Cannon Equipment Company

Richard P Donovan

Edward R Butterly, Jr

James A Behne

Kai E Hansen

The present invention concerns a caser for quickly organizing variously sized containers into a plurality of predetermined patterns and then simultaneously filling an equal plurality of individual cases with that predetermined number of products. The caser of the present invention includes two parallel in-feed conveyors each delivering a single file continuous stream of containers to a loading area. Clamp and sensor means provide for regulating a predetermined number of containers into a pattern forming area from each conveyor. After a pattern is formed by an alternating pusher means that provides for pushing the group of containers either right or left to a position over one of two loading areas. Each loading area includes trap door means and a gripper head assembly. Each gripper head assembly includes a plurality of gripper heads each for gripping one of the plurality of patterns of containers. The gripper heads provide for gripping the containers and lowering them into cases after the trap door means open. The cases are delivered by third and fourth conveyors to positions directly below each of the trap door means. To account for the width of the sidewalls of each case, the gripper heads are movable horizontally so that each pattern is centered over the interior of its respective case prior to the lowering thereof. Thus, multiple cases can be filled at the same time by a single lowering movement of each gripper head assembly. During a loading process a further plurality of patterns is being formed and moved by the pusher to the other loading area.

Case loader and method of loading

A conveyor for providing motion of a wheeled cart, and the like, through a curve. A rigid frame supports a central fixed support and a pair of wheel guides on either side thereof. A mounting rail is slideably secured to the central support and includes a plurality of gravity dogs pivotally secured thereto. The central support, mounting rail and cart wheel guides extend through a common arc. A cylinder drive, is pivotally secured on one end to the main mount rail, and on an opposite end thereof to the frame. A control provides for alternate extension and retraction of the cylinder to provide for a back and forth ratcheting motion of the main mount rail with respect to the central support. The double pivot mounting of the drive cylinder provides for converting the linear motion thereof to the radial motion of the main mount rail relative to the central mount rail support. The gravity dogs are weighted to pivot upwards and contact the carts for moving them through the curve of the conveyor when the cylinder extends, and pivot beneath the carts when the cylinder retracts so that the dogs, after passing beneath the carts, can again push the carts upon subsequent extension of the cylinder.

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New Richmond, WI, United States of America

Richard P Donovan