Patent ID: 6817969
Filing Date: 2004-11-16
Classification: B65B

Abstract:
A carton pulling assembly for pulling a partially formed carton from a mandrel on a form, fill and seal packaging machine, the form, fill and seal packaging machine having a vacuum source for providing a vacuum, the packaging machine further having a machine controller, the partially formed carton having a sealed bottom wall formed from a plurality of panels, the carton pulling assembly comprising:a carton puller element movable in a reciprocating manner toward and away from the mandrel; a vacuum head assembly mounted to the carton puller element for reciprocating movement therewith, the vacuum head assembly including a cylinder and a finger configured for reciprocating movement within the cylinder, the vacuum head assembly including a suction element mounted to the reciprocating finger, the finger having a vacuum channel for communicating vacuum from the cylinder to the suction element, the reciprocating finger movable between an extended position in which the suction element contacts and engages the partially formed carton sealed bottom wall and a retracted position in which the reciprocating finger pulls the carton from the mandrel, the reciprocating finger movable toward the extended position by application of the vacuum to the vacuum head assembly while communicating vacuum to the auction element, wherein the cylinder defines an upper region and a lower region separated from one another by a base portion of the reciprocating finger, the base portion extending outwardly to contact an inner wall of the cylinder form a seal, wherein the vacuum, communicated to the upper cylinder region, moves the finger to the extended position for contacting and engaging the carton bottom wall.