Patent Application
20080023378
The invention relates generally to packaging and, more particularly, to a system for delivering folding cartons used for packaging products including food products such as milk.
Folding cartons are used for packaging products, such as milk and other food products, for placement on commercial shelving in retail outlets. Known folding cartons are formed from a web of paperboard, typically in a roll, having a width that allows for efficient placement of individual cartons with respect to each other. The placement of cartons is chosen to conserve paperboard material, such that adjacent cartons on the web are typically not aligned with each other.
The paperboard web is cut and creased into individual carton forms, sometimes hereinafter also referred to as “carton blanks.” After a cutting and creasing operation, the carton blanks are separated in the cross machine direction by a machine known as a “skew unit” to form spaced lanes of product moving in a direction referred to as the running direction. The lanes of carton blanks are moved at a line operating speed, for example approximately 1000 feet per minute. The location of the carton blanks in the running direction is a function of how they were cut on the web of paperboard material to conserve materials. As a result, carton blanks in a given lane may not be aligned in the cross machine direction with carton blanks of other lanes.
The carton blanks are directed to a collecting conveyor for off-loading by personnel (e.g., removal of the carton blanks from the conveyor and placement onto shipping devices for transport to subsequent processing operations). The collecting conveyor moves the carton blanks at a relatively slow speed, for example 5 feet per minute, that is suitable for handling by the personnel. Impact forces acting on the carton blanks during transfer to the relatively slow-moving collecting conveyor create an unpredictable and random location of the carton blanks. As a result, the effort required by personnel to remove the carton blanks from the collecting conveyor and place them onto shipping devices is significantly increased.
What is needed is a folding carton delivery system that reduces the impact forces acting on the carton blanks during transfer of the blanks onto the relatively slowly moving collector conveyor, thereby providing a more uniform and predictable placement of carton blanks on the collector conveyor.
The invention provides a system for handling carton blanks formed in a cutting and creasing operation in a plurality of lanes of carton blanks moving at a running speed and delivering the carton blanks to a collecting conveyor moving at a reduced speed suitable for handling of the carton blanks by personnel. The handling and delivering system of the present invention is adapted to reduce the speed at which the carton blanks are delivered to the collecting conveyor, thereby limiting impact forces acting on the carton blanks.
According to one embodiment, the system includes a lane adjustment section for aligning the lanes of carton blanks with each other in a cross-machine direction, an accumulator section for creating batches of stacked carton blanks, and a slow-down section for reducing the speed of the batches of carton blanks. The lane adjustment section includes a plurality of transfer assemblies each adapted to move a lane of carton blanks in a running direction from an inlet end of the lane adjustment section to a discharge end. Each of the transfer assemblies includes a variable speed motor for individually adjusting the speed of the associated lane to align the lanes with each other. The lane adjustment section includes a motor-driven pull roll adjacent the discharge end for establishing a uniform speed in all of the lanes. The lane adjustment section preferably includes a registration system adapted to monitor the lanes of carton blanks for misalignment adjacent the inlet end of the lane adjustment section.
The slow-down section includes a variable speed drive motor for cyclically varying the motor speed to adjust the speed of each batch of carton blanks from a first speed at an inlet end of the slow-down section to a second speed at an exit end. The second speed reduced from the first speed sufficiently to limit impact forces acting on the batch during transfer of the batch to a collecting conveyor. Servomotors may be used as the variable speed motors of the lane adjustment section and the variable speed motor of the slow-down section.
According to one embodiment, the accumulator section includes a rotary accumulator for creating batches of stacked carton blanks in each lane. The rotary accumulator includes a rotatably supported drum, a drum motor driving the drum, and at least one drum belt supported on rollers to contact an outer surface of the drum such that the drum belt is moved about the rollers by the drum. The rotary accumulator also includes a deflector located beneath the drum and movable between a raised position in which carton blanks moving in the running direction are directed upwardly for movement about a rotary path defined about the drum and a lowered position in which the carton blanks pass beneath the drum in the running direction. The drum motor may also be a servomotor. The deflector assembly may include a plurality of vanes supported on a vane shaft, a rotatably supported cam wheel driven by a servomotor.
The accumulator section may also include an in-feed assembly located between the pull roll of the lane adjustment section and the deflector assembly of the accumulator section. The in-feed assembly defines a nip point adjacent the deflector assembly to provide for both a single batching mode and an alternative double batching mode. In the single batching mode only one batch of carton blanks is being formed in each lane at any given time. The nip point defined by the in-feed assembly provides for handling of relatively short carton blanks such that carton blanks are receivable on each of opposite sides of the drum for forming separate batches of stacked carton blanks in each lane at the same time. The in-feed assembly includes a plurality of belts each supported on pulleys and a drive roll and a drive motor rotatingly driving the drive roll. The drive motor for the drive roll may also be a servomotor. The in-feed assembly may also include cam assemblies each having a sloped cam surface and an adjacent cam follower wheel adapted to define a nip point with one of the belts of the in-feed assembly.
According to one aspect of the invention, the rotary accumulator of the accumulator section includes a drum module assembly adapted for removal from a frame assembly supporting the drum module. The drum module preferably includes the drum, the drum drive motor, the drum belts and the rollers supporting the drum belts. According to one embodiment of the invention, the system includes a plurality of drum modules having drums of differing diameter to facilitate replacement of drums having different diameters. The system may include at least one lift assembly secured to the frame assembly and adapted to lift the drum module with respect to the frame assembly to facilitate removal and replacement of the drum module.
According to another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for handling carton blanks arranged in a plurality of spaced lanes moving in a running direction and delivering the carton blanks to a collecting conveyor. The method includes the steps of monitoring the lanes for misalignment between the lanes and aligning the lanes by individually adjusting the speed of one or more of the lanes. The method includes the steps of establishing a uniform speed for all of the lanes following the step of aligning, forming batches of stacked carton blanks in each lane, and slowing the speed of each batch to limit impact forces acting on the batch during discharge of the batch to a collecting conveyor. The step of slowing may include the step of cyclically varying the speed of a servomotor to reduce the speed of each batch.
Another method for handling lanes of folding carton blanks includes the steps of providing a rotatably supported drum having a circumference sufficient to receive carton blanks on each of opposite first and second sides of the drum in each lane, providing a drum motor driving the drum and providing a deflector located beneath the drum and movable between raised and lowered positions. The method includes the step of raising the deflector to the raised position and maintaining the deflector in the raised position during at least one revolution of the drum such that at least one carton bank is directed into the rotary path onto each of the first and second sides of the drum in each lane. The method includes the steps of lowering the deflector to the lowered position in a discharging cycle during a one-half revolution of the drum to discharge one or more stacked carton blanks from the first side of the drum in each lane onto an incoming carton blank to form a batch of carton blanks moving in the running direction. The method includes the step of repeating the above steps of raising, maintaining, lowering and maintaining the deflector to discharge one or more stacked carton blanks from the second side of the drum in each lane onto an incoming carton blank to form a batch of carton blanks. The above procedure is then repeated such that carton blanks are discharged from the first and second sides of the drum in discharging cycles in alternating fashion to form batches of carton blanks.
For the purpose of illustrating the invention, the drawings show a form of the invention that is presently preferred. However, it should be understood that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown in the drawings.
Referring to the drawings, where like numerals identify like elements, there is illustrated in
The folding carton delivery system 10 of the present invention is adapted to receive the lanes of carton blanks from the skew unit 18 at a line operating speed, such as approximately 1000 feet per minute for example. The delivery system 10 of the present invention is adapted to significantly reduce the speed at which the lanes of carton blanks are moving, thereby facilitating an orderly transfer of the carton blanks to a collector conveyor 20 which moves at a relatively slow speed, such as approximately 5 feet per minute for example. The relatively slow speed at which the carton blanks are moved by the collector conveyor 20 allows personnel to handle the carton blanks (e.g., to remove the folding carton blanks from the collecting conveyor 20 and place them onto shipping devices for transport to subsequent processing operations). As described below in greater detail, the folding carton delivery system 10 is adapted to form batches of stacked carton blanks in each of the lanes received from the skew unit 10 to provide for the desired slow down. The resulting uniformity and predictability in which the carton blanks can be placed onto a collector conveyor 20 greatly facilitates handling of the carton blanks by personnel. Each of the web roll 14, the cut and crease operation 16, the skew unit 18 and the collecting conveyor 20 of
Referring again to
The Lane Adjustment Section
Referring to the schematic illustration of
As shown in
Referring to
The base assembly 38 of the lane adjustment section 22 is shown in
Each pair of transfer belts 36 is mounted on the base assembly 38 adjacent the entry end 30 of the lane adjustment section 22 by idler pulley assemblies 44, 46. The idler pulley assemblies 44, 46 respectively comprise a left-hand idler pulley assembly 44 and a right-hand idler pulley assembly 46. Each of the assemblies 44, 46 includes an idler pulley 48 supporting one of the transfer belts 36 of the associated pair of transfer belts.
Each pair of transfer belts 36 is also mounted on a motorized pulley assembly 50 located towards the discharge end 34 of the lane adjustment section 22. Each motorized pulley assembly 50 includes a pair of drive pulleys 52 and a servomotor 54, as shown in
As shown in
Referring to
As shown in
As shown in
Referring again to
The skate wheel assemblies 72 of the lane adjustment section 22 are arranged in sets of two assemblies 72, each set of two being associated with one of the transfer belts 36. Referring to
Providing separate drive means for each pair of transfer belts 36 of the lane adjustment section 22 in the above described manner provides for the desired adjustment in the relative positioning of the lanes of carton blanks 32 in the following manner. The controller for the carton handling system 10 (not shown) adjusts the servo motors 54 of the lane adjustment section 22 and sets the relative speed at which the transfer belts are driven. If the four lanes of cartons are aligned, in the cross machine direction, the speed of each servo motor 54 will be matched thus maintaining alignment as the carton blanks 32 travel through the lane adjustment section. In this case the speed of each servo motor will be set so that the speed of the carton blanks 32 match the speed of the pull roll 96 described below. Referring again to
Referring again to
When the registration system 92 detects a misalignment in the cross-machine direction between the leading edges of the carton blanks 32 in the lanes of carton blanks (e.g., the distance A in
The secondary function of the registration system 92 is to assure that the timing of the flow of carton blanks 32 through the lane adjustment section is properly controlled. It is important that the leading edge of the carton blanks 32 arrive at the outgoing edge of the deflector vanes 176 of the accumulator section 26 when the vane reaches its uppermost position. The registration system 92 will adjust the speed of all servo motor 54 driving transfer belts 36 so as to maintain that timing.
Referring to
The folding carton delivery system 10 includes a plurality of skate wheel assemblies 100 adjacent the pull roll 96. The purpose of the skate wheel assemblies 100 of the lane adjustment section 22 is to ensure contact between the carton blanks 32 and the pull roll 96 at the discharge end of the lane adjustment section 22. The skate wheel assembly 100 is shown in greater detail in
The lane adjustment section 22 includes a frames and spreaders assembly 106 for supporting the above-described elements of the lane adjustment section 22. The frames and spreaders assembly 106 include a drive side frame 108 and an operator side frame 110. The assembly 106 includes three lower spreaders 112 extending between the frames 108, 110 in a lower portion of the assembly 106. The assembly 106 includes an incoming upper spreader 114, a middle upper spreader 116, and an outgoing upper spreader 118, each extending between the frames 108, 110 in an upper portion of the assembly 106. The assembly 106 includes longitudinal upper spreaders 120 extending between the incoming upper spreader 114 and the outgoing upper spreader 118 (i.e., longitudinally in the running direction of the lane adjustment section 22).
The lane adjustment section 22 includes a screw jack assembly 122 mounted to the frames 108, 110 of the frames and spreaders assembly 106 (see
The screw jack assembly 122 includes two pairs of limit switches 136. Each pair of limit switches 136 is secured to an associated one of the lift screws 128 at spaced locations on the lift screw 128. The limit switches 136 sense location to limit the range of movement of the lift screw 128 when the lift screws 128 are raised from the position shown. Above the screw boxes 124, a forked head 138 and bellows 140 are provided on each of the lift screws 128. As should be understood, the screw jack assemblies 122 are thus adapted to provide a lifting force for elevating components of the folding carton delivery system 10 using suitable lift structure received on the forked heads 138 of the lift screws 128.
The Accumulator Section
Referring again to
The in-feed assembly 142 of accumulator section 24 includes a plurality of in-feed belts 146 supported on a base assembly 144 and a cam assembly 147 located above the in-feed belts 146. The cam assembly 147 includes sloped cam surfaces defined by mount members of an in-feed bar assembly 150, described in greater detail below, and cam follower wheels rotatably supported by the in-feed bar assembly 150 adjacent to the cam surfaces. The sloped cam surfaces of cam assembly 147 direct the carton blanks 32 downwardly towards the associated belts 146 of the in-feed assembly 142. The cam follower wheels of cam assembly 147 contact the carton blanks 32 from above the carton blanks to define nip points with the associated belts 146 located beneath the carton blanks opposite the cam follower wheels. As shown in
The drum 148 of the rotary accumulator 26 is rotatingly driven by a servomotor 164. In the view shown in
The rotary accumulator 26 includes a deflector assembly 174 for redirecting the carton blanks 32 from a substantially linear path towards the drum 148 for movement in a rotary (i.e., circular) path. Referring to
Referring to
The vane cam 182 is in rolling contact with a cam follower 190 rotatingly mounted on a rocker arm 192. The rocker arm 192 is coupled to the vane shaft 178 such that movement of the vane cam 182 between the lowered cam surface position of
When the deflector vanes 176 are moved to the up-vane position, the incoming lanes of carton blanks 32 are directed upwardly towards the drum 148. The carton blanks 32 are maintained in a rotary path about the drum 148 because of the location of the carton blanks 32 between the outer drum surface and the drum belts 166. The rotary accumulator 26 includes incoming guide surfaces 196 (
It is preferably that a gap of approximately 2.5 inches or more be provided between the carton blanks 32 in each lane. Such a gap provided between the individual carton blanks 32 of a lane provides time for the movement of the deflector assembly 174, particularly for the movement of the deflector assembly 174 from the down-vane position to the up-vane position. For a drum 148 having a diameter of approximately 13 inches, the circumference of the drum is approximately 40.84 inches (i.e., π times diameter). A length of approximately 38 inches for the carton blank 32 is, therefore, considered a maximum practical length on a thirteen-inch diameter drum. As described below in greater detail, however, the drum 148 is preferably part of a removable module providing for ready replacement of modules having different drum, thereby facilitating efficient handling of variously sized carton blanks. For example, the above-discussed thirteen-inch diameter drum could readily be removed and replaced with a fifteen-inch diameter drum having a circumference of approximately 47.12 inches, thereby increasing the maximum practical carton blank length received onto the drum from approximately 38 inches to approximately 44.5 inches (i.e., 47 inches minus approximately 2.5 inches).
Referring now to
As a result of the alignment provided between each carton blank 32 and the next succeeding carton blank in the lane, the carton blanks 32 will be placed atop each other to form a batch of stacked carton blanks 32. A carton blank 32 will be added to the batch moving about the rotary path of the accumulator 26 for each revolution of the drum 148 that the deflector assembly 174 remains in the up-vane position. When the deflector assembly 174 is moved to the down-vane position to discharge the batch from the accumulator 26, the existing batch moving about the rotary path will be directed downwardly from the drum 148 onto the next succeeding carton blank 32 directed from the in-feed assembly 142. The number of carton blanks 32 in the rotating stack of carton blanks 32 can be increased by maintaining the deflector vanes 176 in the up-vane position illustrated in
In
In above-described single batching mode shown in
Referring to
The rotary speed of the drum 148 is selected to provide for the above-described alignment between alternating carton blanks 32 in each lane of carton blanks. As should be understood, the controller for the carton handling system 10 sets the speed of the accumulator drum 148 so that it makes exactly one revolution for every two cartons entering the carton handling system 10. Since the speed of the pull roll 96, described above, and transfer belts 36, described above, follow and match the speed of the accumulator drum 148, the required surface speed for the carton blanks 32 moving about the rotary path of the accumulator 26 in the double batching mode will need to be faster than the speed set by the rotary cutting device for similar reasons as those discussed above for the single batching mode. For a thirteen-inch diameter drum, the required surface speed for the carton blanks 32 moving about the rotary path of the accumulator would range between approximately 107 percent of the speed set by the pull roll 96 (for carton blanks 32 having 19 inch length) and approximately 146 percent (for carton blanks 32 having 14 inch length).
As shown in
As discussed above, the formation of batches in the rotary accumulator 26 provides increased space between the batches discharged from the rotary accumulator 26 as compared to the spacing between the individual carton blanks 32 directed into the accumulator 26. This increased space provides for the desired slowing down of the carton blanks in the slow-down section 28. Therefore, it is desirable that the discharge of batches of carton blanks 32 from the opposite sides of the drum 148 in the double batching mode be staggered. As should be understood, it would not be desirable to discharge the batches from the opposite sides of the drum 148 in successive half-revolutions of the drum such that the batches are discharged adjacent each other.
The carton handling system 10 could be operated in double batching mode in the following manner to form batches containing three (3) carton blanks. As should be understood, each carton blank 32 that is brought into the rotary path of the accumulator 26 (i.e., deflector assembly 174 in the up-vane position) will first enter into the rotary path on a downstream side of the rotary accumulator 26 and will be then be directed along the rotary path to an upstream side of the accumulator. The carton blank 32 will then be either directed about the rotary path again, or will be discharged from the rotary accumulator, depending on the position of the deflector assembly 174. To facilitate the following description of the three batch method, the carton blanks 32 that are in the rotary path may be described as being located on either the upstream side or the downstream side of the rotary accumulator 26 during a given half-revolution of the drum 148.
The drum 148 should initially be rotated one full revolution with the deflector assembly 174 in the up-vane position such that a carton blank 32 is moving into the rotary path on both the upstream and downstream side of the rotary accumulator 26 in each lane. As discussed above, the formation and discharge of the batches is preferably staggered on the opposite sides of the drum 148 to create the desired space between discharged batches needed for the slow-down feature. To establish the desired stagger in the batch discharge, the deflector assembly should be lowered to the down-vane position during the next half-revolution following the initial one full revolution of the drum. As should be understood, this discharge will create a batch in each lane containing only two (2) carton blanks 32 (i.e., the carton blank 32 on the upstream side of the accumulator 26 after the first full revolution will be directed onto the next incoming carton blank 32 during this next discharging half-revolution). During the initial discharging cycle (i.e., half-revolution with the deflector assembly 174 in the down-vane position), the carton blank 32 from the downstream side will have moved about the rotary path to the upstream side of the accumulator 26 and the downstream side of the rotary path will be empty. As should be understood, the downstream side is empty because the carton blank 32 that would have been in this location was discharged as part of the initial batch containing only 2 cartons. In this manner, the desired stagger in the batch formation and discharge is established. Batches containing three (3) carton blanks can now be formed on, and discharged from, opposite sides of the drum 148 in a uniformly spaced-apart manner by repeating the pattern of rotating the drum 148 one full revolution with the deflector assembly 174 in the up-vane position and then discharging a batch during the next half-revolution. This forms batches of three because, as should be understood, the single carton blank 32 that was located on the upstream side of the accumulator 26 following a given discharge cycle will have a second carton blank added to it during the next revolution of the drum 148. This stack of two carton blanks 32 will then be directed out of the rotary path during the next discharging cycle onto an incoming carton blank 32 to form the desired batch having three carton blanks.
The number of carton blanks 32 in uniformly discharged batches can be increased from three by increasing the number of revolutions of the drum 148 between the discharging cycles. For example, batches having five (5) carton blanks can be formed by increasing the drum revolutions between discharging cycles to two full revolutions. In order to establish desired stagger in batch formation and discharging on the opposite sides of the drum 148, the drum should initially be rotated two full revolutions to build stacks of two carton blanks on each side of the drum 148. This should then be followed by an initial discharging cycle that creates a first batch having only three carton blanks 32. The desired stagger is now established because a stack of two carton blanks is located on drum 148 on the upstream side of the accumulator 26 while the opposite side of the drum 148 on the downstream side is empty. As should be understood, repetition from this point forward of two full revolutions of drum 148 in the up-vane position of deflector assembly 174 followed by a discharge cycle will result in uniformly spaced-apart batches in each lane containing five carton blanks 32. The invention is not limited to batches including five or fewer carton blanks 32. Limiting batches to five or fewer carton blanks 32 should provide for optimal operation of the carton handling system 32.
The Slow-Down Section
The slow-down section 28 of carton handling system 10 is adapted to reduce the speed of the batches of carton blanks 32 created by the accumulator section 24 from the speed at which the carton blanks are discharged from the accumulator section 24. As discussed above, this reduction in speed greatly reduces impact forces acting on the carton blanks 32 during subsequent transfer of the carton blanks 32 onto the relatively slowly moving collector conveyor 20, thereby facilitating an orderly and predictable transfer.
Referring to
The slow-down section 28 includes a plurality of idler pulley assemblies 208, one for each of the outgoing timing belts 198, for maintaining the outgoing timing belts 198 in the configuration shown in
The slow-down section 28 also includes a plurality of belt tensioners 216, one for each of the outgoing timing belts 198. The belt tensioner 216 comprises a pulley 218 rotatably mounted on a bracket 220 for contact with the associated outgoing timing belt 198 to apply a desired tension to the outgoing timing belt 198. In a similar manner as the lane adjustment section 22, the slow-down section 28 includes a plurality of slide bed assemblies 222 defining track-like interiors for receiving the outgoing timing belts 198 and guiding them along the upper deck surface of the slow-down section 28
Similar to the lane adjustment section 22, a small gap is provided between the belt slide assembly 222 and the outgoing timing belts 198 to minimize potential friction caused by the belts contacting the slider base. The slider base 222, however, provides a means of controlling the vertical position of the belt path when the skate wheel assemblies 72, described below, exert their nip force on the folding cartons to assure that the speed of the folding carton matches that of the transfer belts 36.
Similar to the lane adjustment section 22, the slow-down section 28 includes sets of skate wheel assemblies 72, one set for each of the outgoing timing belts 198, for maintaining contact between the batches of carton blanks 32 and the outgoing timing belts 198. As shown in
As described above, the creation of the batches of stacked carton blanks 32 in the accumulator section 24 of the carton handling system 10 results in increased space between successive batches in a given lane compared to the space previously provided between the individual carton blanks upstream of the accumulator. As should be understood, this increased space between the batches results in a corresponding increase in time that it would take successive batches of carton blanks in a lane to pass a given point. The increased time between passage of successive batches of carton blanks 32 provides for the desired speed reduction in the slow-down section 28 through cyclic variation in the speed at which the slow-down belts 198 are driven by servomotor 206 as follows. When the batches of carton blanks 32 are being discharged to an inlet end of the slow-down section 28 from accumulator section 24, the servomotor 206 of the slow-down section 28 should drive the belts 198 at substantially the same speed as the carton blanks 32 were moved in the rotary path of the accumulator 26 (e.g., 107 percent to 146 percent of the pull roll speed in the above-described application). As should be understood, such substantial matching between the speed of belts 198 and the rotary path speed facilitates the transfer of the carton blanks 32 from the accumulator section 24 to the slow-down section 28. Before the next successive group of batches of carton blanks 32 are directed to the slow-down unit 28, the servomotor 206 is slowed by the controller such that the set of batches currently being driven by the belts 198 are discharged at an exit end of the slow-down unit 28 at a speed that is greatly reduced from the inlet speed of the batches. For example, it is contemplated that batch speed could be reduced from approximately 1200-1400 feet per minute at the inlet end to approximately 300 feet per minute or less at the exit end. As should be understood, the belt speed will be returned (i.e., increased) to the carton inlet speed following discharge of the current set of batches and before the next set of batches enters the inlet end. Known servomotors are capable of varying speed for the belts 198 between the above speeds within approximately 50 milliseconds or less. However, the particular acceleration and deceleration capability for servomotor 206 is not critical so long as belt speed can be reduced to the desired speed between the inlet and exit of the batches and returned to the inlet speed before the next incoming batches reach the inlet end. As should be understood, the length for the slow-down section 28 may vary depending on the deceleration rate for the belt speed. However, it is contemplated that the above speed reductions can be accomplished over relatively short distances such as less than approximately 10 feet and possibly even as short as approximately 3 feet.
The carton handling system 10 includes a frames and spreaders assembly 226 for supporting the above-described elements of the accumulator section 24 and slow-down section 28. The frames and spreader assembly 226 includes a drive side frame 228 and an operator side frame 230. The assembly 226 includes elongated spreaders extending between the frames 228, 230. The spreaders of the assembly 226 include three lower spreaders 232, an in-feed belt spreader 234, a timing belt incoming spreader 236, and a timing belt outgoing spreader 238.
The carton handling system 10 also includes a screw jack assembly 240 (
The use of servomotors in carton handling system 10 provides the speed control for desired features such as the alignment of lanes in the lane adjustment section 22, the control of surface speed in the rotary path of accumulator 26 for batching, and the cyclic variation of belt speed in the slow-down section 28 for carton batch speed reduction. The depicted carton handling system 10 includes nine (9) servomotors. This includes the four servomotors 54 driving the belts 36 of the lane adjustment section 22, the servomotor 98 driving the pull roll 96 at the discharge end of the lane adjustment section 22, the servomotor 154 driving the belts 146 of the in-feed assembly 142, the servomotor 164 driving the drum 148, the servomotor 186 driving the deflector assembly 174, and the servomotor 206 driving the belts 198 of the slow-down section 28.
Modular Construction for Rotary Accumulator
The drum 148 of the rotary accumulator 26 is preferably part of a self-contained drum module assembly adapted to facilitate removal of the drum module from the system 10. Such ready removability of the drum module facilitates replacement of one module with another (e.g., modules having drums of different diameter). As described above, the diameter of the drum 148 defines the limits for the length of the carton blanks 32 that can be handled by the carton handling system 10. Increasing the drum diameter from 13 inches to 15 inches, as described above for example, increases the maximum practical length of carton blanks 32 that can be handled by system 10 in a single batching mode from 38 inches to 44.5 inches. Similarly, increasing the drum diameter from 13 inches to 15 inches, increases the maximum practical length of carton blanks 32 that can be handled by system 10 in a double batching mode from 19 inches to 22 inches. A modular construction that facilitates modification in the drum size, therefore, provides flexibility in the system 10 for handling a wide range of carton blanks 32. It is contemplated that the system 10 include a set of modules having drums ranging in diameter from 11 inches to 15 inches.
Preferably, the drum module includes the drum 148, the servomotor 164, the belts 166, the rollers 168, and the bar assemblies 150, 170, 172 supporting the rollers. Preferably, the drum module is removably supported between the frame members 228, 230 of the frames and spreader assembly 226 supporting the accumulator section 24 and slow-down section 28. In this manner, the drum module can be readied for removal from the system simply by disconnecting electrical connections associated with the servomotor 164.
To facilitate the removal of the drum module assembly from the carton handling system 10, the screw jack assemblies 122 and 240 could be used to support and lift the drum module with respect to the frames and spreader assemblies by using suitable lift structure received on the forked heads 138 of the lift screws 128.
The foregoing describes the invention in terms of embodiments foreseen by the inventor for which an enabling description was available, notwithstanding that insubstantial modifications of the invention, not presently foreseen, may nonetheless represent equivalents thereto.
This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/833,416, filed Jul. 26, 2006.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60833416 | Jul 2006 | US |
