Claims
- 1. In an automatic loading apparatus for aligning and loading a predetermined amount of elongated strips of product into individual containers wherein batches of elongated strips are periodically discharged from a product feed, the improvement comprising:
- turret assembly means having a plurality of buckets, wherein said buckets move through a horizontal path, and wherein each of said batches from said product feed is received by a separate one of said buckets,
- turret vibration means for vibrating said turret assembly means to cause said batches of elongated strips to become somewhat more aligned, and
- bucket door means formed in each of said buckets for periodically emptying said batches from said buckets.
- 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said turret assembly means has at least two levels of buckets, one above the other, wherein each level of buckets follows a circular path, and wherein said upper level of buckets periodically empties its batch of elongated strips into a bucket moving on said lower level.
- 3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein each of said buckets on said lower level has a bottom which is inclined upwardly in the direction of travel of said bucket.
- 4. An automatic loading apparatus for aligning and loading a predetermined amount of elongated strips of product into individual containers wherein batches of elongated strips are periodically discharged from a product feed, comprising:
- turret assembly means adapted to rotate about a vertical axis, having a plurality of buckets arranged in a path around said vertical axis, wherein each of said batches from the product feed is fed into a separate one of said buckets,
- turret vibration means for vibrating said turret assembly means to cause said batches of elongated strips to become somewhat more aligned,
- bucket door means formed in each of said buckets for periodically emptyinq said batches from said buckets,
- flight conveyor means, having a horizontal pan and a plurality of flights, wherein each of said buckets empties its batch onto said pan between adjacent flights,
- pan vibrating means for vibrating said pan to cause further alignment of said elongated strips, and
- discharge means for transferring each of said batches from said flight conveyor means into a separate container.
- 5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said turret assembly means has an upper and lower level of buckets, and wherein said buckets on the upper level periodically empty their contents into a bucket on said lower level, and wherein said buckets on said lower level periodically empty their contents onto said flight conveyor means.
- 6. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising an adjustable inner guide means for said flight conveyor means for gradually narrowing the pocket formed between adjacent flights of said flight conveyor means.
- 7. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said bucket door means includes a door actuating means wherein an over the center knuckle joint linkage is driven by an air cylinder.
Parent Case Info
This application is a division of application Ser. No. 788,589, filed Nov. 6, 1991 pending.
US Referenced Citations (3)
Foreign Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0222274 |
Apr 1958 |
AUX |
0262716 |
Dec 1985 |
JPX |
0391563 |
Sep 1965 |
CHX |
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
788589 |
Nov 1991 |
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