Article handling apparatus
US6296423A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 17, 1998 |
| Grant date | Oct 2, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 17, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB65G53/60
- WIPO fieldHandling
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
An apparatus for batching articles from a continuous stream of articles has a conduit comprising an entry duct (2) in which the articles are accelerated by suction. The suction air is drawn from the exit end of the duct, close to a pair of counter-rotating sealing rollers (20) which have resiliently yielding peripheral faces between which the articles pass. At the exit end of the conduit a pair of closure members (24) on opposite sides of the conduit are rotatable in 90.degree. steps in order to collect the articles in batches. The closure members counter-rotate so that in each step they move in the general direction of movement of the articles. In this way it is possible to batch relatively delicate articles at high rates of throughflow.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.