Goldco Industries, Inc.

Milton W Kapke

Ronald A Pearce

Richard H Vander Meer

Richard H VanderMeer

William M Jacoby

Method and apparatus are disclosed for facilitating formation of moving cylindrical articles, such as thin walled cans, into single file. The apparatus includes a plurality of diverting arms within a single filing area formed between two plate members having apertures formed therein so that air expelled through the apertures causes movement of conveyed articles not then in single file toward a peripheral guide member and movement of articles then in single file adjacent to the guide member in a direction through the single lining area substantially parallel to the guide member. The spaced diverting arms are pivotably mounted on a mounting plate and biased so that the article engaging portions of the arms are successively engagable with articles not then in single file adjacent to the guide member to thereby yieldably urge such articles into single file with the mounting plate also having apertures therein through which air is expelled to additionally urge the articles toward single file, and with those articles, not in single file when passing the arm positioned to last engage articles not then in single file, being ejected.

Method and apparatus for facilitating formation of moving cylindrical

An apparatus and method are disclosed for promoting preselected article orientation by elimination of unoccupied spaces in an assemblage of articles at a staging area, and, more particularly for precisely grouping cans prior to palletization thereof. The apparatus has opposite side walls, at least one of which is movable relative to the other, adjacent to a transfer surface for alternately expanding and contracting the area allotted to article staging, while the articles are being assembled to thereby cause articles to occupy unoccupied spaces and thereby enhance quantity reliability of articles within a given area.

Apparatus and method for promotion of preselected article orientation in

A material positioning and securing apparatus and process is disclosed that is particularly useful in association with a device for spirally wrapping palletized units at a wrapping station with a stretchable netting material to form a secure package. A disposable elongated material engaging member, formed from reasonably stiff and yet deformable material, is placed adjacent one side of units on a pallet at the wrapping station with the material engaging member having protruding portions oriented to extend in a direction away from the surface of the units for engagement with the netting material as the netting material is wrapped around the units. A forming and feeder mechanism, receiving a continuous supply of the reasonably stiff material, forms the material engaging member into the desired configuration and shape, and then dispenses the thus formed member into the wrapping station where the formed member is severed from the continuous supply by the forming and feeder mechanism after the formed material at the wrapping station has been contacted by a plurality of wrapped layers of the netting material. A variably positionable net manipulation arm is utilized for holding the netting material in place against the units during the initial wrapping cycle of netting material about the palletized articles, with the arm being moved away from the wrapping station and clear of the wrapping process during subsequent wrapping cycles, except that, after the final wrapping cycle, the arm is again brought into engagement with the netting material to hold the netting material in a spaced relationship with respect to the units to enable a severing arm to sever inwardly of the arm that portion of the netting material not wrapped about the articles, so that the manipulation arm engages, and continues to engage, the netting material at the supply side of the netting material, the manipulation arm then being ready for use in wrapping units on the next pallet presented at the wrapping station.

Material engaging and securing device

A material positioning and securing apparatus and method is disclosed that is particularly useful in association with a device for spirally wrapping palletized units at a wrapping station with a stretchable netting material to form a secure package. A disposable elongated material engaging member, formed from reasonably stiff and yet deformable material, is placed adjacent one side of units on a pallet at the wrapping station with the material engaging member having protruding portions oriented to extend in a direction away from the surface of the units for engagement with the netting material as the netting material is wrapped around the units. A forming and feeder mechanism, receiving a continuous supply of the resonably stiff material, forms the material engaging member into the desired configuration and shape, and then dispenses the thus formed member into the wrapping station where the formed member is severed from the continuous supply by the forming and feeder mechanism after the formed material at the wrapping station has been contacted by a plurality of wrapped layers of the netting material.

Apparatus and method for forming and positioning a material securing

A material positioning and securing apparatus and method is disclosed that is particularly useful in association with a device for spirally wrapping palletized units at a wrapping station with a stretchable netting material to form a secure package. A disposable elongated material engaging member, formed from reasonably stiff and yet deformable material, is placed adjacent one side of units on a pallet at the wrapping station with the material engaging member having protruding portions oriented to extend in a direction away from the surface of the units for engagement with the netting material as the netting material is wrapped around the units. A forming and feeder mechanism, receiving a continuous supply of the reasonably stiff material, forms the material engaging member into the desired configuration and shape, and then dispenses the thus formed member into the wrapping station where the formed member is severed from the continuous supply to the forming and feeder mechanism after the formed material at the wrapping station has been contacted by a plurality of wrapped layers of the netting material.

Material manipulating apparatus and method

A sheet transfer device and method are disclosed for transferring sheets from a sheet stack to a utilization area such as a can pallet. A base unit causes pivoting of a beam about a moveable pivot point so that a sheet picked up from the sheet stack is moved upwardly for a substantial distance and then pivoted to a point above a can pallet, after which the sheet is moved downwardly and deposited on the upwardly extending tops of a horizontal layer of cans on the can pallet. Suction is supplied through a plurality of cups brought into engagement with the top sheet of a sheet stack to lift the top sheet from the stack, with the suction being terminated when the sheet is deposited on the can pallet to thereby release the sheet. Upward movement of the sheet from the sheet stack and downward movement of the sheet toward the can pallet is effected by use of a cam follower engaging contoured cam guides to force displacement of the pivot point of a transfer beam as needed to obtain the desired movement toward and away from the can pallet and sheet stack.

Sheet transfer device and method

An apparatus for transit of articles between a transfer surface and an adjacent separator sheet is disclosed with the apparatus having a selectively positionable and extendable bridge for providing a transitional surface between the transfer surface and the sheet and for overlapping a portion of the sheet adjacent to the transfer surface when in a first position, and for providing a clearance for placement and positioning of the sheet when in a second position.

Apparatus for enabling transit of articles between adjacent surfaces

Apparatus and method are disclosed for relative movement between stacked articles and a reference surface upon which the articles are stacked. Some, or all, independently movable layers, or tiers, of the stack of articles are received by a suspending device that includes a partial enclosure connected with a high pressure air pump capable of reducing the fluid pressure to establish a pressure differential within the partial enclosure. The partial enclosure has flexible sealing strips extending from, and coextensive with, the bottom edge of movable sections of the partial enclosure, and the sealing strips are positioned adjacent to the lowest tier to be acted upon by the suspending device. Upon creation of reduced pressure within the partial enclosure, lift is thereby maintained at the bottom surface of the selected tier having the sealing strips positioned adjacent thereto (with the surface below the selected tier then being a reference surface) so that, when relative movement having a vertical component is effected between the selected tier of articles and the reference surface, the selected tier (and all tiers stacked on the selected tier) can either be lifted or caused to remain substantially in place to allow other operations for arranging a desired load, for example removal and/or insertion of slip sheets, pallets, and/or stacked articles of a different variety, to be carried out.

Apparatus and method for effecting movement of selected tiers of stacked

A disposable elongated material engaging member, formed from reasonably stiff and yet deformable material, is placed adjacent one side of units on a pallet at a wrapping station with the material engaging member having protruding portions oriented to extend in a direction away from the surface of the units for engagement with the netting material as the netting material is wrapped around the units. A forming and feeder mechanism, receiving a continuous supply of the reasonably stiff material, forms the material engaging member into the desired configuration and shape, and then dispenses the thus formed member into the wrapping station where the formed member is severed from the continuous supply by the forming and feeder mechanism after the formed material at the wrapping station has been contacted by a plurality of wrapped layers of the netting material. A variably positonable net manipulation arm is utilized for holding the netting material in place against the units during the initial wrapping cycle of netting material about the palletized articles, with the arm being moved away from the wrapping station and clear of the wrapping process during subsequent wrapping cycles, except that, after the final wrapping cycle, the arm is again brought into engagement with the netting material to hold the netting material in a spaced relationship with respect to the units to enable the cutting of that portion of the netting material not wrapped about the articles.

Growing community of inventors

Golden, CO, United States of America

Milton W Kapke