Method and apparatus for loading bottom-loading basket style carrier

摘要

An apparatus for loading containers into basket-style bottom-loading carriers has a container infeed conveyor; a divider for segregating the containers into columns; a container meterer for metering each of the columns of containers into groupings of a predetermined number of containers; a container conveyor for engaging the last container in each grouping of containers; container gripper conveyors having container grippers for maintaining the container groupings; a carrier infeed supplier; a carrier feeder for removing carriers from the carrier infeed supplier; a carrier timer-transport assembly for receiving carriers from the carrier feeder and initiating transport of the carriers in synchronous parallel motion above the containers; a gripper assembly for opening the carriers by grasping and pulling outwardly with respect to a centerline of the carriers the bottom panels; a declination belt assembly having a downwardly-declining pair of opposing elongated endless belt pairs in face contacting relationship forming a pathway for receiving transversely extending bottom panels of said carriers and transporting said carriers downwardly over the groupings of containers; a seating assembling having a plurality of members each having a groove for engaging tops of handles of carriers with the members in rotatable cooperative disposition with respect to the carriers which have be placed over the groupings of containers such that as the members rotate the bottommost member engages the respective tops of the handles of the carriers; and means for placing the bottom panels together in locking relationship with respect to one another.