Includes Rotary Article Separator Patents (Class 414/797.3)
  • Patent number: 8870519
    Abstract: A carton feeding system is provided for feeding selected cartons from a stack of cartons contained within a carton magazine to a downstream carton conveyor such as for a product packaging machine. A carton picking device removes a selected carton from the stack of cartons within the magazine, after which the carton is engaged between a carton engaging segment of the primary segment wheel and a draw roller, which pulls the carton from the magazine and feeds the carton along a first path of travel. Thereafter, a secondary segment wheel engages and redirects a leading portion of the carton toward a second path of travel. The carton then is fed along its second path of travel toward engagement between a pair of downstream nip rolls that feed the carton into the downstream carton conveyor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Graphic Packaging International, Inc.
    Inventor: Pete Karst
  • Patent number: 8668429
    Abstract: The invention describes a depalleting device (1) and a method for operating the latter for a transported product (2) provided in a stack comprising a mounting table (8) which is adjustable linearly in a guiding arrangement (10) by a feed drive (9), and comprising a conveying device (4) arranged on the latter and drive-connected to a drive motor and with a mounting conveying device (23) arranged at least at one end section (20) of the conveying device (4). The mounting conveying device (23) is drive-connected to a drive motor that is independent of the drive of the conveying device (4). By means of a detecting means (52) of the mounting conveying device (23) a load parameter is detected which acts on the latter on placing a conveying roller up to the transported product (2) and a signal is generated in a control and regulating device for controlling the speed of the drive motor of the mounting conveying device (23).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: TGW Mechanics GmbH
    Inventor: Karl Angleitner
  • Patent number: 8342791
    Abstract: The invention relates to a depalletizing device comprising a carriage as well as a friction roller attached to the carriage, which friction roller is rotatable about a horizontal rotation axis and is coupled to a rotational drive in order to rotate. The carriage can be moved to and fro in a direction at right angles to the rotation axis of the friction roller in order to push the friction roller against a side of an object on the pallet in such a manner that the friction roller exerts an upward friction force on the object as a result of which the object is raised on that side, and in order for the friction roller to pass underneath said object after the latter has been raised. The depalletizing device comprises drive means with variable driving power in order to drive the carriage. The drive means comprise detection means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: CSi Industries B.V.
    Inventor: Mark Van De Klundert
  • Patent number: 8251229
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a system for removing a plastic wrap from a cylindrical module includes a conveyor transporting the cylindrical module toward a disperser with the cylindrical axis of the module parallel to the direction of conveyor movement. In another embodiment, the disperser is a travelling head disperser thereby providing relative movement between the modules and the disperser. The direction of the wrap around the module is determined and the cover is removed during rotation of the module, either by unwrapping the plastic or by slitting the plastic and then rotating the module. The equipment used to handle a cylindrical module is moved out of the path of movement of a conventional rectangular module so an installation can handle both rectangular and wrapped cylindrical modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Stover Equipment Co., Inc.
    Inventor: Jimmy R. Stover
  • Publication number: 20120034060
    Abstract: The invention relates to a depalletizing device comprising a carriage as well as a friction roller attached to the carriage, which friction roller is rotatable about a horizontal rotation axis and is coupled to a rotational drive in order to rotate. The carriage can be moved to and fro in a direction at right angles to the rotation axis of the friction roller in order to push the friction roller against a side of an object on the pallet in such a manner that the friction roller exerts an upward friction force on the object as a result of which the object is raised on that side, and in order for the friction roller to pass underneath said object after the latter has been raised. The depalletizing device comprises drive means with variable driving power in order to drive the carriage. The drive means comprise detection means.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2011
    Publication date: February 9, 2012
    Applicant: CSI Industries B.V.
    Inventor: MARK VAN DE KLUNDERT
  • Publication number: 20110280645
    Abstract: A print media feed system for media of variable thickness having a slanted loading platform with drive wheels to direct print media to a feed zone having a belt system and hanging friction wheels to draw out single print medium of varying thickness and feed the medium to a print zone for a ink jet, laser or other printer wherein the print zone includes a floating deck to maintain a constant clearance distance between the printhead and the print medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2010
    Publication date: November 17, 2011
    Applicant: Bri-Lin Inc.
    Inventors: Brett A. Lindsay, Jerry A. Carper
  • Patent number: 8007224
    Abstract: The invention relates to a depalletizing device comprising a carriage as well as a friction roller attached to the carriage, which friction roller is rotatable about a horizontal rotation axis and is coupled to a rotational drive in order to rotate. The carriage can be moved to and fro in a direction at right angles to the rotation axis of the friction roller in order to push the friction roller against a side of an object on the pallet in such a manner that the friction roller exerts an upward friction force on the object as a result of which the object is raised on that side, and in order for the friction roller to pass underneath said object after the latter has been raised. The depalletizing device comprises drive means with variable driving power in order to drive the carriage. The drive means comprise detection means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: CSI Industries BV
    Inventor: Mark van de Klundert
  • Publication number: 20110123308
    Abstract: A device and a method are disclosed for loading and/or restacking a plurality of palleted containers. The device (2) comprises an apparatus (6) for partially raising the containers of an uppermost layer of palleted containers and for transferring said containers to a conveying table of a moving transport head (8). The apparatus (6) is made up of a driven conveyor roller (10) that is integrated into the transport head (8). In a preferred embodiment, the transport head (8) is designed as a shutter head (9). The method shows that the conveyor roller (10) of the transport head (8) holds at least one row of a layer of containers in the transport head. The transport head (8) is provided with an apparatus (6) that at least partially raises one row of containers of at least one uppermost layer of palleted containers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2011
    Publication date: May 26, 2011
    Applicant: KRONES AG
    Inventors: Kai Wegener, Peter Kirschner, Florian Hertel, Dieter Schwarzer
  • Patent number: 7845484
    Abstract: A storage module for flat postal items includes a storage area, an infeed function to transfer postal items from a stream of postal items into the storage area, and an extraction function to extract postal items from the storage area. The infeed and extraction function have a common roller conveyor unit and a feed stop. The infeed function guides the postal items in a direction of travel of the roller conveyor unit from the roller conveyor against the feed stop for a transfer into the storage area. The extraction function extracts the last stacked postal item from the storage area in the direction of travel of the roller conveyor unit through an extraction opening. The storage area includes a separating knife to exert a first pressure and a second pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Armin Zimmermann
  • Patent number: 7690884
    Abstract: A device for separating battery plates from stacks comprises a lifting device (30) with which vertical stacks (14) are gradually lifted to a plate placer (51). The plate placer (51) lifts the uppermost plate from the stack (14) and places it onto a conveyor belt (60), whose loading end is located underneath the plate placer (51) and which comprises conveying elements (61) that are moved underneath the plate placer (51) after a plate has been lifted from the stack (14). The delivery end of the conveyor belt (60) is situated underneath the loading end of a vacuum conveyor belt (70). The vacuum conveyor belt (70) receives separated plates from the conveyor belt (60) and moves them to devices located downstream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Inventors: Anton Schwetz, Thomas Rotbart, Hans Schnur, Friedrich Ilgoutz
  • Patent number: 7287952
    Abstract: A feeder load automation system and method of use including a lifting device capable of lifting a pallet of bundled product from a lowered positioned to a raised position and a platform positioned on the lifting device which holds the pallet of bundled product. A head mechanism having a holding device lifts a top layer of bundled product from the pallet to provide a separation space between the top layer of bundled product and a next, lower layer of bundled product or the pallet. A conveyor mechanism, extendible into the separation space, conveys the top layer of product away from the pallet. An input and takeaway station are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Robert R. Ricci, J. Edward Roth
  • Patent number: 6805528
    Abstract: An apparatus for replacing rejected articles, in particular blister packs, includes an additional magazine situated beside the feeding line and aimed at receiving and housing, arranged in pile, the articles, which are to be withdrawn when necessary to replace the rejected articles. An elevating member is connected to the additional magazine and controls the stepwise movement of means supporting the pile of articles in step relation with accumulation of the articles inside the additional magazine or with withdrawal of a single article to be fed to the feeding line, from the top of said pile. A transferring device, situated above the additional magazine, is equipped with gripping means, which transfer the group of articles into the additional magazine, in order to form the pile of articles, and which withdraw single articles from the top of the pile in order to replace the rejected articles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2004
    Assignee: Marchesini Group S.p.A.
    Inventor: Giuseppe Monti
  • Patent number: 6648322
    Abstract: A paper feeding device for a printer. The device includes a paper feeding cassette to load a plurality of paper sheets, and a driving power source. A driving gear is driven by the driving power source, and a passive gear rotates interlockingly with the driving gear. A first link is provided, with one end pivotally installed on a rotation shaft of the driving gear, and another end coupled to a rotation shaft of the passive gear. A pickup gear rotates interlockingly with the passive gear, and a second link is provided, with one end rotatably installed on the rotation shaft of the passive gear, and with another end coupled to a rotation shaft of the pickup gear. A pickup roller is coaxially coupled to the pickup gear, to simultaneously rotate and press the paper so as to feed the paper sheets one by one into the printer body. A supporting arm is provided, with a first end coupled to a rotation shaft of the pickup roller, and a second end pivotally installed on a side of the printer body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2003
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jin-ho Park
  • Patent number: 6168151
    Abstract: A card-like article is provided with an elevator assembly that can elevate a stacked array of cards to a discharge station. The elevator assembly can be incrementally advanced by reciprocating operating rods that extends between pairs of rails. The elevator assembly can be releaseably affixed to the rails by a braking assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2001
    Assignee: Asahi Seiko Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tamotsu Tsuchida