US3844092A — Packaging apparatus

Claim 1

Independent Claim 236 words

Apparatus for packaging merchandise in receptacles made of flexible packaging material each having an open mouth, comprising: a frame; an endless conveyor carried by the frame; a plurality of receptacle holders spaced at equal intervals on the conveyor; means for indexing the conveyor to bring each holder from a first station at which a receptacle may be allowed to fall into the holder to a second station at which the merchandise may be loaded in the receptacle via its mouth, thence to a third station at which the loaded receptacle may be removed from the holder, and back to the first station; means for holding a supply of receptacles; means for removing one receptacle at a time from said supply means and for releasing it to fall into a holder at said first station; means at the second station carried by said frame for opening the mouth of the receptacle carried by the holder at the second station for entry of said merchandise therein, said opening means being movable between a retracted position clear of said conveyor for permitting indexing of the conveyor and an operating position in which said opening means is engageable with The receptacle held by the holder at the second station for opening the receptacle; means at the second station for inserting the merchandise in the opened receptacle; and means at the third station for removing the loaded receptacle from its holder.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 236 words

Apparatus for packaging merchandise in receptacles made of flexible packaging material each having an open mouth, comprising: a frame; an endless conveyor carried by the frame; a plurality of receptacle holders spaced at equal intervals on the conveyor; means for indexing the conveyor to bring each holder from a first station at which a receptacle may be allowed to fall into the holder to a second station at which the merchandise may be loaded in the receptacle via its mouth, thence to a third station at which the loaded receptacle may be removed from the holder, and back to the first station; means for holding a supply of receptacles; means for removing one receptacle at a time from said supply means and for releasing it to fall into a holder at said first station; means at the second station carried by said frame for opening the mouth of the receptacle carried by the holder at the second station for entry of said merchandise therein, said opening means being movable between a retracted position clear of said conveyor for permitting indexing of the conveyor and an operating position in which said opening means is engageable with The receptacle held by the holder at the second station for opening the receptacle; means at the second station for inserting the merchandise in the opened receptacle; and means at the third station for removing the loaded receptacle from its holder.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 32 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said endless conveyor is a wheel rotatable on a horizontal axis, said holders being positioned radially of the wheel at equal angular intervals therearound.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 64 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 for utilization of envelopes as the receptacles wherein the holders are formed and arranged to hold the envelopes in radial position relative to the wheel with the bottoms of the envelopes toward the axis of the wheel, and with the mouth end of each envelope positioned for being opened by said opening means at the second station.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 35 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein each holder comprises a pair of channels extending radially of the wheel with their open sides toward one another for receiving the side margins of an envelope.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 68 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said supply means comprises a generally horizontal magazine having a pair of spaced-apart abutments at one end thereof constituting its forward end engageable by the said margins of the forward envelope of a series of envelopes held within the magazine, and means for maintaining said series with the forward envelope in engagement with the abutments as envelopes are removed therefrom.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 100 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 5 wherein said removing means comprises vacuum grip means movable between a first position in engagement with the outside of the forward envelope of said series between said abutments and a second position in which the vacuum grip means and an envelope gripped thereby is in position for dropping the envelope into the holder at said first station, said forward envelope being bent outwardly between said abutments as said vacuum grip means moves from its first position to its second position to permit the side margins of the envelope to escape past said abutments.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 34 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein said removing means further includes a chute for guiding the envelope into the holder at the first station as it drops from said vacuum grip means.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 78 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein said vacuum grip means comprises at least one vacuum suction cup engageable with said forward envelope, an air cylinder and piston means for moving said vacuum suction cup between the said first and second positions, and means for effecting the release of said envelope from said vacuum suction cup when the latter is in the second position to permit the envelope to drop into the holder at the first station.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 123 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said opening means comprises first and second vacuum grip means movable between a retracted position in which both said vacuum grip means are clear of the wheel for permitting rotation thereof, and an operating position in which the first vacuum grip means is engageable with one wall of the envelope held by the holder at said second station and the second vacuum grip means is engageable with the other wall of said envelope, said first and second vacuum grip means, when in their operating position, being movable toward one another into gripping engagement with said walls and then away from one another for spreading apart said walls thereby to open the mouth of the envelope.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 64 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 9 comprising means for sensing whether or not said vacuum grip means are in gripping engagement with said envelope and, if not, repeating the movement of said vacuum grip means into engagement with said envelope walls for gripping and opening them, and preventing operation of said merchandise inserting means until the mouth of the envelope has been opened.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 30 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 10 wherein said sensing means comprises vacuum feedback means for determining if said vacuum grip means are in gripping engagement with the envelope walls.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 138 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said merchandise inserting means comprises a pusher movable between a retracted receiving position in which said merchandise may be deposited thereon and an advanced loading position in which the merchandise on the pusher is inserted in the envelope held by a holder at said second station, said pusher having merchandise holding means thereon movable between a lowered holding position in which the merchandise is held in position on the pusher and a raised retracted position for releasing the merchandise from the pusher, said merchandise holding means being in its holding position as the pusher moves from its receiving position to its advanced position and in a raised retracted position during return movement of the pusher from its advanced position to its receiving position for releasing the merchandise from the pusher.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 76 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 12 further including means at said second station for guiding said merchandise on said pusher into the open mouth of the envelope held by the holder at said second station, said guiding means being movable from a guiding position in which it is in register with the mouth of the envelope and a retracted position in which it is clear of the envelope and the wheel to permit rotation thereof.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 43 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein the envelope has a closure flap on one wall thereof and said apparatus further comprises means for folding the flap to close off the mouth of the envelope after the merchandise has been inserted therein.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 92 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 14 wherein said envelope is placed in a holder at said first station with the wall having said closure flap extending therefrom facing in the direction of rotation of said wheel, and wherein said flap closure means comprises a curved shroud adjacent the outer ends of said holders engageable by said flap as the envelope in its holder is indexed from said second station to said third station to fold the flap over the mouth of the envelope and to hold the envelope in its holder.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 68 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said ejecting means comprises a member movable between a starting position in which it is engageable with the bottom end of a filled envelope held by its holder at said third station and an ejecting position in which the member is adjacent the outer end of the holder for pushing the filled envelope endwise of its holder for removal therefrom.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 148 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said conveyor has a drive shaft, and said indexing means comprises a pinion on said shaft, a rack assembly comprising a first rack and a second rack on opposite sides of the pinion, means mounting the rack assembly for movement between a first position wherein the first rack is in mesh with the pinion on one side thereof and the second rack is clear of the pinion, and a second position wherein the second rack is in mesh with the pinion on the other side thereof and the first rack is clear of the pinion, means for reciprocating the rack assembly through a predetermined stroke, and means for shifting the rack assembly from its first to its second position at one end of its stroke and from its second to its first position at the other end of its stroke.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 30 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 17 wherein the means mounting the rack assembly comprises a pivot on which the rack assembly is swingable between its first and second positions.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 138 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said endless conveyor is a wheel comprising a pair of spaced side members on a shaft rotatable on a horizontal axis, each holder comprising a pair of channels extending radially on the inside of said side members with their open sides toward one another for receiving the side margins of an envelope, said means at the third station for removing the loaded receptacle from the holder at the third station comprising an arm pivoted on a fixed axis outside the wheel and extending inwaRdly from its said axis between said side members and swingable outwardly from a retracted position wherein it is interposed between the shaft and the inner end of the envelope in the holder at the third station for pushing the envelope radially outward out of the holder.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 194 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said envelope opening means comprises first and second cylinder and piston units each having vacuum grip means on the free end of its piston rod and each being pivoted for swinging movement on a fixed axis between a retracted position in which both cylinder and piston units and their vacuum grip means are clear of the wheel and the envelope held by a holder at the second station for permitting rotation of the wheel, and an operative position in which the vacuum grip means carried by the first cylinder and piston unit is engageable with one wall of the envelope held by the holder at the second station and the vacuum grip means carried by the second cylinder and piston unit is engageable with the other wall of the envelope, said first and second cylinder and piston units, when in their operative positions, being operable to effect movement of their respective vacuum grip means toward one another into gripping engagement with said walls and then away from one another for spreading apart the walls of the envelope gripped thereby to open the mouth of the envelope.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 39 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 20 further comprising means for moving the cylinder and piston units between their retracted and operative positions including linkage means interconnecting the cylinder units for conjointly swinging them on their respective fixed axes.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 121 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 21 wherein the envelope held by a holder at the second station is generally horizontal, and wherein said first cylinder and piston unit is pivoted on a horizontal axis above the holder at the second station for swinging in a generally vertical plane and said second cylinder and piston unit is pivoted on a horizontal axis below the holder at the second station for swinging in a generally vertical plane, whereby the vacuum grip means carried by the first cylinder and piston unit is engageable with the upwardly facing wall of the envelope and the vacuum grip means of the second cylinder and piston unit is engageable with the downwardly facing wall of the envelope.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1977-10-28	1978-04-29	1978-10-29	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1981-10-28	1982-04-29	1982-10-29	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1985-10-28	1986-04-29	1986-10-29	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Packaging apparatus

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