CA1338684C - Apparatus for unpacking cases - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus and method for receiving a plurality of containers packed inverted within cardboard or other flexible-walled cases and for automatically unpacking the containers so they may be filled or otherwise processed by conventional equip-ment. The apparatus and method incorporate means to apply a compressive force to opposed sides of the cases in order to cause the containers to be retained within the case and, in cases having flaps, to cause the major and minor flaps to move into alignment with the container sides to which the flaps are hinged. The amount of force is sufficient to retain the contain-ers within the cases even when they are inverted in order to place the cases and the containers over a conveyor which may then receive the containers and convey them downstream in a conventional manner. The invention includes means for removing the inverted empty cases from the now right-side up containers and for placing the case in a separate location so that the case and the containers may independently move downstream and be further processed in a conventional manner.

Description

~ I MT-0014 APPARATUS FOR UNPACRING CASES

BACKGROUND OF THE lN V~N'l lON

FIELD OF THE lN V~N'l'lON

This invention generally relates to container handling apparatus. More particularly this invention relates to auto-matic devices for unloading or unpacking items from cases, trays or cartons containing one or more individual containers.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

In the packaging industry, particularly in the liquid filling segment of the industry, empty bottles or other con-tainers which are to be filled are introduced at the beginning of the filling line. Often this is done by an operator manually inverting a conventional rectilinear cardboard or other flexible-walled shipping case containing the empty bottles. The bottles are packed upside down so that when the case is inverted and lifted up the bottles remain upright on the desired surface 1 3~

which is usually provided with some means for advancing the bottles to a conveyor for ultimate filling. The filled bottles are very often repacked back in the same shipping case from which they came.
While most often the initial unloading of the empty bottles is done manually, where higher filling speeds dictate then automatic devices are used although they do have some limitations. One such automatic unpacker is a conveyor device that receives the cardboard shipping case upside-down up with all of the case flaps folded underneath. The case is conveyed to a flap plow mechanism and the major flaps (i.e those running the case length relative to the direction of motion) are plowed out 180. The minor flaps (i.e. the ones running the case width, transverse to the direction of motion) are then mechanically opened out 180. The case is now open with the bottles being right-side up and covered by an open, inverted case. As the case and the bottles are moved downstream the case is lifted up and away from the bottles and the bottles and the cases proceed their separate ways down the filling line. An example of such a device is embodied in the "G" Automatic Case Unloader and Unscrambler manufactured by the ABC Package Machine Corporation, 811 Live Oak Street, Tarpon Springs, FL 33589.
Another method used for automaticAlly unpacking bottles is embodied in a 4-flap case opener and unloading head mechanism as, for example, units manufactured by the Climax Products Division of The Lodge & Shipley Company, 3055 Colerain Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45225. This combination includes a conveyor device that accepts the case in a right-side up orientation with the bottles right-side up. Note the bottles must be packed differently for use with this machine. The major flaps are plowed out 180 until they are 90 to their respective side walls. The tra~ing minor flap is also plowed into its final position. The leading minor flap is grabbed by an indexing mechanical mechanism to pick the leading edge of the flap up and flip it 180 until it is also 90 to its respective side wall. The opened case then proceeds downstream into the unloading head mechanism. The head is lowered into the case to enable mechanical grippers to grip the bottles by the necks and lift them out of the case. The bottles are then placed on a moving conveyor and released from the grippers, and the bottles and empty cases proceed separately downstream as before.
Each of these prior art methods has certain disadvan-tages. The first method suffers from the tendency of the flaps to sometimes lift the case up. This often clogs the conveyor because the cases would not pass through certain close tolerance parts of the unpacker. This is particularly disadvantageous when empty plastic bottles are the containers within the cases 1 338b84 (bottles sometimes stick in the case). Equipment utilizing this first method is also greatly affected by any damage to the flaps which tends to jam the machine easily because it is expecting a relatively close tolerance case. Furthermore, as the case is being lifted some containers may stick in the case because they are lightweight and gravity may be insufficient to overcome the friction between some containers and the case.
Equipment utilizing the second method generally has one machine to open the flaps and a second machine which acts as the uncaser. The flap opening machines are complex and problem-prone. The uncaser machine occasionally will not lift the bottle out of the case and in some instances a bottle will drop back into the case after being picked up or the uncaser will physically pick up the entire case. Any bottles left in the case are particularly troublesome downstream in the filling line if automatic case packing equipment is employed. An additional problem with this uncaser is that it cannot handle containers having off-center necks. The mechanical pick-up device simply is unable to know where the neck is unless the bottles are first oriented.
Additionally, all of the known devices for unpacking cases are limited in their ability to accommodate varying product sizes. Significant time and effort must be expended to change the machines from one size container and case to another. And in many instances some machine parts must be c~anged which can add significantly to the price.
In view of the foregoing deficiencies, it is an object of this invention to produce an uncasing apparatus suitable for uncasing cartons containing generally two or more bottles regardless of the material from which they are made.
It is the further object of this invention to produce an uncasing apparatus suitable for uncasing generally cylin-drical bottles having off-center necks as well as centralized necks.
It is yet another object of this invention to produce an uncasing apparatus which is capable of being changed over relatively quickly without changing parts to accommodate varying product sizes.
It is also an object of this invention to produce an uncasing apparatus which is relatively tolerant of carton damage and which will ensure that no bottles are left in the case after the uncasing operation is completed.
It is also an object of this invention to produce an uncasing apparatus which simplifies control prior to decasing to such an extent that the apparatus is capable of handling cases with flaps as easily as cases without flaps, all with the same mechanisms. 1 3 3 8 6 8 4 S~MHARY OF THE lNv~NllON

These and other objects of the invention are achieved by the method and apparatus of the preferred embodiment disclosed herein. The preferred embodiment of the device is an apparatus for unpacking a plurality of containers from a recti-linear cardboard case having, on one side adjacent the bottoms of said containers, a pair of opposed major flaps and a pair of opposed minor flaps, said containers being inverted within said case when said case is right-side up, the apparatus comprising:
a first conveyor means; a second conveyor means; means for receiving at least one case right-side up at a first location;
means for applying, to two opposed sides of said case at a predetermined point adjacent the hinges of each of said minor flaps, a predetermined compressive force to substantially cause said major and minor flaps to move into alignment with the container sides to which the flaps are hinged; said compressive force also causing said containers to be pressed against said container sides; means for inverting said case through an arc of substantially 180 to place said case in an upside down orien-tation; means for releasing said compressive force, thereby allowing said containers to drop right-side up on to said first conveyor means at a second location; means for lifting said case vertically from said containers at a third location on said first conveyor, said third location being downstream of said second location; means for inverting said case from said third location through an arc of substantially 180 to place said case emptied of containers and right-side up on said second conveyor at a fourth location.
The foregoing preferred embodiment of the device incor-porates the inventive method which is a method for unpacking a plurality of containers from a rectilinear cardboard case having, on one side adjacent the bottoms of said containers, a pair of opposed major flaps and a pair of opposed minor flaps, said containers being inverted within said case when said case is right-side up, the method comprising the steps of (a) receiving at a first position a case filled with said plurality of containers, said case being in a right-side up orientation, (b) applying a compressive force at a predetermined point on each of two opposed sides of said case to move a portion of said two opposed sides inwardly a predetermined amount sufficient to cause said containers to be pressed against said case sides and said major flaps and said minor flaps to move into substantial alignment with their respective case sides; (c) inverting said -case to a second position at which said case is held in an inverted orientation thereby maintaining said containers in a right-side up orientation; (d) removing said compressive force to permit said case and containers to drop a short distance; (e) conveying said inverted case and said right-side up containers to a third position; and (f) lifting said case generally vertically from said third position to expose said containers.
The method may further incorporate the step of engaging the empty case by an inverting means and placing it in an inverted orientation at a fourth position. Both the apparatus and the method may, within the scope of this invention, be adapted to operate with cases having no flaps.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of an uncasing apparatus incorporating the principles of this invention.
Figure 2 is a schematic side elevational view of the inverter portion of the uncasing apparatus shown in Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a plan view of the inverter portion shown in Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a schematic side elevational view of the case removing portion of the uncasing apparatus shown in Figure 1.

1 3386~

Figure S is a plan view of a portion of Figure 4.
Figures 6 a through d are schematic perspective sketches of a container-filled case in various stages of the apparatus of Figure 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The invention may best be described by reference to the operation of the uncasing apparatus 10 shown in perspective view in Figure 1. Cases filled with inverted containers are manually or automatically introduced to the in-feed metering section 20.
As used herein, the term case refers to a rectilinear box or carton which may or may not have flaps. The case is deep enough to adequately retain at least one container therein, the con-tainer generally being cylindrically shaped with a closed bottom and open neck. For clarity, the cases are omitted from some of the Figures. The cases and containers advance through apparatus 10 from in-feed section 20 to case inverting section 30, case removing section 70, a container conveyor 130 and a case conveyor 140.
Cases with containers are fed either manually or by appropriate conveyor means into case in-feed metering section 20. This section includes a plurality of motorized conveyor _ g _ rollers 22 and an indexing drive mechanism 24 comprising a motor driven roller 25 and an idler roller 26. An appropriate central control system (not shown) causes indexing drive mechanism 24 to sequentially feed cases to a position 27 from which they are pushed by pusher mechanism 28 to position 29 in case inverting section 30.
Case inverting section 30, best seen in Figures 1, 2 and 3, comprises a sub-frame 32 supporting a motor 33, rack and pinion inverting mechanism 34 and a pair of opposed, inverting support arms 36 and 37. As will be understood below, section 30 inverts two cases 38 and 39 simultaneously. Arms 36 and 37 are joined by base plate 40 and shaft 42 which is supported at each end in bearings (not shown) in sub-frame 32 and is rotatable relative thereto in response to rack and pinion mechanism 34.
Rack and pinion mechanism 34 comprises pinion 43, secured to one end of shaft 42, and rack 44 adjacent thereto. Rack 44 is slidably mounted in bearing block 45 and is connected by connecting rod 46 and crank 47 (and all necessary connecting pins, etc.) to motor 33. Arm 36 supports a pair of opening members 47 and 48 and a stabilizer disc 49 and arm 37 supports similar opening members 50 and 51 and stabilizer disc 52. All opening members and stabilizing discs are pneumatically operated by air cylinders or pistons 54 which are activated by air lines (not shown) and controlled by the aforementioned central control system (not shown).
In the preferred embodiment, uncasing apparatus 10 operates on pairs of cases rather than on individual cases.
Thus, it will be understood that pusher mechanism 28 pushes one case 38 into position 29 and then retracts and pushes a second case 39 into position 29 abutting adjacent case 38 previously advanced. After two cases have been so placed by pusher mechanism 28, they will be situated relative to case inverting section 30 as shown by cases 38 and 39 in Figures 2 and 3.
Inner case 38 is placed between opening members 47 and 50 and outer case 39 is placed between opening members 48 and 51. When members 47, 50 and 48, 51 (and discs 49 and 52) are energized to engage cases 38 and 39, respectively, arms 36 and 37 may be inverted by motor 33 in order to place the cases into an inverted position immediately above conveyor 130 at location 52. As will be further understood below, the pistons of members 47, 50 and 48, 51 compress the cases sufficiently so that they and the containers therein will be held above the conveyor surface until the compressive force is released to allow the containers and the cases to drop onto the conveyor surface. The cases are dropped a short distance in order to jar the contain-ers slightly to overcome any tendency for them to stick in the -case. The compressive force is sufficient to retain the contain-ers within the case regardless of the orientation of the container neck. It is, therefore, apparent that the invention is capable of operating with containers having off-set neck finishes. Arms 36 and 37 of case inverting section 30 are then rotated back to their starting point so that the cases may be cleared and advanced by conveyor 130 into a location adjacent case removing section 70.
Briefly referring to Figures 6a through 6d, a case 38 is shown in the various stages of being opened and inverted corresponding to the various stages of case inverting section 30. Figure 6a depicts a case 38 filled with six containers 38a which may be, for example, gallon size plastic containers. Case 38 has major flaps 54 and 55 and minor flaps 56 and 57. It is desirable that the case flaps be arranged as close to the position shown in Figure 6a as possible before the case is introduced into case inverting section 30. Figure 6a shows a point 58 on the case side wall adjacent flap 57 where an inward force 59 is applied between adjacent rows of bottles by one of the opening members in case inverting section 30. An opposing force is applied by the opposing opening member at a point opposite point 58 on the opposiding case sidewall (not shown in Figure 6a). This results in all flaps 54-57 being urged open as shown in Figure 6b. Figure 6c is a plan view of the Figure 6b and exaggeratedly shows the case walls, bearing points 58 and 59, pushed inwardly by forces 59 and 60. The condition of case 38 shown in Figure 6c is produced by activating opposing opening members 47, 50 or 48, 51 and in this condition the case and its containers are inverted to the position shown in Figure 6d at location 52. If the invention is used to unload cases without flaps, then members 47, 50 and 48, 51 are aligned to push at points just below the top of the case and between rows of containers.
Case removing section 70, best seen in Figures 1 and 4-5, comprises sub-frame 72, motor 73, arm insert cam assembly 74, stabilizer cam assembly 75 (shown only in Figures 4 and 5) and a pair of inverting support arms 76 and 77.
Arms 77 and 76, joined by base plate 80 and main shaft 81 are provided with support angles 82 and 84, respectively, and each support angle is provided with a plurality of rubber bumpers 86. Arms 76 and 77 are also provided with slidable inserts 88 and 90, respectively, the inserts being biased by springs 92 and 94, respectively. Inserts 88 and 90 are generally rectangular prism shaped structures provided with through-bores 110 and 111, respectively, which receive arm cam-follower shaft 112. Cam shaft 112 is also received in elongated apertures 114 (best seen in Figure 4) in each arm 76 and 77.

Apertures 114 thus define a range of motion of each insert with respect to its associated arm. Inserts 88 and 90 are provided with movable pins 116 and 117 (within apertures 114), respec-tively, which anchor springs 92 and 94 to fixed pins 118 and 119, respectively, the latter secured to their associated arms.
Insert 88 is connected to support angle 82 via air cylinder 96 (by necessary brackets, etc.) and insert 90 is similarly joined to support angle 84 via air cylinder 98. Each support angle thus has a longitudinal range of motion relative to its associated support arm, this range defined by aperture 114.
Arm cam assembly 74 controls the manner in which case removing section 70 removes and inverts the empty cases while leaving the containers on conveyor 130. A pair of identical cam plates 104 and 105 (best seen in Figures 1 and 4) are provided adjacent the ends of cam follower shaft 112. Springs 92 and 94 keep rollers 103a and 103b (on the ends of cam shaft 112) biased against cam plates 104 and 105 as motor 73 causes arms 76 and 77 to rotate counterclockwise.
Motor 73 is operatively connected to pinion 100 on shaft 81 via a rack and pinion drive mechanism similar to that described above in inverter section 30. Consequently, the details of these componetns will not be repeated here.
- While the major inverting motion of case removing section 70 is defined by arm cam assembly 74, the preferred embodiment of the invention also has a means for making a minor adjustment to the orientation of the cases as they are being inverted. This is achieved by a pair stabilizer cam assemblies 75. Each support angle has a certain rotary range of motion relative to its associated support arm, this rotary range is defined by a the stabilizer cam assemblies 75 which each comprise a cam plate 120 (having a predetermined track 122) affixed to its associated arm, a cam follower pin 124 affixed via plate 126 to its associated support angle.
The profiles of cam plates 104 and 105 and cam tracks 122 cause support arms 76 and 77 to move in a predetermined pattern upwardly to disengage the case from its associated containers without destabilizing the containers and causing them to fall over. During the initial movement, cam stabilizer assemblies 75 cause the cases to be held parallel relative to their containers as the case is raised vertically. At a predetermined point on cam 104, the containers will be free of the case and arms 76 and 77 will continue to be inverted, carrying the case eventually to a right-side up position on case conveyor 140. The containers meanwhile proceed downstream on container conveyor 130.
It is to be understood that arms 76 engage a pair of cases with a sufficient compressive force to lift only the cases and not the containers. This is, in part, the reason that support angles 82 and 84 are elongated structures with a plurality of rubber bumpers rather than a single point plunger that is used in case inverter section. The arms are then inverted by motor 73 in order to place the empty cases right-side up onto crowned roller conveyor 140 which comprises a pair of conveyor sections 142 and 144, each operating at a slightly different speed so that the cases will ultimately enter on to a common conveyor 146 in a single file to proceed down-stream in a conventional manner. Conveyor sections 142 and 144 are crowned by having the outer ends of the ro~ers skewed vertically and rearwardly relative to the inner ends. That is, the inner facing ends of the conveyor rollers are raised relative to the outer ends to assure that the empty cases fall away from each other laterally (i.e. horizontally) to prevent one case from interfering with the other case. Additionally, the rollers in conveyor sections 142 and 144 are arranged in a chevron, as shown, in order to further separate the cases from each other.
Conveyor 130 includes conventional means near its outlet end in order to funnel the containers into a single file for conventional processing downstream.
It should be understood that, while the invention is described with respect to a filling line such that the cases 1 33858~

initially carry empty containers, the invention is easily adaptable to other situations. For example, the invention may be used to control the major and minor flaps of flexible-walled cases during a packaging or other case handling operation.
It will be also understood by those skilled in the art that numerous improvements and other modifications may be made to the preferred embodiment of the invention disclosed herein without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.

Claims (9)

1. An apparatus for unpacking a plurality of contain-ers from a rectilinear case, said containers being inverted within said case when said case is right-side up, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving at least one case right-side up at a first location;
means for applying, at a predetermined point on each of two opposed sides of said case, a predetermined compress-ive force to substantially cause said containers to be pressed together and against the sides of said case;
means for inverting said case through a predeter-mined arc to place said case in a generally inverted orienta-tion;
means for releasing said compressive force, thereby allowing said inverted case and said containers to drop on to a second location;
means for conveying said inverted case and said containers from said second location to a third location;
means at said third location for lifting said inverted case from said containers; and means for inverting said inverted case from said third location through a predetermined arc to place said case, now emptied of containers, right-side up at a fourth location.

2. An apparatus for unpacking a plurality of contain-ers from a rectilinear case having, on one side adjacent the bottoms of said containers, a pair of opposed major flaps and a pair of opposed minor flaps, said containers being inverted within said case when said case is right-side up, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving at least one case right-side up at a first location;
means for applying, at predetermined points on each of two opposed sides of said case adjacent the flaps hinged to such sides, a predetermined compressive force to substantially cause said major and minor flaps to move into alignment with the case sides to which said flaps are hinged and to cause said containers to be pressed together and against the sides of said case;
means for inverting said case through a predeter-mined arc to place said case in a generally inverted orienta-tion;

means for releasing said compressive force, thereby allowing said inverted case and said containers to drop on to a second location;
means for conveying said inverted case and said containers from said second location to a third location;
means for lifting said inverted case from said containers at a third location on said first conveyor, said third location being downstream of said second location; and means for inverting said case from said third location through an arc of substantially 180° to place said case emptied of containers and right-side up on said second conveyor at a fourth location.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 further comprising separating means at said fourth location for receiving a pair of cases from said inverting means and for discharging said pair of cases in a single file in a direction transverse to the plane within which said pair of cases were moved by said inverting means, said separating means comprising a pair of adjacent crowned roller conveyor sections comprising a plurality of driven rollers, the outer ends of the rollers of each of said roller conveyor sections being skewed downwardly and rearwardly relative to the inner ends of the rollers of each of said roller conveyor sections, said roller conveyor sections being driven at different speeds relative to each other to arrange said cases in a single file at the downstream end of said roller conveyor section.

4. A method for unpacking a plurality of containers from a rectilinear flexible-walled case, said containers being inverted within said case when said case is right-side up, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving at a first position at least one case filled with said plurality of containers, said case being in a right-side up orientation;
(b) applying a compressive force at a predetermined point on each of two opposed sides of said case to move a portion of said two opposed sides inwardly a predetermined amount sufficient to cause said containers to be pressed against said container sides;
(c) inverting said case to a second position at which said case is held in an inverted orientation thereby maintaining said containers in a right-side up orientation;
(d) removing said compressive force to permit said case and containers to drop a short distance;

(e) conveying said inverted case and said right-side up containers to a third position; and (f) lifting said case vertically from said third position to expose said containers.

5. A method for unpacking a plurality of containers from a rectilinear flexible-walled case having, on one side adjacent the bottoms of said containers, a pair of opposed major flaps and a pair of opposed minor flaps, said containers being inverted within said case when said case is right-side up, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving at a first position at least one case filled with said plurality of containers, said case being in a right-side up orientation;
(b) applying a compressive force at a predetermined point on each of two opposed sides of said case to move a portion of said two opposed sides inwardly a predetermined amount sufficient to cause said containers to be pressed against said case sides and said major flaps and said minor flaps to move into substantial alignment with their respective case sides;

(c) inverting said case to a second position at which said case is held in an inverted orientation thereby maintaining said containers in a right-side up orientation;
(d) removing said compressive force to permit said case and containers to drop a short distance;
(e) conveying said inverted case and said right-side up containers to a third position; and (f) lifting said case generally vertically from said third position to expose said containers.

6. A method according to claim 4 wherein the step of lifting said case further comprises engaging same by a means for inverting and further comprising the step of:

(g) placing said empty case in an upright orientation at a fourth position.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said compressive force is a predetermined force applied inwardly to two opposing sidewalls of said case in an amount to move said sidewalls inwardly a sufficient distance as to cause major and minor flaps of said carton to move into substantial alignment with said sidewalls.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said case contains at least one item and wherein the amount of said force is sufficient to retain said item within said container when it is inverted.

9. A method according to claim 6 further comprising the step of:

(h) separating a pair of empty cases from each other by increasing the distance between said pair of cases laterally within the plane in which said cases were inverted;
(i) conveying each case of said pair of cases at different speeds in a direction transverse to said plane;
(j) discharging said cases onto a single conveyor in a single file.