Abstract: The present invention discloses a novel construction arrangement in a packaging machine for incubator trays, which enables the general automation of the packaging process of eggs in incubator trays. The packaging machine for incubator trays accepts several arrangements and capacity for four, five, six and twelve eggs, depending on the incubator trays to be used. The packaging machine for incubator trays of the present invention exhibits great improvements. One of these great improvements is related to the introduction of an automatic feeder for trays, commonly called tray dispenser or denester for incubator trays. Another great improvement refers to a constructive change in one of the main elements of the disclosed machine, and this change was made in order to stop vibrations that the eggs were eventually exposed. The benefits obtained from the use of the packaging machine for incubator trays, the main object of this invention, are related to the possibility of greater automation of the process.

Abstract: A continuous motion apparatus and method are disclosed where slugs of articles are picked up by pick-up heads revolving in a vertical plane path, and are transferred to a case packing station. A vertical motion mechanism lowers the pick-up heads at the case packing station to gently place the slugs into indexed cases in a reliable manner. The slugs, pick-up heads, and indexed cases are fed in continuous, synchronous motions. The pick-up heads are carried on the transfer arms in alignment with grid heads which reciprocate relative to the pick-up heads. The grid heads include grid fingers which define grid chutes arranged in a matrix corresponding to the array of articles in a slug. The grid chutes are lowered over the slug to receive the articles, and thereafter to transfer the slug to the case packing station. In this manner, the grid heads may be used in connection with the pick-up heads to provde a placement packer.

Abstract: A continuous motion apparatus and method are disclosed where discrete, successive slugs of articles are picked up by pick-up heads revolving in a vertical plane path, and are transferred over a linear transfer section of that path to a case packing station. A vertical motion mechanism lowers the pick-up heads at the case packing station to gently place the slugs into indexed cases in a reliable manner.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling the input of articles to a packaging machine. The apparatus comprises a dead plate, a plurality of stop posts and an actuator connected to each stop post. The dead plate has top and bottom surfaces and a plurality of lanes located on the top surface and extending from a proximal edge to a distal edge, across which articles are moved, and at least one aperture disposed in each lane. Each stop post is aligned for extension through a corresponding dead plate aperture. An actuator is connected to each stop post, whereby the stop posts are extendible and retractable above the top surface of the dead plate, the stop posts impeding travel of articles across the dead plate when extended and permitting travel of articles across the dead plate when retracted.

Abstract: The present invention provides a bottle packing apparatus wherein bottles are packed by simultaneous movement together of the array of bottles and the case. The bottles are packed from a conventional infeed conveyor and are divided into rows by the use of lane dividers. Bottle guiding plates define guiding channels which compress the rows of bottles toward the center of line of a conveyor. This compressed grouping of rows are then urged into a neck holding means which includes a suspension carriage carrying a first and second bar movable with respect thereto and defining bottle suspension slots for retaining the bottles in the neck area thereof.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for packaging eggs supplied by a feed conveyor, said eggs being supplied from said feed conveyor via transfer means to a carton. For the purpose of simultaneously packaging more than one row of eggs, the successive rows of eggs are transferred from said feed conveyor by means of a star wheel and at least one reciprocating sliding plate arranged downstream of said wheel, to two or more successive rows of egg holding or carrying means.

Abstract: A pneumatic bottle stop for a case packer is presented. Fundamentally, the bottle stop consists of a cylinder associated with each lane of a case packer. A piston of each cylinder extends into the lane for making contacting engagement with oncoming bottles or articles. The bottles compress the piston into the cylinder, expelling air therefrom through an adjustable orifice of an associated quick dump valve. The pistons are extended by the application of exhaust air derived from a head control cylinder when the piston of that cylinder is drawn to position skid bars in the head to receive oncoming bottles. A bleeder valve is provided such that the cylinders associated with each lane are maintained at atmospheric pressure after extension of the associated pistons.

Abstract: Discrete articles moving on a conveyor belt are first laterally aligned in rows extending transversely to direction of movement of the conveyor belt and then engaged in compartments arranged in rows extending across the conveyor belt. The compartments containing the articles are then shifted to overlie packages located beneath the compartments and the aligned rows of articles from within the compartments are permitted to drop into the packages.

Abstract: An infeed conveyor drive has a speed pulse selectively applied thereto when the line brakes release articles held back on the conveyor for movement into a case packer grid. One way clutches couple the conveyor to a variable speed drive unit for producing a speed pulse of any desired magnitude.

Abstract: A case packer has a grid with fixed lane guides to receive columns of articles in an array which can be isolated from articles on the infeed conveyor by upright posts on a shifting plate. The articles to be dropped are supported on a shifting grid which moves with the shifting plate up to a predetermined point where the plate and posts stop and the grid moves further and in a downstream direction to separate the articles being dropped from those held back by the posts.

Abstract: The shifting grid frame assembly of a drop packer has removable subassemblies so that the grid frame need not be removed for replacement to setup the packer for a different size product. The funnel portion of the grid is itself removable from the grid assembly, as are the riding strips along which the product moves into the grid.

Abstract: Case packer apparatus having an upper grid supplied with streams of rows of abutted articles for receipt for case packing action, a lower grid of corresponding size and article grouping as the upper grid is positioned directly thereunder and is operatively connected thereto by position control means, such control means secure the lower grid to the upper grid for vertical movement to and away from a position adjacent the upper grid, drop fingers depend from the lower grid and are engageable with a case on a case supply conveyor having a horizontal operative course positioned directly below the vertically aligned grids.

Abstract: A case packing machine is described for bottles having enlarged neck flanges. The machine first arranges bottles received from a conveyor into a group on an escapement mechanism. The grouped bottles are suspended from their enlarged neck flanges by an escapement mechanism at a first station. The group is released as a ram engages the bottle finishes and shifts them downwardly to a second station. An actuator on the ram functions to operate the escapement mechanism and a bottle stop mechanism is also operated directly from the ram to halt further progress of bottles toward the escapement mechanism during release and movement of the previous group of bottles to the second station. Bottles may be received by an invertible holder at the second station. The holder forms the bottles into a prescribed rectangular array and supports the bottles until a subsequent group is received. The subsequent received group engages and moves the first group downwardly into a case waiting at a packing station below.

Abstract: A box packing machine in which containers such as bottles are fed continuously to form a group of a given number with certain rows and columns and the containers in one group are spaced apart one another at a predetermined distance before being loaded into a box such as a carton. A container space regulating unit is reciprocatingly movable between the first position and the second position defined in the box packing machine. The container space regulating unit receives containers of a given number at the first position. The containers carried on the space regulating unit are spaced apart one another at a predetermined distance while they are being transported to the second position, where the containers are transferred into a box in unison.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling the flow of articles being fed to a case packer in rows on a transporting surface by separating a predetermined number or charge of articles loaded on the case packer from the incoming articles. The apparatus includes a plurality of divider plates which separate the articles into rows and a plurality of fluid operated cylinders which are carried above the rows. The cylinders have pistons extending downwardly therefrom upon which an elongated abutment is carried. These cylinders are selectively activated for raising and lowering the abutments into and out of the path of the incoming articles for stopping the flow of articles to the case packer. This is to enable the articles to be loaded into a case without being adversely affected by the pressure of the incoming articles bearing thereagainst. The cylinders are carried on a plate whose longitudinal position can be adjusted for loading articles of different sizes.

Abstract: A safety device for a case packer filling head wherein an individual pivotally positioned stop member is provided for each of the rows of articles being fed to the filling head and wherein an article moved completely into the filling head strikes a stop member to move it to an operative position but with the stop member having a normally inoperative safety position, a control bar extends transversely of the filling head and through a non-circular aperture provided in each stop member, and a stop device on the control bar for each of the stop members and sized complementary to part of the aperture provided in said stop member to be movable into such aperture when the stop member is moved to an operative position but only when all stop members are so operatively positioned, the control bar being movable transversely of the filling head for a control action on the filling head and articles positioned therein when all stop members are moved to operative positions.

Abstract: An improved transfer device for transferring soft cake-shaped products, and soap cakes in particular, from one conveyor to another conveyor, which device comprises a sliding member reciprocatingly moved along a horizontal guide parallel to said one conveyor, and an oscillating arm associated to said sliding member to cause a vertical and reciprocating movement of sucker means carried by said sliding member. A locking device is provided for locking said oscillating arm in its upwardly directed position when sensing means, positioned near the drawing area of said one conveyor, detects an irregular sequence of products. An intercepting bar means, positioned at the end of said one conveyor and near said drawing area, is cyclically moved from an intercepting to a disengaging position, and viceversa, to intercept the irregularly supplied products and to hold them in the sucker means drawing area so as to be correctly sucked by said sucker means during the next machine cycle.