Title of Invention

INSTALLATION FOR PACKAGING RIGID RECEPTACLES THAT ARE OPEN AT ONE END

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for packaging rigid receptacles (2) that are open at one end, e.g. bags or cups, by placing them in dimensionally stable packaging wrappers (3) that are matched to the outer contour of the receptacles. The receptacles (2) are conveyed by a conveying device (4), which has a number of adjacent conveying paths, while passing under a delivery device (5) that places the packaging wrappers (3) in the conveying paths. The delivery device (5) comprises a support (6) that is provided with support channels (7), which extend downward at an angle and which serve to accommodate stacks of packaging wrappers. The delivery device also comprises a holding device (8), which is located down from the support (6) while serving to hold the stacks of packaging wrappers, and comprises a transfer device (9) with a carriage, which is provided with suction heads, can move back and forth above the conveying paths and which, by means of its suction heads, pulls packaging wrappers from the stacks and places them in the conveying paths.

Full Text

Device for Packaging Rigid Receptacles that are Open at One End Realm of the Invention The invention refers to a device for packaging of rigid receptacles that are open at one end such as e.g., bags, beakers, wafer cones, wafer beakers, ice cream cones, ice cream cups and similar items by placing them in dimensionally stable packaging wrappers that are fitted to the outer contours of the receptacles. The dimensionally stable packaging wrappers can be manufactured from paper or thin foil and exhibit a bag-shaped, beaker-shaped form that corresponds to the outer contours of the receptacle. Prior Art A packaging device for wafer cones is established in DE 26 57 021 A in which the wafer cones that lie in transport channels that are parallel to one another at greater distances behind one another, in each case with the vertex facing to the front, are pushed into foil bags that lie in front of it that have been pulled from the front pointed end of several piles of bags that are located parallel to one another by a delivery device that is located above the transport channels and then inserted into the transport channels. The pile of bags lie on support channels that slant downwards and insert their pointed, front ends that protrude over the lower ends of the support channels, into the gripper funnel of a bag detaching device, the gripper funnels being located parallel to one another. The needles of the bag detaching device, which can be moved radially into the gripper funnels respectively, pierce the vertex of the lowermost bag of the respective pile of bags that is inserted in the respective gripper funnel. The bag detaching device subsequently pulls the bags fixed in its gripper funnel from the pile of bags that lie at a slant to the front and swivels the bags that are held firmly by it with its open rear end downwards to the transport channels. The needles in the gripper funnel are subsequently removed from the bag vertices and the foil bags fall downwards from out of the bag detaching device and land in the transport channels before the wafer cones. Following this, the working arm of a slider that moves to and fro is swivelled to a position behind the wafer cones in the transport channels and the wafer cones are first pushed by this slider into the foil bags that lie in front of it and then pushed out of the packaging device together with the foil bags. A packaging device for wafer cones is established in AT 347 884 B in which paper bags are pulled from the pointed, lower ends of standing paper piles and are allowed to fall into curved chutes that feed the paper pile sliding downwards in the chute due to gravity, to the lower end of the chute of the neighbouring transport channels of wafer cones. Abstract of the Invention The invention proposes a device for packaging of rigid receptacles that are open at one end by placing them in dimensionally stable packaging wrappers that are fitted to the outer contours of the receptacles. This packaging device has a conveying device REPLACEMENT PAGE (RULE 26) with transfer paths running parallel and lengthwise for the receptacles and a delivery device that is located above the transport channels for delivery of packaging wrappers to the receptacle transfer paths of the conveying device. The delivery device has support channels that slant downwards and are set up on the receptacle transfer paths and on which a pile of packaging wrappers lie. These packaging wrappers are held at their lower end by a holding device that, with its holding jaws that lie opposite one another, grasps the upper end section of the lowermost packaging wrapper of every pile which protrudes lengthwise over these holding jaws. A transfer device that is subordinated to this holding device has a sliding carriage which can be moved to and fro lengthwise between a rear and a front operating location. The carriage carries pneumatically operated suction heads allocated to the support channels respectively with whose help the lowermost packaging wrapper of the pile that projects lengthwise over the support channels adheres to the sliding carriage in the rear working location of the same and is removed from the pile by the forward movement of the sliding carriage and is released in the front operating location of the sliding carriage and deposited at the receptacle transfer paths of the conveying device. In accordance with another feature of the invention, the receptacle's transfer paths could be furnished with diagonal levels located in the region of the transfer device and be allocated to the blast nozzle positioned behind the transfer device with which the packaging wrappers deposited on the transfer paths can be pushed towards the back right up to the diagonal levels in order to align them in a diagonal direction. In accordance with further feature of the invention, the suction heads located at the sliding carriage of the transfer device can respectively exhibit two pneumatically operable suction buttons located lengthwise one behind the other. In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the packaging wrapper pile's holding device that is subordinate to the support channels can have a lower holding jaw that is allocated to the lower rim of the pile and an adjustable upper holding jaw that is allocated to the upper rim of the pile. These holding jaws can be designed as cross-pieces that stretch longitudinally and from which holding lugs respectively stick out which can be brought into contact with the lowermost packaging wrapper of a pile. In accordance with another feature of the invention, the delivery device can be provided with automatic equipment in the region running diagonally under the support channels, to move the packaging wrapper pile. This moving equipment can be made up of weights that are supported on rollers in the support channels and that rest against the rear end of the packaging wrapper pile. In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the rear photoelectric barrier that is used to monitor the assembly of receptacles in the packaging device can be provided in the front of the transfer device and can be allocated to the parallel transfer paths of the conveying device. In accordance with another feature of the invention, a front photoelectric barrier can be provided to monitor the assembly of packaging wrappers brought to the transfer paths and is located in the region of the front operating location of the sliding carriage of the transfer device and allocated to the parallel transfer paths of the conveying device. In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the conveying device could possess one or more closable, lower output channels allocated to the transfer paths in the region of the transfer device, through which receptacles that are not inserted in a packaging wrapper can be separated from the packaging device in accordance with the invention. Rigid packages that are open at one end can be packaged with the packaging device in accordance with the invention such as receptacles designed as bags or beakers e.g., wafer bags and ice cream cones or wafer beakers and ice cream beakers. In the case of bag-shaped receptacles, bag-shaped packaging wrappers are used and in the case of beaker-shaped receptacles, beaker-shaped packaging wrappers are used. The packaging wrappers are dimensionally stable and respectively fitted to the outer contour of the receptacle. Packaging wrappers can be designed to be closed or open at their lower end that is allocated to the lower, closed end of the receptacle. Packaging wrappers that are open downwards and placed on the receptacle form an external, enveloping cover for a receptacle in each case which carries a caption and can be designed to protect the receptacle against contact. The invention is described in greater detail below with the help of diagrams. Short Description of the Drawings Figure 1 illustrates a side view of a packaging device Figure 2 illustrates the front region of the delivery device with the sliding carriage of the transfer device in its rear and front operating location Figure 3 illustrates the front region of the delivery device from the rear Figure 4 is a side view of a weight loaded on rollers and Figure 5 is the front view of the weight loaded on rollers. Description of the Exemplary Embodiments The invention relates to a device 1 for packaging of rigid receptacles 2 that are open at one end by inserting the receptacle 2 in dimensionally stable packaging wrappers 3 that are customised to its outer contours. This packaging device 1 can design receptacles 2 for example as bags or beakers such as wafer beakers or wafer cones that are inserted into bag-shaped or beaker-shaped packaging wrappers 3 that can be manufactured from paper or externally imprinted foil. The packaging wrappers 3 have an open, rear end and run forward to a pointed front end, whereby the front end can be designed to be closed or even open. The receptacles in the drawing are illustrated as wafer cones 2 that are inserted in markedly larger paper bags 3. The wafer cones 2 in the packaging device 1 are transported through, under the delivery device 5, by a conveying device 4 that has several lengthwise running, parallel transfer paths. The latter functions as a storage 6 for several paper bag piles that are located parallel to one another with their pointed ends facing to the front. These lie on support channels 7 that run diagonally downwards and are set up on the transfer paths and are held by a holding device 8 at their lower ends that is subordinate to a transfer device 9, which removes the first paper bag from every individual paper bag pile and places the same in the transfer path of the conveying device 4 that is assigned to the respective support channel 7. The holding device 8 has two holding jaws 10 and 11 that are located at the lower end of the support channels 7 and that stretch diagonally and lie directly opposite each other, perpendicular to the level of the support channels 7. Lower holding lugs 10a project upwards from the lower holding jaw 10 and are set up next to each other on the support channels, located at a distance from one another. The upper holding jaw 11 has an upper holding lug 11a that projects downwards, directed at the lower holding lug 10a. Holding lugs 10a and 11a are made up of plates in the shape of half circles that are located between two neighbouring paper bag piles respectively and are in contact with the lowermost paper bag of both piles (Fig. 3). The upper holding jaw 12 in frame 9a of the transfer device 9 is guided by guide bolts 13, 14 that project upwards from it, to move at a level that runs perpendicular to the support channels 7. The frame 9a of the transfer device carries an adjustment device 15 that is allocated to the upper holding jaw 12 and that is provided with a hand wheel 16 used to adjust the position of the upper holding jaw 12. The adjustment device 15 not only sets the distance between the upper holding jaw 11 and the lower holding jaw 10 to the size of the paper bags of the paper bag pile but also sets and/or adjusts the clamping force with which the paper bag pile is held by the holding device 8. The paper bag pile in the holding device 8 is located with its lowermost paper bag between the holding lugs 11a, 10a of both holding jaws 10, 11. The two holding jaws 10, 11 grasp the upper end sections of the lowermost paper bag that projects on its side beyond the two holding jaws 10, 11 as well as projects diagonally downwards and into the operating range of the transfer device 9. The transfer device 9 has a guide 17 that runs lengthwise and parallel to the diagonal level of the support channels 17 and on which a sliding carriage 18 that can be moved lengthwise is supported. The sliding carriage 18 has a diagonally running cross bar 19 at which the pneumatically operable suction heads 20 are fixed respectively and allocated to the support channels 7. The suction heads 20 respectively have pneumatically operable suction buttons 21 that are located lengthwise one behind the other. The sliding carriage 18 can be moved towards the back, right up to the rear operating location. In this position, the suction buttons 21 are above the side walls of the lowermost paper bag of the paper bag pile lying on the support channels; the side walls project forwards over the holding device. The suction buttons 21 are pneumatically activated in the front operating location of the sliding carriage 18 in order to grasp the paper bags and hold same firmly at the sliding carriage 18. The sliding carriage 18 is subsequently moved forwards to its front operating location. When in this position, the paper bags are held right over the transfer paths of the transfer device 4 by the suction buttons 21. The suction buttons 21 are operated pneumatically again when in the front operating location of the sliding carriage 18, this time to release the paper bags and deposit the same at the transfer paths of the conveying device 4. The sliding carriage 18 is subsequently driven again towards the back, to its rear operating location in order to remove the next diagonal row of paper bags from the paper bag pile and deposit the same at the transfer path of the conveying device 4. A diagonal level is built in every transfer path of the conveying device 4 in the region of the transfer device 9. This diagonal level separates the front section of the transfer path that lies at a somewhat higher level from the delivery section of the transfer path that lies somewhat deeper inside and is allocated to the rear operating location of the sliding carriage 18. Blast nozzles 23 that are directed towards the rear are located above this delivery section of the transfer paths. These nozzles push the paper bags that lie on the delivery sections towards the rear with their blasts of air till they abut the diagonal level 22 and form a diagonal row that is perpendicular to the transfer direction. The conveying device 4 pushes the wafer cones that lie on the higher, front section of the transfer path over the diagonal level 22 away into the paper bags that are deposited on that delivery section of the transfer path that lies deep inside. Wafer cones that are on the transfer paths at greater distances from one another are located in diagonal rows that are respectively pushed further apart by the cross bar of the conveying device 4 in the longitudinal direction of the conveying device. Lower output channels are provided in that delivery section of the transfer path that lies deeper inside and are respectively covered below by a flap 24 that is to be operated pneumatically. Rear photoelectric barriers 25 are provided in the front region of the transport paths of the transfer device in the conveying device 4. The presence of a wafer cone in every individual transfer path is monitored by these photoelectric barriers. If no wafer cone is present at a transfer path then no paper bag will be pulled off from the paper bag pile in the support channels 7 allocated to this transfer path in the delivery device 5, in that the suction buttons 21 of the sliding carriage 18 allocated to these support channels 7 can not be activated in their rear operating location so that no paper bag is deposited in the corresponding transfer path. Front photoelectric barriers 26 that are allocated to the individual transfer paths of the conveying device 4, are provided in that region of the transfer device 9 that is allocated to the front operating location of the sliding carriage 18. These barriers monitor whether a paper bag has been deposited in the respective transfer paths. In the event that no paper bag is deposited in a transfer path in which a waver cone lies, the flap 24 that covers the lower output channels of this transfer path downwards, is activated pneumatically in order to open the output channels and to release the wafer cone, for which no paper bag is lying in readiness, downwards and out from the conveying device. The front and rear photoelectric barriers 25 and 26 that are each allocated to a transfer path of the conveying device 4 ensure that only packaged wafer cones i.e., each wafer cone inserted into a paper bag respectively, leave the packaging device. In the case of the delivery device 5, automatic moving equipment is provided for the paper bag pile in the region of the support channels 7 that runs diagonally downwards. This moving equipment is made up of weights 27 in the support channels 7 that are supported by rollers 27a respectively; these weights abut the rear end of the paper bag pile. Patent Claims 1. Device for packaging rigid receptacles (2) that are open at one end such as e.g., bags, beakers, wafer cones, wafer beakers, ice cream cones, ice cream cups and similar items by placing the receptacles (2) in dimensionally stable packaging wrappers (3) that are fitted to the outer contours of the receptacles, whereby the packaging device (1) has a lower conveying device (4) with parallel, lengthwise running, transfer paths for the receptacles (2) and a delivery device (5) for the packaging wrappers (3) that is located over the conveying device (4) and in the case of which a holding device (8) for the pile is allocated to a storage (6) for the packaging wrappers that is provided with support channels (7) running diagonally downwards and in the case of which a transfer device (9) that removes packaging wrappers (3) from the piles and deposits same at the receptacle transfer paths is subordinate characterised in that the transfer device (9) has a carriage (18) that can be moved lengthwise to and fro between a rear and a front operating location, the sliding carriage carrying pneumatically operable suction heads (20) that are allocated to the support channels (7) respectively and with whose help the lowermost packaging wrapper (3) of a pile, projecting longitudinally over the support channels (7) adheres to the sliding carriage (18) in the rear operating location of the sliding carriage (18) and which is removed from the pile with the forward movement of the sliding carriage (18) and released in the front operating location of the sliding carriage (18) and deposited in the receptacle transfer paths of the conveying device (4). 2. Device according to claim 1 characterised in that the transfer paths of the receptacles (2) are provided with diagonal levels (22) that are located in the region of the transfer device (9) and blast nozzles (23) that are directed towards the rear are allocated to the transfer device (9) and with which packaging wrappers (3) that are deposited on the transfer paths can be pushed towards the back right up to the diagonal levels (22). 3. Device according to claim 1 or 2 characterised in that the suction heads (20) mounted on the sliding carriage (18) of the transfer device (9) have two pneumatically operable suction buttons (21) respectively that are located lengthwise one behind the other. 4. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3 characterised in that the holding device (8) for the packaging wrapper pile, subordinate to the support channels (7), has a lower holding jaw (10) that is allocated to the lower rim of the pile and a movable upper holding jaw (12) that is allocated to the upper rim of the pile. 5. Device according to claim 4 characterised in that the holding jaws (10, 12) are designed as cross pieces that stretch longitudinally and from which holding lugs (10a, 11a) stick out that can respectively be brought into contact with the lowermost packaging wrapper (3) of a pile. 6. Device according to one of claims 1 - 5 characterised in that the delivery device (5) is furnished with automatic moving equipment for the packaging wrapper pile in the region of the support channels (7) that runs diagonally downwards. 7. Device according to claim 6 characterised in that the moving equipment is designed as weights (27) in the support channels (7) supported on rollers (27a); the weights abut the rear end of the packaging wrapper pile. 8. Device according to one of claims 1-7 characterised in that rear photoelectric barriers (25) provided in the front of the transfer device (9) are allocated to the parallel transfer paths of the conveying device (4) respectively and monitor the presence of a receptacle (2) on the concerned transfer path and are connected to the transfer device (9) by activating the suction buttons (21) of the sliding carriage (18). 9. Device according to one of claims 1 - 8 characterised in that the front photoelectric barrier (26) is located in the region of the front operating location of the sliding carriage (18) of the transfer device (9) and allocated to the parallel transfer paths of the conveying device (4); this barrier (26) is provided to monitor the assembly of packaging wrappers (3) brought to the transfer path. 10. Device according to one of claims 1 - 9 characterised in that the conveying device (4) has closable, lower output channels for the receptacles (2) and is allocated to the individual transfer paths in the region of the transfer device (9) and can be individually controlled.

Documents:

2879-CHENP-2005 CLAIMS GRANTED.pdf

2879-CHENP-2005 CORRESPONDENCE OTHERS.pdf

2879-CHENP-2005 CORRESPONDENCE PO.pdf

2879-CHENP-2005 FORM 1.pdf

2879-CHENP-2005 FORM 3.pdf

2879-CHENP-2005 PETITIONS.pdf

2879-CHENP-2005 POWER OF ATTORNEY.pdf

2879-chenp-2005-abstract.pdf

2879-chenp-2005-claims.pdf

2879-chenp-2005-correspondnece-others.pdf

2879-chenp-2005-correspondnece-po.pdf

2879-chenp-2005-description(complete).pdf

2879-chenp-2005-drawings.pdf

2879-chenp-2005-form 1.pdf

2879-chenp-2005-form 18.pdf

2879-chenp-2005-form 3.pdf

2879-chenp-2005-form 5.pdf

2879-chenp-2005-pct.pdf