Article transfer device

Claim 2

An article transferring device comprising: a first conveyor, a platform positioned to permit transfer of articles between said platform and said first conveyor, a vacuum manifold mounted above said platform, a plurality of vacuum cups depending from said manifold and each having a bore communicating the gripping surface of the respective vacuum cup with said manifold, elevating means for raising and lowering said platform into and out of a position to cause articles carried by said platform to engage at least one of said vacuum cups, a shuttle extendable to a position underlying said vacuum cups and retractable to a position removed from said vacuum cups, a second conveyor positioned to permit transfer of articles between said shuttle and said second conveyor, each of said vacuum cups comprises: an elongated generally cylindrical neck portion allowing vertical and rotational flexibility to guarantee proper engagement with varying carton surfaces and having an outwardly and forwardly flared cup portion formed at the outer end of said neck portion, a recess extending axially through said neck portion communicating at one end with the article engaging surface of said cup portion and terminating adjacent the other end in a radially inwardly projecting flange having an opening therethrough communicating the rear end of said vacuum cup with said recess, a bolt having a radially projecting head portion dimensioned to be slidably received within said recess of said neck portion and an externally threaded shank projecting from said head portion extendable through said opening, and a passageway extending axially completely through said bolt and dimensioned to permit air to be drawn therethrough to create a vacuum within said recess when said cup portion is in engagement with an article and to restrict the flow of air therethrough when said cup portion is not in engagement with an article.

Claim 3

An article transferring device comprising: a first generally horizontally disposed conveyor along which articles are conveyed in respect to a transfer site, the first conveyor comprising an end at the transfer site; a vertically displaceable platfrom positionable immediately horizontally adjacent said transfer site end of the first conveyor to permit horizontal transfeR of articles between said conveyor and said platform; vacuum manifold means mounted directly above said platform at the transfer site; means selectively varying the vertical location of the manifold means; an array of vertically oriented vacuum cups depending downwardly from said manifold at said transfer site, each vacuum cup having a bore communicating the gripping surface of each vacuum cup with the interior of said manifold to suspend articles being transferred in the air solely by vacuum; means for (a) creating a vacuum in the manifold and the cups for suspending articles being transferred in the air solely by vacuum counter to gravity and (b) breaking the vacuum for releasing said articles being transferred; means for selectively raising and lowering said platform into and out of a position to cause at least one article carried by said platform to engage at least one of said vacuum cups, and into and out of said position horizontally adjacent the first conveyor at the transfer site; a second generally horizontally disposed conveyor one end of which is horizontally juxtaposed the transfer site; a shuttle extension to the second conveyor, said shuttle extension being horizontally displaceable between a vacuum cup article transferring position directly vertically below the array of vacuum cups to transfer articles between the vacuum cup suspended position and the shuttle and a second conveyor transferring position horizontally adjacent the transfer site end of the second conveyor and out of vertical alignment with the vacuum cups to transfer articles horizontally between the shuttle extension and the transfer site end of the second conveyor.

Claim 4

An article transferring device comprising: a first generally horizontally disposed conveyor along which articles are conveyed in respect to a transfer site, the first conveyor comprising an end at the transfer site; a vertically displaceable platfrom positionable immediately horizontally adjacent said transfer site end of the first conveyor to permit horizontal transfeR of articles between said conveyor and said platform; vacuum manifold means mounted directly above said platform at the transfer site; means selectively varying the vertical location of the manifold means; an array of vertically oriented vacuum cups depending downwardly from said manifold at said transfer site, each vacuum cup having a bore communicating the gripping surface of each vacuum cup with the interior of said manifold to suspend articles being transferred in the air solely by vacuum; means for (a) creating a vacuum in the manifold and the cups for suspending articles being transferred in the air solely by vacuum counter to gravity and (b) breaking the vacuum for releasing said articles being transferred; means for selectively raising and lowering said platform into and out of a position to cause at least one article carried by said platform to engage at least one of said vacuum cups, and into and out of said position horizontally adjacent the first conveyor at the transfer site; a second generally horizontally disposed conveyor one end of which is horizontally juxtaposed the transfer site; a shuttle extension to the second conveyor, said shuttle extension being horizontally displaceable between a vacuum cup article transferring position directly vertically below the array of vacuum cups to transfer articles between the vacuum cup suspended position and the shuttle and a second conveyor transferring position horizontally adjacent the transfer site end of the second conveyor and out of vertical alignment with the vacuum cups to transfer articles horizontally between the shuttle extension and the transfer site end of the second conveyor.