Automatic packaging machine for boxes with paper end liners

• US 5,642,599 A
• Filed: 03/26/1996
• Issued: 07/01/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Delaware Capital Formation Incorporated (Dover Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Tisma Machinery Corp (Barry-Wehmiller Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Tisma, Stevan
• Primary Examiner(s): Coan, James F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KIM, EUGENE LEE
• Application Number:
  US08/622,255
• Time in Patent Office: 462 Days
• Field of Search: 53/170, 53/373.6, 53/373.7, 53/374.8, 53/375.2, 53/570
• US Class Current: 53/373.6
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 51/146 Closing bags
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 7/06 by collapsing mouth portion, e.g. to form a single flap

Abstract

An automatic packaging system closes and seals a hybrid box having end flaps with a narrow paper strip sealed to and around an inside perimeter of the box. A projecting edge of the narrow strip extends out of the box approximately as far as the outer edges of the end flaps. First, the end flaps are folded away from the narrow paper strip. A pair of spreading fingers move in synchronism with boxes while they are being carried by a conveyor. The spreading fingers are moved toward the boxes and inserted into a "bag" opening formed by narrow strip. The spreading fingers move apart for closing the projecting edges of the narrow strip and bringing the sides of the strip into face-to-face confrontation. There the sides are gripped and stretched to prevent puckers or pleats. While the projecting edges are so gripped in a face-to-face confrontation, they are sealed in order to close the "bag" opening formed by the paper strip.

Claims

1. An automatic packaging system comprising a first continuously non-stop moving conveyor, a box having end flaps, said box being carried by said first continuously non-stop moving conveyor, a narrow strip secured to and in at least one end of said box, said narrow strip having two spaced parallel edges, one of said edges being sealed to and around an entire inside perimeter of said box and near said at least one end of said box, the other of said two edges being a projecting edge of said narrow strip extending out of said box approximately as far as outer edges of said end flaps when they are extended in line with sides of said box thereby forming a somewhat "bag-like" opening in said box, a second continuously non-stop moving conveyor carrying a pair of spreading fingers moving in synchronism with boxes as they are being carried while said first conveyor is continuously moving, means for moving said spreading fingers toward and away from said boxes whereby said spreading fingers may be inserted into or removed from said somewhat "bag-like" opening formed by said narrow strip sealed to the inside perimeter of said box, means for moving said spreading fingers together for insertion into said somewhat "bag-like" opening and for moving them apart for closing said projecting edges of said narrow strip when said spreading fingers are inserted into said boxes, said closed projecting edge being held in an upstanding position by said spreading fingers, and means for sealing said projecting edges in a single step while said fingers are holding said spread and closed edge in said position in order to close said somewhat "bag-like" opening whereby said narrow strip forms a sealed somewhat bag-like cuff for said box without requiring a full bag that fills the entire box.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said means for moving said spreading fingers toward and away from said box comprising a frame mounted for vertical movement, a cam follower mounted on said frame, and a cam track adjacent said second conveyor for moving said frame to insert and remove said fingers at preselected locations along a path followed by said second conveyor.

3. The system of claim 2 and a vertical track carried by said frame, a horizontal track carried by said frame for supporting said spreading fingers, a mounting bracket movably carried on said vertical track, a pair of spreading rods having one end pivotally mounted on said mounting bracket, an opposite end of said spreading rods being pivotally connected to individually associated ones of said spreading fingers whereby said spreading fingers move together or apart on said horizontal track responsive to said mounting bracket moving up or down on said vertical track.

4. The system of claim 3 and two pair of pincer fingers for gripping the closed projecting edge of said paper end liner, means for moving one of said pair of pincer fingers away from the other pair of pincer fingers for stretching said gripped edge, and means for applying said heat while said edge is stretched. bracket for controlling said spreader fingers in response to a cam track accompany said conveyor.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said means for sealing said projecting edges comprises a pair of pincer means for gripping opposite ends of said narrow strip after sides of said strip are spread by said spreading fingers, a heating element, a continuously moving conveyor means for carrying said pair of pincers means past said heating element while said sides of said strip are being gripped in a face-to-face confrontation, one of said pincer means trailing the other of said pincer means on said conveyor means, means for pivot mounting at least the trailing one of said pincer means for swing in line with and away from the other of said pincer means thereby stretching said sides into a tighter face-to-face confrontation, and means for swinging said pivot mounted means in response to a sensing of an instantaneous position of said device on said conveyor means.

6. A device for sealing a "bag-like" cuff end in a hybrid combination of a box with end flaps having a narrow paper-like end strip sealed around an entire interior perimeter of said box, said device comprising a pair of pincer means for gripping opposite ends of said narrow paper-like end strip while opposite sides of said strip are in a face-to-face confrontation, a heating element, first continuously moving non-stop conveyor means for carrying said hybrid box around a first closed loop, second continuously moving non-stop conveyor means for carrying said pair of pincers means around a second closed loop in synchronism with said hybrid box, said first and second continuously moving non-stop conveyor means carrying said hybrid box past said heating element while said opposite sides are being held upright in said face-to-face confrontation by said pincer means, means for pivot mounting at least one of said pincer means to swing in line with and away from the other of said pincer means thereby stretching said opposite sides into a tighter face-to-face confrontation while passing said heating element, and means for swinging said pivoted pincer means to stretch said opposite sides in response to said pivot mounting means reaching a predetermined location on said second closed loop and adjacent said heating element.

7. The device of claim 6 and plow means for displacing and holding said end flaps away from said pincers and said heating element.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein a position of said pivoted pincers means is controlled by an associated cam follower riding on a cam track accompanying said conveyor, and said means for swinging said pivoted means is a constriction in said cam track to create a drag upon said associated cam follower.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein said pincer means grip an outer edge of said opposite sides while in said face-to-face confrontation, said plow means is remote from said gripped edges, and said heating element is between said gripped edges and said plow means.

10. The device of claim 6 further comprising a first conveyor, a plow means for retracting said end flaps, said box being carried past said plow means, a projecting edge of said narrow paper end strip extending out of said box approximately as far as said end flaps extend, said narrow strip being exposed for sealing while said end flaps are retracted, means for moving a pair of spreading fingers in synchronism with said carried boxes, means for moving said spreading fingers toward and away from said boxes whereby said spreading fingers may be inserted into or removed from a "bag" opening formed by said narrow paper end strip sealed to the inside perimeter of said box, means for moving said spreading fingers together for insertion into said "bag" opening and apart for closing said projecting edges of said narrow paper end strip when said spreading fingers are inserted into said boxes, and means for presenting said edges closed by said spreading means to said pincer means for sealing said projecting edges of said paper end strip.

11. A device for sealing a "bag-like" cuff end in a hybrid combination of a box with end flaps having a narrow paper-like end strip having one side sealed around an entire interior perimeter of said box and an opposite side projecting out of said box to provide a bag-like opening, said device comprising a pair of means for spreading opposite ends of said narrow paper-like end strip so that said opposite sides of said strip are in a face-to-face confrontation for closing said bag-like opening, a heating element, first continuously moving non-stop conveyor means for carrying said hybrid box around a first closed loop, second continuously moving non-stop conveyor means for carrying said pair of spreading means around a second closed loop in synchronism with said hybrid box, said first and second continuously moving non-stop conveyor means carrying said hybrid box past said heating element while said opposite sides are being held upright in said face-to-face confrontation by said spreading means, means for pivot mounting at least one of said spreading means to swing in line with and away from the other of said spreading means for stretching said opposite sides into a tighter face-to-face confrontation while passing said heating element, means for swinging said pivoted spreading means to stretch said opposite sides of said paper-like strip in response to said pivot mounting means reaching a predetermined location on said second closed loop and adjacent said heating element;

a cam track accompanying said conveyor, said cam track having a constriction therein, said instanteous position of said pivoted spreading means being controlled by an associated cam follower riding on said cam track accompanying said conveyor, and said means for swinging said pivoted spreader means is said constriction in said cam track creating a drag upon said associated cam follower.