Background Packaging goods in containers for shipment was originally done by hand. Packaging by hand requires a person to unfold a container to be used, pack the container, and then seal the container for shipment. Automation continuously replaces manual activities for more and more of these different packaging steps, saving both time and money.

The packaging of containers has been automated at almost every stage of the packaging process. In many packaging operations, the product to be packaged does not have to be touched by human hands, rather the products are moved from one area in a facility to another by means of conveyor belts and various other mechanisms known in the art.

Conveyor belts, slide arrangements, and automatic packaging facilities are of obvious utility for reducing labor costs and expediting the packaging process, resulting in lower priced products.

The machines used for packaging may be expensive to purchase and expensive to operate. Operating expenses are increased by the size of the machines as well as by the amount of required maintenance that must be done. Large machines take up a large amount of production facility floor space and cost more money to utilize. Furthermore, maintaining machines that have a number of different moving parts increases costs and may slow down production when complicated or repetitive maintenance and repair is required. A greater number of moving parts increases the likelihood of a machine fouling and increases the number of parts that may wear out and need to be replaced. Furthermore, constant stopping and starting of intermittent motion devices increases the rate of wear of the various moving parts.

An apparatus and method that will increase the efficiency and reduce the cost of packaging products in a container is of obvious utility. A need exists for a packaging machine that has fewer separate moving parts that require maintenance and replacement.

Furthermore, a need exists for a packaging machine that requires the minimal amount of human supervision to perform its function. Ideally, this machine will be compact and easily maintained both during operation and during routine maintenance. Furthermore, eliminating motion devices and reducing the amount of stopping and starting of these devices may reduce breakdown and the costs associated with operational stoppages.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a perspective view of the machine of the present invention from a first side.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the slide, conveyor belt, the turn, and the incline of the present invention from the first side.

Figure 3 is a side view of the machine of the present invention.

Figure 3b is a side view of an alternative embodiment conveyor surface.

Figure 4 is a front view of the waterfall portion of the present invention, including the second conveyor.

Figure 5 is a downstream perspective view of the waterfall and the second conveyor of the present invention.

Figure 6 is a block diagram of the method of operating the present invention.

Figure 7 is a block diagram of the interconnectivity of the separate parts of the present invention.

SUMMARY An apparatus for packaging goods in a box, comprising a first conveyor for receiving an at least one good, the first conveyor transporting the at least one good along a path, the path including a waterfall operatively positioned along the path, wherein the at least one good is moved over the waterfall by the first conveyor. The apparatus further comprising a box positioned below the waterfall, wherein the box is in a position to receive the at least one good from the waterfall.

An apparatus for the packaging of goods in a box, the apparatus further comprising a first conveyor, the first conveyor running in continuous motion and further comprising an incline portion and a steep decline portion; the apparatus further comprising a first wall and a second wall, the first wall and the second wall operably attached to each side of the first conveyor and extending a vertical distance above the first conveyor a plurality of flights, each flight operably attached to the first conveyor and positioned at a repetitive distance along a top surface of the conveyor a source of an at least one good, wherein the source of goods provides the at least one good in a consistently timed manner, placing a predetermined number of the at least one good between each successive flight ; a conveyor return, the conveyor return positioned at the end of the steep decline of the first conveyor; and a second conveyor, the second conveyor being an intermittent conveyor that places a box in a position below the steep decline to receive the at least one good.

A method of packaging goods in a box, the method comprising placing an at least one good on a conveyor; transporting the at least one good on the conveyor over a conveyor path, the path including a steep decline at a downstream end of the conveyor path and dropping the at least one good from the conveyor steep decline into a box.

A machine for the packaging of goods in a box, the machine comprising means for conveying goods from a product loader to a waterfall, the goods being conveyed over the waterfall and deposited into a container, and means for positioning the container underneath the waterfall to receive the goods and to move the container with the goods away from the waterfall.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Machine Overview With reference to Figure 1, an embodiment of a packaging machine 10 of the present invention will be described. As shown in Figure 1, the packaging machine 10 may further comprise a conveyor belt 12, a product loader 14, and a box positioning mechanism 18. The product loader 14 may be operatively attached to the conveyor belt 12 at an upstream point.

The box positioning mechanism 18 may be operatively attached to the conveyor belt 12 at a downstream point.

The path of the conveyor belt 12 of the present embodiment may further comprise a conveyor incline 16 and a conveyor waterfall 17. The incline 16 and the waterfall 17 may be integral parts of the path of the conveyor 12. The incline 16 may be situated at a point in the path of the conveyor 12 after the product loader 14. The waterfall 17 may be situated after the incline.

The path of the conveyor 12 may start at the upstream point before the product loader 14, pass by the product loader 14 to pick up a number of the containers 26 to be packaged, go around a continuous turn 28, up the incline 16, and over the conveyor waterfall 17 at a downstream point. After the conveyor belt 12 goes over the waterfall 17, the conveyor belt 12 may travel a return journey to the starting point and repeat the path.

The present embodiment of the present invention is described in terms of a disposable yogurt container 26. The yogurt container 26 of the present embodiment may be in the shape of a tube. The yogurt container 26 may be produced and filled with product at another area by a vertical form, fill, and seal device (a"VFFS"device) known to those reasonably skilled in the art. After the yogurt is packaged in the containers 26 of the present embodiment, the containers 26 leave the VFFS machine and enter a slide 32 of the product loader 14 as discussed below. These yogurt containers 26 may weigh a few ounces or more and be approximately eight inches long. The product loader 14 illustrated in Figures 1-7 deliver six containers 26 into each section of the conveyor 12. In alternative embodiments, the number of containers 26 delivered may vary. In addition, alternative embodiments may incorporate many different types of containers 12 compatible with the nature and scope of the present invention. Further embodiments may incorporate a different filling device besides the VFFS one mentioned above.

The box of the present embodiment is a standard size cardboard box 30 with a foldable lid. The box 30 may be made of lightweight cardboard and may be folded into a shape designed to receive the goods 26 at an area not within the scope of the present invention. The lids of the box 30 may be unfolded and may be integrally formed of the same piece of cardboard as the main body of the box 30. As those reasonably skilled in the art will appreciate, the box 30 of the present embodiment may be replaced with other types of containers known in the art, for example, shoebox type containers wherein the lid is placed on at a later time. Additionally, containers made out of plastic or other materials may also be utilized.

The Conveyor Belt With reference to Figures 1,2 and 3, the conveyor belt 12 will be herein described.

The conveyor belt 12 of the present embodiment may further comprise a drive unit 20, a first sidewall 22, and a second sidewall 24. The drive unit 20 may be operatively attached to the conveyor at a downstream end. The first sidewall 22 and the second sidewall 24 may be operably attached and situated on alternative sides of the path of the conveyor belt 12. The first sidewall 22 and the second sidewall 24 may extend vertically above the conveyor belt 12.

As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, in an alternative embodiment, the drive unit 20 may be attached to any point along the path of the conveyor belt 12.

As illustrated in Figure 2, the conveyor belt 12 of the present embodiment may further comprise a conveyor surface 40 and a plurality of flights 42. The plurality of flights 42 may be fixedly positioned at a regular interval along the conveyor surface 40 of the conveyor belt 12. The plurality of flights 42 of the present embodiment may be approximately two inches tall, though in alternative embodiments this height may be different. The flights 42 should be of a height and shape to effectively separate the groups of containers 26 that are to be packaged in different boxes 30. Conveyor belts 12 of this type are well known in the art and may be substituted by other types of conveyor belts 12 known to those reasonably skilled in the art.

The flights 42 of the present embodiment may be narrow, rectangular pieces of plastic. The flights 42 may be positioned so they are vertically disposed on the surface of the conveyor belt 12, running substantially from the first sidewall 22 to the second sidewall 24.

The flights 42 may be a structure that separate successive loads of containers 26 from one another. The flights 42 may be of such a height and shape that there is no interference with the waterfall 17, or other parts of the path of the conveyor belt 12. The flights 42 should made of such a material that will allow them to withstand the weight of the containers 26 to be packaged and the stress of the continuous operation of the present invention packaging machine 10. The flights 42 of the present embodiment may be substituted by other flights made with different shapes and materials known to those skilled in the art that will accomplish the functions as described further below.

The present embodiment may position the conveyor flights 42 on the conveyor surface 40 so that the flights 42 have a pitch 44 (the distance from one flight to the next, as represented in Figure 2 as X-Xl) of 12 inches. The pitch 44 may be the distance between two successive flights 42 and describe the conveyor surface 40 therein. The two successive flights 42 of a pitch 44 may be called a lead flight 42a and a trail flight 42b. As may be appreciated by an observer, inherently the trail flight 42b of one pitch 44 will also serve as the lead flight 42a of the next successive pitch 44, depending on the perspective and focus of the observer.

This description will alternatively refer to flights 42 as lead flights 42a and trail flights 42b depending on the focus needed for the current description. Furthermore, for purposes of clarity, each flight 42 is labeled as flight 42 except for the lead flight 42a and the trail flight 42b on either side of the slide 32 in Figure 7.

As illustrated in Figure 3b, an alternative embodiment of the conveyor surface 40 may further comprise a number of corrugated grooves 41. The corrugated grooves 41 may be transfixed laterally to the direction the conveyor belt 12 moves. The corrugated slots, as shown in Figure 3b, run from one side of the conveyor 12 to the other side of the conveyor 12. The grooves 41 of the present embodiment may be of a width and length so that the containers 26 of the present embodiment may easily nest in each slot. As mentioned above, the container 26 of the present embodiment may be a tube. The shape of the tube may be especially adapted to removably nest with the corrugated shaped conveyor surface 40.

The Product Loader With reference to Figures 1 and 2, the product loader 14 will be further described. As illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the product loader 14 may further comprise a slide 32, a stop 34, and a sidewall gap 36. In the present embodiment, the slide 32 may be positioned at any point along the first sidewall 22. The slide 32 may be operatively attached to feed the yogurt containers 26 of the present embodiment through the sidewall gap 36 of the first sidewall 22.

The stop 34 may be fixedly attached to the second sidewall 24 in a position directly across from the slide 32 and the sidewall gap 36. As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, the product loader 14 may be positioned at any point compatible with the space and size limitations of the area the packaging machine 10 is to be placed in. Furthermore, though the present embodiment utilizes a gap 26 in the first sidewall 22, alternative embodiments may have the slide 32 simply run over the sidewall 22 without requiring a gap therein.

The slide 32 of the present embodiment transports the containers 26 to the conveyor belt 12. As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, the present embodiment uses an automated system to place substantially identical containers 26 on the conveyor belt 12 to be packaged. Since the conveyor belt 12 of the present invention operates in a continuous motion loop, it may be desirable to place all the yogurt containers 26 to be packaged in one box 30 onto the conveyor belt 12 at the same time. In alternative embodiments, the conveyor 12 may collect the containers 12 individually or in pairs from different slide stations. In alternative embodiments, the conveyor 12 may collect different containers 26 or products to be packaged together in one box 30. In still further embodiments, the present embodiment slide 32, which has three slots in the present embodiment, may have a greater or number of slots. As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, the containers 26 must be timed to leave the slide at a consistent interval to place them on the conveyor 12 with the proper separation.

The stop 34 may be positioned on the opposite side of the conveyor 12 from the slide 32, operably attached to the second sidewall 24. The stop 34 may be in a position to arrest the forward momentum of the containers 26 as the containers 26 reach the end of the slide 32.

The stop 34 insures that the containers 12 come to rest on the conveyor belt 12. It is important that the containers 12 do not accidentally travel over the second sidewall 24 and off of the present invention packaging system 10. This would result in waste, inefficiency, and a poor packaging apparatus if it were to happen on a regular basis. The stop 34 may be of any size and shape that will accomplish the intended purpose.

The slide 32 of the present embodiment transports the filled yogurt containers 26 of the present embodiment from the filling area to the present invention packaging machine 10.

The containers 26, when they reach the bottom of the slide 32, are at such a speed that they travel off the slide 32 to a position overtop of the conveyor belt 12. The end of the slide 32 may be angled in such a position so that the containers 26, as they reach the end of the slide 32, are traveling in a direction and at a speed that may allow them to contact the stop 34 and come to rest in the proper position on the conveyor belt 12.

As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, various changes may be made to the present embodiment product loader 14 without changing the scope of the present invention.

For instance, the slide 32 may be steeper or shallower, or a gate may be added to halt the momentum of the containers 26 before allowing them to gently topple onto the slide. In alternative embodiments, a cover may by placed over the top of the conveyor 12 to further assist the stop 34 in arresting the motion of the containers 26.

As illustrated in Figure 2, the arrival of the containers 26 at the end of the slide 32 may be timed so that the containers 26 come off of the slide 32 as the lead flight 42a and the trail flight 42b of the pitch 44 are situated on opposite sides of the slide 32 and the sidewall gap 36. Since the conveyor belt 12 of the present invention is in continuous operation, the timing of the arrival of the containers 26 may be coordinated with the pitch 44 of the flights 42 by one reasonably skilled in the art using the logic central feature described further herein.

As the containers 26 move off of the slide 32, the motion of the containers 26 may be halted by the stop 34 and come to a rest between the lead flight 42a and the trail flight 42b which define the queued pitch 44.

The conveyor belt 12 and product loader 14 of the present embodiment together present an advantage to the present invention. The continuous operation 12 of the conveyor belt 12 allowed by the slide 32 of the product loader 14 results in less wear and tear on the conveyor 12. In the prior art, where the conveyor 12 was being constantly stopped and started, resulted in wear on the machine. Less wear may result in a longer life for the machine 10, reducing the production costs. Furthermore, any jams or problems with the slide 32, or conveyor 12, may be easily viewable because of the open nature of the packaging system 10.

The continuous motion of the conveyor 12 and the waterfall 17 (described below) allow for a higher speed packaging system 10. The present invention allows the user to package 45 boxes or more per minute. Faster packaging further lowers the overall cost.

The Path of the Conveyor 12 With reference to Figures 1,2, and 3, the path of the conveyor belt 12 will be herein described. The conveyor belt 12 of the present embodiment may begin moving at a point upstream of the slide 32. The conveyor belt 12 of the present embodiment may then travel through a smooth ninety degree turn 28. The ninety degree turn 28 of the present embodiment aligns the conveyor belt 12, and the goods 26 resting thereon, in a position so they may travel up the incline 16. In alternative embodiments, the conveyor path may be substantially straight from the product loader to the waterfall 17, depending on the configuration desired by the user.

Once the conveyor belt 12 has transported the containers 26 through the ninety degree turn 28, the conveyor belt 12 transports the containers up the incline path 16. After the incline 16, the conveyor belt 12 may go over the waterfall 16. The incline path 16 of the present embodiment is approximately thirty degrees, but as will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, this incline angle may be more or less depending on the construction of the embodiment and the nature of the containers 26 to be packaged.

The incline path 16 of the conveyor belt 12 may serve several purposes in the present invention packaging machine 10. As illustrated in Figure 3, the incline 16 may insure that the containers 26 are nested against the trail flight 42b of the pitch 44. Nesting the containers 26 against the trail flight 42b of the pitch 44 may aid the uniform delivery of the containers 26 into the box 30. The incline path 16 may also help to insure that the containers 26 are not improperly aligned in the pitch 44 (for example, aligned with the long side of the container 26 disposed along the path of the conveyor belt 12 instead of transverse to the same). As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, the vibrating member 50 will enable the misaligned containers 26 to seat themselves properly. Finally, the incline path 16 of the conveyor belt 12 transports the container 26 to a higher vertical position so that the waterfall 17 of the conveyor 12 described below has the vertical room to place the containers 26 into the box 30 in which they are to be packaged.

As illustrated in Figure 3, the incline path 16 of the present invention may further comprise a vibrating member 50. The vibrating member 50 may help to insure that the containers 26 riding on the conveyor belt 12 are properly positioned on the conveyor belt 12 resting against the flight 42b. In the alternative embodiment with grooves 41 on the conveyor surface 40, the vibrating member will insure that the containers 26 are properly nested in the corresponding groove 41. The vibrating member 50 may be attached below the conveyor belt surface 40 and between the first sidewall 22 and the second sidewall 24. In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 3, the vibrating member 50 may only actuate the conveyor surface 40 over a short part of the path. An alternative embodiment may have the vibrating member 50 actuating the conveyor over a longer length of the conveyor belt 12 as it travels up the incline 16.

As noted above, the vibrating member 50 may aid in the deposition of the containers 26 in the correct position between the first flight 42a and the second flight 42b. The vibrator 50 may accomplish this by providing a vibrating action to the conveyor surface 40 and the containers 26 disposed thereon. Depending on the shape and weight of the container 26 utilized in different embodiments, the vibrator 50 may be required over a longer length of the path of the conveyor belt 12 and may need to provide a greater force or a higher speed vibration. In alternative embodiments, the vibrator 50 and the incline 16 may not be necessary to insure the proper placement of the containers 26.

With reference to Figures 1,3, and 4, the waterfall 17 portion of the conveyor of the present embodiment will be described. As illustrated in Figure 3, the waterfall 17 may further comprise a conveyor decline 54, a belt return 56, a conveyor cover 58, and a container sensor 59. The belt return 56 may be operatively attached to the conveyor belt 12 and the conveyor cover 58 may be operatively attached to the first sidewall 22 to the second sidewall 24 in a position over the top of the conveyor 12, from a point before the waterfall 17 until a position near the belt return 56. The container sensor 59 may be operably and fixedly attached to the waterfall 17. The container sensor 59 is described more fully below in the context of the box positioning mechanism 18.

When the containers are moved over the waterfall 17 by the action of the conveyor belt 12, all of the containers 26 resting in each pitch 44, nested up against the front face of the trail flight 42b, may be moved by the force of gravity to a position on the rear face of the lead flight 42a. The containers 26 come to nest in this position as the conveyor belt 12 continues to travel down the substantially downward vertical path. The previous nesting of the containers 26 onto the front face of the rear flight 44b facilitates the uniform falling of the containers 26 to a resting position on the rear face of the front flight 44a.

The containers 26 do not fall off the conveyor 12 because the conveyor surface 40 and the cover 58 bind the containers 26. As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, the inside of the conveyor cover 58 may be relatively smooth to facilitate the passage of the containers 26 without catching or obstructing the same. In an alternative embodiment with the grooves 41, the containers 26 may go from resting in the corresponding groove 41 to being nested up against the rear face of the lead flight 42a.

When the pitch 44 reaches the belt return 56, the conveyor belt 12 may reverse direction to move back toward the upstream end of the path of the conveyor belt 12. As illustrated in Figure 3, the movement of the conveyor belt 12 around the belt return 56 moves the lead flight 42a out from under the containers 26. Without the support of the lead flight 42a, the containers 26 drop into the box 30 positioned below the waterfall 17. The drop from the waterfall 17 to the box 30 of the present embodiment may be approximately three inches.

The containers 26 are now packaged in the box 30, ready to be sealed and shipped.

As illustrated in Figures 3,4, and 5, the conveyor cover 58 will be further described.

The conveyor cover 58 of the present embodiment may be further comprised of a lower cover 60, an upper cover 62, a lower handle 64, and an upper handle 66. The lower cover 60 may be pivotally attached over the vertical section of the waterfall 17 and the upper cover 62 may be pivotally attached over the curved top portion of the waterfall 17. The lower handle 64 and the upper handle 66 are fixedly attached on the face of the lower cover 64 and the upper cover 66, respectively. The lower cover 60 and the upper cover 62 may be of such a size so that they form a substantially continuous covering over the conveyor belt 12 from a position just before the waterfall 17, all the way down the waterfall 17, and until the position where the containers 26 fall off of the lead flight 42a and into the box 30. In alternative embodiments the cover 58 may traverse a larger or small amount of the path of the conveyor 12.

The lower cover 60 and the upper cover 62 insure that the containers 26, as they are moved over the waterfall 17, do not fall off of the conveyor belt 12 and miss the box 30. The containers 26 may be confined between the upper cover 62 and the lower cover 64, the conveyor belt surface 40, and the lead flight 42a. After the conveyor belt 12 reaches the belt return 56, and the lead flight 42a moves out from under the containers 26, the containers 26 may be confined between the lower cover 60 and the conveyor belt 12 as the containers 26 fall into the box 30.

The pivotal connection of the lower cover 60 and the upper cover 62 may provide an advantage to the present embodiment. Because the lower cover 60 and the upper cover 62 may be pivotally connected to the waterfall 17, the covers 60 and 62 may be easily removed.

The ability to remove the covers 60 and 62 ameliorates the cleaning of the machine and the removal of any jammed containers 26. The covers 60 and 62 may also provide some degree of safety.

The covers 60,62 of the present embodiment may be made out of a clear plastic material such as LEXANTM. In alternative embodiments, the covers 60 and 62 may be formed out of any material known to those reasonably skilled in the art and useful for such an application. In the present embodiment, the covers 60 and 62 may be clear to provide a viewable waterfall 17, but as one reasonably skilled in the art may appreciate, this is not necessary to the scope of the present invention.

As shown in Figures 1, 3, and 5, when the conveyor belt 12 travels over the waterfall 17, the containers 26 accumulate on the backside of the lead flight 42a. When the lead flight 42a reaches the belt return 56, the containers 26 may slide off the backside of the lead flight 42a and drop into the box 30.

In the present embodiment, the waterfall 17 moves the conveyor belt 12 into a substantially downward vertical path at a point soon after the conveyor belt 12 has reached the highest point of the incline 16. In alternative embodiments, the conveyor belt 12 may instead have a longer plateau before going over the waterfall 17. Furthermore, the downwards slope of the waterfall 17 itself, while substantially vertical, may be more gently sloping until the conveyor belt 12 reaches the belt return and the lead flight 42a may be moved out from a supporting position underneath the containers 26. A variety of alternative embodiments may be imagined by one reasonably skilled in the art.

The Box Positioning System With reference to Figures 1,4, and 5, the box positioning mechanism 18 of the present invention will be described. As illustrated in Figures 1,4, and 5, the box positioning mechanism 18 may be attached in a position below the waterfall 17. The box positioning mechanism 18 may further comprise a box conveyor 70, a first positioning bar 72, a second positioning bar 74, a take-away conveyor 76, and a box sensor 78. The box conveyor 70 may be operatively attached in a position underneath the waterfall 17. The first positioning bar 72 and the second positioning bar 74 may be attached in a position above the box conveyor 70 in a substantially parallel path. The sensor 78 may be operatively attached to the box conveyor 70 and in a position to monitor the placement of the containers 26 in the box 30. The take away conveyor 76 may be operatively attached downstream of the box conveyor 70.

The box conveyor 70 brings the boxes 30 to a queue position underneath the waterfall 17.

As illustrated in Figure 5, the box conveyor 70 may further comprise a conveyor surface 80, a plurality of conveyor bars 82, and a conveyor bar motivator 84. The plurality of conveyor bars 82 may be operably positioned at a point above the conveyor surface 80 and attached at either end to the conveyor bar motivator 84. The conveyor bars 82 may be at a height to push the boxes 30 along the surface 80 when the motivator 84 commences. The conveyor motivator 84 may be a belt drive or chain drive system known to those reasonably skilled in the art. The boxes 30 may be brought to the beginning of the box conveyor 70 by another conveyor (not shown) or alternatively, may be placed thereon by an operator.

The box conveyor 70 utilizes intermittent motion to position the box 30 under the waterfall 17 in a location to receive the containers 26. The conveyor bar motivator 84 operates on a timed intermittent path. The intermittent motion may be timed and positioned to stop the box 30 underneath the waterfall 17 of the conveyor belt 12 at a time before the containers 26 fall off of the lead flight 42a. Intermittent motion conveyors of this type are known to those reasonably skilled in the art and may be replaced by other systems known to the same, for example, an alternative embodiment may utilize a conveyor with flights such as the conveyor 12.

As previously noted, the sensor 59 may also be operably attached to the waterfall 17 in a position to register the passing of the container 26. The sensor 59 may indicate to the box conveyor 70 to delay moving a particular box 30 if that box has not received containers 26. The sensor 59 of the present embodiment may be an electronic eye sensor 59 that registers the passage of containers 26 into the box 30. If the eye sensor 59 does not register the passage of containers 26 down the waterfall 17 and into the box 30, the box conveyor 70 will not allow the box 30 to be moved to the take-away conveyor 76.

The box sensor 78 may be operably positioned and fixedly connected to the box conveyor 70. The box sensor 78 may indicate to the waterfall 17 and the box conveyor 17 whether a box 30 is properly queued in position to receive the containers 26. If a box 30 is not properly queued, then the sensor 78 may slow down or stop the action of the conveyor belt 12. Once the sensor 78 does register that there is a box 30 properly queued then the sensor may cause the conveyor belt 12 to resume normal operating speed.

The interaction of the sensor 59, sensor 78, and the box conveyor 70 represents one of the advantages of the present invention packaging system 10. Unlike prior art devices, the present invention packaging system 10 guards against empty boxes 30 and over packed boxes 30. The packaging system 10 further accomplishes uniform box filling without the constant supervision of an operator, reducing the overall cost of packaging.

The first positioning bar 72 and the second positioning bar 74 may help to insure that the box 30 may be in a position to receive the containers 26 from the waterfall 17. The box conveyor 70 stops the box 30 underneath the waterfall 17 and the first bar 72 and the second bar 74 insure that the box 30 will be in the correct position to receive the containers 26 as they are released by the lead flight 42a of the conveyor belt 12. Furthermore, the first bar 72 and the second bar 74 insure that the box 30 does not tip or fall over when the containers 26 fall into it.

As illustrated in Figure 5, the present embodiment may also include a shoe horn 86 that engages the top of the box 30. The shoe horn 86 may be fixedly attached on the lower cover 60 and extend low enough to engage the box 30. As previously noted, the top of the box 30 utilized in the present embodiment may be integrated into the main body of the box 30 and may be of the fold down variety. When the box 30 is pushed along by the box conveyor 70 and engages the first bar 72 and second bar 74, the part of the box 30 top that is sticking up in the air may engage the shoehorn 86. The shoehorn 86 may prevent the top of the box 30 from binding against the structure of the waterfall 17.

The box conveyor 70 of the present embodiment allows a box 30 to be in position when the waterfall 17 releases the containers 26 that are to be packaged in the box 30. The timing of such a system may be accomplished by known methods. After the containers 26 are placed in the box 30, the box conveyor 70 may push the box 30 to the take-away conveyor 76.

The take-away conveyor 76 may move the filled boxes 30 to another point to be sealed for packaging and shipment.

As illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, there may be a series of rollers 90 between the box conveyor 70 and the take-away conveyor 76. The rollers 90 may be operably attached to the box conveyor 70 and the take-away conveyor 76. The rollers 90 facilitate the movement of the box 30. The box conveyor 70 may present the box 30 to the rollers 90 with a certain forward momentum. The momentum carries the box across the rollers 90 until the take-away conveyor 76 catches the box 30.

As illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, the rollers 90 and the take-away conveyor 76 may be bordered by a first border 92 and a second border 94 to prevent the box from falling off of the same. The first border 92 and the second border 94 may be fixedly attached at an appropriate height above the take-away conveyor 76 on either side of the same. Rollers 90 and borders 92 and 94 are well known to those reasonably skilled in the art.

The Method of Operation Figure 6 is a block diagram showing the method of operation of the present invention packaging means 10. This invention has several operations that are performed in a simultaneous fashion. Each operation will be described as a separate action independent of the others that are concurrently running. The last figure, Figure 7, shows a block diagram of the interconnectivity of the various elements attached to and controlled by the Logic Circuit ("PLC"). The PLC is the central processing unit and programming platform that controls the operation of this invention. The following describes the method incorporating the commands of the PLC. Like the embodiment above, the acts of the present invention method are described in terms of an embodiment that utilizes a yogurt filled container as the container 26 to be placed in the box 30.

As shown in Figure 7, the PLC is connected the conveyor 12. The PLC of the present embodiment controls the actions of the first conveyor 12 and the box conveyor 70. The action of the box conveyor 70 may be controlled to insure that the there are an at least one container 26 in each box 30. Once there is power flowing into each of the parts of the present invention that require power, the process of packaging the containers in a box 30 will begin.

As shown in Block 100, the first step in the present invention method may be to place the containers 26 on the first conveyor 30. The present embodiment utilizes a slide 32 to transport the yogurt containers 26 from the filling area to the packaging area. The slide 32 allows the containers 26 to shoot out over the continuous first conveyor 12 and come to a rest between two successive flights 42 on the conveyor 12, stopped into position by the stop 34.

The PLC may be programmed to insure that the containers 26 arrive at the conveyor 12 when a lead flight 42a and a trail flight 42b are situated on either side of the slide 32. One skilled in the art may program the PLC to synchronize the conveyor 12 to coincide with the placement of the containers 26 onto the slide 32 of the present embodiment.

The containers 26 of the present embodiment are placed in corresponding pitches 44.

As previously noted, the pitch 44 is the area between one flight 42 and the next successive flight 42. When the containers 26 are first placed in the pitch 44 by the slide, 32, the containers may be haphazardly strewn on the conveyor surface 40. The containers 26 may be transported up an incline 16 to assure that the containers 26 are uniformly nested before placement in the box 30. Block 102. The incline may uniformly nest the containers 26 against the front surface of the trail flight 42b. During the incline, the conveyor 12 may be vibrated by the vibrator 50 to insure that the containers 26 are nested against the trail flight 42b of the pitch 44.

Once the containers 26 have been transported up the incline 16, the containers are transported over the waterfall 17. Block 104. The waterfall 17 places all of the goods against the back side of the lead flight 42a. Block 106. The conveyor 12 then goes through the conveyor return 58 that moves the lead flight 42a out from underneath the containers 26 piled thereon. The containers then drop into a box 30 that has been queued into position by the action of the box conveyor 70. Block 108.

The waterfall 17 insures nests the containers on the forward flight 42a and insures that there may be a separation between groups of falling containers 26. If the containers were not first gathered upon the lead flight 42a, or if there were no flights 42, the containers may go over the waterfall in a random order and may then get jumbled up with boxes 30 which may have not moved out of the way yet in time for the next box 30 to be queued.

The box conveyor 70 may be the intermittent conveyor as described above. The movement of the conveyor bar 82 may push the box 30 through the positioning bar 72 and positioning bar 74 to a position beneath the waterfall 17 in a position ready to receive the containers 26. The sensor 78 indicates whether containers 26 were indeed dropped from a pitch 44 into the box 30. Block 108. If the sensor 78 does not indicate placement of containers 26, the box conveyor 70 will not actuate and move the box 30 out from underneath the waterfall 17 until the sensor 78 indicates proper packaging.

As illustrated in Figure 7, the box conveyor 70 and the sensor 78 may be operably attached to the PLC. The PLC may be programmed to interpret the signal from the sensor 78 and control the operation of the box conveyor 70. The PLC may further be connected to the first conveyor 12 and the take-away conveyor 76. The PLC may be programmed to start the first conveyor 12 at such a time to coordinate the arrival of the containers 26 from the slide 32 when a pitch 44 is in the proper position to receive them.

Once the containers 26 are properly placed in a box 30, the box may be pushed by action of the box conveyor 70 to the take-away conveyor 76. The take-away conveyor 76 moves the box 30 out of the present invention packaging apparatus 10. Block 110.

Although the description of this machine and the present embodiment has been quite specific, it is contemplated that various deviations can be made to this embodiment without deviating from the scope of the present invention. Accordingly, it is intended that the scope of the present invention be dictated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description of this embodiment.