Continuous Motion Article Arranging Systems and Methods

Abstract

A system, method and an end effector may arrange into a group two articles within a stream of articles moving spaced apart and in a line in a conveying direction on a conveyor. The system, method, and end effector may contact and slow the more downstream of the two articles and then contact the more upstream of the two articles without substantially slowing the more upstream article to form the group. The end effector may include a downstream stop portion for contacting at least one of the articles.

1 . A system for arranging articles within a stream of articles moving spaced apart and in a line in a conveying direction on a conveyor, the system comprising:
 an object manipulation device movable and configured to form a group of two of the articles in the line together by contacting and slowing the more downstream of the two articles and then contacting the more upstream of the two articles without substantially slowing the more upstream article.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the object manipulation device includes an end effector having a head, two lateral side portions attached to the head, and a downstream stop portion for contacting a downstream side of at least one of the two articles. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein at least one of the lateral side portions is movable toward the other lateral side portion for gripping the two articles. 
     
     
         4 - 6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 2 , further including a divider attached to the head between the lateral side portions. 
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the object manipulation device is drivable so as to move the group relative to the conveying direction to arrange the group for forming a desired orientation downstream. 
     
     
         10 - 11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the object manipulation device is drivable so as to move the group with constant motion along and synchronized with the conveyor. 
     
     
         13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . An end effector for an object manipulation device for arranging together into a group two articles within a stream of articles moving spaced apart and in a line in a conveying direction on a conveyor, the end effector comprising:
 a head portion for attachment to the object manipulation device;   two lateral side portions attached to the head portion and spaced for receiving the two articles; and   a downstream stop portion for contacting a downstream side of at least one of the articles.   
     
     
         15 . The end effector of  claim 14 , wherein at least one of the lateral side portions is movable relative to the head portion and toward the other lateral side portion for gripping two articles. 
     
     
         16 . The end effector of  claim 14 , wherein the downstream stop portion is attached to the head portion. 
     
     
         17 . The end effector of  claim 14 , wherein the downstream stop portion is attached to one of the lateral side portions. 
     
     
         18 . The end effector of  claim 17 , further including a second downstream stop portion attached to the other of the lateral side portions. 
     
     
         19 . The end effector of  claim 14 , further including a divider attached to the head between the lateral side portions. 
     
     
         20 . The end effector of  claim 19 , where the divider is attached to the head via the downstream stop portion. 
     
     
         21 . A method of using an object manipulation device to arrange two articles within a stream of articles moving spaced apart and in a line in a conveying direction on a conveyor, the method comprising:
 contacting the more downstream of the two articles;   slowing the more downstream of the two articles; and   maintaining contact with the more downstream of the two articles while contacting the more upstream of the two articles without substantially slowing the more upstream article to form a group of the two articles.   
     
     
         22 - 26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , further including driving the object manipulation device so as to move the group laterally relative to the conveying direction to arrange the group for forming a desired orientation downstream. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 21 , further including driving the object manipulation device so as to move the group along the conveying direction to arrange the group for forming a desired orientation downstream. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 21 , further including driving the object manipulation device so as to rotate the group relative to the conveying direction to arrange the group for forming a desired orientation downstream. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 21 , further including driving the object manipulation device so as to move the group with constant motion along the conveyor. 
     
     
         31 . (canceled) 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the maintaining step includes driving the object manipulation device so that the more upstream of the two articles contacts the more downstream of the two articles along the conveying direction within an end effector having a head and two lateral side portions attached to the head. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the maintaining step includes driving the object manipulation device so that the more upstream of the two articles is located laterally to the more downstream of the two articles along the conveying direction within an end effector having a head, two lateral side portions attached to the head, and a divider attached to the head between the lateral side portions, the more upstream and more downstream articles ending up on opposite sides of the divider.