Festooning device and method for packaging a continuous length of material into a container

Abstract

A festooning device is provided for packaging a continuous length of a material or product in a container at high operating speeds, with little or no operator adjustment until the container is completely filled. The festooning device can include an articulated paddle that further increases the fill of product from edge to edge in the container. The movements of the shuttle arm, container, and/or articulated paddle are synchronized to reduce the travel distance that the individual components of the festooning device, avoid overthrows of material over the upper edge of the container at high operating speeds, and provide maximum fill of the container. Also provided are a system and a method using the festooning device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A festooning device for packaging a continuous length of a material or a product in a container, comprising:
 a frame assembly;   a dispensing shuttle; and   a drive motor;   wherein the festooning device can package the continuous length of the material or the product into the container at high operating speeds.   
     
     
         2 . The festooning device according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a linear actuator.   
     
     
         3 . The festooning device according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an articulating arm nipped roll drive assembly.   
     
     
         4 . The festooning device according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an articulated paddle.   
     
     
         5 . The festooning device according to  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a controller that regulates the motion of the articulated paddle.   
     
     
         6 . The festooning device according to  claim 1 , wherein the container is filled with a continuous length of the material or the product formed into one or more horizontal, indexed layers. 
     
     
         7 . The festooning device according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a sensor that detects the level of the material or the product in the container.   
     
     
         8 . The festooning device according to  claim 7 , wherein the sensor provides a value used to adjust a travel distance of the dispensing shuttle. 
     
     
         9 . The festooning device according to  claim 7 , wherein the sensor provides a value used to adjust an oscillation of an articulated paddle. 
     
     
         10 . The festooning device according to  claim 8 , wherein the adjustment to the travel distance of the dispensing shuttle avoids overthrowing the material or product outside of the container. 
     
     
         11 . The festooning device according to  claim 9 , wherein the adjustment to the oscillation of the articulated paddle avoids overthrowing the material or product outside of the container. 
     
     
         12 . The festooning device according to  claim 4 , wherein a motion of the dispensing shuttle and a motion of the articulated paddle are synchronized with a motion of the container, whereby the synchronized movements produce more-complete, more-level filling of the container with the material or the product at high operating speeds. 
     
     
         13 . The festooning device according to  claim 1 , wherein the material or the product has a varied thickness and/or stiffness that can be dispensed into the container by the festooning device without operator adjustments. 
     
     
         14 . A system for packaging a continuous length of a material or a product in a container comprising:
 a feeder roll of the material or the product;   a dancer assembly that receives the material or product dispensed from the feeder roll, wherein the dancer assembly comprises a fixed arm connected to two rollers at opposite ends, a dancer pulley, and a dancer position sensor, and wherein the dancer assembly has a pivot point around which the fixed arm pivots;   a motor that drives the feeder roll;   a controller that is connected to the motor and regulates the speed of the feeder roll;   a festooning device for dispensing the material or the product into the container; and   a container that receives the material or the product dispensed by the festooning device.   
     
     
         15 . The system according to  claim 14 , wherein the controller measures a speed differential between an incoming speed and an outgoing speed to generate a signal that is sent to the motor to regulate motor speed. 
     
     
         16 . The system according to  claim 14 , wherein the dancer assembly allows the system to automatically adjust for a continuous length of material having a variable thickness and/or a variable stiffness. 
     
     
         17 . A method of using a festooning device for packaging a continuous length of a product in a container, comprising:
 dispensing the product into the container with the festooning device to form a first row across a lengthwise direction;   indexing the product by a first index distance that is shifted in relation to the first row;   dispensing a second row of the product in the container with the festooning device to form a partial overlap of the second row along a lengthwise dimension of the first row, wherein the second row is offset in relation to the first row by the first index distance;   dispensing one or more additional rows of the product into the container, wherein each of the one or more additional rows is offset from an immediate previous row by a second index distance,   wherein the first row, the second row, and the one or more additional rows of the product form a horizontal layer of the product in the container.   
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the container is filled with a continuous length of the product formed into horizontal, indexed layers. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the indexing is performed by shifting the festooning device in relation to the container, shifting the container in relation to the festooning device, or shifting both the festooning device and the container, wherein each row is offset from an earlier row by an amount of the index distance. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 17 , further comprising:
 reversing direction of dispensing after the horizontal layer of indexed rows of the product reaches a widthwise edge of the container; and   repeating the dispensing and the indexing to form a second horizontal layer of indexed rows of the product in the container.