HIGH SPEED AUTOMATED FEEDING SYSTEM AND METHODS OF USING THE SAME

Abstract

Disclosed is an automated insert feeding system and related methods, capable of removing bulk-packaged items from a tray or other package, and separating the bulk-packaged items individually for distribution into individual packages in high speed reliable fashion. The disclosed systems can also be loaded with multiple packages of the pre-packaged items for automatic feeding into the system which allows human operators to load several packages and allow the system to work unattended, thereby reducing man-hours spend on the process.

Claims

1-54. (canceled)

55. A system for separating and feeding packaged items, comprising: a. an upstream feeder magazine having a track for advancing a row of individually packaged items to a picking station disposed downstream of the feeder magazine, and b. said picking station operable to perform a picking operation which removes said individually packaged items individually from said row of individually packaged items in said feeder magazine, said picking station comprising: i. a stop tab operable to hold a leading individually packaged item in said feeder magazine, ii. a picking mechanism operable to remove said leading individually packaged item from said feeder magazine and deliver said leading individually packaged item to a downstream location, wherein said system is operable to perform said picking operation in repetition to separate and deliver said individually packaged items individually to said downstream location.

56. The system of claim 55, further comprising a. a collection station for removing a set of individually packaged items from a prepack package; b. a transfer shuttle operable to grasp each end of the set and transport the set to the feeder magazine; and c. a loading station operable to be loaded with a plurality of prepack packages to create a queue to be successively moved into said collection station, and a receiving conveyor for moving said prepack packages individually into said collection station.

57. The system of claim 56, further comprising a driving mechanism for advancing the row of individually packaged items through the track, wherein said driving mechanism is operable to be repositioned along said track behind a trailing individually packaged item as said transfer shuttle adds individually packaged items into said track.

58. The system of claim 55, further comprising an arresting mechanism for preventing advancement of the row of individually packaged items through said feeder magazine, wherein said arresting mechanism is operable to (i) arrest advancement of said individually packaged items during picking operations and (ii) disengage between picking operations.

59. The system of claim 58, wherein said stop tab is operable to (i) hold said leading individually packaged item in said feeder magazine between picking operations and (ii) release said leading individually packaged item during picking operations.

60. The system of claim 59, wherein said arresting mechanism and said stop tab are engaged at separate times to facilitate removal of said leading individually packaged item individually without any trailing individually packaged items being removed from said feeder magazine.

61. The system of claim 55, wherein said picking mechanism includes a picking head that is operable to grasp said leading individually packaged item with sufficient strength to remove it from the feeder magazine while the arresting mechanism is engaged.

62. The system of claim 61, where said picking head includes a grasping structure operable to engage an exposed surface of said individually packaged item and create a partial vacuum between the grasping structure and the individually packaged item.

63. The system of claim 55, wherein said system is operable to perform picking operations at a rate of about 1 to about 10 per second.

64. A system for separating and feeding items individually, comprising: a. an upstream feeder magazine having a track through which a row of pre-packaged items are advanced toward a picking station disposed downstream of the feeder magazine; and b. said picking station operable to perform a picking operation which removes said pre-packaged items one at a time from said feeder magazine, said picking station comprising: i. an arresting mechanism for preventing the advancement of the row of pre-packaged items in said feeder magazine, and ii. a stop tab operable to hold a leading pre-packaged item in said feeder magazine, wherein said system is operable to perform said picking operation in repetition to separate said pre-packaged items from one another and deliver them individually to a downstream location.

65. The system of claim 64, further comprising a loading station operable to be loaded with a plurality of packages of said pre-packaged items to create a queue of said packages to be successively moved into a collection station, and a receiving conveyor for moving said packages individually into said collection station.

66. The system of claim 65, further comprising a transfer shuttle operable to grasp pre-packaged items from one of the packages and transport the pre-packaged items to said feeder magazine, wherein said transfer shuttle is operable to move pre-packaged items from the collection station to various positions along said track based on presence and position of pre-packaged items previously delivered to said track.

67. The system of claim 66, further comprising a driving mechanism for advancing the row of pre-packaged items through the track, wherein said driving mechanism is operable to be repositioned along said track behind a trailing pre-packaged item as said transfer shuttle adds pre-packaged items into said track.

68. The system of claim 64, wherein said arresting mechanism is operable to arrest advancement of said pre-packaged items during picking operations and is disengaged between picking operations.

69. The system of claim 68, wherein said stop tab is operable to hold said leading pre-packaged item in said feeder magazine between picking operations and releases said leading pre-packaged item during picking operations.

70. The system of claim 69, wherein said arresting mechanism and said stop tab are engaged at separate times to facilitate the removal of said leading pre-packaged item individually without any trailing pre-packaged items being removed from said feeder magazine.

71. The system of claim 64, further comprising a picking mechanism operable to remove said leading pre-packaged item from said feeder magazine and deliver said pre-packaged item to the downstream location, wherein said picking mechanism includes a picking head that is operable to grasp said leading pre-packaged item with sufficient strength to remove it from the feeder magazine while the arresting mechanism is engaged.

72. A system for separating and feeding items individually, comprising: a. a picking station operable to perform a picking operation which removes items from a queue of a plurality of items one at a time, said picking station disposed downstream of said queue and comprising: i. an arresting mechanism for preventing advancement of the items in said queue, ii. a stop tab operable to hold a leading item in said queue, and iii. a picking mechanism operable to remove the leading item from said queue and deliver said leading item to a downstream location.

73. The system of claim 72, wherein said queue is loaded in a feeder magazine having a track in which the queue is loaded, a driving mechanism for advancing the queue of items through the track.

74. The system of claim 72, wherein said stop tab is operable to hold said leading item in said queue between consecutive picking operations and release said leading item during picking operations.

75. The system of claim 72, wherein said arresting mechanism and said stop tab are engaged at separate times to facilitate the removal of said leading item individually without any trailing items being removed from said queue.

76. The system of claim 72, wherein said picking mechanism includes a picking head that is operable to grasp said leading item with sufficient strength to remove it from the queue while the arresting mechanism is engaged.

77. The system of claim 72, wherein the arresting mechanism includes at least one moveable wall operable to compress said plurality of items to arrest the movement of said plurality of items.

78. The system of claim 64, wherein the arresting mechanism includes at least one moveable wall operable to compress said row of pre-packaged items to arrest the movement of said row of pre-packaged items.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0042] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an automated feeding system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a loading station and a package opening station according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a package opening station according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a package opening station and a collection station according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of a transfer shuttle assembly and a feeder magazine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of a transfer shuttle assembly, a feeder magazine, and a picking assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0048] FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of a picking assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0049] FIG. 8 shows a side view of components of a picking assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0050] FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of components of a picking assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0051] FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of components of a picking assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] Reference will now be made in detail to certain embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. While the invention will be described in reference to these embodiments, it will be understood that they are not intended to limit the invention. To the contrary, the invention is intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents that are included within the spirit and scope of the invention. In the following disclosure, specific details are given to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without all of the specific details provided.

[0053] The present invention concerns high speed automated insert feeding system, operable to be loaded with multiple trays of labels, leaflets, inserts, blisterpacks, or other bulk-packaged items that need to be separated individually and placed in or attached to separate containers or packages. The packages of these bulk-packaged items (e.g., sealed trays of labels, leaflets, inserts, or blisterpacks) are loaded into a feeding system that is operable to automatically feed the packages one-by-one into the apparatus which removes the bulk-packaged items from their package and transfers them to an apparatus for feeding the bulk-packaged items to a conveyor or to an individual container or package. Operators can now load several trays of inserts at a time and leave the machine while it automatically feeds them into the insert feeder magazine. The high speed automated insert feeding system also includes a powered bulk-packaged item magazine which advances the items to a picking station where the items are reliable removed one-at-a-time from the magazine at high speed. The inserts may be transferred onto a conveyor or directly into cartons, buckets or other containers from the picking station.

[0054] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary feeding system 1000 for separating and feeding labels, leaflets, inserts, blisterpacks, or other bulk-packaged items for inclusion in or attachment to individual packages. The feeding system 1000 includes several sections, including a loading station 1, a tray opening station 2, a collection station 3, the feeder magazine 4, and the picking assembly 5, which includes a backend conveying assembly 520 that receives the items individually from the picking assembly 5. The feeding system also include an electronic controller 1001, which may include a microprocessor and memory, and may be connected to the electronic elements in each section of the feeding system. The electronic controller 1001 may be programmed with one or more algorithms that govern the operation of the electronic components of the feeding system. The feeding system 1000 may also include a frame 1002 on which the sections of the feeding system are mounted and connected to facilitate proper operation of the machine.

[0055] FIG. 2 shows an up-close view of the loading station 1 and the tray opening station 2, with the remaining sections of the feeding system 1000 removed for the sake of clarity. The loading station 1 includes three conveyors 101a, 101b, and 101c on which an operator may load a plurality of packages (e.g., trays) of bulk-packaged items to be separated. The outer conveyors 101a and 101c may be flanked by side-rail guides 102a and 102b respectively. In some embodiments, the distance between the side-rail guides 102a and 102b may be adjustable to accommodate packages of different widths. The loading station 1 may also include a waystation 104 for halting the plurality of packages in order to control the advance of the plurality of packages through the feeding system 1000. The way station 104 may include one or more sensors 105a and 105b, which may be motion sensors, density sensors, or other sensors operable to sense the presence of a package at the position of the waystation 104. The sensors 105a and 105b may be in electronic communication with the electronic controller 1001 and provide data regarding the presence of a package in the waystation 104. The waystation 104 may also include pressure clamps 106a and 106b that have electronically controlled actuators (e.g., an electronically controlled pneumatic actuator). The actuators for the pressure clamps 106a and 106b may be in electronic communication with the electronic controller 1001, and the may be activated by the electronic controller 1001 when a package is detected in the waystation 104 by the sensors 105a and 105b. The electronic controller 1001 may also take into account additional data from other sensors in the feeding system when determining whether to activate the actuators of the pressure clamps 106a and 106b, such as whether there is a package present in a waystation in the package opening station 2, whether there is a package present in the collection station 3, whether the feeder magazine 4 is full, and other data. If there is a package detected in a second waystation in the package opening station 2, the electronic controller will engage the pressure clamps 106a and 106b when a package is detected in the waystation 104. In some embodiments, if there is a package in the collection station 3 and the feeder magazine 4 is full or substantially full, the electronic controller 1001 will engage the pressure clamps 106a and 106b when a package is detected in the waystation 104. Other conditions of the feeder system 1000 may result in the electronic controller 1001 engaging the pressure clamps 106a and 106b when a package is detected in the waystation 104, such as if there is a malfunction in the feeder system 1000 downstream of the loading station 1. In other embodiments, the plurality of packages may be halted by stopping the conveyors 101a, 101b, and 101c when a package is detected in the waystation 104. In such embodiments, the electronic controller 1001 may use the same data and criteria to determine whether to halt the packages by temporarily shutting down the conveyors.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 2, the conveyors 101a, 101b, and 101c overlap with conveyors 201a and 201b of the package opening station 2, allowing the packages to seamlessly transition between the stations. As shown in FIG. 3, the conveyors 201a and 201b are operable to advance the packages through cutting and spreading assemblies located along the lateral sides of the conveying path (FIG. 3 shows the tray opening station with the remaining sections of the feeding system 1000 removed for the sake of clarity). The conveyors 201a and 201b may have laterally aligned pairs of lugs 202a and 202b that engage the trailing side of the package and aid in pushing the package through the cutting and spreading assemblies, which present some resistance to the advance of the package. The cutting and spreading assemblies may each include a vertically oriented blade (203a and 203b) to cut open the ends of the package and a plow (204a and 204b) to push the ends of the packages outward to expose the packaged items therein. The cutting and spreading assemblies may also include overhead guides (207a and 207b) for containing the items near the ends of the package in their position and preventing spillage or dislodging of the items.

[0057] At or near the distal end of the cutting and spreading assemblies, the package opening station 2 may include a second waystation 205, which may include one or more sensors 206a and 206b, which may be motion sensors, density sensors, or other sensors operable to sense the presence of a package at the position of the waystation 205. The sensors 206a and 206b may be in electronic communication with the electronic controller and provide data regarding the presence of a package in the waystation 205. The package may be halted by stopping the conveyors 201a and 201b when a package is detected in the waystation 205. The conveyors 201a and 201b may be in electronic communication with the electronic controller 1001, and the may be deactivated by the electronic controller when a package is detected in the waystation 205 by the sensors 206a and 206b. The electronic controller 1001 may also take into account additional data from other sensors in the feeding system when determining whether to deactivate the conveyors 201a and 201b, such as whether there is a package present in the collection station 3, whether the feeder magazine 4 is full, and other data. If there is a package detected in the collection station 3, the electronic controller 1001 will deactivate the conveyors 201a and 201b when a package is detected in the waystation 205. In some embodiments, if the feeder magazine 4 is full or substantially full, the electronic controller 1001 will deactivate the conveyors 201a and 201b when a package is detected in the waystation 205. Other conditions of the feeder system 1000 may result in the electronic controller 1001 deactivating the conveyors 201a and 201b when a package is detected in the waystation 205, such as if there is a malfunction in the feeder system 1000 downstream of the package opening station 2. In other embodiments, the waystation 205 may also include pressure clamps (not shown) that have electronically controlled actuators (e.g., an electronically controlled pneumatic actuator). In such embodiments, the electronic controller 1001 may use the same data and criteria to determine whether to halt the packages by engaging the actuators for the pressure clamps.

[0058] After advancing past the waystation 205, the package is advanced by conveyors 201a and 201b to a collection position 300 in the collection station 3, where the leading side of the package is halted by stop clamps 301a and 301b to hold the package in the collection position 300. When positioned against the stop clamps 301a and 301b, the package is in proper orientation for the transfer shuttle to access and extract the items from the package. The collection station 3 may also include side guides 302a and 302b that maintain the lateral items in the opened tray in their position and to prevent spillage or dislodging of the items.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 4, a transfer shuttle 310 is operable to be positioned over the collection position 300 in the collection station 3 (FIG. 4 shows the tray opening station 2 and the collection station 3 with the remaining sections of the feeding system 1000 removed for the sake of clarity). The transfer shuttle 310 may include vertically retractable end paddles 311a and 311b that may be lowered into the collection position 300 on either side of the items of the package present in the collection position 300. The transfer shuttle 310 may also include an overhead guide 312 for preventing vertical dislodging of the items. The end paddle 311a may be positioned at the trailing end of the row of items in the package and the end paddle 311b may be positioned at the leading end of the row of items in the package. The end paddles 311a and 311b may be lowered next to the side guides 302a and 302b, for example, just outside of the side guides 302a and 302b. In other examples, the end paddles 311a and 311b may be positioned between the side guides and the ends of the row of items. The end paddles 311a and 311b may each be moved along a vertical path by an electronically controlled actuator (e.g., a double action pneumatic air cylinder) that is in electronic communication with the electronic controller 1001. Actuators 315a and 315b may be activated by the electronic controller 1001 to be retracted vertically or inserted inferiorly depending on data provided to the electronic controller 1001. For example, the electronic controller 1001 may receive position data from the transfer shuttle assembly 310 by an encoder that tracks the movement and position of the transfer shuttle 310. When the electronic controller 1001 receives position data for the transfer shuttle 310 that indicates that the transfer shuttle 310 is position over the collection position 300, the electronic controller 1001 may activate the actuators 315a and 315b to lower the end paddles 311a and 311b to be positioned at the ends of the items in the package.

[0060] Once the end paddles 311a and 311b are positioned at the ends of the items, the side guides 302a and 302b may be retracted to allow the transfer shuttle 310 to move the items laterally to the feeder magazine 4. The side guides 302a and 302b may have electronically controlled actuator (e.g., a pneumatic actuator) that is in electronic communication with the electronic controller 1001. The electronic controller 1001 may activate the actuators for the side guides 302a and 302b to retract the side guides from the collection position 300 after (1) the electronic controller 1001 receives position data from the transfer shuttle assembly 310 that the transfer shuttle 310a is positioned over the collection position 300 and (2) the electronic controller 1001 has activated the paddle actuators 315a and 315b to lower the paddles 311a and 311b into the collection position 300.

[0061] The stop clamps 301a and 301b may also be retractable. After the transfer shuttle 310 moves the items out of the opened package to the feeder magazine, the opened and empty package must be removed from the collection position 300. To allow the removal of the opened package, the stop clamps 301a and 301b may be retracted such that they do not block the path of the conveyors 201a and 201b. The stop clamps 301a and 301b may be operable, e.g., to be retracted below the path of the conveyors 201a and 201b. The stop clamps 301a and 301b may each have an electronically controlled actuator (e.g., a pneumatic actuator) that is in electronic communication with the electronic controller 1001. The electronic controller 1001 may activate the actuators for the stop clamps 301a and 301b to retract the stop clamps from the collection position 300 after the electronic controller 1001 receives position data from the transfer shuttle assembly 310 that the transfer shuttle 310a is removed from the collection position 300. The conveyors 201a and 201b may advance the opened package past the collection station 300 such that it falls of the conveyors 201a and 201b, e.g., into a refuse container.

[0062] FIG. 5 shows the feeder magazine section 4 of the feeding system 1000 and the transfer shuttle assembly 310 positioned thereover, with the remaining sections of the feeding system 1000 removed for the sake of clarity. The transfer shuttle 310a moves along track 315 to transfer the packaged items from the collection position 300 into the feeder magazine 400. The transfer shuttle assembly 310 includes a motor 320 (e.g., a servo motor) that may use a belt or chain system to move the transfer shuttle 310a back and forth along the track 315 between the collection position 300 and the feeder magazine 4. The transfer shuttle assembly 310 may also include an encoder that tracks the position and movement of the transfer shuttle 310 along the track 315. The encoder may be in electronic communication with the electronic controller 1001 and provide the position data to the electronic controller 1001.

[0063] The transfer shuttle 310a delivers the items collected from the collection position 300 and transfers them laterally to a proximal portion 401 of the feeder magazine 400. The proximal portion 401 may be in alignment with the collection position 300 such that the transfer shuttle 310a can make a straight-line lateral motion to deliver the items into the proximal portion 401 of the feeder magazine 400. In other embodiments, the transfer shuttle assembly may be configured to pivot, elevate, and/or perform other motions to align the items with the feeder magazine 400, based on the arrangement of the components of the feeding system. The feeder magazine 400 may be empty or it may have items loaded therein from a previous package in the queue. If the feeder magazine 400 is empty, the transfer shuttle 310a advances the items until the transfer shuttle 310a reaches the distal-most point of the track 315. In such instances, the items are positioned in the feeder magazine 400 such that the leading item is positioned near the end of the proximal portion 401 of the feeder magazine 400. In instances where there are items already loaded in the feeder magazine 400, the transfer shuttle 310a advances the items to the point where the leading item held with the end paddle 311b is positioned immediately adjacent to the trailing item of the previously loaded items.

[0064] After the transfer shuttle 310a places the transferred items in the feeder magazine 400, an advancement bar 402 is positioned behind the trailing item, and applies pressure to the trailing item to advance the items through the feeder magazine 400. The advancement bar 402 that runs along a second track that is parallel to the track 315, and that is operable to be positioned at the trailing end of the row of tray items in the feeder magazine 400 and advance the items through the feeder magazine 400. The advancement bar 402 may be actuated by a motor (e.g., servo motor) and an encoder that are in electronic communication with the electronic controller 1001, such that the movement of the advancement bar 402 may be directed by the electronic controller 1001. The advancement bar 402 may have an additional insertion/retraction actuator (e.g., an electronically controlled pneumatic actuator) that is controlled by the electronic controller 1001 and operable to insert the advancement bar 402 into the feeder magazine 400 and retract it therefrom.

[0065] The encoder of the advancement bar 402 may provide data on the position of the advancement bar 402 along its track, and the electronic controller 1001 may be operable to change the position of the transfer shuttle 310a to a desired position. The position data provided by the encoders of the transfer shuttle 310a and the advancement bar 402 allow the electronic controller 1001 to coordinate the movement of the transfer shuttle 310a and advancement bar 402 such that the transfer shuttle 310a advances the items into the feeder magazine 400 until the leading end of the row of items reaches the position of the advancement bar 402 at the trailing end of the items that were previously loaded into the feeder magazine 400. For example, once the electronic controller 1001 determines from the encoder data of the transfer shuttle 310a and the advancement bar 402 that the leading of the transfer shuttle 310a and the advancement bar 402 are in the same place, the electronic controller 1001 may send a signal to the motor of the advancement bar 402 to (1) retract from feeder magazine 400 and move the advancement bar 402 to the position of the trailing end of the transfer shuttle 310a, (2) reinsert the advancement bar 402 into the feeder magazine 400 just behind or otherwise adjacent to the trailing paddle 311a of the transfer shuttle 310a, and (3) apply a constant pressure to the trailing item to aid in advancing the items through the feeder magazine 400. When the encoder data from the advancement bar 402 indicates to the electronic controller 1001 that the advancement bar 402 is positioned at substantially the same position as the trailing paddle 311a of the transfer shuttle 310a, the electronic controller 1001 may signal the transfer shuttle 310a to (1) retract its paddles 311a and 311b from feeder magazine 400 and move along its track 315 to the collection station 300, to collect a new row of items from the next package in the queue, (2) lower the paddles 311a and 311b next to the side guides 302a and 302b in the collection station 300, and (3) advance the transfer shuttle 310a to the position of the advancement bar 402, and the steps may then be recycled to continually supply a new row of items into the feeder magazine 400.

[0066] FIG. 6 shows the feeder magazine section 4 of the feeding system 1000 and the picking assembly 5, with the remaining sections of the feeding system 1000 removed for the sake of clarity. As can be seen from FIG. 6, the feeder magazine 400 may include a proximal section 401 that receives items from the transfer shuttle 310a and a distal portion 403 that feeds items into the picking assembly 5. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the proximal portion 401 of the feeder magazine 400 is horizontal to facilitate horizontal transfer of the items by the transfer shuttle 310a from the collection station 300 to the proximal portion 401 of the feeder magazine 400 in order to allow for efficient movement of the items with shortest transfer distance and the least motion. The distal portion 403 of the feeder magazine 400 may have a different orientation than the proximal portion 401, where the distal portion 403 has a downward slope to allow gravity to aid in pushing the items toward a picking station. The distal portion 403 may have a length that is shorter than a row of the pre-packaged items such that the leading item of a row of items from an initial package in a queue reaches the picking station at the end of the distal portion 403 of the feeder magazine 400 when the advancement bar 402 advances to near the end of the proximal portion 401 of the feeder magazine. In such embodiments, the advancement bar 402 does not need to advance into in the distal portion 403 of the feeder magazine 400, and can be maintained in a horizontal track along the proximal portion 401. This arrangement avoids any opportunities for gaps or “waterfalls” in the row of pre-packaged items as they are advanced to the distal portion of the feeder magazine 400, since pressure is continually applied to the trailing item in the row of pre-packaged items. In other embodiments, the entire feeder magazine 400 may have a single continuous slope along which the advancement bar 402 may move back and forth from a proximal entry point of the feeder magazine 400 to the distal most point at a picking station. In other embodiments, the feeder magazine 400 may have multiple slopes therein and the advancement bar 402 may be operable to move back and forth along the entire feeder magazine 400 with the advancement bar track following the changes in slope in the feeder magazine.

[0067] The distal portion 403 of the feeder magazine may deliver items into the picking assembly where the items may be individually removed from the feeder magazine 400 to separate the pre-packaged items for distribution to individual packages. The picking assembly may be mounted on a stationary mount 531. The picking assembly 5 may include a motor 530 that drives the individual components of the picking assembly 5 through a belt system situated in the mount 531. The belt system may closely coordinate the movement of the individual components of the picking assembly 5 such that the picking assembly 5 can be run reliably at high speeds, allowing it to perform picking operations at a rate in a range of about 1 to about 10 picking operations per second.

[0068] FIG. 7 shows an up-close view of the picking assembly 5, with the remaining sections of the feeding system 1000 removed for the sake of clarity. The distal portion 403 of the feeder magazine 400 feeds the pre-packaged items into the picking assembly 5 at a downward slope toward the picking location 501, taking advantage of gravity to move the pre-packaged items forward. The picking assembly 5 may include at least one chute sensor 510 positioned at the distal portion 403 of the feeder magazine 400 for detecting whether there are pre-packaged items in the distal portion 403. The at least one chute sensor 510 may be a motion sensor, density sensor, or other sensor operable to sense the presence of pre-packaged items in the distal portion 403 of the feeder magazine 400. The at least one chute sensor 510 may be in electronic communication with the electronic controller 1001 and provide data regarding the presence of a pre-packaged items in the distal portion 403 of the feeder magazine 400. The data from the at least one chute sensor 510 allows the electronic controller 1001 to both activate the picking assembly when pre-packaged items are initially positioned in the distal portion 403 of the feeder magazine 400, and to deactivate the picking assembly 5 when the data from the chute sensor(s) 510 indicates that there are no pre-packaged items at the position of the chute sensor(s) 510. The algorithm of the electronic controller 1001 for controlling the operation of the picking assembly 5 may be calibrated such that the electronic controller 1001 runs a specific number of the picking operations after it receives data form the chute sensor(s) 510 that there are no pre-packaged items at the position of the chute sensor(s) 510—the number of pre-packaged items in the distal portion 403 between the chute sensor(s) 510 and the picking station 501 may be known, allowing the electronic controller to direct the picking assembly to run a pre-determined number of picking operations for the remaining pre-packaged items.

[0069] The distal portion 403 of the feeder magazine 400 includes sidewalls 508a and 508b, and an overhead guide 509 to contain the pre-packaged items in a tight, uniform row as they are advanced through the distal portion 403. At least one of the sidewalls 508a and 508b may be adjusted to accommodate pre-packaged items of different sizes (e.g., different widths). The distal portion 403 of the feeder magazine 400 may include a width adjustment mechanism 511 that allows the width of the distal portion 403 to be modified. The width adjustment mechanism 511 may be manually and/or automatically adjusted by the electronic controller 1001. It may be manually adjusted by a locking screw or other manually operated mechanism, and/or automatically adjusted by an electronically controlled actuator (e.g., a pneumatic actuator) in electronic communication with the electronic controller 1001. For example, the internal width of the distal portion 403 may have discrete preprogrammed settings that may be selected from a user interface of the electronic controller 1001.

[0070] As the pre-packaged items reach the picking station 501, they may be removed one-by-one during a picking operation by the picking head 502. The removed item may then be transferred from the picking head 502 to a backend conveying system 520 that transmits the items one-at-a-time to an individual package or a further conveying system. The conveying system 520 may be a belt conveying system that sandwiches the pre-packaged items between two belts. The gap between the two belts of the conveying system 520 may also be adjusted to accommodate pre-packaged items of thicknesses. The conveying system 520 may include a gap adjustment mechanism 521 that allows the size of the gap between the belts of the conveying system 520 to be modified. The gap adjustment mechanism 521 may be manually and/or automatically adjusted by the electronic controller 1001. It may be manually adjusted by one or more locking screws or other manually operated mechanism, and/or automatically adjusted by an electronically controlled actuator (e.g., a pneumatic actuator) in electronic communication with the electronic controller 1001. For example, the size of the gap may have discrete preprogrammed settings that may be selected from a user interface of the electronic controller 1001.

[0071] FIG. 8 provides a side view of the internal components of the picking station 501, with the remaining sections of the feeding system 1000 removed for the sake of clarity. The prepackaged items are delivered down the distal portion 403 of the feeder magazine 400 to the picking station 501, where the leading pre-packaged item is removed by picking head 502. The picking station 501 may include an arresting mechanism to frictionally engage the pre-packaged items to hold them in position during a picking operation. The arresting mechanism may be one or more frictional clamps 505 positioned laterally to the feeder magazine 400 that are moved medially inward into the feeder magazine 400 to engage the lateral sides of the pre-packaged items. The frictional clamps 505 may be driven by the integrated belt system driven by the motor 530, such that the timing of the engagement of the frictional clamps 505 is mechanically governed in precise, coordinated manner with the other components of the picking station 501. In other embodiments, the frictional clamps 505 may include electronically controlled actuators (e.g., pneumatic actuators) that are in electronic communication with the electronic controller 1001, and the electronically controller 1001 activates the actuators for the frictional clamps 505 with precise timing coordinated with the other components of the picking station 501 according to a pre-programmed algorithm.

[0072] The picking station 501 may also include at least one stop tab 504 that blocks the advancement of the pre-packaged items between picking operations. Between picking operations, the arresting mechanism (frictional clamps 505) may be disengaged to allow the pre-packaged items to advance in the feeder magazine 400, and the at least one stop tab 504 may be engaged to prevent the leading pre-packaged item or any others from spilling from the feeder magazine 400. The at least one stop tab 504 may be a bar or plate that moves orthogonally relative to the path of the distal portion 403 of the feeder magazine 400 as shown by the arrow in FIG. 8, and is inserted to obstruct the distal end of the distal portion 403 the feeder magazine 400 to hold the leading pre-packaged item in the feeder magazine 400 between picking operations. During the picking operation, the at least one stop tab 504 may be removed from the path of the feeder magazine 400 after the arresting mechanism (frictional clamps 505) frictionally engages the pre-packaged items in the feeder magazine 400. The at least one stop tab 504 may be driven by the integrated belt system driven by the motor 530, such that the timing of the engagement of the at least one stop tab 504 is mechanically governed in precise, coordinated manner with the other components of the picking station 501. In other embodiments, the at least one stop tab 504 may include electronically controlled actuators (e.g., pneumatic actuators) that are in electronic communication with the electronic controller 1001, and the electronically controller activates the actuators for the at least one stop tab 504 with precise timing coordinated with the other components of the picking station 501 according to a pre-programmed algorithm.

[0073] The picking head 502 may include a pivoting arm 502a that moves into and out of the picking station 501 with a pivoting motion to grasp and remove the leading pre-packaged item from the feeder magazine 400. Movement of the pivoting arm 502a may be driven by an axle 506 that rotates clockwise during a picking operation to move the picking head 502 into the picking station 501 and then rotates counterclockwise between picking operations to remove the picking head 502 from the picking station 501. The axle 506 may be driven by the integrated belt system driven by the motor 530, such that the timing of the rotation of the axle 506 is mechanically governed in precise, coordinated manner with the other components of the picking station 501. In other embodiments, the axle may include an electronically controlled actuator (e.g., a servo motor or pneumatic actuator) that is in electronic communication with the electronic controller 1001, and the electronically controller activates the actuator for the axle 506 with precise timing coordinated with the other components of the picking station according to a pre-programmed algorithm.

[0074] The picking head 502 may also include a grasping cup 502a at its distal end that is operable to be placed on the outward facing surface of the leading item and create a partial vacuum between the grasping cup 502a and the outward surface of the item such that a seal is created and the partial vacuum allows the picking arm 502 to pull the leading item out of the feeder magazine 400 during the picking operation. The grasping cup 502a may be one or more conical or cup structures that can contact the leading item at the picking station 501 such that the entire perimeter of the one or more conical or cup structures is in contact with the outward side of the item, and a seal may be achieved as air is removed from between the one or more conical or cup structures and the outward side of the item. The grasping cup 502a may include an airtight conduit running from the interior of the grasping cup 502a to a vacuum generator, such as a motor operable to evacuate air from the grasping cup 502a (e.g., a centrifugal fan motor, or other appropriate motor). The suction created by the vacuum generator may be constantly applied to the grasping cup 502a. The grasping cup 502a may be flexible and resilient to facilitate the formation of a seal between the grasping cup 502a and the leading label, insert, blisterpack, or other item, even in the case that the grasping cup 502a and the outward surface of the leading item are not perfectly parallel at initial contact during the picking operation.

[0075] Each picking operation involves the cooperative operation of several elements, including the arresting mechanism (frictional clamps 505), the stop tab 504, and the picking head 502. These elements may be coordinated such that (1) the arresting mechanism 505 engages the labels, inserts, blisterpacks, or other items and (2) the stop tab 504 disengages the leading label, insert, blisterpack, or other item, immediately before a picking operation begins, (3) the picking head 502 places the grasping cup 502a on the outward facing surface of the leading item immediately after the stop tab 504 disengages the leading item and a seal is created between the grasping structure and the leading item, and (4) the picking head 502 pulls the leading item from the insert feeder magazine 400. These coordinated steps help to ensure that the labels, inserts, blisterpacks, or other items in the inserter feeder magazine are removed from the feeder magazine individually, one at a time.

[0076] After the picking operation, the backend conveying system 520 receives the picked pre-packaged item from the picking head 502. The backend conveying system 520 may be in close proximity to the picking station 501 and may assist in the picking process. After the picking head 502 pulls the leading item from the feeder magazine 400, and the conveying system may have a pair of belts 522a and 522b that bilaterally flank the picking head 502 positioned such that the pre-packaged item attached to the grasping cup 502a contacts the pair of belts 522a and 522b as the picking head 502 rotates counter-clockwise away from the picking station 501. As the pre-packaged item hits the pair of belts 522a and 522b, the belts 522a and 522b strip the pre-packaged items from the grasping cup 502a and pull the pre-packaged item along the belts 522a and 522b until it enters the gap 521 between the belts 522b and 522a to be conveying to an individual package or to a further conveying system.

[0077] FIGS. 9-10 show an alternative design for several of the components in the pick assembly, with the remaining sections of the feeding system 1000 removed for the sake of clarity. The arrangement of the components of the arresting mechanism and the stop tab different than the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7-8. The other components of the picking assembly may be substantially the same as described in reference to FIGS. 7-8 or as otherwise described herein. The assembly shown in FIGS. 7-8 includes a picking station 601 fed with pre-packaged items through the distal portion 403 of the feeder magazine 400. At the picking station 601, the picking assembly may include an arresting mechanism comprising frictional clamps 605a and 605b that are positioned over the distal portion 403 of the feeder magazine 400 and the pre-packaged items therein, which may be blisterpacks 650 of pills, vitamins, or other items, as shown in FIGS. 9-10. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 9-10, the frictional clamps 605a and 605b may be connected to an actuation assembly 608a, which is moved in an up and down pattern by an electronically controlled actuator 608b (e.g., a pneumatic actuator) in electronic communication with electronic controller 1001.

[0078] The picking assembly may also include stop tabs 604a and 604b that are positioned over the distal portion 403 of the feeder magazine 400 and the blisterpacks 650 therein. The stop tabs may be connected to an axle 607 that may be connected to the coordinated belt system driven by the motor 530, and may therefore be mechanically coordinated with the picker head. Both the axle 607 and the actuation assembly 608a may be positioned on a carriage 615 that can be adjusted along a track in housing 630 that allows the picking assembly to adjust the size of the distal portion 403 of the feeder magazine 400 to accommodate pre-packaged items of various sizes. The housing 630 may include an actuator (e.g., a servo motor) in electronic communication with the electronic controller 1001 to allow the operator to adjust the vertical position of the carriage 615 to allow for pre-packaged items of different sizes.

[0079] FIG. 10 provides a close-up view of some of the internal components of the picking station 601, with the remaining sections of the feeding system 1000 removed for the sake of clarity. The leading blisterpack 650 is present at the picking station 601, to allow the picking head 502 access thereto. The picking station 601 includes frictional clamps 605a and 605b to frictionally engage the blister packs 650 to hold them in position during a picking operation. The frictional clamps 605a and 605b are positioned above the feeder magazine 400 and are moved inferiorly into the feeder magazine 400 to engage the top sides of the blisterpacks 650 during a picking operation. During the picking operation the actuator 608b depresses the actuation assembly 608a and the frictional clamps 605a and 605b as a result of their connection to the actuation assembly 608a The action of the actuator 608b may be coordinated with the motor 530 driving the integrated belt driving system. For example, an encoder associated with the motor 530 sends data regarding the revolutions in the motor 530 to the electronic controller 1001, and an algorithm pre-programmed in the electronic controller 1001 is calibrated to activate the actuator 608b by electronic signal at a pre-determined time such that the action of the actuator 608b maintains coordination with the activity of the integrated belt driving system, even in the case that the integrated belt system speeds up or slows down. Alternatively, the actuator 608b may be activated based on a timer coordinated with the initial activation of the motor 530.

[0080] The stop tabs 604a and 604b block the advancement of the blisterpacks 650 between picking operations. Between picking operations, the frictional clamps 605a and 605b may be disengaged to allow the pre-packaged items to advance in the feeder magazine 400, and the stop tabs 604a and 604b may be engaged to prevent the leading blisterpack or any others from spilling from the feeder magazine. The stop tabs 604a and 604b may each be a bar or plate that moves upward relative to the path of the distal portion 403 of the feeder magazine 400 during a picking operation, and down to obstruct the distal end of the distal portion 403 the feeder magazine 400 to hold the leading blisterpack in the feeder magazine 400 between picking operations. The stop tabs 604a and 604b are connected to axle 607, which may be driven cam and shaft 607a that may be connected to the integrated belt system driven by the motor 530, such that the timing of the engagement of the stop tabs 604a and 604b is mechanically governed in precise, coordinated manner with the other components of the picking station 601. In other embodiments, the at least one stop tab may include electronically controlled actuators (e.g., pneumatic actuators) that are in electronic communication with the electronic controller 1001, and the electronically controller activates the actuators for the stop tabs 604a and 604b with precise timing coordinated with the other components of the picking station according to a pre-programmed algorithm. Other configurations of the picking assembly are contemplated within the scope of the present invention.

[0081] The present invention concerns label and insert feeding machines for use in connection with a process of supplying inserts and/or applying labels to containers of various kinds, such as pharmaceutical bottles, jars, boxes, cartons, buckets, and other containers, vitamin bottles, jars, boxes and other containers, food and condiment containers, and various other container types. The label feeding machines of the present invention have improved efficiency, automation, speed, and reliability in comparison to conventional feeding machines. The systems of the present invention may also be highly customizable, and thus may encompass many variations from the embodiments described herein. It is to be understood that variations and modifications of the present invention may be made without departing from the scope thereof. It is to be appreciated that the features disclosed herein may be used different combinations and permutations with each other, all falling within the scope of the present invention.

[0082] The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.