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:
Aug. 07, 2012
Filed:
Jun. 24, 2009
John Griffin Miller, Easley, SC (US);
Gregory Bruns, Moore, SC (US);
Mathias Coulomb, Greenville, SC (US);
John Griffin Miller, Easley, SC (US);
Gregory Bruns, Moore, SC (US);
Mathias Coulomb, Greenville, SC (US);
Illinois Tool Works Inc., Glenview, IL (US);
Abstract
Apparatus, flight bar assemblies, and methods are disclosed for nesting objects into a substantially staggered arrangement. Such nesting may be done in a nesting zone of a machine, for example, just upstream of a shrink wrapping machine. The nested arrangement allows the grouping of nested objects to be shrink-wrapped without use of trays or cardboard blanks if desired. The flight bar assemblies may include movable spacers for orienting rows of objects before, during, and after nesting. Lane dividers may be provided having lengths corresponding to a contour of an outer guide and cam surface, cooperating with the lane dividers to selectively urging the rows of objects inward in an organized fashion to allow efficient and reliable nesting.