US3744649A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Squaring and bundle counting machine
Assignee: Ward Machinery Co
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Filing: 1972-05-05
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Granted: 1973-07-10
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Expires: 1992-05-05
Abstract
Abstract A modern fully automated squaring and bundle counting machine that is used in the corrugated board box industry is provided to stack, square, count and eject, in bundles, folded and glued boxes that are being discharged at high speed from printing, scoring, folding and gluding type machines. This squaring and bundle counting machine consists of a flat bed frame with feed rollers at one end, where the glued, flat board boxes enter into a first hopper and are stacked, squared, and compressed therein. A regulated speed belt removes the folded and glued boxes from the bottom of the stack in the first hopper, one by one. The flat boxes are then counted by an electric eye beam and guided up onto a multi-belt conveyor where they are stacked again in a second hopper, from the bottom to a preset number per bundle. A unique arrangement of a moveable bar, and a pusher bar mechanism, operating together with electric eye switches and associated circuits, separate the bundles and ejects them onto a second multi-belt discharge conveyor. The cycle is then repeated without interruption to the flow of the boxes.
Inventors
- 👤 H Ward
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 14:08
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65H; B65H29/00; B65H29/001; B65G; B65G57/00; B65G57/30; B65G57/305; B65G57/308; B65H33/00; B65H2301/00; B65H2301/40; B65H2301/42; B65H2301/421; B65H2301/4212; B65H2301/42122; B65H2301/422; B65H2301/4226; B65H2301/42264; B65H2701/00; B65H2701/10; B65H2701/17; B65H2701/176; B65H2701/1764; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S414/00; Y10S414/10; Y10S414/115
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
323 words
A system For counting and for separating the flow of flat stiff articles into counted bundles of articles of a predetermined number, comprising, a fixed abutment, a movable pusher means spaced from said fixed abutment, a movable abutment positioned intermediate and below said fixed abutment and said movable pusher means, said abutments being in the line of flow of said articles, conveyor means for advancing successively articles in the direction of the face of said fixed abutment, said fixed abutment being adapted to limit the advance of the lowermost article so as to build up at said face a bundle of articles from below, with one article entering the bundle lifting the other articles comprised in the bundle, means for counting a predetermined number of articles advanced by said conveyor means and stacked in said bundle adjacent the face of said fixed abutment, means for raising said movable abutment after a predetermined number of articles have been stacked in said bundle adjacent said fixed abutment so that the next oncoming article stops at the face of said movable abutment instead of the face of the fixed abutment to start a succeeding bundle below and offset laterally from said first mentioned bundle of articles stacked by said conveyor means from below, means operatively coupled to said pusher means for sensing that said several articles have accumulated in said succeeding bundle and for causing said movable abutment to raise higher to separate said first bundle of articles, means for causing said pusher means to move forward to push said first mentioned bundle from said machine, and means for causing said pusher means to return to a retracted position and arranged so as to push said accumulating bundle to the face of said fixed abutment to complete the stacking of a predetermined number of said articles in said succeeding bundle by said conveyor means and to cause said movable abutment to return to its initial position.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
323 words
A system For counting and for separating the flow of flat stiff articles into counted bundles of articles of a predetermined number, comprising, a fixed abutment, a movable pusher means spaced from said fixed abutment, a movable abutment positioned intermediate and below said fixed abutment and said movable pusher means, said abutments being in the line of flow of said articles, conveyor means for advancing successively articles in the direction of the face of said fixed abutment, said fixed abutment being adapted to limit the advance of the lowermost article so as to build up at said face a bundle of articles from below, with one article entering the bundle lifting the other articles comprised in the bundle, means for counting a predetermined number of articles advanced by said conveyor means and stacked in said bundle adjacent the face of said fixed abutment, means for raising said movable abutment after a predetermined number of articles have been stacked in said bundle adjacent said fixed abutment so that the next oncoming article stops at the face of said movable abutment instead of the face of the fixed abutment to start a succeeding bundle below and offset laterally from said first mentioned bundle of articles stacked by said conveyor means from below, means operatively coupled to said pusher means for sensing that said several articles have accumulated in said succeeding bundle and for causing said movable abutment to raise higher to separate said first bundle of articles, means for causing said pusher means to move forward to push said first mentioned bundle from said machine, and means for causing said pusher means to return to a retracted position and arranged so as to push said accumulating bundle to the face of said fixed abutment to complete the stacking of a predetermined number of said articles in said succeeding bundle by said conveyor means and to cause said movable abutment to return to its initial position.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
57 words
A system for counting and separating the flow of flat stiff articles into counted bundles of articles of a predetermined number as recited in claim 1, and additionally a spaced hopper mechanism for receiving said flat stiff articles for stacking and squaring thereof before being conveyed by said conveyor means to be counted by said counting means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
41 words
A system for counting and separating the flow of flat stiff articles into counted bundles as recited in claim 2, and additionally means for feeding said flat stiff articles to said hopper mechanism for stacking and squaring in said hopper mechanism.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
34 words
A system for counting and separating the flow of flat stiff articles into counted bundles as recited in claim 3, and additionally means for squaring said flat stiff articles fed into said hopper mechanism.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
46 words
A system for counting and separating the flow of flat stiff articles into counted bundles as recited in claim 4, and additionally means for compressing said flat stiff articles fed into said hopper mechanism simultaneously with the squaring of said articles fed into said hopper mechanism.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
54 words
A system for counting and separating the flow of flat stiff articles into counted bundles as recited in claim 3, wherein said feeding means for feeding said articles into said hopper mechanism consists of a pair of spaced rollers, one of which is knurled to grip said articles being fed into said hopper mechanism.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
35 words
A system for counting and separating of flat stiff articles into counted bundles as recited in claim 1, and additionally means for controlling the rate of flow of said articles fed by said hopper mechanism.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
39 words
A system for counting and separating of flat stiff articles into counted bundles as recited in claim 1, and additionally means for removing said bundle of articles of a predetermined number pushed by said pusher means from said machine.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
34 words
A system for counting and separating of flat stiff articles into counted bundles as recited in claim 1, wherein said conveyor means for feeding said stiff articles for counting consists of a vacuum belT.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
28 words
A system for counting and separating of flat stiff articles into counted bundles as recited in claim 1, wherein said conveyor means consists of a multi-belt feeding device.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
334 words
A system for counting and for separating the flow of flat stiff articles into counted bundles of articles of a predetermined number, comprising, a fixed abutment, a movable pusher means spaced from said fixed abutment, a movable abutment positioned intermediate and below said fixed abutment and said movable pusher means, said abutments being in the line of flow of said articles, conveyor means for advancing successively articles in the direction of the face of said fixed abutment, said fixed abutment being adapted to limit the advance of the lowermost article so as to build up at said face a bundle of articles from below, with one article entering the bundle lifting the other articles comprised in the bundle, means for counting a predetermined number of articles advanced by said conveyor means and stacked in said bundle adjacent the face of said fixed abutment, means for lowering said conveyor means after a predetermined number of articles have been stacked in said bundle adjacent said fixed abutment so that the next oncoming article stops at the face of said movable abutment instead of the face of the fixed abutment to start a succeeding bundle of articles below and offset laterally from said first mentioned bundle of articles stacked by said conveyor means from below, means operatively coupled to said pusher means for sensing that said several articles have accumulated in said succeeding bundle and for causing said movable abutment to elevate to separate said first bundle of articles from said succeeding accumulating bundle or articles, means for causing said pusher means to move forward to push said first mentioned bundle from said machine, and means for causing said pusher means to return to a retracted position and arranged so as to push said accumulating bundle to the face of said fixed abutment to complete the stacking of a predetermined number of said articles in said succeeding bundle by said conveyor means and to cause said movable abutment and conveyor means to return to their initial positions.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
334 words
A system for counting and for separating the flow of flat stiff articles into counted bundles of articles of a predetermined number, comprising, a fixed abutment, a movable pusher means spaced from said fixed abutment, a movable abutment positioned intermediate and below said fixed abutment and said movable pusher means, said abutments being in the line of flow of said articles, conveyor means for advancing successively articles in the direction of the face of said fixed abutment, said fixed abutment being adapted to limit the advance of the lowermost article so as to build up at said face a bundle of articles from below, with one article entering the bundle lifting the other articles comprised in the bundle, means for counting a predetermined number of articles advanced by said conveyor means and stacked in said bundle adjacent the face of said fixed abutment, means for lowering said conveyor means after a predetermined number of articles have been stacked in said bundle adjacent said fixed abutment so that the next oncoming article stops at the face of said movable abutment instead of the face of the fixed abutment to start a succeeding bundle of articles below and offset laterally from said first mentioned bundle of articles stacked by said conveyor means from below, means operatively coupled to said pusher means for sensing that said several articles have accumulated in said succeeding bundle and for causing said movable abutment to elevate to separate said first bundle of articles from said succeeding accumulating bundle or articles, means for causing said pusher means to move forward to push said first mentioned bundle from said machine, and means for causing said pusher means to return to a retracted position and arranged so as to push said accumulating bundle to the face of said fixed abutment to complete the stacking of a predetermined number of said articles in said succeeding bundle by said conveyor means and to cause said movable abutment and conveyor means to return to their initial positions.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
200 words
A fully automatic squaring and bundle counting machine, comprising, a pair of spaced hopper mechanisms, the first of said hopper mechanisms receiving in the top thereof substantially flat stiff articles for stacking and squaring thereof, means for feeding said stacked and squared articles from the bottom of said first hopper mechanism to the second of said hopper mechanisms so as to build up a first bundle of articles from below in said second hopper mechanisms, means for counting a predetermined number of said squared articles fed to said second hopper mechanism, means for forming a start of several articles of a succeeding bundle of articles adjacent to and offset laterally from said first bundle of articles in said second hopper mechanisms, means for separating said first bundle of articles from the adjacent succeeding bundle of articles after several articles have accumulated in the succeeding bundle, means for moving said first bundle of articles from said second hopper mechanism, and means for moving the succeeding bundle of several articles into the position previously occupied by the first bundle of articles in said second hopper mechanisms to complete the succeeding bundle of articles having a predetermined number of articles in said bundle.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
200 words
A fully automatic squaring and bundle counting machine, comprising, a pair of spaced hopper mechanisms, the first of said hopper mechanisms receiving in the top thereof substantially flat stiff articles for stacking and squaring thereof, means for feeding said stacked and squared articles from the bottom of said first hopper mechanism to the second of said hopper mechanisms so as to build up a first bundle of articles from below in said second hopper mechanisms, means for counting a predetermined number of said squared articles fed to said second hopper mechanism, means for forming a start of several articles of a succeeding bundle of articles adjacent to and offset laterally from said first bundle of articles in said second hopper mechanisms, means for separating said first bundle of articles from the adjacent succeeding bundle of articles after several articles have accumulated in the succeeding bundle, means for moving said first bundle of articles from said second hopper mechanism, and means for moving the succeeding bundle of several articles into the position previously occupied by the first bundle of articles in said second hopper mechanisms to complete the succeeding bundle of articles having a predetermined number of articles in said bundle.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
25 words
A fully automated squaring and bundle counting machine as recited in claim 12, and means for squaring said articles fed into said first hopper mechanism.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
38 words
A fully automated squaring and bundle counting machine as recited in claim 13, and means for compressing said articles fed into said first hopper mechanism simultaneously with the squaring of said articles fed into said first hopper mechanism.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
48 words
A fully automated squaring and bundle counting machine as recited in claim 12, wherein said feeding means for feeding articles Into said first hopper mechanism consists of a pair of spaced rollers, one of which is knurled to grip said articles being fed into said first hopper mechanism.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
41 words
A fully automated squaring and bundle counting machine as recited in claim 12, means for controlling the rate of flow of said stacked and squared articles fed from said first hopper mechanism by said feeding means to said second hopper mechanism.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
39 words
A fully automated squaring and bundle counting machine as recited in claim 12, and means for squaring said articles fed into said first hopper mechanism simultaneously with the compressing of said flat sheets fed into said first hopper mechanism.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
35 words
A fully automated squaring and counting machine as recited in claim 12, wherein said feeding means for feeding said stacked and squared articles to said second of said hopper mechanisms consists of a vacuum belt.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
36 words
A fully automated squaring and counting machine as recited in claim 22, wherein said feeding means for feeding said stacked and squared articles to said second of said hopper mechanisms consists of a multi-belt feeding device.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-07-09 | 1977-01-08 | 1977-07-10 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-07-09 | 1981-01-08 | 1981-07-10 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-07-09 | 1985-01-08 | 1985-07-10 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |