Claims
- 1. A method of forming flat sheets, which have been precut and prescored as carton blanks, into a carton configuration, said method comprising the steps of bending a flap on said blank downwardly and back against said blank to form an inside corner between the flap and the blank, engaging said inside corner along its entire length with a puller element and pulling said blank along, and while so pulling said blank, engaging various panels thereof with plow elements causing said blank to be bent upwardly around predetermined bend lines toward a tubular configuration.
- 2. A method according to claim 1 wherein several blanks are pulled along a given path one after the other to engage stationary plow elements in sequence.
- 3. A method according to claim 1 wherein a product to be packaged is deposited on said carton blank during said pulling and wherein said bending of said blank into tubular configuration causes it to encircle said product.
- 4. A method according to claim 1 wherein said flap is bent back upwardly to close said carton following formation of said blank into a tubular configuration.
- 5. A method according to claim 32 wherein said product is moved along the inside of an open top trough while the carton blank conveyed along the outside of said trough and is bent therearound.
- 6. A method according to claim 5 wherein said product is moved separately but in synchronism with said blank.
- 7. A method according to claim 6 wherein said product is removed from said trough and is deposited fully in said blank upon completion of said bending of said blank to encircle said product.
- 8. A method according to claim 7 wherein the separate movement of said product is terminated following depositing of said product in said carton whereby continued movement of said carton automatically maintains movement of said product.
- 9. A method according to claim 3 wherein said carton blank, after being formed about said product, is rotated sufficiently to bring longitudinally extended tabs thereon into a position lying crosswise of their path of movement and engaging said tabs with further plow members for causing bending of same to complete enclosure of said carton blank.
- 10. A carton forming machine in which flat sheets, which have been precut and prescored as carton blanks, are moved individually and in spaced apart relationship along a given path while being formed into a carton configuration, said machine comprising carton blank supply means for presenting said carton blanks, individually, with one flap of each blank bent back against the blank, a thin elongated puller bar, stationary blank bending means positioned at intermediate locations along said path, means for moving said puller bar continuously along said given path while maintaining said bar extended across said path to receive a carton blank presented thereto and to engage the carton blank along the entire length of an inside corner thereof formed between the bent back flap of said blank and an adjoining panel of said blank, said moving means being operative to move said puller bar, and a carton blank carried thereby, past said blank bending means so that outwardly extending panels of said blank engage said blank bending means and are forced by their movement past the blank bending means to bend about selected score lines thereon toward a tubular carton configuration, whereby said puller bar maintains the blank positively oriented while cooperating with said stationary blank bending means to form it into said carton configuration.
- 11. A carton forming machine according to claim 10 wherein said stationary blank bending means includes an elongated trough having an outer cross section corresponding to the cross section of a carton to be formed and having an inner cross section for accommodating movement therealong of a product to be packaged, and further includes plow elements located along the outside of said trough to engage portions of such carton blanks and to bend same against and around said trough to encircle said trough, means arranged along said trough beyond said plow elements to seal the edges of said carton blank to each other and product pusher means including pusher elements mounted to move products to be packaged along the inside of said trough in alignment with carton blanks moving along the outside of said trough.
- 12. A carton forming machine according to claim 10 wherein said carton blank supply means is constructed and arranged to supply said carton blanks with said one flap bent back downwardly of said blank and wherein said blank bending means is constructed and arranged to bend said panels upwardly.
- 13. A carton forming machine according to claim 12 further including means downstream of said blank bending means to bend said one flap back upwardly to close one end of said carton.
- 14. A carton forming machine according to claim 10 wherein said means for moving said puller bar comprises a pair of endless loops mounted parallel to each other and extending along said given path, said puller bar being connected to corresponding locations along said loops.
- 15. A carton forming machine according to claim 14 wherein several of said puller bars are positioned at mutually displaced locations along said loops.
- 16. A carton forming machine according to claim 10 wherein said blank bending means comprises stationary plow elements.
- 17. A carton forming machine according to claim 14 wherein said endless loops are interconnected to move at the same speed.
- 18. A carton forming machine according to claim 10 wherein said stationary blank bending means includes a trough having an outer cross section corresponding to the cross section of a finished carton and having an inner cross section accommodating a product, said puller bar being movable along the outside of said trough and a pusher bar movable inside said trough in synchronism with said puller bar.
- 19. A carton forming machine according to claim 18 wherein said stationary blank bending means further includes plow means situated along said trough, said trough terminating at a first location along said path downstream of said plow means.
- 20. A carton forming machine according to claim 19 wherein said pusher bar is arranged to move along said path to a second location downstream of said first location.
- 21. A carton forming machine according to claim 18 wherein said pusher bar is mounted on the end of an arm connected to an endless loop extending about rotatable elements displaced along said given path.
- 22. A carton forming machine according to claim 21 wherein said arm is pivotally connected to said loop at a first given location and wherein a connecting link is pivotally connected between a second location on said arm and a second location along said loop.
- 23. A carton forming machine according to claim 22 wherein said second location on said arm is on the side of said loop opposite from said pusher bar and wherein said second location along said loop is upstream of said first location.
- 24. A carton forming machine, according to claim 11 wherein said product pusher means is cantilevered out from the a support arm in the direction of its movement by said loop.
- 25. A carton forming machine, according to claim 24 wherein said machine includes a pair of mutually parallel endless loops between which said arm is mounted.
- 26. A carton forming machine according to claim 10, further including means forming a planar surface extending along said path parallel to and under said puller bar whereby a folded over carton flap can extend between said bar and said surface to be maintained in positive engagement with said puller bar.
Parent Case Info
This application is a division of applicant's co-pending application, Ser. No. 360,587, filed May 15, 1973 and entitled "Packaging and Blank Handling Systems" now U.S. Pat. No. 3,844,088, issued Oct. 29, 1974.
This invention relates to the packaging of materials and more particularly it concerns novel methods and apparatus for forming cartons around products to be packaged therein.
In the packaging industry, cartons are formed from stiff paperboard blanks which are precut to a given shape and which are slit and scored along selected lines to form side panels and end flaps and tabs. These blanks are conveyed individually along a given path, different ones of the tabs, flaps and panels engage stationary plow elements and the like which bend over the panels and tabs in sequence to accomplish the formation of a completed container. Selected tabs and flaps may be given an application of adhesive just before they are folded over in order to seal the container closed. In some instances the materials to be packaged in the carton is supplied to the carton blank and the blank is formed around the material. The carton blanks themselves are usually stacked in a hopper at one end of the blank forming machinery; and means are provided to peel off the carton blanks one at a time from the stack and to transfer the blanks to the conveyor.
Certain problems are involved in carrying out the above described operations. For example, care must be taken to avoid mutilation of the blanks in the separation of individual blanks from the supply hopper and during conveying and bending of the blanks to form a finished carton. Also, the blanks must be conveyed positively in proper position and orientation in order to permit the flap, tab and panel bending plow elements to function properly. In the case of containers which are formed about the material to be packaged, it is necessary to maintain synchronism between the material and the blank.
Another problem encountered in the formation of cartons around materials to be packaged is that of providing interior or mandrel type support, so that the bending plow elements can produce a positive and well defined carton shape. This problem is made especially difficult where the carton is to be formed about the material to be packaged and the material itself does not have a solid, well defined shape. In such case some rigid forming mandrel must be provided between the material being packaged and the carton blank.
The present invention, in its various aspects, serves to overcome the above described problems and enables the formation of cartons and packaging of materials in the cartons in a rapid and reliable manner.
According to one aspect of the invention carton blanks are conveyed in a novel manner without slippage or misalignment and without damage, while the blank passes along plow elements which bend into various panels to the configuration of a finished carton. This conveying is carried out according to the present invention, by bending one end flap of the carton blank back against an adjacent panel and inserting a thin elongated puller bar into the inside corner thus formed across the blank. As the puller bar moves along it drags the blank along with it while the blank remains positively positioned and oriented with respect to the puller bar.
According to another aspect of the invention novel arrangements are provided for separately withdrawing individual carton blanks from a stack in a supply hopper. This withdrawing is carried out by arranging the carton blanks such that they lie against a support plate having an upper edge aligned with an end flap fold line of the carton blanks with the end flaps of the blanks extending above the upper edge of the support plate. A suction element is moved into engagement with the exposed end flap face of the carton blank lying immediately adjacent the support plate, and then the suction element is pulled back to partially bend the flap across the support plate. This produces an opening between the flap and corresponding flap of the next adjacent blank. A pusher element is caused to enter into this opening and to continue moving down past the edge of the support plate and along the side thereof opposite from the carton blanks. This completed the bending of the flap back over the edge of the plate. The carton blank whose end flap is thus bent back is removed from the stack by causing a puller bar as described above, to move along the support plate to engage the inside corner formed in the carton blank by the flap bending operation.
According to a further aspect of the present invention carton blanks are accurately formed about products which are not necessarily firm or of well defined shape. This formation of carton blanks is achieved by causing the product to be packaged to be pushed along an open top trough whose external cross-section corresponds to that of the finished carton blank and whose internal cross-section accomodates movement therealong of the product to be packaged. The product is pushed along the trough in synchronism with the movement of carton blanks through the trough; and during this movement the carton blank is formed about the trough exterior.
Another aspect of the invention involved novel product pusher means comprising a support arm pivotally connected to an endless loop, such as a chain, at a first location and a control link pivotally connected between second locations on the arm and the loop. As the portion of the loop carrying the arm passes around a sprocket or pulley at the end of its product pushing movement, the curve assumed by the loop between the first and second locations draws them closer together and the control link pushes on the arm so that it swings with respect to the loop. This served to withdraw the pusher element from within the carton before the arm is carried around the pulley or sprocket, thereby avoiding interference between the pusher element and the upper end flaps of the carton.
In a still further aspect, the present invention involves the provision of novel end flap and tab closure means including carton carriers along a conveyer and which engage and rotate partially finished cartons to bring their various end flaps and tabs into proper position to be intercepted and closed by stationary plow elements along the conveying path.
There has thus been outlined rather broadly the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described more fully hereinafter. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception on which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as the basis of the designing of other structures and techniques for carrying out the purposes of this invention. It is important, therefore, that this disclosure be regarded as including such equivalent constructions and techniques as do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention.
US Referenced Citations (12)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
| Number |
Date |
Country |
| 844,265 |
Aug 1960 |
UK |
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
| Parent |
360587 |
May 1976 |
|
Patent Grant
3990210
