Douglas Machine Inc.

Douglas Machine Limited Liability Company

Apv Douglas Machine Corporation

Frito-lay North America, Inc.

Irvan Leo Pazdernik

Paul Howard Wagner

Richard Jerome Schoeneck

Thomas Harold Peterman

Daniel Leonard Floding

Richard Willard Lukanen, Jr

Bruce Peterson

Bradley Jon VanderTuin

Matthew D Toyli

Jeffery L Lenarz

Paul L Anderson

Gene Allen Corle

Patrick Joseph Bierschenk

John Joseph Michels

Ronald Matthew Gust

David Leon Anderson

Christopher Todd Davis

Leon J Krause

Vernon J Anderson

Chad W Hahn

Shawn P Pundsack

Jason P Lattimer

Lee A Fredrickson

Simin Jiang

Randy K Thoen

Kyle Nelson

Mark Larson

Jerry Dahlheimer

Jeff Lenarz

Dean Malmgren

Michael Paul Bauer

Bruce Malcolm Peterson

An article metering system is generally provided. The system is primarily comprised of a conveyor section, for receipt of a bulk flow of articles and conveyance of spaced apart metered article groups downstream of an ingress portion thereof, and an article metering station characterized by an article metering apparatus characterized by a drive assembly and a driven member driven thereby. The driven member includes an end effector for select positioning between adjacent articles of articles of the bulk flow of articles received by the conveyor section in furtherance of delimiting a downstream spaced apart metered article group characterized by a select number of columns. The drive assembly includes cooperatively driven servo drives to effectuate travel of the end effector in either of a downstream article flow direction or an upstream article flow direction, and an up/down direction in relation to articles of the bulk flow of articles received by the conveyor section.

Article metering apparatus, system and methods

A vacuum table () includes an introduction section () in fluid communication with a vacuum chamber () and a compartment () dividable by an adjustment partition () into primary and secondary vacuum chambers (). Adjustment plates () having adjustment apertures () are positionable over apertures () of the conveying surface () of the vacuum table () generally perpendicular to the conveying direction. Film () extends from between the nip of pinch rollers () to the conveying surface () and is tensioned therebetween to be cut in excess of 105 cuts per minute by a servo motor controlled rotary cutter () which stops after each cut. The shaft () of the rotary cutter () includes a bore () extending from the idle end to provide servo-control loop stability.

Apparatus and methods for producing shrink-wrap packaging

A system for spacing conveyed articles is generally provided. The system advantageously includes an apparatus for conveying articles characterized by a driven loop element and a plurality of article selectors, each article selector adapted for select reversible engagement with the driven loop element. A queuing station, characterized by an ingress and egress portions wherein article selectors are retained for select dispensing, is likewise provided and includes a first actuator to facilitate disengagement of article selectors from the driven loop element, and a second actuator to facilitate engagement of article selectors with the driven loop element. An assembly for selectively dispensing article selectors from the queuing station is further provided.

Variable pitch system, apparatus and method

An article inspection and orientation adjustment assembly is generally provided. The assembly is generally characterized by a primary subassembly operatively linked for travel with a secondary subassembly. The primary subassembly includes a vision system for visually inspecting conveyed articles, and an array of actuators, actuators thereof responsive to detections of the vision system and selectively energizable for conveyed article engagement in furtherance of altering an orientation of the conveyed article. The secondary subassembly includes a friction bar extending along a travel path for the conveyed articles, energization of an actuator of the array of actuators resulting in frictional engagement of an actuated article with the friction bar so as to rotatingly orient the actuated article.

Article orienter and attendant orientation operations

Among other things, a case forming system is provided. The system includes a conveyance apparatus for conveying case precursors along a conveyance path and a case set-up apparatus characterized by a case forming member. Upstream case precursors are conveyed along the conveyance path for operation thereupon by the case forming member. A case forming mandrel of a mandrel assembly is movably mounted in relation to the conveyance apparatus for continuous motion with respect thereto. The continuous motion is delimited by travel of the case forming mandrel between an upstream locus and a downstream locus of the conveyance path, and reversible extension of the case forming mandrel towards case precursors during travel between the upstream locus and the downstream locus of the conveyance path.

Continuous motion case former

Product is conveyed as a continuous stream by a meter conveyor () unto a transfer plate () and a transfer device () including first and second supports (A,B) each in the form of a thin piece of flexible material. The transfer device () is movable between retracted and extended positions extending over a sweep conveyor () by securing its trailing and leading ends to flexible belts () on opposite longitudinal sides of the sweep conveyor (). Product is transferred from the second support (B) to the sweep conveyor () and from the first support (A) to the second support (B) as the transfer device () moves from the extended position to the retracted position and is engaged by a metering bar (B) which controls the product acceleration on the sweep conveyor () and by a metering bar (A) which prevents unmetered product from tipping downstream. A sweep bar () which collects the product on the sweep conveyor ().

Methods and apparatus for slip sheet metering for indexing product

A heat tunnel for applying heated air to articles enclosed in shrink-wrap film includes at least one air supply unit; a conveyor; and a heat shroud spaced from the conveyor. The air supply unit includes a source of heated air, a fan, a heated air plenum, air ducts, and a return air plenum. Multiple air supply units can be provided along the conveyor to create a heat tunnel of desired length.

Heat tunnel for film shrinking

A product metering apparatus () includes a first product conveyance mechanism () conveying product in a continuous stream. A platform () supports product and is movable along a closed path between a loading position adjacent to the first product conveyance mechanism () and a transfer position adjacent to an output in the form of a second product conveyance mechanism () spaced from the first product conveyance mechanism () in the conveying direction. The platform () in the loading position receives the product in the continuous stream from the first product conveyance mechanism () and is then accelerated to a speed greater than the first product conveyance mechanism () creating a gap between the product supported on the platform () and the product remaining in the continuous stream on the first product conveyance mechanism (). A sweep bar () is inserted into the gap and abuts with the product on the platform () for assisting transfer of the product on the platform () to the output.

Transfer device metering apparatus and methods

A cutting apparatus cuts shrink wrap film residing in a roll. The apparatus includes a first roller pair receiving the film from the roll and carrying the film away from the roll; and without the need for a second roller pair to receive the cut sheet of film. Film snap-back is prevented by cutting the film between a shear deck with teeth and a rotating blade with teeth intermeshing with the teeth of the shear deck. A method for cutting a sheet of shrink wrap film, includes: feeding the film into a first roller pair; and cutting the film between the first roller pair and the second roller pair using a rotating knife with a number of teeth intermeshing with a shear bar with teeth.

Film cutter

Semi-rigid container

Product is conveyed as a continuous stream by a meter conveyor () unto a transfer plate () and a transfer device (). The transfer device () is movable between a retracted position and an extended position extending over a sweep conveyor (). In a preferred form, the transfer device () is in the form of a thin piece of flexible material and is moved in the conveying direction from the retracted position to the extended position by engaging with the sweep conveyor () and is moved to the retracted position by being wrapped around a rotated roller (). Product is transferred from the transfer device () to the sweep conveyor () as the transfer device () moves from the extended position to the retracted position and is engaged by a metering bar () which controls the product on the sweep conveyor () until the product group leaves the transfer device (). With nested product, the leading edge of the transfer device () is scalloped to represent the product bottom leading edge.

Retractable transfer device metering apparatus and methods

Product is conveyed as a continuous stream by a meter conveyor () unto a transfer plate () and a transfer device (). The transfer device () is movable between a retracted position and an extended position extending over a sweep conveyor (). In a preferred form, the transfer device () is in the form of a thin piece of flexible material and is moved in the conveying direction from the retracted position to the extended position by engaging with the sweep conveyor () and is moved to the retracted position by being wrapped around a rotated roller (). Product is transferred from the transfer device () to the sweep conveyor () as the transfer device () moves from the extended position to the retracted position and is engaged by a metering bar () which controls the product acceleration on the sweep conveyor () to match the meter conveyor () until the product group leaves the transfer device (). With nested product, the leading edge of the transfer device () is scalloped to represent the product bottom leading edge.

A heat tunnel for applying heated air to articles enclosed in shrink-wrap film includes at least one air supply unit; a conveyor; and a heat shroud spaced from the conveyor. Tha air supply unit includes a source of heated air, a fan, a heated air plenum, air ducts, and a return air plenum. Multiple air supply units can be provided along the conveyor to create a heat tunnel of desired length.

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Alexandria, MN, United States of America

Irvan Leo Pazdernik