HANDLING APPARATUS FOR FOLDABLE CARTONS

• US 3,747,482 A
• Filed: 09/08/1970
• Issued: 07/24/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Joseph C. Berney
• Original Assignee: Joseph C. Berney
• Inventors: Berney, Joseph C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Juhasz, Andrew R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Culver, Horace M.
• Application Number:
  US05/070,566
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 Days
• Field of Search: 53/186,374,381,382 93/36SQ,53R,53SD
• US Class Current: 493/181
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 2100/00 Rigid or semi-rigid containers made by folding single-piece sheets, blanks or webs
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 2120/30 collapsible; temporarily collapsed during manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 50/00 Making rigid or semi-rigid containers, e.g. boxes or cartons
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 50/004 Closing boxes
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 50/064 by being moved in the plane they are lying in
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 50/80 Pneumatically

Abstract

An automatic carton handling apparatus for erecting foldable cartons and positioning them adjacent to a packing machine of the kind which loads the cartons while they are resting on their side panels. The apparatus includes a feed magazine which feeds carton blanks from a stack to a loading station disposed below it, a reciprocating carriage for moving carton blanks from the loading station to a forming station, an opening mechanism for forming the cases into an essentially rectangular tubular configuration, pivotable arms for closing the bottom end flaps, rectilinear arms for closing the bottom side flaps, and a retractable pusher arm associated with the carriage for transferring the opened case from the forming station to a packing station. Included at the forming station is an arm for opening the leading top end flap of the opened carton and a flap flange for maintaining the flap in its opened position. The packing station has associated with it a pivoting carton positioning arm which pushes the opened carton against an end stop, an angular flanged packing horn, carton transfer arms for pushing the opened carton off the carriage onto the packing horn and a lowering arm which contacts the bottom of the carton on the packing horn and lowers the carton after it has been filled, to place the carton in an upright position on a conveyor. The apparatus is synchronized to sequentially feed the cartons in a downstream manner so that the cartons are opened, packed with canned goods, and moved downstream.

Claims

1. Apparatus for forming foldable cartons received as flat carton blanks comprising:

a. means for maintaining a plurality of said carton blanks in a stack;

b. means for carrying the first carton blank from said stack to a forming station;

c. means at said forming station for gripping a side panel of said carton blank and pulling it rectilinearly;

d. means at said forming station for restraining the opposite side panel of said carton blank to force it to open into a tubular rectangular configuration;

e. a pair of arms, each having a camming surface and terminating at their free ends in an elbow; and

f. means for moving said arms between an open position in which they extend adjacent to but spaced from the open bottom end flaps, through an intermediate position in which their camming surfaces move against and gradually fold said bottom end flaps toward one another, and a closed position in which said end flaps are held closed by said arms and the end panels of said carton are firmly grasped between, and are squared by, said elbows.

2. Apparatus for forming foldable cartons received as flaT carton blanks comprising:

a. means for maintaining a plurality of said carton blanks in a stack;

b. means for carrying the first carton blank from said stack to a forming station;

c. means at said forming station for gripping a side panel of said carton blank and pulling it rectilinearly;

d. means at said forming station for restraining the opposite side panel of said carton blank to force it to open into a tubular rectangular configuration;

e. a pair of arms, each having a camming surface and terminating at their face ends in an elbow, said pair of arms being pivotally mounted for turning upon axes spaced apart by a distance which is shorter than the length of said carton and wherein the cam surface and elbow of each said arm form a right angle; and

f. means for moving said arms between an open position in which they extend adjacent to but spaced from the open bottom end flaps, through an intermediate position in which their camming surfaces move against and gradually fold said bottom end flaps toward one another, and a closed position in which said end flaps are held closed by said arms and the end panels of said carton are firmly grasped between, and are squared by, said elbows.

3. Apparatus for forming foldable cartons received as flat carton blanks comprising:

a. means for maintaining a plurality of said carton blanks in a stack;

b. a carriage mounted for reciprocating movement to carry the first carton blank from said stack to a forming station;

c. means for moving said carriage with a carton blank upon it from a retracted position under said stack to a forward position in said forming station and for returning said carriage to its retracted position to receive another carton blank from said stack;

d. means defining a subsequent station downstream from said forming station;

e. a portion of said carriage extending into said forming station when said carriage is retracted;

f. spring loaded latch means on said carriage portion for engaging the back of a formed carton in said forming station, said carriage portion moving with an engaged, formed carton on it to said subsequent station when said carriage is in its forward position;

g. means at said forming station for gripping a side panel of said carton blank and pulling it rectilinearly;

h. means at said forming station for restraining the opposite side panel of said carton blank;

i. said spring loaded latch being retractable into the body of said carriage, said latch being retracted by being pulled against and under the opened carton in said forming station when said carriage is retracted; and

j. means for closing the bottom side flaps including a pair of spaced members respectively mounted on opposite sides of said bottom side flaps and movable toward one another from a first position out of contact with said side flaps to a second position at least partially closing said side flaps, one of said members having a projection for engaging in said second position the rear edge of a flap of said carton so as to prevent said carton from being dislocated when said latch is pulled against it.

4. Apparatus for forming foldable cartons received as flat carton blanks, each having a pair of side panels, end panels, bottom end flaps, top end flaps, bottom side flaps, and top side flaps comprising:

a. means defining a loading station, a forming station, and a subsequent station spaced successively downstream along a common axis;

b. means at said loading station for maintaining a plurality of carton blanks in a vertical stack wherein the carton blanks lie horizontally with their side flaps extending parallel to said axis;

c. an elongate carriage mounted for reciprocation along said axis between a first position in which it extends along the bottom of said loading and forming stations and a second position in which it extends along the bottom of said forming and subsequent stations;

d. means upon said carriage at its upstream end For engaging the bottom carton blank in said stack so that it is transferred into said forming station when said carriage moves downstream;

e. means at said forming station for lifting the upper side panel of said carton blank while restraining its trailing end panel so as to force said carton blank to open into a tubular rectangular configuration;

f. means at said forming station for closing the bottom side flaps including a pair of arms mounted for reciprocation in a common vertical plane against said side flaps;

g. means at said forming station for closing the bottom end flaps including a second pair of arms mounted for movement against said end flaps in a horizontal plane and having cam surfaces for gradually bending said end flaps toward one another into a fully closed position;

h. means upon said carriage intermediate its ends for engaging the formed carton in said forming station so that it is transferred to said subsequent station when said carriage moves downstream; and

i. said second pair of arms each having elbows extending from said cam surfaces for squaring the sides of said carton when said end flaps have been fully closed.

5. Apparatus for forming foldable cartons received as flat carton blanks, each having a pair of side panels, end panels, bottom end flaps, top end flaps, bottom side flaps, and top side flaps comprising:

a. means defining a loading station, a forming station, and a subsequent station spaced successively downstream along a common axis;

b. means at said loading station for maintaining a plurality of carton blanks in a vertical stack wherein the carton blanks lie horizontally with their side flaps extending parallel to said axis;

c. an elongate carriage mounted for reciprocation along said axis between a first position in which it extends along the bottom of said loading and forming stations and a second position in which it extends along the bottom of said forming and subsequent stations;

d. means upon said carriage at its upstream end for engaging the bottom carton blank in said stack so that it is transferred into said forming station when said carriage moves downstream;

e. means at said forming station for lifting the upper side panel of said carton blank while restraining its trailing end panel so as to force said carton blank to open into a tubular rectangular configuration;

f. means at said forming station for closing the bottom side flaps including a pair of arms mounted for reciprocation in a common vertical plane against said side flaps;

g. means at said forming station for closing the bottom end flaps including a second pair of arms mounted for movement against said end flaps in a horizontal plane and having cam surfaces for gradually bending said end flaps toward one another into a fully closed position;

h. means upon said carriage intermediate its ends for engaging the formed carton in said forming station so that it is transferred to said subsequent station when said carriage moves downstream;

i. said means for engaging the formed carton in said forming station being a latch retractable into the body of said carriage, said latch being retracted when said carriage moves upstream; and

j. said pair of arms for closing the bottom side flaps are vertically spaced members respectively mounted above and below respective ones of said bottom side flaps and movable toward one another from a first position out of contact with said side flaps to a second position at least partially closing said side flaps, one of said members having a projection for engaging in said second position the rear edge of a side flap of said carton to prevent said carton from being dislocated when said latch is pulled against it.

6. Apparatus in accordance with claim 5 wherein said latch is spring loaded and is retracted by being pulled against and under the opened carton in said forming station when said carriage moves upstream.