US3839844A

US3839844A - Container inverter for packeting equipment and packeting system

Info

Publication number: US3839844A
Application number: US00328784A
Authority: US
Inventors: D Garnett
Original assignee: Olofsson Corp
Current assignee: Olofsson Corp
Priority date: 1973-02-01
Filing date: 1973-02-01
Publication date: 1974-10-08
Anticipated expiration: 1991-10-08

Abstract

The inverter, as used in a system as an adjunct to a conventional packaging machine and other associated weigher and conveyor equipment, has a common source of drive power for its rotated components from the packager, as by chain-type means. Such components are (a) a suction cup-type receptacle or can inverter unit intermittently advanced rotatively in a vertical plane by a conventional indexing device, whose output shaft operates said unit, as well as a pneumatic valving control device for the latter, so that vacuum is intermittently applied to and bled from suction cups as the latter engage receptacles from beneath, rotate them and dump the weighed content thereof; (b) an escapement arm mechanism continuously operated in an oscillatory fashion by an eccentric connection to the input drive sprocket of the indexer unit, this escapement device acting to periodically isolate from a stream of filled receptacles approaching the inverter''s suction cup station one pair only of the receptacles for inversion, later admitting to said station a succeeding pair to be inverted; (c) a sweep arm rotatively driven continuously through a right angle drive device from another input sprocket of the inverter, by which sweep the inverted and emptied receptacles are periodically discharged from the inverter for re-circulation by the conveyor layout of the system; and (d) a receptacle aligning bar device sprocket-driven intermittently, in common with the suction cup sub-assembly, from the indexer unit of the inverter. Typically, the overall system as shown herein will involve in association with the packaging or packeting machine and the inverter driven thereby, a receptacle washing unit by which inverted and emptied cans are cleansed, a simple reinverter which restores the receptacles to a top-up orientation, a number of belt conveyor passes constituting a continuously driven conveyor for re-inverted receptacles, and a conventional high speed rotary weighing machine, by which the empty receptacles are charged with an accurately weighed volume of discrete product of one sort or another, the conveyor system then returning the receptacles for inversion and dumping of their individual charges to packaging pockets of a standard conveyor component of the packaging machine.

Description

United States Patent 91 Garnett 1 Oct. 8, 1974 CONTAINER INVERTER FOR PACKETING EQUIPMENT AND PACKETING SYSTEM [75] Inventor: Donald W. Garnett, Grand Ledge,

Mich.

[73] Assignee: The Olofsson Corporation, Lansing,

Mich.

221 Filed: Feb. 1,1973

21 Appl. No.: 328,784

Primary ExaminerTravis S. McGehee Attorney, Agent, or FirmWhittemore, Hulbert & Belknap [5 7] ABSTRACT The inverter, as used in a system as an adjunct to a conventional packaging machine and other associated weigher and conveyor equipment, has a common source of drive power for its rotated components from the packager, as by chain-type means. Such components are (a) a suction cup-type receptacle or can inverter unit intermittently advanced rotatively in a vertical plane by a conventional indexing device, whose output shaft operates said unit, as well as a pneumatic valving control device for the latter, so that vacuum is intermittently applied to and bled from suction cups as the latter engage receptacles from beneath, rotate them and dump the weighed content thereof; (b) an escapement arm mechanism continuously operated in an oscillatory fashion by an eccentric connection to the input drive sprocket of the indexer unit, this escapement device acting to periodically isolate from a stream of filled receptacles approaching the inverters suction cup station one pair only of the receptacles for inversion, later admitting to said station a succeeding pair to be inverted; (c) a sweep arm rotatively driven continuously through a right angle drive device from another input sprocket of the inverter, by which sweep the inverted and emptied receptacles are periodically discharged from the inverter for re-circulation by the conveyor layout of the system; and (d) a receptacle aligning bar device sprocket-driven intermittently, in common with the suction cup sub-assembly, from the indexer unit of the inverter.

Typically, the overall system as shown herein will involve in association with the packaging or packeting machine and the inverter driven thereby, a receptacle washing unit by which inverted and emptied cans are cleansed, a simple reinverter which restores the receptacles to a top-up orientation, a number of belt conveyor passes constituting a continuously driven conveyor for re-inverted receptacles, and a conventional high speed rotary weighing machine, by which the empty receptacles are charged with an accurately weighed volume of discrete product of one sort or another, the conveyor system then returning the receptacles for inversion and dumping of their individual charges to packaging pockets of a standard conveyor component of the packaging machine.

26 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PAIENTED 0B1 8l974 SHEET 10F 5 PATENTED 1 74 sum 20F 5 v PAIEMEuucI 81974 SHEET 3 BF 5 CONTAINER INVERTER FOR PACKETING EQUIPMENT AND PACKETING SYSTEM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION FIELD The inverter of the invention as such, and the packaging, conveying and weighing components of the system, will find wide application in the accurate weighing and packaging of many types of discrete products. Examples are in the vacuum or related type packaging of various food products; and this is the particular field in which the equipment of the present invention had its inception. However, the packaging in one fashion or another of a wide variety of products other than food, such as are widely sold pre-packaged in bags or other containers in many kinds of establishments, is also contemplated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The nature of the system as a whole has been adequately summarized in the Abstract. As for the inverter, it essentially comprises an optional number of pairs of like suction cups on arms fixed on and extending radially from a common operating and vacuumdistribution shaft, which snaft is rotatively indexed by a well-known type of cam-operated indexer available in the market. The axis of said shaft parallels the direction of movement of a belt conveyor of the system, on which the stream of receptacles to be inverted is delivered two at a time into the inverter station, at which the suction cup sets operate; and the leading pair or set of receptacles are temporarily separated from the remainder of the belt-conveyed receptacle stream by a bellcrank and connecting rod type of escapement arm unit, until their inversion has been effected, when ensuing receptacles, released by said arm unit, are admitted to the inverting station. Guide way means associated with the last reach of the systems belt conveyor positions the leading receptacles entering said station for appropriate registered engagement from beneath by the suction cups of the inverter equipment.

The latter is exceedingly compact in nature, considering the manifold operations which it performs at a high speed consistent with the high speed operation of the packager and weigher units of the system. It is also of a design capable of conversion to a considerable number of types of packager, to be served by different weighers, whether of the gravimetric type as herein shown or otherwise.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic flow-type diagram illustrating a typical layout of the inverter of the invention (dotdash line) in association with a conventional highspeed weighing machine handling weighing receptacles as herein contemplated, a conventional packaging machine, an optional weigher receptacle washer, and necessary conveyor and control means, a typical feed in of a stream of receptacles to the inverter being indicated;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the inverter, being in part vertically sectioned in a line corresponding to line 2-2 of FIG. 4, an arc of swing of receptacles in their inversion appearing in dot-dash line;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary and elevational view of the structure of FIG. 2, as from the right in that figure;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of the inverter showing the relationship of weighed product receptacles to enter an inverter cup station of the latter to an oscillatory escapement arm temporarily halting their flow, as well as in relation to a continuously rotating sweep arm by which the inverted receptacles are re moved from an inverter for another cycle of operation, this view being partially broken away and sectioned on a line which could correspond to line 44 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the operation of the inverter mechanism at said station, a leading weighed receptacle in a stream entering and inverted by that mechanism having been omitted for clarity.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. 1 schematically shows a typical plant flow system or layout in which an inverter mechanism, as illustrated in dot-dash line and generally designated 10, is incorporated, being structurally superimposed upon a we1l-known type of packaging or packeting machine 11, such as is the subject matter of Letters US. Pat. No. 3,061,984 to Mahaffy, dated Nov. 6, 1962. This packager and others of the same type are well known to the packaging industry, in particular the forming of vacuum-sealed packages containing various sorts of food. The inverter and packager assembly shown herein is well-adapted for use in a system including a weigher of discrete products of many sorts. This requires only a suitable and simple modification of machine 11 to serve as a mechanical driver for inverter 10.

In the operation of the system of FIG. I a continuous stream of filled weighing receptacles or cans R flows into the inverter equipment 10 in the direction indicated by arrow in FIG. 1, and as inverted open topdown by such equipment, the empty receptacles are carried, as by an appropriate roller type conveyor 12 along which they are impelled by sweep arm means (to be described), to an empty can washer 14 is of an entirely conventional sort.

Issuing from the washer unit, the cleansed cans ride upon a first belt component 15 of an appropriately driven belt conveyor assembly, generally designated 16, going from the component 15 through a suitable inverter 17, for example a plow-type, in which the receptacles R are re-inverted to present their open mouths upwardly.

Following this operation, receptacles travel in succession along horizontally and longitudinally lapped or stepped belt conveyor units 17, 18, 19, going past an appropriate control panel or console 20 which is primarily involved in the operation of a high speed rotary weighing and receptacle-filling machine 21 of the system. This may be of a gravimetric weighing type such as is the subject matter of US. Pats. to Olofsson et al. No. 3,156,311 of Nov. 10, 1964, or to Garnett U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,339,651 of Sept. 15, 1967 and 3,094,182 of June 18, 1963. However, volumetric weighing is also contemplated.

Generally considered the weigher and filler 21 features a high speed rotary horizontal table carrying an annular succession of vibratory weigher troughs (not shown) which are supplied in each rotary pass with an overweight of discrete product to be weighed, being reduced to accurate weight and ultimately dumped to receptacles R traveling therebeneath by vibration of the troughs. The receptacles are advanced rotatively by weigher 21 and the supply of product to be weighed is from a staged overhead vibratory-type supply chute 22. The accurately filled and weighed receptacles are discharged in a generally tangential way from machine 21 onto a section 23 of belt conveyor system 16, along which they travel in the direction of the arrows on further horizontally stepped

belt conveyor units

24, 25 into the inverter machine 10.

The

several conveyor sub-assemblies

15, 16, 18, 19, 23, 24, 25 are appropriately driven in pre-determined synchronism with the output of the packeter or packager 11 and the weigher 22, typically by one-half h.p. variable speed drive motors operating in a 49-49 RPM range, one of which appears in FIG. is the drawings and is later mentioned. Appropriate limit switches (not shown) are interspersed throughout the conveyor system of FIG. 1 for anti-jam and related functions. Control of the weigher 21 is primarily at the control console 20, but wiring and other arrangements are omitted herein as unnecessary to the present disclosure.

A general overall description of the operation of inverter is in order, later completed in deail. Thus, with reference to FIGS. 2, 3, 4, mechanical operating power for the inverter 10 is supplied thereto from a chain sprocket 28 (FIGS. 2 and 3) on a horizontal bottom shaft 29 which is coaxially coupled by a detenttype clutch means to a driver (not shown) powered by the packaging machine 11 for a drive of converter 10 in synchronism with the output of the packager 11.

An elongated drive chain 32 is trained about drive sprocket 28, operating in a vertical plane in the direction indicated by arrows in FIG. 2. One reach 33 of said chain passes upwardly at an angle of about 45 to the horizontal over the top of a sprocket 34 fixed on the horizontal driver shaft 35 of an indexing drive unit, generally designated 36, of a known type. Thence the chain 32 trains about an idler sprocket 37, with an upper approximately horizontal reach 38 of chain 32 passing about a right-hand end sprocket 39, (FIG. 2), the function of which is later described, and a last chain reach 40 runs downwardly about the power input sprocket 28 of inverter 10.

The shaft 35 of sprocket 34 is thus continuously driven in the counterclockwise direction; and a first take-off from chain 32 shaft 35 actually represents the input shaft of indexer unit 36. This is an entirely conventional paradromic or parallel shaft drive unit, generally designated 36 and typically operating in the manner of the device of the US. Pat. to Woltjen, No. 3,572,l73 of Mar. 23, I971, marketed by Ferguson Machine Company of Saint Louis, Mo. It functions as an alternative to Geneva type drive to convert the continuous rotation of shaft 35 imparted by chain 32 to a unidirectional but interrupted rotation of an output shaft of the unit 36, said shaft best appearing in FIG. 4 as designated 35'.

A secondary drive chain 41 is trained about a sprocket 42 fast on said intermittent output indexer shafts 35 passing at a mild angle downwardly about a sprocket 43 on a shaft 44, which is the operator of an intermittently and unidirectionally operating receptacle aligner plate or bar 45, the function of which is later referred to. Passing beneath an adjustable end idler take-up sprocket 46, a lower reach of supplemental chain 41 trains back to the left (FIG. 2) about indexer output sprocket 42. An eccentric device 46' at the shaft of take-up sprocket 46 conventionally enables the tension of secondary chain 41 to be maintained as required.

The most important function of chain 41 is that of intermittently driving rotatively a suction cup unit and its associated pneumatic valving, very generally designated 47, by which said units suction cups 48 periodically invert the receptacles R 180 from their filled and weighed left-hand position of FIGS. 2 and 5 through the 180 clockwise are A to dump the receptacle content onto a pocketed endless receiver conveyor C of the packaging machine 11. The cups 48 then return through another 180 of are A to their operative solid line position, ready to repeat the can or receptacle inverting operation. Two pairs of cups 48, each pair carried on arms extending outwardly of an intermittently rotated operating shaft, are employed. Hence in each rotation of the valved unit 47, one pair of receptacles R has been dumped as another pair has been substantially simultaneously engaged by the opposite side suction cups 48.

Emptied receptacles are periodically swept from the inverter and toward and along the roller conveyor 12 by a continuously rotating horizontal sweep arm 49; and a crank device, generally designated 50 in FIG. 2, has an eccentric connection in relation to main drive sprocket 34, coupling at its opposite end to an upright oscillatory shaft 51, the function of which is to periodically operate an escapement arm 52 (FIGS. 4 and 5) having a receptacle-separating nose 52'. to be described.

The right-hand end sprocket 39 of converter 10, as appears in FIGS. 3 and 5, is fixed on a horizontal shaft 53 paralleling those of the other sprockets; and that shaft, as continuously driven by chain 32 and journaled in housing means 53', operates a standard right-angle, bevel gear-type motion converter unit 54 of conventional nature, the output shaft 55 of said unit being fixedly connected to the center point of the double armed sweep 49 mentioned above, by which inverted and emptied receptacles R are discharged periodically to and impelled along the roller conveyor 12 for another cycle of the systems operation. In this discharge said receptacles are initially supported to slide at their flared rims on parallel rail plates 56 at either side of the discharge path, after which they are side-guided in movement seriatim along conveyor 12 between sets of parallel elongated retainer rods 57, 57'. Advance of the train of receptacles R on conveyor 12 is of course powered by the sweep 49.

The several structural features of said system as described above are mounted on a rigid framework 58 (FIGS. 2-4) which has an upright rectangular housing 59 in which said operating devices are journaled and otherwise sustained. This in part includes a vertical bracket structure 60, 60' (FIG. 3) in which the shaft 29 of driver sprocket 39 is suitably journaled at 61, this including an adapter connection to a shaft of packager 11. The several specific sub-assemblies are now detailed.

SUCTION CUP INVERTER The unit 47, as best shown in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5, includes a bi-functional horizontal shaft 63 which has an integral, conically flared portion 64 at its left-hand hub 65 (FIG. 4). At this point a driving connection to the output shaft 35' of indexer 36 is made, as by a transverse coupling pin 66.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5 in conjunction with FIG. 2, the suction cups 48 are conventional ones equipped with a central vacuum port 67 opening to an internally ducted arm 69 to support the vacuum cup 48. These arms are shown as being radially inwardly welded at a tangent to the periphery of shaft 63, and each arm 69 has an internal vacuum bore 68 which is communicated intermittently through shaft 63 with a source of vacuum in a manner to be described. The cups 48 and mounting arms 69 thereof are arranged in two pairs on opposite sides of the axis of shaft 63; and and for communicating and interrupting vacuum the conical nose extension 64 (FIG. 4) of said suction cup shaft is conically mainfolded internally and has a rotatively running, axial face-engagement in a vertical plane with a vacuum control and manifold ring 70. This ring is coaxially mounted about the hub 65 of shaft 63, being held against rotation by said shaft by means of a pin 71 (FIG. 4) on housing 59, which pin takes into a blind bore in the left-hand side of ring 70. An adjustable stud and nut-type back-up device 72 sustains the ring 70 axially.

The internal manifold connections of ring 70 are quite conventional. That is, with reference to FIGS. 2 and 4 (in the latter of which the arrangements appear in dot-dash line), the fixed ring 70 offers a fixed manifold groove 73 of somewhat less than 180 extent which is concentric with the axis of shaft 63, this groove cyclically or periodically spanning in alteration, as suggested in FIG. 2, a port 74 serviced by a vacuum pump or like source (not shown), and a port 75 in communication with an atmospheric bleeder, or plus-pressure means (also not shown). Said ports 74, 75 are appropriately located circumferentially in relation to conical duct means 76 (FIG. 4) in the conical manifold extension 64 of suction cup shaft 63; and said ducting 76 opens radially inwardly to a pair of separate elongated vacuum passages 77, 77' in shaft 63, which communicate with the internal ducts 69 of the suction cup arms 68.

Thus, as governed by the described suction cup rotating and valving arrangement just described, two of the receptacles R, as escapement-monitored in arriving at the inverting station S of the machine (FIGS. 4 and 5), are inverted 180 on the arc A of FIG. 2 to dump their respective weighed contents, just as an identical opposite pair, having dumped the content thereof, proceed 180 in the same direction back to receive another pair of receptacles indexed into the station S.

In so arriving, the receptacles are guided into a horizontal guide chute or pocket 78 of U-shaped cross section. This has an upright lateral wall apertures at 79 to receive the nose 52' of escapement unit 52, the action being shown in FIG. 4; and as they thus arrive and are isolated from the rest of the succession, the first two of the receptacles R are engaged from beneath and inverted and dumped from the solid line position of FIG. 2 to that shown in dot-dash line.

RECEPTACLE FEED-IN As appears in FIGS. 4 and 5, considered with FIG. 1, the incoming receptacles R fed from weigher 21 by conveyor 16 are diverted laterally from its belt reach 24 onto the coplanar reach 25. The latter has an incoming end vertically trained about a pulley 82, this pulley being journaled on an axis 83 (FIG. 5).

Such axis is typically afforded by an upright side wall plate 84 of the incoming can chute or pocket 78; and parallel outward anti-friction extensions 85, 86 of the latter have fixed welded connections to the machine framework. Incoming receptacles R are diverted onto conveyor reach 25 from reach 24 by angled ways 8 8, The particular drive motor for this section of conveyor system 16 is numbered 90. As appears in FIGS. 4 and 5, the chute or pocket 78 of station S and its side wall 84 are appropriately bottom-apertured and laterally slotted at 91 to accommodate motion of the suction cups 48 and their shaft arms 69. The wall is also scalloped at 91' (FIG. 5) to similarly accommodate the girth of the receptacles R.

ESCAPEMENT DEVICE Reference should be primarily to FIGS. 2 and 4. The connecting rod connection 52 includes the usual thrust or connecting rod 92, the latter having an eccentric, ball and socket-type anti-friction connection at 93 to the input shaft 35 and sprocket 34 of the inverter. Connecting rod 92 couples at its opposite end through another universal ball and socket-type joint at 94 with the upper end (FIG. 2) of the oscillatory shaft 51 of escapement arm 52; so that as appears in FIG. 4, the escapement arm 52 and its can-separating nose 52 are periodically operated between the positions shown in solid and dot-dash line in that figure, entering and exiting the clearance opening 79 in the inverter station chute 78. Connection between the parts 92 and 52 is conventionally established by means of a rocker arm 95 pivotally articulated to the oscillatory shaft 51, said arm in turn being pivoted at 96 on a frame axis and having its other end connected to the escapement arm 52, whose function is evident from the above description.

CAN ALIGNMENT The receptacle or can aligner bar 45, per FIGS. 2 and 5, is rotated periodically by chain 41 of indexer unit 36 in a continuous counterclockwise direction. As thus driven an anti-friction wiper lip 97 on said bar sweeps by a pair of receptacles R as inverted at the inverter station S to insure their proper longitudinal alignment for discharge from the mechanism 10 by the latters device 49. The blade 45 also performs another function later mentioned. That is, having thus aligned said inverted receptacles, blade 45 then pauses under the control of the drive of indexer unit 36, so that said receptacles R will be positively side-guided by and along blade wiper lip 97, in the latters position of FIGS. 2 and 4, as they are swept onto the rail plates 56 in the manner previously described.

SWEEP ARM Reference being to FIGS. 35, the sweep arm device 49 is a double-ended one centrally fixed on an upright axis to the shaft 55 of the 90 converter 54. It rotates continuously in a horizontal plane to sweep inverted and emptied receptacles R for further processing onto the conveyor 12 of the system. To assist in guiding the receptacles in commencing and completing this movement, the opposite ends of arm 49 are equipped with frusto-conical rubber bumper members 98 for a soft impingement with the receptacles.

GENERAL In operation, the packaging of packeting machine 1 l advances its pocketed conveyor C in the direction of the arrows in FIGS. 4 and 5 beneath a generous size discharge funnel 100 of inverter 10 (having usually had a length or lengths of flexible wrapping or packaging sheeting applied across individual pockets of said conveyor, whereupon the unit 10 dumps weighed receptacle volumes into funnel 100, hence into packaging pockets of the conveyor, as suggested by the notation RV in FIG. 5. This accomplished, the two inverted receptacles are properly lined up by bar 45 relative to discharge roller conveyor 12, then forwarded onto the latter by sweep arm 49.

The bar 45 serves another function in that in wiping downwardly past the two inverted receptacles, it nudges them to the left (FIG. 2) against an upright lip 101 fixedly associated with the top of the funnel, and thus prevents the inverter receptacle pair from falling into the funnel until they are engaged and swept out of cup inversion station S by the arm 49. Entry of receptacles to station S is impositively powered by the conveyor system 16 at its terminal belt section 25, the latter sliding beneath receptacles R temporarily halted in travel by escapement device 52.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination in a system for packaging material disposed in process in open top, closed bottom receptacles, comprising an apparatus for weighing charges of said material and depositing them individually in said receptacles, a mechanism for inverting said receptacles to discharge said material for packaging, and a conveyor by which a succession of such receptacles are transported from said weighing apparatus and presented open top up to an operating station of the inverter mechanism, said mechanism comprising suction cup means operating rotatively and intermittently at said station in a vertical plane to engage the bottoms of receptacles at the station and invert the same, then disengage therefrom and return to receptacle-engaging position, continuously operating drive means, a unit operated by said drive means to drive said suction cup means intermittently and rotatively in said vertical plane, and means operated intermittently by said unit to control an intermittent application of vacuum to said suction cup means.

2. An inverter for open top, closed bottom receptacles comprising a conveyor by which a succession of such receptacles are presented open top up to an operating station of the inverter, suction cup means operating rotatively and intermittently at said station in a vertical plane to engage the bottoms of receptacles at the station and invert the same, then disengage therefrom and return to receptacle-engaging position, continuously operating drive means, a unit operated by said drive means to drive said suction cup means intermittently and rotatively in said vertical plane, and means operated intermittently by said unit to control an intermittent application of vacuum to said suction cup means, said means controlling an intermittent application of vacuum to said suction cup means comprising a valve device including a part coaxially rotatable with a shaft mounting said suction cup means for intermittent rotation in the vertical plane, said valve device intermittently making and braking suction cup vacuum in synchronism with said rotation.

3. The inverter of claim 2,'in which said unit has a continuously driven input shaft and a parallel intermittently driven output shaft coaxial with and driving the suction cup shaft.

4. The inverter of claim 3, in which said input shaft of said unit is continuously driven by a rotary driver, the inverter having at least one other driver shaft continuously driven through common means in synchronism with said input shaft of the unit.

5. The inverter of claim 3, in which said input shaft of said unit is continuously driven by a rotary driver. the inverter having at least one other driver shaft continuously driven through common means in synchronism with said input shaft of the unit, at least one other shaft of the converter being driven intermittently in common with said suction cup shaft from the output shaft of said unit.

6. The inverter of claim 4, in which said other driver shaft has an escapement device operatively connected thereto and operated thereby to temporarily separate a receptacle to be inverted from other receptacles of the succession.

7. The inverter of claim 4, in which said other driver shaft has a sweep device operatively connected thereto and operated thereby to remove inverted receptacles from the inverter.

8. The inverter of claim 5, in which said one other intermittently driven shaft has an alignment device operatively connected thereto and driven thereby to posi tion a receptacle relative to said suction cup means for said inversion.

9. The inverter of claim 2 in which said means controlling application of vacuum means further includes parallel passages in and coaxial of said suction shaft, said passages communicating at axially spaced points with said suction cup means and said part of the valve device.

10. The inverter of claim 2 in which said means controlling application of vacuum means further includes parallel passages in and coaxial of said suction shaft, said passages communicating at axially spaced points with said suction cup means and said part of the valve device, and a fixed manifold of said device rotatively engaged by said part and controlling application of vacuum to said passages and the suction cup means.

11. A packaging system comprising the combination of an inverter in accordance with claim 1 which dumps product charges from inverted receptacles, a weighing machine operative to weigh said charges and fill receptacles of said succession therewith prior to presentation thereof at said operating station of the inverter, a packaging machine receiving and packaging the dumped charges, said conveyor transporting the receptacle from the packaging machine to the weighing machine and from the latter back to the inverter for inversion and dumping of the receptacles to the packaging machine.

12. A packaging system comprising the combination of an inverter in accordance with claim 2 which dumps product charges from inverted receptacles, a weighing maching operative to weigh said charges and fill receptacles of said succession therewith prior to presentation thereof at said operating station of the inverter, a packaging machine receiving and packaging the dumped charges, said conveyor transporting the receptacles from the packaging machine to the weighing machine and from the latter back to the inverter for inversion and dumping of the receptacles to the packaging machine.

13. A packaging system comprising the combination of an inverter in accordance with claim 3 which dumps product charges from inverted receptacles, a weighing machine operative to weigh said charges and fill receptacles of said succession therewith prior to presentation thereof at said operating station of the inverter, a packaging machine receiving and packaging the dumped charges, said conveyor transporting the receptacle from the packaging machine to the weighing machine and from the latter back to the inverter for inversion and dumping of the receptacles to the packaging machine.

14. The inverter of claim 1, in which said suction cup means comprises a pair of like suction cups mounted on radially opposite sides of a shaft intermittently rotated by said drive means-operated unit, said opposite side cups substantially simultaneously engaging and releasing bottoms of receptacles in the rotation of the suction cup means.

15. The inverter of claim 2, in which said suction cup means comprises a pair of like suction cups mounted on radially opposite sides of said shaft, said opposite side cups substantially simultaneously engaging and releasing bottoms of receptacles in the rotation of the suction cup means.

16. An article inverter comprising a conveyor by which a succession of such articles are presented to an operating station of the inverter, means operating rotatively to invert the same 180, then disengage therefrom and return in the same direction to articleengaging position, and a unit operated to drive said first-named means intermittently and rotatively 360 unidirectionally in said vertical plane, said inverter being applied in the inversion of articles which are open top, closed bottom receptacles, said rotatively operating means comprising suction cup means operating rotatively and intermittently at said station and in said vertical plane to engage the bottoms of receptacles at the station in inverting the same, continuously operating drive means, a unit operated by said drive means to so drive said suction cup means in said vertical plane, and means operated intermittently by said unit to control an intermittent application of vacuum to said suction cup means, said means controlling an intermittent application of vacuum to said suction cup means comprising a valve device including a part coaxially rotatable with a shaft mounting said suction cup means for intermittent rotation in the vertical plane, said valve device intermittently making and breaking suction cup vacuum in synchronism with said rotation.

17. The inverter of claim 16, in which said unit has a continuously driven input shaft and a parallel intermittently driven output shaft coaxial with and driving the suction cup shaft.

18. The inverter of claim 17, in which said input shaft of said unit is continuously driven by a rotary driver, the inverter having at least one other driver shaft continuously driven through common means in synchronism with said input shaft of the unit.

19. The inverter of claim 17, in which said input shaft of said unit is continuously driven by a rotary driver, the inverter having at least one other driver shaft continuously driven through common means in synchronism with said input shaft of the unit, at least one other shaft of the converter being driven intermittently in common with said suction cup shaft from the output shaft of said unit.

20. The inverter of claim 18, in which said other driver shaft has an escapement device operatively connected thereto and operated thereby to temporarily separate a receptacle to be inserted from other receptacles of the succession.

21. The inverter of claim 18, in which said other driver shaft has a sweep device operatively connected thereto and operated thereby to remove inverted receptacles from the inverter.

22. The inverter of claim 19, in which said one other intermittently driven shaft has an alignment device operatively connected thereto and driven thereby to position a receptacle relative to said suction cup means for said inversion.

23. The inverter of claim 16, in which said means controlling application of vacuum means further includes parallel passages in and coaxial of said suction shaft, said passages communicating at axially spaced points with said suction cup means and said part of the valve device.

24. The inverter of claim 16, in which said means controlling application of vacuum means further includes parallel passages in and coaxial of said suction shaft, said passages communicating at axially spaced points with said suction cup means and said part of the valve device, and a fixed manifold of said device rotatively engaged by said part and controlling application of vacuum to said passages and the suction cup means.

25. The combination in a system for packaging material disposed in process in open top, closed bottom receptacles, comprising an apparatus for assessing charges of said material and depositing them individually in said receptacles, a mechanism for inverting said receptacles to discharge said material for packaging, and a conveyor by which a succession of such receptacles are transported from said assessing apparatus and presented open top up to an operating station of the inverter mechanism, said mechanism comprising means operating rotatively at said station to engage the receptacles at the station and invert the same, then disengage therefrom and return to receptacle-engaging position.

a vertical plane.

Claims

3. The inverter of claim 2, in which said unit has a continuously driven input shaft and a parallel intermittently driven output shaft coaxial with and driving the suction cup shaft.

5. The inverter of claim 3, in which said input shaft of said unit is continuously driven by a rotary driver, the inverter having at least one other driver shaft continuously driven through common means in synchronism with said input shaft of the unit, at least one other shaft of the converter being driven intermittently in common with said suction cup shaft from the output shaft of said unit.

8. The inverter of claim 5, in which said one other intermittently driven shaft has an alignment device operatively connected thereto and driven thereby to position a receptacle relative to said suction cup means for said inversion.

16. An article inverter comprising a conveyor by which a succession of such articles are presented to an operating station of the inverter, means operating rotatively to invert the same 180*, then disengage therefrom and return in the same direction to article-engaging position, and a unit operated to drive said first-named means intermittently and rotatively 360* unidirectionally in said vertical plane, said inverter being applied in the inversion of articles which are open top, closed bottom receptacles, said rotatively operating means comprising suction cup means operating rotatively and intermittently at said station and in said vertical plane to engage the bottoms of receptacles at the station in inverting the same, continuously operating drive means, a unit operated by said drive means to so drive said suction cup means in said vertical plane, and means operated intermittently by said unit to control an intermittent application of vacuum to said suction cup means, said means controlling an intermittent application of vacuum to said suction cup means comprising a valve device including a part coaXially rotatable with a shaft mounting said suction cup means for intermittent rotation in the vertical plane, said valve device intermittently making and breaking suction cup vacuum in synchronism with said rotation.

26. The combination of claim 25, in which said apparatus assessing said charges does so by weighing the same, and in which said last named means operates in a vertical plane.