US2777561A - Feeding of articles in wrapping or packaging machines - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 15, 1957 2,777,561

FEEDING OF ARTICLES IN WRAPPING 0R PACKAGING MACHINES Filed July '7. 1953 A. G. ROSE 2 Sheets-Sheet l w. E m m% m n WR A a A G H 6 1 w m u m L fiwdl A I v L k Jan. 15, 1957 A. G. ROSE 2,777,561

FEEDING OF ARTICLES IN WRAPPING OR PACKAGING MACHINES Filed July 7, 1955, 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 In en or ALFRED GERMAN R OSE m) g M /6201778378 FEEDlNG OF ARTECLES IN WRAPPlNG R PACKAGING MACHINES Alfred German Rose, Gainsborough, England, assignor to Rose Brothers (Gainsborough) Limited, Gainsborough, England, a British company Application July 7, 1953, Serial No. 35%,778

Claims priority, application Great Britain July 9, 1952 16 Claims. (Cl. 198-33) This invention relates to the feeding of articles in wrapping or packaging machines of the kind in which the articles to be wrapped or packed, e. g., sweets, are fed into separate pockets in an intermittently movable pocketed feed member, e. g., a wheel or chain conveyor from the pockets of which the articles are forwarded in succession for subsequent wrapping or packing operations.

It has been usual to feed the articles to the pockets of the feed member by hand, though proposals for automatic feeding mechanisms including vibratory feeds, have been made. It is with the automatic feeding of the articles to the pockets of the feed member in the above kind of machine that the invention is concerned.

According to the present invention, articles are fed on to the surface of the feed member containing the pockets to be carried by that member towards a transfer position, the articles being agitated during such movement by the intermittent motion of the feed member so as to cause them to tend to fall into the pockets, and, at a position between the feeding position and the transfer position surplus articles are deflected out of the path of movement of the pockets and conveyed back towards the feeding position where they again move into the path of movement of the pockets.

The deflecting of the surplus articles and their conveyance back to the feeding position may be performed in a variety of ways. Thus, where the feed member is in the form of a pocketed feed wheel, a guiding member may extend across the path of movement of the pockets so as to sweep surplus articles on to a portion of the wheel surface inside the ring of pockets that portion thus acting as the conveyor, the guiding member sweeping the surplus articles inwardly away from the pockets on to the inner surface of the wheel to allow that surface to carry the articles back to the feeding position where a further guiding member (or a continuation of the same guiding member) may sweep the articles back into the path of movement of the pockets. A continuation of the guiding member may extend as a peripheral wall around the edge of the eed wheel in close proximity to the outer edges of the pockets. A further guiding member may be disposed centrally of the feed wheel to avoid sumlus articles accumulating on the central portion of the feed wheel.

With some kinds of article, it may be necessary closely to confine the articles during the feeding movement to the portion of the feed member surface containing the pockets. Thus, with a pocketed feed wheel, stationary side walls may extend closely alongside opposite sides of the pockets over a substantial part of the periphery of the wheel to constitute a feeding channel, surplus articles being dEflCC'iBd away from the pockets by a guiding member extending across the path of movement of the pockets at a point beyond the exit of the channel and leading to the entrance of the channel. A further wall may be provided opposite the guiding member to constitute with that 2,777,551 Patented Jan. 15, 1957 member a guiding channel leading to the entrance of the feed channel. There may be arranged within the channel one or more oscillating members of flexible material, e. g., rubber, arranged to sweep the surface of the wheel to urge the articles into the pockets and at the same time sweep surplus articles back towards the entrance of the channel. When more than one oscillating member is used, they may be arranged with their tips at progressively decreasing distances from the wheel surface, the one nearest the channel exit actually sweeping the surface. Thus, there may be three members secured to a shaft extending co-axially with the axis of the pocket wheel, the members being spaced circumferentially.

Such feed channel conveniently extends over about half the periphery of the wheel, while the guiding channel may extend across the surface of the wheel from the exit to the entrance of the feed channel. The inner or outer walls (or both) of either the feed or guiding channel (or both) may be caused to oscillate transversely so as to cause the articles to be agitated somewhat in a transverse direction. Such agitation tends to prevent the possibility of occasional jamming of the articles in the channel or channels. Alternatively, or in addition, the walls of the channel or channels may be made of material that will give to some extent, or they may be supported on such material. Thus, in one example, the inner wall of the feed channel and that of the guiding channel may be constituted by a common wall suspended above the wheel surface by spring means, and the wall may be caused to oscillate at intervals by a cam member mounted co-axially of the feed wheel and arranged to engage the wall.

The portion of the guiding member immediately adjacent the pockets is preferably constituted by a brush lying transversely of the pockets and arranged to rotate in 'a direction to cause its lower surface to sweep inwardly so as to brush surplus articles away from the pockets on to the portion of the wheel inside the ring of pockets to be carried by that portion back towards the feeding position. The brush may be of the conventional type or it may be formed by a plurality of radial vanes of bristle or of flexible material, e. g., rubber, extending from a rotatable support.

When dealing with articles of a generally square or rectangular cross-sectional shape, it may be preferable to provide one or more additional rotatable brushes or the like at positions between the feed device and the portion of the guiding member immediately adjacent the pockets, e. g., the rotatable brush mentioned above, further to assist the positioning of the sweets in the pockets as. they pass from the feed device, the additional brushes urging the bulk of the articles back towards the feeding position. One or more of such additional brushes may be arranged for rotation about an axis intersecting the feed wheel at a point in or near to the path of movement of the pockets, the bristles (or the like) of the brush terminating sufficiently above the level of the feed wheel to avoid interference with articles properly positioned in the pockets but at the same time to engage articles that may be standing on edge or lying inclined in the pockets so as to agitate such articles. This arrangement has been found particularly advantageous when dealing with articles of a generally oblong shape, especially when the dimensions of the article are such as to allow articles standing on end to get into the same pocket. The brush tends to remove one or both of such articles in time for a further article to be properly positioned inthe pocket before it reaches the transfer position.

brush); type.

3 downwardly extending bristles (or the like) arranged on radial lines.

For similar reasons a still further rotatable brush (or brushes) (preferably of the radial vane type mentioned above) may be provided at a position adjacent that at which the articles are deflected back towards the path of movement of the pockets, the further brush serving the purpose of assisting the returned surplus articles into the pockets before they reach the feeding position. The further brush preferably rotates in a direction to urge the articles back towards the oncoming pockets so as to assist in filling those pockets before they arrive at the feeding position. When using a further brush or brushes in this manner, the central guiding member mentioned above will generally not be necessary.

Alternatively or in addition to the various forms of guiding member described above, surplus articles may be deflected by a blast of air away from pockets moving towards the transfer position and on to a portion of the wheel surface inside the ring of pockets, that portion thus acting as a convey-or as before. Several blasts may be directed towards the surface of the wheel from nozzles disposed at different positions and serve not only to defiect surplus articles away from the pockets moving towards the transfer position but also to guide them towards other pockets as the articles are carried around on the surface of the wheel.

The articles may be supported in the pockets by an annular member arranged close to the lower surface of the feed wheel in register with the pockets, and still further to assist the positioning of the sweets in the pockets, the annulus (or a portion of it) may be given a vibrating motion so as continually to agitate the sweets in the pockets. Thus the annular member may be formed in two halves, one (i. e., the one adjacent the transfer position) remaining fixed while the other is mounted on a parallel motion linkage for movement generally parallel to the under surface of the feed wheel, the linkage being connected to a rotatable eccentric to produce a vibrating motion of the annulus.

The articles are preferably fed to the surface of the feed wheel by a vibrating feed device of the electromagnetic type. In such a case, there may be arranged over the pockets adjacent the feed device a feeler member, e. g., a pivoted feeler, freely extending towards the surface of the feed wheel so as to be engaged by the articles as a surplus accumulates, the feeler being adapted to control the vibrating action of the feed device. Thus, the feeler may be arranged, after a pre-determined upward movement, to operate a microswitch to render inoperative the feed device. After the accumulated surplus is carn'ed forward by the feed wheel, the feeler again drops and the feed device is re-started. Instead of stopping the feed device entirely, the feeler may be arranged to operate a device for varying the rate of vibration so as to increase or decrease the supply of articles to the feed wheel. A two stage controlling device may be sufficient, one stage operating the feed device at the full rate while the second stage reduces the rate to a half or less.

Whilst the present invention is particularly useful in the feeding of articles to machines for wrapping the individual articles, it will be understood that the invention can be readily applied to other uses. For example, in the packaging of assorted sweets in cartons, tins and other containers, the invention may be utilised as a counting device for the sweets of the various sorts, the sweets of one sort being fed to one feed member according to the invention while the sweets of another sort are fed to another feed member, the sweets from the various feed members being delivered to a conveyor or hopper for transport to the packaging apparatus.

The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figures ,1 and 2 are a plan and sectional .elevation,

4 respectively, of one form of feeding device for a wrapping machine, and

Figures 3 and 4 are similar views of another form of feeding device, also for a wrapping machine.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a feed wheel 11 having article receiving pockets 12 of rectangular shape is intermittently driven by a Geneva mechanism 13 in known manner. Sweets 14 positioned in the pockets are transferred therefrom in succession by a reciprocating pusher 16 passing through each pocket 12 in succession to transfer the sweet 14 to the mould wheel 17 of a wrapping machine of known construction, a wrapper 18 being interposed between each sweet 14 and the mould wheel 17 so as to be carried by the sweet into the mould wheel.

The sweets 14 are fed to the surface of the feed wheel 11 by an electromagnetic vibrating feed device 19 of known construction, the sweets passing in bulk past a pivoted feeler 21 controlling the operation of the feed device 19 through a pivoted controlling member 22 one end of which is connected to the feeler 21 while the other end is adapted to actuate a microswitch 23 electrically connected to the feed device 19. As the feeler 21 rises under the influence of the mass of sweets delivered to the feed wheel 11, therefore, the feed device is switched off or has its rate of delivery reduced, until the feeler 21 again falls as the sweets pass.

Extending across the path of movement of the pockets 12 is a guiding member constituted by a wall 24 and a brush 26 rotatably mounted and driven by a flexible shaft 27 in a direction to cause its lower surface to sweep unwardly so as to brush surplus sweets away from the pockets on to the portion of the wheel inside the ring of pockets 12 to be carried by that portion back towards the feeding position. Sweets passing the brush 26 move into engagement with the wall 24 which deflects the sweets back into the path of movement of the pockets 12. A continuation 28 of the wall 24 extends as a pcripheral wall around the edge of the feed wheel 11.

Arranged at a position adjacent that at which the sweets are deflected back towards the pockets 12 is a further rotatable brush 29 of the radial vane type, the brush 29 serving to assist the surplus sweets into the pockets 12 before they again arrive at the feeding position.

The sweets 14 are supported in the pockets 12 by an i annular member arranged close to the lower surface of the feed wheel 11, the annular member being formed in two halves 31 and 32, the member 31 being fixed while the member 32 is mounted on a parallel motion linkage 33 for movement generally parallel to the under surface of the feed wheel 11, the linkage 33 being connected to a rotatable eccentric 34, driven by a motor 36, to produce a vibrating motion of the member 32.

With sweets 14 delivered as required to the surface of the feed wheel 11 by the feed device 19, they are carried forward by the wheel 11, the intermittent mo tion of the wheel 11, aided by the vibrating motion of the member 32, agitating the sweets so as to cause them largely to fall freely into the pockets 12 as they move forward. Any sweet not properly positioned in a pocket is assisted into the pocket by the brush 26, while surplus sweets are swept away by the brush and guided back towards the feed position by the wall 24. The second brush 29 sweeps the sweets towards the oncoming pockets and thus assists in filling them before they reach the feeding position. It is found that substantially all the pockets of the wheel 11 are filled in this manner.

In Figures 3 and 4, a pocketed feed wheel 41 (in this case having pockets 42 of circular shape) is again driven intermittently by a Geneva mechanism (not, shown) and carries the sweets 43 to a transfer position at which they are removed in succession by a pusher 44 through a folding box 46 into a mould wheel 47, wrappers 48 biting1 again interposed between the sweets and the mould w ee The sweets 43 are again fed by a vibrating feed device 49 (similar to the device 19) on to the surface of the wheel 41, the device 49 being again controlled by a feeler 51. A guiding member 52 extends across the path of movement of the pockets 42 to sweep surplus sweets away from the pockets 42 on to the inner portion of the wheel surface. A rotatable brush 53 passes through a slot in the wall 52 and serves to sweep the surplus sweets back towards the feed position as well as assisting the sweets into the pockets.

The wall 52 extends over a substantial part of the periphery of the wheel 41 and with an inner wall 54 constitutes a feed channel 56 and a guiding channel 57. The inner wall 54 is mounted on the outer wall 52 by means of brackets 58 and springs 59 so as to be flexible, and a star wheel 61, secured to the feed wheel 41, serves to agitate the wall 54 to prevent the possibility of occasional jamming of sweets in the channels.

As before, the intermittent motion of the feed wheel 41 serves to agitate the sweets during their passage through the feed channel 56 so as to cause them largely to fall freelyinto the pockets 42, articles not properly positioned in the pockets being assisted into. the pockets by the brush 53, while surplus sweets are swept away by the brush and guided back to the entrance to the feed channel 56 by the guiding channel 57.

I claim:

l. A device for feeding articles to a wrapping or packaging machine, comprising an intermittently movable pocketed member, automatic means for feeding articles to the surface of the pocketed member in the region of the pockets to be carriedby that member towards a transfer station, the intermittent motion of the pocketed member agitating the articles so as to cause them to tend to fall into the pockets, a feeler member arranged over the pockets of the pocketed member adjacent the feeding means and freely extending towards the, surfaceof the pocketed member so as to be engaged by surplus articles as they accumulate on said surface and to be raised thereby to operate a device controlling the operation of the automatic feeding means, a deflecting member disposed between the feeler member and the transfer station for deflecting surplus articles out of the path of movement of the pockets so as to be conveyed back towards the feeding position and again into the path of movement of the pockets by the surface of the pocketed memher, and means for transferring the articles in succession from the pockets at the transfer station.

2. A device for feeding articles to a wrapping or packaging machine, comprising a pocketed feed wheel arranged for intermittent rotation about a substantially vertical axis, automatic means for feeding articles to the surface of the wheel in the region of the pockets to be carried by the wheel towards a transfer station, the intermittent motion of the wheel agitating the articles so as to cause them to tend to fall into the pockets, a feeler member arranged over the pockets of the wheel adjacent the feeding means and freely extending towards the surface of the wheel so as to be engaged by surplus articles as they accumulate on said surface and to be raised thereby to operate a device controlling the operation of the automatic feeding means, a guiding member extending across the path of movement of the pockets at a position between the feeler member and the transfer station so as to deflect surplus articles on to a portion of the wheel surface inside the ring of pockets to allow that surface to carry the articles back towards the feeding position, that portion thus acting as the conveying means, means for deflecting the surplus articles on the surface back into the path of movement of the pockets as they move towards the feeding position, and means for transferring the articles in succession from the pockets at the transfer station.

3. A device for feeding articles to a wrapping or packaging machine, comprising a pocketed feed wheel arranged for intermittent rotation about a substantially vertical axis, automatic means for feeding articles to the surface of the wheel in the region of the pockets to be carried by the wheel towards a transfer station, the intermittent motion of the wheel agitating the articles so as to cause them to tend to fall into the pockets, a feeler member arranged over the pockets of the wheel adjacent the feeding means and freely extending towards the surface of the wheel so as to be engaged by surplus articles as they accumulate on said surface and to be raised thereby to operate a device controlling the operation of the automatic feeding means, a guiding member extending across the path of movement of the pockets at a position between the feeler member and the transfer station so as to deflect surplus articles on to a portion of the wheel surface inside the ring. of pockets to allow that surface to carry the articles back towards. the feeding position, that portion thus acting as the conveying means, a further guiding member for deflecting the articles back into the path of movement of the pockets as they move towards the feeding position, a peripheral wall around the edge of the feed wheel in close proximity to the outer edges of the pockets between the feeding position and the first mentioned guiding member, and means for transferring the articles in succession from the pockets at the transfer station.

4. A device. as in claim 3, comprising a stationary wall inside the ring of pockets from the feeding position over a. substantial part of the periphery of the wheel to constitute with the peripheral wall a feed channel, the guiding member extending across the path of movement of the pockets at a point beyond the exit of the feed channel.

5. A device as in claim 4, comprising a further inner wall opposite the guiding member and the further guiding member and constituting with those members a guiding channel leading to the entrance to the feed channel.

6. A device as in claim 5, wherein at least the inner wall of at least the feed channel is caused to oscillate transversely so as to cause the articles to be agitated somewhat in a transverse direction.

'7'. A device as in claim 6, wherein the inner wall of the feed channel and. that of the guiding channel are constituted by a common wall suspended above the wheel surface by spring means and the oscillation is brought about by a cam member mounted co-axially of the wheel.

8. A device as in claim 2, wherein the portion of the guiding member immediately adjacent the pockets is constituted by a brush lying transverse to the path of movement of the pockets and arranged to rotate in a direction to cause its lower surface to sweep inwardly so as to brush surplus articles away from the pockets.

9. A device as in claim 8, comprising at least one additional rotatable brush at a position adjacent that at which the articles are deflected back into the path of movement of the pockets, said additional brush being adapted to rotate in a direction to cause its lower surface to move in a direction opposite to that of the feed wheel surface so as to brush surplus articles towards oncoming pockets.

10. A device as in claim 2, comprising an annular member arranged close to the lower surface of the feed wheel in register with the pockets so as to support the articles in the pocket, at least a portion of the annulus extending between the feed position and the guiding member being given a vibrating motion so as continually to agitate the articles in the pockets.

11. A device as in claim 2, wherein the automatic feeding mean comprises a vibrating feed device of the elec tromagnetic type.

12. A device as in claim 11, comprising a device responsive to the feeler member for varying the rate of vibration of the feed device.

13. A device for feeding articles to a wrapping or packaging machine comprising an intermittently movable pocketed member, automatic means for feeding articles to the surface of the pocketed member in the region of the pockets to be carried by that member towards a transfer station, the intermittent motion of the pocketed member agitating the articles so as to cause them to tend to fall into the pockets, a deflecting member disposed between the feeding position and the transfer station for deflecting surplus articles out of the path of movement of the pockets so as to be conveyed back towards the feeding position and again into the path of movement of the pockets by the surface of the pocketed member, a supporting surface arranged close to the lower surface of the pocketed member in register with the pockets so as to support the articles in the pockets, at least a por tion of the supporting surface extending between the feed position and the deflecting member being given a vibrating motion so as continually to agitate the articles in the pockets, and means for transferring the articles in succession from the pockets at the transfer station.

14. A device for feeding articles to a wrapping or packaging machine, comprising a pocketed feed wheel arranged for intermittent rotation about a substantially vertical axis, automatic means for feeding articles to the surface of the wheel in the region of the pockets to be carried by the wheel towards a transfer station, the intermittent motion of the wheel agitating the articles so as to cause them to tend to fall into the pockets, a guiding member extending across the path of movement of the pockets at a position between the feeding position and the transfer station so as to deflect surplus articles on to a portion of the wheel surface inside the ring of pockets to allow that surface to carry the articles back towards the feeding position, that portion thus acting as the conveying means, means for deflecting the surplus articles on the surface back into the path of movement of the pockets as they move towards the feeding position, an annular member arranged close to the lower surface of the feed wheel in register with the pockets so as to support the articles in the pockets, at least a portion of the annulus extending between the feeding position and the guiding member being given a vibrating motion so as continually to agitate the articles in the pockets,

and means for transferring the articles in succession from the pockets at the transfer station.

15. A device for feeding articles to a wrapping or packaging machine, comprising a. pocketed feed wheel arranged for intermittent rotation about a substantially vertical axis, automatic means for feeding articles to the surface of the wheel in the region of the pockets to be carried by the wheel towards a transfer station, the intermittent motion of the wheel agitating the articles so as to cause them to tend to fall into the pockets, a guiding member extending across the path of movement of the pockets at a position between the feeler member and the transfer station so as to deflect surplus articles on to a portion of the wheel surface inside the ring of pockets to allow that surface to carry the articles back towards the feeding position, that portion thus acting as the conveying means, means for deflecting the surplus articles on the surface back into the path of movement of the pockets as they move towards the feeding position, a brush constituting a portion of the guiding member immediately adjacent the pockets and lying transverse of the pockets, the brush being arranged to rotate in a direction to causev its lower surface to sweep inwardly so as to brush surplus articles away from the pockets and means for transferring the articles in succession from the pockets at the transfer station.

16. A device as in claim 14, wherein the automatic feeding means comprises a vibrating feed device of the electromagnetic type.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 806,032 Wertz Nov. 28, 1905 964,782 Hull July 19, 1910 990,593 Ringland Apr. 25, 1911 1,853,392 Zesbaugh Apr. 12, 1932 2,176,659 Mundy Oct. 17, 1939 2,270,083 Rapp Jan. 13, 1942 2,629,481 Stover Feb. 24, 1953 2,718,331 Seragnoli Sept. 20, 1955

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