Claims
- 1. A method of packaging potted plants comprising the steps of:
- providing a covering station having automatic covering means for automatically applying a decorative cover;
- providing a plurality of potted plants, each having an exterior surface;
- sequentially moving each potted plant toward the covering station via conveying means; and
- automatically transferring the potted plant from the conveying means to the covering station by gripping the potted plant via gripping means at a position on the conveying means and automatically delivering the gripped potted plant in an upright position to the covering station where a decorative cover is automatically applied about the exterior surface of each potted plant to form a covered potted plant.
- 2. The method of claim 1 comprising after the step of providing the plurality of potted plants, the additional step of sorting each potted plant into one of at least two grades in accordance with a predetermined grading criterion.
- 3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of sorting each potted plant occurs before the step of applying the cover.
- 4. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of sorting each potted plant occurs after the step of applying the cover.
- 5. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of sorting each potted plant comprises using automatic sorting means to sort the potted plants.
- 6. The method of claim 1 wherein the decorative cover which is applied to the potted plant is a preformed cover having an interior surface, an exterior surface, and an interior space adjacent and surrounded by the interior surface.
- 7. The method of claim 6 wherein in the step of automatically applying the cover to the potted plant, the potted plant is automatically deposited into the interior space of the cover.
- 8. The method of claim 6 wherein in the step of automatically applying the decorative cover, the cover is a preformed cover provided by automatic cover supplying means which retrieves the cover from a set of preformed covers and places the cover in a potted plant application position.
- 9. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of automatically applying a decorative cover is preceded by the step of forming a decorative cover, wherein after the cover is formed, the cover is placed in an application position at the covering station for application to a potted plant.
- 10. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of automatically applying a decorative cover further comprises bonding the cover to the exterior surface of the potted plant.
- 11. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of sequentially moving each potted plant further comprises conveying each potted plant on automatic conveying means.
- 12. The method of claim 1 wherein the conveying means further comprises a conveyor belt.
- 13. The method of claim 1 further comprising the additional step of providing a transfer means for engaging the covered potted plant for conveying the covered potted plant to a boxing station.
- 14. The method of claim 13 wherein the transfer means further comprises an automatic pushing means.
- 15. The method of claim 13 wherein the transfer means further comprises an automatic gripping means.
- 16. A method of packaging a potted plant comprising the steps of:
- providing a sleeving station having automatic sleeve means for automatically applying a preformed sleeve;
- providing a plurality of potted plants, each having an exterior surface;
- automatically opening the preformed sleeve;
- sequentially conveying each potted plant to the sleeving station via conveying means; and
- sequentially delivering each potted plant to guiding means arranged at an end of the conveying means through which guiding means each potted plant is automatically passed downwardly and thereby automatically oriented and maintained in an upright orientation for placement into an opened sleeve and placing each such uprightly oriented potted plant into the opened sleeve forming a sleeved potted plant.
- 17. The method of claim 16 comprising after the step of providing the plurality of potted plants the additional step of sorting each potted plant into one of at least two grades in accordance with a predetermined grading criterion.
- 18. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of conveying each potted plant is preceded by conveying the potted plant to a cover applying station wherein a decorative cover is applied about the potted plant.
- 19. The method of claim 18 wherein a step of sorting each potted plant occurs before the step of applying the decorative cover.
- 20. The method of claim 18 wherein a step of sorting each potted plant occurs after the step of applying the decorative cover.
- 21. The method of claim 18 wherein the decorative cover is a preformed cover having an interior surface an exterior surface, and an interior space adjacent and surrounded by the interior surface.
- 22. The method of claim 21 wherein in the step of applying the decorative cover to the potted plant, the potted plant is automatically deposited into the interior space of the cover.
- 23. The method of claim 21 wherein in the step of applying the decorative cover to the potted plant, the potted plant is manually deposited into the interior space of the cover.
- 24. The method of claim 21 wherein in the step of applying the decorative cover, the cover is a preformed cover provided by automatic cover supplying means which retrieves the cover from a set of preformed covers and places the cover in an application position.
- 25. The method of claim 18 wherein the step of applying a decorative cover is preceded by the step of providing a cover which has been formed by a mold type cover forming means, wherein after the cover is formed, the cover is placed in an application position for application to the potted plant.
- 26. The method of claim 18 wherein in the step of applying the decorative cover to the potted plant, the cover is applied about the exterior surface of the potted plant by an appressing cover forming means which appresses a sheet of material about the external surface of the potted plant to form the decorative cover.
- 27. The method of claim 26 wherein the cover forming means comprises a plurality of pivoting members which act together to appress the sheet of material about the external surface of the potted plant.
- 28. The method of claim 27 wherein the step of applying a decorative cover further comprises bonding the cover to the exterior surface of the potted plant.
- 29. The method of claim 18 wherein the step of applying a decorative cover further comprises bonding the cover to the exterior surface of the potted plant.
- 30. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of conveying each potted plant further comprises conveying each potted plant on automatic conveying means.
- 31. The method of claim 16 wherein the conveying means further comprises a conveyor belt.
- 32. The method of claim 16 comprising the additional step of sealing an upper portion of the sleeve of the sleeved potted plant.
- 33. The method of claim 32 wherein the step of sealing further comprises using an automatic sealing device.
- 34. The method of claim 33 wherein the step of sealing further comprises pressure-sensitive sealing.
- 35. The method of claim 32 wherein the step of sealing further comprises heat sealing.
- 36. The method of claim 32 wherein the step of sealing further comprises sonic sealing.
- 37. The method of claim 32 wherein the step of sealing further comprises vibratory sealing.
- 38. The method of claim 16 further comprising the additional step of providing a transfer means for engaging the sleeved plant and placing the sleeved plant into a carton.
- 39. The method of claim 38 wherein the transfer means further comprises an automatic pushing means.
- 40. The method of claim 32 wherein the transfer means further comprises an automatic gripping means.
- 41. A method of packaging a potted plant comprising the steps of:
- providing a covering station having automatic covering means for automatically applying a decorative cover;
- providing a plurality of potted plants, each having an exterior surface;
- automatically sorting each potted plant into one of at least two grades in accordance with a predetermined grading criterion;
- sequentially moving each potted plant thus sorted toward the covering station via conveying means; and
- automatically transferring the potted plant from the conveying means to the covering station by gripping the potted plant via the gripping means at a position on the conveying means and automatically delivering the gripped potted plant in an upright position to the covering station where a decorative cover is automatically applied about the exterior surface of a potted plant to form a covered potted plant.
- 42. The method of claim 41 wherein in the step of providing a potted plant, the potted plant further comprises a living potted plant.
- 43. The method of claim 41 wherein the decorative cover which is applied to the potted plant is a preformed cover having an interior surface, an exterior surface, and an interior space adjacent and surrounded by the interior surface.
- 44. The method of claim 41 wherein in the step of automatically applying the decorative cover to each potted plant, the decorative cover is applied about the exterior surface of each potted plant by a cover forming means which appresses a sheet of material about the external surface of the potted plant to form the cover.
- 45. The method of claim 41 wherein the automatic covering means comprises an apparatus having a plurality of pivoting members which act together to appress a sheet of material about the external surface of the potted plant to form the decorative cover.
- 46. The method of claim 45 wherein the step of applying a decorative cover further comprises bonding the decorative cover to the exterior surface of the potted plant.
- 47. The method of claim 41 wherein the step of automatically applying a decorative cover further comprises bonding the decorative cover to the exterior surface of the potted plant.
- 48. The method of claim 41 wherein the step of sequentially moving the potted plant further comprises conveying the potted plant on automatic conveying means.
- 49. The method of claim 41 wherein the conveying means further comprises a conveyor belt.
- 50. The method of claim 41 further comprising the additional step of providing a transfer means for engaging the covered plant and placing the covered plant into a carton.
- 51. The method of claim 50 wherein the transfer means further comprises an automatic pushing means.
- 52. The method of claim 50 wherein the transfer means further comprises an automatic gripping means.
- 53. A method of packaging a potted plant comprising the steps of:
- providing a sleeving station having automatic sleeving means for automatically applying a sleeve;
- providing a plurality of potted plants, each having an exterior surface;
- automatically sorting each potted plant into one of at least two grades in accordance with a predetermined grading criterion;
- automatically opening the preformed sleeve;
- sequentially conveying each sorted potted plant to the sleeving station via conveying means; and
- sequentially delivering each potted plant to guiding means arranged at an end of the conveying means through which guiding means each potted plant is automatically passed downwardly and thereby automatically oriented and maintained in an upright orientation for placement into an opened sleeve and placing each such uprightly oriented potted plant into the opened sleeve forming a sleeved potted plant.
- 54. The method of claim 53 wherein in the step of providing a potted plant, the potted plant further comprises a living potted plant.
- 55. The method of claim 53 wherein the step of sequentially conveying each potted plant further comprises conveying each sorted potted plant on automatic conveying means.
- 56. The method of claim 53 wherein the conveying means further comprises a conveyor belt.
- 57. The method of claim 53 comprising the additional step of sealing an upper portion of the sleeve of the sleeved potted plant.
- 58. The method of claim 57 wherein the step of sealing further comprises using an automatic sealing device.
- 59. The method of claim 57 wherein the step of sealing further comprises heat sealing.
- 60. The method of claim 57 wherein the step of sealing further comprises sonic sealing.
- 61. The method of claim 57 wherein the step of sealing further comprises vibratory sealing.
- 62. The method of claim 57 wherein the step of sealing further comprises pressure-sensitive sealing.
- 63. The method of claim 53 further comprising the additional step of providing a transfer means for engaging the sleeved potted plant and placing the sleeved potted plant into a carton.
- 64. The method of claim 63 wherein the transfer means further comprises an automatic pushing means.
- 65. The method of claim 63 wherein the transfer means further comprises an automatic gripping means.
- 66. A method of packaging a potted plant comprising the steps of:
- providing a covering station having automatic covering means for automatically applying a decorative cover;
- providing a plurality of potted plants, each having an exterior surface;
- sequentially moving each potted plant toward the covering station via conveying means;
- automatically delivering the potted plant from the conveying means in an about upright position to the covering station; and
- automatically applying the decorative cover about the exterior surface of each potted plant at the covering station to form a covered potted plant.
- 67. A method of packaging a potted plant comprising the steps of:
- providing a covering station having automatic covering means for automatically applying a decorative cover;
- providing a plurality of potted plants, each having an exterior surface;
- sequentially moving each potted plant toward the covering station via conveying means;
- sorting each potted plant into one of at least two grades in accordance with a predetermined grading criterion;
- automatically delivering the potted plant from the conveying means in an about upright position to the covering station; and
- automatically applying the decorative cover about the exterior surface of each potted plant at the covering station to form a covered potted plant.
- 68. A method of packaging a potted plant comprising the steps of:
- providing a sleeving station having automatic sleeving means for automatically applying a preformed sleeve;
- providing a plurality of potted plants, each having an exterior surface;
- automatically opening the preformed sleeve;
- sequentially conveying each potted plant to the sleeving station via the conveying means; and
- sequentially delivering each potted plant to the sleeving station oriented and maintained in an about upright orientation for placement into the opened sleeve and placing each such uprightly oriented potted plant into the opened sleeve forming a sleeved potted plant.
- 69. A method of packaging a potted plant comprising the steps of:
- providing a sleeving station having automatic sleeving means for automatically applying a preformed sleeve;
- providing a plurality of potted plants, each having an exterior surface;
- sorting each potted plant into one of at least two grades in accordance with a predetermined grading criterion;
- automatically opening the preformed sleeve;
- sequentially conveying each potted plant to the sleeving station via the conveying means; and
- sequentially delivering each potted plant to the sleeving station oriented and maintained in an about upright orientation for placement into the opened sleeve and placing each such uprightly oriented potted plant into the opened sleeve forming a sleeved potted plant.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 08/462,332, filed Jun. 5, 1995, entitled ARTICLE PACKAGING SYSTEM now U.S. Pat. No. 5,605,029, which is a divisional of U.S. Ser. No. 08/417,477, filed Apr. 5, 1995, entitled ARTICLE PACKAGING SYSTEM, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,586,425 which is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 07/954,635, filed Sep. 30, 1992, entitled ARTICLE PACKAGING SYSTEM, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (42)
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
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Parent |
417477 |
Apr 1995 |
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Continuations (2)
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Number |
Date |
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462332 |
Jun 1995 |
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Parent |
954635 |
Sep 1992 |
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