The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for the handling of flexible products produced in a dip moulding process, particularly of products such as gloves (2), like disposable inspection gloves (2) for use in clinical, veterinary or medical environments, condoms, balloons, catheters and cannulas after forming on a dip moulding former (4). The apparatus comprises a first conveyor (15), a second conveyor (16) and a carriage (20), the first conveyor (15) having a first transporting surface (17), the second conveyor (16) having a second transporting surface (18), said transporting surfaces facing each other in juxtaposition with a first opening (26) therebetween. The method comprises the following steps: • i) moving said first and second glove transporting surfaces (17,18) apart to widen said first opening (26), and then with said first and second conveyors (15,16) in a first orientation receiving in the first opening a portion (10) of a flexible product (2) extending freely away from said dip moulding former (4); • ii) moving said first and second glove transporting surfaces (17,18) together whereby said product (2) is received and gripped in the first opening (26); • iii) moving said first and second glove transporting surfaces (17,18) in the same direction away from the first opening (26) in order to draw said gripped product (2) further between said first and second glove transporting surfaces (17,18); • iv) moving said first and second conveyors (15,16) to a second orientation, the second orientation being different from the first orientation; and • v) with said first and second conveyors (15,16) in the second orientation, moving said first and second glove transporting surfaces (17,18) in the same direction to eject said product (2) from between said first and second glove transporting surfaces (17,18).
The present invention relates to a glove stacking apparatus for preparing a stack of gloves prior to packing into a box, and to a method of stacking gloves using a glove stacking apparatus for preparing a stack of gloves prior to packing into a box, particularly ambidextrous disposable hygienic gloves. A glove stacking apparatus for lifting and depositing gloves to be stacked comprises a lifting means for lifting each of said gloves. The lifting means includes an attractive glove lifting surface, wherein the lifting means includes within the lifting surface a movable member, the movable member being movable from a first position in which the movable member is substantially flush with the lifting surface to a second position in which the movable member stands proud of the lifting surface in order to help dislodge said lifted glove from the lifting surface. The movable member has a surface that is permeable to air flow through said surface, the glove lifting means including a source of positive air pressure and means to control the application of said positive air pressure through said permeable surface of the movable member in order to control the dislodging of said lifted glove from the glove lifting surface.
The present invention relates to a glove stacking apparatus for preparing a stack of gloves prior to packing into a box, and to a method of stacking gloves, particularly ambidextrous disposable hygienic gloves, with the thumbs of each glove in a desired orientation with respect to each other. The apparatus comprises means for transporting gloves to be stacked, a sensing means for sensing the orientation of said transported gloves, a processing means and a glove placement means for moving transported gloves from the glove transport means to form said stack. The glove transport means has at least two glove conveyors for transporting gloves to be stacked, and also a glove transfer means. The conveyors include a first conveyor that leads to a second conveyor and the glove transfer means in use transfers gloves from the first conveyor to the second conveyor. The sensing means is arranged to sense the orientation of gloves prior to the transfer means. The processing means is connected to the sensing means and is arranged to determine the handedness of gloves. The second conveyor is arranged such that the left/right handedness of each of said gloves transferred to the second conveyor is reversed. The processing means determines the desired handedness of each of said gloves to be moved by the glove transport means and controls the glove transfer means to transfer transported gloves from the first conveyor to the second conveyor to reverse the handedness of a glove when the sensed handedness is not said desired handedness. The glove placement means is operable to move gloves from the second conveyor when the sensed handedness is not the desired handedness or alternatively to move glove from the first conveyor when the sensed handedness is the desired handedness.
The present invention relates to a glove stacking apparatus for preparing a stack of gloves prior to packing into a box, and to a method of stacking gloves, particularly ambidextrous disposable hygienic gloves, preferably with the thumbs of each glove in a desired orientation with respect to each other. A glove stacking apparatus for forming a stack of gloves comprises a packing recess for receiving said gloves to be stacked, and adjacent the recess at least one movable flap for folding towards the recess a portion of a glove overlapping said edge of the recess. The movable flap has a surface that is permeable to gaseous flow through the surface, and the glove stacking apparatus including a source of vacuum pressure and means to apply said vacuum air pressure through the permeable surface of the movable flap in order to pull the overlapping portion of said glove to the flap prior to folding of said overlapping portion. The source of vacuum pressure is separate from the flap so that as the flap folds towards the recess, the application of the vacuum air pressure through the permeable surface is automatically released.
B65B 25/20 - Packaging garments, e.g. socks, stockings, shirts
B65B 35/50 - Stacking one article, or group of articles, upon another before packaging
B65B 63/04 - Auxiliary devices, not otherwise provided for, for operating on articles or materials to be packaged for folding or winding articles, e.g. gloves or stockings
B65H 45/24 - Interfolding sheets, e.g. cigarette or toilet papers
D06F 89/02 - Apparatus for folding textile articles with or without stapling of textile articles to be worn, e.g. shirts
The present invention relates to the dispensing of gloves from a dispenser. A glove dispensing system (100) for dispensing gloves (62) cuff first comprises a glove-filled card box container (80) formed of card material that is held in a holder (1) for mounting on a vertical support. The card may be any suitable sheet material, for example, stiff paper, cardboard or plastic sheet material. The container has an internal volume (61), a plurality of sides including a downwards facing dispensing side (86), the dispensing side having a plurality of layers (19 - 22) including a first layer (22) and a second layer (21), the first layer being relatively inside the second layer. A dispensing aperture (64) is provided in the first layer (22) through which, in use, gloves (62) are dispensed. A removable cover (75) is provided in the second layer (21), the cover extends over the dispensing aperture (64) prior to dispensing of gloves and which when removed permits the dispensing of gloves through the dispensing aperture. The cover (75) has dimensions that extend beyond the bounds of the dispensing aperture (64) and the container (80) comprises a spacer layer (19) between the first layer (22) and the second layer (21) so that a gap (95) is provided beneath the removable cover (75) adjacent the dispensing aperture (64) in which the cuff (69) of the first glove to be dispensed is held prior to removal of the cover. When the cover (75) is removed, the dispensing aperture (64) is free to dispense gloves (62) and is oriented with the dispensing aperture facing downwards so that, in use with the holder mounted to the support, the cuff of the glove next to be dispensed hangs through the dispensing aperture and away from the container.
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for dispensing and donning gloves to be used in an environment where hygiene and time saving are important. A glove dispenser (1) for dispensing gloves (3) in a consistent orientation comprises a container (2) for holding a plurality of gloves (3) to be dispensed, the container having a dispensing aperture (12) through which a glove may be removed from the container, and a stack of inter folded ambidextrous gloves held within the container. The gloves each have a cuff portion (30) with a non-over-folded cuff end and the stack of gloves being arranged such that the gloves can only be removed from the dispensing aperture (12) cuff first. The gloves are in a uniform orientation with a thumb of each glove being on the same side of the stack relative to the dispensing aperture such that, when a glove is removed from the dispenser, it is always in the same orientation with respect to a user permitting the user to don the gloves in the same way each time the dispenser is used.
The present invention relates to a glove packing apparatus for packing gloves into a box, and to a method of packing gloves into a box, particularly to the packing of disposable medical gloves. A glove packing apparatus (1) for packing gloves into a box comprises a receptacle (26) for forming a stack of gloves to be packed, the receptacle having a perimeter wall (24, 25) for containing a stack of gloves, a floor (22) within the perimeter wall for supporting the stack of gloves, and an opening (27) opposite the floor into which additional gloves may be added to during stacking of gloves. The floor (22) is movable relative to the perimeter wall (24, 25), so that, in use, the floor may be moved relatively away from the receptacle opening (27) so that as gloves are added to said stack of gloves, the perimeter wall continues to contain the stack of gloves. The floor (22) may then be moved relatively toward the opening to remove the stack of gloves from the receptacle (26).
B65B 5/10 - Filling containers or receptacles progressively or in stages by introducing successive articles, or layers of articles
B65B 25/20 - Packaging garments, e.g. socks, stockings, shirts
B65B 63/02 - Auxiliary devices, not otherwise provided for, for operating on articles or materials to be packaged for compressing or compacting articles or materials prior to wrapping or insertion in containers or receptacles
B65B 67/04 - Devices facilitating insertion of single articles, or groups or articles, into bags
The present invention relates to the dispensing of gloves from a dispenser. The dispenser (1) comprises a container (2) and a plurality of disposable gloves (22). The container (2) has a plurality of faces (3, 4, 5), and each glove (22) has a cuff portion (36) and a finger portion (34), the cuff portion having a cuff (40) and the gloves being stacked one on another with the cuffs of the gloves being aligned on one side (42) of the stack (20) of gloves held within the container (2). The container (2) has in use a dispensing aperture (24) in at least one face (3, 5) of the container through which gloves (22) can be dispensed. The gloves (22) are oriented in the container (2) so that the gloves are positioned for dispensing cuff-first through the aperture (24), and the finger portion (34) of each glove (22) is folded back against the cuff portion (36) of the same glove to protect the finger portion from user contact and contamination during dispensing of the glove. The cuff portion has a cuff opening for receiving a user's hand, the cuff opening facing outwards with respect to the dispensing aperture.
The present invention relates to the dispensing of hand-held items, and in particular to an apparatus and method for dispensing such items, and to items such as pens and hand-held medical diagnostic aids for dispensing from a dispenser. The dispensing system comprising a dispensing apparatus (2) and at least one hand-held article (10) for dispensing by said apparatus, the apparatus comprising a dispensing passage (12), and supporting means (35, 36), the extent of said passage (12) being defined at least in part by the supporting means (12, 15), and the supporting means being arranged to support a hand-held article (10) ready for subsequent dispensing through said passage, and said article comprising a body (17) and a pull tab (22), and said pull tab extending from said body, wherein: the pull tab (22) of said article (10) is accessible for a user to grip the pull tab in preparation of pulling said article out from the dispensing passage (12); said body (17) includes flexure means (18) which permits the body to flex when pulled by the pull tab (22); - the supporting means (35, 36) provides insufficient clearance for the body (17) of the article to pass through said passage (12) until the body is caused to flex by pulling of the pull tab (22), whereupon the flexed body is dispensed through said passage (12).
B65D 83/08 - Containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents for dispensing thin flat articles in succession
B65D 85/28 - Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials for incompressible or rigid rod-shaped or tubular articles for pencils or pens
G01K 1/00 - MEASURING TEMPERATURE; MEASURING QUANTITY OF HEAT; THERMALLY-SENSITIVE ELEMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - Details of thermometers not specially adapted for particular types of thermometer
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