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:
Nov. 23, 1999
Filed:
Mar. 09, 1998
Mark A DiRico, Quincy, MA (US);
Hub Folding Box Company, Inc., Mansfield, MA (US);
Abstract
A vertically oriented feeder for a packaging manufacturing system is provided. The feeder supports a stack of blanks in an upright position and in a confronting relationship with a vertical vacuum belt. The vacuum belt draws a front blank off of the stack and pulls it upward past a gate and between the vacuum belt and a friction belt. After the blank is pulled upward past the gate, a lifting device is activated to push the stack away from the vacuum belt and prevent additional blanks from being drawn upward by the vacuum belt until the lifting device is retracted or de-energized. The lifting device ensures that adequate spacing is provided between adjacent blanks and that the timing of the placement of the blanks on the succeeding flighted belt is sufficiently accurate so that downstream operations may be carried out by automated equipment.