Package handling

Claim 1

An apparatus for closing a package of slightly resilient material of the type having two-half sections hinged together on one side, each half section having a free edge provided with complemental snap fastening means, each half section having complementary portions defining a plurality of compartments for receiving articles subject to damage or breakage such as fruit or eggs in which one empty half section is pivoted from a position in which it is co-planar with the other half section containing the articles to a position in which it overlies the other section to which it is subsequently attached by the snap fastening means, comprising conveying means along which the package is advanced in a direction transverse to said side, an arm freely pivotable about a horizontal axis having a lower end terminating adjacent the conveying means, said lower end having a hook-shaped portion opening against the direction of movement of the conveying means, the free edge of the empty half section having the snap fastening means being adapted to abut against the hook-shaped portions, whereby the hook-shaped portion engages under and behind the free edge so that movement of the package causes the arm and hence the empty half section to pivot upwardly away from the conveying means to a position substantially perpendicular to the half section containing the articles, a stationary guide path positioned beyond said arm viewed in the direction of movement of the conveying means noted above the conveying means and having a portion sloping downwardly in the direction of movement of the conveying means serving to move the empty half section downwardly to a position in which it overlies the other half section, and means following said stationary guide plate operative to interconnect the snap fastening means of said free edges to secure the half sections together.

Claim 2

An apparatus for closing a package of slightly resilient material of the type having two-half sections hinged together on one side, each half section having a free edge provided with complemental snap fastening means, each half section having complementary portions defining a plurality of compartments for receiving articles subject to damage or breakage such as fruit or eggs in which one empty half section is pivoted from a position in which it is co-planar with the other half section containing the articles to a position in which it overlies the other section to which it is subsequently attached by the snap fastening means, comprising conveying means along which the package is advanced in a direction transverse to said side, an arm freely pivotable about a horizontal axis having a lower end terminating adjacent the conveying means, said lower end having a hook-shaped portion opening against the direction of movement of the conveying means, the free edge of the empty half section having the snap fastening means being adapted to abut against the hook-shaped portions, whereby the hook-shaped portion engages under and behind the free edge so that movement of the package causes the arm and hence the empty half section to pivot upwardly away from the conveying means to a position substantially perpendicular to the half section containing the articles, a stationary guide path positioned beyond said arm viewed in the direction of movement of the conveying means noted above the conveying means and having a portion sloping downwardly in the direction of movement of the conveying means serving to move the empty half section downwardly to a position in which it overlies the other half section, and means following said stationary guide plate operative to interconnect the snap fastening means of said free edges to secure the half sections together.

Claim 3

An apparatus for closing a package of slightly resilient material of the type having two half-sections, each section having a free edge provided with complemental snap fastening means, each of the half sections having complementary portions defining a plurality of compartments for receiving articles subject to damage or breakage such as fruit and eggs in which one empty half section is pivoted from a position in which it is co-planar with the other half Section containing the articles to a position in which it overlies the other half sEction to which it is subsequently attached by the snap fastening means comprising a belt conveyor defined by a plurality of spaced parallel horizontal conveyor belts, a depending pivoting arm freely pivotable about a horizontal axis and having a lower end terminating just short of said belts said lower end having a hook-shaped portion opening against the direction of transport of the belt, the free edge of the empty half section being adapted to abut against said hook-shaped portion whereby the hook-shaped portion engages under and behind the free edge so that movement of the package swings the arm and hence the empty half section upwardly to a position substantially perpendicular to the other half section, a stationary guide plate located above the conveyor belts, said guide plate consisting of a plurality of strips corresponding in number with the belts and sloping downwardly in the direction of movement in a slight curve from a point adjacent to the extreme point of the path of movement of the hook in the direction of transport serving to move the empty half section from its perpendicular position to a position overlying the other half section, and means to interconnect the snap fastening means to secure said half sections together.

Claim 4

An apparatus for closing a package of slightly resilient material of the type having two half-sections, each section having a free edge provided with complemental snap fastening means, each of the half sections having complementary portions defining a plurality of compartments for receiving articles subject to damage or breakage such as fruit and eggs in which one empty half section is pivoted from a position in which it is co-planar with the other half Section containing the articles to a position in which it overlies the other half sEction to which it is subsequently attached by the snap fastening means comprising a belt conveyor defined by a plurality of spaced parallel horizontal conveyor belts, a depending pivoting arm freely pivotable about a horizontal axis and having a lower end terminating just short of said belts said lower end having a hook-shaped portion opening against the direction of transport of the belt, the free edge of the empty half section being adapted to abut against said hook-shaped portion whereby the hook-shaped portion engages under and behind the free edge so that movement of the package swings the arm and hence the empty half section upwardly to a position substantially perpendicular to the other half section, a stationary guide plate located above the conveyor belts, said guide plate consisting of a plurality of strips corresponding in number with the belts and sloping downwardly in the direction of movement in a slight curve from a point adjacent to the extreme point of the path of movement of the hook in the direction of transport serving to move the empty half section from its perpendicular position to a position overlying the other half section, and means to interconnect the snap fastening means to secure said half sections together.

Claim 5

An apparatus for closing a package of slightly resilient material of the type having two half sections hinged together on one side, each section having a free edge provided with complemental snap fastening means, each of the half sections having complementary portions defining a plurality of compartments for receiving articles subject to damage or breakage such as fruit and eggs in which one empty half section is pivoted from a position in which is is co-planar with the other half section containing the articles to a position in which it overlies the other section to which it is subsequently attached by the snap fastening means, comprising a belt conveyor defined by a plurality of spaced parallel horizontal conveyor belts, a depending arm freely pivotable about a horizontal axis and having a lower end terminating just short of said belts, said lower end having a hook-shaped portion opening against the direction of transport of the belt, the free edge of the empty half section being adapted to abut against said hook-shaped portion whereby the hook-shaped portion engages under and behind the free edge so that movement of the package swings the arm and hence the empty half section upwardly to a position substantially perpendicular to the other half section a stationary guide plate consisting of a plurality of strips corresponding in number with the belts, said strips sloping downwardly in the direction of movement in a slight curve from a point adjacent to the extreme point of the path of movement of the hook-shaped portion in the direction of transport serving to move the empty half section from its perpendicular position to a position overlying the other half section, stop means adjacent to the lower end of said guide plate and spaced from the delivery end of the conveyor, said stop means comprising at least one pair of abutment faces for the package, which faces converge in the direction of transport, and compression means being located upstream of said stop means, said compression means including plunger means movable toward one another through the interspaces between the conveyor belts and the strips constituting said guide plate, for action on corresponding zones of the respective upper and lower half-sections of a package.

Claim 6

An apparatus for closing a package of slightly resilient material of the type having two half sections hinged together on one side, each section having a free edge provided with complemental snap fastening means, each of the half sections having complementary portions defining a plurality of compartments for receiving articles subject to damage or breakage such as fruit and eggs in which one empty half section is pivoted from a position in which is is co-planar with the other half section containing the articles to a position in which it overlies the other section to which it is subsequently attached by the snap fastening means, comprising a belt conveyor defined by a plurality of spaced parallel horizontal conveyor belts, a depending arm freely pivotable about a horizontal axis and having a lower end terminating just short of said belts, said lower end having a hook-shaped portion opening against the direction of transport of the belt, the free edge of the empty half section being adapted to abut against said hook-shaped portion whereby the hook-shaped portion engages under and behind the free edge so that movement of the package swings the arm and hence the empty half section upwardly to a position substantially perpendicular to the other half section a stationary guide plate consisting of a plurality of strips corresponding in number with the belts, said strips sloping downwardly in the direction of movement in a slight curve from a point adjacent to the extreme point of the path of movement of the hook-shaped portion in the direction of transport serving to move the empty half section from its perpendicular position to a position overlying the other half section, stop means adjacent to the lower end of said guide plate and spaced from the delivery end of the conveyor, said stop means comprising at least one pair of abutment faces for the package, which faces converge in the direction of transport, and compression means being located upstream of said stop means, said compression means including plunger means movable toward one another through the interspaces between the conveyor belts and the strips constituting said guide plate, for action on corresponding zones of the respective upper and lower half-sections of a package.