Abstract: An infeed conveyor for a packaging machine having a first squeezer conveyor including upper and lower belts spaced to receive workpieces in an end-to-end relationship. Upper speed-up rollers and lower speed-up rollers advance the workpieces further along the path of the first squeezer conveyor. A second conveyor being provided for receiving the workpieces from the speed-up rollers. A third conveyor being positioned above the second conveyor and operating at a lower rate of speed whereby when an upper leading edge of a workpiece engages with the third conveyor, the workpiece is rotated approximately ninety-degrees from its previous orientation. Flight bars rotate with the second conveyor at a rate faster than the second conveyor thereby bunching the workpieces into abutting groups of a predetermined size for entry into a packaging machine.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 17, 1997
Date of Patent:
February 23, 1999
Assignees:
John E. Nordstrom, Barbara A. Norstrom
Inventors:
Christopher J. Rusch, John E. Nordstrom