US3727366A — Casing machine

Claim 1

Independent Claim 119 words

Apparatus for casing containers from a continuous multi-row supply of upright containers comprising separator means for isolating a group of upright containers from the supply, tiering means for tansferring said group of containers into a tiering chamber, lowerator means supporting an empty case in alignment with said transferred group of containers, pusher means for charging said container group into the case aligned therewith, and variable speed drive means connected to said tiering means for moving the container group from said separator means to said tiering chamber at velocities accelerating from rest to maximum velocity and then decelerating to rest in order to minimize shock damage to the containers and to preserve the orientation of individual containers in the group.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 119 words

Apparatus for casing containers from a continuous multi-row supply of upright containers comprising separator means for isolating a group of upright containers from the supply, tiering means for tansferring said group of containers into a tiering chamber, lowerator means supporting an empty case in alignment with said transferred group of containers, pusher means for charging said container group into the case aligned therewith, and variable speed drive means connected to said tiering means for moving the container group from said separator means to said tiering chamber at velocities accelerating from rest to maximum velocity and then decelerating to rest in order to minimize shock damage to the containers and to preserve the orientation of individual containers in the group.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 191 words

In a case loading apparatus including a separator for arranging multiple rows of upright containers into a single tier, means defining a tiering chamber remote from said separator for assembling tiers of containers, transfer means for cyclically transferring the tiers of containers from said separator along an arcuate path into said tiering chamber, pusher means operable in a timed relation with said transfer means for pushing a case load of containers from said tiering chamber into an empty case aligned therewith, the improvement comprising a synchronizing mechanism for coordinating the movements of said transfer means and said pusher means, Said mechanism including an endless timing chain driven in timed relation with said transfer means, a plurality of endwise adjustable timing pins mounted across said timing chain, each of said pins being adjustable to an active position in which the common ends of said active pins move through a predetermined path beside said timing chain, and control means having a displaceable actuator lying in the path of said active timing pins and governing said pusher means, the selectively active timing pins thus controlling the number of tiers assembled for a case load.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 191 words

In a case loading apparatus including a separator for arranging multiple rows of upright containers into a single tier, means defining a tiering chamber remote from said separator for assembling tiers of containers, transfer means for cyclically transferring the tiers of containers from said separator along an arcuate path into said tiering chamber, pusher means operable in a timed relation with said transfer means for pushing a case load of containers from said tiering chamber into an empty case aligned therewith, the improvement comprising a synchronizing mechanism for coordinating the movements of said transfer means and said pusher means, Said mechanism including an endless timing chain driven in timed relation with said transfer means, a plurality of endwise adjustable timing pins mounted across said timing chain, each of said pins being adjustable to an active position in which the common ends of said active pins move through a predetermined path beside said timing chain, and control means having a displaceable actuator lying in the path of said active timing pins and governing said pusher means, the selectively active timing pins thus controlling the number of tiers assembled for a case load.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 74 words

Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said pusher means includes mulitple pusher feet each aligned with a row of containers in the tier, and driving means for conjointly driving said pusher feet with independently variable horizontal and vertical motions, the combined motions lowering said feet from an elevated rest position, moving said feet forward into a case, retracting said feet to clear the case, and elevating and retracting said feet to said rest position.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 21 words

Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said pusher feet are moved forward at a velocity lower than their velocity during retraction.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 77 words

Apparatus according to claim 2 and a pivotally mounted first clutch latch, a pivot stud interconnecting said displaceable actuator and said latch, said actuator being movable endwise upon pivotal movement of said latch and being pivotable to an armed position upon said pivot stud by one of said active timing pins, and a pivotally mounted second clutch latch arranged to be actuated by end-wise movement of said displaceable actuator following arming thereof by an active timing pin.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 109 words

Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein pivotal movement of said first clutch latch controls said transfer means for assembling tiers of containers in said tiering chamber, and wherein pivotal movement of said second clutch latch controls operation of said pusher means to insert a group of assembled tiers into a case, said timing chain including an even number of equally spaced timing pins divisible by two, three or four, the timing pins adjusted to active positions thus effecting the transfer of case loads of containers containing from one to four tiers, respectively, when all timing pins are active, or when every second, third or fourth timing pin is active.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 97 words

In a container casing machine of the type wherein incoming containers are assembled into a tier, tiering fingers lift the tier and transfer it to a tiering chamber, pusher feet insert the tier into a case supported on a lowerator, and the lowerator erects and lowers the filled case; the improvement comprising a master camshaft in the machine, pusher foot and lowerator control cams on said shaft, cam follower means for connecting the pusher feet and the lowerator to their respective cams, and means for rotating said camshaft for synchronously operating said pusher feet and the lowerator.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 97 words

In a container casing machine of the type wherein incoming containers are assembled into a tier, tiering fingers lift the tier and transfer it to a tiering chamber, pusher feet insert the tier into a case supported on a lowerator, and the lowerator erects and lowers the filled case; the improvement comprising a master camshaft in the machine, pusher foot and lowerator control cams on said shaft, cam follower means for connecting the pusher feet and the lowerator to their respective cams, and means for rotating said camshaft for synchronously operating said pusher feet and the lowerator.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1976-04-16	1976-10-16	1977-04-17	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1980-04-16	1980-10-16	1981-04-17	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1984-04-16	1984-10-16	1985-04-17	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Casing machine

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