Culling system for blister-pack production line

Abstract

A continuous and elongated blister-pack strip having transverse rows of blisters of which some are empty and most are full is transported through a stamping station. An upstream sensor along the path upstream of the station determines whether the blisters entering the station are full. A device in the station can stamp out of the strip sections each including a plurality of blisters. The stamper is not actuated and thereby leaves unfilled blisters on the strip when any blisters in the station are not full. A downstream sensor along the path downstream of the station detects spaces in the strip between any blisters left on the strip, and a cutter along the path downstream of and connected to the downstream sensor severs the strip between the rows of blisters into pieces each including at least one row of intact blisters.

1 . A system for making blister-pack packages, the system comprising: 
 means for displacing along a path through a stamping station a continuous elongated blister-pack strip having transverse rows of blisters of which some are empty and most are full;    upstream sensor means along the path upstream of the station for determining whether the blisters entering the station are full;    stamping means in the station for stamping out of the strip sections each including a plurality of blisters;    control means connected between the upstream sensor means and the stamping means for, when any blisters in the station are not full, inhibiting action of the stamping means and thereby leaving unfilled blisters on the strip;    conveyor means for transporting the stamped-out sections away from the path at the station;    downstream sensor means along the path downstream of the station for detecting spaces in the strip between any blisters left on the strip; and    cutting means along the path downstream of and connected to the downstream sensor means for cutting the strip between the rows of blisters into pieces each including at least one row of intact blisters.    
   
   
       2 . The packaging system defined in  claim 1  wherein the downstream sensor means also detects whether the blisters passing it are full or empty, the system further comprising 
 deflecting means downstream of the cutting means for separating the pieces all of whose blisters are empty from the pieces some of whose blisters are filled.    
   
   
       3 . The packaging system defined in  claim 1  wherein the cutting means includes a fixed blade to one side of the path and a rotating blade to an opposite side of the path.  
   
   
       4 . The packaging system defined in  claim 3  wherein the rotating blade turns about an axis transverse to a direction of movement of the strip along the path.  
   
   
       5 . The packaging system defined in  claim 1  wherein the upstream sensor means includes a camera.  
   
   
       6 . The packaging system defined in  claim 1  wherein the downstream sensor is a light curtain.  
   
   
       7 . The packaging system defined in  claim 1  wherein the conveyor means includes a suction lifter for picking the stamped-out sections out of the stamping station.  
   
   
       8 . The packaging system defined in  claim 7  wherein the conveyor means includes a conveyor belt adapted to receive the stamped-out sections from the suction lifter and transport them from the station.  
   
   
       9 . The packaging system defined in  claim 8 , further comprising 
 sensor means juxtaposed with the conveyor belt for detecting the stamped-out sections thereon.