Patent ID: 7637857
Filing Date: 2009-12-29
Classification: B31B

Abstract:
1. A device for holding lateral tabs of a plurality of box blanks filing in a conveyer plane along a conveyor, each blank including a first lateral tab, a second lateral tab and a rear tab, the device comprising: a first rotary support for holding a blank of the plurality of blanks reaching a first location along the conveyor, the first rotary support operable to hold the first lateral tab of the blank for a pre-set period of time without folding the blank, while a folding operation is performed on the rear tab of the blank by another device, the first rotary support positioned to be rotated about an axis transverse to the conveyer plane at the conveyor for the pre-set period of time in synchronicity with passage of the blank at the first location along the conveyor; a first drive member fixed vertically to a bearing structure and connected for rotating the first rotary support to the first lateral tab of the blank at the conveyor for the pre-set period of time; a sensor positioned and operable to detect the blank reaching a sensed location along the conveyor; an electronic control unit connected with the sensor and operable for commanding operation of the first drive member to rotate the first rotary support, the electronic control unit operable to control rotation by the first drive member based on the detection by the sensor of the blank at the sensed location, an additional rotary support positioned to be rotated to hold for the pre-set period of time the second lateral tab of the blank at the conveyor in synchronicity with the passage of the blank at the first location along the conveyor; and an additional drive member connected for operating the additional rotary support, the additional drive member positioned on the bearing structure and operable, independently of the first rotary support and the first drive member, to be commanded by the electronic control unit for rotating the additional rotary support based on the detection by the sensor of the blank at the sensed location along the conveyor.