Round product divider for packaging line
US5768860A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 7, 1996 |
| Grant date | Jun 23, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 7, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB65G2201/0244
- WIPO fieldHandling
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
Round bottles are moved between side walls in a tightly packed configuration by an underlying conveyor in a packaging line that requires the bottles to be divided into a plurality of side-by-side lanes for entry into the packer. The divider has selectively movable panels that normally form a divergent funnel for the bottles to allow them to expand and to move into the lanes. Void detectors in each of the outside lanes provide a signal to move one or both panels outwardly to clear a jam of bottles in the funnel. After a delay, the panels return slowly to their normal positions where they remain until the void detectors signal another jam in the funnel.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.