Bottle packaging machine

Abstract

An apparatus for automatically opening and loading collapsed bottle carriers or cartons, which are formed of paperboard or similar foldable sheet material and which are adapted to be loaded through an open bottom after being set up into tubular condition, which apparatus comprises conveyor mechanism for advancing successive collapsed cartons and associated plow members for opening the same into tubular shape, with the cartons assuming a vertical position above a bottle carrying and grouping conveyor which delivers successive groups of the bottles to an assembly area where the cartons are lowered onto the bottle groups and thereafter advanced through mechanism which closes top and bottom wall forming panels and engages locking and latching members formed in overlapping margins of the panels so as to complete the packaging operation.This invention relates to packaging machinery or apparatus and is more particularly concerned with improvements in apparatus for opening collapsed or flattened carriers or cartons for beverage bottles, or similar articles, and filling the same with a predetermined number of bottles wherein the carriers are of the type which are initially formed as a collapsed tube with top and bottom wall forming panels extended in the plane of the side wall forming panels and having overlapping margins witth interengageable locking and latching elements herein.In the marketing of products such as bottled and canned beverages and the like, many different packaging arrangements have been employed. Generally, each new packaging design has resulted in the development of new machinery for handling the packaging operations. Two general types of packages have proven most acceptable to the beverage bottling and canning industry, both of which are adapted to contain a multiplicity of the product elements, usually six, eight or twelve bottles or cans. One form of package, used most often for canned beverages, is formed by wrapping an elongate rectangular blank, which is especially cut and scored, about an assembly of cans or bottles with its end secured so as to tightly enclose the assembly. Another type of package which is used for bottled beverages employs a carton which is in the form of a cellular basket with an open top and having a collapsed cell-forming partition structure which is opened up to receive the bottles when the initially collapsed carrier is set up. In loading this type carrier the bottles are dropped into the cells through the open top of the carrier. This involves considerable handling of the bottles which is undesirable. More recently there has been developed a package which employs a carton having some of the characteristics of both the basket type and the wraparound type and which is fabricated in collapsed or flattened condition with bottom wall forming panels initially extended in the plane of the side walls and enabling the container to be opened into tubular form and dropped over an assembly of bottles after which the bottom wall panels, and in some designs also the top wall panels, are folded to closed position and connected by interengaging locking and latching elements. A carton design of the latter type is disclosed in the application of Edwin A. Arneson and Guelfo A. Manizza, Ser. No. 368,825, filed June 11, 1973. It is a general object of the present invention to provide a machine which will open up a carton or carrier of this general type, drop it over an assembly of bottles, close and latch the panels forming the top and bottom wall of the package, which machine will operate efficiently at a relatively high rate of speed so as to be adapted for use in high speed beverage bottling and canning lines.It is a more specific object of the invention to provide an apparatus for automatically opening, or setting up, collapsed bottle carriers or cartons and filling the same, the cartons being of the type which are adapted to be opened, and to be filled or loaded by depositing them on groups or assemblies of bottles which are advancing on a conveyor in a bottling line or the like, and thereafter closing the bottoms by folding and latching bottom wall forming panels.It is another object of the invention to provide a machine for opening up collapsed bottle carriers or cartons which are of the type which are initially formed in collapsed tubular condition and with bottom wall forming panels extending in the plane of the side wall panels wherein the machine includes an entrance conveyor having a top run onto which successive collapsed cartons are fed and advanced to an opening station where they are each swung to an upright position and simultaneously opened into tubular condition for deposit from the top into an assembly of bottles carried on a conveyor beneath the carton supporting and feeding conveyor.It is another object of the invention to provide an apparatus for opening up collapsed bottle packaging cartons which are adapted to be loaded through the bottom wherein the apparatus comprises a horizontally disposed conveyor run on which the collapsed cartons are advanced and opened by means of associated mechanism for turning a bottom wall forming panel into a vertical plane and thereafter swinging the remainder of the carton upwardly while opening it into squared up condition so as to enable it to be advanced to a station or area where it is aligned with and dropped down over an assembly of bottles advancing on a feeding conveyor traveling in a path beneath the carton conveyor.It is another object of the invention to provide an apparatus for opening up bottle packaging cartons which are initially formed in collapsed tubular condition wherein the apparatus comprises a horizontally disposed conveyor run on which the cartons are advanced and associated mechanism for confining in a predetermined path one of a pair of bottom wall forming panels while turning the carton about the hinge connection of the confined panel with the side wall, into an upright position, and simultaneously squaring up the carton into tubular form, the apparatus including also mechanism enabling successive cartons to be deposited on an assembly of bottles after which the assembly is advanced through mechanism for folding top and bottom wall forming panels into closed position and for latching the same.

Description

Claims

1. An apparatus for opening and loading a folded tubular packaging container of the type which comprises a plurality of side wall panels connected on parallel hinge lines and having top and bottom wall forming closure panels extending in the plane of the side wall panels and hinged thereto, said container being adapted to be unfolded by hinging in opposite directions the side wall panels on hinge lines at opposite ends of the container, said apparatus comprising means for advancing successive folded containers in a generally horizontal plane and along a predetermined path with the hinge lines which connect the side wall panels extending transversely of the direction of travel, means forming a panel confining channel extending along one side of said container advancing means, means for turning a bottom wall forming panel on each successive container downwardly into a generally vertical plane and guiding the same into said panel confining channel, means for hinging said container about the panel which is confined in said channel so as to position said container in a generally vertical plane along said one side of said container advancing means with the unconfined panels free to pivot on said connecting hinge lines and to move a predetermined distance outwardly relative to said confined panel, means to move said unconfined panels outwardly thereby to open up said container into tubular condition, means to advance said opened up container to an assembly station, means to advance to said assembly station one or more articles to be loaded into said container and means to align the container vertically with said articles and to guide the container down onto the articles so as to load the container.

2. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the means for advancing the containers comprises endless conveyor elements having container engaging pusher lugs spaced thereon and finger means for engaging with said bottom wall forming panel when it is disposed in said panel confining channel so as to advance said container when said container is hinged to a vertical position.

3. An apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein the means for advancing the containers comprises a pair of endless chain conveyor members supported for travel in spaced parallel relation with top runs thereof in a common horizontal plane and having container engaging lugs carried thereon in spaced relation so as to position the containers for advance in uniform spaced relation.

4. An apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein one of said endless chain conveyor members has mounted thereon one or more finger members of plate-like form which are positioned to extend outboard of the chain so as to engage in an aperture in the bottom wall forming panel when it is disposed in said panel confining channel thereby serving to enable the chain member to advance to the container when it is hinged to a vertical position.

5. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means to hinge said container about the panel which is confined in said channel comprises a plow member positioned relative to said container advancing means to engage the leading edge of the container and providing an upwardly curved track forming edge for guiding the container to an upright position in a generally vertical plane.

6. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means to move said unconfined panels outwardly of said confined panel includes a roller member disposed above said container advancing means, a mounting means for supporting said roller for reciprocation in a path extending transversely of the path of said conveyor advancing means and means for reciprocating said roller in timed relation to the advance of the cartons so as to strike an upstanding unconfined panel of each successive carton and move the same outwardly thereby opening the carton.

7. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means to advance said opened up container to said assembly station comprises an endless conveyor member mounted for travel in a horizontal plane and spaced laterally of said container advancing means, which endless conveyor member has mounted thereon spaced pusher member for engaging the trailing side of each successive opened up container and for advancing the same, and a bottom supporting and panel guiding member disposed at the end of said container advancing means for moving the opened up container in a path which frees the container from said container advancing means at the leading end of said container advancing means.

8. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means to advance said articles to said assembly station comprises an endless conveyor aligned beneath said container advancing means and having a top run on which articles are supported in continuous row alignment and having spaced article engaging lugs for separating groups of articles of a predetermined number.

9. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means to align each said container comprises upper and lower endless conveyor members which are spaced laterally of the path of advance of the opened containers and having opposed runs with cooperating panel gripping members operative to grip outturned bottom wall forming panels on the successive containers which opposed runs are mounted to travel in a downwardly inclined plane so as to carry the successive containers down onto the articles at said assembly station.

10. An apparatus for opening a collapsed tubular container of the type which is characterized by a series of hingedly connected side and end wall forming panels adapted to collapse by folding into a common plane and to be opened by swinging the end wall forming panels at opposite ends about their connecting hinge folds, said container having top and bottom wall forming panels hingedly connected to oppositely disposed side wall panels which are in the plane of the associated side wall panels in the collapsed condition, said apparatus comprising conveyor means having a horizontally disposed run for receiving successive containers in collapsed condition and for advancing said containers along a predetermined path with the end hinge folds thereof extending transversely of the direction of travel, means forming a narrow guide channel in laterally spaced relation along one side of the path of said container conveyor means, means for engaging a lowermost bottom wall forming panel on each successive carton and for guiding it into said channel in a vertical extending position, means associated with said container advancing means for swinging each successive container about the hinge connection with the panel which is confined in said channel so as to bring the container into a vertical position, and means operative on an upstanding unconfined panel to cause the end wall panels to swing about the vertically disposed end fold lines and thereby open the container and position it in upright tubular form.

11. An apparatus as set forth in claim 10 wherein said means to cause the end wall panels to swing about said end fold lines comprises an elongate support plate which is offset laterally relative to said container conveyor means with side edges disposed to engage inside faces of depending bottom wall forming panels of said containers as the containers are advanced to the leading end of said container conveying means so as to guide the containers into a path of advance where they are free of said container conveyor means and means for engaging an upstanding top wall forming panel of each of said successive containers and for moving the associated wall forming panels outwardly of said panel which is confined in said channel so as to open the containers as they are advanced onto said support plate.

12. An apparatus as set forth in claim 10 wherein said means for engaging said lowermost bottom wall forming panel on each successive carton and for guiding it into said guide channel comprises a rotating blade member disposed above and to one side of said container conveyor means and adjacent the entrance to said guide channel.

13. An apparatus as set forth in claim 10 wherein said guide channel forming means comprises an elongate vertically disposed guide plate supported along the side of said container conveyor means and spaced a short distance outboard thereof with a top edge portion positioned beneath the hinge line connecting the bottommost carton bottom wall forming panel with the associated side wall forming panel when the collapsed carton is received on said conveyor means and a parallel bar member spaced a short distance outboard of said guide plate and extending in spaced relation along the top edge of said guide plate.

14. An apparatus for opening, filling and closing collapsed tubular containers of the type which comprise a series of hingedly connected side wall panels which are folded into a common plane and top and bottom wall forming panels which are in the plane of the associated side wall panels, and which are hinged to top and bottom forming edges of said side wall panels, said container being adapted to be opened by hinging the side wall panels at their opposite ends in opposite directions about hinge forming connecting folds, said apparatus comprising means for advancing successive collapsed containers along a generally horizontal path with said hinge forming folds extending transversely of the direction of travel, means forming a vertical channel along a side of the path of said container advancing means, means disposed along one side of the path of travel for folding a lowermost bottom wall forming panel of each successive container downwardly about its hinged connection with the associated side wall panel and guiding it into said vertical channel which is disposed along said one side of the path of said container advancing means, means for engaging said container and for turning the container upwardly about the hinged connection with the panel which is confined in said vertical channel so as to swing the container, while it is advancing, into a vertical position with the side wall panels extending above said vertical channel and certain of said panels being free to hinge about the vertically disposed connecting folds, panel guiding means operative to open the container into tubular form by hinging said free side wall forming panels about said connecting folds, conveyor means for advancing assemblies of articles in a path extending below the container opening means, means to align the containers with successive article assemblies, means moving with said containers for guiding the opened containers down an inclined path and depositing them on successive article assemblies, means for folding the bottom wall forming panels into bottom closing position and means traveling with said containers for folding the top wall forming panels onto top closing position.

15. An apparatus as set forth in claim 14 wherein said means for guiding said opened containers down an inclined path comprises upper and lower endless conveyor members mounted in paired relation on opposite sides of the path of advance of the containers and having opposed runs with means thereon for engaging bottom wall forming panels which are turned outwardly on each side of the containers.

16. An apparatus as set forth in claim 14 wherein said conveyor means for advancing assemblies of articles in a path below said container opening means comprises an endless conveyor mechanism having means for supporting a double line of articles in transversely aligned pairs which articles have the general form of bottles and means on said conveyor mechanism for segregating groups of the articles and advancing the groups to a position beneath said means for guiding the opened containers down said inclined path so as to enable the containers to be deposited on successive article assemblies.

17. An apparatus as set forth in claim 14 wherein said means for guiding the opened containers down an inclined path comprises pairs of endless traveling conveyor members arranged on each side of the path of advance of the containers, each pair thereof having opposed runs supported for travel in a downwardly inclined path and means on said conveyor members for gripping outwardly turned bottom wall forming panels of successive containers and advancing the same between said opposed conveyor runs.

18. An apparatus as set forth in claim 17 wherein said means on said conveyor members for gripping and panels comprises cooperating spaced lug members having complimentary end surfaces between which the container panels are received and a projecting finger on one of said lug members disposed for engagement in an aperture provided in said panels.

19. An apparatus as set forth in claim 14 wherein said means for folding the top wall forming panels into top closing position comprises a pair of horizontally disposed endless traveling conveyors mounted on opposite sides of the path of advance of said container and article assemblies with spaced parallel runs between which the container and article assemblies are advanced, and said traveling conveyors having mounted in spaced relation thereon and in outboard extending relation cooperating finger members which engage the upstanding top wall forming panels of each successive container and fold said panels downwardly in predetermined sequence onto the tops of said articles while advancing with said containers to a panel securing means.

20. An apparatus as set forth in claim 19 wherein said panel engaging finger members are in the form of angularly related plate members having leg portions disposed in horizontal and vertical planes so as to fold down the top wall forming panels and overlie portions of the hingedly connected side and top wall panels at the connecting hinge line thereby holding the top wall forming panels in proper position for securing them in tightly drawn relation on the top of the articles.

21. An apparatus as set forth in claim 19 wherein said panel engaging fingers have means thereon for engaging a portion of a side wall panel so as to orient and square up the top of the container as it is advancing.

22. An apparatus as set forth in claim 20 wherein at least one of said panel engaging finger members has a pin member projecting from the panel engaging face of a leg portion which is in a vertical plane and which pin member is positioned to engage in an aperture provided in the container side wall panel which the leg portion engages so as to orient and square up the top portion of the container as it is advancing.

23. An apparatus for opening collapsed cartons preparatory to filling the same, which cartons are formed of foldable sheet material with body forming side and end wall panels connected on parallel hinge lines and having top and bottom wall forming closure panels which are hingedly connected to top and bottom edges of the side wall panels and which extend in the plane of the associated side wall when in collapsed condition, said apparatus comprising a carton supporting conveyor having a horizontal disposed run on which successive collapsed cartons are positioned with the parallel hinge lines connecting the side and end wall panels extending transversely of the path of advance of said supporting conveyor, means for folding down along the side of the path of said supporting conveyor a bottom wall forming closure panel of each successive carton, means along the side of said conveyor means for retaining said folded down panels in a generally vertical plane while the cartons are advanced by said supporting conveyor to a carton opening area, means at said carton opening area for swinging the collapsed body forming panels of each successive carton upwardly about the hinged connection with said folded down closure panel so as to bring the carton into a generally vertical plane, and means for forcing the wall forming panels which are free of said folded down closure panel in a direction laterally of the path of said supporting conveyor so as to open said carton into tubular condition, thereby enabling the carton to be advanced to a filling station where it is adapted to be filled through the open bottom thereof.