Methods and Apparatus for Handling Products

Abstract

Apparatus ( 10 ) loads product in the form of bags into a carton held at a tilt angle. The leading ends of the bags on an adjustment conveyor ( 20 ) are abutted by a bumper ( 30 ) to reorient the bags 90° on the adjustment conveyor ( 20 ). The downstream roller ( 44 ) of a twist conveyor ( 40 ) is tilted to collate bags on a decline conveyor ( 70 ). The collated bags are moved on an orientation conveyor ( 74 ) to engage a product scoop ( 110 ) extending at an inclined position and moved to a vertical position to vertically orient the bags. The orientation conveyor ( 74 ) is moved to an offset position to allow the bags to drop onto a lowerator ( 92 ) of an accumulator ( 86 ) where they can be sandwiched between retainer plates ( 88, 90 ). A pusher plate ( 94 ) pushes the bags off the lowerator ( 92 ) into the carton and is tilted to correspond to the tilt angle of the carton.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 4  with abutting the leading end comprising abutting the leading end with a bumper, with the method further comprising removing the bumper abutting with the product after the product is turned. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  with removing the bumper comprising pivoting the bumper from a bumping position extending at an acute angle to the conveying direction to a position parallel to the conveying direction, with the bumper having a pivotal axis perpendicular to the conveying direction and having a free end, with the pivotal axis being downstream of the free end. 
     
     
         4 . Method for adjusting orientation of product, with the method comprising:
 conveying product in a conveying direction parallel to and adjacent to a guide extending parallel to the conveying direction, with the product having a width perpendicular to the conveying direction, with the product having a leading end;   abutting the leading end of the product at an extent from the guide perpendicular to the conveying direction less than one half of the width and while the product is being conveyed, with the product turning until the width of the product is parallel to the conveying direction;   pushing the product in the conveying direction after the width of the product is parallel to the conveying direction, with pushing the product comprising pivoting a pusher between a position parallel to the conveying direction and a pushing position perpendicular to the conveying direction; and   moving the pusher while in the pushing position in the conveying direction.   
     
     
         5 . Method for adjusting orientation of product, with the method comprising:
 conveying product upon a conveyor moving in a conveying direction parallel to and adjacent to a guide extending parallel to the conveying direction, with the product having a width perpendicular to the conveying direction, with the product having a leading end, with the conveyor having an upstream end and a downstream end, with the product introduced on the upstream end and transported to the downstream end in the conveying direction;   moving the product upon the conveyor to be parallel and closely adjacent to the guide, with moving the product comprising engaging the product with a continuous vertical belt at a nonparallel angular relation with the conveying direction; and   after the product is moved upon the conveyor, abutting the leading end of the product at an extent from the guide perpendicular to the conveying direction less than one half of the width and while the product is being conveyed, with the product turning until the width of the product is parallel to the conveying direction.   
     
     
         6 - 9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . Method for orientating product comprising:
 moving collated product in a conveying direction onto a first end of a product scoop, with the collated product including at least first and second products each having a length, with the first and second products being collated with the length of the second product only partially extending over the length of the first product in the conveying direction, with the first product located in front of the second product in the conveying direction, with the product scoop being at an acute angle to the conveying direction; and   moving the first end of the product scoop in the conveying direction after the first product slides onto the first end to pivot the product scoop to be perpendicular to the conveying direction to orient the collated product perpendicular to the conveying direction.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  with moving the collated product comprising pushing the collated product with a pusher moving in the conveying direction. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  with moving the collated product further comprising conveying the collated product on a conveyor in the conveying direction and at an equal speed to the pusher. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  with conveying the product comprising conveying the collated product on a conveyor including a decline conveyor and an orientation conveyor, with the orientation conveyor being perpendicular to the product scoop when pivoted to be perpendicular to the direction, with the decline conveyor being at an acute angle to the orientation conveyor, with the pusher having a free end, with the pusher simultaneously moving perpendicular to the direction to have the free end follow the decline conveyor and the orientation conveyor when moving in the direction. 
     
     
         14 . Method for shifting product comprising:
 conveying product on a conveyor in a conveying direction, with the conveyor including an upstream roller, a downstream roller, and a continuous annular conveying surface extending between the upstream and downstream rollers;   stopping conveying of the product;   after conveying of the product is stopped, moving the conveyor from an aligned position to an offset position perpendicular to the conveying direction and parallel to the upstream and downstream rollers while the product is held from moving perpendicular to the conveying direction with the conveyor;   dropping the product into an accumulator located beneath the conveyor in the aligned position after the conveyor is moved from the aligned position; and   moving the conveyor from the offset position to the aligned position.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising:
 supporting the product on a lowerator of the accumulator when dropped into the accumulator, with the bags having a height while supported on the lowerator; 
 lowering the lowerator with the height of the bags being beneath the conveyor while the conveyor is in the offset position, with moving the conveyor from the offset position occurring after lowering the lowerator; 
 raising the lowerator to sandwich the bags against the conveyor in the aligned position; and 
 lowering the lowerator slightly after sandwiching the bags. 
 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising:
 pushing the product by a push plate in the accumulator after lowering the lowerator slightly perpendicular to the lowerator and into a carton held at a tilt angle; and 
 tilting the push plate to correspond to the tilt angle as the product enters the carton. 
 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising:
 sandwiching the product in the accumulator before pushing between first and second retainer plates extending perpendicular to the lowerator and parallel to the pushing plate, with at least one of the first and second retainer plates being moveable perpendicular to the pushing direction and parallel to the lowerator. 
 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14  with conveying the product comprising conveying collated product in the conveying direction onto a first end of a product scoop, with the collated product including at least first and second products each having a length, with the first and second products being collated with the length of the second product only partially extending over the length of the first product in the conveying direction, with the first product located in front of the second product in the conveying direction, with the product scoop being at an acute angle to the conveying direction;
 wherein the method further comprises moving the first end of the product scoop in the conveying direction after the first product slides onto the first end to pivot the product scoop to be perpendicular to the conveying direction to orient the collated product perpendicular to the conveying direction. 
 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  further comprising:
 pushing the collated product in the conveying direction and at a speed equal to the speed the product is conveyed. 
 
     
     
         20 . Product orientation device comprising, in combination: an adjustment conveyor for conveying product in a conveying direction; a guide extending parallel to the conveying direction adjacent to the adjustment conveyor, with the adjustment conveyor having an effective product conveying width perpendicular to the conveying direction beyond the guide; a bumper moveable between an abutting position and a noninterfering position, with the bumper in the abutting position being spaced in a direction from the guide perpendicular to the conveying direction and less than the effective product conveying width, with the bumper in the noninterfering position not interfering with product being conveyed in the effective product conveying width; and a pusher pivotable between a position parallel to the conveying direction and a pushing position perpendicular to the conveying direction and moveable while in the pushing position in the conveying direction. 
     
     
         21 - 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . Product orientation device comprising, in combination: a product scoop moveable between an extended, inclined position and a retracted vertical position, with the extended inclined position being at an acute angle to the retracted vertical position, with the product scoop moving from the extended inclined position to the retracted vertical position as product is moved is moved onto the product scoop; an orientation conveyor for moving product in a conveying direction, with the product scoop having a free end adjacent to the orientation conveyor, with the free end of the product scoop moving in the conveying direction from the extended inclined position to the retracted vertical position; and a pusher moveable in the conveying direction pushing product towards the product scoop, with the pusher being moveable at an equal speed to the orientation conveyor. 
     
     
         24 . Product shifting device comprising, in combination: an accumulator defining a volume for receiving product; and an orientation conveyor moving product in a conveying direction and including an upstream roller, a downstream roller, and a continuous annular conveying surface extending between the upstream and downstream rollers, with the orientation conveyor being moveable between an aligned position and an offset position in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction and parallel to the upstream and downstream rollers, with the orientation conveyor being aligned above the accumulator in the aligned position and offset in the direction from the accumulator in the offset position. 
     
     
         25 . The product shifting device of  claim 24  wherein the accumulator comprises a lowerator partially defining the volume and for supporting product received in the volume of the accumulator, with the lowerator being moveable at differing spacings from the orientation conveyor in the aligned position. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 4  with conveying the product comprising conveying the product upon a conveyor moving in the conveying direction, with the conveyor having an upstream end and a downstream end, with the product introduced on the upstream end and transported to the downstream end in the conveying direction, with the method further comprising moving the product upon the conveyor to be parallel and closely adjacent to the guide prior to being abutted, with moving the product comprising engaging the product with a continuous vertical belt at a nonparallel angular relation with the conveying direction.