Abstract:
An apparatus for erecting flattened carton tubes is disclosed. The apparatus includes a hopper holding flattened carton tubes and a conveyor for receiving erected tubes transferred thereto by vacuum pick-off and transfer means moving in a predetermined path between the hopper and the conveyor. The air pressure is supplied through stationary plenum means.
Abstract:
A single folded carton or box is removed from a magazine and is held by suction cups or the like at one side while being moved into contact with a fixed member which exerts an opening force on the folded box. When thus erected, the box is placed onto a moving conveyor belt for further use. The removal, opening and placement on the conveyor are executed in a substantially single sweeping motion of a transport arm which is moved by a system of articulated levers. After placement of the box on the conveyor, the levers retract the arm and return it to its starting position.
Abstract:
This invention discloses an apparatus and method for receiving small containers and articles in a determined array and from a single side accumulating and feeding these containers or articles in a series of loading moves into the end of an erected carton. In the embodiments shown, provision is made for a carton size change within determined limits. These case packing apparatus assemblies shown are for packing small containers such as quart or pint paint containers and in an alternate arrangement for packing a multiplicity of sponges. Automatically actuated fingers that engage the lower extent or surface of folded cartons and then move into slots to engage upper flaps or carton extents are also shown.
Abstract:
An apparatus (10) for erecting collapsed, tubular cartons (12) includes a device (32) for removing the top carton (12) of a vertical stack of cartons (12) and moving it in a horizontal orientation to an operative position, with the second side panel (16) of the collapsed carton (12) underlying at least the first end panel (18) which is in a linear arrangement with the first side panel (14). Suction cups (76) carried by a frame (74) are secured to the second side panel (16) in an attachment position and moved by a parallelogram linkage to an open position located vertically below and coinciding with the first side panel (14). After an unload arm (84) is secured to the first end panel (18), tucking arms (102, 104, 106) are pivoted to tuck the bottom closure flaps (22, 24, 25). The unload arm (84) is then pivoted about a first axis from the pickup position to a drop position and is simultaneously pivoted about a second axis from a first condition to a second condition to place the erected carton (12) in a chute (118) at an offset location and in a horizontal orientation. In the most preferred form, the unload arm (84) is pivoted about the second axis by a crank arm (98) secured to the unload arm (84) and a connector (100) having its opposite end secured to a stationary reference point when the unload arm (84) is pivoted about the first axis.
Abstract:
A carton feed opening wheel assembly for opening carton blanks into preformed cartons on a packaging machine is disclosed. The carton feed opening wheel assembly has a pair of spaced and generally parallel endless vacuum conveyor belts moving along a path of travel from a carton magazine assembly to a carton transport conveyor, and a carton opening wheel positioned on the packaging machine with respect to the vacuum conveyor belts for engaging the top portion of an unopened carton blank being moved on the vacuum conveyor belts toward the carton transport conveyor. The carton opening wheel has at least one suction cup supported thereon for engaging the top portion of the carton blank at a speed and direction substantially the same as the speed and direction of the unopened carton blank moving on the vacuum conveyor belts. Thereafter, the speed of the suction cup in the direction of the path of travel is retarded with respect to the speed of the bottom portion of the carton blank being moved on the vacuum conveyor belt as the suction cup is simultaneously moved perpendicularly away from the vacuum conveyor belts so that the carton blank is opened, whereupon the opened carton is then passed to the carton transport conveyor.
Abstract:
An apparatus for erecting folded carton blanks has a picking assembly for grasping a carton blank from a magazine. The picking assembly is disposed for rotational movement from a first position proximate the magazine to a second position proximate an abutment that engages a corner of the carton blank. A gate disposed for rotational movement is driven in a timed relation with the picking assembly. As the picking assembly moves from its first to its second position, the gate applies a breaking pressure which facilitates air flow through the interior of the carton blank. At or immediately prior to the time that the corner of the carton blank engages the abutment, the gate applies an erecting force that facilitates opening the carton blank to its fully erected state.
Abstract:
An apparatus (10) for erecting collapsed, tubular cartons (12) is disclosed including a device (32) for removing the top carton (12) of a vertical stack of cartons (12) in a hopper (26) and moving it in a horizontal orientation to an operative position. In the operative position, the second side panel (16) of the collapsed carton (12) underlies at least the first end panel (18) which is in a linear arrangement with the first side panel (14). Suction cups (76) carried by a frame (74) are secured to the second side panel (16) in an attachment position and moved by a parallelogram linkage to an open position located vertically below and coinciding with the first side panel (14). In a first preferred form, the folded closure flaps (22-25) are held by a tape piece (116) applied by a taping machine (114) carried by the last tucking arm (106). In another preferred form, the folded closure flaps (22-25) are fan folded by rotating and sliding folding arms (140-143) of a device (120) so that tape pieces (116) or similar agents to hold the closure flaps (22-25) are not needed. An unload arm (84) is then pivoted about a first axis from a pickup position to a drop position and is simultaneously pivoted about a second axis from a first condition to a second condition to place the erected carton (12) in a chute (118) at an offset location and in a horizontal orientation. In the most preferred form, the unload arm (84) is pivoted about the second axis by a crank arm (98) secured to the unload arm (84) and a connector (100) having its opposite end secured to a stationary reference point when the unload arm (84) is pivoted about the first axis.
Abstract:
The present invention concerns a machine for forming cardboard boxes. The principal feature is that the housing is square and consists of a supply tray, box-forming suction cup rocker arm assembly, four-joint tie bar folding assembly, rocker arm tie bar folding assembly, adjustable press plate assembly, side cover-forming plate, press setting assembly, adhesive sprayer and push plate. Cardboard boxes are formed in an automated manner and the bottom thereof is sealed automatically by means of synchronizing the movements of the components pertaining to the machine. Accordingly, the employment of the equipment pertaining to the present invention can bring about a reduction in operation costs and the floor space required.
Abstract:
An apparatus for use with blanks folded to a flat form for unfolding each blank into a tube of rectangular to square cross section and feeding the tubular blank to one of container bottom forming mandrels which is at rest at a feed station. The apparatus comprises a magazine for accommodating a multiplicity of such blanks as arranged side by side, transport arms for delivering the blanks one by one from a delivery opening of the magazine and transporting each blank to a position on an extension of the axis of the mandrel, an unfolding arm for unfolding the blank from the flat form to the tubular form during transport by forming a fold in the opposed flat portions of the blank, a holder for holding the tubular blank on the extension of axis in alignment therewith movably along the extension, and a transfer assembly for transferring the blank from the holder to the mandrel. The forward end of the unfolding arm is movable into and out of the path of transport of the blank. One of adjacent two side wall panels among four side wall panels of the blank is pushed toward the other panel by the arm end advanced into the path to thereby form the fold in each of the opposed flat portions of the blank.
Abstract:
A blank feeder for a packaging machine for use with folded flat blanks unfoldable into tubes of square to rectangular cross section and having different lengths to form containers of different capacities. The feeder includes a magazine for containing a stack of flat container blanks. The magazine comprises an inclined frame defining a downward delivery opening and having opposite side members, an upper member and a lower member, a pair of blank unfolding pawls provided at the bottom surfaces of the upper and lower frame members and partly projecting into the opening, and a pair of movable blank supports reciprocatingly movable between an upper position above the frame and a lower position below the frame through the opening. The upper frame member is movable by a hydraulic cylinder longitudinally of the frame to adjust the distance between the unfolding pawls to the length of the blank. Blanks are supplied by an elevator to the movable blank supports in the upper position and then placed on fixed blank supports at the frame bottom by lowering the movable supports. When the movable supports are raised to the upper position to remove the remaining blanks from the magazine after packaging, the blanks are transferred from the movable supports onto movable guide rods brought to a fallen position from an upright position on the lower frame member.