Claims
- 1. A method for inserting an article into a package comprising first and second opposed panels and a mouth, the method comprising:(a) moving the article forwardly in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis on an upper surface of a first conveyor toward an end of the conveyor; (b) transferring the article from the end of the first conveyor to a first surface of a loading plate moving forwardly along the longitudinal axis in a plane below the upper surface of the first conveyor, said loading plate having a second surface opposite the first surface and moving from a rearmost position to a forwardmost position with said end of the conveyor being intermediate the rearmost and forwardmost positions, wherein said loading plate passes under the end of the conveyor as the article reaches the end of the conveyor; (c) moving the loading plate having the article on its first surface into the mouth of the package until the article is completely received inside the package with the first panel overlying the article and the second panel underlying the loading plate; (d) rotate the loading plate with the associated article and package about the longitudinal axis until the second panel of the package is received on the second surface of the loading plate and the article is received on the first panel of the package; (e) displacing the loading plate with the associated article and package such that the article and package become received on a receiving surface with the first panel of the package being received on the receiving surface; and (f) moving the loading plate rearwardly out of the package.
- 2. The method of claim 1, wherein at its rearmost position the loading plate substantially completely underlies the first conveyor.
- 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the article moves along the conveyor at substantially the same velocity as the forwardly moving loading plate.
- 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the loading plate has a forward end which passes under the forward end of the first conveyor as the article reaches the forward end of the first conveyor, such that the article becomes received proximate the forward end of the loading plate.
- 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the package has a closed bottom opposite the mouth, and wherein the forward end of the loading plate contacts the bottom of the package at its forwardmost position.
- 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the package is a bag which is removably held in place on top of a stack of bags, and wherein the forward end of the loading plate at its forwardmost position pushes against the bottom of the bag so as to release the bag from the stack of bags.
- 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the package is a bag and the mouth of the bag is held open as the article and the loading plate enter the bag.
- 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the mouth of the bag is held open by a jet of air directed into the mouth.
- 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the loading plate with the associated article and package are rotated about the longitudinal axis by at least about 180 degrees.
- 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving surface comprises a second conveyor moving in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.
- 11. The method of claim 1, wherein the loading plate has a central axis parallel to the longitudinal axis, and wherein the longitudinal axis is offset from the central axis so that rotation of the loading plate about the axis causes displacement of the loading plate in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.
- 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the longitudinal axis is offset vertically and horizontally from the central axis.
- 13. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising:(f) rotating and displacing the loading plate to its rearmost position with its first surface directed upwardly.
- 14. An apparatus for inserting an article into a package comprising first and second opposed panels and a mouth, the apparatus comprising:(a) a first conveyor having an upper surface which moves the article forwardly in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis toward a forward end of the first conveyor; (b) a packaging station at which the article is inserted in the package, said packaging station being located adjacent the forward end of the first conveyor, the package being supported at the packaging station with its mouth facing the forward end of the first conveyor; (c) a receiving surface to receive the packaged article from the packaging station; (d) a loading plate to receive the article from the forward end of the first conveyor and move it to the packaging station and subsequently move the packaged article from the packaging station to the receiving surface, said loading plate having first and second opposing surfaces and being movable forwardly in a plane below the upper surface of the first conveyor from a rearmost position to a forwardmost position, with the end of the first conveyor being intermediate the rearmost and forwardmost positions, and the forwardmost position corresponding to a position at which the loading plate and the article are received inside the package at the packaging station, said loading plate being sized and shaped to support the article and to be inserted into the package with the article supported thereon; (e) forward displacement means to displace the loading plate forwardly from its rearmost position to its forwardmost position; (f) rotating and displacing means adapted to rotate the loading plate with the packaged article about the longitudinal axis and displace it from the packaging station to the receiving surface; and (g) loading plate withdrawal means to withdraw the loading plate from the package at the receiving surface.
- 15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the receiving surface comprises a second conveyor which moves the article in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.
- 16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the package comprises a bag which is removably held in place on top of a stack of bags, and wherein the apparatus additionally comprises air nozzle means which direct at least one jet of air directed at the mouth of the bag to thereby hold the mouth of the bag open as the article and the loading plate are inserted into the bag.
- 17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the loading plate has a central axis parallel to the longitudinal axis, and wherein the longitudinal axis is offset from the central axis so that rotation of the loading plate about the axis causes displacement of the loading plate in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.
- 18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the central axis of the loading plate is aligned with the article on the conveyor when the first surface of the loading plate is facing upwardly, and wherein the central axis of the loading plate is positioned to one side of the article on the conveyor when the second surface of the loading plate is facing upwardly.
- 19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein:the loading plate is attached by a L-shaped bracket to a shaft which extends along the longitudinal axis, the shaft being connected to a linear actuator which moves the shaft along the longitudinal axis and a rotational motor which rotates the shaft about the longitudinal axis, the bracket having first and second legs perpendicular to one another, the first leg of the bracket is attached to the shaft and the second leg of the bracket is attached to the loading plate such that, with the first surface of the loading plate facing upwardly, the first leg of the bracket is substantially vertical and the second leg of the bracket is substantially horizontal.
Parent Case Info
This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 60/100,642 filed Sep. 11, 1998.
US Referenced Citations (8)
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60/100642 |
Sep 1998 |
US |