Installation for filling cases with cross-partitions

Abstract

The installation comprises, combined on one and the same rack ( 6 ): —an accepting station ( 11 ), —a case-packing station ( 12 ), —a manipulation head ( 13 ) designed to take a batch of products ( 1 ) which is presented in the form of a row to said accepting station ( 11 ) and to transfer it to said case-packing station ( 12 ) in a row of cells ( 4 ) of the case or cases to be filled, —the structure ( 14 ) for handling the guidance of the products ( 1 ) to the input of the cells ( 4 ), the structure ( 14 ) comprising a grill ( 22 ) which extends longitudinally above the cases ( 2 ). The grill ( 22 ) is provided with a number of hoppers ( 15 ) arranged in a line and the number of which corresponds to the number of cells ( 4 ) in each row of the case or cases ( 2 ) to be filled and each grill ( 22 ) is mobile, on the one hand, vertically above said cases ( 2 ) between a retracted position which enables the passage of said cases ( 2 ) and a position in which said hoppers ( 15 ) are in active position to channel each product towards its cell ( 4 ) and, on the other hand, transversally relative to the direction of displacement of said cases ( 2 ) to fill each row of cells ( 4 ), one after the other. The section of the input of the hoppers ( 15 ) is around twice that of the cells ( 4 ) to be filled.

1 . An installation for case-packing of products in the cavities of one or more cases with cross-partitions, which installation comprises, assembled on one and the same frame:
 at least one conveyor for carrying the products on a line to the receiving station and at least one conveyor for carrying the cases to be filled to the case-packing station and to carry them away,   a handling head arranged in order to take a batch of products which takes the form of a row to said receiving station and to transfer it to said case-packing station in a row of cavities of the case(s) to be filled,   a structure for guiding the products to the entrance of the cavities, which structure comprises at least one grid which extends longitudinally above the conveyor of the cases, which grid is furnished with several hoppers placed in line(s) and the number of which corresponds to the number of cavities of each row of the case(s) to be filled and this grid can be moved, on the one hand, vertically above said cases between a retracted position which allows the passage of said cases and a position in which said hoppers are in the active position in order to channel each product into its respective cavity and, on the other hand, transversely relative to the direction of movement of said cases in order to fill each row of cavities, one after the other, which hoppers have an opening the entrance section of which is of the order of twice the section of the cavities.   
   
   
       2 . The case-packing installation according to  claim 1 , wherein the structure for guiding the products comprises a cradle in the shape of a  U  the two parallel arms of which carry the grid(s) of hoppers, which cradle is guided vertically on the frame and it is maneuvered by appropriate means in order to position said hoppers in the active or inactive position relative to the cavities to be filled, which arms each comprise a carriage which accommodates one end of said grid, said carriages are guided horizontally and they can be moved, above the case(s), by appropriate means, in order to place the hoppers in correspondence with each row of cavities to be filled. 
   
   
       3 . The case-packing installation according to  claim 2 , wherein it comprises carriages arranged to accommodate at least two grids of hoppers, which grids are placed side by side to allow, in cooperation with an appropriate head and an appropriate delivery of the products, the simultaneous case-packing of at least two, nonadjacent, rows of cavities of the case. 
   
   
       4 . The case-packing installation according to  claim 3 , wherein each carriage comprises means for accommodating the grid(s) and these means comprises vertical pins onto which the ends of said grids are fitted, said grids being locked onto these pins by appropriate matching means. 
   
   
       5 . The case-packing installation according to  claim 1 , wherein the grid of hoppers comprise a pair of side rails and of several crossmembers delimiting the hoppers and certain of which are used for the assembly of said side rails, which crossmembers and side rails define the shape and the section of the entrance opening of said hoppers for the passage of the products, which openings correspond to funnels which are delimited, on the one hand, by the inner walls of said side rails and by said crossmembers and, on the other hand, by guides which extend below the level of said side rails and crossmembers. 
   
   
       6 . The case-packing installation according to  claim 5 , wherein the side rails of the grid each comprises a section piece made out of folded metal sheet with: —a horizontal top surface, —an outer stiffening border, at the bracket and—an inner surface which forms one of the walls of the hopper, which wall comprises, at each hopper, at least one lug which, once folded toward the inside of the section piece, forms a sort of staple to allow the attachment of the various flexible strips which extend said surface, which flexible strips comprise, over their length, an arrangement in the form of an oblong orifice and they are locked, at their top end or heel, by being immobilized in the fold at the bracket of the side rail, between its top surface and its outer border. 
   
   
       7 . The case-packing installation according to  claim 6 , wherein the crossmembers for assembling the side rails have a section in the shape of an upside-down  U  and they accommodate the top portion of the flexible strips which are in the form of a tuning-fork, which strips are assembled by being wedged in said  U  by means of a wedge which is held by bolts interposed between the two.