Apparatus for introducing articles into packs

Abstract

An apparatus for introducing deformable blister packs and informative sheets internally of relative packs includes first pusher elements, mounted on a first looped conveyor organ, and first movement means, associated with the first conveyor organ for moving the first pusher elements, transversally to an advancement direction thereof, so as to abut the products and push the products internally of relative respective packs. The apparatus comprises second pusher elements mounted on a second looped conveyor organ which is arranged with respect to the first conveyor organ such that the second pusher elements are arranged above the corresponding first pusher elements. Second movement means, associated with the second conveyor organ, are included for moving the second pusher elements transversally to the advancement direction thereof, so that they can abut the sheets and push the sheets internally of respective packs.

1 . An apparatus for introducing articles in packs, the articles comprising deformable products, such as for example blister packs, and informative sheets which are to be inserted together with the products in the packs, the products being arranged one following another on a relative conveyor and advanced continuously along an advancement direction, the packs being arranged one following another on a relative conveyor and being advanced continuously along an advancement direction parallel to the advancement direction of the products and in synchrony therewith, so that each pack is facing a relative product, and the informative sheets being advanced continuously along an advancement direction between the products and the packs, and in synchrony therewith, so that each sheet is interposed between a product and a pack,
 the apparatus comprising:   a first loop-wound conveyor organ, positioned by a side of the conveyor of the products, the first conveyor organ having at least a straight conveying branch and being arranged such that the straight conveying branch is situated at a level corresponding to a level of the conveyor of the products and is activated continuously, and in synchrony, in an advancement direction that is equal to and parallel to the advancement direction of the conveyor of the products,   first pusher elements, for pushing and moving the products of the relative conveyor internally of the packs, the first pusher elements being predisposed and mounted on the first conveyor organ in such a way that they can be advanced along the straight conveying branch of the first conveyor organ with an advancement direction parallel to and in a same direction as the advancement direction of the products, and in synchrony therewith, in such a way that each of them is opposite a relative product advancing on the relative conveyor,   first movement means, associated to the first conveyor organ, for moving the first pusher elements when the first pusher elements are passing on the straight conveying branch of the first conveyor organ, the first movement means being predisposed to move the first pusher elements transversally to the advancement direction thereof so as to translate them first, during the advancing thereof along a first portion of the straight conveying branch of the first conveyor organ, from a retracted position to an advanced position in such a way as to translate the first pusher elements transversally with respect to the conveyor of the products up to the conveyor of the packs so as to abut the products and push the products from the relative conveyor and introduce the products internally of the packs and, subsequently, during the advancing thereof along a second portion subsequent to the first portion of the straight conveying branch of the first conveyor, so as to move the first pusher elements transversally to the advancement direction thereof in order to translate, the first pusher elements from the advanced position newly to the retracted position, so as to extract the first pusher elements from the packs,   second pusher elements, for pushing and moving the informative sheets internally of the packs,   the apparatus further comprising:   a second loop-wound conveyor organ, the second conveyor organ having at least a straight conveying branch and being arranged with respect to the first conveyor organ such that the relative straight conveying branch is arranged superiorly of and parallel to the straight conveying branch of the first conveyor organ, and is activatable continuously, in an advancement direction equal to and parallel to the advancement direction of the straight conveying branch of the first conveyor organ, and in synchrony therewith;   the second pusher elements being predisposed and mounted on the second conveyor organ in such a way that they can be advanced along the straight conveying branch of the second conveyor organ with an advancement direction parallel to and in a same direction as the advancement direction of the sheets, in synchrony therewith, such that each thereof is opposite a relative sheet,   the second conveyor organ being arranged with respect to the first conveyor organ, and the second pusher elements being arranged on the second conveyor organ and exhibiting an extension such that when the second pusher elements advance along the relative straight conveying branch of the second conveyor organ, the second pusher elements are arranged above the corresponding first pusher elements which are advancing along the straight conveying branch of the first conveyor organ and project, with an end thereof, beyond the ends of the first pusher elements so as to be situated at least partially above the product which is to be pushed by the first pusher elements internally of the packs,   second movement means, associated to the second conveyor organ, for moving the second pusher element when the second pusher elements follow the straight conveying branch of the second conveyor organ, the second moving means being predisposed for moving the second pusher elements transversally to the advancement direction thereof so as to translate them, first, during the advancement thereof along a first portion of the straight conveying branch of the second conveyor organ, from a retracted position, at which they are arranged above corresponding first pusher elements and project by an end thereof beyond the end of the first pusher elements so as to be situated above a product, to an advanced position such as to translate the second pusher elements transversally with respect to the advancement direction of the sheets up to the conveyor of the packs so as to abut the sheets and push the sheets internally of the relative packs, and successively, during the advancing thereof along a second portion successive to the first portion of the straight conveying branch of the second conveyor organ so as to move the second pusher elements transversally to the advancement direction thereof and translate the second pusher elements from the advanced position to the retracted position so as to extract the second pusher elements from the packs.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first conveyor organ comprises a pair of loop-wound belts and a series of support elements arranged and fixed transversally to the belts, and in that the first pusher elements are mounted on relative carriages mounted slidably on the support elements, and in that the first movement means comprise rollers, mounted idle below the carriages, and guide cams having such a shape that the rollers of the carriages can slide internally thereof, the guide cams comprising at least a first sliding pathway and a second sliding pathway alternative to one another for the sliding of the rollers of the carriages, the first sliding pathway being arranged with respect to the belts of the first loop-wound conveyor organ in such a way as to be followed by the rollers of the carriages which bear the first pusher elements at least when the first pusher elements advance along the straight conveyor branch of the first conveyor organ and having a progression and profile such that when the rollers of the carriages, on which the first pusher elements are mounted, follow the first sliding pathway, the carriages are forced to maintain a stationary position on the respective support elements such that the first pusher elements are maintained in the corresponding retracted position thereof during advancement thereof along the straight conveying branch, and the second sliding pathway being arranged with respect to the belts of the first loop-wound conveyor organ so as to be followed by the rollers of the carriages which bear the first pusher elements only when the first pusher elements advance along the straight conveying branch of the first conveyor organ and having a progression and profile such that when the rollers of the carriages, on which the first pusher elements are mounted, follow the second sliding pathway, the carriages are forced, first, to translate along the respective support elements, transversally to the belts towards the conveyor of the packs, in such a way that the first pusher elements during the advancing thereof along the first portion of the straight conveying branch, are forced to translate transversally to the advancement direction thereof from the retracted position to the advanced position such that they can abut the products and push the products up to introducing them into the packs, and, thereafter, are forced to perform an inverse translation on the respective support elements, so that the first pusher elements, during the advancement thereof along the second portion of the straight conveying branch, are forced to translate in an opposite direction from the advanced position to the initial retracted position thereof so as to be extracted from the packs, and in that the second conveyor organ comprises a pair of loop-wound belts and a series of support elements arranged, and fixed, transversally to the belts, and in that the second pusher elements are mounted on relative carriages mounted slidably on the support elements, and the second movement means comprise rollers, mounted idle below the carriages, and guide cams having a shape such that the rollers of the carriages can slide internally thereof, the guide cams comprising at least a first sliding pathway and a second sliding pathway alternative to one another for the sliding of the rollers of the carriages on which the second pusher elements are mounted, the first sliding pathway being arranged with respect to the belts of the second loop-wound conveyor organ in such a way as to be follow by the rollers of the carriages which bear the second pusher elements at least when the second pusher elements advance along the straight conveying branch of the second conveyor organ and having a progression and profile such that when the rollers of the carriages on which the second pusher elements are mounted follow the first sliding pathway, the carriages are forced to maintain a stationary position on the respective support elements such that the second pusher elements are maintained in the corresponding retracted position thereof during the advancement thereof along the straight conveying branch, and the second sliding pathway is arranged with respect to the belts of the second closed-loop conveyor in such a way as to be followed by the rollers of the carriages which bear the second pusher elements only when the second pusher elements advance along the straight conveying branch of the second conveyor organ and having a progression and a profile such that when the rollers of the carriages on which the second pusher elements are mounted follow the second sliding pathway, the carriages are forced, first, to translate along the respective support elements transversally of the belts towards the conveyor o the packs, so that the second pusher elements during the advancing thereof along the first portion of the straight conveying branch are forced to translate transversally to the advancement direction thereof from the retracted position thereof to the advanced position thereof such that they can abut the sheets and push the sheets internally of the packs and, successively, are forced to perform an inverse translation on the respective support elements, such that the second pusher elements, during the advancement thereof along the second straight conveying branch, are forced to translate in an opposite direction from the advanced position to the initial retracted position so as to be extracted from the packs. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , further comprising sensor means for detecting a presence of products on the first conveyor, a presence of relative packs on the second conveyor faced to the products and a presence of corresponding sheets interposed between respective products and relative packs, in that it comprises a first switching device predisposed and associated to the first conveyor organ in a position upstream of the relative straight conveying branch and activatable such as to abut the rollers of the carriages which bear the first pusher elements in such a way as to deviate the rollers either towards the first sliding pathway of the guide cams of the first movement means, when the sensor means detect a non-presence of a product and/or a relative sheet and/or a corresponding pack, so that the pusher element of the first pusher elements, which was destined to push the missing product or the product associated to a missing sheet and/or pack, is forced to remain in the retracted position during advancement thereof along the straight conveying branch of the first conveyor organ, or towards the second sliding pathway of the guide cams when the sensor means detect the correct presence of a product, of the relative pack and the corresponding sheet, such that the pusher element of the first pusher elements destined to push the product into the relative pack is forced to translate transversally to the advancement direction thereof during the advancing thereof along the straight conveying branch of the first conveyor organ towards the advanced position thereof so as to push the product into the pack, and in that it comprises a second switching device predisposed and associated to the second conveyor organ in a position upstream of the relative straight conveying branch and activatable so as to abut the rollers of the carriages bearing the second pusher elements in such a way as to deviate the rollers either towards the first sliding pathway of the guide cams of the second movement means, when the sensor means detect a non-presence of a product and/or a relative sheet and/or a corresponding pack, so that the pusher element of the second pusher elements, which was destined to push the missing sheet or the sheet associated to a missing product and/or pack, is forced to remain in the retracted position during advancement thereof along the straight conveying branch of the second conveyor organ, or towards the second pathway of the guide cams, when the sensor means detect the correct presence of a product, of the relative pack and the corresponding sheet, such that the pusher element of the second pusher elements destined to push the sheet into the relative pack, is forced to translate transversally to the advancement direction thereof during the advancement along the straight conveying branch of the second conveyor organ towards the advanced position to push the sheet into the pack. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the second conveyor organ and the first conveyor organ are predisposed and mounted on a same frame positioned by a flank of the conveyor of the products, and in that the second conveyor organ is mounted on the frame in such a way as to be translatable and movable vertically above the first conveyor organ so as to regulate and vary the distance between the relative straight conveying branch and the underlying straight conveying branch of the first conveyor organ, so as to be able to vertically vary and adjust the distance between the second pusher elements and the first pusher elements when they follow the relative conveying conveyor branches of the respective first conveyor organ and the second conveyor organ.