The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 01, 1996
Filed:
Dec. 17, 1993
Stevan Tisma, Elk Grove Village, IL (US);
Tisma Machinery Corporation, Elk Grove Village, IL (US);
Abstract
A loader for an automatic packaging machine has a plurality of input conveyor belts that run at successively slower speeds in order to bring products into a predetermined product density. A metering wheel picks up the products one at a time and delivers them to a metering conveyor belt having upstanding fences defining batch areas. The profile of the metering wheel may be changed, by substitution, in order to pick up another product. A product counter moves the metering conveyor belt a distance equal to one batch area responsive to a batch count indicating that the metering wheel has delivered a selected number of products to one of the batch areas. In one embodiment, the product is a tube of soda crackers. Down stream, the soda crackers are slid into position without abrading one tube of crackers against another tube of crackers. For horizontal layers, abrasion is avoided by using a variable width mandrel. For vertical layers, a blade is positioned between layers during the positioning of one layer over a previously installed layer.