Method for packing articles, and machine for performing the method

• US 5,197,260 A
• Filed: 04/22/1991
• Issued: 03/30/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: L Emballage Carton SA
• Original Assignee: L Emballage Carton SA
• Inventors: Chevalier, Pierre, Veniard, Gilbert E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sipos, John
• Application Number:
  US07/688,703
• Time in Patent Office: 708 Days
• Field of Search: 53/461, 53/462, 53/207, 53/209, 53/465, 53/206, 53/460, 53/208, 206/472, 206/481, 229/1.5 R
• US Class Current: 53/461
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 11/004 in blanks, e.g. sheets precut and creased for folding
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 11/22 and then to form closing folds of similar form at opposite ends of the tube
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 25/14 Packaging paper or like sheets, envelopes, or newspapers, in flat, folded, or rolled form

Abstract

The invention relates to a machine for packing articles of different sizes which is accordingly intended to use containers that vary in their dimensions and particularly in height.

It is characterized in that it includes a working plane 20 and a reference plane 22 that are substantially perpendicular to one another, and an ascending ramp 24-105-106 extending from one to the other, movable devices 23, 23a kinematically connected to a motor 45, guides located on the path that the closure panels 6 must follow in the course of the displacement of container-article sets 1, at least one pressure element 27-54 having a smooth active base 29, mounted to be movable perpendicular to the working plane 20 and elastically urged toward it, at least one pressure element 30-60 having a smooth active face 34, mounted to be movable perpendicular to the reference plane 22 and elastically urged toward it, and means 70 to 72 intended for the fixation of panels 6 of containers 1 equipped with their contents A.

Claims

1. A method for packaging articles having opposed, parallel surfaces in containers formed from plates of pliable material containing a base portion, a flap portion and a closure panel in integral, coplanar relation on apparatus having a working surface, a conveyor movable with respect to said working surface, and a guiding obstruction substantially coextensive with, and extending vertically with respect to, said conveyor, comprising the steps of:

a) forming a set on said working surface by placing an article to be packaged on the facing surface of said base portion of a plate and folding said flap portion across the exposed surface of said article to form a receptacle portion;

b) moving said set onto said conveyor by placing said receptacle portion of said set in engagement with one side of said guiding obstruction with the closure panel extended beyond the other side of said guiding obstruction;

c) moving said set by said conveyor along said guiding obstruction while folding mechanically said closure panel first from the plane of said base portion and thereafter across the opposed surface of said plate;

d) applying adhesive to either one of said closure panel and said opposed plate surface while conveying said set along said obstruction; and

e) pressing said closure panel against said opposed surface to effect an adhesive bond therebetween.

2. The method of claim 1 including the steps of applying pressure against said set to hold it in engagement with said obstruction and to hold said article between said base portion and said flap portion while moving said set by said conveyor.

3. The method of claim 2 including the step of moving said set sequentially against scoring tools prior to mechanically folding said closure panel first from said plane of said base portion and thence across said opposed surface of said plate.

4. The method of claim 3 including the step of sensing the vertical dimension of said set and varying the position of a scoring tool in response thereto to form a fold line for folding said closure panel across said opposed surface of said plate.

5. The method of claim 4 in which a vertically movable pressure element applies pressure between said base portion and said flap portion and said scoring tool is carried by said pressure element.

6. The method of claim 1 including the step of maintaining the location of application of adhesive substantially uniform with respect to the leading end of said closure panel.

7. The method of claim 6 in which the location of application of adhesive is maintained by varying the position of discharge of adhesive in response to the vertical dimension of said set.

8. The method of claim 7 including the step of applying said adhesive to said closure panel after said closure panel is folded from said plane of said base portion and prior to folding it across said opposed plate surface.

9. The method of claim 8 in which a movable pressure element applies pressure between said base portion and said flap portion to hold said article therebetween and the position of discharge of adhesive is varied in response to movement of said pressure element.

10. The method of claim 9 in which said movable pressure element carries an adhesive discharge nozzle and including the step of moving said adhesive discharge nozzle proportionately with respect to movement of said pressure element.

11. The method of claim 10 in which the direction of movement of said adhesive discharge nozzle is inverse to the direction of movement of said pressure element.

12. The method of claim 1 including the step of forming said set on said work surface by folding said plate along a transverse line between said base portion and said flap portion by manually inverting said article to place it between said base portion and said flap portion while holding it on said base portion.

13. The method of claim 12 in which said article is held against said base portion by initially manually folding tabs formed integral with edges of said base portion transversely across the exposed surface of said article.

14. The method for sequentially packaging diversely sized articles having opposed parallel surfaces in containers to diverse dimensions to receive such articles from plates of pliable material containing a base portion, a flap portion and a closure panel in integral, coplanar relation on apparatus having a working surface, a conveyor movable with respect to said working surface, and a guiding obstruction substantially coextensive with, and extending vertically with respect to, said conveyor, comprising the steps of:

a) sequentially forming sets on said working surface by placing selected articles to be packaged on the facing surfaces of the base portions of selected plates and folding said flap portions across the exposed surfaces of said selected articles to form a receptacle portion in each set;

b) moving said sets in sequence onto said conveyor by placing the receptacle portion in each set in engagement with one side of said guiding obstruction with the closure panels of said sets beyond the other side of said guiding obstruction;

c) moving said sets in sequence by said conveyor along said guiding obstruction while mechanically folding each said closure panel, in turn, first from the plane of said base portion and, thereafter, across the opposed surface of said plate;

d) applying adhesive to either one of said closure panel or said opposed plate surface of each said set as the sets are moved along said obstruction; and

e) sequentially pressing each said closure panel against said opposed plate surface of the associated set to effect an adhesive bond therebetween.

15. The method of claim 14 including the steps with respect to each said set of applying laterally directed pressure thereagainst to hold it in engagement with said obstruction and downwardly directed pressure against said opposed plate surface to maintain said article against said base portion while moving said sets along said conveyor.

16. The method of claim 15 including the step in conveying said sets along said obstruction, of moving each set sequentially against scoring tools prior to mechanically folding the closure panels in each, first from the plane of the associated base portion and thence across said opposed plate surface.

17. The method of claim 16 including the step of sequentially sensing the vertical dimension of each said set and in response thereto varying the position of one of said scoring tools with respect to the closure panel of the sensed set to form a fold line for folding said closure panel across said opposed surface of said plate.

18. The method of claim 17 in which a vertically movable pressure element applies pressure sequentially between the base portion and the flap portion of each said set, and said one scoring tool is carried by said pressure element.

19. The method of claim 14 including the step of selectively varying the position of discharge of adhesive with respect to each set to maintain the application of adhesive at a substantially uniform location with respect to the leading end of said closure panel of each set.

20. The method of claim 19 in which adhesive is applied to the closure panel of each said set and said adhesive application is maintained uniformly disposed with respect to the leading end of said closure panel by varying the position of discharge of adhesive with respect to each said set in response to the vertical dimension of each set.

21. The method of claim 20 including the step of applying said adhesive to said closure panels after each is folded from the plane of the associated base portion and prior to folding each across the opposed plate surface.

22. The method of claim 21 in which a vertically movable pressure element operates to apply pressure between the base portion and the flap portion of each set in sequence, and the position of discharge of adhesive with respect to the closure panel of each respective set is varied in accordance with the movement of said pressure element.

23. The method of claim 22 in which said movable pressure element carries an adhesive discharge nozzle and including the step of moving said adhesive discharge nozzle proportionately with respect to movement of said pressure element with respect to each said set.

24. The method of claim 23 in which the direction of movement of said adhesive discharge nozzle with respect to the closure panel of each said set is inverse to the direction of movement of said pressure element with respect thereto.

25. A method for sequentially packaging diversely sized articles having opposed parallel surfaces in containers formable to diverse dimensions to receive such articles from plates of pliable material containing a base portion having transversely disposed retention tabs, a flap portion and a closure panel in integral coplanar relation on apparatus having a working surface, and a guiding obstruction substantially coextensive with, and extending vertically with respect to said conveyor, comprising the steps of:

a) placing container plates sequentially on said working surface;

b) selectively placing articles to be packaged on the upwardly facing surface of the base portion of said container plates;

c) folding said tabs transversely across the articles placed on the base portion of the respective plates;

d) folding each said plate along a transverse line between said base portion and said flap portion by manually inverting said article to place it between the base portion and the flap portion of each respective plate to form receptacle portions in the separate sets;

e) moving said sets in sequence onto said conveyor by placing the receptacle portion in each engagement with one side of said guiding obstruction with the closure panels of the respective sets extending beyond the other side of said guiding obstruction;

f) moving said sets in sequence by said conveyor along said guiding obstruction while mechanically folding each said closure panel, in turn, first from the plane of said base portion and, thereafter, the opposed surface of said plate;

g) applying adhesive to either one of said closure panel or said opposed plate surface of each said set as the sets are moved along said obstruction;

h) sequentially pressing each said closure panel against said opposed plate surface of the associated set to effect an adhesive bond therebetween; and

i) removing said sets from said conveyor.

26. The method of claim 25 including the steps with respect to each said set of applying laterally directed pressure thereagainst to hold it in engagement with said obstruction and downwardly directed pressure against said opposed plate surface to maintain said article against said base portion while moving said sets along said conveyor.

27. The method of claim 26 including the step in conveying said sets along said obstruction, of moving each said set sequentially against scoring tools prior to mechanically folding the closure panels in each, first from the plane of associated base portion and thence across said opposed plate surface.

28. The method of claim 27 including the step of sequentially sensing the vertical dimension of each said set and in response thereto varying the position of one of said scoring tools with respect to the closure panel of the sensed set to form a fold line for folding said closure panel across said opposed surface of said plate.

29. The method of claim 28 in which a vertically movable pressure element applies pressure sequentially between the base portion and the flap portion of each said set and said one scoring tool is carried by said pressure element.

30. The method of claim 25 including the step of selectively varying the position of discharge of adhesive with respect to each set to maintain the application of adhesive at a substantially uniform location with respect to the leading end of said closure panel of said set.

31. The method of claim 30 in which adhesive is applied to the closure panel of each said set and said adhesive application is maintained uniformly disposed with respect to the leading end of said closure panel by varying the position of discharge of adhesive with respect to each said set in response to the vertical dimension of each set.

32. The method of claim 31 including the step of applying said adhesive to said closure panels after each is folded from the plane of the associated portion and prior to folding each across the opposed plate surface.

33. The method of claim 32 in which a vertically movable pressure element operates to apply pressure between the base portion and the flap portion of each set in sequence and the position of discharge of adhesive with respect to the closure panel of each respective set is varied in accordance with the movement of said pressure element.

34. The method of claim 33 in which said movable pressure element carries an adhesive discharge nozzle and including the step of moving said adhesive discharge nozzle proportionately with respect to movement of said pressure element sequentially with respect to each said set.

35. The method of claim 34 in which the direction of movement of said adhesive discharge nozzle with respect to the closure panel of each said set is inverse to the direction of movement of said pressure element with respect thereto.