Product transfer mechanism

Abstract

The product transfer mechanisms of this invention increases the performance of automatic packaging machines by deflecting product as it falls from a transfer container into a box with a slide, thus reducing damaging effects of free-falling product collisions and enabling simple, efficient maintenance and sanitizing of surfaces contacting the deflected product. The improved product transfer mechanism has a transfer container composed of a lightweight, transparent material enabling a visual inspection of the product as it travels through the product transfer mechanism while reducing the weight of component parts of the product transfer mechanism.

I claim:  
     
         1 . An automatic packaging machine comprising: 
 a source of product;    a plurality of transport means for successively moving of product from the source toward a plurality of stations where product is deposited in a box;    a plurality of transfer means individually associated with each of the transport means also moving towards the stations in synchronism with the transport means for depositing the product into a box; and    a deflector means for deflecting all of the product into a box without enabling a blow back of air caused by the exiting product, the deflector means comprising a downwardly sloping elongated slide extending from the transfer container towards the boxes, said slide having an open top and upstanding slide walls to guide and direct product into the boxes.    
     
     
         2 . The machine of  claim 1  wherein the upper end of the slide is wider than the bottom end of the slide, and wherein the slide has guides for directing the product from the transfer container to the box located at the bottom end of the slide.  
     
     
         3 . The machine of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of transfer means are located in a side-by-side relationship, said transport means comprises conveyor means moving transfer means around one side of said packaging machine, and back opposite side of the packaging machine; and 
 diverting means operated responsive to a sensor finding an absence of a box for selectively causing the transfer mechanisms to dump the product into a recycle bin and for dumping product into a box when the sensor detects the presence of a box.  
 
     
     
         4 . The machine of  claim 3  wherein the diverting apparatus comprises a cam pin associated with a rod having a transfer means thereon, a movement of the rod determining the displacement or non-displacement of the transfer means, a cam slot for receiving the cam pin, the slot extending along the way followed by the conveyor means, the cam slot branching on each side of the way between a first path and a diverted path, and a control means responsive to the sensor for controlling the cam pin to cause it to follow the first path through the slot or to selectively depart from the first path and follow the diverted path at the branching on the side of the way where the box position is filled, thereby forming the diverting apparatus.  
     
     
         5 . The machine of  claim 4  wherein the cam pin comprises a two step cam pin having means for normally holding the cam pin on a first step, means responsive to the sensor for moving the cam pin to a second step before the cam pin reaches the branching cam slot to enable the transfer means to release the product to a recycle bin, and a second direction apparatus responsive to the cam pin on the first step for following the first path to deposit product into a box.  
     
     
         6 . An automatic packaging machine comprising cup means for carrying a product to a fill station, conveyor means for transporting empty boxes to said fill station in order to receive said product carried in said cup, and an open top elongated and inclined slide means interposed between said carried cup and said transporting means for enabling said product to move from said cup into an empty box, whereby product slides down said open topped slide so that air is not compressed within a closed tube by product moving from said conveying means to said box.  
     
     
         7 . The machine of  claim 6  wherein said slide means has raised walls at its opposite inclined edges to guide and direct product as it moves into said box.  
     
     
         8 . The machine of  claim 6  wherein the cup is an open bottom cup sliding over a surface which functions as a bottom of said cup, said surface having an interruption at a point where said product moves from said cup, onto said slide and into said box, said slide means comprises a platform under said interruption and extending to an upper end of said inclined slide means, whereby product falls through said interruption, onto said platform, onto said slide, and into said box.  
     
     
         9 . The machine of  claim 8  and means for sensing a presence or absence of a box, means responsive to a sensed absence of a box for diverting said cup away from and before said cup container reaches said interruption whereby said product is not released onto said slide in a place where there is no box, and means responsive to said diversion of said box for dumping said product into a recycle bin.  
     
     
         10 . The machine of  claim 9  wherein said diversion means comprises a two-step cam pin and a branched cam track having a step therein, said cam pin following one branch of said cam track when said cam pin is on one step and following a second branch of said cam track when said cam pin is on a second step, said interruption appearing in a first of said branches and said recycle bin appearing in a second of said branches.  
     
     
         11 . An automatic packaging machine for loading a product which is divided into small particles that might clog a closed tube and act as a piston to compress air in said tube, said packaging machine comprises means for simultaneously conveying container of said particles and empty boxes to a fill station, an elongated and inclined open topped slide extending from said container to said empty box, said slide having upturned edges for guiding and directing said product from said container to said box, and means for dumping said product from said container to said box when said container and box arrive simultaneously at said slide.  
     
     
         12 . The machine of  claim 11  further comprising means for sensing an absence of a box, and means responsive to a sensed absence of said box for diverting said product away from said slide.  
     
     
         13 . The automatic packaging machine of  claim 12  wherein said slide comprises a platform having said inclined slide extending therefrom, said container having an open bottom which dumps said product from said container onto said platform.  
     
     
         14 . The automatic packaging machine of  claim 13  wherein said container is provided in different sizes which are interchangeable whereby different volumes of said product may be deposited in said boxes.