Case erector and bottom sealer apparatus
First Claim
1. For erecting and folding a flat folded case blank having minor first and second flaps, which are respectively joined along fold lines to the to transverse ends of first and second minor side walls of a case blank, and major third and fourth flaps, which are respectively joined along fold lines to one transverse ends of major third and fourth sidewalls, each of said flaps having a longitudinally extending terminal edge substantially parallel to the respective fold line and substantially spaced therefrom and the minor sidewalls being joined to opposed edges of the major sidewalls, case erector and bottom sealer apparatus comprising a longitudinally elongated frame having a rear end portion and a front end portion, first means at the frame rear end portion for supporting a stack of the flat folded blanks in vertical stacked relationship with each blank having its first and third flaps and sidewalls above its second and fourth flaps and sidewalls second means on the frame for picking up a flat folded case blank from the stack of case blanks on the first means and feeding the picked up blank forwardly to a case blank erecting station on the frame, third means mounted on the frame for supporting a case blank at the erecting station, fourth means mounted on the frame for releasably grippingly engaging at least one of the fourth flap and fourth sidewall of a case blank at the erector station, operable fifth means mounted on the frame for releasably grippingly engaging at least one of the third flap and third sidewall of a case blank grippingly engaged by the fourth means and erecting the gripped case blank, operable sixth means mounted on the frame for movement between a retracted and a flap folded position for folding the second flap of the erected case blank to extend generally toward the first sidewall, operable seventh means mounted on the frame for movement between a retracted and a flap folded position for folding the first flap of the erected case blank to extend generally toward the second sidewall, operable eighth means mounted on the frame for movement between a retracted position and a flap folded position for at least partially folding the third and fourth flaps to hold the first and second flaps in their folded condition, ninth means for applying adhesive to at least some of the flaps on areas of the flaps to adhere the third and fourth flaps to the first and second flaps when the first and second flaps are pressed against the third and fourth flaps, operable tenth means mounted on the frame for moving the erected case blank from the erecting station, past the ninth means and to a compression station at the frame front end portion, eleventh means on the frame for supporting an erected case blank as it is moved from the erecting station to the frame front end portion, operable twelfth means on the frame at the frame front end portion to compress the flaps to form a sealed case closure and control means for operating the second and fourth means and controlling the operation of the fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, tenth and twelfth operable means, the second means including means for supportingly conveying at least one of the fourth flap and the fourth sidewall, and the eighth means including lower flap folder means for moving from a retracted position to a flap folded position for folding the fourth flap and means joined to the lower folder means for movement therewith for stopping forward movement of a case blank on the supportingly conveying means when the lower folder means is in its folded position.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Case erector and bottom sealer apparatus having a pick up assembly for grippingly engaging a flat folded case blank on the top of a plurality of case blanks in vertical stacked relationship and elevating and moving the picked up blank forwardly, an infeed conveyor assembly for receiving the picked up case blank in its forward position and moving it to an erector station, an erector assembly at the erector station for grippingly engaging opposite sides of the blank and opening the case blank, folder assemblies movable between retracted and folded positions for first folding the bottom minor flaps of the erected blank and then partially folding the bottom major flaps to retain the bottom minor flaps in a folded condition, a walking stick assembly for moving the erected case from the erector station to a compression station, a glue gun assembly for applying adhesive to the bottom minor flaps as the erected case is moved to the compression station, a compression assembly at the compression station to complete the folding of the bottom major flaps and compress the folded bottom major and minor flaps to complete the formation of the sealed case bottom closure, and controls for controlling the operation of the above mentioned assemblies.
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Citations
16 Claims
- 1. For erecting and folding a flat folded case blank having minor first and second flaps, which are respectively joined along fold lines to the to transverse ends of first and second minor side walls of a case blank, and major third and fourth flaps, which are respectively joined along fold lines to one transverse ends of major third and fourth sidewalls, each of said flaps having a longitudinally extending terminal edge substantially parallel to the respective fold line and substantially spaced therefrom and the minor sidewalls being joined to opposed edges of the major sidewalls, case erector and bottom sealer apparatus comprising a longitudinally elongated frame having a rear end portion and a front end portion, first means at the frame rear end portion for supporting a stack of the flat folded blanks in vertical stacked relationship with each blank having its first and third flaps and sidewalls above its second and fourth flaps and sidewalls second means on the frame for picking up a flat folded case blank from the stack of case blanks on the first means and feeding the picked up blank forwardly to a case blank erecting station on the frame, third means mounted on the frame for supporting a case blank at the erecting station, fourth means mounted on the frame for releasably grippingly engaging at least one of the fourth flap and fourth sidewall of a case blank at the erector station, operable fifth means mounted on the frame for releasably grippingly engaging at least one of the third flap and third sidewall of a case blank grippingly engaged by the fourth means and erecting the gripped case blank, operable sixth means mounted on the frame for movement between a retracted and a flap folded position for folding the second flap of the erected case blank to extend generally toward the first sidewall, operable seventh means mounted on the frame for movement between a retracted and a flap folded position for folding the first flap of the erected case blank to extend generally toward the second sidewall, operable eighth means mounted on the frame for movement between a retracted position and a flap folded position for at least partially folding the third and fourth flaps to hold the first and second flaps in their folded condition, ninth means for applying adhesive to at least some of the flaps on areas of the flaps to adhere the third and fourth flaps to the first and second flaps when the first and second flaps are pressed against the third and fourth flaps, operable tenth means mounted on the frame for moving the erected case blank from the erecting station, past the ninth means and to a compression station at the frame front end portion, eleventh means on the frame for supporting an erected case blank as it is moved from the erecting station to the frame front end portion, operable twelfth means on the frame at the frame front end portion to compress the flaps to form a sealed case closure and control means for operating the second and fourth means and controlling the operation of the fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, tenth and twelfth operable means, the second means including means for supportingly conveying at least one of the fourth flap and the fourth sidewall, and the eighth means including lower flap folder means for moving from a retracted position to a flap folded position for folding the fourth flap and means joined to the lower folder means for movement therewith for stopping forward movement of a case blank on the supportingly conveying means when the lower folder means is in its folded position.
- 7. For erecting and folding a flat folded case blank having minor first and second flaps, which are respectively joined at fold lines to one transverse ends of first and second minor sidewalls of the case blank and major third and fourth flaps which are respectively joined along fold lines to one transends of major third and fourth sidewalls, each of said flaps having a longitudinally extending terminal edge substantially parallel to the respective fold line and substantially spaced therefrom and the minor sidewalls being joined to opposite edges of the major sidewalls, case erector and bottom sealer apparatus comprising a longitudinally elongated frame having a front end portion and a rear end portion, a flat folded case blank pick up station at the rear end portion, a compression station at the front end portion and an erecting station intermediate the pick up and compression stations, first means on the frame for supporting a case blank for movement from rearwardly of the erecting station to and through the compression station, second means mounted on the frame for receiving a picked up case blank and moving the picked up blank to the erector station, third means mounted on the frame for picking up a case blank from a stack of flat folded case blanks and feeding the picked up blank to the second means with the picked up blank first and third flaps and sidewalls above its second and fourth flaps and sidewalls, operable fourth means for gripping at least one of the third flap and sidewall and one of the fourth flap and sidewall while the flat folded blank is on the first means at the erecting station and opening the last mentioned blank to have the second flap and sidewall extend generally perpendicular to the fourth flap and sidewall, fifth means on the frame for folding the first and second flaps inwardly toward one another and then at least partially fold the third and fourth flaps toward one another, the fifth means including means mounted on the frame for movement for folding the first and second flaps inwardly toward one another, operable ninth means mounted on the frame for movement for at least partially folding the third flap and retaining the at least partially folded third flap in the at least partially folded condition until it extends into the compression station and operable tenth means mounted on the frame for movement for at least partially folding the fourth flap and retaining the at least partially folded third flap in the at least partially folded condition until it extends into the compression station, sixth means on the frame for applying adhesive to at least some of the flaps to adhere the third and fourth flaps to the first and second flaps when the first and second flaps are pressed against the third and fourth flaps, seventh means for moving the erectd case blank along the first means from the erector station, past the ninth and tenth means and to the compression station, eighth means at the compression station for retaining the at least partially folded third and fourth flaps in their at least partially folded condition after the third and fourth flaps extend into the compression station and operable eleventh means movable between a retracted position and an extended position cooperating with the eight means for pressing the at least partially folded flaps together to form a sealed case closure when the case blank is at the compression station and control means for operating the second and third means and controlling the operation of the fourth, ninth, tenth and eleventh operable means.
- 10. For erecting and folding a flat folded case blank having minor first and second flaps, which are respectively joined at fold lines to one transverse ends of first and second sidewalls of the case blank, and major third and fourth flaps which are respectively joined along fold lines to one transverse ends of major third and fourth sidewalls, each of said flaps having a longitudinally extending terminal edge substantially parallel to the respective fold line and substantially spaced therefrom and the minor sidewalls being joined to opposite edges of the major sidewalls, case erector and bottom sealer apparatus comprising a longitudinally elongated frame having a front end portion and a rear end portion, a flat folded case blank pick up station at the rear end portion, a compression station at the front end portion and an erecting station between the pick up and compression stations, first means on the frame for supporting a case blank for movement from rearwardly of the erecting station to and through the compression station, operable second means for picking up a flat folded blank at the pick up station and moving the picked up blank along the first means to the erecting station with the flap folded blank first and third flaps and sidewalls above the second and fourth flaps and sidewalls, operable third means to grippingly engage the flat folded blank at the erecting station and opening the last mentioned blank to have the second flap and sidewalls extend generally perpendicular to the fourth flap and sidewall, and the third flap and sidewall respectively above the fourth flap and sidewall, operable fourth means on the frame for folding the first and second flaps of the opened case blank to extend inwardly toward one another and then fold the third flap sufficiently to retain the first and second flaps in a flap folded condition, operable fifth means mounted on the frame for movement between an upper fourth flap folded position to limit the forward movement of a picked up flat folded blank by the second means to a location to be opened by the third means, and a lowered position permitting the fourth flap being moved thereover as the opened blank is moved from the erecting station to the compression station, sixth means for applying adhesive to at least some of the flaps to adhere the third and fourth flaps to the first and second flaps when the first and second flaps are pressed against the third and fourth flaps, operable seventh means at the compression station for pressing together the flaps after adhesive has been applied thereto to form a sealed bottom closure, and operable eighth means for moving an open case blank along the first means for the erecting station to the compression station, and control means for controlling the operation of the second, third, fourth, fifth, seventh and eighth operable means, including operating the fifth means to move from its upper position to its lower position after the third means grippingly engages the folded blank and after the opened blank has started to move over the fifth means in its lower position, operating the fifth means to move to its upper position to fold the fourth flap.
- 14. For erecting and folding a flat folded case blank having minor first and second flaps, which are respectively joined at fold lines to the one transverse ends of the first and second minor sidewalls of the case blank and major third and fourth flaps which are respectively joined along fold lines to one transverse ends of major third and fourth sidewalls, each of said flaps having a longitudinally extending terminal edge substantially parallel to the respective fold line and substantially spaced therefrom and the minor sidewalls being joined to opposite edges of the major sidewalls, case erector and bottom sealer apparatus comprising a longitudinally elongated frame having a front end portion and a rear end portion, a flat folded case blank pick up station at the rear end portion, a compression station at the front end portion and an erecting station intermediate the pick up and compression stations, first means on the frame for supporting a case blank for movement from rearwardly of the erecting station to and through the compression station, operable second means mounted on the frame for picking up a flat folded case blank and moving the picked up blank in a flat folded condition forwardly to the erecting station, operable third means on the frame for opening the flat folded case blank, fourth means on the frame for folding the flaps of the opened case blank, fifth means on the frame for applying adhesive to at least some of the flaps to adhere the third and fourth flaps to the first and second flaps when the first and second flaps are pressed against the third and fourth flaps, operable sixth means at the compression station for pressing the folded flaps together to form a sealed case closure, operable seventh means on the frame for moving a case blank from the erecting station to the compression station, all the operable means being power actuated, and control means for applying power to all the operable means and after the fifth means moves one case blank to the compression station and prior to moving the next blank to the compression station, discontinuing the application of power to the seventh means in the event the next case blank extends forwardly into the erecting station and rearwardly of a preselected position at the erecting station.
Specification