FEEDER MECHANISM AND HOPPER FOR COLLAPSED CARTON BLANKS

Abstract: An apparatus (42) for sequentially manipulating from a supply point of a hopper (54) collapsed cartons (10) having oppositely disposed face contacting panels and for transferring to the cartons to an infeed end of a packaging machine (50), which apparatus comprising a shaft (58) which rotates about a fixed axis (X-X) and carton pick up means for sequentially engaging one of said face contacting panels and for withdrawing from the hopper a collapsed carton, characterised in that the hopper is inclined downwardly towards the carton supply point and in that the shaft is mounted about the fixed axis in a position such that the carton pick up means transfers a carton from an inclined plane in the hopper to a substantially vertical plane at the infeed end.

Description: FEEDER MECHANISM AND HOPPER FOR COLLAPSED CARTON BLANKS This invention relates to packaging of primary articles such as cans or bottles in cartons and is more particularly concerned with feeding the cartons in collapsed condition from a hopper and transferring the cartons to an infeed end of a packaging machine. UK Patent 205 3133 to Bosch concerns an apparatus for removing folding box blanks from a stationary magazine and erecting and transferring the blanks. It comprises transfer suction members which are mounted on four point linkages and arranged on a rotary carrier controlled by cams. During rotation, to facilitate the removal of the blanks a stationary condition of the suction members occurs. During the transfer of the erected blanks to the transport device, the suction members are moved synchronously with the transport device. US Patent 4 625 575 to Le Bras concerns a cam assembly for a feeder mechanism in which the cam plate is formed for a continuous cam track and a shallower cam track. Cam track follower arms are used for relative movement within first and second cam tracks. Pick up means is connected to the cam arm by an eccentric arm and the cam tracks cause the pick up means to move to an outwardly extended position and to an inwardly retracted position. Both pieces of prior art highlighted about refer to primary carton pick up means but a problem associated with the transfer of cartons is the need to ensure that a continuous supply of cartons is held in a hopper ready for transfer to an infeed end of the packaging machine. The present invention and its preferred embodiment seeks to overcome or at least mitigate the problems associated with the prior art. According to one aspect of the invention there is provided an apparatus for sequentially manipulating out of a hopper collapsed cartons having oppositely disposed face contacting panels and for transferring the cartons to an infeed end of a packaging machine, which apparatus comprising a shaft which rotates about a fixed axis and carton pick up means for sequentially engaging one of said face contacting panels and for withdrawing from the hopper a collapsed carton, characterised in that the hopper is inclined downwardly towards the carton pick up point and in that the shaft is mounted about the fixed axis at an angle to the vertical such that the carton pick up means transfers a carton from an inclined position to a substantially vertical plane. According to an optional feature of this aspect of the invention, the carton pick up means is connected to the shaft by a rotatable elongated support rod having one end thereof slidably secured on a collar structure mounted on said shaft, said rod and said pick up means being slidingly reciprocatable transversely relative to said rotatable shaft moving orbitally about said rotatable shaft. According to another optional feature of this aspect of the invention, the orbital movement of said carton pick up means immediately prior to and during withdrawal of a carton from the hopper is arrested for a brief interval by the action of a cam controlled cam bar which is movable radially during such brief interval and which is operably connected with said carton pick up means. According to a further optional feature of this aspect of the invention, said carton pick up means comprises suction cup means controlled by one component of valve means having side by side components driven by a common shaft. Preferably, the face contacting panels comprise opposite side walls of the carton. An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which FIGURE la is a side view of a basket type carton supplied in a flat collapsed condition suitable for use with a machine according to the invention; FIGURE lb is a perspective view of a basket type carton suitable for use with a machine according to the invention; FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of machine according to the invention illustrating those parts of the machine required for construction of basket type carriers; FIGURES 3, 4 and 5 are perspective views of the carton supply infeed and set up stations of the machine according to the invention adapted to load basket type cartons. Referring to the drawings, and in particular Figures la and lb thereof, carton 10 is a basket type carrier, shown in Figure lb, in a set up condition ready for lowering onto articles. The carton 10 includes opposed side wall panels 12, 14 and opposed end wall panels 16, 18 hingably connected one to the next. The carton 10 further includes a handle structure 20 which interconnects end wall panels 16, 18 and comprises transverse partition panels 22 interconnecting each side wall panel 12, 14. Base panels 24, 26 are hingably connected to each side wall panel 12, 14 respectively. It is envisaged that the cartons can vary depending upon the shape and/or quantity of articles to be packaged and accordingly, a machine in accordance with the present invention is adjustable in numerous respects so that it can process a wide variety of such cartons. The principle arrangements which are likely to be varied are shown in Figure la and 2b in which "H" is the overall height of the set up carton equivalent to the distance between the upper edge of the side wall and base panel, "L" is the overall length of the carton when the base panels are closed. Of course, other carton types, for example wraparound and end loading cartons, can be processed by the present invention without departing from its scope. Referring now to Figure 2 of the drawings, there is shown a, infeed end 40 of a machine 50 for processing cartons 52 of the basket type outlined above. The upstream end of the machine includes a hopper 54 in which a multiplicity of cartons 52 in flat collapsed condition are held ready for processing. As shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5, the cartons are removed from the hopper 54 sequentially by a rotary vacuum feeder 56. The vacuum feeder 56 comprises four carton set up means (not shown) each being interconnected to a drive shaft 58 by a drive rod 60. Individual drive shafts for the respective drive rods 60 are connected to a cam track by a cam follower which provide a uniform path for the suction cups when the main drive shaft 58 is rotated. The cam track also facilitates the cam rods to be extended away from the main shaft 58 so that the suction cups come into contact with the carton 10 thereby to remove one of the cartons from the hopper and to rotate the carton in a uniform path to the infeed end of the machine. The main drive shaft 58 is rotatable about a fixed axis X-X. The shaft 58 is generally supported at its end by a suitable bearing structure but which is conventional and which is mounted to a side frame. Suitable driving mechanism, for example a servo motor 57, is provided to rotate the shaft 58. For withdrawing the lower most collapsed carton from the first hopper, a carton pick up means is provided, including two suction cups (not shown) which are each supported on cup holders (not shown) and a frame 59. The cup holder frames 59 are fixedly mounted respectively on elongated support rods 60. In one class of embodiments, the rods 60 are slidably mounted respectively on a collar structure 62 which collar structure is rigidly secured to main rotatable shaft 58. In the present embodiment, it is envisaged that a vacuum break is provided in the feeder mechanism 56 which is used in conjunction with a vacuum supply to set the vacuum connection and cut off points thereby determining when the carton is held by the feeder mechanism 56. As illustrated from Figure 3, four sets of carton pick up means are provided in association with the main rotatable shaft 58. Whilst the use of a rotary vacuum feeder to supply cartons to the conveyor is preferred, it is envisaged that the present invention can be used or adapted to be used with other types of feeder mechanisms without departing from the scope of the invention. The hopper 54 is a "gravity feed" type whereby the carton blanks 52 are held in the hopper at an incline to provide a positive feed so a continuous supply of cartons is maintained. In order for the blank to be transferred from the inclined position shown in Figure 3 to a vertical plane at the infeed end, the axis of rotation X-X of the rotary feeder is offset from the vertical plane, as illustrated in Figure 4. In use, the feeder mechanism 56 continuously and sequentially feeds cartons from the hopper to the infeed by the main shaft 58 rotating the pick up means in the direction indicated by the arrow A, shown in Figure 3. As the pick up means 42 rotates, the suction cups are moved into contact with side wall of carton 10. A vacuum is then applied to the set of suction cups by the vacuum supply. Thus, the carton 10 is withdrawn and then transferred to a belt 64. The vacuum is then maintained during this transfer stage so that the suction cups hold the side wall of the carton 10. When the carton is deposited at the belt 64, the vacuum break disconnects the vacuum supply from the suction cups to release the carton. The blank is then placed between the nip end 66 of an infeed belt set shown generally at 64. The infeed belt set includes pairs of upper and lower receiving belts 70, 72 spaced apart so as to receive the handle portion 20 and base panels 24, 26 of a flat carton delivered by the rotary feeder 56. The belt sets 70, 72 maintain the position of the carton and move the carton downstream to a set up station shown generally at 74. It will be seen from Figures 3, 4 and 5 that as the rotary vacuum feeder rotates the cartons, they also undergo a translation about the path of the rotary movement from an inclined angle to a vertical plane. It is envisaged that the adjustments to the machine are controlled by computer program which enables adjustment to be automated thereby minimising machine downtime. For example, the offset angle of the rotary feeder can be increased or decreased if it is required or the angle of incline to be increased or decreased to enlarge or reduce the gravity pull on the cartons in the hopper. A machine according to the present invention is adjustable in a number of respects so as to be able to process cartons containing numerous configurations of groups of articles to create a range of carton sizes and shapes, for example, four bottles to eight bottles without undue amounts of downtime being spent in adjusting the machines. Indeed, the machine can be readily adapted to process cartons to produce a wide range of cartons having numerous article group configurations.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. An apparatus for sequentially manipulating from a supply point of a hopper collapsed cartons having oppositely disposed face contacting panels and for transferring the cartons to an infeed end of a packaging machine, which apparatus comprising a shaft which rotates about a fixed axis and carton pick up means for sequentially engaging one of said face contacting panels and for withdrawing from the hopper a collapsed carton, characterised in that the hopper is inclined downwardly towards the carton supply point and in that the shaft is mounted about the fixed axis in a position such that the carton pick up means transfers a carton from an inclined plane in the hopper to a substantially vertical plane at the infeed end. 2. An apparatus of claim 1 wherein the carton pick up means is connected to the shaft by a rotatable elongated support rod having one end thereof slidably secured on a collar structure mounted on said shaft, said rod and said pick up means being slidingly reciprocatable transversely relative to said rotatable shaft moving orbitally about said rotatable shaft. 3. An apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the orbital movement of said carton pick up means immediately prior to and during withdrawal of a carton from the hopper is arrested for a brief interval by the action of a cam controlled cam bar which is movable radially during such brief interval and which is operably connected with said carton pick up means. 4. An apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 3 wherein said carton pick up means comprises suction cup means controlled by one component of valve means having side by side components driven by a common shaft. 5. An apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein said face contacting panels comprise opposite side walls of the carton.

Inventors: DUPERRAY PHILIPPE, DUPERRAY, PHILIPPE
Applicants: DUPERRAY PHILIPPE, MEAD CORP, DUPERRAY, PHILIPPE, THE MEAD CORPORATION
Application year: 1998
Main classification: B65B43
IPC codes: B65B21, B65B43