GB1433134A - Packaging articles such as apples in a layer or layers - Google Patents

Abstract

1433134 Apparatus for feeding articles to packages DUFAYLITE DEVELOPMENTS Ltd 9 May 1973 [11 May 1972] 22250/72 Heading B8C Apparatus, for feeding articles, such as apples, or tomatoes, to packages of the kind which serve for locating the articles with respect to one another in a layer, comprises a supply station 2 for the articles 3 the supply station terminating in an outlet, a feeder 1 having an entrance end and an exit end, a fixed gate member 9, the feeder 1 being mounted for pivoted movement between an article-receiving position in which the feeder is in articlereceiving relationship via its entrance end with the supply station outlet and a feeding position in which its exit end is lowered to allow progressive gravitational feeding of the articles under the fixed gate member and over the exit end, and a manually slidable carrier 4 for holding the packages in turn, the carrier 4 being reciprocably slidable manually to withdraw a package horizontally from a ready-position, beneath the feeder and the articles thereon, through a filling stroke during which the articles, fed progressively over the exit end of the feeder, are distributed over the package for location thereby to a filled position, and subsequently to carry the next package to the ready position. The apparatus according to the invention also comprises, for pivoting the feeder into its feeding position as a package is withdrawn from the ready position and returning the feeder to its article-receiving position as the next package is carried to the ready position, either an actuating ram or, interengaging parts on the feeder and the carrier. In a method of packaging fruit, e.g. tomatoes 3, in a layer in a compartmented package 10, the feeder 1, pivotally mounted at 8, having a stop plate 12 with a wheel 13, and initially in alignment with the supply station 2, is supplied with graded tomatoes which are retained thereon by a stop bar 9 fixed to a support 5 and the package 10, divided into compartments by a structure of honeycomb material 11, is supported below the feeder 1 on the carrier 4 which is slidably mounted upon the support 5. By manually advancing the carrier 4 in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 2, the wheel 13 ascends a ramp 14 on the carrier 4 the feeder 1 pivoting about the point 8 so that the supply station 2 is closed off by the stop plate 12 and the tomatoes slide off the feeder 1, under the bar 9 to be fed, progressively, into the package 10 during the filling stroke of the carrier 4. The package may be in the form of a box incorporating a grid of eggbox structure. After the package 10 has been filled it is replaced by an empty package and the carrier is returned to its initial position, Fig. 1, In a modification, Fig. 3, not shown, the action of the ramp 14 is replaced by a pneumatic ram (14<SP>1</SP>) and a carrier (4<SP>1</SP>) with rollers (32) which run on rails (31) has pillars (33) which are adapted to extent upwardly through apertures (34) in the bottom of a box (35) supported upon a pair of fixed rails (39). The rails (31) are carried by a ram (36) for vertical reciprocal movements. Layers of tomatoes are loaded into the box (35) as the carrier (4<SP>1</SP>) is moved to-and-fro with respect to the feeder unit and the rams (14<SP>1</SP>, 36) are correspondingly operated. In a further modification, Fig. 4, not shown, springs (40) are adapted to tilt the feeder (7) for the filling stroke a cam plate (41) co-operating with a wheel (13<SP>1</SP>) to bring the carrier into its initial loading position.