Article combiner

Claim 2

An article combiner adapted to receive a plurality of articles advancing abreast and to arrange the articles in tandem relation to form a single row thereof without appreciably interfering with forward movement of the articles or their natural tendency to nest or move into tandem relation, said combiner comprising conveyor means adapted to receive the plurality of articles advancing abreast for conveying the articles along a predetermined path, and first and second guide means disposed above and adjacent to said conveyor means and arranged in converging relation for guiding the articles as they are conveyed along said predetermined path by said conveyor means and for arranging the plurality of articles advancing abreast into tandem relation to form a single row thereof, one of said guide means comprising agitating means driven by articles brought into contact therewith for agitating the same laterally of said path to facilitate arrangement thereof in tandem relation without appreciably interfering with forward movement thereof along said predetermined path of travel; and buffer means operatively associated with said agitating means for normally maintaining articles out of contact with said agitating means so as normally not to appreciably interfere with their natural tendency to nest or move into tandem relation but permitting contact with said agitating means upon a predetermined resistance to further forward movement of certain articles or jamming of a plurality of articles between said first and second guide means to agitate these articles and free them from this jammed condition.

Claim 3

An article combiner according to claim 1 wherein said other guide means comprises an elongate rail having guiding surfaces formed of a friction-reducing, nonscarring material and vibrating means for vibrating said guiding surfaces to facilitate the guidance of the articles thereby.

Claim 4

An article combiner according to claim 1 wherein said conveyor means comprises first and second conveyors arranged with the beginning portion of said second conveyor parallel to and juxtaposed with the terminal portion of said first conveyor and wherein said guide means extends along and in slanted relation to the juxtaposed portions of said conveyors to move the articles from the terminal portion of the first conveyor onto the beginning portion of the second conveyor as the articles are arranged into a single row.

Claim 5

An article combiner adapted to receive a plurality of articles advancing abreast and to arrange the articles in tandem relation to form a single row thereof without appreciably interfering with forward movement of the articles or their natural tendency to nest or move into tandem relation, said combiner comprising conveyor means adapted to receive the plurality of articles advancing abreast for conveying the articles along a predetermined path, and first and second guide means disposed above and adjacent to said conveyor means and arranged in converging relation for guiding the articles as they are conveyed along said predetermined path by said conveyor means and for arranging the plurality of articles advancing abreast into tandem relation to form a single row thereof, one of said guide means comprising a bank of agitating rollers mounted for substantially free rotation about axes perpendicular to said conveyor means and parallel to the articles carried thereby, said rollers being adapted to be rotated by articles brought into contact therewith and to agitate such articles to facilitate arrangement thereof in tandem relation without appreciably interfering with forward movement thereof along said predetermined path of travel, and buffer means operatively associated with at least a portion of said bank of rollers for normally maintaining articles out of contact with said rollers so as normally not to appreciably interfere with thEir natural tendency to nest or move into tandem relation but permitting contact therewith upon a predetermined resistance to further forward movement of certain articles or jamming of a plurality of articles between said first and second guide means to agitate these articles and free them from this jammed condition.

Claim 6

An article combiner adapted to receive a plurality of articles advancing abreast and to arrange the articles in tandem relation to form a single row thereof without appreciably interfering with forward movement of the articles or their natural tendency to nest or move into tandem relation, said combiner comprising conveyor means adapted to receive the plurality of articles advancing abreast for conveying the articles along a predetermined path, and first and second guide means disposed above and adjacent to said conveyor means and arranged in converging relation for guiding the articles as they are conveyed along said predetermined path by said conveyor means and for arranging the plurality of articles advancing abreast into tandem relation to form a single row thereof, one of said guide means comprising a bank of agitating rollers mounted for substantially free rotation about axes perpendicular to said conveyor means and parallel to the articles carried thereby, said rollers being adapted to be rotated by articles brought into contact therewith and to agitate such articles to facilitate arrangement thereof in tandem relation without appreciably interfering with forward movement thereof along said predetermined path of travel, and buffer means operatively associated with at least a portion of said bank of rollers for normally maintaining articles out of contact with said rollers so as normally not to appreciably interfere with thEir natural tendency to nest or move into tandem relation but permitting contact therewith upon a predetermined resistance to further forward movement of certain articles or jamming of a plurality of articles between said first and second guide means to agitate these articles and free them from this jammed condition.

Claim 7

An article combiner according to claim 4 wherein said buffer means normally projects outwardly beyond said bank of rollers towards the other guide means, and including means for adjusting the relative positions of said bank of rollers and said buffer means to thereby vary the predetermined resistance to forward movement required for said buffer means to permit contact of the articles with said bank of rollers.

Claim 8

An article combiner according to claim 4 wherein said buffer means includes means normally projecting beyond said bank or rollers towards the other guide means but movable away from the other guide means in the area where the predetermined resistance to forward movement applies force thereto while remaining in projecting relationship to said rollers elsewhere.

Claim 9

An article combiner according to claim 4 wherein said buffer means comprises first and second bars extending respectively along the upper and lower longitudinal sides of said bank rollers and normally projecting inwardly toward the other guide means a predetermined distance beyond said bank of rollers but being movable away from said other guide means and relative to said rollers, and spring means biasing said first and second bars toward said other guide means and toward the normal position of said bars.

Claim 10

An article combiner according to claim 7 wherein said bars are longitudinally flexible so as to bend upon lateral force being applied, and wherein said spring means comprises a plurality of springs disposed at a plurality of spaced locations along each of said bars.

Claim 11

An article combiner according to claim 8 wherein said bars and said rollers are formed of a friction-reducing plastic material.

Claim 12

An article combiner according to claim 9 wherein said other guide means comprises an elongate guide rail formed of friction-reducing, nonscarring, plastic material, and including means mounting said first and second guide means for relative adjustment to vary the spring therebetween.