Claims
- 1. In a machine for bundling flat articles in a compressible stack, a stack compressing assembly which comprises a horizontal elevator platform, means for delivering the stack of articles onto the elevator platform, means for advancing the elevator platform to a stack delivery level, a stack compressor frame mounted for up and down movement adjacent the stack delivery level, an upright crank arm pivotally mounted at a lower end of the stack compressor frame, a stack engaging flap attached to an upper end of the crank arm, means for swinging the crank arm between a retracted position in which the flap is free of the stack and an advanced position in which the flap overlies the stack on the elevator platform at discharge level and the flap is substantially horizontal, means for lowering the stack compressor frame to cause the flap to engage and compress the stack, and means for discharging the stack from between the elevator platform and the flap in a horizontal direction while compressed.
- 2. A machine as in claim 1 wherein there is an upright guide plate mounted on the stack compressor frame and engageable with the stack on the elevator platform and, when the crank arm is in retracted position, the flap is free of a stack engaging face of the guide plate and, when the crank arm is in advanced position, the flap overlies said stack engaging face.
- 3. A machine as in claim 1 wherein the means for swinging the crank arm includes first link means pivotally connected to the stack compressor frame, a second link means pivotally connected to the crank arm, means for pivotally connecting the first and second link means, and means for advancing the pivotal connection between the first and second link means toward and away from alignment with the other pivotal connections of the link means.
- 4. In a machine for bundling flat articles in a compressible stack, a stack compressing assembly which comprises a horizontal platform, means for delivering the stack of articles onto the platform, a stack compressor frame mounted for up and down movement adjacent the platform, an upright crank arm pivotally mounted at a lower end of the stack compressor frame, a stack engaging flap attached to an uppr end of the crank arm means for swinging the crank arm between a retracted position in which the flap is free of the stack and an advanced position in which th flap overlies the stack on the platform and the flap is substantially horizontal, means for lowering the stack compressor frame to cause the flap to engage and compress the stack, and means for discharging the stack from between the platform and the flap while compressed.
- 5. In a machine for bundling flat articles in a compressible stack a stack compressing asembly which comprises a horizontal elevator platform, means for delivering the stack of articles onto the elvator platform, means for advancing the elevator platform to a stack delivery level, a pair of stack compressor frames mounted for up and down movement on opposite sides of the stack adjacent the stack delivery level, a pair of upright crank arms, each crank arm being pivotally mounted at a lower end of an associated one of the stack compressor frames, a stack engaging flap attached to an upper end of each crank arm, means for swinging each crank arm between a retracted position in which the flapp associated threwith is free of the stack and an advanced position in which the flap overlies the stack on the elevator platform at discharge level and the flap is substantially horizontal, means for lowering the stack compressor frames to cause the flaps to engage and compress the stack, and means for discharging the stack from between the elevator platform and the flaps in a horizontal direction while compressed.
- 6. A machine as claim 5 wherein there is an upright guide plate mounted on each of the stack compressor frames and engageable with the stack on the elevator platform and, when the crank arms are in retracted position, the flaps are free of stack engaging faces of the guide plates and, when the crank arms are in advanced position, the flaps overlie said stack engaging faces.
- 7. A machine as in claim 5 wherein the means for swinging each of the crank arms includes first link means pivotally connected to the associated stack compressor frame, a second link means pivotally connected to the crank arm, means for pivotally connecting the first and second link means, and means for advancing the pivotal connection between the first and second link means toward and away from aligment with the other pivotal connections of the link means.
Parent Case Info
This is a division of our copending application Ser. No. 476,578, filed June 5, 1974 now Pat. No. 3,907,129.
This invention relates to a machine for handling cartons and the like. More particularly, this invention relates to a machine for assembling cartons in bundles.
An object of this invention is to provide a machine of this type in which flat articles such as flat cartons or the like are assembled in a stack and in which the stack is compressed into a bundle which is transferred from the assembly portion of the machine into a basket in which the compressed stack is held until discharged from the machine.
A further object of this invention is to provide such a machine in which the flat cartons are assembled in a vertical stack that is advanced into the basket while the stack remains vertical, and in which the basket is turned 90.degree. about an upright axis and also 90.degree. about a horizontal axis with the stack inside the basket before the stack is discharged with the stack extending horizontally.
A further object of this invention is to provide such a machine in which there is means for advancing the vertical stack into the basket which advances to a predetermined station to deliver the stack into the basket with a trailing face of the vertical stack at a predetermined position, there is a tray member in the basket which is upright when the basket is in stack receiving position which is arranged to support a face of the stack, and the tray member can be advanced crosswise of the basket to accommodate stacks of varying width between opposed faces.
A further object of this invention is to provide such a machine in which the vertical stack rests on a side of the basket when the basket is in stack receiving position. the tray member intersecting said side, and means is provided for moving the horizontal axis with respect to the basket as the position of the tray member in the basket is changed so that, when the basket is swung 90.degree. about the horizontal axis, the intersection between said side of the basket and the tray member is swung to a common position for varying positions of the tray member in the basket.
A further object of this invention is to provide such a machine in which the horizontal axis is supported in a turn box which can turn 90.degree. about the vertical axis to swing the basket about the vertical axis and the horizontal axis is advanceable in the turn box to adjust the position of the horizontal axis with relation to the basket.
A further object of this invention is to provide stack compressing mechanism for such a machine which grips the tip of the vertical stack at edges of the upper face thereof and compresses the stack on an elevator.
A further object of this invention is to provide such a machine which can be adjusted to accept flat cartons of various sizes.
Briefly, this invention provides a carton assembling and bundling machine in which flat cartons are delivered to a first elevator in which a first portion of a stack is accumulated by machinery of the type shown and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,832,938 issued Sept. 3, 1974. When the first portion of the stack has been accumulated, the stack is transferred to a second elevator on which the remainder of the stack is accumulated. The first elevator is provided with readily releasable flange members which support the first portion of the stack as it is being accumulated and which can be swung quickly out of position to release the first portion of the stack onto the second elevator when the elevators are aligned. When a full stack has been accumulated, a stack compressing device compresses the stack on the second elevator. The stack compressing device has flange members which are parallel to arms of the second elevator. The compressed stack is discharged lengthwise of the elevator arms and the presser feet into a basket which holds the compressed stack while the basket is first turned 90.degree. about a vertical axis and is then laid over to align the axis of the stack to a horizontal position at which the stack is discharged.
The basket is pivotally supported for swinging about a horizontal axis. The horizontal axis is mounted in a turn box which can swing about a vertical axis to swing the basket 90.degree. about the vertical axis. When the stack is in an upright position, the stack rests on a side of the basket. A tray member is mounted in the basket and can be adjusted crosswise of the basket to accommodate stacks of varying thickness. The horizontal axis is movable along the turn box along a plane on an angle of 90.degree. to the vertical to permit adjustment of the basket so that the intersection of the tray member and said side of the basket is brought to the same position when the basket has been turned 90.degree. about the horizontal axis for various positions of the tray member in the basket and said side of the basket is at a predetermined height when the basket is in stack receiving position for all positions of the tray member.
The stack is discharged from the basket by a basket clearing pusher assembly which advances the stack transversely of the direction the stack is advanced into the basket. The machine can be arranged to place a flat pad at each end of the stack.
US Referenced Citations (6)
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
| Parent |
476578 |
Jun 1974 |
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Patent Grant
3978785
