Abstract:
The invention greatly increases the speed at which a fill step may be completed in an automatic packaging machine. Instead of the usual process where a gate opens and closes for dumping product into each empty box, a plurality of bottomless measuring cups and transfer cups are moved in an aligned sequence with the corresponding boxes. These cups move over planar surfaces which function as the bottoms of the cups and keep the product in place within the cups. At selected locations, the cups pass over interruptions in the surfaces so that the product may fall out of the cup and into an underlying structure. The sequence is (a) measure product in a measuring cup, (b) drop the product from the measuring cup into a transfer cup, (c) deflect the path of the transfer cup is a box into which it would transfer its product is missing, (d) dump product form any non-deflected transfer cup into a corresponding box, (e) recover product from any deflected transfer cup, and (f) return the deflected transfer cup to a normal path after recovery of its products. The parts are arranged to greatly reduce set up time by making it easy to replace or exchange cups, to fill different sizes of boxes, for example.
Abstract:
A unitary form and fill machine for wide throat boxes comprises a magazine for storing a plurality of pre-formed blanks. A plurality of lower mandrels are mounted on a first endless conveyor to travel throughout the machine. The blanks are picked up from the magazine one at a time and layed down on an individually associated one of the lower mandrels. A plurality of upper mandrels are mounted on a second endless conveyor which extends along a first part of the distance travelled by the first conveyor, the upper and lower mandrels and the first and second conveyors are synchronized so that the mandrels fit together and travel in alignment along said conveyors with the blank held between them. Various plows and other blank folding means are positioned adjacent conveyors for folding and sealing end flaps to form the blank into the bottom of a wide throat box. A third conveyor extends above the first conveyor along a second part of the distance travelled by the first conveyor. A plurality of filling chutes are attached to the third conveyor. The filling chutes and the lower mandrels and the first and third conveyors are synchronized so that the fill chute is over and travels in alignment with the wide throat of the boxes. After the wide throat box leaves the area of the third conveyor, a glue gun sprays panels which bonds the top in place.
Abstract:
An automatic packaging machine has a table with a conveyor mounted thereon to carry a plurality of mandrels. A magazine for cardboard blanks is on a swinging arm which is pivotally mounted on the table, for feeding the blanks toward the mandrels on the conveyor. A pick up includes vacuum cups on a revolving platform which moves the individual blanks from the magazine to individual ones of the mandrels. A circular scale centered on the pivot point enables a swinging of the arm to an azimuth at which the pick up may engage and carry individual blanks. The arm carries a linearly movable fence for holding the blanks in alignment. A linearly moving block is slidably mounted on a pair of guide bars extending perpendicularly away from the swinging arm. A feed screw extends through the block to the arm, whereby the block slides toward or away from the arm responsive to a turning of the feed screw. A linear scale extends between said arm and an end support bracket mounted on the guide bars for identifying the position of the block. The machine is easily upgraded to provide robot operation.
Abstract:
An automatic packaging machine transports an object over a path having a freedom for both horizontal and vertical movement. Horizontal rails support a pair of guide blocks positioned to slide over the rails. Each of the guide blocks has a pair of spaced parallel slots with a T-shaped cross-section confronting individually associated one of the rails. A replaceable wear resistant track is slidably captured within each of the T-shaped slots, to slide over an individually associated one of the rails. A vertical support bar interconnects the second guide blocks. An upper and a lower U-shaped block is attached to the vertical support bar at vertically spaced locations. A keeper is secured over the open space of each of the U-shaped blocks. A block of wear resistant material is positioned in a recess in each of four interior surfaces of the U-shaped block and keeper, a slidable vertical bar being captured and sliding within the embrace of the U-shaped blocks. There is enough play within the sleeve member for the slidable vertical bar to swing out of a sleeve member having a keeper removed while the other keeper remains in place, to enable the wear blocks to be replaced. The slidable vertical bar carrys the object over the path.
Abstract:
An automatic packaging machine includes a loading station for simultaneously and sequentially picking up a plurality of elongated products and deposing them in a spaced parallel alignment within a box. At the time of loading each of the products has an initial volume which is substantially greater than the volume which the same product will have after it has settled over time within the box. Thus, the box id overfilled by an amount which will make it full after the products have settled. Then, the overfilled box is advanced to a closing station, where the lid is closed over the filled box without damage to the products. This immediately reduces the volume of the products to the volume which they would have after they have settled.
Abstract:
The invention provides a process for making a dry powder box with greater geometrical stability and free of pin holes, gaps and the like through which powder may sift. The process uses a carton blank having a bottom closure wherein a pair of relatively large, opposing dust flaps are first folded into the carton tube, in order to define, maintain and stabilize the cross section of the carton. Then, a pair of relatively smaller, opposing major flaps are folded and glued over the open sides of the large dust flaps. This combination of flaps keeps the large flaps from working out of alignment and helps maintain the cross sectional stability of the box. The top of the carton may be a gable having panels at the ends of the gables which are slightly larger than the cross section, of the gable roof sides. When the gable is formed, the larger ends are pushed down to create a leverage which closes the top opening more securely. The cut lines which form and define the flaps extend across approximately 80.degree. of the width of the flap, thereby leaving about 20% of the blank to form a bulk in the corner of the box. This cut line has a taper of about 15.degree. to 40.degree.. Thus, upon folding the flaps at both the top and the bottom, there is a small amount of bulk which must crumple together so that no pin holes are formed at a corner of the box.
Abstract:
An automatic packaging machine has mandrels with a plurality of fingers for gripping an object. A cam track has contours which defines the location of positions along a conveyor carrying the mandrels. The fingers are closed by a spring and opened by a cam follower encountering a contour of cam track. This way a plurality of objects having a variety of widths may be carried by the fingers without requiring a readjustment of the machine.
Abstract:
An automatic packaging machine inserts small items, such as candy coated chewing gum, into a box with the small items arranged in a desired orientation. First, the small items are swept into a grid of individual pockets in plates on a conveyor. Then, the grid is inverted over an insertion tray having grooves which receive the small items without disturbing the desired orientation. The entire tray is inserted into a box and then withdrawn from the box. A ridge is formed adjacent said grooves for lifting a side of the box confronting the small items while the tray is inserted into the box so that there is almost no friction between the small item and the box, which might otherwise disturb the desired orientation. The small items are blocked during a withdrawal of the tray so that they are laid down in the desired orientation on the bottom of the box.
Abstract:
An automatic packaging machine can load light and fluffy particulate product without having it scattered over a large area. The system does this by using a plurality of inclined planes to cause said product to slide in successive small steps, as distinguished from simply dropping in a single fall. The system also tips a box and provides a vent to prevent air from being entrapped and compressed within a box as it is being filled.