Lantech, Inc.

Other

Servend International, Inc.

William G Lancaster

Patrick R Lancaster, Iii

Patrick R Lancaster

John Fain

Curtis W Martin

Phil Moore

Jerry L Landers

Richard K Renken

Joseph R Lancaster

Yoram Gordon

William F Davis

Matthew J Ramser

William L Ramser

Lancaster, Patrick R

Philip R Moore

A system for transporting ice pieces or the like from a primary bin to one or more satellite bins is disclosed. A dispenser forms a charge of ice pieces in a precharge chamber, which is then transferred by air assist to a delivery tube. A driver member is provided to engage and move the substantially defined charge of ice pieces to the selected satellite bin. The driver member is propelled by a differential pressure within the tube. This permits the defined charge to be exposed only to the low pressure side and insulated from the high pressure propelling medium to minimize breakage and melting during delivery. Before reaching the satellite bin, the piston is reversed to shuttle back to the home position. The satellite bins are connected in series and delivery of a charge to an intermediate bin is provided by moving a tube section out of alignment with the delivery tube. Lubrication and continuous cleaning is performed by the driver member sweeping minimal residual water from melting ice. A full, two phase cleaning cycle is also provided by injecting cleaning fluid/rinse water into the tube for delivery by the piston. Single or dual fans are used to provide the differential pressure. A controller coordinates the system operation and allows monitoring and adjustment of all parameters.

Ice transportation system and method

Method and apparatus for cooling and preparing a beverage

Method and apparatus for preparing and dispensing a cool beverage utilizes a heat exchanger for directly contacting water and ice to produce cooled heat exchanger water in the heat exchanger from the water and ice and an outflow of the cooled heat exchanger water. A beverage concentrate flows through a beverage concentrate conduit that is in thermal contact with ice, preferably through direct contact with the cooled heat exchanger water. The beverage concentrate is thus cooled by indirectly contacting the ice to produce an outflow of cooled beverage concentrate. A proportioner and mixer receive the outflow of cooled heat exchanger water and the outflow of cooled beverage concentrate, and proportion and mix the outflows to produce a cool, proportioned, mixed beverage, which is dispensed from a dispensing valve. A carbonator is provided in heat exchange contact with ice, preferably through direct contact with the cooled heat exchanger water, for carbonating the outflow of cooled heat exchanger water to produce a carbonated beverage.

Stretch wrapping packaging material on a load includes introducing such wrapped packaging material onto tips of projecting portions of the first grooved rollers so that the packaging material spans the nonprojecting portions of the first grooved roller. The web of the packaging material on the first grooved roller are transported in the direction generally parallel to the grooves by powering the first grooved roller. The web of the packaging material spanning the nonprojecting portions of the first grooved roller is impinged by the tips of the projecting portions of an idling second grooved roller to stretch the sheet between the projecting portions of the first and second grooved rollers in a direction transverse to the direction in which the sheet is transported. The web is preferably separated from second grooved surface either before or simultaneous with its separation from the first grooved roller.

Biaxial stretch wrapping

A method and apparatus for wrapping the top and sides of a load. A web dispenser dispenses and stretches web on the direction in which it is dispensed. The load is rotated relative to the web dispenser as web is wrapped onto the load. The web dispenser is positioned in an orientation generally parallel to the sides of the load for wrapping the sides of the load, and is changed to an orientation generally parallel to the top of the load for covering the top of the load. A web supply may change orientation along with the web dispenser or may be fixed relative to the web dispenser in an orientation generally parallel to the sides of the load. When the web supply is fixed, an accumulator is provided for accumulating web. The accumulator dispenses web when the web dispenser is changing orientation and when the web dispenser is in the orientation generally parallel to the top of the load. The web supply does not provide web when the web dispenser is changing orientation or when the web dispenser is in the orientation generally parallel to the top of the load.

Method and apparatus for stretch wrapping the top and sides of a load

A stretch wrapping machine includes a web dispenser and a rotatable support for providing relative rotation between the web dispenser and load to wrap a web of packaging material around the load. Cooperating engagement members are selectively and positively engageable with each other throughout the rotation of the rotatable support for stopping the rotation of the rotatable support when the engagement members are positively engaged and for permitting rotation of the rotatable support when the engagement members are disengaged. One of the engagement members is mounted on a rotatable support and the other is mounted on a fixed support. An actuator selectively engages engagement members. One engagement member preferably includes at least two stop units spaced at a distance less than the distance between the engageable formations of the other engagement member. A shock absorber is connected to one of the engagement members for decelerating the rotatable support when stopping the rotation of the rotatable support when the engagement members are engaged.

Stretch wrapping emergency stop

A load of successive units stacked in a longitudinal direction has aides with junctions extending in a lateral direction between successive units. Each of the units has at least one relatively high strength area which is resistant to circumferential crushing in the lateral direction and at least one low strength area which is substantially less resistant to circumferential crushing in the lateral direction than the high strength area. A film web is dispensed from a film web dispenser and stretched along the direction in which it is dispensed. The film web collapsed into a roped configuration and successively aligned with and within selected high strength areas by moving the film web dispenser generally in the lingitudinal direction relative to the load and stopping the relatively longitudinal movement of the web dispenser and the load at times when the web is in alignment with one of the selected high strength areas. The roped web is wrapped around the load at each of the selected high strength areas in alignment with each of the selected high strength areas. The web is then expanded from the roped configuration and wrapped around the load to cover the sides of the load in both the high and low strength areas.

Unitized display packages and method and apparatus for utilizing display

Stretch wrapping packaging material on a load includes introducing stretch wrap packaging material onto V shaped tips of projecting portions of a first grooved roller so that the packaging material spans the nonprojecting portions of the first grooved roller. The web of packaging material and the first grooved roller are transported in the direction generally parallel to the grooves. The web of packaging material spanning the nonprojecting portions of the first grooved roller is impinged with V shaped tips of projecting portions of a second grooved roller. The tips of the projecting portions of the second grooved roller are transported at a speed which is less than the speed of the tips of the projecting portions of the first grooved roller. The tips of the projecting portions of the second grooved roller moves at a speed which stretches the web between the first and second grooved surfaces in a direction transverse to the direction in which it is transported and minimizes any stretching of the web in the direction in which the web is transported. The web is stretched between the projecting portions of the first and second grooved rollers in a direction transverse to the direction in which the web is transported. The web is separated from the first and second grooved surfaces and wrapped onto a load by providing relative rotation between the load and a dispensing mechanism for the web.

A conveyor includes a frame and a series of closely spaced rollers. Each roller has an outer circumferential surface, a first end portion journalled on an axle supported by the frame on one side of the conveyor and a second end portion journalled on an axle supported by the frame on the other side of the conveyor. The rollers include master rollers and slave rollers interpersed between the master rollers. A drive train is provided for driving every roller in the series of closely spaced rollers. The drive train includes a primary drive train for driving the master rollers and secondary drive trains for driving the slave rollers from respective master rollers. The primary drive train includes relatively large diameter high torque primary sprockets mounted on the outer circumferential surfaces of the first end portion of the master rollers and chains connecting and driving the primary sprockets. The secondary drive train includes relatively small diameter low torque secondary sprockets mounted on the axial ends of the second end portion of the rollers and chains connecting and driving the secondary sprockets. The relatively large diameter primary sprockets form a high profile on one side of the conveyor. The relatively small diameter secondary sprockets form a low profile on the other side of the conveyor.

Roller conveyor

A film web is dispensed from a film web dispenser and wrapped around a bundle by moving the bundle into an applicator mandrel, revolving the film web dispenser relative to the applicator mandrel, dispensing the film web from the film web dispenser on to the applicator mandrel at a constant supply speed. The film web, wrapped around the applicator mandrel, is transported beyond the downstream end of the applicator mandrel, the bundle is moved beyond the downstream end of the applicator mandrel and the film web is applied from the applicator mandrel onto the bundle so as provide a containment force in the film web after it is applied onto the bundle. A dual stage wrapping system is used in such a manner that each orbiting dispenser is restrained to dispense the film web at a constant supply speed less than the lowest film demand speed at the applicator mandrel and independent of the tension on the film web between the film web dispenser and the applicator mandrel. The applicator mandrel is positioned to resist crushing or disalignment of the bundle or subunits of the bundle within the applicator mandrel and also modifies its position to modify the wrapping cross-section of the bundle so that the web strain elongation varies substantially within a linear wrap force range above the yield point of the stress strain characteristics of the film web between the film web dispenser and the applicator mandrel.

High tensile wrapping apparatus

A film web is dispensed from a film web dispenser and wrapped around a bundle by moving the bundle into an applicator mandrel, revolving the film web dispenser relative to the applicator mandrel, dispensing the film web from the film web dispenser on to the applicator mandrel at a constant supply speed. The film web, wrapped around the applicator mandrel, is transported beyond the downstream end of the applicator mandrel, the bundle is moved beyond the downstream end of the applicator mandrel and the film web is applied from the applicator mandrel onto the bundle so as provide a containment force in the film web after it is applied onto the bundle. A dual stage wrapping system is used in such a manner that each orbinting dispenser is restrained to dispense the film web at a constant supply speed less than the lowest film demand speed at the applicator mandrel and independent of the tension on the film web between the film web dispenser and the applicator mandrel. The applicator mandrel is positioned to resist crushing or disalignment of the bundle or subunits of the bundle within the applicator mandrel and also modified its position to modify the wrapping cross-section of the bundle so that the web strain elongation varies substantially within a linear wrap force range above the yield point of the stress strain characteristics of the film web between the film web dispenser and the applicator mandrel.

High tensile wrapping process

A clamp for clamping a web during stretch wrapping includes a first longitudinally extending clamp element for engaging the web, a second longitudinally extending clamp element extendable in a direction generally parallel to the longitudinal direction of the first clamp element for clamping the web between the second clamp element and the first clamp element as the second clamp element is longitudinally extended in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the first clamp element.

Parallel belted clamp

A device for wrapping a load with a web includes a web dispenser, a frame for supporting and carrying the web dispenser in the path around the load including a first track extending along substantially less than the full angular extent of the path, and a second track extending along substantially less than the full angular extent of the path and complementary to the first track for engaging and guiding the first track means along the path.

Lower guided lower driven wrapping device

A method and apparatus is provided for severing packaging material which extends between successive wrapped loads during a continuous wrapping process. Wrapped loads are conveyed along a load path in a conveying direction. A severing bar which extends lateral to the conveying direction includes a heating element which is connected to a power source by an electrical conductor. A sprocket and chain drive is used to transport the severing bar along a closed path having first and second segments. The first segments generally extends lateral to the extent of the severing bar and has a component in the conveying direction. During the first segment of transport, severing bar is transported across the load path between and along with a first pair of successive loads. The second segment of the closed path generally extends lateral to the extent of the severing bar as a component in the conveying direction. During transport over the second segment, the severing bar is transported back across the load path between and along with the second pair of successive loads. A fixed support frame is used to support the chain and sprocket drive. A guide frame, guide follower and rotary bearing are used to prevent rotation between the severing bar and the fixed support frame and to prevent twisting of the electrical conductor during repeated transport of the severing bar around the closed path.

Method and apparatus for severing packaging material between successive

A novel apparatus and process for high speed continuous film web wrapping of uniform loads, in which a first wrap is applied in a first direction transverse to the path of the moving load and a second wrap is applied in a second direction opposite the first direction. This dual wrap nullifies the disabling effects of helical wrap bias when a single wrap is applied at high speed to a moving load, and produces a longitudinal containment force after film web recovery over time on leading and trailing ends of the load. In the apparatus two wrapping stations are provided together with a wrapping conveyor assembly which carries the film web wrapped around the load and conveyor through the two stations. Each station includes a dispensing ring on which a film roll and an elongation mechanism are mounted, a drive motor to rotate the ring and means to drive the elongation mechanism to draw film web from the roll and stretch the same beyond its yield point at ambient temperature on its path from the roll to the load and conveyor. The regulation of elongation in the elongation mechanism and the regulation of film supply speed from the elongation mechanism are independent of film demand speed at the load.

Growing community of inventors

Louisville, KY, United States of America

William G Lancaster