Machine for the application of suction tubes to packing containers

A machine for the application of suction tubes to packing containers is disclosed. Portion-sized packages for juice and the like are often equipped with suction tubes to facilitate the emptying thereof. The suction tubes, which for reasons of hygiene are individually wrapped in paper, are very light and therefore difficult to handle and to attach to the outside surface of the packing container by mechanical means. The disclosed machine separates the wrapped tubes from a continuous band, applies an adhesive, orientates each packing container and tube in relation to each other and attaches the tube to the container.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a machine for the application of suction 
tubes or drinking straws to prefabricated packing containers which suction 
tubes are wrapped in protective casings and are arranged so as to be 
supplied to the machine in the form of a continuous band. 
Fruit juices and the like at present are frequently packed of 
non-returnable packages in portion-size which are intended to be emptied 
with the help of a suction tube. The suction tube for reasons of hygiene 
is usually wrapped in a protective paper or a protective casing and is 
supplied together with the package, either separately or joined in one way 
or another to the packing container. 
The suction tube or the suction tube casing may be attached for example by 
means of tape or the like to the outside of the packing container. 
The attachment of each individually wrapped suction tube to the wall 
surface of the packing container had to be carried out hitherto mainly by 
hand, since the mechanical handling of the very light suction tube was 
found to cause great difficulties. The mechanical handling can be made 
easier, however, if the suction tubes, after they have been enclosed in 
the individual casing, are joined together in such a manner that a 
continuous band of suction tubes is formed. The individually wrapped 
suction tubes are separated from this band only in connection with the 
application to the individual packing containers. This concept is 
described in detail in Swedish patent application No. 7613372-7, to which 
reference is made. 
It is an object of the present invention to provide a machine for the 
application of suction tubes to prefabricated packing containers. It is 
presumed that the suction tubes are wrapped in protective casings and 
arranged so as to be supplied to the machine in the form of a continuous 
band as described in the said Swedish patent application, that is to say, 
the wrapped, individual suction tubes are fixed along two preferably 
parallel carrier bands in such a manner that the suction tubes are 
arranged parallel with one another at equal mutual distances. 
This object has been achieved in accordance with the present invention in 
that a machine of the type described earlier is adapted so as to separate 
suction tubes from the suction tube band, orientate the suction tubes and 
the packing containers, in the correct position relative to one another 
and with the help of an adhesive attach the suction tubes to the packing 
containers. 
In a preferred embodiment of the machine in accordance with the invention 
the machine includes a feed track for the packing containers and a driving 
mechanism for the suction tube band arranged adjoining the feed track, the 
feed track and the driving mechanism comprising devices for the mutual 
orientation of the packing containers and the suction tubes respectively. 
In a further embodiment of the machine in accordance with the present 
invention the feed track for the packing containers is constituted of 
individual packing container carrier elements joined together to form an 
endless chain, which elements in a part of their course of travel are 
adapted so as to be oriented to allow the application of suction tubes in 
the desired position to the packing containers. 
In a further embodiment of the machine in accordance with the invention the 
packing container carrier elements for substantially parallelepipedic 
packing containers are adapted so as to be pivoted to such a position that 
the suction tube can be attached substantially diagonally over one of the 
side faces of the packing containers. 
In a further embodiment of the machine in accordance with the present 
invention the driving mechanism for the suction tube has the form of a 
rotatable element provided with peripheral recesses, along the periphery 
of which are arranged devices for the separation of the suction tubes from 
the band, orientation of the separated suction tubes and transfer of the 
suction tubes to and pressing of the suction tubes against the packing 
containers. 
In a further embodiment of the machine in accordance with the present 
invention the device for the separation of the suction tubes from the band 
is constituted of a reciprocating knife element which during its working 
stroke, in co-operation with a hold-on arranged on the driving mechanism, 
separates a suction tube from the continuous band. 
Finally, in a further embodiment of the machine in accordance with the 
present invention the device for the orientation of the cut-off suction 
tube comprises sliding surfaces located along the periphery of the driving 
mechanism, which by acting upon the end surfaces of the suction tubes 
located in the recesses axially move the suction tubes to the correct 
position in relation to the packing containers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
Prefabricated parallelepipedic packing containers 1 are supplied to the 
machine for the application of suction tubes by means of a conveyor belt 2 
which conveys the packing containers 1 to a transfer unit 3. The transfer 
unit comprises a U-shaped transfer element 5 driven by means of a piston 
and cylinder unit 4 which successively transports packing containers 1 to 
a feed track 6. The feed track 6 has the form of an endless chain of 
packing container carrier elements 7 joined to one another. 
The packing container carrier elements 7 are L-shaped with a first leg 8 
situated substantially horizontally and a second substantially vertical 
leg 8' at the rear edge of the first leg 8, seen in the direction of 
movement of the feed track 6 from right to left in FIG. 1. The packing 
container elements are arranged so that during their movement along the 
track they assume on the one hand a first position, wherein the first leg 
8 of the packing container carrier element is parallel with the direction 
of the track, and on the other hand a second position, wherein the said 
leg 8 assumes a predetermined angle with the plane of movement. More 
particularly, the packing container carrier elements 7 are arranged so 
that during the movement of the feed track 6 from right to left they 
assume the said first position with a leg 8 parallel with the plane of 
movement at the right end of the track seen on the drawing, that is to 
say, while the respective packing container carrier element 7 passes close 
to the transfer unit 3 for packing containers. During the movement towards 
the left on the drawing the individual packing container elements 7 are 
rotated successively to the said second position in that the leg 8, 
originally arranged parallel with the plane of movement, is successively 
lifted so that it assumes an angle of preferably 30.degree. with the plane 
of movement when the respective packing container carrier element passes a 
point where the transported packing container is provided with a suction 
tube. 
The suction tubes to be applied to the prefabricated packing containers by 
means of the machine in accordance with the present invention are supplied 
to the machine in the form of a continuous band 9 of suction tubes wrapped 
in individual protective casings 10. The suction tube band 9 consists of 
two parallel carrier bands 11 (FIG. 2) along which the suction tubes 
wrapped in the said protective casings 10 are arranged parallel with one 
another at equal mutual distances. The suction tube band 9 is supplied to 
the machine in the form of a magazine roll 12 which is arranged in the 
machine so that it can freely rotate. The suction tube band 9 is guided 
via pulleys 13 to a driving mechanism for the suction tube band, which 
driving mechanism is rotatable and is adapted so as to feed the suction 
tubes to a point at which they are transferred to and fixed onto the 
packing containers. Along the periphery of the driving mechanism there is 
a guide rail 15, upper and lower orientation devices 16 and 17 
respectively, a knife element 19 actuated by a piston and cylinder unit 18 
and a transfer element 20. 
Finally, FIG. 1 also shows an adhesive applicator 21 which is located 
adjoining the feed track 6 and is adapted so as to apply adhesive, e.g. of 
the "hot-melt" type, by means of two nozzles 22 (only one of which is 
shown in FIG. 1) to the side face of the packing container to which the 
suction tube is to be attached. 
FIG. 2 shows in a side view and on a larger scale the driving mechanism 14 
for the suction tube band and surrounding elements, with some elements, 
however, having been wholly or partly left out for the sake of greater 
clarity and so as to facilitate understanding of the invention. More 
particularly, FIG. 2 illustrates how the driving mechanism 14 for the 
suction tube band comprises a central axle 42 which is rotatable and is 
driven by means of a motor, not shown on the drawing. The axle 42 carries 
two parallel, toothed wheels 23 located at some distance from one another 
which consist substantially of cylindrical discs in the periphery of which 
recesses 24 for suction tubes are provided. At some distance from the 
toothed wheels 23 the axle 42 carries two further disc-shaped elements 25 
which are parallel with one another as well as with the toothed wheels 23. 
These two disc-shaped elements 25 have a substantially cylindrical outer 
surface and serve as a hold-on for the knife element 19 which will be 
described in more detail in the following. The mutual location on the axle 
42 of the two toothed wheels 23 and the two disc-shaped elements 25 
serving as a hold-on my be adapted so as to be fully matched to the type 
of suction tube band 9 used on the particular occasion. 
The suction tube band 9, as partly described earlier, comprises two 
mutually parallel carrier bands 11 located at a distance from one another 
which may be made of plastics, paper or some other suitable material. In 
FIG. 2 the carrier band 11 is shown at the same level as the two 
cylindrical discs 25 serving as a hold-on, but the visible portion of the 
carrier band 11 has already been divided with the help of the knife 
element 19. Suction tubes or drinking straws 26 wrapped in protective 
casings 10 are arranged at equal distances along the two carrier bands 11. 
As can be seen from the Figure, the carrier band is joined only to the 
protective casings 10, so that the suction tubes 26 can move freely in 
longitudinal direction inside the protective casings. The distance between 
the recesses 24 in the two toothed wheels 23 is of course matched to the 
distance between the suction tubes contained in the suction tube band 9. 
The suction tube band or the suction tubes are retained in position in the 
recesses 24 with the help of the guide rail 15 which in semi-circular 
shape extends along the periphery of the driving mechanism 14. 
Along the periphery of the driving mechanism 14 also extend the two fixed 
orientation devices, namely the upper orientation device 16 and the lower 
orientation device 17 which are provided with sliding surfaces facing each 
other, and which come closer together seen in the direction of movement of 
the suction tubes from left to right in FIG. 2, the smallest distance 
between the sliding surfaces substantially coinciding with or slightly 
exceeding the length of the suction tubes. 
The knife element 19 is shown in greater detail in FIG. 2 and comprises a 
yoke 27 which can be given a reciprocating movement by means of a piston 
and cylinder unit 18. The yoke carries two knives 28 arranged at a 
distance from each other which are at the same level as the upper and 
lower carrier band 11 respectively and are adapted so that during the 
working stroke of the piston and cylinder unit 18 they are displaced so as 
to make contact with the hold-on 25, as a result of which the carrier band 
11 will be cut off in the recesses between suction tubes. 
Partly obscured by the driving mechanism 14 in FIG. 2 the pivotable arm 29 
of the transfer element 20 can also be seen, whose free end extends 
between the two toothed wheels 23. The arm 29 is adapted so that it is 
maneuvered between the first position shown in FIG. 1 to a position 
resting against a side of the packing containers with the help of a piston 
and cylinder unit 30. 
In FIG. 2 is also shown how a packing container 1 with the help of the 
carrier element 7 indicated is in a position directly adjoining the 
driving mechanism for the suction tube band. 
The machine in accordance with the present invention, beside the parts 
shown in the Figures, comprises a number of elements for the control and 
driving of the machine. These elements, which e.g. comprise a photocell 
unit for monitoring the position of the packages, electric control 
devices, driving elements in the form of electric motors, 
power-transmitting elements, etc, are however, conventional and well-known 
to those versed in the art and have therefore together with the 
foundations of the machine, been left out of the description and drawings. 
When the machine in accordance with the invention is operated the packing 
container 1 is passed by means of the conveyor belt 2 to the transfer unit 
3, the transfer element 5 being in its withdrawn, inactive position thus 
allowing the row of packing containers to be displaced until the front 
package comes into contact with a stop 31. In this position the piston and 
cylinder unit 4 of the transfer unit 3 is actuated and the transfer 
element 5 is displaced from its withdrawn rest position shown in FIG. 1 
when the first and the third packing container in the row of packing 
containers on the conveyor belt 2 are moved in lateral direction each one 
to its packing container carrier element 7 in the feed track 6. The 
packing container located in between is stopped by a stop 32 and follows 
instead in the next working stroke when it is advanced by the conveyor 
belt 2 until it makes contact with the stop 31. 
After transfer to the feed track 6 the packing containers 1 are moved on 
the respective packing container element 7 towards the left in FIG. 1, 
when at the same time the first leg 8 of the packing container carrier 
element is raised at an angle to the horizontal plane until the packing 
container carrier element assumes such a position that the diagonal line 
of the packing container side is substantially vertical. The packing 
container, having been placed in this position, approaches the adhesive 
applicator 21 whose two nozzles 22 arranged above one another provide the 
side face of the packing container facing the applicator 21 with two dabs 
of hot-melt which are placed on two diagonally opposite corners of the 
side wall of the packing container. Then the packing container, which like 
the packing container carrier element 7 retains the same angular position 
until it is straight before the driving mechanism 14, is moved as shown in 
FIG. 2. 
During the operation of the machine the suction tube band 9 is fed by the 
driving mechanism 14 from the magazine roll 12 via pulleys 13 to the 
driving mechanism 14 where the wrapped suction tubes are made to engage 
with recesses 24 in the toothed wheels 23. The guide rail 15 is situated 
at such a distance from the driving mechanism 14 that the suction tubes, 
having properly assumed their position in the recesses 24, cannot leave 
the recesses until they have passed the end of the guide rail 15 located 
in the vicinity of the packing container owing to the rotation of the 
driving mechanism 14. 
The driving mechanism 14 rotates intermittently anticlockwise in FIG. 1 in 
step with the intermittent movement of the feed track 6 and moves the 
suction tubes with the associated suction tube casing and carrier band 
along the guide rail 15. The suction tubes 26 first reach the knife 
element 19 which separates one at a time from the continuous suction tube 
band 9. More particularly, the knife element 19 with the two knives 
performs a reciprocating movement consisting of working and return stroke, 
the movement being so synchronized with the intermittent rotation of the 
driving mechanism 14 that the knives, in co-operation with the hold-on 25, 
in each working stroke separate the carrier band 11 between two successive 
suction tubes. 
On continued rotation of the driving mechanism 14 the suction tube 
separated from the suction tube band 9 will then come to be located 
between the two orienting devices 16 and 17. On contact with the sliding 
surfaces of the orienting devices 16 and 17 the flexible suction tube 
casing 10 will successively be folded sideways and gradually both end 
surfaces of the suction tube itself will come into contact with the 
sliding surfaces. Since the suction tube is so arranged inside the suction 
tube casing that it is axially displaceable, the suction tube is now 
shifted axially while a certain displacement of the casing and of the 
parts of the carrier band 11 connected to the casing also takes place, so 
that the position in vertical sense of the suction tube is accurately 
defined. The suction tube retains this vertical position during its 
subsequent movement until it has been attached to the packing container 1. 
When the orientation in a vertical sense has been completed, the suction 
tube has been moved to a position between the driving mechanism 14 and the 
packing container 1 located adjoining the driving mechanism, whereby the 
suction tube at the same time has passed the front end of the arm 29 of 
the transfer element 20, which is illustrated most clearly in FIG. 1. The 
transfer element 20 is now activated and the arm 29 is pivoted with the 
help of the piston and cylinder unit 30 in a quick movement from the rest 
position shown in FIG. 1 to a position in contact with the side face of 
the packing container 1, whereby the suction tube is moved out of the 
recess 24 in the driving mechanism 14 and to the side of the packing 
container facing the driving mechanism, to which side the suction tube 
casing 10 is attached with the help of the dabs of adhesive applied 
earlier. The arm 29 of the transfer element 20 then immediately returns to 
the rest position. The attachment of the suction tube to the side face of 
the packing container has thus been completed, and the packing containers 
provided with suction tube are moved subsequently with the help of the 
feed track 6 out of the machine in accordance with the invention e.g. to 
be packed in collective containers or the like. 
The machine described preferably operates intermittently with the packing 
containers as well as the suction tubes being moved stepwise between the 
different operative positions. However, the machine can also be operated 
semi-intermittently with the movement being continuous but the speed being 
varied so that the packing containers as well as the suction tubes are 
moved at high speed between the working position and at low speed in the 
vicinity of the actual working positions. In this manner the capacity of 
the machine can be somewhat raised which is done, however, at the expense 
of accuracy in the placing of the suction tubes on the packing containers. 
The principles, preferred embodiments and modes of operation of the present 
invention have been described in the foregoing specification. The 
invention which is intended to be protected herein should not be construed 
as limited to the particular forms disclosed, since these are to be 
regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. Variations and changes 
may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit 
of the present invention.