Ammunition Pouch Insertion Mechanism With Spade Blades
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for packaging ammunition cartons into flexible pouches are inefficient and prone to damage, as they require manual or automated processes that are time-consuming and lack precision, especially due to the flexible nature of the pouches.
Innovation Solution
An automated apparatus comprising an ammunition feeder, vertical and horizontal conveyors, a pouch mounter, opener, and inserter, with spade-shaped inserting blades and air-powered pouch opening scoops, ensures accurate and damage-free insertion of cartons into pouches by arranging, conveying, opening, and inserting them using adjustable mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual or automated packing methods are used for ammunition cartons into flexible pouches, then the packing process can be completed, but the process is time-consuming and prone to damage due to the flexible nature of the pouches
Solution Approach 1:
The pouch mounter performs preliminary actions by positioning and stretching the flexible pouch in a predetermined state before the insertion process. The pouch is pre-stretched to a predetermined length and positioned accurately, which prepares the receiving structure in advance. This preliminary positioning and stretching eliminates the need for manual adjustment during insertion, thereby increasing packing speed while ensuring damage-free operation through precise pre-positioning.
2Productivity
If automated packing is implemented, then packing speed improves, but the flexible nature of pouches makes precise positioning and insertion difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the physical parameters of the pouch by stretching it to a predetermined length using the pouch mounter before insertion. This parameter change (from relaxed to stretched state) transforms the flexible pouch into a more stable, predictable structure that can be precisely positioned. The stretching action modifies the pouch's geometric parameters, making it suitable for automated precise insertion while maintaining high packing speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The pouch mounter acts as an intermediary device between the pouch supply and the insertion mechanism. It performs intermediate functions of positioning, stretching, and holding the pouch in a predetermined state, thereby mediating between the automated insertion system and the flexible pouch material. This intermediary function ensures that the flexible pouch is transformed into a stable, precisely positionable state suitable for automated high-speed insertion.
3Ease of operation
If the pouch is kept flexible for easy handling, then the packing process becomes tricky and time-consuming, but making it rigid would compromise its flexible nature
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the pouch state from flexible to stretched-predetermined form during the packing process. The pouch mounter applies dynamic stretching force to transform the pouch into a stable configuration, and then maintains this state during insertion. This dynamic state change allows the pouch to remain flexible in storage and handling while becoming precisely positionable during the actual packing operation, eliminating time loss without permanently compromising its flexible nature.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The apparatus enables efficient, precise, and damage-free packaging of ammunition cartons into pouches, improving the speed and accuracy of the process while preventing cartons from sticking to pouch rims and ensuring they remain securely inserted.
Implementation Method 1
The rear edges of the ammunition pouch opening scoops include air outlets through which air is blown into insides of the covers of the ammunition pouches.
Data Source
AI summary
An ammunition packing apparatus comprises an ammunition feeder receiving ammunition cartons and horizontally arranging the ammunition cartons in a left or right direction, an ammunition vertical conveyor vertically conveying the ammunition cartons to an ammunition horizontal conveyor, the ammunition horizontal conveyor advancing the ammunition cartons to an ammunition inserter, an ammunition pouch mounter placing and fastening empty ammunition pouches in a flat and stretched position, an ammunition pouch opener opening mouths of the ammunition pouches, and the ammunition inserter advancing and inserting the ammunition cartons into the ammunition pouches, wherein the ammunition inserter includes spade-shaped inserting blades surrounding left and right surfaces and bottom surfaces of the ammunition cartons to allow the ammunition cartons to be inserted without being stuck to rims of the ammunition pouches and ammunition return preventers preventing the ammunition cartons from moving back when the ammunition inserting blades return after advancing and inserting the ammunition cartons.