Apparatus and method for loading articles into a packing case

Abstract

An apparatus and method for loading articles into a packing case are provided. The apparatus is a drop packer that utilizes finger guides to guide articles into upward facing openings in packing cases. The finger guides are arranged in sets, and sets of finger guides are arranged in adjacent rows. Each set of finger guides has one generally vertical stationary guide and one movable guide that can be moved into an open or closed position. This configuration of finger guides allows the drop packer to be used to load articles into packing cases that are partially compressed without the need to expand the packing cases before loading.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for loading articles into packing cases, said apparatus comprising:
 an infeed conveyor configured to convey articles onto a grid unit in a plurality of side-by-side lanes, wherein the grid unit is configured to selectively release a charge of articles such that each article drops downward,   wherein the grid unit comprises a plurality of finger guides arranged in sets, wherein sets of finger guides are arranged in adjacent rows configured such that each article drops downward through a chute defined by a set of finger guides, wherein each set of finger guides comprises a stationary finger guide configured in a generally vertical position and a movable finger guide that can be moved into an open position to allow an article to drop through the chute or into a closed position, wherein the movable finger guide is positioned at an acute angle to the stationary guide when in the closed position, and   a lift platform configured to lift one or more packing cases upward such that the finger guides of each set of finger guides are inserted into an upward facing opening in the one or more packing cases when each movable finger guide is in the closed position.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the movable finger guide of each set of finger guides is resiliently biased to the closed position. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each stationary finger guide is positioned adjacent to a stationary finger guide located in an adjacent row of finger guide sets. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the movable finger guide of each set of finger guides is resiliently biased to the closed position. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a press located downstream of the lift platform, wherein the press is configured to selectively press downward on a group of articles loaded into one or more packing cases. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the movable finger guide of each set of finger guides is resiliently biased to the closed position. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein each stationary finger guide is positioned adjacent to a stationary finger guide located in an adjacent row of finger guide sets. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the movable finger guide of each set of finger guides is resiliently biased to the closed position. 
     
     
         9 . A grid unit for a drop packer for loading articles into packing cases, wherein the grid unit is configured to selectively release a charge of articles such that each article drops downward, said grid unit comprising:
 a frame, and   a plurality of finger guides attached to the frame and extending downwardly from the frame, wherein the finger guides are arranged in sets, wherein sets of finger guides are arranged in adjacent rows configured such that each article drops downward through a chute defined by a set of finger guides, wherein each set of finger guides comprises a stationary finger guide configured in a generally vertical position and a movable finger guide that can be moved into an open position to allow an article to drop through the chute or into a closed position, and wherein the movable finger guide is positioned at an acute angle to the stationary guide when in the closed position.   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the movable finger guide of each set of finger guides is resiliently biased to the closed position. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein each stationary finger guide is positioned adjacent to a stationary finger guide located in an adjacent row of finger guide sets. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the movable finger guide of each set of finger guides is resiliently biased to the closed position. 
     
     
         13 . A method of loading articles into packing cases, said method comprising the steps of:
 providing one or more packing cases and a plurality of articles for loading into the one or more packing cases,   providing an apparatus for loading the plurality of articles into the one or more packing cases, wherein the apparatus comprises:
 an infeed conveyor configured to convey articles onto a grid unit in a plurality of side-by-side lanes, wherein the grid unit is configured to selectively release a charge of articles such that each article drops downward, 
 wherein the grid unit comprises a plurality of finger guides arranged in sets, wherein sets of finger guides are arranged in adjacent rows configured such that each article drops downward through a chute defined by a set of finger guides, wherein each set of finger guides comprises a stationary finger guide configured in a generally vertical position and a movable finger guide that can be moved into an open position to allow an article to drop through the chute or into a closed position, wherein the movable finger guide is positioned at an acute angle to the stationary guide when in the closed position, and 
 a lift platform configured to lift one or more packing cases upward such that the finger guides of each set of finger guides are inserted into an upward facing opening in the one or more packing cases when each movable finger guide is in the closed position, 
   conveying a charge of articles onto the grid unit,   lifting one or more packing cases upward using the lift platform such that the finger guides of each set of finger guides are inserted into an upward facing opening in the one or more packing cases, and   dropping the charge of articles downward such that each article drops through a chute defined by a set of finger guides and into an upward facing opening in a packing case,
 wherein the movable finger guide of each set of finger guides moves into an open position when an article drops downward to allow the article to drop into a packing case. 
   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more packing cases expand when the movable finger guide of each set of finger guides moves into the open position. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the movable finger guide of each set of finger guides is resiliently biased to the closed position. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein each stationary finger guide is positioned adjacent to a stationary finger guide located in an adjacent row of finger guide sets. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the movable finger guide of each set of finger guides is resiliently biased to the closed position. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising the steps of:
 providing a press located downstream of the lift platform, wherein the press is configured to selectively press downward on a group of articles loaded into one or more packing cases, and   employing the press to press downward on a group of articles.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the movable finger guide of each set of finger guides is resiliently biased to the closed position. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein each stationary finger guide is positioned adjacent to a stationary finger guide located in an adjacent row of finger guide sets.