The present invention relates to packaging machines, and more particularly, to packaging machines with carriages for carrying packaging sleeves to various subsystems for further operations.
On many packaging machine, and particularly horizontal pouching machines, it is typical to have a plurality of carriages holding packaging sleeves driven between packaging stations where various operations are performed. For example, a bottom seal might be applied at one station to form an open pouch, the pouch puckered and filled at another station, and finally de-puckered and top-sealed.
Frequently, the carriages for such machines employ pairs of clips to hold the pouches at discrete points on the sides. In some cases, such as can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 6,237,841, a package may be deposited in a carriage with a retaining hole. While such carriages have been proven useful, further improvements are possible.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a packaging machine with a carriage having an internal passage surrounded by a passage sidewall against which a packaging sleeve is retained for one or more further operations. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a packaging machine has at least one carriage including a carriage body defining an internal passage dimensioned to receive a packaging sleeve, the internal passage extending along a passage axis with a passage sidewall extending therearound. A retention mechanism is configured to retain the packaging sleeve against the passage sidewall, one or more packaging subsystems are configured to perform an operation on the packaging sleeve, and a drive mechanism is configured to move the carriage to and from the packaging subsystem.
According to an aspect of the present invention, opposite ends of the internal passage along the passage axis are both completely open from the passage axis to the passage sidewall. According to a further aspect of the present invention, the retention mechanism is configured to retain the packaging sleeve with vacuum.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the packaging subsystem includes one or more of a sleeve infeed device, a sleeve spreader device, an indexing device, and a sealing device.
These and other objects, aspects and advantages of the present invention will be better appreciated in view of the drawings and following detailed description of preferred embodiments.
Referring to
Each carriage 12 includes a carriage body 20 defining an internal passage 22 extending along a passage axis 24 and dimensioned to receive the packaging sleeve 14 (an upper edge thereof indicated in dashed lines on
Each carriage 12 further includes a mounting section 32 that holds the carriage body 20 and movably mounts the carriage 12 to the drive mechanism 16. In the depicted embodiment, the drive mechanism 16 is advantageously an electromagnetic drive mechanism configured to move each carriage independently. If desired, the carriage body 20 can be rotatably connected to the mounting section 32, allowing the orientation of the passage axis 24 to be rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow 34.
Preferably, the retention mechanism 30 is configured to retain the sleeve 14 using vacuum. In this case, the mounting section 32 advantageously further includes a vacuum connection 34 for receiving vacuum from a vacuum track 36 of the packaging machine 10 and supplying it to carriage body 20, as will be explained in greater detail below.
Referring to
The insert 46, which is preferably an upper insert with the passage axis 24 oriented vertically, includes a plurality of vacuum openings 54 via which vacuum supplied to the carriage body 20 is applied to retain the packaging sleeve 14 against the sidewall 26. Vacuum is supplied to from the mounting section via one or more vacuum channels 56, which includes a perimetric portion 60 formed within the block 40. Radial portions 62 connect the perimetric portion 60 with the inset area 44 behind the inset 46.
Advantageously, the vacuum openings 54 are arranged around a perimeter of the passage sidewall 26 inner surface near the uppermost opening 28, with each opening being elongated therealong. The long axis 64 of each opening is preferably oriented at an acute angle relative to the passage axis 24.
Indexing slots 66 extend into the internal passage 22 along the sidewall 26 from at least one end 28 down a predetermined distance along the passage axis 24. The indexing slots 66 are formed by aligned notches in the retention plate 52, insert 46 and block 40. In the depicted embodiment, the slots 66 are located at corners 70 of the internal passage 22.
The internal passage 22 is polygonal in cross section, with the corners 70 separating sides 72. The depicted passage is approximately square with radiused corners, although other geometries could readily be applied within the scope of the present invention. For example, circular passages could be used, or triangular passages or other polygonal passages could be used.
As discussed above, a packaging machine 10 utilizing the carriages can include one or more subsystems for performing operations involving the packaging sleeve. Referring to
Referring also to
Between the corner posts 110, restriction surfaces 112, 114 angle inwardly toward the infeed axis 102. Thus, as the sleeve 14 travels along the corner posts 110 in the direction of the infeed axis 102, the surfaces 112, 114 will urge the sides 104 inwardly of the corners. In the depicted embodiment with a four-sided sleeve 12, this results in a “clover” shape. This re-shaped sleeve 14 profile is able to enter the internal passage 22 without interference. Advantageously, one or more of the restriction surfaces 114 are also drive surfaces, such as belts, movable to impel the sleeve along the infeed axis 102 toward the internal passage 22.
Having reduced the effective size of the sleeve 14 for infeed, it can be desirable to ensure the sleeve 14 is fully re-expanded after insertion to ensure secure retention against the passage sidewall 26. Referring to
The spreader device 200 is configured urge the sleeve 14 into engagement with the passage sidewall 26 after being fed into the internal passage 22. The spreader device includes a plurality of spreader bars 204, 206 displaceable inwardly and outwardly relative to the spreader axis 202. In the depicted embodiment, the spreader bars 204, 206 include side spreader bars 204 and corner spreader bars 206 corresponding to the sides 72, 104 and corners 70, 106 of the internal passage 22 and sleeve 14. The number and configuration of spreader bars could readily be adapted based on the desired geometry of the internal passage and sleeve.
Referring also to
Referring to
The indexing device 300 carries a plurality of indexing members 304 movable into and out of the indexing slots 66 of the carriage 12 along the indexing axis 302. The indexing members 304 will accordingly engage an edge of the sleeve 14 and urge the sleeve to an indexed position where the edge aligns with the bottom of the indexing slots.
At the indexing device 300, vacuum is supplied to the retention mechanism 30 via one or more vacuum valves 306. Preferably, the packaging machine 10 operates the corresponding vacuum valve 306 to reduce the level of vacuum supplied to the retention mechanism 30 during indexing operations, allowing the sleeve 14 to more readily move within the internal passage 22 under the impetus of the indexing members 30.
As will be appreciated from the depicted embodiment, the indexing device 300 can include a plurality of devices, allowing more than one carriage 12 and sleeve 14 to be indexed simultaneously. As in
With the sleeve 14 being open on one or both ends, another packaging subsystem advantageously includes a sealing device 400. The sealing device 400 extends along a sealing device axis 402 aligned with the passage axis 24, and is configured to move into and out of the internal passage 22 along the sealing device 402 for performing a sealing operation of the sleeve 14 therein.
Referring also to
Adjacent ends of the sealing bars 406 include intermeshing teeth 412. As the sealing bars 406 move outwardly in their respective sealing directions 410, the teeth 412 remain intermeshed, ensuring a complete seal.
The sealing bars 406 are preferably proximate to an axial end surface 414 of the sealing device body 404. The axial end surface 414 is configured to retain a packaging sheet portion 416 thereto. The sealing device 400 can accordingly pick up the packaging sheet portion 416, insert it into the sleeve 14 within the internal passage 22 and seal it perimetrically thereto.
In one application, a first set of sealing devices 400 can be used to connect sheets 416 to sleeves 14 to form base walls. The carriages 12 can then move the sleeves 14 to another packaging subsystem for filling with product, and onto a second set of sealing devices 400 where additional sheets 416 are connected to the sleeves 14 to form lids. If desired, the resultant completed packages can be discharged simply by removing applied vacuum and allowing the packages to exit the lower open ends 28 of the internal passages 22.
Referring also to
A central shaft 432 connects to the first and second base plates 420, 422 through which air passages 434, 436 are routed to supply cooling and vacuum/blow-off air, respectively. Respective air supply ports 440, 442 connect to the air passages 434, 436. The cooling air helps prevent overheating of the first base plate 420 and consequent undesirable melting and/or deformation of the sheets 416 in contact with the axial end surface 414. The cooling air flows laterally between the first and second base plates 420, 422, exiting the sealing device body 404 around the sealing bars 406.
Vacuum or blow-off air supplied via the port 442 and passage 436 is routed through internal channels 444 in the first base plate 420 to a plurality of air openings 446 on the axial end surface 414. The openings 446 preferably include central openings and peripheral openings, which are arranged around a perimeter of the axial end surface 414. With vacuum supplied, the sealing device 400 is operable to pick up and retain a packaging sheet portion 416. Positive blow off air pressure is supplied to ensure disengagement of the packaging sheet portion 416 to allow removal of the sealing device 400 without dislodging sleeve 14 attached to the sheet portion 416.
A sealing bar operating piston 450 slidably surrounds the central shaft 432 and is pivotably connected to the linkage arms 424 opposite the sealing bars 406. A pneumatic operating chamber 452 is formed between the piston 450 and surrounding collar 454. The collar 454 is fixed to the central shaft 432 by upper plate 456, such that the operating piston 450 is slidable between the collar 454 and shaft 432. Air (or other fluid) applied via a first operating port 460 extends the piston 450 and, consequently, the sealing bars 406 via the linkages 424. Air applied via a second operating port 462 retracts the piston and sealing bars 406.
In general, the foregoing description is provided for exemplary and illustrative purposes; the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto. Rather, those skilled in the art will appreciate that additional modifications, as well as adaptations for particular circumstances, will fall within the scope of the invention as herein shown and described and the claims appended hereto.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/517,116, filed on Jun. 8, 2017, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62517116 | Jun 2017 | US |