This application relates generally to horizontal cartoner machines and, more specifically, to an adjustable cartoner infeed bucket for use in such cartoners.
In the packaging of items, horizontal cartoners carry a series of buckets along a path that includes one or more load stations at which items are loaded into a space between leading and trailing end walls of the bucket and one or more unload stations in which the items are pushed laterally out of the bucket into an opening of a carton. Such cartoners can be used to fill different sizes of cartons with different product sizes/counts. However, in order to do so, typically one set of cartoner buckets must be removed and replaced with a set of different size buckets. This changeover requires substantial time, and the need for various bucket sizes undesirably takes up facility storage space. In addition, current buckets typically have end walls that are fixed and vertical, which does not facilitate item insertion down into the buckets at the load stations. Buckets that have one tiltable wall that is spring biased into an upright position also exist, which requires the wall to be held in the angled position, against the force of the biasing spring, at all times when it is desired to have the bucket wall in the angled position.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a cartoner infeed bucket that is adjustable to facilitate loading of various carton sizes and/or that includes an end wall that can be easily reoriented for the purpose of item loading.
In one aspect, a cartoner infeed bucket includes a bottom wall, a first end wall extending upward from the bottom wall and a second end wall extending upward from the bottom wall and spaced apart from the first end wall to define an item carrying space. The second end wall is mounted for adjustable movement along the bottom wall so as to vary a spacing between the first end wall and the second end wall.
In another aspect, a cartoner infeed bucket includes a bottom wall, a first end wall extending upward from the bottom wall and a second end wall extending upward from the bottom wall and spaced apart from the first end wall to define an item carrying space, the second end wall running substantially parallel to the first end wall. The first end wall is pivotably mounted to the bottom wall for movement between an upright position running substantially vertically up from the bottom wall and an angled position running upward and outward from the bottom wall, wherein a magnetic catch assembly is associated with the first end wall to releasably retain the first end wall in the upright position and to releasably retain the first end wall in the angled position.
In a further aspect, a cartoner infeed bucket includes a bottom wall, a first end wall extending upward from the bottom wall and a second end wall extending upward from the bottom wall and spaced apart from the first end wall to define an item carrying space. The first end wall is pivotably mounted to the bottom wall for movement between an upright position running substantially vertically up from the bottom wall and an angled position running upward and outward from the bottom wall, wherein a magnetic catch assembly is associated with the first end wall to releasably retain the first end wall in the upright position and to releasably retain the first end wall in the angled position.
The details of one or more embodiments are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, items, and advantages will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.
Referring
The leading end wall 16 is mounted for adjustable movement along the bottom wall (e.g., per arrow 20) so as to vary the spacing between the two walls 14 and 16. In order to achieve the adjustable position, an adjustment mechanism, here in the form of a clamp assembly 22, is provided to mount the leading end wall 16 to the bottom wall 12. The clamp assembly 22 is movable between the illustrated closed position to hold the leading end wall 16 at one location with one spacing from the trailing end wall 14 and an open position to allow the leading end wall to be shifted to a different location with a different spacing from the trailing end wall 14.
As seen in
Referring now to rail 24A and clamp 28A only, it is understood that the following description applies equally to rail 24B and clamp 28B. Per
Referring again to the clamps collectively, each clamp 28A, 28B is connected to the leading end wall 16 via a respective biasing assembly 50A, 50B for holding the clamp in the closed position. In this regard, a seating flange 16.1 extends at one side from the bottom of the end wall 16 and rests atop the upper surface 12.1 of the bottom wall 12 to provide stability for the end wall 16. Each biasing assembly 50A, 50B is mounted atop the seating flange 16.1 and includes at least one magnet 52A, 52B (here two for each) for inhibiting movement of the respective clamp 28A, 28B away from the closed position. In this regard, the magnets 52A, 52B interact with and magnetically attracted steel striker plates 54A, 54B to urge the clamps inward (per arrows 56A, 56B). Each biasing assembly also includes at least one further magnet 58A, 58B for holding the clamps in the open position. In this regard, when each clamp 28A, 28B is manually shifted outward (in the directions opposite arrows 56A, 56B), each magnet 58A, 58B interacts with a respective steel striker plate 60A, 60B to urge the clamps outward (opposite arrows 56A, 56B) for holding the clamps in their open positions. Thus, each biasing assembly operates as a dual biasing assembly capable of providing bias toward either the closed position or the open position of the clamp, depending upon the clamp position.
The magnets 52A and 58A, along with a plastic spacer 62A therebetween, are held in fixed positions within a housing 64A that mounts to the upper surface of the seating flange 16.1. Likewise, the magnets 52B and 58B, along with a plastic spacer 62B therebetween, are held in fixed positions within a housing 64B that mounts to the upper surface of the seating flange. The striker plates 54A and 60A are mounted to the clamp 28A for movement therewith, and the striker plates 54B and 60B are mounted to the clamp 28B for movement therewith. In this regard, each clamp 28A, 28B includes a lower segment 70A, 70B that interacts with the rail, an upper segment 72A, 72B that slides along the upper surface of the seating flange 16.1 and a connecting segment 74A, 74B between the upper and lower segments and wrapping around the edges of the seating flange and the bottom wall. Each upper segment 72A, 72B has a cutout slot 76A, 76B that enables the upper segment to slide relative to the housing 64A, 64B, a mount 78A,78B for the striker plate 54A, 54B and a mount 80A, 80B for the striker plate 60A, 60B. The striker plates, with associated surrounding structure, project into end openings in the housings to facilitate magnetic interaction with the magnets.
For the purpose of adjustment of the position of the leading end wall 16, each upper segment 72A, 72B includes an upwardly extending tab 82A, 82B. The upper segments and tabs are positioned and configured such that squeezing the tabs 82A, 82B toward each other, per arrows 84, causes clamps to slide outward so that the lower segments disengage from the rails. The wall 16 can then be shifted to a new position along the bottom wall, and the tabs 82A, 82B pushed away from each other to reengage the clamping of the rails. The tabs 82A, 82B may be positioned a distance from each other that facilitates single-hand operation (e.g., squeezing together with thumb and pointer finger when the clamps are closed). Notably, the bottom wall 12 may include a measurement scale 86, or other markings, along its upper surface to facilitate an operator finding and setting the proper end wall position for a given carton size.
With respect to the magnets 52A, 52B and 60A, 60B, the magnets 52A, 52B are magnetically stronger than the thinner magnets 60A, 60B, so as to provide a stronger magnetic biasing force to hold the clamps in the closed positions, as compared to the magnetic biasing force that holds the clamps in the open positions.
Other types of clamping assemblies and biasing could be used. For example, spring-biased clamps could be used, in which the clamps are only biased in the closed positions and (i) must be manually held in the open positions during adjustment of the trailing end wall position or (ii) have associated latches that can be used to temporarily retain the clamps in the open positions during wall position adjustment.
Referring now to
The actuator arm 96 also includes a lower segment 96c having an associated cam roller 112 configured for interacting with a cam track to shift the end wall 14 between the upright and angled positions.
Referring to
It is to be clearly understood that the above description is intended by way of illustration and example only, is not intended to be taken by way of limitation, and that other changes and modifications are possible. For example, although a tool-free adjustment mechanism in the form a clamp assembly is primarily described, other tool-free adjustment mechanisms could be used, and mechanisms that require some tool use could also be used. Moreover, while the above description focuses on the leading end wall being position adjustable and the trailing end wall being pivotable, embodiments in which the leading end wall is pivotable and the trailing end wall is position adjustable are also possible.
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Admitted Prior Art—Cartoner Infeed Bucket With Spring-Biased Wall, one page. |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20220332451 A1 | Oct 2022 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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63177154 | Apr 2021 | US |