Abstract: A container metering device (10) is disclosed including longitudinally split pins (12) having first and second portions (12a, 12b). The second portions (12b) are mounted to cross bars (16) mounted on and around a roller chain (18) in the form of an endless loop. The first portions (12a) are mounted to a shaft (70) rotatably mounted relative to the cross bars (16) for pivotal movement relative to the second portions (12b) between a first, abutting position insertable into the windows between adjacent containers (14) in a packaging lane and a second, open position. The cross bars (16) include cam followers (20) for engaging a cam track (26) of a cam support (24) for changing the pitch between adjacent pins (12) of the endless loop. Cam followers (74) are mounted on the free ends of crank arms (76) secured to the shafts (70) for engaging a second cam track (82) adjustably mounted on the cam support (24) for pivoting the first portions (12a) relative to the second portions (12b).

Abstract: A machine (10) for loading product onto trays or the like is shown in the preferred embodiment including paddles (16) pivotally mounted to spaced, horizontally arranged chains (30) located above the conveyor (12). A cam track (46) arranged above the chains (30) is engaged by cam followers (48) mounted on the paddles (16). The chains (30) are mounted at an angle relative to the conveyor (12). The paddles (16) are moved by the chains (30) to move longitudinally at the same speed as the product on the conveyor (12) while being held parallel to the movement direction of the conveyor (12) by the followers (48) engaging the cam track (46) to thus simultaneously move laterally across the conveyor (12) to push product located intermediate lugs (14) on the conveyor (12).

Abstract: A method and apparatus for stacking products such as trays are disclosed utilizing a rotary ferris wheel device which raises product off a conveyor and places it on a platform where it is pushed off unto additional product being conveyed on the conveyor. Specifically, an arm is rotated from a noninterfering position below the conveyor until a pivotally mounted shoe on the free end of the arm abuts the product without gripping or attachment thereto, raises the product off the conveyor, and places the product on a platform. The next product on the conveyor is allowed to be conveyed on the conveyor without interference. After the arm is rotated from under the platform into a noninterfering position below the conveyor, the product is pushed off the platform unto the product which remained on the conveyor. Thereafter, the stacked products continue to be conveyed on the conveyor.

Abstract: A packaging machine and more particularly a machine for setting up a container from a blank (16) of corrugated board is disclosed as including a uniquely arranged magazine (10) for a plurality of container blanks (16) of corrugated board and including a structure to directly set up the shape of the container in a controlled manner for enabling a product to be easily loaded and for subsequent processing by the packaging machine. The unique direct setup arrangement utilizes arcuately moving arms (24) with vacuum cups (26) thereon which attach themselves to a blank (16) in the magazine (10) and move through an arc of less than 90.degree. from a vertically inclined position to a generally horizontal position. The arms (24) and blank (16) are then moved horizontally so that the side edge portions of the major panel (18) of the blank (16), such as the bottom panel, are positioned under horizontal flap guides (74).

Abstract: A device (10) for metering containers (14) for use in packaging machines is disclosed as including a pin system (11) which is pivotally mounted about its drive shaft (22) relative to a conveyor (54). Pin system (11) includes a driven flexible member in the form of cross bars (16) mounted to a roller chain (18) in a generally elliptically shaped endless loop, with the pins (12) extending form the cross bars (16) and being operatively attached to cam followers (20) thereby. The elliptically shaped endless loop is supported by a cam support (24) extending between drive and idler sprockets (28, 32) for continuously changing the pitch angles of the pins (12) along a portion of the endless loop.

Abstract: A chain guide (10) secured to an attachment tab (22) of an attachment link (20) of a roller chain (12) is disclosed for stabilizing the roller chain (12) on a chain rail (14). Chain guide (10) is generally symetrical about longitudinal and lateral axes and includes a central, right parallelepiped portion (26) integrally formed intermediate end portions (34) having a cross section of an isosceles triangle. The surfaces (36) of end portions (34) pilot chain guide (10) onto the chain rail (14). The support surfaces (28) of portion (26) slideably abut the face (16) of the chain rail (14). A socket (46) is provided intermediate and parallel to the support surfaces (28) for slideably receiving the attachment link (20). In the most preferred form, chain guide (10) is secured to the attachment tab (22) by detents (56) formed on the sides (48) of socket (46) for a snap interlock with a hole (24) formed in the attachment tab (22).

Abstract: A lane divider for automatically dividing a single row of objects into a plurality of rows is shown in its preferred form as including a diverting conveyor having an outfeed end movable between a plurality of lane positions. The diverting conveyor includes belts located on the faces of first and second elongated pivot bars to form an object passage channel. The elongated pivot bars are pivotally mounted in a parallelogram arrangement about fixed axes adjacent the infeed end and about axes adjacent the outfeed end which are reciproated. Opposite point deflection between the belts is minimized by changing the relative length of the drive chain between the drive shafts of the belts in response to the pivoting of the elongated pivot bars by pivotally interrelating the elongated pivot bars to a plate pivotally mounting idler sprockets on opposite sides of one of the drive shafts.