Goldco Industries, Inc.

Richard H VanderMeer

Donald J Simkowski

Milton W Kapke

A conveying device with a diverter having a curved path for conveying lightweight unstable articles, such as plastic bottles having a neck portion with a neck ring thereon. The unstable articles are conveyed along a first path to different ones of plural second paths through a third path at the diverter with the third path having first and second ends alignable with the first path and different ones of the plural second paths and a middle portion maintained in a curved configuration that is varied during aligning movement of the second end. A controller controls the aligning movement of the second end, preferably along a straight path, and the unstable articles are supported by engaging members in actuating guides to urge the unstable articles along the article paths.

Unstable article conveying device with diverter having curved path

Article diverting and storage system and method utilizing a thru-flow palletizer/depalletizer. Articles on an article conveyor are diverted from the article conveyor at a first location and moved along a first path toward a discharge end where a sweep unit of a palletizer/depalletizer urges and leads the diverted articles onto a pallet by groups for storage. When the stored articles are later needed, the articles are urged and led from the pallet by groups by the sweep unit and a retainer unit of the palletizer/depalletizer and moved along a second path separate from the first path to a second location of the article conveyor downstream from the first location where the articles are inserted onto the article conveyor. The system and method are particularly useful for storing cans diverted from a high speed can production and/or handling line, and for later supplying stored cans, when needed, to the line.

Thru-flow palletizer/depalletizer

A device is disclosed that utilizes a fluid (normally air) to effect nested alignment of articles having a circular cross-section (such as cans used to package beverages and the like). A conveying section that includes a dead plate and a fluid conveyor provides articles in a mass flow to an aligning section having guides therein spaced a sufficient distance to form guideways through which articles are fluid driven in single file toward a discharge end having an adjacently positioned staging section that also includes a fluid conveyor. The guides, other than a center guide, have first and second portions that are angled with respect to one another, and fluid injected into the sections through apertures in a base plate providing section bottoms urges the articles into a plurality of adjacent rows of aligned articles at the staging section with the articles of each adjacent row offset from one another to effect nesting of the articles. Readily removable section top units preclude upward movement of the articles, and nested and aligned articles discharged from the staging area are provided to a palletizer or like apparatus.

Device utilizing fluid for effecting nested alignment of articles having

A device and method are disclosed for moving articles, such as cans, by groups, or tiers, from a pallet to an adjoining surface, such as a belt conveyor. A pair of sweep arms of a sweep unit move about a closed loop path to alternately engage the trailing portion of groups of articles when at a pallet sweep area to urge each group from the pallet. A pivotable retainer arm of a retainer unit, mounted on a reciprocating carriage moved by a driver following a closed loop path, engages the leading portion of the group of articles to be then moved from the pallet and thereafter leads the group from the pallet. The sweep and retainer arms are simultaneously moved by cycles whereby the sweep arms are alternately moved from a home position to engage the trailing portion of a group of articles and urge the engaged group from the pallet and the retainer arm is moved from a home position in a direction opposite to movement of the sweep arm to engage the leading portion of the group of articles with the retaining arm being thereafter moved in unison with the sweep arm to lead the group from the pallet.

Depalletizing device and method

Device and method are disclosed for repeatedly forming a predetermined arrangement of conveyed articles. Cylindrical articles, such as cans, are accumulated on a conveying unit at an accumulating area, the articles at the accumulating area being normally in a pattern, such as being in nested relationship. A stop unit is provided to repeatedly allow preselected numbers of articles to pass from the accumulating area on the conveying unit into a sweep area having a sweep unit including sweep arms each of which is utilized to alternately lead and push articles by group through the sweep area to a receiving area, such as a palletizer. The conveying, stop and sweep units are controlled to cause coordinated movement therebetween, the conveying and sweep units being operated at various speeds as each group of articles passes the stop unit. When a particular stagger arrangement, such as a Number One Stagger arrangement, is needed at the receiving area, a repositioning unit is provided adjacent to the stop unit, the repositioning unit removing articles from a first group of passed articles and then inserting the removed articles into a later group of passed articles.

Device and method for repeatedly forming a preselected arrangement of

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.

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Loveland, CO, United States of America

Richard H VanderMeer