System for ordering, conveying, and depositing small objects

Abstract

An apparatus for packaging small identical objects in respective pockets of a package strip where the pockets are in a succession of identical arrays has a conveyor extending and displaceable from an upstream loading end to a downstream transfer end and having a plurality of sections each formed with an array of pockets dimensioned to hold a respective one of the objects. The array of each section corresponds to at least two of the arrays of the package strip interleaved with each other so that each section can hold a number of the objects equal to at least twice what one of the arrays of the package strip can hold. The objects are fed to the conveyer at the upstream end ordered such that at the transfer station there is one of the objects in each of the pockets.

1 . An apparatus for packaging small identical objects in respective pockets of a package strip where the pockets are in a succession of identical arrays, the apparatus comprising: 
 a conveyor extending and displaceable from an upstream loading end to a downstream transfer end and having a plurality of sections each formed with an array of pockets dimensioned to hold a respective one of the objects, the array of each section corresponding to at least two of the arrays of the package strip interleaved with each other, whereby each section can hold a number of the objects equal to at least twice what one of the arrays of the package strip can hold;    means for feeding the objects to the conveyer at the upstream end and ordering them such that at the transfer station there is one of the objects in each of the pockets and otherwise the conveyor is free of the objects;    a transfer device at the transfer station and having a plurality of grabs in a number and array equal to one of the arrays of pockets of the package strip; and    control means for relatively displacing the packaging strip, the conveyor, and the transfer device such that 
 in a first half cycle the transfer device picks up all the objects from one of the interleaved arrays of pockets of the conveyor section at the transfer station and deposits the picked up objects into the packaging strip,  
 thereafter in a second half cycle the package strip is advanced by a length of one of its pocket arrays and the transfer device picks up all the objects from the other of the interleaved arrays of the same section in the transfer station and deposit the picked up objects into the packaging strip downstream of the previously deposited objects, and the conveyor is advanced to bring another of the conveyor sections into the conveyor station.  
   
   
   
       2 . The packaging apparatus defined in  claim 1  wherein the pockets of the arrays of the sections are arrayed in columns extending in a travel direction of the conveyor and rows extending transverse to the direction.  
   
   
       3 . The packaging apparatus defined in  claim 2  wherein in the first half cycle the transfer device picks up all the objects in every other row of the conveyor section and deposits them in a respective array of the package strip and then in the second half cycle picks up the objects in the remaining rows and deposits them in the next array of the package strip.  
   
   
       4 . The packaging apparatus defined in  claim 2  wherein between the first and second halves of the cycle the control means advances the conveyor in the direction by a distance equal to a spacing between immediately succeeding rows of the pockets in the conveyor.  
   
   
       5 . The packaging apparatus defined in  claim 2  wherein to pick up the objects the transfer device is moved at the start of each half cycle upstream to a position above the section of the conveyor in the transfer station, but at the start of the second half of the cycle the transfer device is moved back upstream by a distance shorter or longer by an amount equal to the spacing in the direction between succeeding rows of the pockets than the distance it is moved for the first half of the cycle.  
   
   
       6 . The packaging apparatus defined in  claim 2  wherein the sections are formed with upwardly projecting ridges extending in the direction between the rows.  
   
   
       7 . The packaging apparatus defined in  claim 6  wherein the ridges are of upwardly pointing triangular section.  
   
   
       8 . The packaging apparatus defined in  claim 2  wherein the conveyor section are rigid plates that are hinged together about axes extending perpendicular to the direction.  
   
   
       9 . The packaging apparatus defined in  claim 8  wherein the plates each have an upper face provided with a low-friction coating.  
   
   
       10 . The packaging apparatus defined in  claim 1  wherein the device is provided with a plurality of suction grabs each for picking up a respective one of the objects.