Patent · US Expired

Article handling method and apparatus

US5232080A · kind A · utility

27Cited by
15References
16Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 12, 1992
Grant dateAug 3, 1993
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 12, 2012

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB65B23/06
  • WIPO fieldHandling
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A method and apparatus for transferring discrete articles at a receiving and packing station from a randomly supplied conveyor having articles with a plurality of characteristics to a take away conveyor having articles with only certain selected characteristics out of the plurality of characteristics. At each receiving and packing station, the articles having the selected characteristics are transferred from the supply conveyor to a collecting device to form therein a completed row of a certain number of articles. An endless transfer conveyor has a plurality of rows of article holders, each of which, at one point in its travel, is positioned to receive a completed row of articles from the collecting device. The collecting device will deliver a complete row of articles only into an empty row of holders in the transfer conveyor. The transfer conveyor then transfers a completed row of articles to containers on a take away conveyor. A receiving mechanism may be interposed between the transfer conveyor and the containers to receive and lower articles to the containers.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.