US3589094A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Carton-loading apparatus and method
Assignee: RA Pearson Co
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Filing: 1970-02-02
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Granted: 1971-06-29
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Expires: 1990-02-02
Abstract
Abstract Articles, such as containers, are directed onto the peripheral side surfaces of a wheel rotatably mounted about a horizontal axis. After each side surface of the wheel receives a load of articles, the wheel is momentarily released to permit limited rotational movement about the axis due to the unbalanced load arrangement on the wheel and the force of gravity. The articles are inserted into cartons as the wheel rotates. The cartons and included articles are released after being inverted due to wheel rotation.
Inventors
- 👤 Reinhold A Pearson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 15:46
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65B; B65B5/00; B65B5/08; B65B35/00; B65B35/30; B65B35/46
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
203 words
An apparatus for loading articles into a carton, comprising: a wheel rotatably mounted about a horizontal central axis, the periphery of the wheel presenting a plurality of identical outer side surfaces centered and equiangularly spaced about said axis; individual vacuum gripping means arranged along each wheel side surface for selectively fixing articles rEceived thereon to enable the wheel to rotate about its axis without dislodging the articles; index means for sequentially positioning the side surfaces at an upwardly facing loading position relative to said axis; loading means for selectively placing articles onto each side surface while at said loading position; first control means operatively connected to said vacuum gripping means for activation of said vacuum gripping means following placement of articles thereon; carton placement means for selectively placing individual cartons at a position tangential to the path of articles on said wheel side surfaces about the wheel axis, whereby the articles on each wheel side surface are inserted into an open carton during rotational motion of the wheel about its axis; and second control means operatively connected to said vacuum gripping means for releasing said vacuum gripping means at each wheel side surface following the insertion of articles thereon into an open carton.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
203 words
An apparatus for loading articles into a carton, comprising: a wheel rotatably mounted about a horizontal central axis, the periphery of the wheel presenting a plurality of identical outer side surfaces centered and equiangularly spaced about said axis; individual vacuum gripping means arranged along each wheel side surface for selectively fixing articles rEceived thereon to enable the wheel to rotate about its axis without dislodging the articles; index means for sequentially positioning the side surfaces at an upwardly facing loading position relative to said axis; loading means for selectively placing articles onto each side surface while at said loading position; first control means operatively connected to said vacuum gripping means for activation of said vacuum gripping means following placement of articles thereon; carton placement means for selectively placing individual cartons at a position tangential to the path of articles on said wheel side surfaces about the wheel axis, whereby the articles on each wheel side surface are inserted into an open carton during rotational motion of the wheel about its axis; and second control means operatively connected to said vacuum gripping means for releasing said vacuum gripping means at each wheel side surface following the insertion of articles thereon into an open carton.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
207 words
In a carton-loading apparatus for placing a preselected charge of articles within open cartons: a framework; a polygonal wheel rotatably mounted on said framework about a horizontal axis, said wheel having a multisided periphery including a plurality of outwardly facing plane side surfaces arranged about said axis; indexing means on said framework operatively connected to said wheel for permitting intermittent rotational movement of said wheel about its axis and for sequentially fixing the angular position of the wheel relative to the framework with one wheel side surface at an upwardly facing horizontal loading position; an article delivery conveyor on said framework including means for placing a charge of articles upon each of the wheel side surfaces while the respective wheel side surface is at the loading position; conveyor guides on said framework vertically adjacent to the article delivery conveyor for maintaining the articles in longitudinal parallel rows; outwardly protruding guides on each of said wheel surfaces respectively aligned with said conveyor guides when the respective side surfaces are at the loading position; and carton placement means on said framework for selectively inserting each charge of articles on the wheel side surfaces into an individual carton at an angular position about said axis displaced from said loading position.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
207 words
In a carton-loading apparatus for placing a preselected charge of articles within open cartons: a framework; a polygonal wheel rotatably mounted on said framework about a horizontal axis, said wheel having a multisided periphery including a plurality of outwardly facing plane side surfaces arranged about said axis; indexing means on said framework operatively connected to said wheel for permitting intermittent rotational movement of said wheel about its axis and for sequentially fixing the angular position of the wheel relative to the framework with one wheel side surface at an upwardly facing horizontal loading position; an article delivery conveyor on said framework including means for placing a charge of articles upon each of the wheel side surfaces while the respective wheel side surface is at the loading position; conveyor guides on said framework vertically adjacent to the article delivery conveyor for maintaining the articles in longitudinal parallel rows; outwardly protruding guides on each of said wheel surfaces respectively aligned with said conveyor guides when the respective side surfaces are at the loading position; and carton placement means on said framework for selectively inserting each charge of articles on the wheel side surfaces into an individual carton at an angular position about said axis displaced from said loading position.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
37 words
An apparatus is set out in claim 2 wherein said article delivery conveyor includes an endless upper flight that is coplanar with each wheel side surface when the respective wheel side surfaces are at the loading position.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
86 words
An apparatus as set out in claim 3 further comprising: article-detecting means on said framework adjacent to the wheel and opposite to the conveyor aligned between each pair of guides on a wheel side surface at said loading position, said article detecting means being operatively connected to said indexing means for permitting a preselected angular amount of rotational movement of the wheel about its axis in response to the reception of a full charge of articles on each wheel side surface while at said loading position.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
An apparatus as set out in claim 4 wherein the wheel is caused to rotate by weight of articles and cartons to one side of the wheel axis.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
236 words
In a carton-loading apparatus for placing a preselected charge of articles within open cartons: a framework; a polygonal wheel rotatably mounted on said framework about a horizontal axis, said wheel having a multisided periphery including a plurality of outwardly facing side surfaces arranged about said axis; indexing means on said framework operatively connected to said wheel for permitting intermittent rotational movement of said wheel about its axis and for sequentially fixing the angular position of the wheel relative to the framework with one wheel side surface at a loading position; an article delivery conveyor on said framework including means for placing a charge of articleS upon each of the wheel side surfaces while the respective wheel side surface is at the loading position; vacuum gripping means located at each wheel side surface for selectively fixing articles received thereon to enable the wheel to rotate about its axis without dislodging the articles; a source of vacuum pressure; control means operatively connected between said framework and the respective vacuum gripping means at the respective wheel side surfaces for applying vacuum pressure to the articles received thereon at said loading position and for maintaining such pressure during rotation of the wheel about its axis; and carton placement means on said framework for selectively inserting each charge of articles on the wheel side surfaces into an individual carton at an angular position about said axis displaced from said loading position.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
236 words
In a carton-loading apparatus for placing a preselected charge of articles within open cartons: a framework; a polygonal wheel rotatably mounted on said framework about a horizontal axis, said wheel having a multisided periphery including a plurality of outwardly facing side surfaces arranged about said axis; indexing means on said framework operatively connected to said wheel for permitting intermittent rotational movement of said wheel about its axis and for sequentially fixing the angular position of the wheel relative to the framework with one wheel side surface at a loading position; an article delivery conveyor on said framework including means for placing a charge of articleS upon each of the wheel side surfaces while the respective wheel side surface is at the loading position; vacuum gripping means located at each wheel side surface for selectively fixing articles received thereon to enable the wheel to rotate about its axis without dislodging the articles; a source of vacuum pressure; control means operatively connected between said framework and the respective vacuum gripping means at the respective wheel side surfaces for applying vacuum pressure to the articles received thereon at said loading position and for maintaining such pressure during rotation of the wheel about its axis; and carton placement means on said framework for selectively inserting each charge of articles on the wheel side surfaces into an individual carton at an angular position about said axis displaced from said loading position.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
262 words
In a carton-loading apparatus for placing a preselected charge of articles within open cartons: a framework; a polygonal wheel rotatably mounted on said framework about a horizontal axis, said wheel having a multisided periphery including a plurality of outwardly facing plane side surfaces arranged about said axis; indexing means on said framework operatively connected to said wheel for permitting intermittent rotational movement of said wheel about its axis and for sequentially fixing the angular position of the wheel relative to the framework with one wheel side surface at an upwardly facing horizontal loading position; an article delivery conveyor on said framework including a longitudinal upper flight coplanar with said loading position for directing a charge of articles onto each of the wheel side surfaces while the respective wheel side surface is at the loading position; carton placement means on said framework for selectively inserting each charge of articles on the wheel side surfaces into an individual carton at an angular position about said axis displaced from said loading position; means on said side surfaces of said wheel for preventing displacement of the articles relative to the respective surfaces until they are inserted within a carton; a receiving conveyor having a flight thereof extending under said wheel and loading outwardly therefrom; and a guide apparatus alongside the wheel in its direction of rotation from said loading position, said guide apparatus including upright surfaces spaced outwardly from the wheel axis at a distance equal to the maximum carton radius on the wheel, the lower ends of said surfaces terminating at said receiving conveyor flight.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
262 words
In a carton-loading apparatus for placing a preselected charge of articles within open cartons: a framework; a polygonal wheel rotatably mounted on said framework about a horizontal axis, said wheel having a multisided periphery including a plurality of outwardly facing plane side surfaces arranged about said axis; indexing means on said framework operatively connected to said wheel for permitting intermittent rotational movement of said wheel about its axis and for sequentially fixing the angular position of the wheel relative to the framework with one wheel side surface at an upwardly facing horizontal loading position; an article delivery conveyor on said framework including a longitudinal upper flight coplanar with said loading position for directing a charge of articles onto each of the wheel side surfaces while the respective wheel side surface is at the loading position; carton placement means on said framework for selectively inserting each charge of articles on the wheel side surfaces into an individual carton at an angular position about said axis displaced from said loading position; means on said side surfaces of said wheel for preventing displacement of the articles relative to the respective surfaces until they are inserted within a carton; a receiving conveyor having a flight thereof extending under said wheel and loading outwardly therefrom; and a guide apparatus alongside the wheel in its direction of rotation from said loading position, said guide apparatus including upright surfaces spaced outwardly from the wheel axis at a distance equal to the maximum carton radius on the wheel, the lower ends of said surfaces terminating at said receiving conveyor flight.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
75 words
An apparatus as set out in claim 7 further comprising: conveyor guides on said framework vertically adjacent to the upper flight of the article delivery conveyor for maintaining the articles in longitudinal parallel rows; said last-named means comprising outwardly protruding guides on each of said wheel side surfaces respectively aligned with said conveyor guides when the respective side surfaces respectively aligned with said conveyor guides when the respective side surfaces are at the loading position.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
81 words
An apparatus as set out in claim 8 further comprising: article-detecting means on said framework adjacent to the wheel and aligned between each pair of guides on a wheel side surface at said loading position, said article-detecting means being operatively connected to said indexing means for permitting a preselected angular amount of rotational movement of the wheel about its axis in response to the reception of a full charge of articles on each wheel side surface while at said loading position.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
221 words
An apparatus for loading articles into a carton comprising: a wheel rotatably mounted about a horizontal central axis, the periphery of the wheel presenting a plurality of identical outer side surfaces centered and equiangularly spaced about said axis; index means for sequentially positioning the side surfaces at an upwardly facing loading position relative to said axis; lOading means for selectively placing articles onto each side surface while at said loading position, said loading means comprising a longitudinal conveyor having a discharge end longitudinally adjacent to and coplanar with a wheel side surface at said loading position; stop means adjacent to the wheel for selectively engaging articles at the discharge end on the conveyor following the placement of articles onto each wheel side surface at said loading position; carton placement means for selectively positioning inverted empty cartons over the articles placed upon the wheel surfaces; retaining means alongside the wheel including upright surfaces facing a portion of the wheel for engaging the cartons and maintaining the cartons and articles on the wheel side surfaces during movement of the wheel about its axis, said retaining means being adapted to release each carton after inversion of the articles therein; and conveyor means for receiving the carton after release thereof by said retaining means and for subsequently carrying each filled carton away from the apparatus.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
221 words
An apparatus for loading articles into a carton comprising: a wheel rotatably mounted about a horizontal central axis, the periphery of the wheel presenting a plurality of identical outer side surfaces centered and equiangularly spaced about said axis; index means for sequentially positioning the side surfaces at an upwardly facing loading position relative to said axis; lOading means for selectively placing articles onto each side surface while at said loading position, said loading means comprising a longitudinal conveyor having a discharge end longitudinally adjacent to and coplanar with a wheel side surface at said loading position; stop means adjacent to the wheel for selectively engaging articles at the discharge end on the conveyor following the placement of articles onto each wheel side surface at said loading position; carton placement means for selectively positioning inverted empty cartons over the articles placed upon the wheel surfaces; retaining means alongside the wheel including upright surfaces facing a portion of the wheel for engaging the cartons and maintaining the cartons and articles on the wheel side surfaces during movement of the wheel about its axis, said retaining means being adapted to release each carton after inversion of the articles therein; and conveyor means for receiving the carton after release thereof by said retaining means and for subsequently carrying each filled carton away from the apparatus.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
130 words
A method of loading a charge of bottles or cans into a carton, comprising the following steps: placing the charge of bottles or cans in upright positions upon an upwardly facing horizontal portion of the peripheral surface of an upright multisided wheel; rotating the wheel about its central horizontal axis; holding the charge of bottles or cans on the wheel during initial rotation thereof; feeding open cartons along a path tangential to the rotational path of the charge of bottles or cans about the wheel axis; inserting the charge of bottles or cans into the carton; and releasing the charge of bottles or cans from the wheel after insertion into the carton and inversion of the charge of bottles or cans due to rotation of the wheel about its axis.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
130 words
A method of loading a charge of bottles or cans into a carton, comprising the following steps: placing the charge of bottles or cans in upright positions upon an upwardly facing horizontal portion of the peripheral surface of an upright multisided wheel; rotating the wheel about its central horizontal axis; holding the charge of bottles or cans on the wheel during initial rotation thereof; feeding open cartons along a path tangential to the rotational path of the charge of bottles or cans about the wheel axis; inserting the charge of bottles or cans into the carton; and releasing the charge of bottles or cans from the wheel after insertion into the carton and inversion of the charge of bottles or cans due to rotation of the wheel about its axis.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
167 words
A method of loading a charge of bottles or cans into cartons, comprising the following steps: placing a charge of bottles or cans in upright positions upon successive side surfaces of an upright multisided wheel as each such side surface is oriented at an upwardly facing horizontal loading position; intermittently permitting rotational movement of the wheel about its central horizontal axis by gravitational forces to thereby move successive side surfaces of the wheel to the loading position; placing an open carton over each charge of bottles or cans received on the respective wheel side surfaces during rotational movement of the side surface about the wheel axis; holding the cartons for rotational movement conjointly with the respective wheel side surfaces during inversion of the successive charges of bottles or cans due to rotational movement of the wheel about its horizontal axis; and successively releasing each carton and the charge of bottles or cans contained therein following inversion of the charge of bottles or cans about the wheel axis.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
167 words
A method of loading a charge of bottles or cans into cartons, comprising the following steps: placing a charge of bottles or cans in upright positions upon successive side surfaces of an upright multisided wheel as each such side surface is oriented at an upwardly facing horizontal loading position; intermittently permitting rotational movement of the wheel about its central horizontal axis by gravitational forces to thereby move successive side surfaces of the wheel to the loading position; placing an open carton over each charge of bottles or cans received on the respective wheel side surfaces during rotational movement of the side surface about the wheel axis; holding the cartons for rotational movement conjointly with the respective wheel side surfaces during inversion of the successive charges of bottles or cans due to rotational movement of the wheel about its horizontal axis; and successively releasing each carton and the charge of bottles or cans contained therein following inversion of the charge of bottles or cans about the wheel axis.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
105 words
A method loading an article into a carton, comprising the following steps: placing the article upon an upwardly facing portion of the peripheral surface of an upright wheel in such condition that the article is inverted with respect to its intended position in the upright carton; rotating the wheel about its central horizontal axis; securing the article to the wheel during rotation thereof; directing an open carton along a path tangential to the rotational path of the article about the wheel axis; inserting the article into the carton during rotation of the wheel; and releasing the article from the wheel after insertion into the carton.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
105 words
A method loading an article into a carton, comprising the following steps: placing the article upon an upwardly facing portion of the peripheral surface of an upright wheel in such condition that the article is inverted with respect to its intended position in the upright carton; rotating the wheel about its central horizontal axis; securing the article to the wheel during rotation thereof; directing an open carton along a path tangential to the rotational path of the article about the wheel axis; inserting the article into the carton during rotation of the wheel; and releasing the article from the wheel after insertion into the carton.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-06-28 | 1974-12-28 | 1975-06-29 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-06-28 | 1978-12-28 | 1979-06-29 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-06-28 | 1982-12-28 | 1983-06-29 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |