Cbw Automation, Inc.

Carson Burger Weekly, Inc.

David E Carson

Donald L Powell

Thomas A Sahrle

Kevin J Anzek

Darrell B Johnson

Dennis E Schneider

Gary A Barnhart

Matthew C Davis

Daniel W Buehler

Geoffrey S White

Robert J Wooden

Curtis D Guinn

Torsten H Lindbom

George W Dalke

Michael S Thornton

Gerald L Criss

Curtis Guinn

Steven E Corwine

John E Taggart

Bryan D Willson

A telescoping article retrieval system for rapidly removing articles from a plastic molding machine or other manufacturing process in a way that significantly reduces the cycle time, while consistently maintaining vacuum control of the articles being handled. Two light weight double telescoping tubes are driven by a dual carriage assembly in which power is conveyed to one carriage by means of a servo, belt drive or other mechanism, allowing it to extend and retract. A second belt drive encompasses a first carriage and ties a second carriage to a fixed main beam such that linear movement of the first carriage of the dual carriage assembly a certain distance causes linear movement of the second carriage of the dual carriage assembly and also causes linear movement of the double telescoping tubes a distance equal to twice the distance that the first carriage has moved.

Telescoping article retrieval system with plenum assembly attached to slave belt

A process for use in an in-mold labeling application utilizes a rolled label sheet having a multiplicity of pre-printed non-adhesive labels and a pre-printed registration mark associated with each of the labels, the process detecting each of the registration marks to alignment the label sheet in a predetermined longitudinal position before labels are cut therefrom, conveying the rolled label sheet forward or backward, cutting one or more labels from the label sheet, forming a controlled loop in the label sheet, detecting each of the registration marks for aligning the label sheet in a position of registration, providing a hold down vacuum for maintaining the label sheet in a position of registration during conveyance to a predetermined label removal position, and releasing the hold down vacuum to permit removal, by an external pick and place device, of one or more of the previously-cut labels.

Apparatus and process for in-mold labeling

An apparatus and process for use in an in-mold labeling application utilizes a rolled label sheet having a multiplicity of pre-printed non-adhesive labels and a pre-printed registration mark associated with each of the labels, a sensor for detecting each of the registration marks to enable alignment of the label sheet in a predetermined longitudinal position before labels are cut therefrom; a set of driven pinch rolls for moving it forward or backward; a circumferential die cutter for cutting one or more labels from the label sheet; a passive float roll following the die cutter for creating a controlled loop in the label sheet that permits the die cutter to operate independently of a vacuum conveyor that follows the float roll, the vacuum conveyor including a sensor to detect each of the registration marks for enabling alignment of the label sheet in a position of registration thereon; and a plurality of vacuum plenums along the vacuum conveyor for selectively receiving hold down vacuum from an external source for maintaining the label sheet in its position of registration during conveyance to a predetermined label removal position, the hold down vacuum then being released to permit removal, by an external pick and place device, of one or more of the previously-cut labels.

An apparatus and process for receiving a multiplicity of like circular articles, such as discs, rings, and lids, for example, presented in a known or random horizontal orientation, and for collecting them for subsequent conventional processing into a horizontal counted stack in which each of the circular articles of the stack has the same on-edge or vertical orientation.

Apparatus and process for handling circular articles

A lid handling system employs a lid alignment assembly for aligning lids randomly placed on a rotating input disc, a lid separation assembly for separating lids spinning on a pair of horizontal spin bars into a counted stack, a vacuum pickup assembly for picking up a counted stack of lids, a pick and place assembly for transporting and placing stacks of lids into trays having upwardly bent side members, and a conveyor for conveying filled trays toward a carton.

Apparatus and method for handling lids

An apparatus for handling a plurality of lids or other predominately flat articles having two discrete sides, such as a top and bottom, delivering them in a common orientation, which includes a conveyor system for carrying the articles along the apparatus from an inlet end to a final discharge end and an air jet nozzle which directs compressed air to engage at least some of the articles to change their orientation. The conveyor system may include a number of orienting surfaces with at least a single disjoined area to provide conditions for article orientation, or re-orientation in specialized cases. The appropriate arrangement of any two of these surfaces provides varying degrees of automated flipping. Various forces, such as, but not limited to, air, vacuum and gravity, either separately or in combination, may assist in the flipping process. Such forces are selectively enabled by the detection of an improperly oriented article. Other elements may include variable speed vacuum belts--for preventing overlap of subsequent articles--and stabilizing air jets--for preserving orientation of properly oriented articles, and for preventing overlap.

Method and apparatus for orienting predominately flat articles

A retrieval system for rapidly removing articles from a plastic molding machine or other manufacturing process includes a pair of lightweight carbon fiber tubes arranged for telescoping motion into and out of an open mold. The telescoping tubes are driven by a low inertial cable drive system. A high volume, low pressure vacuum is supplied to the telescoping tubes and, in turn, to a set of receivers mounted on the pair of telescoping tubes to rapidly draw molded articles from the mold as they are conventionally ejected therefrom. A differential vacuum sensing system provides confirmation that all of the molded articles have been drawn from the mold by the receivers. Withdrawal of the pair of telescoping tubes, with the molded articles just retrieved, from the open mold is then initiated simultaneously with initiation of closure of the mold in preparation for a new molding cycle.

Retrieval system for removing articles formed by a manufacturing

A stacked container handling system includes an input section having an input conveyor onto which a box, containing a multiplicity of empty stacked containers arranged in a matrix of rows and columns of vertical stacks of containers, is manually or automatically placed in upside down position. Following removal of the box to expose the matrix of vertical stacks of containers, the vertical stacks of containers are moved forward by the input conveyor to a hinged lay-down table that rotates from an upright position in which one row at a time of the stacked containers is received to a horizontal position from which the received row of stacked containers is unloaded. The stacked container handling system may also include an output section having an output accumulation conveyor that serves to move a desired number of horizontal stacks of containers onto a lift table having a hinged bed that rotates from a horizontal position to an upright position. When the hinged bed is in the upright position, the stacks of containers retained thereon are engaged by an output conveyor that unloads the stacks as a row of vertical stacks of containers and that moves forward incrementally to allow sequential unloading of subsequent rows of vertical stacks of containers from the hinged bed of the lift table until a desired matrix of rows and columns of vertical stacks of containers has been accumulated on the output conveyor. Following manual or automatic placement of a box over the matrix of vertical stacks of containers, the box and matrix of vertical stacks of containers covered thereby are conveyed to a box turner that turns the box 180 degrees to the upright position and then deposits the upright box of vertical stacks of containers onto a roller or other conveyor.

Stacked container handling apparatus and process

An apparatus for handling a plurality of lids or other thin objects having two discrete sides, such as a top and bottom, for delivering then in a common orientation includes a conveyor for carrying the lids along the apparatus from an inlet end to a discharge end and an air jet nozzle which directs compressed air to engage at least some of the lids to shift them to an opposing angle of inclination. The conveyor includes orienting belts which are directed over rollers and pulleys whereby the lids, after at least some have been shifted, are returned to a substantially horizontal position when delivered at the discharge end. Two sets of orienting bells are supported by the rollers and pulleys to effect a V-shaped support adjacent the air jet nozzle so that the lids are supported in either alternate opposing angle of repose. The air jet nozzle may alternatively operate continuously or be actuatable by an electric eye whereby discrete jets of air may be directed toward the lip of a lid to thereby orient it. A metering belt upstream of the conveyor serves to advance the lids individually to the conveyor. A pair of rotatable descrambling disks serve to separate the lids for handling by the conveyor.

Lid orienting machine

A machine for orienting and stacking receptacles, such as cups having a base end and a mouth end, which machine includes a receiving area wherein the cups are initially received and are then fed to an upright, angularly disposed conveyor, the cups being received between bars presented by the conveyor. As the cups are moved upwardly by the conveyor, they come into engagement with an angularly disposed orienting roller which spans the width of the conveyor and contacts the cups to shift them into a common, oriented relationship with the mouths all facing in one direction and the bases in another. After orientation, the cups pass over the top of the conveyor and are removed therefrom and carried to a delivery location. The removal of the cups from the conveyor is accomplished by a vacuum which is drawn adjacent the top end of the conveyor. At the delivery location there is provided a pair of spinning rolls which rotate in the same direction at different speeds and which serve to draw the cups, in their aligned, oriented relationship, therealong and into a final, stacked relationship whereby they may be removed from the machine for subsequent handling or packaging.

Machine for orienting and stacking receptacles

A machine for feeding injection molded plastic lids from a gathering area to which they have been delivered in either scrambled or stacked relationship to a delivery point where the lids are oriented for subsequent delivery to a lid stacking machine or to a point of use. The lid feeding machine comprises a first driven belt in a generally horizontal plane but slightly inclined with respect to the horizontal on its longitudinal axis and a second driven belt in a generally vertical plane but also slightly inclined with respect to the horizontal on its longitudinal axis, the belts being juxtaposed in approximately 90.degree. angular relationship on their transverse axes, whereby when lids are delivered to the gathering area, which is at one end of the first belt, they are moved, by the first belt, toward the second belt and are then engaged by the second belt to insure separation and vertical orientation thereof and, as engaged by the second belt, are driven along a lid feed path toward a point of delivery which is at the other end of the first and second belts. The normally lowermost end of the longitudinal axis of the first belt defines the gathering area and the uppermost end of the longitudinal axis of the second belt is adjacent the gathering area. The belts span the distance between the gathering area and the point of delivery, with the uppermost, other end of the first belt being at the delivery area and the lowermost, other end of the second belt being adjacent the delivery area.

Lid feeding machine

Improved apparatus is provided for use in detecting faults, such as cracks, 'flashes,' 'short shots' and 'grease' deposits, during the quality control inspection phase of the production of molded articles, such as cups, glasses, containers, lids or the like, especially those formed by injection molding from plastic material. The apparatus employs optical sensing and electrical signal handling techniques involving sensors for providing electrical signals (or signal controlling parameters) corresponding to the intensity of light transmitted through or/and reflected from an article being inspected, in conjunction with electrical, fault detection circuitry that responds equally well and produces a fault indicating, electrical output of like polarity for greater than threshold magnitude changes in either direction (decrease or increase) in the intensity of the light being sensed. The apparatus includes sensors permitting the detection of faults in either transparent or opaque articles.

Growing community of inventors

Fort Collins, CO, United States of America

David E Carson