TITLE: APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTINUOUS LOADING AND ACCUMULATION OF ROWS OF SUSPENDEDLY HANDLED ITEMS

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for continuous loading and accumulation of rows of suspendedly handled items .

A movable transfer head picks up such rows and transfers them to a special palletizing station.

The items mentioned herein are namely light-weight and unstable plastic bottles, whose neck has a collar for easier transportation and gripping.

An example of the prior art is known from EP

1342681, which discloses a palletizer for suspendedly handled items , comprising a loading carriage with a plurality of parallel horizontal passageways for receiving the items to be handled; the movable transfer head fits from above, though the top of the passageways, between pairs of upper guides in spaced apart relationship, and picks up the items to move them together to the next station.

It is understood from the above document that the loading carriage which receives the items may be displaced in reciprocating motion for all loaders to be served by the feed channels . A first drawback of the prior art is that the loading step is stopped as the upper grippers open for the head to carry out the pickup step in the alignment position.

The object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for performing rows of items to be palletized and suspendedly handled as claimed below.

Advantages include a higher productivity, the apparatus having a continuous operation thanks to a row

conveyor carpet of sufficient length to separate the loading and row-forming area from the pickup area by the pickup head.

Another advantage is given by the provision of air-operated row conveying channels which utilize the air of upstream lines for checking, removing and filling again the rows .

These objects and advantages are achieved by the apparatus for performing rows of items to be palletized and suspendedly handled according to this invention, which is characterized by the annexed claims .

These and other features will be more apparent from the following description of a few embodiments , which are shown by way of example and without limitation in the accompanying drawings, in which:

- Figure 1 is a front schematic view of a loading and accumulating apparatus according to the present invention,

Figure 2 is a side elevation view of the apparatus as schematically shown in the preceding view,

- Figure 3 is a front view of an embodiment of the apparatus ,

Figure 4 is a side elevation view of the apparatus as shown in Figure 3, - Figure 5 shows a detail of the feed area of the present apparatus .

Referring to Figures 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, numeral 1 generally designated an apparatus for continuous loading and accumulation of rows of suspendedly handled items comprising, at the top, a feed jig 2 with one or more feed channels 3 having air conveying means and grippers 4 for holding the items 5 and, at the bottom, a continuous-motion loader 6 having movable panels 7 or

fixed walls 8 on the outer periphery to define a plurality of passageways 9 as better explained below.

The feed channels 3 are provided in a smaller number than the passageways 9, with a center-to-center distance that is a multiple of that of the underlying passageways 9; they further include flexible conduits 10 connected to the conveyors 11 of the upstream line, wherefrom they receive the air required for carrying the items 5. The feed channels 3 will be obviously held in line with the corresponding underlying passageways 9 so that the line 12 of items can be properly fitted in both; they have such an arrangement that the feed direction of the items is perpendicular to the feed direction of the continuous motion loader.

The continuous-motion loader 6 is of such a length as to define a row loading area, defined by the feed jig 2, and a row pickup area external to such jig 2: an additional section may be provided between said feed area and said pickup area for maintenance and accumulation of the loaded rows 12 of items .

If the passageways 9 are formed by walls 8, these may be vertically removable and include a lower base for supporting the introduced row 12. However, if the passageways 9 are formed by panels 7 , these may be movable and conveniently controlled by solenoid valves or by other means to clamp and/or support the row as needed or to release it to allow it to be gripped (in the pickup area) and/or introduced (in the loading area) .

Still referring to the above case, means are installed along the continuous-motion loader 6 such as pneumatic control cylinders which drive the

corresponding panels 7 closed or open, according to the type of current operation and particularly to the position taken by the row 12, i.e. either in the loading area or in the release/gripping position by the palletizing head associated to the preformer.

Movable panels 8 and fixed walls 7 further include a timing system, which is used for distance adjustment for controlling the opening of the passageway 9 according to the different sizes of items to be handled.

As mentioned above, the feed channels 3 receive air through the flexible conduits 10 connected to the conveyors 11 of the upstream line: a gate (not shown) for each channel 3 controls the flow by adjusting the flow rate for allowing introduction of rows of items 5 or later ejection thereof.

The apparatus 1 further comprises : at the bottom, means 15 for compacting and checking the length of the introduced row 12, said means 15 being located in position with respect to the feed channel and operating on the corresponding passageway 9, at the top, a means 16 for positioning the introduced row 12; such means 16 being movable or rotatable to allow ejection of the rows 12 that have been judged as being non-conforming rows. In case of wrong reading by the lower check means 15, the row positioning and ejection means 16 will be controlled to open, by the corresponding air-operated feed channels 3.

For the apparatus 1 to be suitable to operate with items 5 of multiple sizes, adjustment jacks 17 are mounted to the continuous-motion loader 6, to be controlled by a motor for height adjustment of the passageways 9.

Equivalent hydraulic, mechanical or pneumatic means may be provided instead of the jacks 17.

Likewise, the feed channels 3 are provided with a system or a device for adjusting the distances between the grippers 4 for holding items 5.

Also, the feed jig 2 has means for opening the feed channels 3 (and the grippers 4 for holding the rows 12) and means for lifting or displacing the jig 2 thereby allowing the rows to be carried by the continuous-motion loader 6 to the pickup area.

The method for continuous loading and accumulation of rows of suspendedly handled items according to the present invention is summarized below.

It includes the steps of > introducing one or more rows 12 of items 5 along one or more feed channels 3 using grippers 4 for holding the items , the channels 3 having an air conveying system;

> supporting and/or holding in aligned positions each row 12 so introduced in a series of passageways 9 formed on a continuous-motion loader 6 under said feed channels 3, after opening and releasing the feed channels 3, > feeding each row 12 , by driving the continuous-motion loader 6, to a pickup area. As mentioned above, upon introduction of the rows

12, the channels 3 and the grippers 4 are lowered but, once the items are filled in, they will be opened and raised clear to allow displacement of the loaded rows 12. Each time that the rows 12 are loaded, the continuous-motion loader 6 covers a predetermined feed distance, which is a function of the number of feed channels 3; as it reaches its position, the feed jig 2 which has closed its grippers 4, is lowered. Gaps may be optionally provided between the rows 12.

A row accumulation area may be obviously provided before the pickup area, using a longer continuous- motion loader 6. Furthermore, the method includes the step of compacting or controlling the length of the row introduced in the feed channels and, whenever such length is unacceptable, the step of ejecting the row using the air conveying system of the row holding grippers.

The items are introduced in the feed channels using one or more external conveying lines . Each row may be supported as follows :

- either by two opposed side walls 8 and a bottom support base, said walls defining a passageway parallel to the item introduction direction,

- or by a corresponding gripper means , comprising panels 7 or jaws for clamping or releasing the rows, the panels being parallel to the item introduction direction; in the loading area these panels are opened apart to allow introduction of the row, and are further drawn closer before feeding to the next step.

Thanks to the present method and apparatus 1 a

desired amount of rows can always be picked up, as they have been prepared in the pickup area and in the accumulation area, if any: this allows separation of the preformation station from the pickup station, and the rows may be simultaneously introduced and picked up.

Here, unlike the conventional method, which provides removal of the preformed layer, once the layer has been picked up, other rows remain on the continuous-motion loader.

The rows will be thus picked up from the loader by a suitable gripping head between the bottle necks .

For the rows to be released, the panels 7 of the passageways have to be opened apart in the pickup area or, if fixed walls 8 are used, the rows will be picked up by extraction.

Preferably, the panels 7 will be controlled by solenoid valves .

The apparatus 1 as shown will also be equipped with all the systems that are typically used in similar machines, such as star wheels, allowing to count the items in the row, controlling or counting photocells, ionizing units having the function of eliminating the static charge and else. When using the solution with the continuous-motion loader 6 and movable panels 7 having the function of clamping the items at their bases , a check surface is preferably introduced below them to support the items during pick up of the layer by the transfer head. While this surface is integral with the continuous-motion loader, it allows independent height adjustment which may be manual or motor driven and controlled by appropriate encoders .

Such surface may be located at the pickup and/or accumulation areas .

Finally, pickup may occur either in the pickup area and/or also in the accumulation area, when needed.