Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6481561
-
Patent Number
6,481,561
-
Date Filed
Friday, April 13, 200123 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, November 19, 200221 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
- Ellis; Christiopher P.
- Ridley; Richard
Agents
- Armstrong, Westerman & Hattori, LLP
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
A container feeder for feeding pillowlike uncompleted containers C1 each having a container body M1 and upper and lower ears U1, L1 projecting laterally from upper and lower ends of the container body to a conveyor 21 of a container forming device 14 for forming the uncompleted container C1 into a rectangular parallelepipedal completed container C2 comprises a slanting chute 101 having a lower end positioned at a starting end of a conveyor transport path, a first receiving member 134 so disposed as to be movable upward or downward along a chute transport path, the first receiving member 134 being movable into the chute transport path when moving downward to receive the lower end of the container body M1 of the container C1 falling along the chute 101 under gravity, and a second receiving member 144 so disposed as to be movable upward or downward along the chute transport path, the second receiving member 144 being movable into the chute transport path when moving downward to receive the upper ears U1 of the container C1 received by the first receiving member 134.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to packaging machines, and more particularly to a container feeder for use in packaging machines for making a web of packaging material into a tube, filling contents into the tube, transporting the tube a distance at a time which distance corresponds to the length of one container, sealing and cutting the tube transversely thereof to form a pillowlike uncompleted container, and feeding the uncompleted container to a completed container forming device to form the container into a rectangular parallelepipedal completed container, the container feeder being adapted to feed the uncompleted container to the completed container forming device.
As disclosed, for example, in JP-A No. 10-29608 (1998), such feeders are already known for feeding pillowlike uncompleted containers to a conveyor of a container forming device for forming the uncompleted container into a rectangular parallelepipedal completed container. The known container feeder comprises a slanting chute having a lower end positioned at the starting end of the transport path of the conveyor, and a receiving member so disposed as to be movable upward or downward along the transport path of the chute, the receiving member being movable into the chute transport path when moving downward to receive the lower end of the container.
With the conventional feeder, the container is transported, as received by the receiving member at is lower end, along the chute. To avoid interference with the conveyor, the receiving member can not be moved down to a position close to the conveyor transport path. The container is eventually allowed to fall off the chute and received by the conveyor. Accordingly, the falling container becomes inevitably damaged by an impact produced when received by the conveyor.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to overcome the above problem and to provide a container feeder adapted to feed pillowlike uncompleted containers to a container forming device for forming the uncompleted container into a rectangular parallelepipedal completed container, without causing damage to the container during feeding.
The present invention provides a container feeder for feeding pillowlike uncompleted containers each having a container body and upper and lower ears projecting laterally from upper and lower ends of the container body to a conveyor of a container forming device for forming the uncompleted container into a rectangular parallelepipedal completed container, the container feeder comprising a slanting chute having a lower end positioned at a starting end of a conveyor transport path, a first receiving member so disposed as to be movable upward or downward along a chute transport path, the first receiving member being movable into the chute transport path when moving downward to receive the lower end of the container body of the container falling along the chute under gravity, and a second receiving member so disposed as to be movable upward or downward along the chute transport path, the second receiving member being movable into the chute transport path when moving downward to receive the upper ears of the container received by the first receiving member.
With the container feeder of the present invention, the container is transported along the chute while being received by the first receiving member first, and then by the second receiving member. Since the second receiving member receives the upper ears of the container, the second receiving member can be moved down to a position close to the conveyor transport path. Accordingly, the pillowlike uncompleted container can be fed to the container forming device free of damage. Since the container falling down the chute has its body received by the first receiving member, the container which is forced down can be received effectively, and can be delivered to the second receiving member after the container is relieved of the downward force.
If the path of upward or downward movement of the second receiving member has a lower end joined to the starting end of the conveyor transport path, the container can be received by the conveyor without allowing the container to fall off the chute.
Further if the speed of downward movement of the first receiving member is higher than the speed of downward movement of the second receiving member, the first receiving member rapidly leaves the container after the second receiving member receives the upper ears, with the result that the timing of delivery of the container from one receiving member to the other can be determined easily. Moreover, the container can then be fed to the container forming device smoothly free of damage.
The first receiving member is attached to a first endless chain having a lower-side travel path positioned close to the chute transport path along the upper side thereof, and the second receiving member is attached to a second endless chain having an upper-side travel path positioned close to the chute transport path along the lower side thereof, the second endless chain comprising a pair of chain members extending in parallel as spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance and each having the second receiving member attached thereto, the chain members having lower ends positioned at opposite sides of the starting end of the conveyor transport path. In this case, the second receiving member can be moved down to the starting end of the conveyor transport path to deliver the container to the conveyor without the likelihood of the container falling off the chute.
The conveyor has holders, each holder comprising a bottom plate extending in parallel to the conveyor transport path, and a side plate projecting upward from the bottom plate and extending orthogonal to the conveyor transport path, the side plate of the holder as halted at the starting end of the conveyor transport path having an upper end joined to the lower end of the chute to deliver the container from the chute to the holder in this state. The container can then be allowed to slide down the chute and subsequently down the side plate for transport. Thus, the container can be fed to the container forming device free of any impact.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is a fragmentary side elevation of a packaging machine including a container feeder of the invention;
FIG. 2
is a side elevation of the container feeder;
FIG. 3
is a view in longitudinal section taken along the line III—III in
FIG. 2
;
FIG. 4
is a view in cross section taken along the line IV—IV in
FIG. 2
;
FIG. 5
is a perspective view showing an ear bonding device included in the packaging machine and the vicinity of the device;
FIG. 6
is a view in cross section of the ear bonding device;
FIG. 7
is a view in longitudinal section of the ear bonding device; and
FIG. 8
includes perspective views of containers.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
An embodiment of the present invention will be described next with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1
shows a packaging machine, which comprises a tube forming device
11
for forming a tube T from a web W of paper-base laminate having a thermoplastic resin layer over each of its opposite surfaces by lapping opposite edges of the laminate over each other and sealing the lap, a filling device
12
for filling the tube T with contents, an uncompleted container forming device
13
for forming pillowlike uncompleted containers C
1
from the filled tube T by sealing and cutting the tube T transversely thereof while forwarding the filled tube T a distance at a time which distance corresponds to the length of one container, a completed container forming device
14
for forming the uncompleted container C
1
into a rectangular parallelepipedal completed container C
2
, and a container feeder
15
for feeding uncompleted containers C
1
to the completed container forming device
14
.
As shown in detail in FIG.
8
(
a
), the uncompleted container C
1
comprises a container body M
1
having a top portion T
1
and a bottom portion B
1
which are V-shaped in cross section, and a pair of upper ears U
1
and a pair of lower ears L
1
projecting laterally from upper and lower ends although formed in a generally rectangular parallelepipedal shape.
As shown in FIG.
8
(
b
), the completed container C
2
comprises a container body M
2
having a complete rectangular parallelepipedal shape and flat top portion T
2
and bottom portion B
2
, a pair of upper ears U
2
lapped over and bonded to the top portion T
2
, and a pair of lower ears L
2
lapped over and bonded to respective side walls of the container body M
2
.
With reference to
FIG. 1
again, the completed container forming device
14
is provided with a forming conveyor
21
disposed forwardly of the uncompleted container forming device
13
obliquely therebelow and having a path of transport extending forward via a feed station S
0
, folding station S
1
, heating station S
2
, ear bonding station S
3
and discharge station S
4
.
The folding station S
1
is provided with a folding device
22
for the uncompleted container C
1
for folding the top portion T
1
and bottom portion B
1
of the uncompleted container C
1
flat and folding the upper and lower ears U
1
, L
1
upward to cause the upper ears U
1
to project upward from the top folded portions and to position the lower ears L
1
close to the respective side walls of the container body M
1
. The heating station S
2
is provided with a heater
23
for heating the portions of the container body M
1
and the ears U
1
, L
1
to be bonded under pressure, the ear bonding station S
3
is provided with an ear bonding device
24
for bonding under pressure the upper ears U
1
to the top portion T
1
in an overlapping manner and pressure-bonding the lower ears L
1
to the side walls of the container body M
1
in an overlapping manner, and the discharge station S
4
is provided with a discharge device
25
for discharging the completed container C
2
from the conveyor
21
.
Folding guides
26
extend from the folding station S
1
to the ear bonding station S
3
via the heating station S
2
. While the container C
1
is being transported from the folding station S
1
to the ear bonding station S
3
, the upwardly projecting upper ears U
1
are progressively folded downward to lap over the container body top portion T
1
by the folding guides
26
. Although not shown, similar folding guide are provided also for the lower ears L
1
.
The forming conveyor
21
comprises a front drive sprocket
31
, a rear driven sprocket
32
, an endless block chain
33
reeved around these sprockets
31
,
32
, and a multiplicity of holders
34
connected to the chain
33
, each pair of adjacent holders
34
being in contact with each other.
As shown in
FIG. 5
in detail, the chain
33
has a multiplicity of transport blocks
41
connected to one another.
The transport block
41
has a fitting projection
42
projecting forward from its front portion and a fitting cavity
43
formed in its rear portion and opened rearward. The projection
42
of the transport block
41
in the rear is fitted in the cavity
43
in the preceding block
41
, and a connecting pin
44
extends through the projection
42
and the cavity
43
. The connecting pin
44
has opposite ends projecting laterally from the block and each carrying a support roller
45
thereon. The support rollers
45
are fitted in a pair of guide grooves
47
formed as opposed to each other in a conveyor frame
46
.
The holder
34
comprises a flat bottom plate
51
fixed to the upper surface of the transport block
41
and a side plate
52
extending upright from the upper surface of the plate
51
.
The bottom plate
51
and the side plate
52
have a width equal to the width of the completed container C
2
. The height of the side plate
52
from the upper surface of the bottom plate
51
is equal to the height of the completed container C
2
. The distance between the side plates
52
of the two adjacent holders
34
is equal to the front-to-rear thickness of the completed container C
2
.
FIGS. 5
to
7
show the ear bonding device
24
in detail.
The ear bonding device
24
comprises an upper ear pressing member
61
disposed above the ear bonding station S
3
vertically movably for pressing the upper ears U
1
against the upper wall of the container body M
1
, and a pair of lower ear pressing members
62
arranged at opposite sides of the ear bonding station S
3
openably for pressing the lower ears L
1
against the respective side walls of the container body M
1
.
A horizontal support plate
63
is provided above the ear bonding station S
3
and has a hole
64
centrally thereof. A vertical guide sleeve
65
is provided upright on the support plate
63
around the upper surface inner periphery thereof defining the hole
64
. At the front and rear sides of the hole
64
, a pair of mound-shaped opposed brackets
66
extend vertically from the lower surface of the support plate
63
.
The upper ear pressing member
61
is in the form of a rectangular parallelepipedal block having a thickness in the vertical direction, and is secured to the lower end of a vertical lift rod
71
. An inverted U-shaped escape groove
72
is formed in the lower side of the pressing member
61
for avoiding interference with the folding guide
26
. A vertical lift tube
73
is slidably fitted around the lift rod
71
. The lift tube
73
is slidably fitted in the guide sleeve
65
.
The lift rod
71
has a shoulder portion
74
formed at a portion thereof slightly above the midportion of its height by providing a small-diameter portion
75
above this portion. The small-diameter portion
75
has an upper end projecting upward beyond the lift tube
73
. The projecting end is provided with a stopper
76
. The lift tube
73
has an upper end projecting upward beyond the guide sleeve
65
and provided with a cap
77
. Pivotal arms
79
movable upward or downward are connected, each at one end thereof, to the cap
77
by a pair of connecting rods
78
(FIG.
7
). The small-diameter portion
75
extends through the top wall of the cap
77
. A clearance C is provided between the stopper
76
and the cap
77
for permitting free movement of the lift rod
71
and the lift tube
73
relative to each other. The lift tube
73
is provided close to its lower end with a pair of ears
81
projecting leftward and rightward in opposite directions.
The two lower ear pressing members
62
are in the form of rectangular plates extending vertically and opposed to each other leftward and rightward, and are secured to the lower ends of a pair of left and right levers
82
extending vertically. The levers
82
are attached by horizontal support rods
83
to the lower ends of the pair of brackets
66
pivotally leftwardly or rightwardly movably. Attached to the upper ends of the levers
82
are a pair of left and right connecting links
84
. The links
84
have other ends connected to the respective ears
81
.
A large outer compression coil spring
86
fitted around the guide sleeve
65
is provided between a spring retainer
85
on the outer surface of the guide sleeve
65
and a flange at the lower end of the cap
77
. A small inner compression coil spring
87
fitted around the small-diameter portion
75
is provided between the shoulder portion
74
and the top wall of the cap
77
.
With reference to
FIG. 7
, a pair of front and rear lock members
91
projecting forward and rearward away from each other in directions orthogonal to the ears
81
and extending forwardly and rearwardly downward obliquely are secured to the lift tube
73
close to its lower end. Each of the lock members
91
has at its lower end a bifurcated portion
92
carrying a vertical roller
93
.
On the other hand, a vertical engaging pin
94
is provided upright on the lengthwise midportion of top of the holder
34
.
Immediately before the uncompleted container C
1
is brought to the ear bonding station S
3
, the portions to be bonded of the container body M
1
and upper and lower ears U
1
, L
1
are heated by the heater
23
.
When the container C
1
is transported to the ear bonding station S
3
, the pivotal arms
79
are lowered by unillustrated means, whereupon the lift tube
73
is lowered along with the lift rod
71
. The upper ear pressing member
61
descending with the lift rod
71
compresses the inner compression spring
87
, thereby pressing the upper ears U
1
against the top wall of the container C
1
to bond the upper ear U
1
to the container upper wall under pressure. When the pressure increases to a predetermined value, the lift rod
71
does not descend further but the lift tube
73
only descends thereafter. Upon the descent of the lift tube
73
, the connecting links
84
move the upper ends of the levers
82
away from each other to move the two lower ear pressing members
62
toward each other. Consequently, the lower ears L
1
are bonded to the respective side walls of the container body M
1
by the pressing members
62
.
On the other hand, when the lift tube
73
is lowered to a position a short distance above its lower limit position, the lock members
91
cause the rollers
93
to hold adjacent engaging pins
94
from front and rear sides, whereby the side plates
52
of the adjacent holders
34
are restrained from acting to move the upper ends thereof away from each other.
If the pressure of the upper ear pressing member
61
and the lower ear pressing members
62
is exerted on the container body M
1
without restraining the adjacent holders
34
, the adjacent transport blocks
41
flex at an obtuse angle with each other by an amount corresponding to the play of components of the chain
33
, e.g., the clearance in the guide groove
47
around the support roller
45
. This results in the likelihood that the holders
34
will be so flexed as to move the upper ends of the side plates
52
away from each other. Proper pressure then fails to act on the required portions of the container C
1
to entail the likelihood of a faulty seal occurring. However, if the holders
34
are so locked by the rock members
91
as described above, this likelihood is avoidable.
FIGS. 2
to
4
show the container feeder
15
in detail.
The container feeder
15
comprises a slanting supply chute
101
extending from a position below the uncompleted container forming device
13
to the starting end of transport path of the forming conveyor
21
, and an upper supply conveyor
102
and a lower supply conveyor
103
arranged respectively on the upper and lower sides of the supply chute
101
.
The supply chute
101
comprises an upper chute portion
111
and a lower chute portion
112
. The upper chute portion
111
is in the form of a trough as generally known well.
As shown in detail in
FIG. 4
, the lower chute portion
112
comprises a slide plate
121
for guiding the container body M
1
as received thereon, and a pair of guide rails
122
extending in parallel to each other for guiding the ears U
1
, L
1
as received thereon.
FIG. 2
shows one holder
34
as halted at the feed station S
0
at the starting end of transport path of the forming conveyor
21
. The holder
34
is in the course of travel around the driven sprocket
32
, and the upper end of the side plate
52
of the holder is joined to the lower end of the slide plate
121
of the lower chute portion
112
.
The upper supply conveyor
102
comprises a pair of left and right upper driven sprockets
131
arranged above the lengthwise midportion of the upper chute portion
111
, a pair of left and right upper drive sprockets
132
arranged above a lengthwise intermediate portion of the lower chute portion
112
, a pair of left and right upper endless chains
133
each reeved around the sprockets
131
,
132
at the same left or right side, and a plurality of upper receiving members
134
attached to the chains
133
at a predetermined spacing.
The upper supply conveyor
102
is so disposed that its chains
133
are driven to move counterclockwise in FIG.
2
and to cause the upper receiving members
134
traveling along the lower path of movement of the chains to advance into the path of transport of the chute.
Two upper receiving members
134
attached respectively to the left and right chains
133
in the same phase are paired, and the pair of upper receiving members
134
is spaced apart by a distance smaller than the width of the container body M
1
. Accordingly, the container C
1
falling along the chute
101
has the lower end of its bottom portion B
1
received by the pair of upper receiving members
134
.
The lower supply conveyor
103
comprises a pair of left and right lower driven sprockets
141
arranged slightly below the upper end of the lower chute portion
112
, lower drive sprockets
142
arranged below the lower end of the lower chute portion
112
at opposite sides of the path of movement of the conveyor holder side plate
52
, a pair of left and right lower endless chains
143
each reeved around the sprockets
141
,
142
at the same left or right side, and a plurality of lower receiving members
144
attached to the chains
143
at a predetermined spacing.
The lower supply conveyor
103
is so disposed that its chains
143
are driven to move clockwise in
FIG. 2
in opposite direction to the chains of the upper supply conveyor
102
and to cause the lower receiving members
144
traveling along the upper path of movement of the chains to advance into the path of transport of the chute.
Like the upper receiving members
134
, two lower receiving members
144
attached respectively to the left and right chains
143
in the same phase are paired, but the pair of lower receiving members
144
are spaced apart by a distance larger than the width of the container body M
1
but smaller than the distance between the outer ends of the ears U
1
, L
1
. Accordingly, the container C
1
falling along the chute
101
has the lower ends of its upper ears received by the pair of lower receiving members
144
.
The two supply conveyors
102
,
103
are so driven that the upper receiving members
134
move at a higher speed than the lower receiving members
144
.
The uncompleted container C
1
is discharged from the uncompleted container forming device
13
by falling. The discharged uncompleted container C
1
is received by the upper chute portion
111
and received by a pair of upper receiving members
134
while falling along the upper chute portion
111
under gravity. The container C
1
is thereafter transported as received by the upper receiving members
134
. Soon after the upper receiving members
134
receiving the uncompleted container C
1
have moved past the location of the lower driven sprockets
141
, a pair of lower receiving members
144
advance to below the upper ears U
1
of the container. Since the upper receiving members
134
move faster than the lower receiving members
144
, the lower receiving members
144
come into contact with the upper ears U
1
of the container received by the upper receiving members
134
, and the upper receiving members
134
leave the container, whereby the upper receiving members
134
are replaced by the lower receiving members
144
for receiving the container C
1
. The uncompleted container C
1
is therafter transported as received by the lower receiving members
144
along the lower chute portion
112
. Upon the lower receiving members
144
reaching the location of the lower drive sprockets
142
, the bottom portion of the container C
1
as received by the lower receiving members
144
is seated on the bottom plate
51
of the holder
34
waiting at the location. In this way, the uncompleted container C
1
is completely delivered from the supply chute
101
to the forming conveyor
21
.
Claims
- 1. A container feeder for feeding pillowlike uncompleted containers each having a container body and upper and lower ears projecting laterally from upper and lower ends of the container body to a conveyor of a container forming device for forming the uncompleted container into a rectangular parallelepipedal completed container, the container feeder comprising:a slanting chute having a lower end positioned at a starting end of a conveyor transport path, a first receiving member so disposed as to be movable upward or downward along a chute transport path, the first receiving member being movable into the chute transport path when moving downward to receive the lower end of the container body of the container falling along the chute under gravity, and a second receiving member so disposed as to be movable upward or downward along the chute transport path, the second receiving member being movable into the chute transport path when moving downward to receive the upper ears of the container received by the first receiving member.
- 2. A container feeder according to claim 1 wherein a path of upward or downward movement of the second receiving member has a lower end joined to the starting end of the conveyor transport path.
- 3. A container feeder according to claim 2 wherein the speed of downward movement of the first receiving member is higher than the speed of downward movement of the second receiving member.
- 4. A container feeder according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the first receiving member is attached to a first endless chain having a lower-side travel path positioned close to the chute transport path along the upper side thereof, and the second receiving member is attached to a second endless chain having an upper-side travel path positioned close to the chute transport path along the lower side thereof, the second endless chain comprising a pair of chain members extending in parallel as spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance and each having the second receiving member attached thereto, the chain members having lower ends positioned at opposite sides of the starting end of the conveyor transport path.
- 5. A container feeder according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the conveyor has holders, each holder comprising a bottom plate extending in parallel to the conveyor transport path, and a side plate projecting upward from the bottom plate and extending orthogonal to the conveyor transport path, the side plate of the holder as halted at the starting end of the conveyor transport path having an upper end joined to the lower end of the chute to deliver the container from the chute to the holder in this state.
- 6. A container feeder according to claim 4 wherein the conveyor has holders, each holder comprising a bottom plate extending in parallel to the conveyor transport path, and a side plate projecting upward from the bottom plate and extending orthogonal to the conveyor transport path, the side plate of the holder as halted at the starting end of the conveyor transport path having an upper end joined to the lower end of the chute to deliver the container from the chute to the holder in this state.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
2000-112888 |
Apr 2000 |
JP |
|
US Referenced Citations (4)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
5031380 |
Ueda |
Jul 1991 |
A |
5836143 |
Yoshida et al. |
Nov 1998 |
A |
5852919 |
Matsuda et al. |
Dec 1998 |
A |
6079188 |
Katayama et al. |
Jun 2000 |
A |
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
10-29608 |
Feb 1998 |
JP |