Semiautomatic packaging machine

Abstract

A semiautomatic packaging machine utilizes a single servo motor to rotate a belt around single track, providing linear motion to two opposing loaders attached to the belt. As one loader approaches a retrieval area, an operator manually positions an article or group of articles with a unit of packaging material onto an infeed conveyor. Upon sensing the presence of the material to be packaged, a sensor sends a signal to a processor. The processor controls the servo motor and an elevating component to adjust the horizontal and vertical position of the loader to synchronize the positions of the loader and the article(s). The loader removes the article(s) from the infeed conveyor, and transports them through a closer or other packaging element. The packaged articles are released into a discharge area as a second loader simultaneously approaches the retrieval area to repeat the process.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An apparatus for packaging articles or groups of articles, comprising: 
 (a) a single track;    (b) a single motor fixed with respect to the track, the motor providing rotational motion around an axis perpendicular to the length of the track;    (c) a belt positioned around the track, and driven by the motor;    (d) an infeed conveyor parallel to the track, and adapted to supply a procession of articles or groups of articles to a retrieval area, each article or group of articles including a primary packaging material;    (e) a processing station adapted to fasten a secondary packaging material relative to the primary packaging material;    (f) a first loader, being coupled with the belt such that the first loader rotates along with the belt, the first loader being adapted to: 
 (i) transport a first article or group of articles from the retrieval area;  
 (ii) transport the article or group of articles from the processing station; and  
 (iii) release the article or group of articles into a discharge area; and  
   (g) a second loader, being coupled with the belt such that the second loader rotates along with the belt, and directly opposes the first loader, the second loader being adapted to: 
 (i) transport a second article or group of articles from the retrieval area as the first loader releases the first article or group of articles into the discharge area;  
 (ii) transport the second article or group of articles to the processing station;  
 (iii) transport the second article or group of article from the processing station; and  
 (iv) release the second article or group of articles into a discharge area.  
   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the procession of articles or groups of articles is manually loaded onto the infeed conveyor.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 (h) a sensor, adapted to sense the position of each article or group of articles at a sensing position and to communicate the position of the article or group of articles to a processor; and    (i) a processor, adapted to control the speed of the single motor according to the position of the article or group of articles.    
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the processor is further adapted to control the vertical position of each of the first and second loaders according to the position of each article or group of articles.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the processor controls the vertical position of the first loader and of the second loader by controlling the operation of a first elevating member coupled with the first loader and a second elevating member coupled with the second loader.  
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the processor is further adapted to control the speed of the infeed conveyor according to the position of each article or group of articles.  
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a packaging material feeder unit for automatically dispensing secondary packaging material.  
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the packaging material feeder unit is adapted to automatically place the secondary packaging material in contact with each article or group of articles.  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first loader and the second loader are each adapted to form the secondary packaging material at least partially around each article or group of articles.  
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processing station is a component of a cartoning machine.  
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processing station is component of a wrapping machine.  
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processing station is component of a closing machine.  
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processing station is component of a marking machine.  
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processing station is component of a capping machine.  
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processing station is component of a product inspection machine.  
     
     
         16 . An article or group of articles packaged using the apparatus of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         17 . A process for packaging articles or groups of articles, each article or group of articles including a primary packaging material, the process comprising: 
 a) placing a first article or group of articles on an infeed conveyor, the infeed conveyor being adapted to transport the first article or group of articles to a retrieval area; and    b) activating packaging machine that packages the first article or group of articles by: 
 (i) synchronizing the position of a first loader with the position of the first article or group of articles, the first loader being coupled with a belt positioned along a single track, the belt being driven by a single motor;  
 (ii) using the first loader, transporting the first article or group of articles to a processing station, the processing station being adapted to fasten a secondary packaging material relative to the primary packaging material;  
 (iii) transporting the first article or group of articles to a discharge area; and  
 (iv) releasing the first article or group of articles at the discharge area, while a second loader simultaneously travels to the retrieval area to transport a second article or group of articles to the processing station, the second loader being coupled with the belt directly opposite the first loader.  
   
     
     
         18 . The process of  claim 17 , wherein synchronizing the position of the first loader with the position of the first article or group of articles comprises: 
 (1) sensing the position of the first article or group of articles;    (2) communicating the position of the first article or group of articles from the sensor to a processor; and    (3) adjusting the speed of the motor according to the position of the first article or group of articles.    
     
     
         19 . The process of  claim 18 , further comprising: 
 (4) adjusting the elevation of the first loader according to the position of the first article or group of articles    
     
     
         20 . The process of  claim 17 , wherein synchronizing the position of the first loader with the position of the first article or group of articles comprises: 
 (1) sensing the position of the first article or group of articles;    (2) communicating the position of the first article or group of articles from the sensor to a processor; and    (3) adjusting the speed of the infeed conveyor according to the position of the first article or group of articles.    
     
     
         21 . The process of  claim 17 , wherein activating the packaging machine further comprises: 
 (v) positioning secondary packaging material in contact with each article or group of articles prior to transporting the article or group of articles to the processing station.    
     
     
         22 . An article or group of articles packaged according to the process of  claim 17 .  
     
     
         23 . A machine for packaging articles or groups of articles, comprising: 
 (a) a frame;    (b) a single track mounted along the length of the frame;    (c) a single motor fixed with respect to the frame, the motor being adapted to rotate at least one of a plurality of pulleys around an axis perpendicular to the length of the frame;    (d) a belt positioned around the track, and associated with the pulleys so as to be driven by the motor;    (e) an infeed conveyor opposing and parallel to the track, the infeed conveyor being adapted to transport each article or group of articles to a retrieval area;    (f) a sensor for sending a first signal to a processor to indicate the presence of a first article or group of articles at a sensing position;    (g) a processor for synchronizing the position of a first loader with the first article or group of articles in response to the signal from the processor;    (h) a packaging element adapted to fasten a packaging material relative to the article or group of articles;    (i) a first loader coupled with the belt such that the first loader moves in unison with the belt, for: 
 (i) transporting the article or group of articles from the retrieval area to a packaging element; and  
 (ii) transporting the article or group of articles from the packaging element to a discharge area; and  
   (j) a second loader coupled with the belt such that the second loader moves in unison with the belt and directly opposes the first loader, for: 
 (i) traveling towards the retrieval area as the first loader travels toward the discharge area;  
 (ii) transporting a second article or group of articles to the packaging element; and  
 (iii) transporting the second article or group of article from the packaging element to the discharge area.  
   
     
     
         24 . The machine of  claim 23 , wherein: 
 the sensor is further for sending a second signal to a processor to indicate the presence of the second article or group of articles at the sensing position; and    the processor is further for synchronizing the position of a second loader with the second article or group of articles in response to the second signal from the processor;    
     
     
         25 . The machine of  claim 24 , wherein the processor synchronizes the position of the first loader and the second loader by adjusting the speed of the single motor.  
     
     
         26 . The machine of  claim 24 , wherein the processor synchronizes the position of the first loader and the second loader by adjusting the speed of the infeed conveyor.  
     
     
         27 . The machine of  claim 24 , wherein the processor synchronizes the position of the first loader and the second loader by controlling the operation of a first elevating member coupled with the first loader and by controlling the operation of a second elevating member coupled with the second loader.  
     
     
         28 . A package packaged using the machine of  claim 23.