Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
WO 96/02421 PCT/US95/08452
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR INSERTING
PARTITIONS INTO ARTICLE GROUPS
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention generally relates to packaging machines
and to the process of packaging articles, such as beverage
containers. More specifically, the present invention
relates to a method and apparatus for inserting partitions
into article groups. The insertion of partitions between
the beverage containers is considered a distinct process
step in the multistage packaging operation.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Automated machinery for packaging articles in a
continuous, multistage packaging operation are widely
known. Articles which are subject to being packaged using
this type of machinery include beverage containers, such as
cans and glass and plastic bottles. Although such beverage
containers are especially amenable to being packaged in
such an operation, many other types of consumer goods also
can be packaged using these automated machines. Packaging
machines ordinarily include devices which perform a variety
of distinct operations or steps in succession and in a
continuous, high speed manner. It is not unusual for
beverage container packaging machines to package over 1,000
containers per minute in uninterrupted flow. The distinct
process steps of known packaging machines include forming
WO 96/02421 PCT/US95/08452
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a group of articles of a predetermined configuration and
delivering the article group into an open carton. The
formation of the article groups normally include conveying
articles along discrete, parallel lanes disposed at an
angle to a selection area, and selecting a predetermined
number of articles from the lane by a selector wedge or
metering bar. The selectors can be carried by a movable
conveyor, and select the predetermined number of articles,
effect arrangement of the articles in the predetermined
configuration, and convey the articles to the next process
step, for example, for the delivery of the articles into
the carton. U.S. Patent No. 3,778,959 to Langen et al.
illustrates such a selection apparatus and method.
Similarly, U.S. Patent No. 4,887,414 to Arena and U.S.
Patent No. 5,241,806 to Ziegler et a1. also disclose
methods and apparatuses for forming preconfigured bottle
groups in this fashion. Each of these references also
teaches methods and apparatuses for loading the articles
into open cartons. Therefore, the steps of forming article
groups of predetermined configuration, conveying the
article groups along a path of travel on a moving conveyor,
and delivering the formed article group into a carton
generally are well known.
The packaging operations can include the process step
of inserting separate partitions, or article separators,
within an article group prior to that article group's being
inserted into a carton or carrier. This process step
WO 96/02421 ~ PCT/US95/08452
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typically is after the article group is formed, but prior
to inserting the article group into the carton. In the
case of beverage containers, such as bottles, partitions
comprised of paperboard panels have been used to separate
juxtaposed bottles, primarily to keep the bottles from
impacting on one another during shipment. This was
especially necessary in the past, when the cartons,
typically paperboard carriers, holding the bottle group
were not designed to effectively stabilize the bottles,
allowing the bottles to shift and move during shipment and
other handling operations. Over the years, carton designs
improved, providing for less bottle movement during
shipping, using other features which were intended to
decrease the likelihood of bottle breakage. These features
included various types and locations of tabs extending
inwardly from the carton side panels to assist in
stabilizing the bottles.
Many other types of cartons, however, neither provide
internal stabilizing mechanisms nor control article
movement sufficiently to avoid the need for separate
partitions, those formed separately from the carton, to be
placed within the article group and between the bottles.
Additionally, in other instances it is desirable to have
such separate partitions even when the container is
designed to control article movement to some extent. Some
bottlers and insurance carriers, for example, often require
that breakable articles be separated by partitions, for the
~?DOS
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shipment of those articles to be within the terms of
contract.
Adding to the need to position separate partitions
within such containers in some cases is the recent
commercialization of processes for manufacturing beverage
containers of lighter weight glass. The commercialization
of these lighter weight bottles has presented the packaging
industry and the packaging machine manufacturing industry
with the renewed problem of container breakage, which many
believed had been successfully addressed by prior
developments in carton designs. In other words, these
developments in bottle designs, together with commercial
shipping regulations and contracts, have again focused the
relevant industries' attentions on the need to separate
breakable articles with partitions which are formed
separately from the carton.
As a result of separate partitions being utilized to
some degree in the prior art, it has become known that as
a packaging process step, it is desirable to separate the
articles from contact with one another prior to insertion
of the partition into an article group. This is
necessitated for many reasons, including the need to allow
the partition to be fully and readily inserted between
adjacent bottles to ensure that the partition is properly
inserted before the next process step, which typically is
the loading of the article group into a carton, and to
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WO 96/02421 PCT/US95/08452
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prevent the insertion of the partition from impacting,
interfering with or tearing article labels.
Prior art machines commonly carried out the process
step of inserting separate partitions into, for example, a
bottle group, by first separating the bottles within the
group using separating and drive lugs carried by chain
conveyors. In this system, two rows of bottles are fed
onto an immovable table, or deadplate. The bottles then
are separately engaged at their lower edges by horizontally
extending lugs mounted to drive chains, which are
positioned along either side of the deadplate. The lugs
are adjacent to each bottle, and serve not only to push the
bottle along the deadplate, but also to separate the
bottles from one another in the longitudinal direction of
the conveyor. A bottle divider which is centeredly
disposed and longitudinally aligned with the deadplate,
extending about an inch above the surface of the deadplate,
separates the adjacent bottles from one another,
transversely. In these prior art machines, therefore, two
rows of bottles, separated from one another longitudinally
and transversely, were conveyed below a partition inserter,
which inserted a separate partition between groups of
bottles, to define and separate, for example, six bottles
for a six pack configuration. Once the partition was
inserted in these article groups, the bottles then were
delivered to a station of the packaging machine which
either grouped the bottles more closely together in
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WO 96/02421 PCT/US95/08452
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preparation for the delivery of the entire bottle group to
a carton, or performed these latter steps of grouping and
delivery simultaneously.
Although this type of prior art machine performed
satisfactorily, it necessarily included the drawbacks of
complexity caused by the requirement of the lugs and the
chain conveyors used along with the deadplate. Further,
the bottles being conveyed in an upright position by this
conveyor were unstable because of the lug and centrally
disposed divider positions, which necessarily had to be
very low to allow the partition to drop into its proper
position. Additionally, while article groups of various
configurations were possible, this machine typically would
permit the formation of a six pack configuration, unless
the machine included two separate conveyors of this type
arranged on either side of the packaging machine to allow
two, six bottle article groups to be loaded into either
side of a carton disposed between the bottle groups. While
such machines performed satisfactorily within the
limitations specified, they tended to be large, and
consequently required extensive floor space because of the
separate conveyor design. Further, these prior machines
mostly were designed to process and to package only one
type of article, having a specific size and height.
WO 96/02421 PCT/US95108452
SUD~lARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention comprises a method and apparatus
for inserting partitions into article groups. The
invention ideally is suited for packaging machines which
utilize a single article infeed disposed along one side of
the machine, although it also could be used on multi-infeed
packaging machines. The apparatus includes a moving
conveyor, such as a flight conveyor, which carries
configured groups of articles along a longitudinal path of
travel. The invention optimally is intended for the
insertion of partitions into article groups including at
least two rows of articles aligned along the longitudinal
path of travel.
In the case of an article group comprised of two rows
of articles, the article group is conveyed towards a first
article divider disposed above the conveyor. The article
divider preferably comprises an elongate guide with an
angled edge along one side to define a tapered end portion
extending in the upstream direction, that is opposite to
the direction of travel of the article groups. At
approximately this same position along the conveyor, a
conveyor side rail angles outwardly to increase the working
conveyor width. The article group is conveyed towards the
divider until the divider begins to extend between two
longitudinal rows of articles Within the article group. As
the conveyor continues to convey the article group
downstream, the divider begins to divide the article group
WO 96102421 PCT/US95/08452
_g_
into first and second subgroups, by separating one row of
articles from the other row by a caroming action. As the
two article subgroups continue to be conveyed downstream,
the divider separates entirely the article subgroups. The
article subgroups, therefore, are divided transversely from
one another a distance equal to the maximum width of the
divider, which is approximately equal to the transverse
distance which the conveyor side rail angles outwardly.
This width is predetermined in order to move the article
subgroups away from one another a sufficient distance to
allow a partition to be freely inserted between the first
article subgroup and the second article subgroup, so that
the tangent or contact points between juxtaposed articles
within any row do not interfere with the insertion of the
partition.
At this point, the separated article subgroups move
beneath a partition inserter, Which inserts a partition
between adjacent articles. One article subgroup is then
moved back toward the other article subgroup by contact
with an angled side rail, guide or second cam, so that the
bottles within the recombined article group are placed in
contact with the partition and in closer relationship with
one another. In the case of an article group comprised of
only two rows of articles, the recombined article group
with a partition is now ready to be inserted into a carton
or carrier. Optionally, the articles can be recombined
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WO 96102421 PCT/US95/08452
_g_
during the actual process step of inserting the articles
into the carton.
In cases in which an article group comprised of more
than two rows of articles is being packaged, a second
guide, substantially identical to the first guide in
design, is positioned downstream of the first guide and
downstream of the insertion point of the first partition,
above the conveyor. The orientation of the second guide is
similar to that of the first guide, with the tapered end
portion of the second guide extending upstream, but aligned
to extend between the second and third article rows. The
conveyor successively moves the article subgroups having a
partition between the first and second rows, towards the
second guide. The articles contact the tapered end portion
of the second guide, between the second and third rows of
articles, simultaneously to recombine the first and second
article rows while separating the second and third article
rows sufficiently to allow a second partition to be
inserted between the second and third article rows. The
second and third article rows are then recombined by
directing, for example, the third article row, against a
rail or cam disposed within the path of travel to move the
third article row back towards the first and second article
rows, and therefore into a single article group.
The above methods and apparatuses can be duplicated
when four or more rows of articles comprise the article
group configuration. Of primary importance is the dividing
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WO 96/02421 PCT/iJS95/08452
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of a row of articles from the article group sufficiently to
allow a partition to be inserted between adjacent article
rows without enough interference from contact with the
articles to prevent the partition from being inserted. The
present invention includes numerous embodiments which can
allow an article subgroup to be divided while another
article subgroup simultaneously is being recombined.
Otherwise, all article subgroups can be separated, with
partitions thereafter being inserted, and then the
subgroups of articles being recombined simultaneously
either prior to or during the insertion of the articles
into a container or carton.
It is an object of the present invention, therefore,
to provide an apparatus for inserting partitions into
article groups, which eliminates the necessity of using
maintenance intensive, repetitious moving elements to
separate and recombine article groups. It is another
object of the present invention to provide a method and
apparatus for inserting partitions into article groups,
which readily can be used with high speed,
multiconfigurable packaging machines. Other objects,
features and advantages of the present invention will
become apparent upon reading the following specification in
conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures.
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WO 96/02421 PCT/LJS95l08452
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 is a fragmentary, schematic plan view of one
embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 1A is a schematic plan view of a divider shown in
Fig. 1.
Fig. 1B is a fragmentary, schematic plan view of
another embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 1C is a perspective view of a partition.
Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, schematic elevational view of
the partition inserter of the present invention.
Fig. 3 is a schematic plan view of a separated article
group comprising two article subgroups, with a partition.
Fig. 4 is a schematic plan view of a recombined
article group, With a partition.
Fig. 5 is a fragmentary, schematic plan view of yet
another embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EbD30DIMENTS
Fig. 1 shows a partition insertion assembly 10 of a
packaging machine, such as a beverage container packaging
machine. The partition insertion assembly 10 is positioned
downstream of the article selection and grouping assemblies
and upstream of the article transfer assembly in the
packaging operation, for example, as discussed above with
respect to the prior U.S. patents. Assembly 10 includes
upstanding, elongate side rails 12 and 13 disposed to
either side of a moving conveyor 14. Conveyor 14
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WO 96/02421 ' PCTIUS95108452
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preferably is a continuous moving surface conveyor or belt-
type conveyor well known in the art, which defines a path
of travel along its longitudinal axis cx. As shown in Fig.
1, conveyor 14 moves in a direction from left to right.
Selector wedges 15 are supported by conveyor 14 and are
positioned above the upper surface of the conveyor. The
selector wedges or selectors comprise means for defining
article groups, and are elongate members spaced from one
another and arranged extending transversely with respect to
the longitudinal axis of the conveyor. Although the means
for defining article groups are shown in Fig. 1 as selector
wedges or flights 15, the function of the wedges at this
point in the packaging operation is simply to define
successive article groups from one another along the
conveyor. The selector wedges, therefore, at this point in
the packaging operation, do not need to be selector type
flights with an angled or wedge shaped end portion designed
to perform the picking or selection function described in
detail in the above-referenced U.S. patents. During the
process of inserting the partitions, members 15 need only
define successive article groups along a moving surface-
type conveyor.
Since the partition insertion assembly 10 is
downstream of the article selection and grouping assembly,
but upstream of the article transfer assembly where the
articles are transferred to or inserted into a carton or
carrier, when the articles reach the partition insertion
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WO 96!02421 PCT/US95/08452
-13-
assembly, the articles already have been arranged into an
article group of predetermined configuration. In Fig. 1,
articles A have been grouped into a 12 pack configuration
with four rov~is extending along the longitudinal axis a, and
three columns extending transverse or normal to the
longitudinal axis. This 12 pack article group is shown for
illustration only. The present invention is not limited to
such an article group in configuration or number, but is
readily used with any article group having articles
arranged in two or more rows extending along the
longitudinal axis of the conveyor 14. Although Fig. 1
shows a schematic, plan view of bottles arranged on
assembly 10, the articles A could comprise practically any
type of article capable of being herded or formed into an
article group and inserted into a carrier. The present
invention, however, is ideally suited to package
containers, such as bottles or cans, which are supported on
the upper surface of the conveyor and extend upwardly from
the conveyor's upper surface.
A divider 11, or means for moving the article in a
transverse direction, is disposed above the conveyor 14 and
above selector wedges 15. This divider or guide 11 is
immovable in its operating position, and is supported in
its position above conveyor 14 by any suitable means, so as
- 25 not to interfere with the conveyor movement or with the
movement of the flights 15 along the path of travel. The
dividers 11 preferably are mounted so that their respective
WO 96/02421 PCT/US95/08452
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positions can be modified or changed if, for example,
articles of different diameters are packaged on different
process runs. Any means known in the art for immovably
supporting dividers 11 in the positions shown in the
drawings, while allowing those positions to be selectively
modified, is acceptable, provided that it does not
interfere with the process. The divider 11 is elongate and
preferably square or rectangular in cross section at its
downstream end. At its upstream end, divider 11 includes
tapered end portion 16. The tapered end portion includes
an angled side edge 17 which extends rearwardly as shown in
Fig. 1A to intersect straight edge 18. Parallel to and
opposing straight edge 18 is straight edge 19, which joins
edge 17 at the tip or point 20. The angled edge 17 extends
away from tip 20, at an angle B with straight edge 19 to
form the wedge shape portion 16. It is thus seen that the
divider 11 includes a substantially pointed end with one
edge being entirely straight and another edge having a
straight portion and an angled portion. It is important
that the tapered end 16 of the divider extend upstream and
be positioned to extend between adjacent article rows. As
to the angle B or the degree of slope of edge portion 17
and the length of edge 17, that angle and length need only
be sufficient to move the articles gradually, transversely
with respect to the longitudinal path of travel, without
interfering with smooth article flow along with the
conveyor. The maximum width W of divider 16 needs to be
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WO 96/02421 PCT/US95/08452
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sufficient to accomplish the unencumbered partition
insertion process step, discussed below.
At substantially the same position that angled edge 17
extends downstream from tip 20, side rail 12 also angles
outwardly. The distance d which rail 12 angles outwardly
at angled rail portion 21 is substantially equal to the
width W of the divider. The outward angle of rail 12
increases the working width of conveyor 14, and therefore
allows respective subgroups of articles to be consecutively
moved away from the article group or another article
subgroup in the transverse direction a distance equal to d
or W.
In operation, the conveyor 14 continuously moves from
an upstream position to a downstream position, or from left
to right as shown in Fig. 1, moving selector wedges 15 and
the configured groups of articles A downstream. A group of
twelve articles shown in Fig. 1 arranged in four rows and
three columns is labeled G. The articles are moved
continuously toward divider 11 until the tip 20 of divider
11 projects between first article row 22 and second article
row 23. The conveyor continues to move the article groups
downstream, which causes the articles in second article row
23 to impact against angled edge 17 of the first divider
11. The continued force of the articles in the second
article row against angled edge 17 moves the second article
row 23 transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis
a and away from first article row 22. Although the
WO 96/02421 . PCT/US95/08452
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articles obviously also continue to move longitudinally
along with the conveyor's continuous movement, the
transverse component of the article movement is of primary
importance to the present invention. The embodiment shown
in Fig. 1 is that of a 12 pack configuration, so two
additional article rows, third article row 24 and fourth
article row 25, are also moved transversely away from first
article row 22, a distance equal to width W. Side rail 12
angles outwardly at this approximate position, as shown in
Fig. 1, a distance d to permit the third and fourth article
rows, along with the second article row, to move
transversely away from the first article row. The conveyor
14 continues to move the articles downstream until the
second article row is adjacent to edge 18. At this
position, the first and second article rows are
transversely spaced from one another a distance equal to W,
which has been predetermined to be a sufficient distance
apart so as to allow for the unobstructed insertion of a
partition. The moving or dividing of the articles in this
fashion can be considered creating article subgroups by
dividing the original article group G, consisting of four
rows , 22 , 23 , 24 and 25 , into two subgroups . The first
subgroup SGl comprises the articles in first row 22, and the
second subgroup SGZ comprises the articles in rows 23, 24
and 25.
As the conveyor continues to move the article
subgroups downstream, the articles are moved beneath a
WO 96/02421 PCT/US95l08452
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partition inserter 26, which is part of partition insertion
assembly 10. This inserter is spaced above conveyor 14,
flights 15 and divider 11, and held above these elements by
the frame of packaging machine, as schematically shown in
Fig. 2. The position of the partition inserter 26 above
the conveyor shown in Fig. 1 is denoted generally as
numeral 27.
Fig. 2 schematically illustrates the partition
inserter capable of inserting partitions into a 12 pack
article configuration. As such, the partition inserter
includes three partition inserting stations, the first
station denoted by numeral 28, the second station 29, and
the third station 30. Known partition inserter assemblies
in the packaging industry are suitable for use in the
present invention. The. first partition inserting station
28 is positioned over conveyor 14 generally at position 31.
The conveyor moves the articles below the first partition
inserting station at area 31. At this area, the first
article row 22 and second article row 23 are separated
sufficiently to allow a partition P to be inserted between
the f first and second article rows without interference f rom
the articles in article rows 22 and 23. As shown in Fig.
1C, the partition P is elongate, having body portion 32 and
wings 33 extending transversely on either side of body
portion 32. Paperboard partitions of this general shape,
that is, an elongate body portion with transversely
extending wings, are well known in the packaging industry.
WO 96/02421 1 : . , ; PCT/US95/08452
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At this point in the partition insertion process, the
articles in the first and second article rows have been
separated sufficiently so that as a partition P is
downwardly inserted between article rows 22 and 23 as shown
in Fig. 3, the wings of the partition do not contact the
articles to an extent that would prevent the partition from
being fully inserted between the article rows. That is,
the first and second article rows have been moved away from
each other to such an extent so that the tangent points 34
between the articles, which are the points where the sides
of the articles touch, are not close enough together in a
respective row to prevent the partition from being fully
inserted. The partition is considered fully inserted when
the lowermost edge of the body portion of the partition
lies against the conveyor 14 and the wings 33 of the
partition will extend outwardly a sufficient extent to keep
adjacent articles in each respective row from touching one
another, when the article groups are recombined.
Such packaging machines as the one described typically
include continuous moving flight conveyors. Therefore, the
insertion of a partition must be timed with the separated
article subgroup's movement beneath the partition inserter.
The maximum width W of the divider must be sufficient
to separate adjacent article rows sufficiently so that a
partition can be freely inserted, as described above. The
wings 32 of the partition must extend outwardly from the
partition, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, a distance equal to
WO 96/02421 ~' PCT/US95/08452
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the radius of the article or the distance from the outer
side of the article to the tangent point 34, which distance
is denoted d~ . The total distance from the outer edge of
one wing to the outer edge of another, aligned wing, as
shown in Fig. 4, is denoted d2. This length or distance d2
is the minimum total distance two aligned wings must extend
in order to separate adjacent bottles in each longitudinal
row, as shown in Fig. 4. Therefore, the opposing tangent
points 34 of the bottles of the respective longitudinal
rows, for example rows 22 and 23, must be separated from
one another a distance d3, which is slightly greater than
d2. The distance d3 must be sufficient to allow the
partition to be downwardly inserted between adjacent
article rows without interference from the bottles of the
article subgroups. Distance d3, therefore, need only be
just sufficient to allow for unimpeded-partition insertion.
As long as the values of the above variables are
considered, width W is easily determined by several means,
including by the following formula: W = d3 - 2d1.
While width W must be sufficient to separate the
articles enough to prevent the unimpeded insertion of a
partition, the articles, however, should not be separated
so far as to preclude the sides or circumferences of
juxtaposed articles in respective article rows from acting
as loose guides for the wings. Ordinarily, the wings of
such partitions are scored sections which fold outwardly
from the partition body, and which tend to fold back on
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WO 96/02421 PCT/US95/08452
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occasion toward the partition body. If the article rows
are laterally moved away from each other too large of an
extent, the wings may be able to spring back, as is their
natural tendency, towards the partition body.
Once the partition has been properly inserted between
adjacent article rows, the article rows are then
recombined, or moved back together substantially adjacent
to one another so that all bottles in these article rows
contact the partition and hold the partition in place
between the bottles. Fig. 1 shows the recombining of the
articles in the first and second article rows while
simultaneously separating the second and third article rows
from one another. Divider 35 is positioned downstream from
divider 11 and downstream from the position 31 of the first
partition insertion station 28. The divider 35 is
substantially identical in structure and function to
divider 11, with the exception that the angled edge 36 is
along the edge of divider 35 most closely adjacent to side
rail 13, whereas the angled edge 17 of divider 11 is along
the edge of divider 11 most closely adjacent to side rail
12. The placement of angled edge 36 on the side of divider
35 adjacent side rail 13 acts as a cam to direct the
bottles in second article row 23 toward first article row
22 and side rail 13 as shown in Fig. 1, to accomplish the
recombining of the articles in the first and second article
rows.
WO 96/02421 PCT/iJS95/08452
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As the articles in second article row 23 are moved
toward side rail 13 by the action of the conveyor moving
the articles downstream against angled edge 36, the
articles in the second article row 23 also are
simultaneously thereby moved transversely or laterally,
away from the articles in third article row 24. Thus, the
articles in second article row 23 and third article row 24
are moved away from each other a distance equal to the
width W1 of second divider 35. This action effectively
creates two new article subgroups, SG3 comprising the
articles in rows 22 and 23 and SG4 comprising the articles
in rows 24 and 25. The conveyor continues to move these
articles in the second and third article rows downstream
past divider 35 and beneath second partition inserting
station 29 at position 37, where partition P1 is inserted
between the second and third article rows. If a winged
partition, as shown in Fig. 3 is utilized, the width W~ of
divider 35 is determined identically as the width W of
divider 11, as described above. The partition Pi, however,
optionally can be in the form of a rectangular card,
without wings, since the other partitions in the article
group have wings and so effectively prevent the contact of
adjacent articles along the longitudinal axes of the
respective rows of articles. If a rectangular partition
without wings is used as the central partition, the width
W1 of divider 35 need only be sufficient to divide subgroups
z17005~
WO 96/02421 PCT/US95I084~2
_22'_
SG3 and SG4 enough to allow the partition card to be
inserted between rows 23 and 24.
The conveyor 14 continues to move the article
subgroups away from divider 35 and toward divider 38, which
is positioned to extend between article rows 24 and 25.
Divider 38 is substantially identical in structure and
function to divider 35, with angled edge portion 39 along
the upstream edge of divider 38 closest to rail 13. As
conveyor 14 continues to move article subgroups SG3 and SG4
downstream, the articles in article rows 24 and 25 also are
moved downstream so that the tapered end portion of divider
38 extends between rows 24 and 25. The continued movement
of the conveyor downstream forces the articles in article
row 24 against the angled edge 39 of divider 38, separating
article rows 24 and 25, and creating two new article
subgroups, SGS and SG6. Subgroup SGS comprises the articles
in rows 22, 23 and 24, while subgroup SG6 comprises the
articles in row 25. Since a winged partition PZ should be
used for insertion between article rows 24 and 25, the
width WZ of divider 38 is determined identically as
described above with respect to the determination of the
width of divider 11. The separating of article rows 24 and
by divider 38 moves the articles in row 24 toward rail
13, moving article row 24 adjacent to article row 23, so
25 that the partition P1 is contacted and held in position by
the articles in rows 23 and 24. As the conveyor continues
to move the article subgroups downstream, subgroup SGS is
WO 96/02421 ~ PCT/US95108452
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transversely moved away from subgroup SG6 by guide 38
sufficiently to allow for the insertion of partition P2. At
this position 40, station 30 inserts a partition PZ, which
is identical to partition P, between the third and fourth
article rows.
Downstream of position 40, rail 13 includes angled
section 41 which angles inwardly a distance equal to d and
W as shown in Fig. 1. The continuous downstream conveyor
movement of the articles causes the articles in the first
article row to impact the angled portion 41 of side rail
13, thereby moving articles in article subgroup SGS toward
side rail 12, and also toward article subgroup SG6. In this
manner, all articles in the entire article group, which
comprises article rows 22, 23, 24 and 25, are recombined to
form an article group containing partitions P, P1 and P2
with the articles in rows 24 and 25 contacting partition PZ
and holding it into proper position. The conveyor
continues to move the article groups downstream to a
position where the totally recombined article group,
including partitions, is transferred from the conveyor and
into a carton or carrier in another distinct packaging
operation.
Although, as discussed above, Fig. 1 illustrates a 12
pack configuration, the present invention will
satisfactorily perform with respect to any multi-row
configurations, within the practical limits of a packaging
machine s ability to package or insert the multiple rows
WO 96/02421 PCT/US95/08452
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into a carton. For example, if the present invention were
applied to insert a partition between articles arranged in
a six pack configuration, the third article row and fourth
article row of the first embodiment could be eliminated,
and side rail 12 would be adjacent the second article row,
as shown in Fig. 1B. In this embodiment, conveyor 114
moves articles A downstream, between side rails 112 and 113
and spaced selector flights 115. The article group
consists of six articles arranged in two rows 122 and 123,
although alternatively the articles could be arranged in
three rows and two columns, which configuration would
require a second divider. As conveyor 114 moves the six
pack configured article group downstream, the tapered end
portion 116 of divider 111 begins to extend between article
rows 122 and 123. At this approximate position, side rail
112 includes angled portion 121 which deviates outwardly a
distance d4, allowing article row 123 to be moved
transversely, away from article row 122 identically as
discussed above with respect to the prior embodiment. In
this embodiment, however, no further article rows are
present. The continued movement of conveyor 114 fully
divides article rows 122 and 123 into article subgroups SGT
and SGB, which are transversely separated from one another
a distance equal to the width of divider 111. The
structure and function of divider 111 is identical to that
of divider 11. Further, the width of divider 111 is
determined identically as the determination of the width of
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WO 96/02421 ' ' ' PCT/US95I08452
-25-
divider 11, as discussed above. At position 131, partition
P3 is inserted between article subgroups SGT and SGB.
Downstream of this position, side rail 112 angles inwardly,
toward side rail 113, a transverse distance which is also
equal to distance d4. As the article subgroups are
continuously moved downstream, the articles in subgroup SG$
contact angle side rail portion 170, and are moved
transversely toward subgroup SGT and side rail 113. This
camming of the articles in article row 123 effectively
recombines the articles in row 123 with the articles in row
122. The articles are thereby placed in contact with
partition P3, so that the partition is held in place between
the articles in the recombined article group. Therefore,
in this embodiment in which a six pack configuration of two
rows and three columns is divided and recombined, the
recombining of the article subgroups can be accomplished by
angling of either side rail 112 or side rail 113, as
desired, rather than by using a second divider.
As discussed above, the present invention functions
satisfactorily with any article group comprised of two or
more longitudinal rows of articles. In any configuration,
the last row or subgroup of articles to be recombined to
form the configuration of the initial article group can be
moved by an inward angling of the adjacent side rail of the
partition insertion assembly.
While the principal obj ective of the present invention
is to separate rows of articles with an immovable divider
WO 96/02421 PCT/US95108452
disposed within the article group's longitudinal path of
travel, to insert a partition, and to recombine the article
groups again using a stationary cam, the present invention
is not limited to separating and combining the rows of
articles in the orders described above. These orders are
used for illustrative purposes only, and it is contemplated
that the orders of separation and recombining may be
changed without departing from the scope of the present
invention.
Fig. 5 illustrates yet another embodiment of the
present invention, employing the same principals as those
discussed above, but in a different order. In Fig. 5, a
packaging machine having a partition insertion assembly 210
includes a conveyor 214 with side rails 212 and 213,
respectively. In this embodiment, however, side rail 212
is entirely parallel to the longitudinal axis a of conveyor
214 once the preconfigured article groups are formed.
Article dividers 211, 235 and 238 are sequentially disposed
in the longitudinal path of travel of the articles groups,
and serve to sequentially divide the article rows 222, 223,
224, 225 from one another. These article dividers are
identical to each other in structure and function, and are
identical in structure to divider 38. The effect of the
caroming action of these dividers against the rows of
articles is identical in this embodiment as with the first
embodiment previously described, except that the angled
edge portion 217 of divider 211 is on the side edge of
WO 96/02421 PCT/US95/08452
a~
divider 211 adjacent to side rail 213. Angled edges 236
and 239 also are adjacent side rail 213, as shown in Fig.
5. Further, at each position at which the respective
angled edges 217, 236 and 239 of dividers 211, 235 and 238,
respectively, angle toward side rail 213 to divide
successive rows of articles from one another, side rail 213
also angles away from the side rail 212 a distance d5, which
is substantially equal to the width W of dividers 211, 235,
and 238, respectively. Side rail 213, therefore, angles
away from side rail 212 a total distance equal to 3 times
d5.
It should be readily apparent from the prior
description that the three outward deviations of the side
rail 213, corresponding with the angling of the angled
portions of the dividers, increases the working conveyor
width and provides room for the successive rows of articles
to be separated from one another, in order to allow
partitions to be inserted therebetween at positions 231,
237, and 240, respectively. Another difference in this
third embodiment, however, is that the articles in the
respective article rows are not recombined until after the
last partition has been inserted, and the articles have
reached position 275. At position 275, the articles are
not only recombined, but are transferred off of the
conveyor and into a carton or carrier (not shown) by, for
example, an article group lateral transfer mechanism 250.
Alternatively, side rail 212 can be angled downwardly
z »oo~o
WO96/02421 r ;;'.,~ ' PCT/US95/08452
-28-
across each article row toward side rail 213 to effectively
act as a caroming member, pushing the article rows 222, 223,
224 and 225 back together, and recombining the article
group and direct the entire group into a carton. This
would eliminate the need for a separate article transfer
mechanism, such as mechanism 250.
As referenced above, many different variations may be
had in the separating and recombining of articles, the
above-referenced embodiments being disclosed for
illustrative purposes only. For example, from the above
disclosure, it should be readily apparent that the position
of the angled surfaces of the dividers and the
corresponding angled sections of the side rail may be
changed to divide or recombine the article groups and
subgroups in different orders. The order in which article
subgroups are divided and recombined is not critical to the
operability of the present invention, provided that
adjacent article rows are separated a sufficient extent and
for a sufficient time to allow a partition to be inserted
therebetween in the continuous, high speed packaging
operation.
The various embodiments of accomplishing the objects
of the present invention can be altered, depending upon the
circumstances of the packaging machine. For example, the
embodiment first disclosed herein would require less
manufacturing space than would the third embodiment. If
the manufacturing space limitations are a consideration,
~1'700~~0
WO 96/02421 PCT/US95108452
-29-
then an embodiment simultaneously separating and
recombining rows of articles and article groups may be most
appropriate. Additionally, the present invention obviously
can be adapted to divide and recombine article groups of
practically any configuration, as long as the group
consists of at least two rows of articles, within the
practical packaging machine limitations. These and many
other additions and modifications might well be made to the
embodiments illustrated herein without departing from the
spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the
claims.
