Patent US5395330A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4484733A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Programmable packaging grid including gripper conveyor monitoring system
Assignee: HALL PROCESSING SYSTEMS AN OH PARTNERSHIP
•
Filing: 1982-04-05
•
Granted: 1984-11-27
•
Expires: 2002-04-05
Abstract
Abstract The programmable packaging grid groups selective ones of a plurality of available printed products, newspapers, and the like based on demographic information concerning the consumer to receive each package. A plurality of longitudinally receiving conveyors (10) each define a series of package receiving areas. A receiving conveyor monitoring means (180) monitors the position of the package receiving areas. A plurality of gripping conveyors (20) which include a plurality of individual grippers run in loops above and transverse to the receiving conveyors. A gripping conveyor monitoring means (182) monitors the position of the individual grippers. A newspaper feeding station (82, 86) feeds newspapers to the belt conveyors to be included in the packages of customers who are also newspaper subscribers. A digital computer (200-286) controls the individual grippers of the gripping conveyors to release selected printed products to fall into selected package receiving areas. The computer is operatively connected with the receiving conveyor monitor and the gripper conveyor monitor to determine coincidence between selected package receiving areas and individual grippers. The digital computer includes a customer memory which stores demographic information about the customer at each address (202) and an advertiser/product memory (204) which is loaded with demographic descriptions of each customer who is to receive each printed product. A customer to advertiser matching routine (206) matches the consumer demographic information with the advertiser/product demographic requirements to determine which printed products are to be supplied to each customer. In this manner, the printed products supplied to each customer are individually tailored based on demographic information.
Inventors
- 👤 Jerold C. Loos
- 👤 James R. Wakefield
- 👤 Frederick S. Foster
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 15:25
CPC Classifications
B; B07; B07C; B07C3/00; B07C3/02; B07C3/08; B07C3/082; B07C3/085; B65; B65H; B65H29/00; B65H29/003; B65H39/00; B65H39/02; B65H39/06; B65H2220/00; B65H2220/09; B65H2301/00; B65H2301/30; B65H2301/31; B65H2301/314; B65H2301/40; B65H2301/43; B65H2301/431; B65H2301/4311; B65H2301/44; B65H2301/447; B65H2301/4471; B65H2301/44712
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
165 words
A programmable packaging grid for grouping selective ones of a plurality of available printed products to produce customer insert packages comprising: a plurality of longitudinally extending receiving conveyors each defining a plurality of package receiving areas; a receiving conveyor monitor means for monitoring the position of the receiving conveyors; a plurality of gripping conveyors disposed above the receiving conveyors, each gripping conveyors including a plurality of individual grippers running in a loop generally transverse to the receiving conveyors; a plurality of sources of printed products, each printed product source disposed adjacent a gripping conveyor to supply printed products thereto; a gripper conveyor monitor means for monitoring the position of the gripper conveyors; control means for controlling the gripping conveyors to release selected printed products to fall into selected receiving conveyor package receiving areas, the control means being operatively connected with the receiving conveyor monitor means and the gripper conveyor monitor means for determining coincidence between the receiving conveyor package receiving areas and the individual grippers.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
165 words
A programmable packaging grid for grouping selective ones of a plurality of available printed products to produce customer insert packages comprising: a plurality of longitudinally extending receiving conveyors each defining a plurality of package receiving areas; a receiving conveyor monitor means for monitoring the position of the receiving conveyors; a plurality of gripping conveyors disposed above the receiving conveyors, each gripping conveyors including a plurality of individual grippers running in a loop generally transverse to the receiving conveyors; a plurality of sources of printed products, each printed product source disposed adjacent a gripping conveyor to supply printed products thereto; a gripper conveyor monitor means for monitoring the position of the gripper conveyors; control means for controlling the gripping conveyors to release selected printed products to fall into selected receiving conveyor package receiving areas, the control means being operatively connected with the receiving conveyor monitor means and the gripper conveyor monitor means for determining coincidence between the receiving conveyor package receiving areas and the individual grippers.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
31 words
The packaging grid as set forth in claim 1 further including newspaper feeding means for feeding a newspaper into each package receiving area of at least some of the receiving conveyors.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
The packaging grid as set forth in claim 2 wherein the newspaper feeding means includes feed dividing means to divide a flow of newspaper among the plurality of receiving conveyors.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
52 words
The packaging grid as set forth in claim 1 further including a plurality of labeling machines, each labeling machine disposed downstream from the gripping conveyors, operatively associated with one of the receiving conveyors, and operatively associated with the control means for labeling each package of selected printed products with a corresponding label.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
42 words
The packaging grid as set forth in claim 4 further including a plurality of wrapping stations, each wrapping station disposed downstream from the gripping conveyors and operatively connected with one of the receiving conveyors for wrapping the printed product packages conveyed thereon.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
50 words
The packaging grid as set forth in claim 4 further including at least one sorting conveyor for conveying the packages from pick-up stations located downstream from each of the labeling machines to a selected one of a plurality of piling means for bundling a plurality of packages into a bundle.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
31 words
The packaging grid as set forth in claim 6 wherein the sorting conveyor is controlled by the control means such that each piling means receives packages for a selected distribution region.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
51 words
The packaging grid as set forth in claim 7 wherein the control means includes a main customer memory means for storing at least customer addresses and demographic information about each customer such that the demographic information is retrievable for use in controlling the printed products to be packaged for each customer.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
93 words
The packaging grid as set forth in claim 8 wherein the control means includes coincidence determining means for determining coincidence between individual grippers and package receiving areas and includes gripper conveyor release control means for selectively releasing each individual gripper, the gripper conveyor release means being operatively connected with the main customer memory means and the coincidence determining means for releasing a selected printed product in response to both appropriate demographic information and coincidence between an individual gripper conveying the selected printed product and the package receiving area assigned to the corresponding customer.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
50 words
The packaging grid as set forth in claim 4 further including a plurality of reject stations disposed downstream from the gripper conveyors for rejecting packages which fail to receiving all selected printed products, each reject station being operatively connected with one of the receiving conveyors and with the control means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
18 words
The packaging grid as set forth in claim 4 wherein the control means includes a programmable digital computer.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3608888A
Cited
NL164243C
Cited
CA967668A
Cited
US3819173A
Cited
US3966186A
Cited
US3891492A
Cited
US3972521A
Cited
US4022455A
Cited
FR2351011A1
Cited
US4115981A
Cited
US4121818A
Cited
US4121818B1
Cited
SU623756A1
Cited
US4167476A
Cited
US4168828A
Cited
US4174829A
Cited
GB2089328A
Cited
US4395031A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1987-11-27 | 1988-05-28 | 1988-11-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1991-11-27 | 1992-05-28 | 1992-11-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1995-11-27 | 1996-05-28 | 1996-11-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |