FR3148587A1 - AUTOMATIC LOADING OF A PACKAGE WITH CELLS PREVIOUSLY FILLED WITH FRUIT OR VEGETABLES - Google Patents

Abstract

To load cells into a package (51), a conveyor (20) brings the cells into a loading area (100), where they are transferred to a plate (31) of a guillotine hatch (30) that is movable only horizontally. From there, the cells are inserted into the package below the movable plate. The cells can be received by a sling assembly (40) below the movable plate (31), when the hatch opens and the movable plate disappears, by horizontal translation in the conveying direction, under a longitudinal stop element (32). This element is arranged in the upper part (101) of the loading area directly above the movable plate, in a longitudinal position in front of the plate when it is in its extreme rear position and behind it when it is in its extreme front position. The alveolus is then lowered towards the bottom of the package. Figure for the abstract: Fig. 2

Description

AUTOMATIC LOADING OF A PACKAGE WITH CELLS PREVIOUSLY FILLED WITH FRUIT OR VEGETABLES

The present invention relates to the automatic filling of a package, in particular a tray, a "bushel", a container or a crate, with objects such as cells previously filled with fruit or vegetables.

Products such as fruits and vegetables, including essentially round fruits such as apples or tomatoes, can be transported and/or stored by being placed on cellular supports (or cells) having hollows to retain the products. Once filled, each cell is then placed in a package, for example a cardboard box or other, generally stacked with at least one other cell to form a stack of superimposed cells. The external dimensions of the cells are so closely adapted to the internal dimensions of the package, in order to properly wedge the products to prevent them from colliding in the package and being damaged, that the cells must be manually stacked in the packages. This manual loading of the packages with the cells is a tedious repetitive operation, which constantly mobilizes an operator and can lead to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) for this operator.

Document EP0042199 discloses a device for the automatic placement of articles in containers or boxes, which addresses the disadvantage that the height of placement of the articles depends on the number of layers of articles already stacked in the box, and a further disadvantage that the placement of the articles must be interrupted when the full box is to be replaced by an empty box. The solution proposed to these problems consists in a temporary bottom which may comprise a strip-shaped strap having a width corresponding substantially to the width of the box, said strap having ends which are fixed to rollers. The strap can be unwound and wound, out of the rollers and onto said rollers, respectively, to lower or to raise the temporary bottom, respectively. The strap preferably has an upper face having substantially the same dimensions as the plane of the bottom of the box. Furthermore, a frame can be moved up and down, which frame carries two guide pins having a mutual distance corresponding substantially to the length of the boxes. In a portion of its length, the strap includes an opening whose length corresponds at least to the length of the bottom of the box. Thus, when the belt is wound/unwound until this opening is at least partly aligned with the bottom of the box, the articles begin to pass through this opening to reach the bottom of the box. When the opening coincides entirely with the bottom of the box, all the products rest directly on the bottom of the box, through the opening. The belt can then be raised upwards by rotating each roller in the opposite direction to that of the descent, to remove the belt from the box while leaving the articles stacked in place in the box, in order to initiate a new cycle of filling a new empty box.

In this device, the articles are placed directly and individually on the temporary base or on an underlying layer of already arranged products, via a passage opening movable in two directions orthogonal to each other. This makes the device slow and therefore not very compatible with the high speeds required in modern fruit or vegetable packaging applications. Furthermore, as mentioned in the document itself, this device may not be suitable for articles that do not have a certain flexibility of shape, due to constraints linked to the lifting of the strap to remove it from the crate. For articles with less flexibility, such as boxes, free space must be reserved in the crate to allow the strap to be lifted, which causes a loss of space in the crate.

US8015781 discloses a loading device (or loader) capable of inserting closely fitted items, such as trays of fruits and vegetables, into a receptacle. The loader includes a slinging subsystem arranged at a loading chamber. Furthermore, the loader also includes a conveying subsystem, or infeed conveyor , having a plurality of individual belts and a plurality of conveyor blades. These conveyor blades are normally positioned slightly upstream of, and above the level of, the belts. They are movable forwardly in the direction of the loading chamber. The belts are further aligned with and positioned above a second set of blades. The second set of blades is elevating to engage the lower length of the belts from below the belts, thereby pushing the upper length of the belts upward so that they rise above the level of the conveyor blades. In this manner, any article resting on the conveyor blades is transported with the movement of the belts and is deposited in the loading chamber. The conveyor blades can then be retracted to the rear. The loader further comprises a flap and leg subsystem, which is arranged in the general area of the loading chamber, in front of the feed conveyor. This subsystem comprises a set of legs at the rear end. The legs are connected to a rotating rod. The rotating rod is further connected to an actuator, which rotates the rotating rod to move the set of legs from horizontal to vertical so that they are higher than the upper surfaces of the flaps.

In operation, the rear set of legs is positioned horizontally awaiting an item to be delivered to the flaps, and is programmed to activate when an item is deposited on the flaps. After an item is delivered to the upper faces of the flaps, in effect, the rear set of legs is actuated from the horizontal position to the vertical position. The front stop plate is adapted and arranged to prevent the items delivered by the blades on the upper faces of the flaps from being transported beyond the deposit area. To deliver the item to be stacked inside the container onto the flaps, the blades transport this first item above the flaps. Then, the rear end set of legs is positioned vertically. This prevents the items from being pulled back when the blades retract. In other words, the set of legs holds the items in position while the blades retract from under the item.

The referencing of an article (wedging along the front-rear axis) is ensured when the transport blades are withdrawn by the rear stop formed by the set of rear legs thus raised. The front stop plate, for its part, has the sole function of preventing the articles from being transported beyond the deposit zone, towards the front, when they are delivered on the upper surfaces of the flaps by the blades. In addition, the flaps have the function of holding only the first tray to be inserted into an empty container, before it is delivered to the slinging subsystem. They then pivot from horizontal to vertical, in the manner of the doors of a "bomb bay"(" bomb bay" style doors , in English in the text) to place the first article on a sling of the slinging subsystem. The flaps maintain their vertical position during the complete loading of a given container. Subsequent articles to be deposited in the same container are brought and deposited in the same way by the blades, but are deposited directly on and over an article already deposited on the sling, until a container is completely filled and replaced by an empty container. The flaps are then raised to return to the horizontal, in order to receive the next article, to be inserted first in the next empty container.

The entire loader is controlled to operate according to the programmed sequence of events mentioned in the above. For this purpose, displacement sensors send signals to a computer system (computer) as input data to a computer program (software) to trigger each of the appropriate actions of the processes of the slinging subsystem and its associated loading subsystem described above.

The disadvantage of this loader is the high complexity of the flap and leg subsystem that is responsible for holding the trays before they are delivered to the slinging subsystem, which complexity is partly due to the structure and operating mode of the conveyor subsystem located upstream. This results in a significant risk of misadjustments and breakdowns, requiring relatively frequent and relatively substantial maintenance operations.

The invention aims to provide an alternative to the devices for replacing manual loading that are known in the prior art identified and briefly discussed above, which is capable of accurately loading and stacking products previously arranged in a grouped manner on supports of the cell type, for example, said supports being of dimensions closely adapted to the dimensions of the package, and this at an acceptable speed while respecting the integrity of the products, and being of a simple design and requiring only reduced maintenance.

1. un châssis fixe définissant une zone de chargement avec une partie supérieure et une partie inférieure ;
2. un convoyeur d’amenée ayant une extrémité d’entrée et une extrémité de sortie et s’étendant suivant une direction longitudinale et un sens de convoyage déterminés, entre ladite extrémité d’entrée et ladite extrémité de sortie, adapté pour amener des objets séquence dans la partie supérieure de la zone de chargement ;
3. une trappe à guillotine disposée entre la partie supérieure et la partie inférieure de la zone de chargement, ayant une plaque qui est mobile uniquement horizontalement et commandée pour se déplacer alternativement de l’avant vers l’arrière et de l’arrière vers l’avant, entre une position extrême arrière correspondant à un état complètement fermée de la trappe à guillotine et une position extrême avant correspondant à un état complètement ouverte de ladite trappe, ladite plaque mobile étant adaptée pour recevoir individuellement les objets transférés en séquence depuis l’extrémité de sortie du convoyeur d’amenée lorsque ladite plaque mobile est dans sa position extrême arrière ; ainsi que,
4. un dispositif d’insertion agencé dans la partie inférieure de la zone de chargement au-dessous de la plaque mobile de la trappe à guillotine lorsque ladite plaque est dans sa position extrême arrière, et adapté pour, d’une part, recevoir par le haut lorsque la trappe à guillotine s’ouvre, un objet préalablement transféré du convoyeur d’amenée sur la plaque mobile de ladite trappe et pour, d’autre part, faire descendre de manière commandée l’objet en direction du fond du colis préalablement positionné en-dessous, dans la partie inférieure de la zone de chargement,
5. au moins un élément de butée longitudinale, agencé dans la partie supérieure de la zone de chargement directement au-dessus du niveau de la plaque mobile de la trappe à guillotine, dans une position suivant la direction en-avant de ladite plaque mobile lorsqu’elle est dans sa position extrême arrière et en-arrière de ladite plaque mobile lorsqu’elle est dans sa position extrême avant ;

le dispositif d’insertion étant adapté pour recevoir l’objet depuis la plaque mobile de la trappe à guillotine via l’effacement de ladite plaque, par translation horizontale dans le sens de convoyage, sous l’élément de butée longitudinale lors de l’ouverture de ladite trappe.This aim is achieved, in accordance with the invention, by means of a machine for loading at least one object, in particular a cell previously filled with fruit or vegetables, into a top-loading package, in particular a telescopic bushel-type crate, said machine comprising:

1. a fixed chassis defining a loading area with an upper part and a lower part;
2. a feed conveyor having an input end and an output end and extending in a determined longitudinal direction and conveying direction, between said input end and said output end, adapted to bring sequenced objects into the upper part of the loading zone;
3. a guillotine hatch arranged between the upper part and the lower part of the loading area, having a plate which is movable only horizontally and controlled to move alternately from front to rear and from rear to front, between an extreme rear position corresponding to a completely closed state of the guillotine hatch and an extreme front position corresponding to a completely open state of said hatch, said movable plate being adapted to receive individually the objects transferred in sequence from the outlet end of the supply conveyor when said movable plate is in its extreme rear position; as well as,
4. an insertion device arranged in the lower part of the loading area below the movable plate of the guillotine hatch when said plate is in its extreme rear position, and adapted to, on the one hand, receive from above when the guillotine hatch opens, an object previously transferred from the supply conveyor onto the movable plate of said hatch and to, on the other hand, lower the object in a controlled manner towards the bottom of the package previously positioned below, in the lower part of the loading area,
5. at least one longitudinal stop element, arranged in the upper part of the loading area directly above the level of the movable plate of the guillotine hatch, in a position following the forward direction of said movable plate when it is in its extreme rear position and behind said movable plate when it is in its extreme front position;

the insertion device being adapted to receive the object from the movable plate of the guillotine hatch via the erasure of said plate, by horizontal translation in the conveying direction, under the longitudinal stop element when opening said hatch.

The longitudinal stop element is adapted to ensure the referencing of the object, in the conveying direction X, relative to the underlying insertion assembly, and this in a more reliable manner and with simpler means than in the prior art.

In one embodiment, the cell feed conveyor is an endless belt conveyor providing, for the transfer of the objects to the movable plate of the guillotine trap, an adhesion to the objects on the belt that is greater than the adhesion offered to said objects by the surface of said movable plate. Such a conveyor allows the transport of the objects using a conveyor belt driven endlessly by at least one motorization group such as a geared motor. The motorization group can be arranged in the center of the belt in the case of a central drive, or at the entry end or the exit end of the belt in the case of an end drive. A belt conveyor consists of an endless conveyor belt, a supporting frame with a sliding bed (or rollers) that provides support for the upper portion of the belt from below, a belt drive drum driven by the drive unit, and one or two end rollers depending on whether the drive is an end drive or a central drive, respectively. In addition, an automatic tensioning device, by gravity or by screw, is generally provided to maintain the required belt tension.

The fact that the adhesion of the objects conveyed on the belt of the feed conveyor is greater than the adhesion of the objects on the movable plate of the guillotine trap facilitates the transfer of the cells from the belt to the plate. For example, the belt of the feed conveyor may be a belt made of or coated with a relatively adhesive material, such as polyurethane, while the movable plate is a plate made of or coated with a relatively non-adhesive material, such as stainless steel.

In embodiments, the longitudinal stop element may be a transverse extension rail, integral with the chassis.

In embodiments, the insertion device may include a strap sling assembly.

For example, the sling assembly may comprise a plurality of straps extending parallel to each other in the longitudinal direction across the top of the lower portion of the loading area, which are unwindable and rewindable by means of synchronously controlled reels, each arranged on one side or the other of said loading area in said longitudinal direction.

In embodiments, the insertion device may comprise a movable carriage arranged in the longitudinal direction on the side opposite the loading area relative to the reels, to which the straps are fixed in a detachable and reattachable manner, and which is adapted to release said straps after the descent into the parcel of a batch of objects filling said parcel in order to deposit said batch of objects in the parcel and to allow the rewinding of the straps in the reels, on the one hand, as well as to move in front of the loading area to come and grasp again a free end of the straps after their rewinding in the reels, and to stretch said straps across the loading area with a view to loading a following parcel, on the other hand.

In embodiments, the reels may be arranged downstream of the loading area in the longitudinal direction, the mobile carriage being arranged to be mobile upstream of said area during the transfer of the objects from the mobile plate of the guillotine hatch to the insertion device, and being adapted to move forward through the loading area to grasp downstream of said area a free end of the straps after their release and rewinding in the reels, and to then move backwards to drive the straps and bring them back behind the loading area in order to tension the straps through said area.

1. la première poutre transversale supportant un premier ensemble de sabots creux qui s’étendent vers l’avant, à raison d’un tel sabot pour le passage de l’une respective des sangles du dispositif d’élingage,
2. la seconde poutre transversale étant disposée en avant de la première poutre transversale et supportant un second ensemble de sabots creux qui s’étendent vers l’arrière en direction des sabots creux opposés du premier ensemble de sabots, à raison d’un tel sabot pour le passage de l’une respective des sangles du dispositif d’élingage,
3. des paires de sabots creux opposés longitudinalement comprenant chacune un sabot creux déterminé du premier ensemble de sabots et un sabot creux correspondant déterminé du second ensemble de sabots formant un canal de guidage pour chacune des sangles du dispositif d’élingage, respectivement.

In embodiments, the insertion device may include a first cross beam and a second cross beam that are arranged forward of the loading area,

1. the first transverse beam supporting a first set of hollow shoes which extend forward, at the rate of one such shoe for the passage of a respective one of the straps of the slinging device,
2. the second cross beam being arranged in front of the first cross beam and supporting a second set of hollow shoes which extend rearwardly towards the opposite hollow shoes of the first set of shoes, at the rate of one such shoe for the passage of a respective one of the straps of the slinging device,
3. pairs of longitudinally opposed hollow shoes each comprising a determined hollow shoe of the first set of shoes and a determined corresponding hollow shoe of the second set of shoes forming a guide channel for each of the straps of the slinging device, respectively.

In embodiments, the insertion device may include a sliding connector piece for each of the pairs of hollow shoes, said sliding connector piece being hollow and adapted to enclose the corresponding strap in continuity with the opposing shoes of said pair of shoes, and being slidably mounted in the longitudinal direction between the opposing hollow shoes of the pair of hollow shoes such that when the first cross beam and the second cross beam are moved closer to or further from each other, the straps of the slinging device each remain enclosed in a guide channel formed by a pair of opposing shoes and by the associated sliding connector piece.

In embodiments, the movable carriage may comprise clamps in a number and position in the transverse direction which correspond to the straps of the slinging device, and in which, for gripping the free ends of the straps of the slinging device, the movable carriage is adapted to push the first transverse beam forwards towards the second transverse beam so that, the straps of the slinging device being immobilized longitudinally, the free end of said straps is released rearwards by the relative forward movement of the shoes of the first pair of shoes with the first transverse beam which carries them, and can engage in the clamps for the purpose of fixing the straps on the movable carriage by means of said clamps when they are closed.

In embodiments, the second beam may carry return roller means, adapted to return the straps to the reels, said second beam being adapted to be moved in the longitudinal direction in order to adjust the tension of the straps by means common to said straps.

In embodiments, the machine may further comprise means for bending an object along the transverse direction, when said object rests on the straps of the sling assembly, by creating a belly in the sling assembly at at least one central strap of said sling assembly.

1. les moyens pour cintrer un alvéole comprennent un moufle de renvoi de la sangle centrale avec un galet de renvoi inférieur et un galet de renvoi supérieur d'axes de rotation respectifs qui sont parallèles entre eux, l’axe de rotation de l’un desdits galets étant fixe, alors que l’axe de rotation de l’autre galet est déplaçable suivant la direction longitudinale en fonction de l’état d’un organe d’actionnement à deux états, par rapport à l’axe de rotation du premier cité desdits galets tout en lui restant parallèle,
2. la sangle centrale arrive dans le moufle par le haut depuis un enrouleur correspondant qui se situe en avant du dispositif d’insertion, et repart par le dessous du galet inférieur vers l’arrière dudit dispositif ; et,
3. l’angle d'enroulement de la sangle centrale autour du galet inférieur est, dans un premier état de l’organe d’actionnement, inférieur audit angle d’enroulement dans l’autre état de l’organe d’actionnement, en sorte que la sangle centrale est moins tendue dans ledit premier état que dans ledit autre état de l’organe d’actionnement.

In embodiments applicable to a machine limited in that it corresponds to a machine in which the straps of the sling assembly are returned by roller return means which are carried by the second transverse beam whose positioning in said direction is controlled to adjust the nominal tension of the straps, it may further be provided that:

1. the means for bending a cell comprise a central strap return pulley with a lower return roller and an upper return roller with respective axes of rotation which are parallel to each other, the axis of rotation of one of said rollers being fixed, while the axis of rotation of the other roller is movable in the longitudinal direction depending on the state of a two-state actuating member, relative to the axis of rotation of the first of said rollers while remaining parallel to it,
2. the central strap enters the block from the top from a corresponding winder located in front of the insertion device, and leaves from below the lower roller towards the rear of said device; and,
3. the winding angle of the central strap around the lower roller is, in a first state of the actuating member, less than said winding angle in the other state of the actuating member, such that the central strap is less taut in said first state than in said other state of the actuating member.

In embodiments, the machine may further comprise longitudinally extending side plates arranged on each side of the guillotine hatch to laterally wedge the objects on the movable plate of said hatch when said plate is in its extreme rear position.

A second aspect of the invention relates to a fruit or vegetable processing installation, for example a fruit or vegetable pre-calibration and/or sorting machine, comprising a loading machine according to the first aspect above, for loading from above cells previously filled with fruit or vegetables into a package such as the bottom box of a telescopic bushel-type crate.

• l’amenée des objets en séquence dans une partie supérieure d’une zone de chargement, suivant une direction longitudinale et un sens de convoyage déterminés ;
• le transfert des objets individuellement et en séquence sur une plaque d’une trappe à guillotine qui est mobile uniquement horizontalement en étant commandée pour se déplacer alternativement de l’avant vers l’arrière et de l’arrière vers l’avant entre une position extrême arrière correspondant à un état complètement fermée de la trappe à guillotine et une position extrême avant correspondant à un état complètement ouverte de ladite trappe, lorsque ladite plaque mobile est dans sa position extrême arrière ;
• l’insertion par le haut de chaque objet dans un colis préalablement positionné en-dessous de la trappe à guillotine dans une partie inférieure de la zone de chargement au-dessous de la plaque mobile de la trappe à guillotine lorsque ladite plaque est dans sa position extrême arrière,

dans lequel l’insertion par le haut de chaque objet dans le colis comprend :

• la réception de l’objet par un dispositif d’insertion agencé dans la partie inférieure de la zone de chargement au-dessous de la plaque mobile de la trappe à guillotine lorsque ladite plaque est dans sa position extrême arrière, depuis ladite plaque lorsque ladite trappe s’ouvre et que la plaque mobile s’efface, par translation horizontale dans le sens de convoyage, sous un élément de butée longitudinale qui est agencé dans la partie supérieure de la zone de chargement directement au-dessus du niveau de la plaque mobile, dans une position longitudinale en-avant de la plaque mobile lorsque ladite plaque est dans sa position extrême arrière et en-arrière de la plaque mobile lorsque ladite plaque mobile est dans sa position extrême avant ; ainsi que,
• la descente l’objet en direction du fond du colis sous la commande du dispositif d’insertion.

A third aspect of the invention relates to a method of loading objects, in particular cells previously filled with fruit or vegetables, into a top-loading package, in particular a bushel-type crate, said method comprising:

• the feeding of objects in sequence into an upper part of a loading area, following a determined longitudinal direction and conveying direction;
• transferring objects individually and in sequence onto a plate of a guillotine hatch which is movable only horizontally by being controlled to move alternately from front to back and from back to front between an extreme rear position corresponding to a fully closed state of the guillotine hatch and an extreme front position corresponding to a fully open state of said hatch, when said movable plate is in its extreme rear position;
• the insertion from above of each object into a package previously positioned below the guillotine hatch in a lower part of the loading area below the movable plate of the guillotine hatch when said plate is in its extreme rear position,

in which the insertion from above of each object in the package comprises:

• receiving the object by an insertion device arranged in the lower part of the loading area below the movable plate of the guillotine hatch when said plate is in its extreme rear position, from said plate when said hatch opens and the movable plate disappears, by horizontal translation in the conveying direction, under a longitudinal stop element which is arranged in the upper part of the loading area directly above the level of the movable plate, in a longitudinal position in front of the movable plate when said plate is in its extreme rear position and behind the movable plate when said movable plate is in its extreme front position; as well as,
• lowering the object towards the bottom of the package under the control of the insertion device.

In embodiments of the method, the feed conveyor may provide, when transferring the objects to the movable plate of the guillotine trap, an adhesion to the objects which is greater than the adhesion provided to said objects by the surface of said plate.

In embodiments of the method, inserting an object into the package may comprise transferring said object from the movable plate of the guillotine hatch onto a strap sling assembly of the insertion device comprising a plurality of straps which extend parallel to each other in the longitudinal direction and which are unwindable and rewindable by means of respective reels controlled synchronously and each arranged on one side or the other of the loading area in said longitudinal direction.

• la libération des sangles après la descente dans le colis d’un lot d’objets remplissant ledit colis afin de déposer ledit lot d’objets dans le colis, et le rembobinage des sangles dans les dévidoirs ; ainsi que
• la traversée de la zone de chargement suivant la direction longitudinale par le chariot mobile pour aller saisir les sangles après leur libération et leur rembobinage par les dévidoirs ; et,
• la tension des sangles au travers de la zone de chargement en vue du chargement d’un colis suivant, par une nouvelle traversée suivant la direction longitudinale mais en sens inverse, de la zone de chargement par le chariot mobile.

In embodiments of the method, the slinging assembly comprising a movable carriage arranged on the opposite side, in the longitudinal direction of the loading area relative to the reels and to which the straps are fixed in a detachable and reattachable manner, the method may further comprise:

• the release of the straps after the lowering into the package of a batch of objects filling said package in order to deposit said batch of objects in the package, and the rewinding of the straps into the reels; as well as
• the crossing of the loading area in the longitudinal direction by the mobile trolley to grab the straps after their release and rewinding by the reels; and,
• the tension of the straps across the loading area for the purpose of loading a subsequent package, by a new crossing following the longitudinal direction but in the opposite direction, of the loading area by the mobile trolley.

Finally, a fourth and final aspect of the invention relates to a computer program product comprising instructions which, when the program is loaded into the memory and executed by a computer, implements all the steps of the method according to the third aspect as defined above.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from reading the description which follows. This description is purely illustrative and must be read in conjunction with the appended drawings in which the following are shown:
: a diagram showing the insertion of a honeycomb-type object loaded with fruit into the bottom box of a telescopic bushel-type crate;
: a simplified diagram, in perspective, of a device according to embodiments of the invention in use;
: a cross-sectional diagram along a longitudinal plane of the device of the ;
: a step diagram illustrating the main steps of an example of implementation of the method according to the invention;
: a diagram, in section, of the device of the during a first step of an example of implementation of the method for inserting a first object into the package;
: a diagram, in section, of the device of the during a second step of the example of implementation of the method for the first object;
: a cross-sectional diagram of the device in a third step of the example of implementation of the method for the first object;
: a cross-sectional diagram of the device in a fourth step of the example of implementation of the method for the first object;
: a cross-sectional diagram of the device during a fifth and final step of the example of implementation of the method for the first object;
: a cross-sectional diagram of the device of a new iteration of the first step of the example implementation of the method, this time for the insertion into the package of a second object, above the first object;
: a cross-sectional diagram of the device of a new iteration of the second step of the example implementation of the method, for the insertion of the second object into the package;
: a cross-sectional diagram of the device of a new iteration of the third step of the example implementation of the method, for the insertion of the second object into the package;
: a cross-sectional diagram of the device of a new iteration of the fourth step of the example implementation of the method, for the insertion of the second object into the package;
: a diagram, in section, of the device of the of a new iteration of the fifth and final step of the example implementation of the method, for the insertion of the second object into the package;
: a diagram, in section, of the device of the during a third of the first step of the example of implementation of the method, for the insertion into the package of a third object, above the second object;
: a diagram, in section, of the device of the when a maximum number of objects have been inserted by stacking in the package, after as many respective iterations of the first, second, third, fourth and fifth steps of the example implementation of the method;
: a diagram, in section, of the device of the during a sixth step of the example of implementation of the method;
: a cross-sectional diagram of the device in a seventh step of the example of implementation of the method;
: a cross-sectional diagram of the device during an eighth and final step of the example of implementation of the process;
: a simplified functional diagram of a system according to embodiments of the second aspect of the invention
: a perspective view of the main elements of the sling assembly of the device of the ;
: a perspective view, from rear to front, of a strap-pulling trolley and a front beam of the sling assembly of the ;
: a perspective view, from front to back, of the front beam of the and a rear beam of the sling assembly of the device of the ;
: an enlargement of the intermediate area between the front beam and the rear beam of the , in a longitudinal section plane;
: a detailed view of the trolley pulling straps into position against the front beam of the , in a longitudinal section plane;
a magnification of the view of the , in another longitudinal section plane;
: a partial view, in a longitudinal sectional plane, of the strap-pulling carriage in position against the front beam, as well as of the rear beam, when the strap-pulling carriage comes into contact with the front beam to grasp the straps;
: a magnification of the view of the , in another longitudinal section plane, when the strap-pulling carriage has continued its forward travel, advancing the front beam towards the rear beam;
: a magnification of the view of the comparable to that of the , practically at the end of the stroke of the front beam to the rear beam;
: another magnified view in the same section plane as the and the showing the rearward withdrawal of the strap puller after the straps have been captured;
: the same view as in the , on which other elements of the rear beam are referenced, to illustrate a device for releasing a central strap of the set of languages, in a first state of said device in which the central strap is not released;
: the same view as in the in another state of the release device in which the central strap is released;
: a detailed view of the central strap release device of the and of the ;
: the same view as the in which a cell is shown in position on the straps of the language device while the central strap is released, to illustrate the bending of said cell which is thus obtained; and,
: a view comparable to that of the , but seen from back to front.

There are various types of packaging for grouping fresh fruits or vegetables for transport, storage, display and/or sale in groups. In the context of the present description, the example of fruits or vegetables of essentially round shape, such as apples or tomatoes, is considered. It goes without saying, however, that the scope of the description is not limited to this example. It also encompasses the packaging of other fruits or vegetables, for example other tailed fruits such as pears, plums, peaches, kiwis, or endives, melons, citrus fruits such as lemons, mandarins or oranges, etc., without these examples being limiting.

Fresh fruits and vegetables presented and sold in bulk can be easily packaged in bags, nets, sacks or trays of 1 kg, 1.5 kg or 2 kg for example, in crates, or even in palox (a sort of combination of a pallet and a relatively large box (for example 1000 x 1200 mm or 1200 x 1200 mm) for fruits or vegetables intended for industrial processing. Generally, however, higher category fruits or vegetables, intended to be consumed fresh, are transported and presented in trays (for example of four or six fruits or vegetables) or in crates. They therefore require a much more complex packaging process to implement.

These higher category fruits or vegetables are in fact first grouped in a specific number and in respective predefined and spaced positions, in semi-rigid flat packaging units such as plates with a honeycomb base. The cells of these plates can be spherical for round fruits and vegetables such as apples and tomatoes, or shaped to match the shape of the fruits for pears, figs or kiwis for example. Such plates are commonly called "cells" in the language of the person skilled in the art. The purpose of arranging fruits or vegetables on such a cell is to protect them from possible impacts during handling operations and during transport. The cells previously filled with fruits or vegetables must then be placed, in one or more layers, in transport packages, in particular trays open at the top or closed crates, which can be stacked on pallets. A telescopic bushel-type crate is a packing crate closed by a removable lid, generally capable of containing fruits or vegetables in two or more superimposed rows, which offers high strength and rigidity. It is particularly suitable for the international transport of fruits and vegetables.

In the context of the present description, the non-limiting example of cells previously filled with fruits or vegetables to be loaded into the bottom box of a bushel is considered. The person skilled in the art will appreciate, however, that the invention is not limited to this example. It relates in fact to a device and a method for loading any objects, in particular but not only cells previously filled with fruits or vegetables, onto or into any package with top loading. Instead of a bushel-type box as in the example considered, it may be for example a tray, a tray, a box or a box, for example a cardboard box closed by closing flaps.

In reference to the , a telescopic closure box 50, or bushel-type box, is composed of a bottom box 51 open at the top, of parallelepiped volume, generally rectangular parallelepiped, on the one hand, and a complementary cover 52, on the other hand, which fit into each other more or less deeply according to the needs. For this purpose, the dimensions (length and width) of the cover 52 are slightly greater than those of the bottom box 51. These two complementary parts 51 and 52 are generally made of corrugated cardboard.

The firmness of a bushel prevents any deformation or compaction, which makes it particularly suitable for transport over medium and long distances. It can be designed to allow a net weight of 18.2 kg for a traditional bushel (18 kg for a compact bushel) or 10.8 kg in the case of a so-called "3/ ^5th " bushel, regardless of the size or number of fruits. For apples, for example, and depending on the size of the fruits concerned, we therefore have a number of layers of fruits varying from 2 to 6.

As shown in the , the fruits of a given layer of fruits are grouped in a determined number and in respective predefined and spaced positions, in cells 1. The cells are semi-rigid flat packaging units. Generally, the cells are rectangular in shape. They form flat supports capable of receiving the products 3, namely fruits or vegetables. On the cells, the fruits or vegetables are generally arranged in parallel rows following the largest dimension of the cell, and where appropriate in a staggered manner following the smallest dimension of the cells, and this for reasons of saving space on the support. The format of the cells can be 500x300 mm or 600x400 mm, for example. The cells filled with fruits or vegetables can be stacked, to form a stack 2 (or a pile) of filled cells to be constituted and loaded into a package.

The cells can advantageously be manufactured from recycled products, 100% recyclable and biodegradable, for example in Molded Cellulose (MC). Molded cellulose cells known by the Anglo-Saxon term "traypack" (or "tray") are specially adapted for transport after insertion in telescopic bushel-type boxes. Alternatively, the cells can be made of paper or plastic, generally polypropylene (PP), expanded polystyrene (EPS), flexible solid polystyrene (PSM) or polyethylene terephthalate better known by its English acronym PET (put for "polyethylene terephthalate") which can possibly be recycled PET (r-PET), in particular.

There and the show, in a schematic and simplified manner, a product loading machine equipped with an insertion device for depositing objects, in particular cells previously filled with products such as fruits or vegetables, on or in a receptacle formed by a top-loading package, in particular the bottom box of a bushel-type crate. The machine is adapted to deposit a determined number of filled cells, brought in sequence, in order to form and arrange the stack 2 of stacked cells directly in the receptacle in question. The loading machine may itself be part of a product processing installation, such as an industrial-scale pre-calibration and sorting installation for fruits or vegetables.

The device comprises a fixed frame, formed of a mechanically welded metal structure having uprights, side members and cross members (not shown so as not to overload the drawings). This frame is fixed in the sense that it is immobile relative to the ground due to its significant weight and/or due (generally) to its fixing. Preferably, the frame is made integral with the ground, for example a heavy-duty concrete screed, to which it can be fixed by any suitable means, for example by bolting and/or by sealing. In the following, an element of the device or machine is considered fixed when it is integral with the frame, i.e. when it is fixedly mounted to an element of the frame, either directly or indirectly. Conversely, an element of the device or system is considered mobile (in translation, or in rotation, in particular) if it is mounted with a capacity for movement relative to the frame, to which it can be coupled, directly or indirectly, with at least one degree of freedom.

Due to its design, the frame defines a loading area 100 shown in dotted lines in the figures of the drawings, where the boxes are filled with the objects to be loaded. The loading area 100 comprises an upper part 101 and a lower part 102 separated by a closing hatch 30, in particular a guillotine hatch provided with a movable plate 31, to which we will return later.

In the example shown in Figures 2 and 3, the loading machine is designed and adapted to automatically deposit, if necessary in a top-stacked manner, cells previously filled with fruit or vegetables, namely apples in the example shown, in receptacles such as single-row (1-row) or multi-row bushel-type crates, for example 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 rows for example. A 1-row crate is adapted to be completely filled when it is loaded with only one cell. A multi-row crate (for example 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 rows) is adapted to be completely filled when it contains as many cells stacked one above the other, in the vertical direction Z. In all cases, for loading a receptacle such as for example the bottom box 51 of a bushel-type crate 50 shown in , this receptacle is arranged in the lower part 102 of the filling zone 100, with its opening facing upwards. The and the show three cells 11, 12 and 13. In the context of these figures, cells 11 and 12 are stacked on top of each other (cell 12 on top of cell 11), and are being inserted into box 51. The next cell 13 is being brought by a conveyor to be stacked on top of cells 11 and 12 to complete the stacking of cells and their insertion into box 51.

The machine comprises for this purpose a supply conveyor 20, having an inlet end 21 and an outlet end 22. The conveyor is for example a linear conveyor, which extends in a longitudinal direction X. The supply conveyor 20 may be substantially horizontal, as in the example shown in the drawings. However, depending on the layouts of the various peripheral equipment of the machine, and/or other equipment upstream or downstream within the installation incorporating it, the supply conveyor 20 in its entirety, or only one or more longitudinal portions of the supply conveyor 20, may be inclined relative to the horizontal. This makes it possible to take into account the differences in height (in the vertical direction Z) of these various pieces of equipment.

If the feed conveyor 20 is not entirely linear, but includes a curved portion for example, the longitudinal direction X is considered to be the direction of the terminal linear portion, i.e. the locally straight direction, at the outlet end 22 of the conveyor, in which the objects are transferred to the loading zone 100. If the feed conveyor 20 is not horizontal but is inclined relative to the horizontal, the longitudinal direction X which is considered in the present description corresponds to the projection, in the horizontal plane, of the main direction of the inclined plane of the conveyor. The cells circulate on the conveyor 20 in a determined direction and in a determined and unique conveying direction, namely along the longitudinal direction X from the inlet end 21 to the outlet end 22.

By convention, Y denotes the transverse direction (or direction perpendicular in a horizontal plane) to the longitudinal direction X of the supply conveyor 20. When, as in the example shown, the supply conveyor 20 is substantially horizontal, the directions X and Y define a horizontal plane. In the context of the present description, both for the elements of the supply conveyor and for the other elements of the loading machine and/or the product processing installation incorporating it, and unless explicitly provided otherwise, the terms “upstream”, “downstream”, “in front”, “behind”, “forward”, “rear” and derivatives such as “forward” and “backward”, as well as the verbs “advance” and “reverse” or equivalent verbs and derived nouns, are used with reference to the longitudinal direction X of the supply conveyor and to the aforementioned conveying meaning. Furthermore, terms such as "lateral", "laterally", "side" and "alongside" are used with reference to the transverse direction Y. Furthermore, terms such as "on", "under", "above", "below" and their derivatives such as "above" and "below" or "over" and "below", the terms "lower" and "upper" as well as the verbs "to go up" and "to go down" or equivalent verbs and derived nouns, are used with reference to the vertical direction Z, or the Earth's gravitational direction. Furthermore, the lengths, widths and heights mentioned in the description are dimensions considered, according to these conventions, with reference to the trio of directions {X,Y,Z} formed by the aforementioned longitudinal direction X, the transverse direction Y and the vertical direction Z, respectively.

The feed conveyor 20 is preferably an endless belt conveyor, as shown in the drawings, although this embodiment is not mandatory. In also conceivable alternative embodiments, the feed conveyor 20 may be a roller conveyor, or a tray-shaped bucket conveyor transporting each cell individually.

In the example as shown, the belt of the supply conveyor 20 may be arranged longitudinally between two end rollers as shown in the simplified representations given in the drawings, being driven by any suitable drive means (these means not being shown, so as not to burden the figures of the drawings). Such drive means may comprise a drive drum arranged, for example substantially at the center of the extent of the belt in the longitudinal direction X, that is to say substantially at an equal distance from the inlet end 21 and the outlet end 22. In a variant not shown, the belt may be arranged between a drive drum arranged at one of the ends 21 or 22 of the conveyor 20, on the one hand, and an end roller arranged at the other end of the conveyor 20, on the other hand. This drum may be a motorized drum or a drum itself driven by a remote electric motor via a chain, for example, or by any other equivalent means. Since the various constituent elements of a belt conveyor are well known to those skilled in the art, it does not appear necessary to describe them in more detail here. Similarly, and apart from the end rollers at the ends 21 and 22 of the conveyor 20, these constituent elements are not shown in the drawings, so as not to unnecessarily overload the figures shown.

The endless belt of the belt conveyor 20 is a flexible soft belt that can be formed from any material, preferably inelastic in longitudinal traction, compatible with the required resistance characteristics and with the applications envisaged in the food industry, in particular in a fruit or vegetable processing plant. In embodiments, the belt is composed of or coated with a relatively adherent material, such as polyvinyl chloride (better known by the acronym PVC, coming from the English name " polyvinyl chloride "). For example, it is a conveyor belt for food products made of polyester (or other similar material) with a flexible (plasticized) PVC coating. It can also be, as a variant, a single-material belt based on flexible PVC.

The inlet end 21 and the outlet end 22 of the supply conveyor 20 correspond to a loading point and an unloading point, respectively, of the cells. It is at these two points that the cells are received from upstream and are transferred to the downstream, respectively, of the supply conveyor 20. The reception and transfer of the cells on and from the belt of the supply conveyor 20 are generally carried out by gravity and/or due to the movement imparted to the cells transported. In embodiments, this reception and this transfer are carried out by using, in addition, the differences in adhesion between the belt and the upstream and/or downstream transport elements to facilitate the reception of the cells at the inlet and their delivery at the outlet. In particular, this will be explained further below concerning the transfer of the products, at the level of the outlet end 22 of the belt conveyor, from said outlet end to a plate located downstream, in the upper part 101 of the filling zone 100.

The dimensions of the belt are, furthermore, adapted to the transport of the cells concerned in the intended application. Thus, the width of the belt is at least equal to the largest of the dimensions of the cells, these two dimensions being the length and the width of the cells which are defined, without connection with the aforementioned conventions, by the largest dimension and the smallest dimension, respectively, of the cells in the plane which they define. In the example shown in the figures of the drawings, the cells arrive on the supply conveyor by being arranged with their largest dimension (their “length”) extending substantially in the transverse direction Y of the supply conveyor, and with their smallest dimension (their “width”) extending substantially in the longitudinal direction X of the supply conveyor. In Figures 2 and 3, the cell 13 is shown in this arrangement, flat on the belt of the supply conveyor 20, between the inlet end 21 and the outlet end 22. Knowing that, as already mentioned above, the format of the cells can be 500x300 mm or 600x400 mm, the width of the conveyor belt is therefore slightly greater than 600 mm, for example of the order of 700 mm to 800 mm.

In order to discharge the cells into the filling zone 100, the outlet end 22 of the conveyor 20 is arranged in the immediate vicinity of the upper part 101 of the loading zone 100, at a level just above the movable plate 31 (or guillotine) of a guillotine closing hatch 30 when said guillotine hatch is closed. Thus, the conveyor 20 is adapted to bring the cells (such as the cell 13 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3) in sequence into the upper part 101 of the loading zone 100, and more particularly to transfer them onto the upper face of the movable plate 31 of the closing hatch 30.

The smooth transfer of the cells from the feed conveyor 20 to the plate 31 of the guillotine hatch 30 is facilitated by the difference in adhesion of the cells to the conveyor belt and to the movable plate of the hatch, the adhesion being higher on said belt than on said plate. This result, which will be explained later with reference to the drawings illustrating the steps of the operation of the device, is obtained for example when the movable plate 31 is made of, or coated with, a relatively non-stick material, such as for example stainless steel (inox). By “relatively non-stick material” is meant a material that is smoother and more slippery than the surface of the transport belt of the feed conveyor 20 (when the latter is a belt conveyor) which belt is preferably composed of or coated with a relatively sticky material as mentioned above. The person skilled in the art will appreciate that the adhesion and non-adhesion properties of the belt and the plate, respectively, are assessed relatively for each of these elements, on the one hand, and with regard to the material from which the conveyed cells are made, on the other hand. Where appropriate, even better sliding of a cell on the movable plate 31 can be obtained by a specially non-adhesive coating of the plate 31 which can then be made of any material. Such a special coating can be obtained by an appropriate surface treatment, for example a coating with a material based on Polytetrafluoroethylene (or PTFE, better known under the brand name Teflon™ or other competing brands) or another similar industrial material known for its specific non-adhesive properties. With the application of such a coating, the coefficient of friction can reach values as low as 0.02 to 0.15, depending on the cell load, the conveying speed and the type of non-stick coating.

Thus, a cell may be slidably transferred onto the plate 31 as its front end is moved forward beyond the outlet end 22 of the feed conveyor 20, since its forward drive by the belt is maintained as long as the rear portion of the cell continues to rest on, and to be in contact with, said belt. Other embodiments may be envisaged, in which the same result may be obtained, if necessary, with another type of conveyor.

The machine for loading the cells by stacking in the bottom box of the bushel-type case comprises the closing hatch 30 already mentioned above, the guillotine-forming plate 31 of which is movable longitudinally between a first extreme position (or extreme front position) and a second extreme position (or extreme rear position). These two positions define a state of the guillotine hatch 30 completely closed and a state of said hatch completely open, respectively. More particularly, the movable hatch 31 (or guillotine) is arranged to be moved only horizontally, in a substantially horizontal plane in the longitudinal direction X, in a controlled manner alternately from front to rear and from rear to front, between its extreme front position and its extreme rear position. For this purpose, the movable hatch 31 can be moved longitudinally in both directions, forwards and backwards. This movement is caused by any suitable drive device, for example a geared motor controlled in two directions of rotation, or a double-acting cylinder. In addition, the movable plate 31 can be guided by fixed rails or slides not shown which hold it and stabilize it during its movement in the horizontal plane. These can be, for example, ball slides which, in addition, advantageously reduce friction during the movement of the plate. These rails or slides extend horizontally, in the longitudinal direction X, substantially at the height of the outlet end 22 of the supply conveyor 20.

It will be noted that the plate 31 is not vertically movable, and therefore does not have the function of an elevator. It is conventionally considered that the horizontal plane of movement of the movable plate 31, which is therefore at a constant determined height, separates what is called the upper part 101 from what is called the lower part 102 of the filling zone 100: in other words, the lower part 102 of the loading zone 100 is the part of said zone which is below the level of the movable plate 31.

In the fully open position of the guillotine hatch 30, the movable plate 31 is in its second extreme position, or extreme front position, opposite in the longitudinal direction X to the outlet end 22 of the supply conveyor 20. In this position, the plate 31 completely opens access to the lower part 102 from the upper part 101 of the loading zone 100.

In the fully closed position of the hatch 30, the movable plate 31 is conversely in its first extreme position, or extreme rear position, adjacent to the outlet end 22 of the supply conveyor 20. More precisely, the movable plate 31 is then contiguous towards the front, that is to say in the immediate vicinity and directly in continuity along the longitudinal direction X and the conveying direction, of the outlet end 22 of the supply conveyor 20. In this position, it completely closes access to the lower part 102 from the upper part 101 of the loading zone 100. Furthermore, still in this position, it can receive a cell loaded with fruit or vegetables, from the supply conveyor 20. For this purpose, the movable plate 31 is of a shape and dimensions adapted to receive, on its upper face, individually and in sequence, the cells which are successively transferred to it at its level. edge adjacent to the outlet end 21 of the supply conveyor 20. It will be noted that the difference between the relatively higher adhesion of the cell to the endless belt of the supply conveyor 20 and the relatively lower adhesion of the cell to the top of the guillotine 31, facilitates this transfer without deformation of the cell.

The horizontal plane of movement of the movable trap 31 is substantially at the same height, or at a height slightly lower than the upper surface of the endless belt of the conveyor 20. Such a slightly lower height is not essential but it provides a clearance to prevent any “step” upwards in the conveying direction, i.e. from back to front, at the boundary between the surface of the endless belt at the outlet end of the supply conveyor on the one hand, and the surface of the movable plate 31 on the other hand. This clearance is preferably limited to a few millimeters (mm), for example of the order of 10 mm maximum, because a higher clearance can conversely generate a step downwards in the conveying direction. Such a downward step could unnecessarily cause deformation of the cell, which it is preferable to avoid.

In embodiments, at least one stop element 32 forming a longitudinal stop for the cells opposing their forward movement beyond the filling zone 100, is arranged in the upper part 101 of the filling zone. The longitudinal stop 32 comprises for example a transverse extension bar, i.e. extending in the transverse direction Y. In the vertical direction Z, the stop 32 is arranged directly above the plane of movement of the movable plate 31, therefore where appropriate above longitudinal guide rails or slides of the movable plate 31. In the longitudinal direction X, the stop 32 is arranged substantially between the position of the movable plate 31 in its extreme rear position, and the position of the movable plate 31 in its extreme front position. In other words, the longitudinal stop element 32 is arranged in the upper part of the loading zone directly above the level of the movable plate 31 of the guillotine hatch, in a position in the longitudinal direction which is in front of said movable plate when it is in its extreme rear position, and which is behind said movable plate when it is in its extreme front position.

Thus, when the movable plate 31 moves from its extreme rear position to its extreme front position, when the guillotine hatch 30 opens, the plate 31 disappears completely under the stop 32, towards the front. Advantageously, the cell which is then placed on the plate cannot move beyond the stop 32, towards the front. Indeed, once it comes against the stop 32 while being driven by the movement of the plate 331 from back to front, the cell is retained by the stop 32 while the plate 31 slides under it to continue its movement towards the front and disappear under the stop 32. As has been understood, the disappearance of the plate 31 has the inevitable consequence of the cell falling downwards, under the effect of gravity.

The width, in said direction Y, of the transverse bar which forms the stop 32 in the example considered above, is preferably equal to the width of the belt of the belt conveyor 20 and to that of the movable plate 31, in order to block any object, in particular a fruit or vegetable which would have come out of a cell. The width of the bar may however be less, preferably however being equal to that of the two dimensions (length and width) of the front side of the cell in the arrangement of said cell on the plate 31 (and therefore its arrangement previously on the belt of the supply conveyor 20), or to a substantial part of this dimension, in order to guarantee that the cell will be retained without risk of pivoting in the horizontal plane (i.e., of flat rotation about a vertical axis).

Alternatively, the stop 32 may comprise one or more studs arranged in the transverse direction, instead of the transverse bar described above. Preferably, these studs are equally distributed between the two lateral edges of the filling zone, corresponding to the lateral edges of the movable plate 31 of the guillotine hatch 30). For example, three studs seem to be sufficient to fulfill the expected stop function, but it is possible to provide a greater number. In certain embodiments, two studs, or even just one arranged for example at an equal distance from the lateral edges of the filling zone, may be sufficient. In particular in the embodiments in which the cell is wedged transversely between lateral flanges or edges which prevent any risk of pivoting of the cell in the upper part 101 of the filling zone 100 when the movable plate 31 advances.

The loading machine according to embodiments of the invention comprises a device for inserting the cells into the box 51. This device comprises, for example, a slinging assembly 40. It is arranged in the loading zone directly below the movable plate 31 of the guillotine hatch 30, when this plate is in its extreme rear position, corresponding to the completely closed state of the guillotine hatch 30. The insertion device is adapted to receive from above a cell previously transferred onto the movable plate 31 of the guillotine hatch 30, when said plate 31 moves horizontally forward, disappearing under the longitudinal stop element 32 during a loading cycle corresponding to the treatment of a cell in the loading zone.

In other words, the insertion device is adapted to receive the object from the movable plate of the guillotine hatch via the erasure of said plate, by horizontal translation in the conveying direction, under the longitudinal stop element when said hatch is opened. The result thus obtained is that the longitudinal stop element 32 is adapted to ensure the referencing of the object, in the conveying direction X, relative to the underlying insertion assembly 40, and this in a simple and reliable manner, without any possible play since the stop 32 is fixed.

The insertion device 40 is further adapted to lower the object in a controlled manner towards the receptacle 51, which has been previously positioned in the lower part 102 of the filling zone and is still at least partially empty. For this purpose, the slings of the slinging assembly can descend, for each loading cycle of a cell, by a height corresponding substantially to the height of a cell filled with products. This minimises the vertical space requirement of the insertion device, and therefore of the loading machine.

For this purpose, when the insertion device 40 comprises a sling assembly as in the example shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the latter comprises a plurality of slings 41 each consisting of a strap. The term “strap” means a flat strip, i.e. with a rectangular section, of small thickness relative to its width. As will appear from the description of the operation of the insertion device given below, it is advantageous for the straps to offer low friction forces relative to the products and packages, in order to be able to be easily removed after the products have been inserted into the package. When the products are molded cellulose cells and the packages are cardboard boxes, the straps may, for example, be made of polyamide.

These slings or straps 41 extend parallel to each other in the longitudinal direction X. A portion of said straps extends horizontally across the lower part 102 of the loading zone 100. In fact, three horizontal extension portions are distinguished for each of the straps 41, these respective portions being parallel to each other for each of the straps and being at the same height for each of the straps of the plurality of straps 41. Furthermore, these three portions are located at respective heights in the vertical direction Z:
- the portion of the straps 41 which is behind the loading zone 100 extends horizontally under the supply conveyor 20, at a constant height, if necessary below and preferably and as close as possible to the return part of the endless belt of said conveyor 20 in order to minimize the vertical bulk;
- the portion of the straps 41 which is in front of the loading area 100 extends horizontally under the movable plate 31 of the guillotine hatch 30 when the latter is completely open, at a constant height, preferably as close as possible to said plate 31 always in order to minimize the vertical bulk. In the example shown, the height of this portion is identical to that of the rear portion presented above, but this is not obligatory; and, finally,
- an intermediate portion of the straps 41, between the two portions mentioned above, which extends horizontally in the longitudinal direction X across the loading zone 100. The height of this intermediate portion of the straps 41 is variable. It is all the lower as the developed length of the straps which has come out of the reels 42 is great. For each strap, this total developed length includes not only the three horizontal portions above which extend in the longitudinal direction X but also the vertical portions of the straps 41 which join said horizontal portions and which are of height in the vertical direction Y which is variable according to the height of the intermediate horizontal portion.

The straps 41 are unwindable from reels 42 and rewound into said reels 42. For this purpose, one end of each strap is permanently fixed to the hub (i.e. to the roller, or drum) of such a reel. In some embodiments, these are reels with automatic rewinding, which are provided for this purpose with a means of elastic return of their hub, such as a motor spring comprising for example a metal strip of hardened steel wound on a wheel and enclosed in a barrel. Alternatively, these may be motorized reels. The reels are arranged on one side or the other of said loading area in the longitudinal direction X. Motorized reels can be controlled to lengthen or shorten the developed length of the straps which has come out of the reels, with the effect of lowering or raising, respectively, the intermediate horizontal portion of the straps 41 within the loading area 100. It will be seen below that, in proposed embodiments, the same result can be obtained otherwise, thanks to the appropriate movement of a longitudinally movable carriage, to which the straps can be coupled by their respective free end.

In order to ensure their function as slings on which one or more cells rest for their loading into the box 51, the straps 41 are each returned by four pulleys with respective lateral axes, namely:
- two upper pulleys 44 and 45 which are fixed, among which the pulley 44 (or rear upper pulley) is arranged on the rear side of the loading zone 100 while the pulley 45 (or front upper pulley) is arranged on the front side of said zone 100, both in the same horizontal plane which extends at the top of the lower part 102 of said zone 100; and,
- two lower pulleys (not shown) which are vertically movable and each arranged in line with the aforementioned rear upper pulley 44 and front upper pulley 45, respectively, and which are called rear lower pulley and front lower pulley, respectively. The synchronous movement of the front and rear lower pulleys in the vertical direction downwards or upwards allows the respective horizontal portion of each of the straps 41 which crosses the loading area to remain horizontal regardless of the height of said portion. Thus, a cell or a stack of cells such as cells 11 and 12 shown in FIG. and to the , which rests on the straps 41, can descend towards the bottom of the box 51 while remaining flat when the straps 41 are extended due to the descent of the lower pulleys (not shown).

In the example shown, the sling assembly comprises three straps or slings parallel to each other, which can be substantially regularly spaced along the transverse direction Y. However, depending for example on the weight of the load to be supported, i.e. the weight of a cell filled with the fruits or vegetables concerned and the number of cells, the number of slings can be increased. Increasing the number of slings arranged in parallel also makes it possible to reduce the center distance of the slings, along the transverse direction Y, and thus reduce the deformation of the cell during the insertion process into the box 51. In summary, the person skilled in the art will be able to choose the number of slings depending in particular on the weight of the cells loaded with the products, and depending on the flexibility of the cells in order to avoid undesirable deformation of the cells, in order to avoid any malfunction and to preserve the integrity of the products. It is thus possible to envisage a slinging device with two, three, four or even five slings depending on the dimensions of the cells in the transverse direction Y, and more if necessary. The only limit is a space limit in the transverse direction Y, in addition of course to a compromise to be made concerning the cost/benefit ratio. Preferably, the number of straps is odd, so that there is one (or more) central strap(s), between one (or more) first lateral strap(s) on one side, and one (or more) second lateral strap(s) on the other side. The interest of this characteristic will appear later, when means are described for bending the cells in order to facilitate their insertion into the box.

In the example shown in the and to the , the reels 42 are arranged on the downstream side of the loading zone 100, that is to say in front of said zone 100, preferably beyond, towards the front, of the movable plate 31 when it is in its extreme front position corresponding to the fully open state of the guillotine hatch 30. The reels 42 may be at a height greater than that of the movable plate 100, the straps 41 then being returned upwards, in the reels 42, by return means comprising for example pulleys. Such return means will be described later, with reference to the and in the following figures. In other embodiments, the reels 42 can also be arranged on the upstream side of the loading zone 100, that is to say behind said zone 100, for example under the outlet end 22 of the supply conveyor 20.

In embodiments, the insertion device may further comprise a strap-pulling carriage 43, which is movable in the longitudinal direction X. During the placement of the cells on the sling assembly, the free ends of the straps are coupled to this movable carriage, and the latter is located on the opposite side of the loading zone 100 relative to the reels 42. In the example shown in FIG. and to the , this mobile trolley is therefore arranged on the rear side, that is to say upstream of the loading zone 100. Thus, the straps are stretched across the loading zone 100.

1. aller attraper une extrémité libre des sangles 41 (à savoir l’extrémité qui n’est pas celle par laquelle les sangles sont fixées à demeure sur le moyeu des dévidoirs 42) du côté de la zone de chargement 100 où se trouvent les dévidoirs 42 (à savoir en avant de ladite zone dans l’exemple représenté), en se déplaçant (de l’arrière vers l’avant dans l’exemple) pour traverser ladite zone ; et, ensuite, de
2. tirer les sangles en dehors des dévidoirs 42 et de les étendre au travers de la zone de chargement 100, en se déplaçant en sens inverse (de l’avant vers l’arrière, dans l’exemple) pour retraverser ladite zone 100 ; et enfin de
3. provoquer la descente des alvéoles vers le fond de la caisse 51 en se déplaçant par pas successifs en direction de la zone de chargement 100 (de l’arrière vers l’avant dans l’exemple) mais sans la traverser, afin d’augmenter la hauteur des portions verticales des sangles dans la zone de chargement 100 en réduisant de manière corrélative la longueur de leur portion horizontale en amont de ladite zone. L’homme du métier appréciera que, lors de cette manœuvre, le rembobinage automatique des sangles dans les dévidoirs 42 est empêché, grâce à des taquets qui coincent les sangles dans des canaux associés, en avant de la zone de chargement mais en arrière des dévidoirs 42.

This 43 mobile trolley has the triple function of:

1. go and catch a free end of the straps 41 (namely the end which is not the one by which the straps are permanently fixed on the hub of the reels 42) on the side of the loading zone 100 where the reels 42 are located (namely in front of said zone in the example shown), by moving (from the back to the front in the example) to cross said zone; and, then,
2. pulling the straps out of the reels 42 and extending them across the loading area 100, moving in the opposite direction (from front to back, in the example) to cross said area 100 again; and finally
3. cause the cells to descend towards the bottom of the box 51 by moving in successive steps towards the loading area 100 (from the back to the front in the example) but without crossing it, in order to increase the height of the vertical portions of the straps in the loading area 100 by correspondingly reducing the length of their horizontal portion upstream of said area. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that, during this maneuver, the automatic rewinding of the straps in the reels 42 is prevented, thanks to cleats which wedge the straps in associated channels, in front of the loading area but behind the reels 42.

The strap-pulling carriage is for example guided by longitudinal extension rails, in the horizontal plane of its movement. It can be moved in a controlled manner, by any suitable motorized means, for example a stepper motor associated with a rack to prevent any unintentional slippage, or by any equivalent means. Advantageously, the control of the movement of the strap-pulling carriage in the longitudinal direction is carried out in a controlled manner, that is to say in a closed loop on the basis of information relating to its actual longitudinal position. The information taken into account in the feedback loop of this control can be delivered by position sensors of the carriage 43, sensors and/or means for detecting the number of revolutions made by a drive pulley, etc. The implementation of this position control is within the reach of those skilled in the art and will not be detailed here. This control makes it possible to have precise and reproducible longitudinal position control of the carriage 43.

The free end of the straps 41 is releasably and reattachably attached to this mobile carriage. The strap-pulling carriage 43 comprises for this purpose means forming controlled clamps, which are adapted to firmly hold the free end of the straps 41 and to release them (i.e. to release them completely) only when necessary. The movement of the strap-pulling carriage 43, within the area behind the loading area 100, towards the reels 42 towards the front, and while the automatic rewinding of the straps in the reels is prevented, allows the elongation of the two respective vertical portions of the straps in said loading area to cause the descent of a cell or a stack of cells towards the bottom of the box, during the depositing of a cell on the slinging assembly.

The clamps can be controlled to open and release the straps 41, after a complete batch of objects filling said package has been lowered into the package, in order to actually place said batch of objects on the bottom of the package. The release of the straps 41 from the strap-pulling carriage 43 also allows the straps to be rewound into the reels 42, to extract them from the loading area 100 and allow the stack of cells to rest directly on the bottom of the box 51. For this purpose, the automatic rewinding of the straps by the elastic return means of the reels 42 is authorized, by the unlocking of the jamming cleats which were mentioned above.

Once this is done, the strap-pulling carriage 43 can be commanded to traverse the loading area 100 forwards, while remaining in the same horizontal plane above the box 51 at the top of the lower part 102 of said area 100, to go and grip the straps 41 again after they have been rewound into the reels 42. Positioning means can be provided to position the ends of one or more slings at a precise and reproducible location near the reels 42, so that the ends of the sling(s) can be securely and more easily gripped by the strap-pulling carriage 43.

Then, the return of the strap-pulling carriage towards the rear, to its starting position at the beginning of the loading cycle of the parcel, has the effect of tensioning the straps 41 across the loading zone 100 in preparation for loading a next parcel. Simultaneously or almost simultaneously, the parcel completely loaded with cells is replaced, automatically, by said next parcel, which is empty for the beginning of the next cycle of complete loading of a parcel. It will be appreciated that the implementation of the process of replacing a full parcel with an empty parcel between two successive loading cycles of a parcel is within the reach of a person skilled in the art, and that its description would go beyond what is necessary within the scope of the present description.

Preferably and for the sake of simplicity, a single strap-pulling carriage is provided for all the straps of the plurality of straps 41, but nothing prevents having as many strap-pulling carriages as there are straps, which carriages would then be independent of each other. This can make it possible to limit the consequences of the failure of a strap-pulling carriage, in particular the tipping of the stack of cells being loaded in the loading zone 100, since the other strap-pulling carriages continue to operate despite this failure.

We will now describe the progress of a process for loading a package using the machine described above with reference to the and to the , now referring to the step diagram of the . This description also refers to the illustrations given in the drawings, of the to the which illustrate the state of the machine at the different stages of this process. These figures are representations of the machine seen from the side, in which the conveying direction is from left to right.

The continuous process is doubly cyclical, i.e. it comprises steps repeated cyclically each time for the insertion of a cell into the box present in the lower part of the loading zone, on the one hand, and steps repeated cyclically each time for the complete loading of a given box with the planned number of cells and the replacement of the full box in the lower part of the loading zone by a new empty box in order to start a new loading cycle, the steps of the loading cycle of a box comprising a corresponding number of successive iterations of the steps of a cycle for inserting a given cell into the box.

In the example considered here, the number of cells to be loaded into a box is equal to five, it being understood that this number is not limiting and may, in particular, be equal to two, three, four or six, for example, depending on the applications. A complete loading cycle of a given box initially empty (hereinafter “loading cycle”) with this number of cells therefore comprises five successive iterations of a cycle of insertion of a cell into a given box (hereinafter “insertion cycle”).

The step diagram of the illustrates these two nested cycles of steps, namely a loading cycle which includes the number of iterations of an insertion cycle corresponding to the expected number of cells to be inserted into the box to completely fill it, namely five iterations of an insertion cycle in the example considered. As far as possible, in the illustrations of the to the , the numerical references and their connecting signs which designate the elements which are active at the relevant stage of the process, and are then generally animated by a movement, are represented in figures and in thicker lines than those of the other elements which are inactive, and therefore generally static, at the stage considered.

In a step 400 of initializing the loading cycle, the value N of a counter is initialized to the unit value (N=1), when an empty crate 51 arrives in the lower part 102 of the loading zone 100. The machine is then in the state illustrated by the , ready for insertion into box 51 of a first cell filled with fruit or vegetables.

Still referring to the , this first cell 11 is brought to step 401 of the method by the supply conveyor 20, following the longitudinal direction X in the conveying direction symbolized by a thick arrow from left to right in this figure. Step 401 is the first step of an insertion cycle for the cell 11, which comprises steps 401 to 405 in the example described here. As will have been understood, the insertion cycle of the cell 11 is the first insertion cycle of a series of five cycles, to be repeated five times, respectively for five cells 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 brought in sequence by the conveyor 20.

At step 402 of the method which is illustrated by the diagram of the , the cell 11 is transferred from the outlet end 22 of the conveyor 20 onto the movable plate 31 of the guillotine hatch 30, which plate is then located as shown in the in its extreme rear position, that is to say as close as possible to the outlet end 22 of the supply conveyor 20. The movable plate 31 is then, moreover, directly above the insertion device 40 and the underlying box 51, at the boundary in the vertical direction Z between what is called the upper part 101 and the lower part 102 of the loading zone 100. This transfer of the cell 11 is symbolized on the by the thick, horizontal arrow oriented from left to right. It is facilitated by the substantial difference in adhesion between the conveyor belt 20 and the movable plate 31. At the end of this step, and as more specifically illustrated by the , the cell 11 rests entirely (or almost entirely) on the plate 31, and no longer on the belt of the supply conveyor 20.

At step 403 of the method which is illustrated by the diagram of the , the movable plate 31 is moved forward, disappearing completely under the longitudinal stop 32 of the guillotine hatch. This movement of the movable plate 31 downstream (in the conveying direction) is symbolized on the by the thick horizontal arrow oriented from left to right. It follows that the cell 11 is transferred to the insertion device 40 by being more particularly deposited on the straps 41 of the slinging system of this device. It will be noted that in the side plane of figures 5 to 19 only one strap is visible, it being understood however that several straps 41 are arranged parallel to each other in the transverse direction Y which is orthogonal to the plane of said figures. This deposit of the cell 11 is symbolized, on the , by the vertical thick arrow oriented from top to bottom. The person skilled in the art will appreciate that, since the straps 41 of the sling assembly are stretched across the loading zone 100 at the top of the lower part 102 of said zone, as close as possible to the movable plate 31, the drop of the cell 11 onto the straps 41 is of low height. It is therefore carried out gently, without excessive deformation of the cell which could be harmful to the integrity of the fruits or vegetables with which the cell 11 is filled. The flexibility of the cell 11, provided both by its design and by its constituent material, however, also allows this deposit on the straps 41 to be carried out gently.

At the end of step 403, and as shown more specifically in the , the movable plate 31 has reached its extreme front position, in which it is completely retracted under the longitudinal stop 32. The guillotine hatch is then completely open. Advantageously, the simultaneity of the forward movement of the movable plate 31, on the one hand, and the depositing of the cell 11 on the straps 41, on the other hand, means that the longitudinal stop ensures the longitudinal referencing of the cell 11. In other words, the position of the cell 11 on the straps 41 is automatically and precisely set in the longitudinal direction X, and this in a simple and infinitely reproducible manner. Thus, no maintenance operation is necessary to compensate for possible misadjustments such as those which necessarily occur with the solutions of the prior art in which a longitudinal stop is provided by movable elements of great structural and operational complexity.

At step 404 of the method which is illustrated by the diagram of the , the mobile strap-pulling carriage 43 is moved longitudinally forward and, simultaneously, the controlled unwinder 42 is actuated so as to unwind a larger portion of the straps 41 towards the rear. It follows, due to the two pairs of superimposed pulleys in the vertical direction Z, including the two upper pulleys 44 and 45 which are fixed and the two conjugate lower pulleys (not shown) which are vertically movable and have descended at this stage, that the intermediate longitudinal extension portion of the straps 41 descends downwards, towards the bottom of the box 51, while remaining quite horizontal. With this movement, the cell 11 begins its insertion into the box 51. The changes affecting the straps 41 are symbolized, at , by the small horizontal arrows 46 and 47 shown on the strap 41 and by the curved arrow on the reel 42 which designates the direction of rotation of the roller of this reel 42 to unwind a larger portion of strap. The descent of the cell 11 downwards is symbolized, always at the , by the thick vertical arrow pointing from top to bottom.

This descent towards the bottom of the box 51 of the cell carried by the straps 41, which corresponds to the start of the insertion of the cell into the box 51, is made smoother by the (optional) implementation of insertion flaps (not shown). Such flaps would be tilted at this step 404 (or before this step), from their horizontal position to their vertical position in which they would partially penetrate into the box 51 from the top. As already previously indicated, the implementation of such flaps is not specific to the embodiments described here. This is the reason why such flaps are not shown in the drawings of the to the , so as not to overload the drawings with non-essential details.

At step 405 of the method which is illustrated by the diagram of the , the movable plate 31 is moved from front to back, to be brought back into its extreme rear position, by extracting itself from under the longitudinal stop 32 of the guillotine hatch. This upstream movement of the movable plate 31 is symbolized on the by the thick horizontal arrow pointing from right to left. At the end of this step 405, and as shown more specifically in the , the movable plate 31 has returned to its extreme rear position, adjacent to the outlet end 22 of the supply conveyor 20. The guillotine hatch is therefore completely closed again.

Although they are distinctly illustrated by FIGS. 8 and 9 and described separately in the foregoing, those skilled in the art will appreciate that steps 404 and 405 can be performed at least in part simultaneously, in order to increase the rate of loading of the box 51.

Furthermore, the person skilled in the art will appreciate that the distance along the vertical direction Z from which the cell 11 is lowered towards the bottom of the box 51 corresponds substantially to the height of said cell filled with fruit or vegetables. A shorter distance would prevent the movable plate 31 from returning back at step 405. A greater distance would cause the cell to be inserted to fall from a greater height than necessary during the next iteration of the insertion cycle just described for the cell 11, over said cell 11.

Once steps 404 and 405 have been completed, the first insertion cycle concerning cell 11 is complete. The machine is then in the state shown in , in which it can process the next cell 12 in the sequence of cells brought by the supply conveyor 20. From an algorithmic point of view, the method then comprises a step 410 implemented in software, consisting in comparing the value N of the counter with the number of cells that are planned to be inserted into each box. If this number is reached, i.e. if the current value of the counter is equal to five (N=5), then the method moves on to the execution of step 411 which will be described below. Otherwise, the value of the counter is incremented by one unit at step 412 (N=N+1) and the method loops back to step 401 for the execution of a new insertion cycle, following that which has been described in the foregoing with reference to the illustrations shown in the drawings, of the to the , for the treatment of alveolus 11.

The execution of the following insertion cycle, for the cell 12, comprises a new iteration of the steps 401 to 405 which have already been described in the above. This description will not be repeated here in order not to lengthen the text of the present description, but it can be reread this time with reference to the illustrations given in the drawings, of the to the , instead of the illustrations of the to the , respectively. Note that the only notable difference is the fact that, at step 403 illustrated by the diagram of the , when the guillotine hatch opens by the forward movement of the movable plate 31, the cell 12 is not deposited directly on the straps 41 as the cell 11 was during the first iteration of the insertion cycle, but it is deposited on (i.e., over) said cell 11. In other words, the second cell 12 is transferred to the insertion device 40 by being only indirectly deposited on the straps 41 of the slinging assembly, over the first cell 11 which rests directly on the straps 41. As illustrated in FIG. , a stack is thus created comprising the cells 11 and 12, with the cell 12 resting on the cell 11, which cell 11 rests directly on the straps 41 while the cell 12 rests indirectly (i.e. via the cell 11) on said straps.

Step 410 of testing the value of the counter and, where applicable, step 412 of incrementing this counter, are also executed at the end of the second iteration of the insertion cycle. The same applies thereafter, after each new successive iteration of said insertion cycle until, at step 410, it is determined that the maximum number of cells has been inserted into the box 51. In this case, this box is replaced by a new empty box, and a new iteration of the loading cycle of a parcel is carried out for this new box.

The sequence of the steps of the method that are implemented at the end of each loading cycle will now be described. A loading cycle ends when, at the test step 410 ending an insertion cycle, it is determined that the maximum number of cells to completely load the box 51 has been transferred to the insertion device 40. It is recalled that, in the example considered here, this number is equal to five.

At the completion of a complete loading cycle of a box, the loading machine is, at step 406, in the state illustrated by the . In this state, a stack of cells formed, in the example shown, of the five cells 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15, rests on the straps 41 of the slinging assembly of the insertion device 40. It is noted that the strap-pulling carriage 43 has moved forward, in successive steps at each of the iterations of the insertion cycle, from its initial rearmost position to a final frontmost position. In an example as shown in , this final position of the strap-pulling carriage is located near the outlet end 22 of the supply conveyor 20, in a horizontal plane at a slightly lower height. Furthermore, the vertical portions of the straps which extend in the Z direction between the upper pulleys 44 and 45 on the one hand, and the lower pulleys (not shown), on the other hand, are then at their maximum. The temporary base provided by the sling assembly 40 to support the batch formed by the cells 11 to 15 stacked on top of each other, and which corresponds to the horizontal portion of the straps 41 in the loading zone 100, is at its lowest level. For example, this level corresponds almost to the level of the bottom of the box 51, in fact at this level precisely, or at a level just above in which case the stack of cells 11 to 15 still remains suspended on the straps 41 slightly above the bottom of the box 51, for example one centimeter above said bottom.

At step 406 illustrated by the , the straps 41 are released from the strap-pulling carriage 43. As a result, the stack of cells 11 to 15 is instantly deposited on the bottom of the box 51, by the effect of gravity. This operation is carried out without damage to the fruit because the drop height is very low. The reels 42 are then controlled to rewind the straps 41, which is symbolized by the curved arrow on the reel 42 shown in , which designates the direction of rotation of the roller of the reels 42 allowing the rewinding of the straps 41. When they are rewound in the reels 42, the straps 41 are extracted from the box 51 and from the loading zone 100 to leave the stack of cells resting directly on the bottom of the box 51. In the example as shown in , the free end of the straps 41 is stopped, at the end of the rewinding, in a position just behind the front upper pulley 45. Preferably, in fact, a small portion of each strap remains behind said pulley 45. Given the relative rigidity of the straps, this portion of strap is ideally horizontal. The free end of the straps 41, on the rear side, is then in the same horizontal plane as the strap-pulling carriage 43 which, initially, remained stationary behind the filling zone 100 as shown in .

After the end of step 406, the box 51 loaded with its five cells 11 to 15 stacked inside, can be removed from the lower part 102 of the loading area, and be replaced by a new empty box, by any suitable means, preferably automatically.

The next step 407 is illustrated by the diagram of the on which neither the full box nor the empty replacement box are visible so as not to unnecessarily clutter the figure. At this step 407, the strap-pulling carriage 43 is commanded to cross the loading zone 100 forwards, while remaining in the same horizontal plane (if applicable above the full box being evacuated or above the empty replacement box being arrived), at the top of the lower part 102 of the zone 100. The strap-pulling carriage 43 is adapted to re-grasp the free ends of the straps 41, left accessible after the rewinding of said straps 41 in the reels 42. As mentioned above with reference to the and to the , the machine's insertion device may comprise positioning means for positioning the ends of the slings 41, along the longitudinal axis X, at a precise and reproducible location, close to but behind the reels 42 and advantageously the front upper pulley 45, so that the gripping of the free ends of the straps by the strap-pulling carriage 43 can be assuredly and easily obtained. , the forward movement of the strap-pulling carriage 43 is symbolized by the thick horizontal arrow, oriented from left to right.

The loading cycle of a crate ends at step 408 illustrated by the , by returning the strap-pulling carriage 43 backwards, to its starting position, in which it was at the start of the package loading cycle, in accordance with the . During this movement, the carriage 43 crosses the loading zone 100 in the opposite direction, that is to say towards the rear. This has the effect of tensioning the straps 41 which it carries with it, through the loading zone 100, and more particularly in the upper part 101 of said zone in which the longitudinal movement of the strap-pulling carriage 43 is constrained by appropriate rails. At the , the rearward movement of the strap-pulling carriage 43 is symbolized by the horizontal thick arrow, oriented from right to left. Similarly, the unwinding of the reels 42 to let the straps come out and stretch horizontally across the loading area 100, is symbolized by the curved arrow on the reel 42 shown in this figure. The orientation of said arrow indicates the direction of rotation of the roller of the reels allowing the unwinding of the straps 41.

At the same time, and as indicated in the above, the package fully loaded with cells has been replaced, automatically, by the following package, which is empty for the start of the following cycle of complete loading of a package.

At the end of the current loading cycle, the machine is in the state illustrated by the already described previously, with a new empty box ready to be loaded, in the lower part 102 of the loading area.

With reference to the functional diagram of the , the loading machine 201 whose operation has been described in the foregoing, is driven to operate according to a process defined by the programmed sequence of steps which has been in the foregoing with reference to the step diagram of the . The machine includes for this purpose:
- an electronic control unit 202;
- sensors 203 which send signals to the control unit 202 to report events occurring at each stage of the process; and,
- actuators 204 driven by the control unit 202 to cause the execution of the following steps in the process accordingly.

The control unit 202 is a computer device (computer) comprising a calculator (processor) 202a, a data storage device (memory) 202b and a computer program (software) 202c. The signals produced by the sensors 203 constitute or make it possible to generate input data for the software 202c to trigger each of the appropriate actions of the process. These actions are carried out by actuating the various organs of the machine, via the appropriate control of the actuators 204 by the control unit 202.

The software 202c may be stored in a portion of the memory 202b that corresponds to permanent memory, and be loaded into another portion of the memory 202b that corresponds to random access memory to be executed by the processor 202a. The software 202c includes instructions that, when the software is loaded into the memory 202b and executed by the calculator 202a of the computer 202, implement the steps of the method as presented in the preceding description.

The sensors 203 include, for example, position sensors, displacement sensors, or others, by electrical contact or using optical, magnetic, or other technologies.

The actuators 204 comprise, for example, traction or return members such as cylinders, which may be single-acting or double-acting cylinders. These different members may also be motorized members. They may be replaced by helical compression or traction springs or combined with such springs, at least one of the traction or return members being a motorized member for driving the movement, the movement of the other members being derived therefrom by any appropriate motion transmission device, for example a linkage assembly and/or transmission belts, where appropriate.

In the following, embodiments of the object inserter of the parcel filling machine, which are illustrated in the drawings, will now be described. to the .

1. l’ensemble d’élingage c’est-à-dire les sangles ; dans l’exemple qui est considéré ici, l’ensemble d’élingage comprend trois sangles 41a, 41b et 41c qui s’étendent suivant la direction longitudinale X, alignées et adjacentes deux-à-deux suivant la direction transversale Y ;
2. le chariot tire-sangles 43 déjà présenté dans ce qui précède ;
3. une poutre transversale arrière 450 ; et,
4. une poutre transversale avant 470.

Referring first of all to the , the insertion device essentially comprises the following elements:

1. the sling assembly, i.e. the straps; in the example considered here, the sling assembly comprises three straps 41a, 41b and 41c which extend in the longitudinal direction X, aligned and adjacent two by two in the transverse direction Y;
2. the strap-pulling trolley 43 already presented in the above;
3. a rear cross beam 450; and,
4. a front cross beam 470.

The strap-pulling carriage 43, the rear transverse beam 450 and the front transverse beam 470 extend transversely, substantially in the same horizontal plane, from one side to the other of the alignment of the straps 41a, 41b, 41c in the transverse direction Y. The horizontal portions of the straps 41a, 41b and 41c extend substantially in this same horizontal plane.

As shown in the , the rear beam 450 essentially comprises an upper plate 451 with rolled edges, which is horizontal and transversely extending. The rear edge of this plate 451 carries the front pulleys 45 of the slinging device, namely, in the example shown, the pulleys 45a, 45b and 45c which are associated with the straps 41a, 41b and 41c, respectively. The rear beam 450 is not movable transversely or vertically. As will appear in the remainder of the description, on the other hand, the rear beam 450 is slightly movable longitudinally from front to back. More particularly, the rear beam 450 can selectively be maintained at a determined distance from the front beam 470, or else be made “floating” longitudinally, by the action of two hydraulic cylinders 461 and 462.

In one example, the free end of the cylinder of the cylinders 461 and 462 is attached to the rear beam 450, on the front side of said rear beam, and the free end of the piston of these cylinders is attached to the front beam 470, on the rear side of said front beam. One of the cylinders 461 and 462 is disposed at one of the transverse ends of the beams 450 and 470, and the other cylinder is disposed at the other transverse end of said beams. The fluid in the cylinders 461 and 462 may be air or another gas, or hydraulic oil. When this fluid is pressurized, the piston of the cylinders 641 and 462 is fully extended from the associated cylinder, and the rear beam 450 is maintained at a constant distance from the front beam 470. This distance is determined by the stroke of the piston in the cylinder of each of the cylinders 461 and 462. When these cylinders are purged, the pressure in the cylinders drops, so that the rear beam 450 becomes floating relative to the rear beam 470 and relative to the chassis of the machine. The nominal position of the rear beam 450 in the longitudinal direction X corresponds substantially to the position of the longitudinal stop 32 in said direction X, which stop has been presented with reference to the diagram of the .

The skilled person will appreciate that, in one embodiment of the device, the rear beam 450 supports one of the insertion flaps mentioned above in this description, which can be pivoted vertically in the box 51 before the insertion of the first cell, to facilitate the insertion of the cells in said box. In the example shown, this is the front flap 452. In the horizontal position of the flap 452, it extends rearwardly from a bar 453 which is visible at the and to the , in particular. The shutter 452 can pivot from horizontal to vertical, by rotation around the bar 453. For this purpose, the bar 453 is carried by two bearings 455 provided at each of the lateral ends of the upper plate 451, respectively. At the and to the , the bar 453 is not visible but it is symbolized by an axis bearing the reference 453 which represents the axis of rotation of the pivoting shutter 452 passing through the center of said bar. The pivoting of the shutter 452 is actuated by jacks 456 arranged horizontally and in the longitudinal direction X at each of the lateral ends of the plate 451, on the front side of said plate.

As shown in the , the cylinder of a jack 456 is fixed on a stirrup 457 which extends vertically at the longitudinal end of a bar 458 which extends horizontally in the longitudinal direction X, forwards, from the plate 451, from the corresponding lateral end of said plate. This arrangement of the jack 456 is also visible at the , which shows the 450 rear beam viewed from the front looking towards the rear.

Finally, and as shown on the , the rear beam 450 carries shoes 454, at a rate of one such shoe for each of the straps 41a, 41b, 41c, respectively. These shoes each comprise a longitudinal portion extending horizontally in the longitudinal direction X forward from below the plate 451. As shown in the enlargement of the , a longitudinal channel is provided in each shoe 454 to longitudinally guide one of the straps, in this case the strap 41a for the shoe 454 shown in section in the section plane of the . This strap guide channel has, in cross section, substantially the same dimensions (by higher values) as the dimensions of the corresponding strap, also in cross section.

As shown in the and to the , the strap-pulling carriage 43 comprises an upper plate 431, horizontal and transversely extending. The plate 431 comprises three portions 431a, 431b, 431c connected to each other and adjacent two by two in the transverse direction Y. A void exists between the portions 431a and 431b, on the one hand, and between the portions 431b and 431c, on the other hand, for the passage of the respective piston of two jacks 439 which extend longitudinally in the horizontal plane of the strap-carrying carriage 43, and which will be returned to later. At each of its respective lateral ends, the strap-carrying carriage 43 is flanked by a plate 432, which is vertical and which extends in the longitudinal direction X. The plates 432 carry rollers 433 and a drive wheel or pulley 434, with a transverse axis. The drive wheel or pulley 434 can be used to cause the strap-carrying carriage 43 to move in the longitudinal direction X by drive means not shown and on which it does not appear useful to dwell here.

The front beam 470 whose rear side is shown in the and whose front side is shown in the , also comprises a horizontal plate 471 with rolled edges, horizontal and transversely extending. The front beam 470 is fixed in the transverse direction Y and the vertical direction Z. In one embodiment, the front beam 470 can be slightly movable in the direction of the longitudinal axis X, in order to allow adjustment of the tension of the straps 41a, 41b and 41c. For this purpose, the front beam 470 is flanked by two plates, which are vertical and longitudinally extending, and which carry transverse axis pulleys. These pulleys can be used to cause the rear beam 470 to move in the direction of the longitudinal axis X, and therefore the adjustment of the tension of the straps in said direction when the free ends of the straps are held in the clamps of the strap-pulling carriage 43. Advantageously, this tension adjustment can thus be carried out by single drive means for the three straps. These means are not shown in the drawings, and it does not appear useful to dwell on their subject here given that their production and implementation is within the reach of those skilled in the art.

1. une poulie 476 à une extrémité latérale de la poutre arrière 470 pour le renvoi de la première sangle latérale 41a ;

1. une poulie 478 à l’autre extrémité latérale de la poutre arrière 470 pour le renvoi de l’autre sangle latérale 41c ; et,
2. un moufle 477 avec deux poulies pour le renvoi de la sangle centrale 41b, dont le rôle sera explicité plus bas en référence notamment au schéma de la .

As visible on the , the rear beam 470 carries belt return pulleys 41a, 41b and 41c, by means of which the belts are returned upwards and are wound by their ends 41a', 41b' and 41c', respectively, around the reels 42 shown in the . These reels are not shown in the in order not to overload this figure. The aforementioned pulleys are visible at the and to the . It is thus planned:

1. a pulley 476 at a lateral end of the rear beam 470 for returning the first lateral strap 41a;

1. a pulley 478 at the other lateral end of the rear beam 470 for returning the other lateral strap 41c; and,
2. a 477 block with two pulleys for returning the central strap 41b, the role of which will be explained below with particular reference to the diagram of the .

The plate 471 of the rear beam 470 carries shoes 474, which are in number and position corresponding to the shoes 454 carried by the rear beam 450. There is therefore one such shoe 474 for each of the straps 41a, 41b and 41c, respectively. These shoes each comprise a longitudinal portion extending horizontally in the longitudinal direction X, rearwardly, from the underside of the plate 471, towards the shoes 454 of the rear beam 450. As shown in the enlargement of the , each shoe 474 comprises a longitudinal channel used for the longitudinal guidance of one of the straps, in this case the strap 41a for the shoe 474 shown in section in the section plane of the . Like the respective channels provided in the shoes 454 of the rear beam 450, the longitudinal channels provided in the shoes 474 of the front beam 470 have a cross-section of substantially the same dimensions, by slightly larger values, as the cross-section of the straps.

To guide the straps in the space between the shoes 454 and 474 of the rear beam 450 and the front beam 470, respectively, sheaths 473 are provided, at a rate of one such sheath 473 for each of the straps 41a, 41b, 41c, respectively. These sheaths 473 extend in the longitudinal direction X, and are arranged side-by-side two-by-two in the transverse direction Y. They are in respective transverse positions corresponding to the respective transverse positions of the shoes 454 of the rear beam 450 as well as the shoes 474 of the front beam 470. In one example, the sheaths 473 can be carried by the shoes 474 of the front beam 470, by being fixed thereto for example by screwing. Alternatively, the sheaths 473 can also be carried by the shoes 454 of the rear beam 450. In any case, and as is apparent from the , each of the sheaths 473 permanently enters through one of its longitudinal ends into one of the shoes 454 of the rear beam 450 and into the corresponding shoe 474 of the front beam 470, namely more particularly through its rear end and through its front end, respectively. This is the case, in particular, when the rear beam 450 is maintained at the distance determined by the jacks 461 and 462. It will be seen that, when the pressure in the jack is removed, only a movement of the rear beam 450 towards the front beam 470 can occur, in this case by means of a thrust exerted by the strap-pulling carriage 43. Thus, in this case, a larger portion of the sleeves 473 is included ^ 454. In other words, the sleeves 473 form sliding connections between the respective longitudinal portions of the shoes 454 of the rear bar 450 and the shoes 474 of the front bar 470.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that, when the rear beam 450 is moved forward toward the front beam 470, or vice versa, each sheath 473 remains fixed relative to the shoe 474 to which it is attached, but slides in the longitudinal portion of the corresponding shoe 454 of the rear beam 450. Thus, whatever the relative position of the rear beam 450 relative to the front beam 470, each strap, such as in particular the strap 41a which is the only one visible in the section plane of the , remains entirely enclosed in, and guided longitudinally by a shoe 454 of the rear beam 450, by the corresponding shoe 474 of the front beam 470 and finally by the corresponding sheath 473 which is fixed to said shoe 474.

In other words, thanks to the sliding connections formed by the sheaths 473, the entire length of the straps between the rear bar 450 and the front bar 470 is enclosed in the guide channels formed by the pairs of shoes associated with each of the straps, respectively, and by the corresponding sheath 473. Furthermore, given that the hollow parts of these elements have a cross section corresponding substantially, by higher values, to the cross section of a strap, the guidance of the straps. This avoids any twisting and any premature wear of the straps.

1. à la , la position du plan de coupe de la poutre arrière 450 suivant la direction de l’axe transversal Y lui fait couper longitudinalement la première sangle 41a, sa poulie haute avant 45a ainsi que le sabot 454 correspondant de la poutre arrière 450 et le sabot 474 correspondant de la poutre avant 470. Sur cette même , toutefois, le volet d’insertion 452 et sa barre pivot 453 sont coupés dans un plan parallèle dont la position suivant la direction transversale Y se situe un peu plus vers le centre de l’ensemble d’élingage suivant ladite direction Y (c’est-à-dire vers la position de la sangle centrale 41b suivant la direction transversale Y), de manière à bien montrer la zone en arrière du sabot 454 ;
2. le plan de coupe de la est un peu plus décalé transversalement vers le bord latéral du dispositif d’élingage du côté de la première sangle 41a, en sorte qu’il ne coupe pas le sabot 454 de la poutre arrière 450 correspondant à la première sangle 41a ; et, enfin,
3. la position du plan de coupe de la suivant la direction de l’axe transversal Y se situe à une position intermédiaire entre celle du plan de coupe de la et celle du plan de coupe de la .

There , there and the all show a single configuration of the insertion device, in different vertical section planes which all extend in the longitudinal direction X at respective positions in the transverse direction Y:

1. to the , the position of the cutting plane of the rear beam 450 in the direction of the transverse axis Y causes it to longitudinally cut the first strap 41a, its front high pulley 45a as well as the corresponding shoe 454 of the rear beam 450 and the corresponding shoe 474 of the front beam 470. On this same , however, the insertion flap 452 and its pivot bar 453 are cut in a parallel plane whose position in the transverse direction Y is located a little more towards the center of the sling assembly in said direction Y (i.e. towards the position of the central strap 41b in the transverse direction Y), so as to clearly show the area behind the shoe 454;
2. the section plan of the is slightly more offset transversely towards the lateral edge of the slinging device on the side of the first strap 41a, so that it does not intersect the shoe 454 of the rear beam 450 corresponding to the first strap 41a; and, finally,
3. the position of the cutting plane of the along the direction of the transverse axis Y is located at an intermediate position between that of the cutting plane of the and that of the section plan of the .

In the configuration shown in these figures, the straps have been released from the strap-pulling carriage 43 and fully rewound into the reels 42. This is the configuration adopted by the machine in step 406 of the method described above with reference to the step diagram of figure four, after the complete filling of a box with its maximum number of cells. This allows the evacuation of the box thus filled, and its replacement by a new empty box. In this configuration, the rear end of the straps, which is free, is flush with the rear end of the shoe 454 of the rear beam 450, that is to say that it projects slightly towards the rear relative to said shoe, for example by a millimeter or a few millimeters at most only, depending on the rigidity of the strap. The person skilled in the art will choose the length of the overhang, depending on this rigidity, so that the free end of the strap remains straight, i.e. flat in a horizontal plane. The greater the rigidity of the strap, the greater the length of the overhang of the strap could be, without risk of bending the strap upwards or downwards which could harm the effectiveness of the clamps of the strap puller 43.

In one embodiment, the rear end of each shoe 453 is at the right angle to the axis of the front upper pulley 45 of the corresponding strap 41. Thus, in the example shown in , the shoe 454 of the rear beam 450 which is associated with the strap 41a is at the right angle to the axis of the front upper pulley 45a which is associated with said strap 41a. More particularly, the strap 41a rests on the front upper pulley 45a, and is also located directly below the rearmost part of the corresponding shoe 454 of the rear beam 450. In other words, the strap 41a is held downwards by the pulley 45 on which it rests and upwards by the rear edge of the corresponding shoe 454 which directly covers it. Thus pinched, with only a capacity for movement in its horizontal plane, the strap 41a presents little risk of being bent by deformation of its free end upwards or downwards. The integrity of the free end of the straps is therefore preserved.

The insertion device of the machine according to the invention further comprises means for immobilizing the straps, which are adapted to prevent any movement of the straps in the direction of the longitudinal axis X. In the embodiment shown in the figures, these immobilization means comprise cleats 475, which have already been mentioned above. In one embodiment, these cleats pass through respective holes in the plate 471 of the rear beam 470, each at the level of a respective one of the straps 41a, 41b and 41c. More particularly, the cleats 475 each plunge into a recess provided in the base of the shoe 474 corresponding to the strap concerned, said recess being open upwards in coincidence with one of the aforementioned holes in the plate 471, and opening inside the longitudinal channel provided in said shoe 474 to guide the corresponding strap. This is particularly visible in the section plane of the . When a cleat is pushed vertically downward, it pinches the strap in the corresponding shoe 474, against the horizontal bottom of the channel which extends longitudinally in said shoe. The upper end of the cleats 475 protrudes from the plate 471 of the rear beam 470 upwards, as shown in for the cleat associated with the first strap 41a, and as is also visible for all the cleats 475 on the diagram of the on which said cleats 475 are also referenced.

The cleats 475 can be pushed vertically from top to bottom while being guided in the aforementioned recesses, by any suitable means (not shown) such as respective cams of a transverse extension camshaft, either directly or via corresponding pushers. Preferably, all the cleats 475 are thus pushed simultaneously downwards by means common to all the cleats. This single control simplifies the production, and makes it possible to immobilize simultaneously all the straps 41 of the slinging device when necessary. The usefulness of selectively blocking the straps in order to prevent their movement in the longitudinal direction X will become apparent later.

With particular reference now to the , the strap-pulling carriage 43 comprises means for gripping the free ends of the straps, which operates according to the principle of a clamp. These means comprise, for clamping each of the straps 41a, 41b and 41c, soles 435 arranged directly under each of the portions 431a, 431b and 431c, respectively, of the upper plate 431 of the strap-pulling carriage 43. At the , we can see the sole 435 adapted to cooperate with the portion 431a of the upper plate 431 which is associated with the strap 41a, in order to pinch said strap 41a.

In order to provide a jaw function to form a clamp in cooperation with the portion 431a, 431b or 431c of the upper plate 431, each of the soles 435 takes the general shape of a horizontal plate having substantially the same dimensions as said portion of the upper plate 431. In the example shown, the sole 435 of the clamp associated with the strap 41a is arranged just below the portion 431a of the upper plate 431, and is movable in the vertical direction Z relative to said portion 431a of the plate 431. The same applies to the other two soles 435, not visible in the figure. , which cooperate with the other two portions 431b and 431c, respectively, of the plate 431 to form the clamps associated with the straps 41b and 41c, respectively.

In the following, the operation of the clamp associated with the strap 41a will be described, it being understood that the operation of the other two clamps is identical. To close the clamp in question, the sole 436 concerned can be moved from bottom to top to press against the lower face of the portion 431a of the plate 431. As will have been understood, the free end of the strap 41a can thus be pinched between the upper face of the sole 435 and the lower face of the portion 431a of the upper plate 431. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that, in one embodiment, the three soles can be made of a single metal plate, produced by machining or by forming. In other words, the soles 435 which form the lower jaw of the clamps respectively associated with the straps of the slinging assembly, are respective portions of a single metal plate, in the same way that the upper jaw of said clamps is formed by the respective portions 431a, 431b and 431c of the upper plate 431 of the strap-pulling carriage 43.

In an example of an embodiment conforming to the , the sole 435 shown therein is held in the longitudinal direction X by the flanged edges, i.e., the vertical projections of the edges of the portion 431a of the upper plate 431 of the strap-pulling carriage 43. In addition, the sole 435 rests vertically, by the effect of gravity, on the flanged flanged edges of said portion 431a of the upper plate 431, i.e. the curved continuities of said portion 431a which extend horizontally from the aforementioned flanged edges, under the plate 431 and parallel to said plate. In the open state of the clamp thus formed by the sole 435 in question on the one hand, and by the portion 431a of the upper plate 431 of the carriage 43, on the other hand, there is a space between the upper face of the sole 435 and the lower face of the portion 431a of the upper plate 431, to allow the insertion of the free end of the corresponding strap 41a. This space may be, for example, of the order of approximately 1 cm (centimeter), for straps whose thickness is approximately 1 mm.

For closing the clamp associated with the strap 41a, the strap-pulling carriage 43 is equipped with an operating member which, in accordance with the example shown, can comprise an eccentric bar section 436 extending transversely under the sole 435. This eccentric bar section is rotatable about a pivot axis 437. It comprises a flat 438. The eccentric bar section 436 is adapted and arranged in such a way that, in the open state of the clamp, the sole 435 rests on the flat, whereas, for closing the clamp, the eccentric bar section 436 is rotated 90°, for example forwards, so that the sole 436 is pushed upwards by sliding contact with the rounded part of the eccentric bar section which has the greatest distance from the pivot axis 437. At the end of the rotation of the eccentric bar section eccentric 436, the upper surface of the sole 435 is pressed against the lower surface of the portion 431a of the plate 431, and the clamp is locked in the closed state. For example, respective eccentric bar sections, identical or similar to the section 435 shown in , can be provided for the other clamps, which are associated with the other straps 41b and 41c.

Preferably, all of the eccentric bar sections 436 are coupled to the same pivot axis 437. In addition, the rotation of the eccentric bar 436 about the axis 437 can be caused by the cylinders 439 which have already been mentioned in the foregoing. shows one of these cylinders 439, which is engaged with the pivot pin 437 by a connecting rod 437c provided between the clamps respectively associated with the straps 41a and 41b. The cylinder 439 is for example a hydraulic cylinder, and comprises a cylinder 439a and a piston 439b. When the fluid in the cylinder 439a is pressurized, the piston 439b is pushed out of the cylinder. When it is fully extended, the piston 439b of the cylinder 439 rotates the pivot pin 437 the eccentric bar section 436 by 90° forwards, by means of the connecting rod 439c, whereby the sole 435 is raised and the corresponding clamp is locked. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the other cylinder 439 (visible in the ), which is also engaged by another connecting rod provided between the clamps respectively associated with the straps 41b and 41c, and controlled in the same manner and synchronously to contribute to rotating the eccentric bar sections 436 around the pivot axis 437. In this way, the three clamps respectively associated with the three straps 41a, 41b and 41c are actuated at the same time and with the same efficiency.

The operational operation of the strap puller carriage clamps 43 is as follows. Consider the configuration of the insertion device after the number of intended cells has been deposited on the sling assembly, when the straps have been released from the strap puller carriage (step 406 of the process illustrated by the flowchart of figure four and the simplified functional diagram of the ), and rewound into the reels 42. In this configuration, the free end of the straps is flush just behind the shoe 454 of the rear beam 450, as shown in .

The strap-pulling carriage 43 is driven forward from the area behind the filling area 100, passes through said filling area 100, and is positioned in reference against the shoes 454 which trap the straps, by the rear of said shoes. The configuration is then that shown in .

The purging of the cylinders 461 and 462 which hold the rear beam 450 to the front beam 470 is controlled, so as to drop the pressure in said cylinders. As a result, the rear beam 450 becomes “floating” in the longitudinal direction X. The straps remain held inside the shoes 474 of the front beam 470, by the jamming cleats 475. For this, the jamming cleats 475 pinch the straps against the lower edge of the channels provided for the passage of the straps, as illustrated in for the strap 41a. Thus, the straps 41a, 41b and 41c of the slinging assembly cannot slide in the shoes 474 of the rear beam 470 nor in the associated sheaths 473.

The forward drive of the strap-pulling carriage 43 is then continued slightly, said carriage then pushing the rear beam 450 slightly forward. As a result, the shoes 454 of the rear beam 450 move closer to the shoes 474 of the front beam 470 which is fixed, a larger portion of the sleeves 473 being retracted into the shoes 454, as shown in FIG. . The straps 41a, 41b and 41c being held fixed in the longitudinal direction X by the cleats 475 as indicated above, their free end engages between the soles 435 and the portions 431a, 431b and 431c of the upper plate of the strap-pulling carriage 43, that is to say between the jaws of the corresponding clamp. The person skilled in the art will appreciate that the straps 41a, 41b and 41c remain fixed while it is the clamps which advance forward as well as the shoes 454 of the rear beam 450. The sliding of the straps relative to the shoes 454 is therefore obtained by the sole movement of said shoes.

Once a sufficient length of straps 41a, 41b and 41c is engaged in the clamps, as shown in , the closing of said clamps is controlled. This is achieved by actuating the jacks 439, which then rotate the eccentric bar sections 436 forwards, with the effect of lifting the soles 435 against the lower face of the portions 431a, 431b and 431c of the upper plate 431. At the , the rotation of the bar 436 is symbolized by the curved arrow 301. When the piston 439b of the jacks 439 is completely out of their cylinder 439a, the eccentric bar sections 436 have rotated 90° forward and the soles 435 firmly press the straps 41a, 41b and 41c against the lower face of the portions 431a, 431b and 431c of the upper plate 431. The clamps are then locked in closure, and this state lasts as long as the pressure in the varis 434 is maintained. As a result, the straps are hooked to the strap-pulling carriage 43, by the effect of this pinching.

The carriage 43 can then be brought back, as symbolized in the by the right arrow 302, to extend the straps across the loading area 100, pulling them out of the reels 42. The next loading cycle can then be started for a new empty package.

The person skilled in the art will appreciate that, advantageously, the drive of the strap-pulling carriage 43 being servo-controlled, the control over the position of said carriage is total. This makes it possible to control the referencing of the strap-pulling carriage 43 behind the rear beam 450, the start and end of the engagement of the free ends of the straps 41a, 41b and 41c between the soles 436 and the portions 431a, 431b and 431c, respectively, as well as the tightening of the corresponding clamps by the actuation of the jacks 439, before the return towards the rear of the strap-pulling carriage 43 to bring it back behind the loading zone 100, by pulling the corners, with a view to starting the next loading cycle.

With reference to the drawings, to the , we will now describe an embodiment of means for bending at least the first cell (i.e. the one that rests directly on the straps 41a, 41b and 41c), along the transverse direction Y, when said cell rests on the slinging assembly. These means also cause, although to a lesser extent, the bending of the following cells which are deposited where appropriate on the first cell. This bending of the cells promotes the introduction of the stack of cells into the package, its width becoming smaller than when the cells are kept flat. As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, this result is obtained by creating a belly in the slinging assembly comprising the straps 41a, 41b and 41c, at the level of the central strap 41a.

In this embodiment, the means for bending the cell or cells along the transverse direction Y in fact comprise the pulley block 477 ensuring the return of the central strap 41b and which is shown in the and the . With reference to the detail view shown in the , the pulley block 477 comprises two pulleys or rollers, namely a lower return roller 481 and an upper return roller 482, with respective axes which are parallel to each other. The axis of rotation of the upper roller 482 is fixed, except in rotation on itself of course. The axis of rotation of the lower roller 481, in addition to being mobile in rotation on itself as it should be, is movable relative to the axis of rotation of the upper roller 482, but always remaining parallel to it.

In one example, the lower roller journal 481 is arranged at the distal end of at least one pivoting support arm 483. In the embodiment shown, this support arm 483 of the movable roller is rigid, and therefore of constant length. For example, the pivot axis of the support arm of the lower roller 481 which is movable may be common with the rotation axis of the upper roller 482 which is fixed, as shown in FIG. . For this purpose, the proximal end of the carrier arm of the movable roller is coupled to the ends of flanges 487 which are integral with the upper plate 471 of the rear beam 470, and which also form a bearing supporting the journal of the upper roller 482. In other words, the pivot of the carrier arm 483 which carries the lower roller 481 corresponds to the axis of rotation of the upper roller 482. For example, the pivot axis of the carrier arm 483 and the journal of the upper roller 482 are a single part. This embodiment limits the number of parts required, reduces the bulk and simplifies assembly. But it is not obligatory. The pivot axis at the proximal end of the arm 483 can in fact be distinct from the journal of the upper roller 482.

In any case, the pivoting of the arm 483 which supports the lower roller 481 can be actuated by a control cylinder 484. The cylinder 484a of the cylinder 484 can be held by a rod 485, which can be arranged in two flanges 486 which extend upwards from the rear end of the shoe 474 of the rear beam 470 which is associated with the central strap 41b, each on a respective lateral side of said shoe.

In an exemplary arrangement of the control cylinder 484 as illustrated in , the winding angle of the central strap 41b around the lower roller 481 is, when the piston 484b of the cylinder 484 is retracted into its cylinder 484a, less than said winding angle when said piston 484b is out of said cylinder 484a, so that the central strap 41b is less taut in the first case than in the second case. In other words, it is the retraction of the piston 484b of the control cylinder 484 into the cylinder 484a of said cylinder which makes it possible to release, i.e. to slacken the central strap 41b of the slinging assembly.

This gives a belly in the sling assembly formed by the straps 41a, 41b and 41c, at the level of the central strap 41b, in the transverse direction Y, as illustrated in , on which we will note the different position of the muffle 477 compared to that which it presents on the diagram of the , due to the retraction of the piston 484b into the cylinder 484a of the control cylinder 484. This belly takes shape solely due to its own weight. The formation of this belly of the central strap 41b is completed when the first cell of the stack of cells to be formed is placed on the sling assembly, due to the weight of said cell and its load, i.e. the fruit.

There and the show the insertion device in the state already presented in the , with the central strap 41b relaxed to form a belly of the slinging assembly, but with a plate 500 representing a cell placed on said slinging assembly. As can be seen, the natural flexibility of the cell induces a warping of said cell in the transverse vertical plane which is orthogonal to the straps, given that the cell also rests on the two lateral straps 41a and 41c which each extend on a respective side of the central strap 41b, and which are shorter than said central strap 41b. This warping of the cell has the effect of reducing the overall width of the cell, in the transverse direction Y. The insertion into the box of the first cell, and in fact of the entire stack of cells, if applicable, is facilitated. The person skilled in the art will appreciate that the same result is thus obtained as that obtained by an operator who would bring together, with his hands, the two lateral ends of the cell by playing on its flexibility, in order to slightly reduce its width to be able to insert it more easily into the box, and in particular by also plunging his hands into it on each side to accompany the descent of the cell to the bottom of the box.

In the example shown in the figure, the free end of the piston 484b of the cylinder 484 is directly coupled to the distal end of the arm 483 supporting the lower roller 481. For example, the eye at the end of the piston 484b of the cylinder is crossed by the journal of the lower roller 481, which is held in position by any suitable means such as for example a rivet or a pin, a circlip, an “E” type ring or any other type of retaining ring.

The 484 control cylinder can be electric, pneumatic or hydraulic. An electric cylinder is preferred because of the simplicity of its implementation and the precision it presents.

In the example shown, the lower roller 481 is movable and the upper roller 482 is fixed, and the central strap 41a arrives in the block thus formed from the top from the corresponding winder which is located in front of the insertion device, and leaves from below the lower roller 481 towards the rear of said device. Other arrangements are conceivable, depending on the constraints specific to each application. In particular, the lower roller 481 could be fixed, while the upper roller 482 would be movable.

The present invention has been described in the present detailed description and illustrated in the figures of the attached drawings, in possible embodiments. The present invention is not limited, however, to the embodiments thus presented. Other variations and embodiments can be deduced and implemented by the person skilled in the art upon reading the present description and the attached drawings.

In particular, the invention remains compatible with the implementation of downward tilting flaps to form a hopper facilitating the insertion of the cells into the box, as has already been proposed in the prior art illustrated by document US8015781 which was identified and discussed in the introduction. These flaps can therefore be provided in embodiments of the present invention. As a reminder, such flaps have a width close, by lower values, to the dimension of the interior of the boxes in the transverse direction Y. The flaps pivot from horizontal to vertical around a transverse extension axis, like the doors of a "bomb bay", to help gently place the cells on the sling assembly of the insertion device and lower the stack of cells towards the bottom of the box. The flaps maintain their vertical position during the complete loading of a given box. They are raised to return to the horizontal after the box has been fully loaded and removed from the loading area, in order to allow the installation of a new empty box and the start of a new corresponding loading cycle. The end of the flaps opposite their pivot axis comprises notches adapted for the passage of the slings 41, and more particularly of the intermediate portion of said slings which extends horizontally across the loading area 100.

Furthermore, even if the invention applies advantageously to the loading of fragile products such as fruits or vegetables, for example apples, plums, peaches, tomatoes or others in receptacles such as bushel-type boxes, open-top boxes, small boxes, wooden crates or crates, or any other top-opening boxes, it also applies to the loading of other products in other types of receptacles for which the same technical problems arise.

In the claims, the term "comprise" or "comprise" does not exclude other elements or other steps. A single processor or several other units can be used to implement the invention. The different features presented and/or claimed can be advantageously combined. Their presence in the description or in different dependent claims does not exclude this possibility. The reference signs should not be understood as limiting the scope of the invention.

Claims (21)

Machine for loading at least one object, in particular a cell (1) previously filled with fruit or vegetables, into a package (51) for top loading, in particular a telescopic bushel-type box, said machine comprising:

1. a fixed chassis defining a loading area (100) with an upper part (101) and a lower part (102);
2. a feed conveyor (20) having an inlet end (21) and an outlet end (22) and extending in a determined longitudinal direction (X) and conveying direction, between said inlet end and said outlet end, adapted to bring objects (11-15) in sequence into the upper part of the loading area;
3. a guillotine hatch (30) arranged between the upper part and the lower part of the loading area, having a plate (31) which is movable only horizontally and controlled to move alternately from front to rear and from rear to front, between a rearmost position corresponding to a fully closed state of the guillotine hatch and a frontmost position corresponding to a fully open state of said hatch, said movable plate being adapted to receive individually the objects transferred in sequence from the outlet end of the supply conveyor when said movable plate is in its rearmost position; as well as,
4. an insertion device (40) arranged in the lower part of the loading area (100) below the movable plate of the guillotine hatch when said plate is in its extreme rear position, and adapted to, on the one hand, receive from above when the guillotine hatch opens, an object (13) previously transferred from the supply conveyor onto the movable plate (31) of said hatch (30) and to, on the other hand, lower the object in a controlled manner towards the bottom of the package (51) previously positioned below, in the lower part of the loading area,
5. at least one longitudinal stop element (32), arranged in the upper part of the loading area (100) directly above the level of the movable plate (31) of the guillotine hatch (30), in a position following the forward direction of said movable plate when it is in its extreme rear position and behind said movable plate when it is in its extreme front position;

the insertion device being adapted to receive the object (13) from the movable plate (31) of the guillotine hatch (30) via the erasure of said plate, by horizontal translation in the conveying direction (X), under the longitudinal stop element (32) when opening said hatch. Machine according to claim 1, in which the feed conveyor (20) is an endless belt conveyor providing, for the transfer of the objects to the movable plate (30) of the guillotine hatch (30), an adhesion to the objects (11-15) on the belt which is greater than the adhesion offered to said objects by the surface of said movable plate. Machine according to claim 2, in which the belt of the supply conveyor (20) is a belt made of or coated with a relatively adherent material, such as polyurethane, while the movable plate is a plate made of or coated with a relatively non-adhesive material, such as stainless steel. Machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, in which the longitudinal stop element (32) is a transverse extension rail, integral with the chassis. Machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the insertion device comprises a sling assembly (41) with straps (41a, 41b, 41c). Machine according to claim 5, in which the slinging assembly (41) comprises a plurality of straps (41a, 41b, 41c) extending parallel to each other in the longitudinal direction (X) across the top of the lower part (102) of the loading area (100), which are unwindable and rewindable by means of synchronously controlled reels (42), each arranged on one side or the other of said loading area in said longitudinal direction. Machine according to claim 5 or claim 6, in which the insertion device (40) comprises a movable carriage (43) arranged in the longitudinal direction (X) on the side opposite the loading area (100) relative to the reels (42), to which the straps (41; 41a, 41b, 41c) are fixed in a detachable and reattachable manner, and which is adapted to release said straps after the descent into the package (51) of a batch of objects (11-15) filling said package in order to deposit said batch of objects in the package and to allow the rewinding of the straps in the reels, on the one hand, as well as to move in front of the loading area to come and grasp again a free end of the straps after their rewinding in the reels, and to stretch said straps across the loading area with a view to loading a following package, on the other hand. Machine according to claims 6 and 7, in which the reels (42) are arranged downstream of the loading zone (100) in the longitudinal direction (X), the mobile carriage (43) being arranged movably upstream of said zone during the transfer of the objects from the mobile plate (31) of the guillotine hatch (30) to the insertion device (40), and being adapted to move forwards through the loading zone to grab downstream of said zone a free end of the straps after their release and rewinding in the reels, and to then move backwards to drive the straps (41a, 41b, 41c) and bring them back to the rear of the loading zone (100) in order to tension the straps (41a, 41b, 41c) through said zone (100). Machine according to any one of claims 5 to 8, wherein the insertion device comprises a first transverse beam (450) and a second transverse beam (470) which are arranged in front of the loading area (100),

1. the first transverse beam (450) supporting a first set of hollow shoes (454) which extend forward, at the rate of one such shoe for the passage of a respective one of the straps (41a, 41b, 41c) of the slinging device (41),
2. the second transverse beam (470) being arranged in front of the first transverse beam (450) and supporting a second set of hollow shoes (474) which extend rearwardly towards the opposite hollow shoes of the first set of shoes (454), at the rate of one such shoe for the passage of a respective one of the straps (41a, 41b, 41c) of the slinging device (41),
3. pairs of longitudinally opposed hollow shoes each comprising a determined hollow shoe of the first set of shoes (454) and a determined corresponding hollow shoe of the second set of shoes forming a guide channel for each of the straps (41a,41b,41c) of the slinging device (41), respectively.

Machine according to claim 9, wherein the insertion device comprises a sliding connection piece (473) for each of the pairs of hollow shoes, said sliding connection piece being hollow and adapted to enclose the corresponding strap in continuity with the opposite shoes of said pair of shoes, and being slidably mounted in the longitudinal direction (X) between the opposite hollow shoes of the pair of hollow shoes so that when the first transverse beam (450) and the second transverse beam (470) are brought closer to or further away from each other, the straps (41a, 41b, 41c) of the slinging device (41) each remain enclosed in a guide channel formed by a pair of opposite shoes and by the associated sliding connection piece. Machine according to claim 10, in which the movable carriage (43) comprises clamps in a number and position in the transverse direction which correspond to the straps (41a, 41b, 41c) of the slinging device (41), and in which, for gripping the free ends of the straps (41a, 41b, 41c) of the slinging device (41), the movable carriage (43) is adapted to push the first transverse beam (450) forwards towards the second transverse beam (470) so that, the straps (41a, 41b, 41c) of the slinging device (41) being immobilized longitudinally, the free end of said straps is released towards the rear by the relative forward movement of the shoes of the first pair of shoes with the first transverse beam (450) which carries them, and can engage in the clamps with a view to fixing the straps on the movable carriage. (43) by means of said clamps when closed. Machine according to any one of claims 9 and 10, in which the second beam (470) carries return roller means, adapted to return the straps (41a, 41b, 41c) towards the reels (42), said second beam being adapted to be moved in the longitudinal direction (X) in order to adjust the tension of the straps by means common to said straps. Machine according to any one of claims 1 to 12 comprising means for bending an object along the transverse direction (Y), when said object rests on the straps (41a, 41b, 41c) of the slinging assembly (41), by creating a belly in the slinging assembly (41) at at least one central strap (41b) of said slinging assembly. Machine according to claim 13, limited in that it corresponds to a machine according to claim 12 in which the straps (41a, 41b, 41c) of the sling assembly (41) are returned by roller return means (476, 481, 482, 478) which are carried by the second transverse beam (470) whose positioning in said direction is controlled to adjust the nominal tension of the straps, in which, in addition:

1. the means for bending a cell comprise a central strap return pulley (41b) with a lower return roller (481) and an upper return roller (482) with respective axes of rotation which are parallel to each other, the axis of rotation of one (482) of said rollers being fixed, while the axis of rotation of the other roller (481) is movable in the longitudinal direction depending on the state of a two-state actuating member (484), relative to the axis of rotation of the first of said rollers while remaining parallel to it,
2. the central strap (41a) arrives in the block (480) from the top from a corresponding winder (42) which is located in front of the insertion device, and leaves from below the lower roller (481) towards the rear of said device; and,
3. the winding angle of the central strap (41b) around the lower roller (481) is, in a first state of the actuating member, less than said winding angle in the other state of the actuating member, such that the central strap (41b) is less taut in said first state than in said other state of the actuating member.

Machine according to any one of claims 1 to 14, further comprising lateral flanges, of longitudinal extension, arranged on each side of the guillotine hatch (30) to laterally wedge the objects (11, 12) on the movable plate (31) of said hatch when said plate is in its extreme rear position. Fruit or vegetable processing plant comprising a loading machine according to any one of claims 1 to 15, for loading from above cells previously filled with fruit or vegetables into the bottom box of a telescopic crate (50) of the bushel type. Method for loading objects, in particular cells previously filled with fruit or vegetables, into a top-loading package, in particular a bushel-type crate, said method comprising:
- the supply (20) of the objects in sequence into an upper part (101) of a loading zone (100), in a determined longitudinal direction (X) and conveying direction;
- transferring the objects individually and in sequence onto a plate (31) of a guillotine hatch (30) which is movable only horizontally by being controlled to move alternately from front to back and from back to front between an extreme rear position corresponding to a fully closed state of the guillotine hatch (30) and an extreme front position corresponding to a fully open state of said hatch, when said movable plate is in its extreme rear position;
- inserting each object from above into a package (51) previously positioned below the guillotine hatch in a lower part (102) of the loading area (100) below the movable plate of the guillotine hatch when said plate is in its extreme rear position,
wherein the insertion from above of each object in the package (51) comprises:
- receiving the object by an insertion device (40) arranged in the lower part of the loading area below the movable plate (31) of the guillotine hatch (30) when said plate is in its extreme rear position, from said plate when said hatch opens and the movable plate disappears, by horizontal translation in the conveying direction, under a longitudinal stop element (32) which is arranged in the upper part of the loading area directly above the level of the movable plate, in a longitudinal position in front of the movable plate when said plate is in its extreme rear position and behind the movable plate when said movable plate is in its extreme front position; as well as,
- lowering the object towards the bottom of the package (51) under the control of the insertion device. A method according to claim 17 wherein the feed conveyor (20) provides, when transferring the objects to the movable plate (31) of the guillotine hatch (30), an adhesion to the objects which is greater than the adhesion provided to said objects by the surface of said plate. Method according to any one of claims 17 and 18, wherein the insertion of an object into the package (51) comprises the transfer of said object from the movable plate (31) of the guillotine hatch (30) onto a strap sling assembly of the insertion device (40) comprising a plurality of straps (41) which extend parallel to each other in the longitudinal direction (X) and which are unwindable and rewindable by means of respective reels (42) controlled synchronously and each arranged on one side or the other of the loading area (100) in said longitudinal direction. Method according to claim 19 in which the slinging assembly comprises a movable carriage (43) arranged on the opposite side, in the longitudinal direction (X), of the loading zone (100) relative to the reels (42) and to which the straps (41) are fixed in a detachable and reattachable manner, the method further comprises:
- the release of the straps after the descent into the package (51) of a batch of objects (11-15) filling said package in order to deposit said batch of objects in the package, and the rewinding of the straps in the reels; as well as
- the crossing of the loading area in the longitudinal direction by the mobile trolley to grab the straps after their release and rewinding by the reels; and,
- the tension of the straps across the loading area for the purpose of loading a next package, by a new crossing following the longitudinal direction but in the opposite direction, of the loading area by the mobile trolley. Computer program product comprising instructions which, when the program is loaded into the memory and executed by a computer, implements all the steps of the method according to any one of claims 17 to 20.