EP0573050A1

EP0573050A1 - A handling device for packages, such as bottles, and a method in the handling of packages

Info

Publication number: EP0573050A1
Application number: EP93108961A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Pekka Tähkänen; Hannu Paavola
Original assignee: Halton System Oy
Current assignee: Halton System Oy
Priority date: 1992-06-05
Filing date: 1993-06-03
Publication date: 1993-12-08
Also published as: FI922626A0; DK63893A; DK63893D0; FI91051B; DE4318527A1; NO932055D0; NO932055L; FI91051C; FI922626L

Abstract

The invention relates to a handling device (10) for packages, such as bottles, and to a method in the handling of packages. The device comprises a movable guide (15), into which the packages are transferred. The guide (15) has an open bottom, whereby, when a package is transferred by an actuator (17), the packages inside the guide in a space (U) drop off. The device solution comprises plate-like guide plates (15b₁, 15b₂, 15b₃...) cooperative with the guide (15), and the packages may be transferred to the stations (16a, 16b, 16c...) located therebetween by means of the guide (15) before they are dropped into a crate.

Description

The invention relates to a handling device for packages, such as bottles, and a method in the handling of packages.
In the handling of returnable bottles, one work step is the placement of bottles in a transport crate, i.e. crating of returnable bottles. As is well known, the bottles have been crated manually, whereby said work step forms a considerable cost factor in the handling of returnable bottles.
The object of the invention is an improvement in the crating of packages and a method and a device, by means of which a returnable container, especially a bottle, is automatically transferred into an empty crate.
In this application, the product to be handled refers to a bottle, but it is apparent that it may also concern a package of another type.
It has been realized in the invention to form the package handling device such that the packages are led from a main conveyor via a sorter onto their own conveyor belt and further to a guide. When the guide comprises a full number of packages, the packages are dropped to a lower position, where a crate for the packages is located. The packages are moved on the lower conveyor always by a row space of one crate after each dropping operation. An empty crate is taken from a storage station of empty crates, and the filled crate is transferred from the conveyor to a storage station of filled crates.
Thus, is has been realized in the invention to completely automate the after-handling of packages, such as returnable packages. A returnable bottle is led from the main conveyor to a side conveyor and further to a guide, which comprises as many stations as there are places for a returnable bottle in the crate to be filled in its each row. Sensor devices sense the entry of the bottles to the guide and emit a signal to the central unit of each bottle passed by. When the number of the by-passed bottles corresponds to the number of bottle stations in the bottle crate in its cell row, the central unit sends a transfer command for transferring the guide into a position, where the bottles drop gravitationally into the crate located below. The crate is then transferred controllably not solely by means of a motor such that the crate transfers, moved by the motor, on the belt to the next station, where the next empty bottle cell row of the crate is filled. When the last row is filled, the sensor device senses the transfer of the crate away from the photocells, and the central unit sends to the motor of the lower belt run a transfer command for transferring the filled crates to a storage station, at which the filled crates are stacked.
The inventive device for crating the packages is mainly characterized in that the guide has an open bottom, whereby, when transferring a package by an actuator, the packages inside the space of the guide drop off, and that the device solution comprises plate-like guide plates cooperative with the guide, and the packages may be transferred to the stations located therebetween by means of the guide, before they are dropped into a crate.
The inventive method in the handling of packages for crating them is mainly characterized in that the method comprises the following steps:

in the method, a package, preferably a bottle, is conveyed on a conveyor, and the packages or bottles are transferred to a receiving guide,
in the method, the number of the packages transferring to the guide is monitored,
when the number of the packages transferred to the guide corresponds to their number in the packaging places in the row of the crate, the central unit of the device sends a control command for transferring the guide,
the packages are transferred by means of the guide to stations between the guide plates and further from therebetween into a crate on a conveyor located below,
after a row of the crate is filled, the conveyor is transferred such that the crate transfers to such a position that the next row of the crate may be filled.

The invention is next described with reference to certain preferred embodiments of the invention shown in the figures of the accompanying drawings, to which the invention is, however, not intended solely to be limited.
Fig. 1A shows axonometrically the inventive method and equipment.
Fig. 1B shows in an illustrative manner a crate to be filled.
Fig. 2 shows partially schematically the equipment of Fig. 1A.
Fig. 3A shows the device of Fig. 1A seen from the direction of an arrow K₁ of Fig. 1A.
Fig. 3B illustrates the structure of the guide. The guide is located on top of a belt run.
Fig. 3C shows the guide, when is has been transferred away from top of the belt run.
Fig. 3D shows a block diagram representation of the device.
Fig. 4A shows an embodiment of the guide, in which the guide is transferred non-linearly.
Fig. 4B shows an embodiment of the guide, in which the side plates comprise an end wall combining them.
Fig. 5A is a representation in principle of an embodiment of the inventive device, which comprises a movable additional guide.
Fig. 5B shows an actual guide arrangement joined to the additional guide of Fig. 5A.
Fig. 6A shows the device arrangement of Fig. 5A and 5B seen from the transport direction of the crate. The guide is in its lower position. The crate to be filled is not shown.
Fig. 6B shows the device arrangement of Fig. 6A seen from the top.
Fig. 7 shows the movable guide arrangement as an axonometric representation and separately from the remaining structure.
Fig. 8 shows the device arrangement of Fig. 7 seen from the top.
Fig. 9A shows the turnable guide in a position receiving the bottles.
Fig. 9B shows the turnable guide in a position and step, in which the bottles in the space U inside the guide have dropped to a crate located below.
In the figures, a bottle has been selected as a package (P) and the invention is described with reference to this selected package form.
According to Fig. 1A, a package, such as a returnable bottle, comes from a sorting unit N of a main conveyor to a first conveyor 11, preferably to a belt conveyor, of a handling device 10 for packages (P). Said first conveyor 11, preferably a conveyor belt, is driven by a motor 12, preferably via a gear 13, preferably a belt gear. The belt gear 13 and its belt 13a are connected to a wheel 14a₁ driving a sheave 14a of the belt run. A conveyor belt 11a thus travels as a closed loop via sheaves 14a and 14b.
In connection with an upper belt run of the conveyor 11, preferably a belt conveyor, is located a guide 15, which comprises in its vicinity guide plates 15b₁, 15b₂... and therebetween dropping stations 16a, 16b, 16c, 16d..., whose number is the same that of packaging places or cells R_1a, R_1b... in each row R₁, R₂, R₃, R₄...of a crate K to be filled.
The guide 15 is moved by a moving device 17, preferably a solenoid or a cylinder. Before the guide 15 is located in the vicinity of the upper belt run of the first conveyor 12 a sensor device 18, which senses a by-passing bottle and sends thereof a signal to a central unit M, which registers and counts the number of the by-passed bottles. When the number of the packages, such as bottles, corresponds to the number of the bottle places R_1a, R_1b... of a bottle row R₁, R₂, R₃... to be filled and preferably also to the number of the stations 16a, 16b... in the guide 15, the central unit M sends to the moving device 17 a control command for transferring the moving device 17 to a position, in which the guide 15 transfers the bottles placed thereon away from top of the belt run of the first conveyor 11 or some other base such that the bottles drop gravitationally from the dropping stations, 16a, 16b, 16c... located between the guide plates 15b₁, 15b₂... to the crate K on top of a second conveyor 19. The guide 15 and the guide plates 15b₁, 15b₂, 15b₃... are a cooperative whole, by means of which the returnable packages P are grouped before dropping into a grouping form, which corresponds the grouping form of the cells of the cell row of the crate to be filled. The packaging cell row of the crate K, a bottle row R₁, when bottles are concerned, is then filled, i.e. the bottle stations or bottle cell units of the row R₁ are filled at the same time. When the transfer mentioned above has been performed, a motor 21 of the lower conveyor 19 transfers after a certain delay the crate forwards such that the next row R₂ filling the next crate comes to a position, where it may receive bottles dropped from above.
The operation advances in this way by a row R₁, R₂... at a time of the crate K, and when an identification sensor 20 of the crate senses that the crate is no longer in front of it, the central unit sends to the motor 21 an actuation command, whereby the motor 21 is driven, until the filled crate K has transferred to a storage station A₂ of filled crates.
After this, the central unit M takes an empty crate from a storage station A₁ of empty crates and drives the motor 21, until an empty crate enters a station on top of the upper belt run of the lower conveyor 19, in which the crate identification sensor 20 senses the entry of a new crate K before it. The central unit then sends a signal, which stops the motor 21 and in which station the first row R₁ of the bottle cell unit of the crate K is in a position, where it may be filled.
According to the invention, each crate K may be transferred to a lower conveyor 18 either manually or automatically. The crate K may be taken from the storage station A₁ of empty crates K. Similarly, the storage station A₂ of full crates, on which the full crates are stacked, operates automatically or said transfer to the storage station A₂ may occur manually.
Fig. 1B shows in an illustrative manner a crate K to be filled, which comprises cell rows R₁, R₂, R₃... and therein cells R_1a, R_1b...
Fig. 2 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention, in which the guide is moved linearly by means of a solenoid, i.e. a guide moving device 17. In the embodiment of the figure, the structure is encapsulated. The motor 12 connects by its outlet shaft via the belt gear 13 to the sheave 14a via a drive wheel 14a₁, whereby the above-mentioned belt run is inside a case structure T. Similarly, the lower run of the conveyor 11 is located protectively inside the case structure T, like the sheaves 14a and 14b of the belt run of the conveyor.
Fig. 3A shows the guide of Fig. 1 seen from the top in the direction of the arrow K of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3B illustrates the guide as an axonometric representation. The guide 15 comprises according to Fig. 3B seen from the top a U-formed guide frame 15a. As shown in Fig. 3B, the guide frame 15a is located in a bottle-receiving condition totally on a station F₂ on top of the upper belt run 11a of the belt 11.
Near the guide 15 are located guide plates 15b₁, 15b₂, 15b₃, 15b₄, 15b₅. Said guide plates are plate-like parts and position in guide grooves e₁, e₂, e₃, e₄ of the wall 15a₁ on the side of the dropping side of the guide frame 15a and are guided therein, as the grooves e₁, e₂, e₃... open from the lower part of the wall section 15a₁. Between adjacent guide parts 15b₁, 15b₂; 15b₂, 15b₃; 15b₃, 15b₄; 15b₄ and 15b₅ form dropping stations 16a, 16b, 16c, 16d with open bottoms. The first bottle positions against a wall 15a₃ of the frame 15a or in its vicinity. The frame 15a has an open bottom, so that the bottles may thus be dropped gravitationally away from inside the guide 13a on dropping stations 16a, 16b... The guide plates 15b₁, 15b₂... are L-shaped when seen from the side, whereby, by means of the lower part J of the guide, the guide plates 15b₁, 15b₂... may be connected to the side frame of the conveyor 11.
After the bottles have entered between the wall sections 15a₁ and 15a₂ of the guide frame 15a and their number inside the guide part 15 in a space U corresponds to the number of bottle places of the row of the crate K accepted by the central unit M, the actuator 17 performs a transfer of the guide frame 15a of the guide 15 from the station F₁ to the station F₂, where the guide frame 15a transfers, guided by the guides 15b₁, 15b₂..., such that the bottles transfer, pushed by the wall 15a₂ of the guide frame 15a, into the spaces 16a, 16b, 16c, 16d between the guide plates 15a₁, 15b₂; 15b₂, 15b₃..., and when the guide is further transferred by the actuator 17, the bottles transfer off a bottom base C and drop relatively simultaneously to a lower crate K, as shown by an arrow L₂. In this way, the bottles have been transferred from an upper station G₁ to a lower station G₂.
In Fig. 3C is shown a step, in which the guide has nearly transferred to the station F₂, in which the bottles drop into a crate K on the conveyor belt 19.
Fig. 3D shows as a block diagram representation the main drives of the inventive device. The central unit M receives from a sorter of the main conveyor belt an information about a sorted bottle, whereby the upper conveyor 11 of the crating device 10 is switched into operation. The motor 12 is thus driven and when the bottle has passed the sensor device 18, the information is transmitted from the sensor device to the central unit M, which counts the passed-by bottles. The bottle transfers to the guide 15 either to the end of a U-shaped receiving space of the guide 15 or to the vicinity of a bottle already located there. When the number of bottles inside the guide 15 corresponds to that of bottle places in a bottle row of the crate K, the central unit M sends to the actuator 17 of the guide 15 an actuation command, whereby the actuator 17 transfers the guide 15 to the station (arrow L₁), in which the packages, such as returnable bottles, drop relatively simultaneously into a crate K on the lower conveyor 19, whereby the bottle row of the crate K is filled.
The central unit M then sends to the motor 21 of the lower conveyor an actuation command for driving the motor and the motor moves the conveyor 19 such that the crate K transfers to a station, in which the next row of bottles may be received. A sensor device 30 monitors, whether the next row in the crate is empty. It sends a signal in the direction of the row. The equipment comprises an identification sensor 20, which senses the location of the front edge and rear edge of the crate, whereby the central unit M drives the motor of the lower conveyor to such an extent that the next row of bottles transfers exactly to such a station, in which it may receive the bottles dropping from above. The purpose of the sensor device 30 is to sense, whether the row of bottles that has entered the dropping station is empty of bottles before dropping the bottles.
Fig. 4A shows as an axonometric representation an embodiment of the invention, in which the guide 15 is moved by the moving device 17 non-linearly (arrow L₃), as the spindle rotates the guide shaft d, which transfers the guide 15 along a curved path (arrow L₃). However, in the embodiments of both Fig. 2 and Fig. 2 it is essential that the bottles transfer by means of the guide to a station, where they essentially simultaneously drop from the upper station G₁ to the lower station G₂ and into a crate K therein into the bottle stations of the row of bottles or into the cell unit.
In Fig. 4B is shown an embodiment of the invention corresponding to Fig. 4A except that in the embodiment of the figure, the guide plates 15b₁, 15b₂, 15b₃... are joined by means of an end wall 15c. Correspondingly, the guide 15 and its side wall 15a₁ are formed such that the side wall 15a₁ is narrower than the second side wall 15a₂. The wall 15a₁ is fitted to move over the guide plates 15b₁, 15b₂... 15c limiting the dropping stations 16a, 16b, 16c, 16d. In the embodiment of Fig 4B, as well as also in previous embodiments, the belt 11 may also be some other feeding device and such that it is fitted to feed e.g. onto a storage table, on top of which the movable guide 15 is placed.
Fig. 5A shows illustratively an inventive additional guide 22 movable in the vertical direction (view S). The additional guide comprises an end wall 22a and side walls 22b and 22c. The additional guide is moved by a motor device 23, which via a gear 24 rotates a drive wheel 25. A crank 27 is articulated into the drive wheel 25 from an articulated point 26. One end of the crank 27 is articulated into the end wall 22a from an articulated point 28. The additional guide 22 is moved in a vertical direction, as shown by the arrow S. The additional guide 22 comprises guide sleeves 29a, 29b, whereby the guide 22 may be moved, guided by the guide sleeves 29a, 29b, in ways 31a, 31b. The ways 31a, 31b are fixed to the frame R. Similarly, the motor arrangement moving the additional guide is fixed to the fixed frame R.
Fig. 5B shows the device arrangement of Fig. 5A in connection with the guide plate arrangements 15b₁, 15b₂... 15c forming the dropping stations 16a, 16b, 16c, 16d. An inlet opening O₁, O₂, O₃, O₄ is arranged for the dropping stations 16a, 16b, 16c and 16d from one side of the guiding arrangement 15b₁, 15b₂... As shown in the figure, the movable guide 15 transfers the returnable bottles or other corresponding returnable packages to the dropping stations 16a, 16b, 16c, 16d, which have open bottoms and whereby, when a returnable bottle enters into dropping stations, it drops into an empty crate K located below. The side wall 15a₁ of the guide 15 advances in transfer over said guide structure. After the packages P have entered via an inlet opening B of the guide 15 into the trough-like space U of the guide 15, the guide 15 may be transferred in the lateral direction. The second side wall 15a₂ of the guide frame 15a, which pushes the returnable packages to the dropping stations, is wider that the wall structure 15a₁.
The side walls 22b, 22c of the movable guide 22 are located inside the plate parts 15b₁, 15b₅, said plate parts 15b₁, 15b₅ comprising a longitudinal runner H, which also acts as a way part, when the movable guide 22 is guided downwardly. When the movable guide 22 is transferred before the dropping into a lower station in connection with the cell row R₁ or R₂ or R₃... of the crate K, the dropping packages are supported and they are prevented from falling.
Fig. 6A shows the movable guide in the lower station. The crank is then located in a vertical line and the articulated points 26, 28 are located on the same vertical line.
Fig. 6B shows the device arrangement of Fig. 6A seen from the top. In the figure have been drawn four returnable bottles transferred to the space U of the guide 15. When the space U comprises the same number of bottles P as there are bottle places in the cell-unit row R₁, R₂... of the crate K, the guide 15 is transferred by turning it, whereby the bottles drop from the dropping stations 16a, 16b, 16c and 16d into an empty crate located below, into its row of bottles.
Fig. 7 shows axonometrically the inventive device arrangement. The movable guide 22 and its end and side walls are in the lower station and brought into the returnable crate K in connection with the row of bottles (not shown), whereby the dropping bottles are supported also in the lower station.
Fig. 8 shows the device solution of Fig. 7 seen from the top. By means of the guide 15 (not shown), the bottles are transferred e.g. from a collection table to the dropping stations 16a, 16b, 16c and 16d between the guide plates 15b₁, 15b₂, 15b₃, 15b₄, 15b₅ and 15c.
Fig. 9A shows the inventive guide 15 in the filling station, in which the bottles (P) may be brought into the trough-like space U between the side walls 15a₁ and 15a₂. The belt run 11 does not have to extend further than near the inlet opening B of the guide 15. As a device feeding the packages P may also be used some other feeding device than the belt 11.
Fig. 9B shows a step, in which the guide 15 is turned as shown by the arrow L₃ such that the bottles P have transferred to the dropping stations 16a, 16b, 16c and 16d having an open bottom and therefrom to a crate K to be filled and located therebelow.
The invention relates to a handling device (10) for packages, such as bottles, and to a method in the handling of packages. The device comprises a movable guide (15), into which the packages are transferred. The guide (15) has an open bottom, whereby, when a package is transferred by an actuator (17), the packages inside the guide in a space (U) drop off. The device solution comprises plate-like guide plates (15b₁, 15b₂, 15b₃...) cooperative with the guide (15), and the packages may be transferred to the stations (16a, 16b, 16c...) located therebetween by means of the guide (15) before they are dropped into a crate.

Claims

A handling device (10) for packages, such as bottles, by means of which device the packages are crated, i.e. placed into empty crates (K), in which crating the packages (P) are transferred by means of a conveyor (11) or some other corresponding device feeding packages to a guide (15) receiving and transferring packages, characterized in that the guide (15) has an open bottom, whereby, when a package is transferred by an actuator (17), the packages inside the guide in a space (U) drop off, and that the device solution comprises plate-like guide plates (15b₁, 15b₂, 15b₃...) cooperative with the guide (15), and the packages may be transferred to the stations (16a, 16b, 16c...) located therebetween by means of the guide (15) before they are dropped into a crate.
A device according to the preceding Claim, characterized in that the bottle guide is a U-profile, whereby the packages are guided between side walls (15a₁, 15a₂) of said guide and whereby the first bottle comes against an end section (15a₃) of the guide and that the guide has an open bottom, whereby, when the guide is transferred laterally (arrow L₁) by means of the actuator (17), the packages inside the guide drop, when the guide is removed from the conveyor (11).
A device according to the preceding Claim, characterized in that the guide comprises on one side openings (e₁, e₂, e₃...), into which plate-like guide plates (15b₁, 15b₂, 15b₃...) position and which guide the actual guide frame (15a) such that it maintains the direction desired, whereby the packages may be dropped gravitationally from the stations (16a, 16b, 16c...) of the guide (15), as the guide (15) moves laterally transferred by the actuator (17).
A device according to any of the preceding Claims, characterized in that the guide (17) is transferred non-linearly by means of a motor device, which connects to rotate a shaft (d) joined to the guide frame (15a).
A device according to any of the preceding Claims, characterized in that the equipment comprises a central unit (M), which receives signals coming from a sensor device (18), which device senses a package passing by and emits a signal to the central unit (M), which registers and counts the number of the packages passed by and when the number of the packages passed by corresponds to the number of the packaging places of the bottle row (R₁, R₂...) of the crate (K) to be filled, the central unit (M) emits a control signal for transferring the moving device (17) such that the guide (15) transfers to a station, in which the packages are removed from top of the conveyor (11), whereby they drop essentially simultaneously to a crate (K) located below.
A device according to any of the preceding Claims, characterized in that the equipment comprises below the conveyor (11) a conveyor (19), which is fitted to transfer the crate (K), into which the packages dropped from above position, and that the equipment comprises in connection with the conveyor (19) a sensor device (20), which emits a control signal to the central unit (M), when the crate is located at the sensor device, whereby, when a new crate is placed on the conveyor (19), the crate transfers transferred by the conveyor, until the sensor device emits a signal to the central unit (M), which stops a motor (21) driving the conveyor.
A device according to any of the preceding Claims, characterized in that the device comprises in the vicinity of the conveyor (19) a sensor device (30), which senses, whether the package rows (R₁, R₂...) of the crate are empty before filling the row, as the sensor device sends an identification signal in the direction of the package row and senses the package, if the crate includes a package.
A device according to any of the preceding Claims, characterized in that the package handling device comprises a storage station (A₁) of empty crates and a storage station (A₂) of filled crates, whereby the conveyor (19) is located between said storage stations.
A device according to any of the preceding Claims, characterized in that the device comprises a motor (12), whose outlet shaft is connected via a belt gear (13) to a wheel (14a₁) driving a sheave (14) of the belt run (11), whereby by driving the motor (12) the conveyor (11) and its conveyor belt (11a) are rotated via the drive wheel (14a₁), and that the lower conveyor (19) comprises a motor (21), which is connected by its outlet shaft either directly or via a gearing to one of the sheaves (19a, 19b) of the belt run of the conveyor (19) by using the belt run.
A device according to Claim 1, characterized in that the movable guide comprises a side wall (15a₁), which is narrower than the other side wall (15a₂) of the guide, which pushes the returnable packages towards the dropping stations (16a, 16b...) into spaces between guide plates (15b₁, 15b₂, 15b₃...), whereby, when transferring the returnable packages by means of the guide (15), the side wall (15a₁) transfers over the guide plates (15b₁, 15b₂, 15b₃...).
A device according to the preceding Claim, characterized in that the guide plates (15b₁, 15b₂, 15b₃...) are connected by means of an end wall (15c).
A device according to any of the preceding Claims, characterized in that the equipment comprises a vertically movable additional guide (22), which may be brought immediately in connection with the cell-unit row (R₁, R₂...) of the crate (K) before dropping the returnable packages.
A device according to the preceding Claim, characterized in that the additional guide (22) is moved by an actuator, preferably a motor (25), and that the additional guide (22) comprises an end wall (22a) and side walls (22b, 22c) and that the drive of the actuator (25) is connected to the end wall (22a), whereby the additional guide (22) may be moved vertically on guides (31a, 31b), when the guide (22) is guided on guide sleeves (29a, 29b).
A device according to the preceding Claim, characterized in that a motor (M) drives a drive wheel (25), to which drive wheel (25) is joined articulately a crank (27), which is joined to the additional guide (22).
A method in the handling of packages, characterized in that the method comprises the following steps:
- in the method, a package, preferably a bottle, is conveyed on a conveyor (11), and the packages or bottles are transferred to a receiving guide (15),

- in the method, the number of the packages transferring to the guide (15) is monitored,

- when the number of the packages transferred to the guide corresponds to their number in the packaging places in the row of the crate (K), the central unit (M) of the device sends a control command for transferring the guide (15),

- the packages are transferred by means of the guide (15) to stations (16a, 16b, 16c...) between the guide plates (15b₁, 15b₂, 15b₃...) and further from therebetween into a crate (K) on a conveyor (19) located below,

- after a row of the crate (K) is filled, the conveyor (19) is transferred such that the crate (K) transfers to such a station that the next row of the crate may be filled.
A method in the handling of packages according to the previous Claim, characterized in that in the method, an empty crate is taken either automatically or manually from a storage station (A₁) and it is transferred to a second conveyor (19) on a lower station (G₂), by means of which conveyor the empty crate is transferred to a station below the guide (15), in which the crate may receive the packages dropped from above.
A method in the handling of packages according to Claim 15 or 16, characterized in that in the method, the crate (K) is monitored by means of a sensor device (20) such that as the crate (K) comes to the sensor device, the drive of the motor (21) of the conveyor (19) is stopped, whereby the package row of the crate is available, and in the method, the crate is transferred by one package row forwards, when the previous one is filled, by moving the crate by means of the conveyor (19) such that the next row of the crate (K) is placed in a filling position.
A method in the handling of packages according to any of the Claims 15-17, characterized in that in the method, the crate (K) is monitored also by a second sensor device (30), whereby the sensor device (30) emits a control signal, which is aligned according to the package row, whereby the sensor device (30) senses, whether the crate to be filled includes in the cell unit a package, whereby the dropping of packages from above is not performed.
A method in the handling of packages according to any of the Claims 15-18, characterized in that in the method, the guide (15) is transferred linearly by means of an actuator (17) and that in the method is used such a guide (15), which has an open bottom, whereby the packages may drop gravitationally away from the inside of the frame (15a) of the guide (15).
A method in the handling of packages according to any of the Claims 15-17, characterized in that the guide is transferred non-linearly by moving the guide by an actuator, which rotates a shaft (d) joined to the frame and a guide frame (15a) fixed thereto.
A method in the handling of packages according to any of the Claims 15-20, characterized in that in the method, the first conveyor (11) is connected by its initial end near a sorter (N), whereby in the method, the bottles (P) received from automatic returnable-bottle machines are sorted, whereby the sorter (N) transfers a returnable bottle from the main conveying passage to the conveyor (11), preferably a belt conveyor.
A method in the handling of packages according to any of the Claims 15-21, characterized in that before the returnable packages, such as bottles, are dropped from an upper station into a crate to be filled located on a lower station, the vertically movable additional guide (22) is transferred near the cell-unit row of the crate, whereby the packages are supported during the dropping and they are prevented from falling.