Abstract:
A packaging system and method forms a bundled group of articles in an oriented arrangement, by applying a wrapping material to the articles via the bottoms of the articles while the oriented arrangement of articles is inverted and retained by a pallet. The wrapping material may be a sleeve of shrinkable material applied to the inverted end of the articles and shrunk to conform to the articles and form a base enclosing the bottoms of the articles. The articles are retained by the pallet in the oriented arrangement during the inverting, sleeving and bundling of the group of articles, to provide a bundled group including the articles securely contained by the shrunk wrapping in the oriented arrangement. The bundled group may include more than one type of article. The pallet may be operable to retain a top portion of the article, which may have an irregular or asymmetrical shape.
Abstract:
A feeding mechanism and method for feeding objects singulated from a bulk mass of objects includes receiving the bulk mass into a hopper system having a hopper screw set including first and second hopper screws and a plurality of feeding pockets defined by the thread forms of the hopper screws. Rotation of the hopper screws tumbles the bulk mass to cascade and singulate individual objects into respective feed pockets. An object set including at least one singulated object is discharged from the hopper screw set by rotation of the hopper screws. A discharge assembly including a ramp and star wheel receives the discharged object set, and transfers the object set to a discharge outlet. The object set output from the discharge outlet is received by a target defined by a receiving article. In one example, the object is rounded, the target is an opening of a container.
Abstract:
An adjusting device having first and second extendable members includes a synchronizing mechanism for making adjustments of the first and second extendable members. Each of the first and second extendable members defines an extension axis and includes an extendable portion adjustable along the extension axis to an extended length. The synchronizing mechanism is connected to the first and second extendable members and is operable to simultaneously adjust an extended length of the first and second extendable portions such that the extended length of the first extendable portion and the extended length of the second extendable portion are substantially equal.
Abstract:
An adjusting device having first and second extendable members includes a synchronizing mechanism for making adjustments of the first and second extendable members. Each of the first and second extendable members defines an extension axis and includes an extendable portion adjustable along the extension axis to an extended length. The synchronizing mechanism is connected to the first and second extendable members and is operable to simultaneously adjust an extended length of the first and second extendable portions such that the extended length of the first extendable portion and the extended length of the second extendable portion are substantially equal.
Abstract:
A gripper formed as a single component includes a hoop portion connecting facing arms. Each arm may have a tang end, a jaw end and a pivot intermediate the tang and jaw ends and be attached to the hoop portion at the pivot to be pivotable to change the size of a jaw opening defined by the jaw ends. The hoop portion is cyclically loaded in use and configured to act as a stress concentrator for the gripper and provide a failure point for consistently initiating a failure crack in the hoop portion at time of failure of the gripper. Each of the facing arms is attachable to a base such that at failure, the fractured portions of the gripper are retained to the base.
Abstract:
A gripper formed as a single component includes a hoop portion connecting facing arms. Each arm may have a tang end, a jaw end and a pivot intermediate the tang and jaw ends and be attached to the hoop portion at the pivot to be pivotable to change the size of a jaw opening defined by the jaw ends. The hoop portion is cyclically loaded in use and configured to act as a stress concentrator for the gripper and provide a failure point for consistently initiating a failure crack in the hoop portion at time of failure of the gripper. Each of the facing arms is attachable to a base such that at failure, the fractured portions of the gripper are retained to the base.
Abstract:
A gear box includes an output shaft defining multiple output drivers and includes a plurality of gear sets having the same diametral pitch. A common input shaft is operatively attached to each of the plurality of gear sets such that the gear sets rotate continuously and concurrently with rotation of the input shaft. Each of the output drivers is operatively attached to the output shaft and rotatably driven by a respective one of the plurality of gear sets. The multiple output drivers share a common axis of rotation with the output shaft. The output speed of the gear box may be changed by disconnecting one of the output drivers from a driven device and reconnecting another one of the output drivers to the driven device. The output speed of the gear box may be changed without having to disengage and/or change out any of the gears in the gear box.
Abstract:
A packaging system and method forms a bundled group of articles in an oriented arrangement, by applying a wrapping material to the articles via the bottoms of the articles while the oriented arrangement of articles is inverted and retained by a pallet. The wrapping material may be a sleeve of shrinkable material applied to the inverted end of the articles and shrunk to conform to the articles and form a base enclosing the bottoms of the articles. The articles are retained by the pallet in the oriented arrangement during the inverting, sleeving and bundling of the group of articles, to provide a bundled group including the articles securely contained by the shrunk wrapping in the oriented arrangement. The bundled group may include more than one type of article. The pallet may be configured to retain a top portion of the article, which may have an irregular or asymmetrical shape.
Abstract:
A packaging system and method forms a bundled group of articles in an oriented arrangement, by applying a wrapping material to the articles via the bottoms of the articles while the oriented arrangement of articles is inverted and retained by a pallet. The wrapping material may be a sleeve of shrinkable material applied to the inverted end of the articles and shrunk to conform to the articles and form a base enclosing the bottoms of the articles. The articles are retained by the pallet in the oriented arrangement during the inverting, sleeving and bundling of the group of articles, to provide a bundled group including the articles securely contained by the shrunk wrapping in the oriented arrangement. The bundled group may include more than one type of article. The pallet may be configured to retain a top portion of the article, which may have an irregular or asymmetrical shape.
Abstract:
A gear box includes an output shaft defining multiple output drivers and includes a plurality of gear sets having the same diametral pitch. A common input shaft is operatively attached to each of the plurality of gear sets such that the gear sets rotate continuously and concurrently with rotation of the input shaft. Each of the output drivers is operatively attached to the output shaft and rotatably driven by a respective one of the plurality of gear sets. The multiple output drivers share a common axis of rotation with the output shaft. The output speed of the gear box may be changed by disconnecting one of the output drivers from a driven device and reconnecting another one of the output drivers to the driven device. The output speed of the gear box may be changed without having to disengage and/or change out any of the gears in the gear box.