A machine for packing items of clothing such as stockings and similar articles into cartons

Abstract: A machine for packing items of clothing such as stockings and similar articles, which may be ready-wrapped in wrapping or bags (2), into cartons (3) made from flat carton blanks (4), consisting of a first operating line (200) which includes a magazine (10), first conveyor means (11) and first folding means (12), and of a second operating line (201) which includes a filling station (14), third conveyor means (15) and a counting and stacking station (19), the two operating lines being positioned parallel to one another and side-by-side, and being structurally and operatively interconnected, between the first folding means (12) and the filling station (14) by second conveyor means (13), positioned perpendicular to the operating lines (200, 201); a glueing station (16), folding station (17) and closing station (18) are envisaged along the third conveyor means (15), the positions of the elements and parts for the transfer of the carton blanks (4) and cartons (3) are adjustable, and the elements and parts for the erection of the cartons are interchangeable, so as to allow various adjustments in accordance with the size of the finished cartons desired.

Description: The present invention relates to a machine for packing items of clothing such as stockings and similar articles into cartons. It is known that ladies' stockings are packaged in various ways before being put on the market. They may be folded and placed in cardboard cartons, or placed in a wrapping made of transparent heat-sealed material which may or may not also contain cardboard inserts. In many cases, the products thus wrapped, without cardboard inserts, are then placed in special cardboard cartons. In particular, mainly in the case of higher quality stockings, they are wrapped around a section of card or core, inserted in the said wrapping, then placed in cartons which not only protect the product, but also serve as a means for publicizing and distinguishing the product inside. The size of the carton, required to serve two distinct purposes and destined for diverse markets, such as large department stores or boutiques, may often differ from one manufacturer to the next. However, this difference in size complicates automatic packing processes, not so much as regards the actual packing operation, but rather in the creation of automatic machines which are able to correctly manage sizes which may differ greatly. The individual cartons are, in fact, made from individual carton blanks, with creasing or pre-folding lines, the blanks being folded at these lines to obtain the individual carton. Packing machines are currently designed so that each machine operates using a pre-established carton blank size, and the dimensions of the carton blanks may, at most, vary within a very limited range of values. As a result, an automatic packing machine which is set to operate using a given size cannot operate with carton blanks of a different size. For example, if the machine is set to use a rectangular blank, it cannot use carton blanks which are substantially square. Another factor which differentiates the cartons, further increasing the rigid operating limitations of current automatic machines, is the particular geometric configuration of the carton itself which, being substantially a parallelepiped, may vary in thickness. Cartons may, in fact, be made ultra-thin, that is to say, comparable to flat packs, or assigned a pre-established thickness that gives them a genuine parallelepiped box. configuration. In the first case, a single set of pre-folding lines is envisaged to delimit the back and the four flaps which form the front. In the second case, two sets of pre-folding lines are required to delimit not only the base and flaps, but also the four sides. This means that packing machine manufacturers must supply numerous machines which are similar yet operate differently as regards the carton blank shapes and sizes that can be used. For the stocking manufacturer, this rigid operating limitation means that it is impossible to launch a carton which differs in shape/size from that currently used without acquiring a new packing machine set to operate with the new format. It is known from US-A-4,070,952 a carton storage, feeding and opening apparatus for use in a packaging machine, according to the preamble of claim 1. In particular, the storage area of this known apparatus has an adjustable bottom and walls and the opening mechanism has an adjustable path of travel, dependent upon the carton size. Furthermore, in US-A-3,043,069 it is disclosed an apparatus for automatically processing items which are to receive some form of treatment after being folded, including packaging them after such treatment. More particularly this invention is concerned with the handling of normally sheer or lightweight items or clothings which are customarily enclosed in tissue paper and banded and subsequently packaged for marketing. These known apparatus according to the above cited prior documents are not able to eliminate all the afore-mentioned disadvantages. The object of the present invention is to provide an automatic machine for the packing of bags containing stockings and similar items of clothing which is extremely flexible, so as to eliminate the disadvantages described above. The technical features and advantages of the present invention, in accordance with the afore-mentioned objects, are clearly illustrated in the claims and will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate an embodiment by way of example only and in which: figure 1 is a schematic plan view of the machine according to the present invention; figure 2 is a scaled-up schematic plan view of the initial section of the machine shown in figure 1; figure 3 is a schematic front view of the initial section of the machine shown in figure 2; figure 4 is a perspective schematic view of a detail of the initial section of the machine shown in figures 2 and 3; figures 5 and 6 are respectively a front view and perspective schematic view of the part of the machine after that shown in figures 2 and 3; figures 7 and 8 are respectively a side view and schematic plan view of the part of the machine after that shown in figures 5 and 6; figure 9 is a cross-section of the machine which provides a front view of the part of the machine shown in figures 7 and 8; figure 10 is a scaled-up perspective view of a detail shown in figures 7 and 9; figure 11 is a perspective view of the part of the machine after that shown in figures 7 and 9; figures 12 to 14 show a front view of the final part of the machine illustrated in figure 1 in three successive configurations; figures 15 to 18 show a perspective view of the stages of pre-folding for a flat carton blank which has two sets of creasing or pre-folding lines; figures 19 and 20 illustrate a schematic front view with some parts cut away, of the insertion of a bag containing stockings or similar items of clothing into a folded carton blank; figures 21 to 24 show a perspective view of the glueing and final folding of a carton blank folded and filled to create a carton. With reference to the accompanying drawings, the machine according to the present invention is identified as a whole by the numeral 1 and is able to pack items of clothing such as ladies' stockings and similar articles into cartons 3, made from carton blanks 4 in cardboard or a similar material. At this point, it is essential to point out that the stockings, in particular, with relation to the information in the above text, may be simply folded with or without a core, or may be ready-packed in the afore-mentioned wrapping. For the purpose of clarity, the following text refers only to those cases in which the stockings are ready-packed in the respective wrapping or bags 2, where the term bag 2 indicates the product to be packed into a carton 3, irrespective of its form. The carton blanks 4 have creasing or pre-folding lines 5, or, more simply, pre-folding lines, which delimit at least a base 6 and four flaps 7,8,9 (figures 1 and 2). One of these flaps, indicated by the numeral 7, is designed to be glued to the opposite flap, indicated by the numeral 8. As already said, the carton blank may have a single set of pre-folding lines 5, or two concentric, parallel sets of pre-folding lines 5, the internal set indicated by 5i and the external set indicated by 5e, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The machine 1 according to the present invention is able to operate correctly in both cases, provided that the operations envisaged, described below, are performed. Observation of figure 1 and an analysis of the machine 1 as a whole reveals that it consists, in the following order, of a magazine 10 containing a stack of carton blanks 4 laid completely flat on top of one another, first conveyor means 11, first folding means 12, second conveyor means 13, a filling station 14, third conveyor means 15 and a counting and stacking station 19. A glueing station 16, folding station 17 and closing station 18 are envisaged on the third conveyor means 15. To better understand the exact structure of the machine 1, its various parts will now be examined in detail in the order indicated, with precise references to the accompanying drawings which illustrate an embodiment of the machine by way of example only. The first element of the machine 1 is the magazine 10, supported by a base 53 which also supports, directly or indirectly, all parts of the machine 1 (figures 1 to 3). The following text, for reasons of brevity and simplicity, does not name the various components of the base 53, such as columns and support brackets, since they do not contribute expressly to the inventive aspect of the machine 1. Returning to the magazine 10, this consists of a plurality of rods or bars or sections, of which two are fixed vertically at the front to create two retaining bars 27 for the flat carton blanks 4d, three are angled 54 and positioned at the back, and two sections are set vertically 55 at the sides. The retaining bars 27 are supported by a fixed guide rod 95 placed transversally to the direction of feed F of the first conveyor means 11 and supported, at each end, by two flat uprights 96. The uprights 96 are positioned on opposite sides of the magazine 10 and the position of the retaining bars 27 can be adjusted along the guide rod 95. The angled bars 54 are supported by a rod 56 set perpendicular to them, whose ends are attached to respective sliders 57 whose position may be adjusted along the respective guides 58 which form part of the base 53. The angled bars 54 may, therefore, be moved towards or away from the retaining bars 27, according to the size of the flat carton blanks 4d. The position of the same angled bars 54 may be adjusted along the rod 56, again according to the size of the flat carton blank 4d. To avoid repetition, the following text indicates only those elements whose position may be adjusted, without specifying that they are structured in this way in order to adapt to the size of the flat carton blanks 4d. The side sections 55 are supported by respective horizontal support rods 97, one end of the rods being attached to the guide rod 95, and may be positioned anywhere along the said rod. The position of the side sections 55 may be adjusted along the support rods 97. In the magazine 10, the position of both the retaining bars 27 and the side sections 55 may be adjusted, provided that a centre line of the flat carton blanks 4d, parallel to the direction of feed F of the first conveyor means 11, is used as a reference. The bottom of the magazine 10 is delimited by a first continuous conveyor 24 which forms part of the first conveyor means 11. The first continuous conveyor 24 consists of a number of belts 59, five are shown in figure 2, made, at least on the outside, of high-friction material and fitted over the respective cylindrical rollers 60, at least one of which is driven by a motor. With reference to figure 3, the belts 59 are supported between the cylindrical rollers 60 by support and reference means 28 consisting of cylindrical idling rollers whose axles are parallel to those of the cylindrical rollers 60. Figure 3 shows four idling rollers 28, the one positioned at the most downstream point with respect to the belt 59 direction of feed F being vertically aligned with the retaining bars 27. The lower section 27i of the retaining bars 27 which extends towards the flat carton blanks 4d, with which it makes contact, is set at an identical angle to that of the angled bars 54, as is clearly shown in figure 3. The retaining bars 27 and belts 59 supported by the front idling roller 28 delimit a gap 29 whose height is substantially equivalent to the thickness of each flat carton blank 4d. The angled bars 54 are positioned at a distance from the retaining bars 27 slightly less than the corresponding dimension of the flat carton blanks 4d, so that the latter are slightly raised by the belts 59 near the angled bars 54. This structure allows the belts 59 to remove the bottom flat carton blank 4d from the magazine 10, whilst the other carton blanks are held by the retaining bars 27 and so cannot be moved forwards by the belts 59. The first conveyor means 11, of which the belts 59 are a part, are supported, together with the magazine 10, by uprights 96 which form part of a gantry structure 98 fixed at the bottom to the base 53 near to the guide and block sections 99 of the base 53. The position of the gantry structure 98 may be adjusted along the guide and block sections 99, which are parallel to the direction of feed F of the first conveyor means 11. Returning to the first conveyor means 11, these include a second continuous conveyor 25 which has feed teeth 26 and is positioned at a given distance from the belts 59. The second continuous conveyor 25 consists of two chains 61, wound on respective chain sprockets 62 whose axles are parallel to the axles of the cylindrical rollers 60. Each chain 61 is fitted between a respective pair of interconnected support walls 63, through which support and guide rods 100 pass. The top edges of the support walls 63 define a support surface which is coplanar to and follows the support surface defined by the belts 59. Also envisaged on the axles of the chain sprockets 62, near the belts 59, are motor driven cylindrical feed rollers 64, completely synchronized with the chains 61 and having a tangential speed greater than the feed speed of the belts 59. As is clearly shown in figure 3, the upper generatrices of the feed rollers 64 are positioned at the same height as the top edges of the support walls 63. The presence of idling rollers 65 is envisaged above the feed rollers 64, the former being at least partly coated with a high-friction material and being held against the feed rollers 64 beneath them. The coating on the idling rollers 65 consists of rings 66 of a high-friction material (e.g.: rubber) fitted into grooves on the cylindrical surface of the rollers. With this structure, as soon as the belts 59 bring a flat carton blank 4d between the feed rollers 64 and idling rollers 65, the rings 66 press the flat carton blank 4d against the feed rollers 64, accelerating its movement in the same direction of feed F11, distancing it from the next flat carton blank 4d, which the system begins to remove from the magazine 10. In figure 3 the movement of the belts 59 and chains 61 is produced by a single motor driven chain 67, of which it is specified only that the chain sprocket 68 on which it is wound in order to move the belts 59 has a diameter greater than the sprocket 69 on which it is wound in order to move the chains 61, so that the latter are moved faster, for the reason described above. Vertical walls 70 are envisaged on either side of the second continuous conveyor 25, the walls being fixed to a horizontal plate 101 which is secured to the uprights 96. Both the walls 70 and the support walls 63 are passed through by a positioning screw 102, with double-start screw thread (figure 2). The positioning screw 102 is supported by the walls 70 so that it cannot move axially, but is free to rotate, and is screwed into the support walls 63. At one end of the positioning screw 102 a control device is envisaged, for example a handwheel 103, designed to turn the screw about its axis in one direction or the other. The positioning screw 102 is screwed to the support walls 63 so that the chains 61 are constantly and symmetrically on opposite sides of the centre line of the flat carton blanks 4d, even while the handwheel 103 is operated. Each pair of support walls 63, therefore, acts as a support slide for the relative chain 61. The support walls 63 are set at a given distance from the belts 59 and each has, on the side facing the belts, a strip 104 which acts as an extension and joins the belts 59 and the support walls 63. Folding means 12 are envisaged in front of the second conveyor means 25, said folding means consisting of a matrix 20 and a punch 21 (figure 4). In the embodiment illustrated, which shows carton blanks 4 with two sets of pre-folding lines 5, a second, tubular punch 30 is envisaged. The matrix 20 has a stop-plate 31 and a through-plate 32, concentric with the former with a vertical axis. The top of the matrix 20 forms a support surface 71 which is coplanar to and positioned alongside that of the support walls 63. The walls of the stop-plate 31, starting from the support surface 71, coincide substantially with the external pre-folding lines 5e, whilst the walls of the through-plate 32, formed at the base of the stop-plate 31, coincide substantially with the internal pre-folding lines 5i. Obviously, the bottom of the stop-plate 31 is ring-shaped. On both sides of the stop-plate 31, parallel to the direction of feed F11 of the first conveyor means 11, two small guide and containment walls 72 are envisaged, which act as a continuation of the containment walls 70, set apart at a distance equivalent to the size of the flat carton blanks 4d, the ends extending towards the first conveyor means 11 diverging slightly. The guide and containment walls 72 allow the position of the flat carton blanks 4d with respect to the matrix 20 to be established precisely, even if the flat carton blanks 4d fed by the feed teeth 26 are incorrectly aligned. From the side of the stop-plate 31 furthest from the chains 61, there extends a reference wall 73 which, together with the guide and containment walls 72, positions the flat carton blanks 4d correctly. The reference wall 73 defines the maximum forward position that can be reached by the flat carton blank 4d conveyed by the feed teeth 26 so that its pre-folding lines 5 are vertically aligned with the walls of plates 31 and 32. To prevent the feed teeth 26 from pushing the flat carton blanks 4d against the reference wall 73 and damaging them, detectors 74 are envisaged above the second continuous conveyor 25, e.g.: photocells which can interrupt the forward movement of the chains 61. As indicated, the matrix 20 works with two punches 21 and 30, which are coaxial, with reciprocating movement. The shape of the tubular punch 30 substantially corresponds to that of the bottom of the stop-plate 31, whilst the shape of punch 21 substantially corresponds to the cross-section of the through-plate 32. The tubular punch 30 is attached to a flat horizontal bracket 75, set on one edge and, on one side, having idling rollers 76 which engage with opposite ends of a vertical guide 36 attached to a column 78 on the base 53. The bracket 75, therefore, forms a slide, indicated by the numeral 34, which moves along the guide 36. The punch 21 is, in contrast, secured to the bottom end of a vertical rod 79, which in turn is attached at one end to a flat, horizontal bracket 80, set on one edge and bent to form an "L"-shape. The free section of the bracket 80 is parallel to the bracket 75 and has, on the side which does not face the bracket 75, idling rollers 81 on each edge which engage with a relative guide 35 attached to a vertical column 83 on the base 53, parallel with and opposite to the column 78. Thanks to the idling rollers 81, the bracket 80 also forms a slide, indicated by the numeral 33, which moves along the respective vertical guide 35. Pivoted to the brackets 75 and 80 are the ends of respective connecting rods 84 and 85, the other ends being pivoted at eccentric points of respective pulleys, forming crank levers 86 and 87, with reciprocating movement. The crank levers 86 and 87 are normally left in such a position that, when the tubular punch 30 begins its downstroke, punch 21 begins to rise, reversing its direction of movement and making contact with the flat carton blank 4d as soon as the tubular punch 30 reverses its own direction of movement and begins to rise. Obviously, the arm of crank lever 87 is longer than that of crank lever 86, since the travel of punch 21 is greater than that of the tubular punch 30. Continuing the description of the machine 1, one end of the second conveyor means 13 is envisaged below the first folding means 12, said second conveyor means 13 consisting of two parallel, horizontal support plates 88, set on one edge and supported by the base 53 in a direction perpendicular to the direction of feed F11 of the first conveyor means 11. A pusher 89 is envisaged above the horizontal support plates 88, supported by a vertical rod 90 which passes through the base 53 in a slot 91 made parallel to the support plates 88 and passing between them. The pusher 89 is moved along the slot 91 by the rod 90, between a first end position (the home position) in which it is slightly drawn back when seen in plan view, with respect to the through-plate 32, thus allowing a folded carton blank 4r to be pressed down by the punch 21, as seen below, and a second end position (the release position) in which the folded carton blank 4r is vertically aligned with the filling station 14. Adjustable guides 22 are envisaged on both sides of the support plates 88, guides which may be moved towards or away from one another depending on the size of the folded carton blank 4r. The guides 22 define tracks 23 for guiding the top edge of the flap 7 to be glued and the flap 8 opposite it. Since flaps 7 and 8 differ in height, the tracks 23 are also set at different heights. Beneath the matrix 20, the guides 22 consist of a plurality of small vertical columns 92 which delimit the through-plate 32 and, subsequently, of two vertical plates 93 with side strips 94 which are fixed to them and also define the tracks 23. As shown in figure 6, the support plates 88 are envisaged only in correspondence with the small columns 92, and, to guarantee the support of the folded carton blanks 4r, in correspondence with the vertical plates 93. Below and in front of its direction of forward movement, the pusher 89 has two support rods 105, coplanar to the support plates 88 and set on either side of them. At the ends closest to the small columns 92, the vertical plates 93 and side strips 94 converge in the direction of forward movement of the pusher 89 and the folded carton blank 4r, creating a lead to the tracks 23. The bottom of the side strips 94 in particular, has a narrow section 106 of a given length, to cause the flap 7 to be glued and the opposite flap 8 on the folded carton blank 4r to be folded inwards upon contact with the vertical plates 93. Two horizontal diverters 107, curved upwards from the column 92 side are envisaged between the columns 92 and the vertical plates 93, designed to intercept the flap 7 to be glued and the opposite flap 8 of the folded carton blank 4r and cause them to lower (figures 5 and 6). The vertical plates 93 are connected to one another at both ends by a pair of horizontal spacers 108, having opposing extensions 109 aligned with the extensions of the other spacer 108 where they make contact with the vertical plates 93. Two horizontal, coplanar support surfaces 37 are envisaged between the spacers 108, the support surfaces being pivoted to the extensions 109 about axes which are parallel to one another and perpendicular to the direction of forward movement of the pusher 89. Each of the support surfaces 37 is pivoted to a respective spacer 108 like a basic lever and, near to the end closest to the respective spacer 108 is pivoted at one end of an air cylinder 110 whose other end is pivoted to the top of a column 111 whose base is secured to the respective spacer 108. The pivoting axes of the support surfaces 37 with respect to the spacers 108 are positioned in such a way that when a folded carton blank 4r arrives beneath them while they are set in their coplanar configuration and they are turned downwards, by the air cylinder 110, the support surfaces 37 move inside the side flaps 9, opening them, as described below. Between the air cylinders 110 and above the support surfaces 37, the vertical plates 93 support a vertical "C"-shaped orienting wall 112, consisting of two parallel side surfaces 112c positioned substantially above the pivoting axes of the support surfaces 37, and of a front surface 112f positioned against the vertical plates 93 and designed to make contact with the flap 7 to be glued. The distance between the side surfaces 112c is slightly greater than the corresponding size of the bags 2 to be packed. A presser 38 with adjustable height, supported by the bottom end of a vertical support rod 113 is envisaged, vertically aligned with the compartment delimited by the orienting wall 112. The support rod 113 is supported in such a way that it may slide along its axis on a plurality of idling rollers 114, by a crosspiece 115 attached to the top ends of a pair of uprights 116 on the base 53. Connected to the bottom of the support rod 113 is the free end of the stem 117 of an air cylinder 118, supported by a U-shaped bracket 119 attached to the crosspiece 115. The U-shaped bracket 119 is positioned so as to bridge the support rod 113, thus holding the air cylinder 118 parallel to the said support rod 113. By means of a bracket 120, the uprights 116 also support the vertical plates 93, as well as directly supporting one end of a continuous conveyor belt or chain 121, which feeds the bags 2 to be packed. The vertical plates 93 and continuous conveyor 121 are positioned on opposite sides of the uprights 116. The continuous conveyor 121 feeds the bags 2 in a direction perpendicular to the direction of feed of the second conveyor means 13 and parallel to the direction of feed of the third conveyor means 15. Above the continuous conveyor 121, the crosspiece 115 supports detectors 122, designed to detect the presence of a bag 2 on the continuous conveyor 121 and to activate the entire machine 1 as described below. The third conveyor means 15 consist of a bucket conveyor 40, made up of a pair of chains 124 set side-by-side with a plurality of equally spaced buckets 39 or pockets. The chains 124 are positioned so that their straight sections are horizontal and are driven by continuous motion, so that they reciprocate, as described below. The bucket conveyor feed step is equivalent to the spacing between the buckets 39. Each bucket 39 consists of a pair of "L"-shaped sections 126 set opposite one another and secured to respective blocks 127 locked to the chains 124 at regular, preset intervals, depending on the size of the folded carton blank 4r. The horizontal sides 126s of each pair of sections 126 are coplanar at least along the horizontal sections of the chains 124, whilst the distance between the vertical sides 126c substantially corresponds to the size of the base 6 of the folded carton blank 4r. The horizontal sides 126s support the folded carton blank 4r, whilst the vertical sides 126c contain and move them forwards. The size of the bucket conveyor 40 is such that the horizontal sides 126s are lower than the base 6 of the folded carton blanks 4r supported by the pusher 89. The size of the sections 126, measured across the chains 124, is less than the corresponding size of the folded carton blanks 4r for the reason which becomes obvious below. Two small walls 123 for the containment of the side flaps 9 of the folded carton blanks 4r are envisaged on either side of the bucket conveyor 40: at the filling station 14, one of these walls 123 is replaced by the bracket 120. The walls 123 are parallel and vertical and are supported on horizontal bars 123b by respective slides 125, in turn supported by the base 53 on support bars which are not illustrated. The slides 125 are adjustable and may be moved towards or away from the centre line of the folded carton blanks 4r transported by the bucket conveyor 40. Given the size of the sections 126, the walls 123 are set at a given distance from the folded carton blanks 4r, leaving a space 135 for the purpose which becomes evident below. The glueing station 16 is envisaged after the filling station 14, distanced from the latter by the space between the buckets 39 (figures 7,8,9 and 10). Glueing means 41 are envisaged at the glueing station 16, supported by a pair of slides 128 and 129. The first of these slides, indicated by the numeral 128, rigidly supports the glueing means 41 by means of a horizontal bracket 130 whose height may be adjusted on vertical guide rods 131 attached to the other slide, indicated by the numeral 129. Slide 129 moves horizontally along horizontal guide rods 132, supported by a frame 133 attached to the base 53. As regards the movement of the slides 128 and 129, slide 128 is normally set at an intermediate home position and is moved, by a motor which is not indicated, between two end positions, the lower being the operating position and the upper the return position. Slide 129 is moved, by a motor which is not indicated, between two end positions, one being the home position, near to the first conveyor means 11, and the other the point of maximum travel away from said means. A collection channel 134 is attached to the bottom of the frame 133, and is designed to catch any glue from the glueing means 41 which is not intercepted by the flap 7 to be glued of the folded carton blanks 4r. The glueing means are not described in further detail, being of a known type which may be programmed to suit specific requirements. A folding station 17 is envisaged downstream from the filling station 14, the folding station coinciding, in the embodiment illustrated, with the glueing station 16. Second folding means 42 and third folding means 43 are envisaged at the folding station 17. The second folding means 42 consist of two plates 136 which move in slots 137 made in the walls 123. Each plate 136 is attached to one arm of a two-arm lever 138, supported by the respective slide 125 and pivoted to it about an axis parallel to the direction of feed of the third conveyor means 15. Pivoted to the other lever arm 138 is one end of a connecting rod 139, whose other end is pivoted to a slide 140 supported by a respective horizontal guide 141 made in the slide 125 in a direction transversal to the direction of feed of the third conveyor means 15. The slide 140 is kinematically connected, by a connecting rod 142, to the vertical or driven arm 143c of an "L"-shaped lever 143. Notice that connecting rods 139 and 142 are practically parallel to the horizontal guide 141. The "L"-shaped lever 143 is supported by slide 125, to which it is pivoted about an axis parallel to the direction of feed of the third conveyor means 15. The horizontal or driving arm 143m of the "L"-shaped lever 143 supports a cam-follower idling roller 144 housed in a respective horizontal seat 145, parallel to the horizontal guide 141 and made in a slide 146. There is only one slide 146, positioned between the slides 125 and supported by a vertical guide 147 attached to the base 53. Slide 146 is kinematically connected, by a vertical connecting rod 148, to an arm of a lever 149 pivoted to the base 53 about an axis parallel to the pivoting axis of the "L"-shaped lever 143. The other arm of the lever 149 is kinematically connected, by a connecting rod 150, to a crank lever 151 which is pivoted, at its opposite end, to the base 53 about an axis parallel to the pivoting axis of the lever 149. At an intermediary point, the crank lever 151 supports an idling roller 152 which slides in a respective cam seat 153 made on one face of a disk 154 which rotates about an axis parallel to the pivoting axis of the crank lever 151. When the crank lever 151 is operated, the structure described allows the plates 136 to rotate between a home end position, outside the walls 123, and an operating end position, in which they are inserted in the respective slots 137 in the walls 123. The use of seats 145 allows slides 125 to be moved towards or away from one another, so that the position of the plates 136 with respect to the walls 123 remains unchanged. The movement of the slides 125 in one direction or the other provokes only a corresponding sliding movement of the idling rollers 144 within the respective seats 145. The third folding means 43 consist of two "L"-shaped arms 155 positioned on either side of the chains 124. Each arm 155 is supported by a horizontal bracket 156, attached to a block 157 which is secured to a chain 158. The chain 158 is supported by the slide 125 and is positioned below it. The chain 158 is also positioned parallel to the chains 124, and the bracket 156 extends horizontally and transversally to the chain 158 and to chains 124. Each arm 155 is supported by the respective bracket 156 in such a way that it is moved by the chain 158 within the space 135. Each chain 158 is driven by a motor which is not illustrated, which causes it to complete a full circle each time the machine 1 is activated, as described below with reference to the operation of the machine 1. The side of the frame 133 opposite that on which glueing means 41 are envisaged, supports a horizontal bracket 159 through which a pair of vertical, parallel rods 160 pass (figure 11). Fixed to the bottom ends of the rods 160 is a horizontal plate 161, to which the free end of the stem 162s of an air cylinder 162 is attached, supported by the bracket 159. The plate 161, which acts as a presser, is vertically aligned above the bucket 39 which follows that at the glueing station 16. Observation of the bracket 159 reveals that it is secured to a vertical bar 77 connected to a bracket 82 attached to the frame 133. The vertical bar 77 has a longitudinal slot 165, through which a screw 166 passes, screwed into the bracket 82. The bracket 82 also has a seat 167 which houses the vertical bar 77. Thanks to the slot 165, the height of the vertical bar 77 may be adjusted along the seat 167. Adjustment of the height of the vertical bar 77 causes an adjustment of the height of the plate 161 in accordance with the thickness of the cartons 3. Fixed to the bottom of the bracket 159 is a crosspiece 168, to the bottom of which two extended plates 169 are attached. The said plates form the fourth folding means 164, designed to intercept the flap 7 of each folded carton blank 4r. The extended plates 169 are each positioned and operate between a wall 123 and the sections 126 of the buckets 39. The extended plates 169 start below the channel 134 (see figure 7), which also forms part of the fourth folding means 164. The extended plates 159 are initially tapered, so as to cause the flap 7 to fold gradually. The minimum height of the extended plates 169 always coincides with the minimum height of the plate 161. The connection of the crosspiece 168 to the bracket 159 allows adjustment of the position of the extended plates 169 in the direction of feed F15 of the bucket conveyor 40, as indicated by the slots 170 in the bracket 159. After the closing station 18, each bucket 39 reaches the counting and stacking station 19, at which lift means 44 and support means 45 are envisaged, as well as transfer means 171 (see figure 1). The lift means 44 consist of two comb elements 46, positioned on opposite sides of the bucket conveyor 40, their teeth 47 pointing upwards. Each comb element 46 is supported by one of the slides 125 and can be moved, by a motor which is not illustrated, between a lowered home position, which allows the forward movement of the bucket conveyor 40 with the respective cartons 3, and a raised position. As they are raised, the teeth 47 of the comb elements 46 intercept, on opposite sides of the bucket 39 which has stopped at the counting and stacking station 19, the opposite ends of the carton 3 in the bucket 39. The support means 45 consist of two walls 49 set on opposite sides of the bucket conveyor 40 and walls 123, each supported by a respective slide 125. The walls 49 have respective seats 48, vertically aligned with the teeth 47 of the comb elements 46 and with teeth 172 in the walls 123 at the counting and stacking station 19. Each wall 49 is pivoted to two vertical brackets 173 which are attached to the slide 125. On the outside of each wall 49, the brackets 173 support a fixed counter wall 174. Each wall 49 may oscillate, with respect to the brackets 173, about an axis parallel to the direction of feed F15 of the bucket conveyor 40, when respective flexible means 50 fitted between the wall 49 and the respective counter wall 174 are operated (see figures 1 and from 12 to 14). The flexible means 50, e.g.: compression springs, push the walls 49 against one another. The limit position which may be reached by the walls 49 pushed by the flexible means 50 is determined by the teeth 172 of the walls 123 housed in the seats 48 of the walls 49. As illustrated in figures 1 and 12, the walls 49 are partially vertically aligned with the comb elements 46 when they reach their limit position. Transfer means 171 are envisaged between the comb elements 46, said means consisting of a vertical blade 175, substantially vertically aligned with the chains 124 and attached to the free end of the stem 176s of an air cylinder 176, supported by the base 53. The travel of the stem 176s may be adjusted according to the size of the cartons 3, measured along the direction of feed F15 of the bucket conveyor 40. The vertical blade 175 is moved, by the air cylinder 176, between a home position in which it is drawn back, and a forward transfer position, as described below. The machine 1 also has numerous elements and parts which are indispensable to its correct operation, yet which are not illustrated or indicated, or which are indicated later. These elements and parts do not directly influence the inventive aspect of the machine 1 and have, for the purpose of greater clarity, been omitted. As is clearly shown in figure 1, the machine 1 as a whole has a "C"-shaped structural-operating configuration. In particular, the magazine 10, the first conveyor means 11 and the first folding means 12 form a first operating line indicated by the numeral 200. The filling station 14, third conveyor means 15 and counting and stacking station 19 form a second operating line indicated by the numeral 201, which is positioned parallel at the side of the first 200. The two lines are structurally and operatively interconnected, between the first folding means 12 and the said filling station 14 by the second conveyor means 13, which are, therefore, perpendicular to the operating lines 200 and 201. With reference to all of the accompanying drawings, the machine functions as described below with reference to the carton blanks 4 with two sets of pre-folding lines (internal and external) 5i and 5e. It is important to point out that, before operation, the machine 1 must be adjusted and set to operate with carton blanks 4 of a given size, that is to say, with a given crosswise measurement. This means that the following are adjusted in accordance with the size of the carton blanks 4 measured transversally to the direction of feed F11 or F15: the position of the side sections 55 relative to the magazine 10, of the transfer units 163 relative to the first conveyor means 11 and of the slides 125 relative to the adjustable parts which can be positioned along the third conveyor means 15. The position of the angled bars 54 relative to the magazine 10 and of the entire gantry structure 98 is adjusted in accordance with the size of the carton blank 4 measured along the same directions of feed F11 or F15, which are parallel. The final adjustments are the height of the bracket 159 in accordance with the height of the cartons 3, and the length of travel of the stem 176s of the air cylinder 176 in accordance with the size of the cartons 3 measured in the direction F15. As well as adjustments, some replacements are also necessary, that is to say, of the first folding means 12, the second conveyor means 13, the support surfaces 37, presser 38, orienting wall 112, the second folding means 42 and third folding means 43. Finally, the buckets 39 of the bucket conveyor 40 must be adjusted or replaced. All, part or none of these adjustments or replacements may be necessary, depending on requirements. It should be noticed that, in practice, the adjustment of those elements which convey the carton blank 4 or carton 3 in the direction (F11 or F15) which unites the flap 7 to be glued and the opposite flap 8, is envisaged, whilst replacements are envisaged for the interchangeable elements designed to erect the carton blanks 4 or convey them in the direction (F13) perpendicular to the former direction. This allows the precision adjustment of those elements which must execute extremely delicate operations such as folding, and the approximate adjustment of elements designed for non-precision operations such as shifting. Interchangeable elements shall be replaced by specialized personnel, whilst adjustments may be made by machine 1 operators. In light of this, the machine 1 is structured so as to complete an operating cycle for each bag 2 which is supplied to it. At the end of each operating cycle and before beginning the next, separated by a period determined not by the machine 1 operating speed, but by the speed at which the bags 2 are fed to the machine 1, all machine parts or elements respect preset configurations or positions. The belts 59 have partially removed the bottom flat carton blank 4d from the base of the magazine 10 (see figure 1, in which the flat carton blank 4d is illustrated by a broken line). The feed teeth 26 hold a flat carton blank 4d against the reference wall 73 (see figure 1, in which the flat carton blank 4d is illustrated by a broken line) so that the pre-folding lines 5 of the flat carton blank 4d are vertically aligned with the walls of the stop-plate 31 and the through-plate 32 and, as a result, with the outer edges of punch 21 and the tubular punch 30 which are raised by the matrix 20 (see figure 15). The pusher 89 is drawn back. The support surfaces 37 and presser 38 are raised, so that a folded carton blank 4r is held below them solely by its elasticity, which causes flaps 7,8 and 9 to stretch open in such a way that flaps 7 and 8 press against the respective side strips 94 (see figure 19). The plates 136 are positioned outside the walls 123 and the arms 155 are in position downstream with respect to the direction of feed F15 (see figure 7). The glueing means 41 are near to the first conveyor means 11 and set at an intermediate height. The plate 161 is raised (see figure 24). The comb elements 46 are lowered (see figure 12), and the vertical blade 175 is outside the range of the comb elements 46 (see figure 1). The position of the bucket conveyor 40 has not been described, since each bucket in positioned at an operating station. As soon as a bag 2 is carried by the continuous conveyor 121 within range of the detectors 122, these devices detect the presence of the bag 2 and transmit a signal to check and control means for the entire machine 1, which cause an operating cycle to be completed. For a more detailed description, the following text describes the operations to which each carton blank 4 is subjected as if during a single operating cycle: in reality these operations are effected on each carton blank 4 during more than one operating cycle, although for each operating cycle one carton blank 4 is subjected to the operations described. The bottom flat carton blank 4d is completely removed from the magazine 10 by the belts 59 which push it over the strips 104 and between the feed rollers 64 and idling rollers 65. These rollers cause the blank to accelerate away from the next flat carton blank 4d which, in the meantime, is removed from the bottom of the pile of flat carton blanks 4d in the magazine 10. The feed rollers 64 and idling rollers 65 push the flat carton blank 4d against the support walls 63, at least to the centre, as shown in figure 3. The feed teeth 26 then intercept the flat carton blank 4d, moving it forwards until it makes contact with the reference wall 73 (see figure 3). The motor driven chain 67, feed teeth 26 and belts 59, are stopped as soon as the foremost detectors 74 detect the absence of the flat carton blank 4d below them. The use of two detectors 74 is necessary due to the fact that there is normally no flat carton blank 4d beneath the foremost device: the first of the detectors 74 detects the transit of a flat carton blank 4d and activates the second with a given delay necessary for the flat carton blank 4d to reach it at the speed set by the feed teeth 26. The guide and containment walls 72 guide and correct the position of the flat carton blank 4d until it is positioned above the matrix 20. At this point both crank levers 86 and 87 are turned. The tubular punch 30 is moved towards the flat carton blank 4d before the punch 21, that is to say, the tubular punch 30 is lowered and moved towards the flat carton blank 4d (see figure 15, in which the arrow F30 relative to the tubular punch 30 points downwards), whilst the punch 21 is initially raised and moved away from the flat carton blank 4d (see figure 15, in which the arrow F21 relative to the punch 21 points upwards). While the tubular punch 30 continues to descend, punch 21 reverses its direction of movement and also begins to descend (see figure 16). As soon as the tubular punch 30 has folded the flat carton blank 4d about its external pre-folding lines 5e, in collaboration with the top edges of the side wall of the stop-plate 31 and reverses its direction of movement, an instant before applying excessive pressure to the bottom of the stop-plate 31 itself, punch 21 is ready to intercept the base 6 of the partially folded carton blank 4r (see figure 17). The punch 21 continues its downstroke, folds the folded carton blank 4r about its internal pre-folding lines 5i, in collaboration with the side walls of the through-plate 32 and lowers it until it makes contact with the support plates 88 (see figures 3 and 18). The folded carton blank 4r is prevented from returning to its flat state by the tracks 23. The flaps 7 and 8 flex open and fit into the tracks 23, which prevent them from opening any further and raising the flat carton blank 4d (see figures 3 and 18). The pusher 89 is moved into its forward position and returned to its home position while both the punch 21 and the tubular punch 30 are returned to their respective home positions. During the pusher 89 stroke the folded carton blank 4r is supported first by the support plates 88, then by the support strips 105 of the pusher 89 itself. During the said pusher 89 stroke, the folded carton blank 4r is first lowered to a given height by the diverters 107 (see figure 5), then its flaps 7 and 8 are guided into the tracks 23 defined by the vertical plates 93 and side strips 94 until they arrive beneath the presser 38 (see figures 5 and 19). The elasticity of the folded carton blank 4r and its limited weight allow the folded carton blank 4r to remain in this position without support, thanks only to the elastic force exerted by the flaps 7 and 8 against the side strips 94 (as shown in figure 6). When a bag 2 has been unloaded by the continuous conveyor 121 onto the support surfaces 37, the air cylinders 110 and 118 are activated together so as to lower the support surfaces 37 and presser 38. The support surfaces 37 not only allow the bag 2 to be lowered, but also open out the side flaps 9 of the folded carton blank 4r so that the said side flaps 9 do not obstruct the bag 2 (see figure 5, in which the support surfaces 37 are illustrated by a broken line, in their intermediate, partially lowered position). The presser 38, as well as guaranteeing the descent of the bag 2 to the base 6, then (if necessary with suction means positioned and operating below the folded carton blank 4r) causes the folded carton blank 4r and the bag 2 contained in it to be lowered into a bucket conveyor 40 bucket 39, paused below it (see figure 20). As the folded carton blank 4r is inserted into the bucket 39 below, the side flaps 9 are slightly folded towards one another by the walls 123 (see figure 6) and the remaining flaps 7 and 8 are also folded towards one another, but by the vertical sides 126c of the sections 126, as illustrated in figure 20. When the folded carton blank 4r reaches the glueing station 16, the glueing means 41 are lowered and moved from one end of the bucket conveyor 40 to the other, then raised to their topmost position and returned to the other end of the bucket conveyor 40, after which they are returned to their home position at intermediate height. During their travel at minimum height, the glueing means 41 are activated and apply a continuous or broken line, dots or any other pattern of adhesive to flap 7 (see figure 21). The disk 154 then completes a full rotation and moves the plates 136 so that they intercept the side flaps 9, folding them towards the base 6 of the folded carton blank 4r (see figure 22). Immediately afterwards, both the bucket conveyor 40 and chain 158 are moved. First it accelerates, so that the arms 155 reach and intercept the flap 8, folding it towards the base 6 of the folded carton blank 4r (see figure 23), then it decelerates so that the carton blank 4r thus folded is released from the arms 155 whilst the flap 7 is intercepted first by the channel 134, then by the extended plates 169, and folded towards the base 6, as shown in figure 23. In this way, on the finished carton 3, the side flaps 9 lie inside the carton 3, beneath flaps 7 and 8. Flap 7 is then glued to flap 8 only. Should a tamper-evidencing method be required, where an increase in the stability of the connection between flaps 7, 8 and 9 is desired, the movement of the arms 155 may be anticipated with respect to that of the plates 136, so that the side flaps 9 on the finished carton 3 lie between flaps 7 and 8, and flap 7 is glued both to flaps 8 and 9. The carton 3 is moved forwards between the lower horizontal sides 126s and the upper extended plates 169 until it is below the plate 161, which presses it to further dry the adhesive applied to flap 7 (see figure 24). When the carton 3 reaches the counting and stacking station 19, the comb elements 46 are gradually raised (see figure 12, in which the raising of the comb elements 46 is indicated by arrow F46). As it is raised, the carton 3 causes the walls 49 to move apart thanks to the flexible means 50 (see figure 13). When the carton 3 reaches the top of the walls 49, the carton 3 above, until that moment supported by the walls 49, is supported by the newly arrived carton 3, and the walls 49 move together once more, thanks to the flexible means 50 and to their seats 48, which house the teeth 47 of the comb elements 46 (see figure 14). When special detectors detect that the stack of cartons 3 supported by the walls 49 has reached the preset number, the air cylinder 176 is activated and, by means of the vertical blade 175, moves the stack of cartons 3 away from the bucket conveyor 40 (see figure 1, in which the movement of the vertical blade 175 is highlighted by arrow F175, and the final position of the vertical blade 175 is indicated by a broken line). It is, therefore, obvious that the machine 1 is very flexible and compact. The reduction in size is made possible by the fact that feed motion follows parallel operating lines, with simple conveyor transferal in a direction perpendicular to the lines. It should be noticed that the above description makes no mention of a stamping station for the carton blanks 4. Such a station may be fitted beneath the strips 104.

Claims: A machine for packing items of clothing such as stockings and similar articles, which may be ready-wrapped in wrapping or bags (2), into cartons (3) made from flat carton blanks (4), having creasing or pre-folding lines (5) which delimit a base (6) and four flaps (7,8,9), one flap (7) to be glued to the opposite flap (8) and two side flaps (9), and which consists of a magazine (10) for carton blanks (4) in which the carton blanks (4) are laid flat and stacked on top of one another, first conveyor means (11) which move from a pick-up position beneath the said magazine (10), where the first conveyor means (11) remove the bottom flat carton blank (4d) from the magazine, and a release position, where said first conveyor means (11) feed the flat carton blank (4d), picked up and positioned with the flap (7) to be glued upstream with relation to the direction of feed (F11) of the said first conveyor means (11), to first folding means (12) which operate vertically and fold the flat carton blank (4d) about its creasing lines (5) so that said flat carton blank (4d) assumes the shape of a box with open top (4r), second conveyor means (13), which move between a reception position beneath the first folding means (12) and a release position at a filling station (14), at which point a bag (2) is inserted into the folded carton blank (4r), third conveyor means (15), which move in a direction (F15) parallel yet opposite to that (F11) of the first conveyor means (11), between the said filling station (14) and subsequent stations for glueing (16) of the flap (7), for folding (17) the opposite flap (8) and side flaps (9), for folding (18) the glued flap (7) and closing the folded carton blank (4r) so as to create a carton (3) and a final station for counting and stacking (19) the cartons (3) from below, the machine being provided with an adjustable magazine (10) characterized in that the said first folding means (12) consist at least of a fixed matrix (20) and relative punch (21), said punch (21) being vertically mobile and intercepting, during each stroke between a top home position and a bottom folded carton blank (4r) feed position to the second conveyor means (13) below, a flat carton blank (4d) and folding said flat carton blank (4d) about the said pre-folding lines (5), its force being countered by the relative matrix (20), the second conveyor means (13) moving in a direction (F13) perpendicular to the direction of feed (F11) of said first conveyor means (11), being delimited on either side by adjustable guides (22) designed to define two tracks (23) to guide the top edges of the flap (7) to be glued and the opposite flap (8) of each folded carton blank (4r), holding said flaps (7, 8) apart until the same flaps (7, 8) reach the filling station (14), said adjustable guides (22) being movable towards or away from one another depending on the size of said folded carton blank (4r), said second conveyor means (13) containing a pusher (89) being able to move in said direction (F13) between said reception position, in which said folded carton blank (4r) can be pressed down by said punch (21), and said release position, in which said folded carton blank (4r) is vertically alligned with the filling station (14), the width of said magazine (10) being adjustable in accordance with the corresponding size of the flat carton blanks (4d), the size or transversal position of the first conveyor means (11) and the third conveyor means (15) for the transfer or containment of the carton blanks (4) or cartons (3) in the said direction of feed (F11) of the first conveyor means (11) and the said direction of feed (F15) of the third conveyor means (15) being adjustable in accordance with the corresponding size of the flat carton blanks (4d) or folded carton blanks (4r) and cartons (3) which said first and third conveyor means (11, 15) convey, and referring to a direction parallel to the relative direction of feed (F11, F15) and corresponding with the centre line of the carton blanks (4) and cartons (3), the transversal position of the said counting and stacking station (19) also being adjustable in accordance with the size of each carton (3) which passes through said counting and stacking station (19), and referring to the direction parallel to the direction of feed (F15) of the third conveyor means (15), said second conveyor means (13) and said first folding means (12) for folding the carton blanks (4) and erecting the cartons (3) being interchangeable, respectively, depending on the size of each carton blank (4) or carton (3) on which said second conveyor means (13) and said first folding means (12) operate. The machine as defined in claim 1, characterized in that the magazine (10), first conveyor means (11) and first folding means (12) form a first operating line (200); the filling station (14), third conveyor means (15) and counting and stacking station (19) form a second operating line (201) positioned parallel to and at the side of the first (200), and the two lines are interconnected between the first folding means (12) and the filling station (14) by the second conveyor means (13), positioned perpendicular to the operating lines (200, 201). The machine as defined in claim 1, characterized in that the first conveyor means (11) consist at least of a first continuous conveyor (24) with high friction coefficient, positioned beneath the magazine (10), and a second continuous conveyor (25) with feed teeth (26), aligned with the first continuous conveyor and moving forwards at greater speed in order to distance the flat carton blank (4d) received from it, said first continuous conveyor (24) operating with at least one front retaining bar (27) of the magazine (10) and, together with the first continuous conveyor (24), which is fixed vertically by support and reference means (28), designed to define a gap (29) to allow the passage of one flat carton blank (4d) at a time, the second continuous conveyor (25) having two distinct transfer units (163), set side-by-side symmetrically and adjustable with respect to the centre line of the second continuous conveyor (25), coinciding with the corresponding centre line of the flat carton blanks (4d), positioning and reference means (72) being envisaged on either side of the said first folding means (12) and parallel to the direction of feed (F11) of the said first conveyor means (11) to correct the position of the flat carton blanks (4d) conveyed by the latter to the first folding means (12), detectors (74) being envisaged to detect the presence of each flat carton blank (4d) at the said first folding means (12) and in contact with the respective stop and reference means (73) and to interrupt the operation of the said first conveyor means (11). The machine as defined in claim 1, in which the said carton blanks (4) have two sets of concentric pre-folding lines, internal and external (5i, 5e) for the erection of a carton (3) with parallelepiped configuration, characterized in that the said first folding means (12) include, as well as the punch (21) and matrix (20), a tubular punch (30) positioned coaxial to the punch (21), being able to move before the latter towards the matrix (20), the matrix (20) having a stop-plate (31) designed to operate together with the said tubular punch (30) to fold each flat carton blank (4d) about its external pre-folding lines (5e), and a through-plate (32) being coaxial to the stop-plate (31) and designed to operate with the punch (21) to fold each flat carton blank (4d) already folded about its external pre-folding lines (5e) about its internal pre-folding lines (5i), and guiding it, thus folded, towards the second conveyor means (13) below. The machine as defined in claim 4, characterized in that the said punch (21) and tubular punch (30) are supported by respective slides (33, 34), supported by respective vertical guides (35, 36) along which they move, completing an upstroke and downstroke for each flat carton blank (4d) to be folded. The machine as defined in claim 1, characterized in that two support surfaces (37) are envisaged at the filling station (14), located above the position reached by the folded carton blank (4r) at the filling station (14) thanks to the second conveyor means (13) and oscillating in synchronism between a top, support position, in which they are coplanar, forming a surface for reception and support of a bag (2), and a bottom, release position, in which, having rotated, making contact with and countering the said side flaps (9) of the folded carton blank (4r) below, they allow the said bag (2) to drop to the bottom (6) of the latter, and a presser (38) alternatively mobile up and down, synchronized with the oscillation of the said support surfaces (37) towards their release position, pushing the bag (2) against the bottom (6) of the folded carton blank (4r), and pushing both down into a bucket (39) on the bucket conveyor (40) which forms the third conveyor means (15), said bucket conveyor (40) moving forward, for each folded carton blank (4r) received, a distance equivalent to the space between the buckets (39). The machine as defined in claim 1, characterized in that the glueing station (16) and folding station (17) coincide and include glueing means (41), moved across the said third conveyor means (15), from one side to the other, then returned to their initial position, second folding means (42), being positioned on either side of the third conveyor means (15) and designed to fold the said side flaps (9), and third folding means (43), also being positioned on either side of the third conveyor means (15) and being synchronized with them to fold the flap (8) opposite the flap (7) to be glued, the said second folding means (42) and third folding means (43) being supported by two respective slides (125) positioned on opposite sides of the third conveyor means (15) and also supporting, on either side of the third conveyor means (15), two walls (123) for the containment of the folded carton blanks (4r) and cartons (3), fourth folding means (164), having adjustable height, according to the thickness of the said cartons (3) being envisaged to fold the said glued flap (7) towards the base (6) of the respective folded carton blank (4r). The machine as defined in claim 7, characterized in that the second folding means (42) are moved before the third folding means (43), so that the side flaps (9) are positioned inside and substantially in contact with the bag (2) contained in the folded carton blank (4r). The machine as defined in claim 7, characterized in that the second folding means (42) are moved after the third folding means (43), so that the side flaps (9) are positioned between the other flaps (7 and 8) and so that the glued flap (7) is glued to all of the other flaps (8 and 9). The machine as defined in claim 7, characterized in that the second folding means (42) consist of two plates (136), each supported by a respective slide (125) and able to move between two end positions, one being the home position, in which the plate is outside the wall (123), and the other being the folding position, in which the plate (136) passes through a recess (137) in the wall (123), folding the side flaps (9) of the said folded carton blank (4r) towards its base, said plates (136) being moved by respective means (139), also supported by the slides (125) and designed to move them between the said positions irrespective of the position of the slides (125), in accordance with the width of the said folded carton blanks (4r) and cartons (3). The machine as defined in claim 7, characterized in that the third folding means (43) consist of two arms (155), each being supported by a slide (125) and being positioned between the said bucket conveyor (40) and walls (123) which delimit it, and moving in phase with the third conveyor means (15) between a lowered position, allowing the forward movement of the said buckets (39) with the relative folded carton blanks (4r), and a raised position, in which the arms (155) intercept the flap (8) opposite the flap (7) glued and fold it towards the base of the respective folded carton blank (4r). The machine as defined in claim 11, characterized in that each arm (155) is supported by a respective chain (158) which moves in phase with the bucket conveyor (40), initially accelerating to reach, intercept and fold the flap (8) opposite the flap (7) glued, then decelerating to release and allow the folded carton blank (4r) to move away thus folded, but not before the said fourth folding means (164) intercept it and fold the glued flap (7) towards the base (6) of the folded carton blank (4r). The machine as defined in claim 12, characterized in that the said fourth folding means (164) extend and operate as far as the closing station (18), the presence of a second presser (161) being envisaged at the said closing station (18) to act upon the folded carton blank (4r) almost shaped into a carton (3) within the respective bucket (39) of the said bucket conveyor (40), and being designed to press it until the adhesive applied to the flap (7) is completely dry. The machine as defined in claim 13, characterized in that the height of the said fourth folding means (164) and second presser (161) may be adjusted in accordance with the final thickness of each carton. The machine as defined in claim 1, characterized in that lift means (44) are envisaged at the said counting and stacking station (19), said lift means (44) being positioned on either side of the third conveyor means (15) and designed to lift each carton (3) against horizontally mobile support means (45), until it makes contact with the base of a stack of cartons (3) and the entire stack is lifted, including the last carton (3). The machine as defined in claim 15, characterized in that said lift means (44) consist of two comb elements (46) positioned with their teeth (47) pointing upwards and engaged in corresponding seats (48) made in the opposing faces of a pair of walls (49) which are practically parallel and which form the said support means (45), pivoting about axes parallel to the direction of feed (F15) of the said third conveyor means (15) and subject to the action of respective flexible means (50) designed to bring them together, allowing them to support the said stack of cartons (3) and counter the lifting of a further carton (3) by the said comb elements (46). The machine as defined in claim 16, characterized in that said comb elements (46) and walls (49) are supported by a pair of slides (125) positioned on opposite sides of the said third conveyor means (15), their position being adjustable with respect to the centre line of the latter, corresponding with the centre lines of the cartons (3), in accordance with the width of the said cartons (3).

Inventors: BUTTIERI ARCANGELO, BUTTIERI EZIO, SELVA MARIO, TORRICELLI LAURO, BUTTIERI, ARCANGELO, BUTTIERI, EZIO, SELVA, MARIO, TORRICELLI, LAURO
Applicants: I M A C DI TORRICELLI LAURO &, I.M.A.C. DI TORRICELLI LAURO & C. S.N.C.
Application year: 1995
Main classification: B65B25
IPC codes: B65B59, B65B25