Rotary carton feeder
A rotary carton feeder includes a planetary drive having two sun rings with angular phase, cam surfaces on each ring about a common axis. Planetary members rotate about the common axis with a number of said planet members in operative engagement with one of the cams and another number of planet members in operative engagement with a second one of said sun rings. Spindles are selectively combined with selected planet members to selectively accommodate handling variably sized cartons of 1, 2, 3 or 4 count. Suction cups on spindle ends traverse an enclosed path having four cusps. Variations are disclosed.
1 . A rotary feeder for feeding items (B) from a first position to a second position, comprising:
a first sun member provided with a pair of first outer ring surfaces;
a second sun member provided with a pair of second outer ring surfaces, said pair of first and pair of second outer ring surfaces being axially displaced from each other, respectively, along a central axis of rotation, said first sun member and second sun member being coaxially mounted about, and axially displaced along, said central axis of rotation;
one or more first planetary members in operative engagement with only said pair of first outer ring surfaces and one or more second planetary members in operative engagement with only said pair of second outer ring surfaces, each of said one or more first planetary members and one or more second planetary members being configured to rotate about a different and separate planetary axis of rotation parallel to said central axis of rotation;
a first set of spindle assemblies configured to be selectively mountable on first planetary members of only said one or more first planetary members and a second set of spindle assemblies configured to be selectively mountable on second planetary members of only said one or more second planetary members,
wherein the mounted spindle assemblies of said first set and second set are located at different and separate positions angularly spaced about said central axis of rotation in order to be coupled with at least a portion of said items (B).
2 . The rotary feeder according to claim 1 , wherein the planetary axes of rotation of said one or more first planetary members and the planetary axes of rotation of said one or more second planetary members are disposed about said central axis of rotation according to a respective first geometric configuration and second geometric configuration, said first geometric configuration being geometrically different from said second geometric configuration.
3 . The rotary feeder according to claim 1 , wherein said first outer ring surfaces have a shape that is same as a shape of said second outer ring surfaces.
4 . The rotary feeder according to claim 1 , wherein a combined number of said mounted spindle assemblies is selectable among one, two, three, four or six.
5 . The rotary feeder according to claim 4 , wherein, when said combined number is two, the mounted spindle assemblies are angularly spaced 180° apart about said central axis of rotation, and when said combined number is four, the mounted spindle assemblies are angularly spaced 90° apart about said central axis of rotation.
6 . The rotary feeder according to claim 4 , wherein, when said combined number is two, a first mounted spindle assembly is part of said first set and a second mounted spindle assembly is part of said second set, and when said combined number is four, a first mounted spindle assembly is part of said first set and a second, a third and a fourth mounted spindle assemblies are part of said second set.
7 . The rotary feeder according to claim 4 , wherein, when said combined number is three, the mounted spindle assemblies are angularly spaced 120° apart about said central axis of rotation, and when said combined number is six, the mounted spindle assemblies are angularly spaced 60° apart about said central axis of rotation.
8 . The rotary feeder according to claim 4 , wherein, when said combined number is three, the mounted spindle assemblies are all part of said first set.
9 . The rotary feeder according to claim 1 , wherein each spindle assembly of said first set and second set comprises a holding member configured to pick-up said objects (B) at said first position and off-load said objects (B) at said second position, thus forming a plurality of holding members.
10 . The rotary feeder according to claim 9 , wherein said holding members are configured to traverse an enclosed path (P) having four cusps, said first position being located at a pick cusp of said cusps.
11 . The rotary feeder according to claim 1 , wherein said one or more first planetary members and said one or more second planetary members consist of three planetary members each.
12 . The rotary feeder according to claim 1 , further including a vacuum supply configured to be operably connected to each spindle assembly of said first set and second set through a respective planetary member on which the spindle assembly is selectively mountable.
13 . The rotary feeder according to claim 12 , further including means for blocking said vacuum supply to a planetary member on which no spindle assembly is mounted.
14 . The rotary feeder according to claim 1 , wherein said planetary axes of rotation are configured to move in a circular path about said central axis of rotation.
15 . A method for operating a rotary feeder for feeding items (B) from a first position to a second position, comprising the following steps:
providing a first sun member and a second sun member each having a pair of first and a pair of second outer ring surfaces, respectively, said pair of first and pair of second outer ring surfaces being axially displaced from each other, respectively, along a central axis of rotation, and said first sun member and second sun member being axially displaced from each other along the central axis of rotation;
operatively engaging one or more first planetary members and one or more second planetary members with only said pair of first outer ring surfaces and only said pair of second outer ring surfaces, respectively, wherein each of said one or more first planetary members and one or more second planetary members are configured to rotate about a different and separate planetary axis of rotation parallel to said central axis of rotation;
selectively mounting spindle assemblies on respective planetary members of only said one or more first planetary members and only one or more second planetary members; and
rotating the mounted spindle assemblies about said axes of rotation at different and separate positions angularly spaced about said central axis of rotation to couple the mounted spindle assemblies with at least a portion of said items (B).
16 . The method according to claim 15 , further comprising the step of releasably mounting a combined number of one or two or three or four or six spindle assemblies.
17 . The method according to claim 15 , further comprising the step of releasably mounting a combined number of two or four spindle assemblies on respective planetary members, said spindle assemblies being disposed about said central axis of rotation at 90° or 180° apart respectively.
18 . The method according to claim 15 , further comprising the step of releasably mounting a combined number of three spindle assemblies on respective planetary members, said spindle assemblies being disposed about said central axis of rotation at 120° apart.
19 . The method according to claim 15 , further comprising the steps of providing said spindle assemblies with respective holding members, picking-up said objects (B) at said first position and off-loading said objects (B) at said second position by said holding members.
20 . The method according to claim 19 , further comprising the step of moving said holding members along an enclosed path (P) having four cusps, said first position being located at a pick cusp of said cusps.
21 . The method according to claim 15 , further comprising the step of selecting a combined number of spindles assemblies according to at least one size of the items (B) to feed.
22 . A method for feeding items (B) from a first position to a second position, comprising the following steps:
coupling a first number of item-holding spindle assemblies only to respective first planetary members of only a first sun member of a feeder, and a second number of item-holding spindle assemblies only to respective second planetary members of only a second sun member of the feeder, wherein
the first sun member and the second sun member are coaxially mounted about and axially displaced along a central axis of rotation,
each of said first planetary members and second planetary members is rotatable about a different and separate planetary axis of rotation, and
the mounted spindle assemblies of said first set and second set are located at a combined number of different and separate positions angularly spaced about said central axis of rotation, said combined number resulting as the sum of said first number and second number of item-holding spindle assemblies; and
feeding the items (B) through the item-holding spindles from said first position to said second position.
23 . A rotary carton feeder for feeding carton blanks (B) from a carton magazine to a carton conveyor, said feeder comprising:
a plurality of cams, each cam having cam surfaces in angular phase with those cam surfaces of another cam;
said cams of said plurality coaxially mounted about a central axis with said cam surfaces of one cam oriented in the same angular phase with respect to the cam surfaces of said another cam about said central axis;
said cams spaced axially along said central axis one from the other, and
a plurality of rotatable planetary members;
a first set of planetary members of said plurality respectively mounted in operative engagement with only a first cam of said cams and a second set of planetary members of said plurality in operative engagement with only a second cam of said cams;
respective carton holding spindle assemblies being selectively mountable on and removeable from only respective ones of said first set of rotatable planetary members and only respective ones of said second set of rotatable planetary members;
said rotatable planetary members being respectively moveable in a circular path about said central axis while in respective operative engagement with one of said cams for rotation about a respective planetary axis of rotation.
24 . The feeder according to claim 23 including an operable carton holding member on each spindle assembly for holding and transporting carton blanks (B) from said carton magazine, said carton holding members traversing a path of travel comprising an enclosed path (P) having four cusps.
25 . The feeder according to claim 23 wherein respective rotatable planetary members are moveable in a circular path about said central axis and in operable engagement with a respective cam for rotating said rotatable planetary members about respective planetary axes of rotation parallel to said central axis.
26 . The feeder according to claim 23 wherein said spindle assemblies are selectively mountable on and removeable from selected planetary members on planetary axes of rotation of said planetary members.
27 . The feeder according to claim 23 wherein said carton holding spindle assemblies are selectively mountable in total number of 1, 2, 4 or 3.
28 . The feeder according to claim 27 wherein when said total number is 2 or 4, there are only 2 or 4 total spindle assemblies, respectively on said feeder, and wherein said rotatable planetary members with spindle assemblies thereon are disposed about said central axis at one of 90° or 180° apart.
29 . The feeder according to claim 27 wherein when said total number is 3, there are only 3 spindle assemblies on said feeder, and wherein said rotatable planetary members with spindle assemblies thereon are disposed about said central axis at 120° apart.
30 . The feeder according to claim 24 including in combination therewith a carton conveyor and wherein one cusp of said cusps has a component of motion in a machine direction (MD) of said carton conveyor.
31 . The feeder according to claim 23 further including a respective vacuum supply operably connected to each of said spindle assemblies through respective rotatable planetary members on which they are mounted; and
means for blocking said respective vacuum supply of respective rotatable planetary members when no spindle assemblies are mounted thereon.
32 . The feeder according to claim 23 including six rotatable planetary members.
33 . The feeder according to claim 23 wherein said spindle assemblies are selectively mountable on selected planetary members for rotation about said planetary axes of rotation.
34 . The feeder according to claim 32 wherein three rotatable planetary members of said six rotatable planetary members are operably connected to said first cam and remaining three rotatable planetary members of said six rotatable planetary members are operatively connected to said second cam.
35 . The feeder according to claim 23 , further including one of 1, 2, 4 or 3 of said spindle assemblies.
36 . The feeder according to claim 35 wherein when 3 planetary members are selected, one of said spindle assemblies is mounted on each of said 3 rotatable planetary members in operative engagement with said first cam.
37 . The feeder according to claim 35 wherein when 2 or 4 planetary members are selected, one of said spindle assemblies is mounted on a rotatable planetary member in operative engagement with said first cam and other spindle assemblies are mounted on rotatable planetary members in operative engagement with said second cam.
38 . The feeder according to claim 35 wherein said first cam is operably connected to rotate one rotatable planetary member of said first set with an associated spindle assembly thereon and said second cam is operable connected to rotate three rotatable planetary members of said second set with operable spindle assemblies thereon, when a total of four spindle assemblies are selected, with said one planetary member and said three planetary members rotated together by said respective cams to pick and place four carton blanks (B) in a single rotation of said planetary members about said central axis.
39 . The feeder according to claim 23 wherein said cams are identical.
40 . A rotary feeder of the type having a first sun ring, a first set of rotatable planetary members in operative engagement with only said first sun ring, and item-holding spindles selectively mountable on and removeable from selected planetary members of only said first set, the rotary feeder further comprising:
a second sun ring in angular phase with said first sun ring, about a central axis;
a second set of rotatable planetary members in operative engagement with only said second sun ring;
said first and second sets of rotatable planetary members moveable in circular paths about said central axis; and
respective spindles being mountable on and removeable from selected ones of said second set of rotatable planetary members.
41 . The rotary feeder according to claim 40 wherein the number of planetary members of said first and second sets is selectable and including one of 1, 2, 4 or 3 total planetary members.
42 . The rotary feeder according to claim 41 wherein, when the total number of selected planetary members of said second set is one or three, only one planetary member of said first set is selected.
43 . The rotary feeder according to claim 41 wherein, when the total number of selected planetary members of said first set is three, three planetary members in operative engagement with said first sun ring are selected and no planetary member in operative engagement with said second sun ring is selected.
44 . The rotary feeder according to claim 40 wherein the first and second sets of planetary members are carried on respective circular plates rotatable about said central axis.
45 . A rotary feeder comprising:
a plurality of guides, each guide having a set of guide surfaces;
a first set of planetary members mounted in operative engagement with a set of said guide surfaces on only a first guide of said plurality of guides;
a second set of planetary members mounted in operative engagement with a set of said guide surfaces on only a second guide of said plurality of guides;
said guides oriented in respective planes, coaxially mounted about said central axis, and axially spaced along said central axis; and
respective spindles removably mountable on only respective ones of said first set of planetary members and only respective ones of said second set of planetary members.
46 . The rotary feeder according to claim 45 wherein said sets of guide surface are identical.
47 . A rotary blank feeder comprising:
a plurality of rotatable members mounted for respective rotation about a central axis in a circular path,
a plurality of blank holding spindles, selected ones of which are individually mounted on and removeable from selected ones of said rotatable members;
said rotatable members with spindles thereon being alternately selectable for feeding, in the alternative, one, two, three or four blanks (B) for each revolution of the rotatable members about said central axis; and
wherein spindles are removed from non-selected rotatable members.
48 . A method for picking carton blanks (B) from a pick station proximate a carton magazine and placing picked blanks (B) in a place station, the method accommodating a variety of blank sizes and including the steps of:
picking and placing carton blanks (B) with a rotary feeder having a plurality of carton holding spindles mounted respectively on rotatable planetary members, in turn mounted for respective motion in a circular path about a central axis and in operative engagement respectively with only one or another of two respective circular cam rings;
selecting the total number of spindles from one of one, two or four spindles; and
alternatively selecting the total number of three spindles on rotatable planetary members in operative engagement with only one of said circular cam rings.
49 . The method according to claim 48 including, when two or four spindles are selected, the further step of operatively engaging one rotatable planetary member with one of said cam rings and one rotatable planetary member with another of said cam rings.
50 . The method according to claim 48 including the further step of operatively engaging one rotatable planetary member with a first cam ring and three rotatable members with a second cam of said cam rings when four spindles are selected.
51 . The method according to claim 48 including, when three spindles are selected, the step of engaging said three planetary members with a first cam ring of said cam rings and removing spindles from all other planetary members operatively associated with a second cam ring of said cam rings.
52 . The method according to claim 48 including the steps of supplying carton holding vacuum through selected spindles and blocking vacuum from non-selected spindles.
53 . The method according to claim 48 wherein said spindles include ends for grasping and holding carton blanks (B), and the step of moving said ends through an enclosed path (P) having four cusps, one of which is elongated in a machine direction (MD).