Device to pack articles in boxes

Abstract

Abstract A PICKUP ASSEMBLY HAVING VACUUM CUPS TO PICK UP A LAYER OF FRUIT HAS TWO HANDLES FOR MANUAL MOVEMENT BETWEEN A PICKUP POSITION AT A SUPPLY STATION AND A DEPOSITING POSITION AT A BOX. THE PICKUP ASSEMBLY IS SUSPENDED FROM AN OVERHEAD BOOM WHICH ACTS AS COUNTERBALANCE MEANS AND IS POWERED FOR BOOSTING ACTION AT CERTAIN POINTS IN THE OPERATING CYCLE. SINCE PROPER NESTING OF FRUIT IN A BOX REQUIRES LAYERS OF ALTERNATE PATTERNS, THE PICKUP ASSEMBLY COMPRISES A MAIN PICKUP HEAD WITH MULTIPLE ROWS OF VACUUM CUPS, A FIRST SINGLE ROW AUXILIARY HEAD COOPERATIVE WITH THE MAIN HEAD TO PICK UP A LAYER OF ONE OF THE ALTERNATE PATTERNS AND A SECOND SINGLE ROW AUXILIARY HEAD FOR COOPERATION WITH THE MAIN HEAD TO PICK UP THE OTHER PATTERN, THE TWO AUXILIARY HEADS BEING MOUNTED ON AN AUXILIARY FRAME THAT IS MANUALLY OPERABLE TO MOVE THE TWO AUXILIARY HEADS TO THEIR COOPERATIVE POSITIONS ALTERNATELY. WITH THE PICKUP ASSEMBLY POISED TO PICK UP A NEW LAYER OF FRUIT, IT IS BOOSTED DOWNWARDLY INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE FRUIT. IF ALL OF THE VACUUM CUPS ENGAGE FRUIT, MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE CONSEQUENT DROP IN AIR PRESSURE BOOSTS THE PICKUP ASSEMBLY UPWARDLY TO INITIATE MOVEMENT TOWARD THE BOX. AS THE EMPTY PICKUP ASSEMBLY IS LIFTED FROM THE BOX, THE OPERATOR MANUALLY SHIFTS THE AUXILIARY FRAME IN PREPARATION FOR PICKING UP A LAYER OF THE ALTERNATE PATTERN.

Inventors

• 👤 Paul F Paddock

Bibliographic Details