. As each reaches the top, a bac3
B is transferred and adhered to it by the drum 2 (Figure
5). Eventually, the container Pl (now Pl') reaches the
position shown in Figure 6 when it is located between two
pick up positions, i.e. between incoming containers P8
and P9. At this point, the container Pl' is released
and falls onto the conveyor 3 for removal thereby (Figure
7) and the container Pg is picked up and housed ln the
next empty receptacle (Figure 8). This process continues
as shown by Figures 9 and 10.
The lever Ll controllinq the receptacle Dl (Figure
13) has been moved by the movable cam 5 to release the
container Pl', while the suction valve for the receptacle
D2 is in a position to apply suction, since the lever
L2 has been moved by the ixed cam 4 and the movable cam
5 has been withdrawn out of the path of travel of the lever
L2. Figure 14 illustrates the situation ater the wheel
has turned clockwise by half the pitch between receptacles
and the receptacle D2 has reached the position of housing
the container P16. The movable cam 5 is still withdrawn.
The valve control lever L3 which maintains the receptacle
D3 in the holding state is not moved but passes along the
external periphery of the fixed cam 4. Figure 15
illustrates the situation after the wheel has turned clock-
wise by one pitch rom the situation shown by Figure 14.
The lever L3 is being moved by the cam 5 to release the
container P3'. Subsequently, the lever L4 for the
receptacle D~ is moved by the ~ixed cam 4 to apply
suction and is subsequently untouched by the cam 5. Figure
16 illustrates the situation a~ter the wheel has turned
clockwise by a half pitch from Figuce 15, i.e. after a two-
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pitch turn from the situation shown by Figure 13; at this
time the movable cam 5 is withdrawn and containers Pl'
and P3' have been released and the container P17 is
about to be picked up.
While the preferred embodiment discloses an arrangement
in which the wheel is mounted vertically, the present
invention is not limited to such an arrangement and can be
used with a wheel lying horizontally.
