US3859062A

US3859062A - Automatic packing apparatus

Info

Publication number: US3859062A
Application number: US330022A
Authority: US
Inventors: Kei Okubo; Toshio Saito; Kazunori Ueda
Original assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co Ltd
Current assignee: Panasonic Holdings Corp
Priority date: 1972-02-07
Filing date: 1973-02-06
Publication date: 1975-01-07
Anticipated expiration: 1992-01-07
Also published as: FR2171168A1; GB1381823A

Abstract

An automatic packing apparatus usable at the check-out counter of a super market comprises a sack producing section, a goods introducing section, a sack top sealing section and a delivery section. A sack produced in the sack producing section is conveyed to the goods introducing section in which goods are introduced into the sack which is then conveyed to the sack top sealing section in which the loaded sack is sealed at the top to form a package of goods which in turn is conveyed to the delivery section. The apparatus eliminates the need for a sacker and simplifies the registering operation to thereby save labor.

Description

Okubo et a1.

Jan. 7, 1975 AUTOMATIC PACKING APPARATUS Inventors: Kei Okuho, Neyagawa; Toshio Saito,

Kobe; Kazunori Ueda, Neyagawa, all of Japan Assignees: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co.,

Ltd.; The DaiEl Inc., both of Osaka, Japan Filed: Feb. 6, 1973 Appl. No.: 330,022

Foreign Application Priority Data Feb. 7, 1972 Japan 47-13724 July 27, 1972 Japan 47-75777 July 27, 1972 Japan 47-75778 July 27, 1972 Japan 47-75779 July 27, 1972 Japan 47-75780 July 28, 1972 Japan 47-76174 Aug. 18, 1972 Japan 47-83028 Aug. 18, 1972 Japan 47-83029 Augv 18, 1972 Japan 47-83030 Aug. 21, 1972 Japan 47-83901 Aug. 22, 1972 Japan 47-84295 Aug. 22, 1972 Japan 47-84296 Aug. 23, 1972 Japan 47-84840 U.S. Cl 53/183, 53/187, 53/378, 53/384 Int. Cl. B65b 9/10, B65b 5/2, B65b 43/26 Field of Search 53/28, 183, 187, 188, 266, 53/371, 373, 378, 379, 384, 386

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,909,319 5/1933 Taylor 53/371 X 2,847,806 8/1958 Wang 53/183 X 2,997,831 8/1961 Neuendorf et a1 53/187 X 3,228,167 1/1966 Schmidt 53/266 X 3,417,543 12/1968 Jones 53/373 X 3,607,574 9/1971 Satake 53/183 X 3,619,968 11/1971 Kapare .1 53/187 X 3,673,765 7/1972 Dohmeierm, 53/187 3,699,746 10/1972 Titchenal 53/187 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,079,910 8/1967 Great Britain 53/386 Primary Examiner-Robert L. Spruill Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Stevens, Davis, Miller & Mosher 1 1 ABSTRACT An automatic packing apparatus usable at the checkout counter of a super market comprises a sack producing section, a goods introducing section, a sack top sealing section and a delivery section. A sack produced in the sack producing section is conveyed to the goods introducing section in which goods are introduced into the sack which is then conveyed to the sack top sealing section in which the loaded sack is sealed at the top to form a package of goods which in turn is conveyed to the delivery section. The apparatus eliminates the need for a saeker and simplifies the registering operation to thereby save labor.

9 Claims, 32 Drawing Figures PATENTEUJA I 3.859.062.

saw UZBF 17,

FIG. 4

PATENTED JAN 71975 SHEET 030E 17 PATENTEU 71975 3.859.062

SHEET UHF 17 PATENTED 71975 3,859,062

" SHEET USOF 17 FIG. IO 70 I I umv so 3 5.8 5a

PATENTEDJAN 1859,062 SHEET 08 OF 17 SHEET (NM 17 FIG. l4-2' PATENTEU J" 71975 PATENTEU 71975 3.859.062

SHEET UBUF 17 PATENTEB JAN 7 i975 SHEET 09 0F 17 PATENTEUJA" W5 SHEET 10UF 17 IIO ||2 Ill Pmmau ms SHEET llUF 17 PATENTEB 7 FIG. 24

PATENTED 71975 3,859,062

" sum 150$ 11 FIG. 26

PACKING TOTAL TIMEYREQUIRED L 'INITIATION BUTTON l TIME FOR INTRODUCTION OF GOODS E L IPT OF MONEY e ooos IDITRODUCIIN T lME ICCHAINSLMIOVED TUBE LIFTED gggu IN BOTTOM SEAL c G SECTION .TuB RELEASED TOP SEAL TOP SACK RELEASED SEALING SECTION DELIVERY CONVEYOR MOVED 'TOP FOLDING 2 XII'RAILING TOP EDGE FOLDED LEADING TOPEDGE FOLDED PATENTED H915 3.859.062

' SHEET 160E 17- AUTOMATIC PACKING APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic packing apparatus which is capable of producing sacks from a packing material and packing various kinds of goods into respective sacks to form packages of goods. The apparatus is particualrly, but not restrictively, suited for use at the check-out counter of a supermarket where a sacker is needed in addition to a cashier.

2. Description of Prior Art In many supermarkets a customer picks up required goods into a basket and carries it to a check-out counter where the basket is placed on a table. A cashier will check the prices for the goods and insert the prices into a registering machine while displacing the goods from the basket into another empty one. A sacker will then pick out the goods from the other basket and pack the goods into a sack. In the course of the operation, if the goods include wet goods such as food, the sacker is required to preliminarily pack the wet goods into a small sack. In a case where there is no sacker, the cashier is required to carry out all of the operations with the result that the customer is kept waiting for her goods for a long time.

Some supermarkets employ a procedure in which the goods checked by a cashier are placed on a conveyor so that the goods are conveyed to a sacking position in which the customers are required to pack their goods into sacks by themselves. The packing position is required to have sufficient area to enable several customers to perform their packing operations at the same time. In addition, the procedure is disadvantageous in that sacks are laid out of control at the market.

In order to eliminate the problems discussed above, there has been devised an automatic sacker in which sacks are produced and loaded sacks are sealed, both in a goods introducing section of the sacker. With the arrangement of this sacker, there are required a time for the sealing of a loaded sack at the top thereof and for the delivery of the sealed sack and a time for the preparation of another sack under a goods inlet opening in the machine. The procedure must be completed SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present ivention has as an object to provide an improved apparatus for automatically packing goods which can be advantageously used in a supermarket to shorten the time required for registering and packing at the check-out counter for thereby saving labor.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of producing sacks usable with'the apparatus discussed above.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided packing apparatus comprising means for producing sacks from a liquid impermeable packing material such as plastic film, means for introducing goods into each of said sacks, means for sealing the loaded sack adjacent the top thereof to pack the goods, means for delivering the packed goods, and conveyor means supporting the sacks at a predetermined pitch and operative in response to a packing initiation signal to convey the sacks to succeeding processing positions.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is also provided a method of producing sacks from a length of tube ofa film material, the tube having a substantially flat ribbon-like configuration with opposite sides of the tube being inwardly folded into the thickness of the ribbon and with the outer edges of each of the folded sides being disposed in close contacting relationship with each other, said method comprising the steps of forming a roll of the ribbon-like tube, feeding the tube from the roll with the outer edges of each of the folded sides being separated, lifting the tube through sealing and cutting means, stopping the tube when it is lifted a predetermined distance, and causing said sealing and cutting means to seal and sever the tube to form a sack having opposite sides partially folded inwardly.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the automatic packing apparatus of the present invention;

FIGS. 2A and 2B are perspective views of large and small sacks produced and used by the apparatus of the invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates in diagrammatic longitudinal sectional side view the outline of the apparatus of the in vention;

FIG. 4 illustrates in diagrammatic side elevation the arrangement in a sack producing section of the apparatus of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of a part of the sack producing section;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged side elevation of a part of the sack producing section as viewed along line VI VI in FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective illustration of a chuck unit as viewed in a direction indicated by an arrow VII in FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line VIII VIII in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a top plan view of the chuck unit shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a cross-section of the chuck unit taken along line X X in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a partially chuck top plan view of tube pinching portions of the chunk unit;

FIG. 12 is an enlarged perspective view of the tube pinching portions shown in FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is an enlarged front view of a part of the sack producing section shown in FIG. 5 illustrating the tube and separators;

FIGS. 14 1 (A) and (B) are fragmentary sections of a separator taken along lines XIVA XIVA and XIVB XIVB in FIG. 13, respectively;

FIGS. 14 2 (E), (F), (G) and (H) are sections taken along lines XIVE XIVE, XIVF XIVG XIVG and XIVH XIVH in FIG. 13, respectively;

FIG. 15 is an enlarged perspective view of sealing and cutting means with a part being cut off;

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the sealing and cutting means shown in FIG.

FIG. 17 is a view taken along line XVII XVII in FIG. 16;

FIG. 18 is an electric circuit diagram employed in the sealing means;

FIG. 19 is a diagrammatic plan view of a sack conveyor illustrating the shapes of a sack in different stations;

FIG. 20 is a diagrammatic side elevational view of the conveyor shown in FIG. 19;

FIG. 21 is an enlarged perspective view of a guide for a conveyor chain;

FIG. 22 is a perspective view of a mechanism for actuating grippers on the conveyor chains;

FIG. 23 is an enlarged side elevation of a gripper shown in FIG. 22;

FIG. 24 is a perspective view of a sack folding means;

FIGS. 25A and B are diagrammatical fragmentary views of the sack folding means in different positions;

FIG. 26 is a diagrammatical illustration of the time schedule of the operation of the apparatus;

FIG. 27 is a front elevation of a modifiled sack producing mechanism;

FIG. 28 is an enlarged top plan view of a modified chuck mechanism taken along line XXVIII XXVIII in FIG. 27; and

FIG. 29 is a view similar to FIG. 24 but illustrating a modified sack folding means.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention having a layout substantially similar to that of one of the lanes heretofore employed in a supermarket. Namely, purchasers are caused to move in a direction indicated by an arrow Y along the side face of the apparatus remote from the side face thereof adjacent the counter and place on a table 4 baskets Z filled with required goods. A cashier stands in front of the counter as indicated by foot patterns 9 and removes by her left hand the goods one after another from each basket Z while checking the price for each of the goods and introduces the checked goods into the apparatus through either of inlet openings 2 and 3. The prices for the goods are keyed-in into a register 6 by the right hand of the cahsier.

The inlet opening 2 is designed to receive small sacks 13a each having a height L as shown in FIG. 2B, while the inlet opening 3 is adapted to receive large sacks 13 each having a height L as shown in FIG. 2A. As will be apparent from FIGS. 2A and 2B, the sacks l3 and 13a are of the type which have opposite side edge portions folded inwardly. The sacks are made from lengths of tubes of a liquid impermeable material such as a plastic film. The tubes are sealed by welding to form bottoms of the sacks l3 and 13a. In the case where the tubes are made from a transparent or translucent film, the tubes are preferably provided with non-transparent bands so that resultant sacks are detected in the apparatus by means of a photo-electric tube. Alternatively, sacks may be detected by means other than a photoelectric tube, such as, for example, a micro switch. In such an alternative case, the non-transparent bands are unnecessary.

When all of the goods from a basket Z are introduced into the apparatus, the cashier will actuate a total key on the register 6 to know the sum of the prices for the goods. After the cashier receives money, she will push a packing initiation push-button 5.

The apparatus has a pair of lines which include the inlet openings 2 and 3 and which are operable independently from each other. In several seconds from the actuation of the push-button 5, the goods are packed in a sack, i.e., the sack in which the goods are placed is sealed at its top to form a package which is conveyed to one of the delivery positions 11 and 12.

Adjacent the rearward or trailing end of the apparatus, the same is provided with a work table 1 on which a purchaser may put her own basket or bag so as to place the package of goods therein. The sack forming tubes are prepared in the form of

rolls

8 and 8a disposed under a register table. A set of control means 10 for the apparatus is disposed beneath the delivery position 11 and 12.

The general outline will then be described with reference to FIG. 3. The apparatus is generally divided into four sections, i.e., a sack producing section I, a goods introducing section II, a sack top sealing section III and a delivery section IV. In the sack producing section I, predetermined lengths of tubes are drawn out of the

rolls

8 and 8a and welded to form bottoms for large and

small sacks

13 and 13a. The tubes are then severed at places immediately after or upstream of the welded portions to separate the sacks from the remaining lengths of tubes. The thus produced sacks are conveyed to goods introducing section II in which the sacks are positioned under the inlet openings 2 and 3 with their tops held open and the bottoms supported by belt conveyors so as to facilitate insertion and removal of goods into and out of the sacks and allow the weight of the goods to be carried by the belt conveyor. The sacks with the goods therein will then be moved to the section III in which the sacks are sealed, by welding, substantially along their top edges to packages of goods which are then conveyed by belt conveyors to the delivery section IV.

It will be appreciated that FIG. 3 illustrates only one of two sack producing and packing lines included in the apparatus of the present invention. The difference between the two lines resides only in the difference in the sizes or heights of the sack produced and sealed in these lines.

The sack producing section I will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 4 through 18. FIG. 4 diagrammatically illustrates the paths of travel of

film tubes

13 and 13a for the large and small sacks I3 and 13a in the sack producing section. The tubes 13' and 13a are respectively drawn from the rolls of

tubes

8 and 8a and moved around sets of

intermediate guide rollers

29 and 29a to seal and cutting means which are generally indicated by 28 and 28a, respectively, and which are of a conventional type having

heat source portions

24, 24a, spring-loaded

pressing portions

25, 25a and well-known knives of a

metal

26, 26a, respectively.

Sets of projectors and photoelectric tubes 30 and 300 are provided in the paths of the tubes 13' and adjacent the

rolls

8 and 8a respectively, to detect a lack of supply of the tubes from the rolls for informing an operator of this fact. An empty roll may be replaced by another new roll and the leading end of the tube from the new roll will be connected to the trailing end of the tube from the last, removed roll by an appropriate

Claims

1. A packing apparatus comprising means for producing sacks from a liquid impermeable packing material such as plastic film, means for introducing goods into each of said sacks to load the sacks, means for sealing the loaded sacks adjacent the top thereof to pack the goods, means for delivering the packed goods, and conveyor means supporting the sacks at a predetermined pitch and operative in response to a packing initiation signal to convey the sacks to processing positions, in which said sack producing means comprises means for supplying lengths of a tubular film material, means for lifting the tubular film material to a predetermind level at which the film material is supported at the top portion thereof by said conveyor means, and means for sealing and severing the thus supported film material along predetermined lines transverse to an axis of the film material to form a sack, and wherein said film material is in the form of a tube having opposite sides folded inwardly with the outer edges of each of the folded sides being disposed in close contacting relationship with each other, and in which said lifting means includes a chuck mechanism equipped with means operative to pinch the tube at the outer edges of the inwardly folded sides thereof in such a manner that said outer edges are separated from each other.

2. A packing apparatus comprising means for producing sacks from a liquid impermeable packing material such as plastic film, means for introducing goods into each of said sacks to load the sacks, means for sealing the loaded sacks adjacent the top thereof to pack the goods, means for delivering the packed goods, and conveyor means supporting the sacks at a predetermined pitch and operative in response to a packing initiation signal to convey the sacks to processing positions, in which said sack producing means comprises means for supplying lengths of a tubular film material, means for lifting the tubular film material to a predetermined level at which the film material is supported at the top portion thereof by said conveyor meanS, and means for sealing and severing the thus supported film material along predetermined lines transverse to an axis of the film material to form a sack, and wherein said film material is in the form of a tube having opposite sides folded inwardly with the outer edges of each of the folded sides being disposed in close contacting relationship with each other, and in which said lifting means includes a chuck mechanism operative to pinch the tube at the outer edges of the inwardly folded sides thereof in such a manner that said outer edges are separated from each other, said chuck mechanism comprising a lever mechanism and a solenoid for actuating said lever mechanism, said lever mechanism including a pair of lever members, said solenoid being operatively connected to said lever mechanism so that said lever members are moved into and out of pinching engagement with the outer edges of one of the inwardly folded sides of said tube.

3. A packing apparatus according to claim 2, in which said chuck mechanism includes flexible cushioning elements adapted to pinch each of the outer edges of one of the inwardly folded sides of said tube.

4. A packing apparatus according to claim 2, in which said lever members are always biased in such a direction as to cause one end thereof to be moved to pinch said tube, and a cam means is provided so as to be actuated by said solenoid to operate said lever members against said bias.

5. A packing apparatus comprising means for producing sacks from a liquid impermeable packing material such as plastic film, means for introducing goods into each of said sacks to load the sacks, means for sealing the loaded sacks adjacent the top thereof to pack the goods, means for delivering the packed goods, and conveyor means supporting the sacks at a predetermined pitch and operative in response to a packing initiation signal to convey the sacks to processing positions, in which said sack producing means comprises means for supplying lengths of a tubular film material, means for lifting the tubular film material to a predetermined level at which the film material is supported at the top portion thereof by said conveyor means, and means for sealing and severing the thus supported film material along predetermined lines transverse to an axis of the film material to form a sack, and wherein said film material is in the form of a tube having opposite sides folded inwardly with the outer edges of each of the folded sides being disposed in close contacting relationship with each other, and in which said lifting means includes a chuck mechanism operative to pinch the tube at the outer edges of the inwardly folded sides thereof in such a manner that said outer edges are separated from each other, and further comprising a member disposed upstream of said chuck mechanism and extending into said tube between the opposite outer edges of each of the inwardly folded sides of said tube for separating said opposite edges, said separating member being so arranged that a part of said separating member adjacent the longitudianl axis of said tube is advanced further with respect to the movement of said tube than the remaining part of said separating member.

6. A packing apparatus comprising means for producing sacks from a liquid impermeable packing material such as plastic film, means for introducing goods into each of said sacks to load the sacks, means for sealing the loaded sacks adjacent the top thereof to pack the goods, means for delivering the packed goods, and conveyor means supporting the sacks at a predetermined pitch and operative in response to a packing initiation signal to convey the sacks to processing positions, in which said sack producing means comprises means for supplying lengths of a tubular film material, means for lifting the tubular film material to a predetermined level at which the film material is supported at the top portion thereof by said conveyor means, and means for sealing and severing the thus supported film material along predetermined lines transverse to an axis of the film material to form a sack, and wherein said film material is in the form of a tube having opposite sides folded inwardly with the outer edges of each of the folded sides being disposed in close contacting relationship with each other, and in which said lifting means includes a chuck mechanism operative to pinch the tube at the outer edges of the inwardly folded sides thereof in such a manner that said outer edges are separated from each other, said chuck mechanism comprising a pair of chuck units interconnected by a bar member, one of said chuck units being guided by and movable along an upstanding guide post, the other chuck unit being associated with a roller which is guided by and movable along an upstanding channel member.

7. A packing apparatus according to claim 6, in which one of said chuck units is movable widthwise of said tube so as to stretch the same in the widthwise direction thereof.

8. A packing apparatus comprising means for producing sacks from a liquid impermeable packing material such as plastic film, means for introducing goods into each of said sacks to load the sacks, means for sealing the loaded sacks adjacent the top thereof to pack the goods, means for delivering the packed goods, and conveyor means supporting the sacks at a predetermined pitch and operative in response to a packing initiation signal to convey the sacks to processing positions, in which said sack producing means comprises means for supplying lengths of a tubular film material, means for lifting the tubular film material to a predetermined level at which the film material is supported at the top portion thereof by said conveyor means, and means for sealing and severing the thus supported film material along predetermined lines transverse to an axis of the film material to form a sack, and wherein said film material is in the form of a tube having opposite sides folded inwardly with the outer edges of each of the folded sides being disposed in close contacting relationship with each other, and in which said lifting means includes a chuck mechanism operative to pinch the tube at the outer edges of the inwardly folded sides thereof in such a manner that said outer edges are separated from each other, said chuck mechanism including a pair of chuck units rigidly connected to each other, said chuck units being threadably engaged with upstanding threaded shafts which are adapted to be driven to upwardly and downwardly move said chuck units.

9. A packing apparatus according to claim 8, in which said chuck mechanism includes a pair of spaced connecting members extending between and interconnecting said chuck units, each chuck unit including a pair of lever members extending between said connecting members, a pair of mutually engaging pivotable segments each connected to one of said lever members, and a solenoid operatively connected to one of said segments.