Multifunctional folding-glueing apparatus and method for making box-like cases

Abstract: A folding-glueing apparatus for making box-like cases and the like, comprises a folding and glueing section for folding and glueing cut and ribbed starting sheet elements which section is provided, on the same folding and glueing line, with a movable bridge (15) designed for automatically forming loose stacks of strapped packs of folded and glued boxes or of the mentioned starting spread sheet elements. The method performed by this apparatus provides, alternatively, on the same folding and glueing line, the steps of: both forming folded, levelled and counted box packs; and forming loose stacks of the folded boxes.

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a multifunctional folding-glueing apparatus which, on the same line on which cardboard boxes or cases are made, also packages the formed boxes or cases both into stacks and into packs. The invention also relates to the method carried out by this apparatus. The folding-glueing apparatus of the type to which the invention relates (which are also called "case makers") comprise those machines which, starting from a suitably cut and ribbed cardboard sheet element, fold and glue the sheet element flaps. Thus, a sheet construction having folded and glued sides is made, the sides of which can be opened for forming a box-like case. The thus processed cardboard sheet elements, are either stacked into stacks having a given height, or they are bound to form smaller size packs. At present, the above mentioned operations are carried out only in part of the above mentioned folding and glueing machines which, actually, either perform only the stacking operation or perform only the packaging of the cases into packs. Thus, the above mentioned prior machines or apparatus require auxiliary devices and additional labour for processing the cases or boxes, which negatively affects both the making time and the end cost of the made articles. Moreover, as the folding-glueing apparatus is designed for packaging a pack including a given number of boxes, folded, glued and bound by straps (the so-called "strapped boxes or cases"), the device for binding or strapping the boxes or cases (the so-called "strapping device"), applies the binding strap at a position transversal of the box or case feeding direction on the folding and glueing apparatus. Consequently, the finished box or case will be frequently affected by visible deformed portions which are undesired both from an aesthetic and a functional standpoint. The above mentioned apparatus, furthermore, are so designed as to anyhow fold the cardboard sheet element flaps, even if this operation is not desired (for example in the case in which the sheet elements must be merely transferred to their starting spread position). Even in this latter case it is accordingly necessary to provide stacking devices (also called "stackers"), separated by the folding-glueing apparatus proper, for transferring the sheet elements, as desired, without folding the flaps thereof. The document US-A-4 585 432 discloses a folding-glueing machine substantially according to the preamble of claim 1. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the aim of the present invention is to provide a multifunctional folding-glueing apparatus which is specifically designed for making, in addition to folded and glued cardboard boxes or cases and the like, both packs of said boxes or cases, as suitably levelled or jogged and strapped, and stacks of said boxes or cases, or stacks of the starting spread, cut and ribbed sheet elements. Preferably, moreover, the boxes or cases will be strapped so as to prevent any undesired deformations from occurring on the finished box or case. Within the scope of the above mentioned aim, a further object of the present invention is to provide such a folding and glueing apparatus which allows to switch off, as desired, the cardboard sheet flap folding function, to merely transfer said cardboard sheets, in the starting spread or extended condition thereof, to the subsequent automatic stacking operations. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a novel folding and glueing method for automatically processing cardboard box-like cases and the like. The above mentioned aim and objects are achieved by a multifunctional folding-glueing apparatus according to claim 1. The mentioned means for automatically forming the stacks and packs comprise, according to further features of the inventive apparatus, a movable bridge arranged at the output of the sheets from said folding and glueing sections and adapted to operate between a lowered position, in which said bridge receives said folded and glued boxes and supplies them to a strapped pack forming line, and a raised position in which are formed said stacks of spread sheet elements or of said folded and glued boxes. The mentioned bridge is provided, in particular, with a hinge assembling for swingably fixing it to the apparatus, as well as with a belt and pressing wheel assembly provided for transferring said boxes, piston elements being moreover provided for driving said bridge about said hinge assembly. The apparatus according to the invention is moreover characterized in that said apparatus comprises, downstream of said movable bridge, a section for packaging said boxes into packs and a strapping and ejecting station for displacing said packs through 90° either rightwardly or leftwardly, with respect to the folding-glueing line. This station is in turn provided with a pushing carriage and a box strapping device, said pushing carriage comprising moreover control means for controlling the stroke of said pushing carriage, thereby centering the position of the binding strap at the box glued flaps overlaying line. The folding-glueing apparatus according to the present invention is furthermore characterized in that it comprises, at said folding and glueing section, swinging folding rods which can swing between a spread sheet flap folding position and a position at which said rods do not interfere with said sheets. According to further features of the inventive apparatus, said apparatus is moreover provided with vertically extending belts for controlling the overlaying amount of the bent flaps, to be glued, of the starting sheet elements, movable between a folding and overlaying position of said flaps and a clearance position thereof. These belts are provided, in particular, with a supporting frame including pins which are slidably housed in bushings provided on the longitudinal beams of the apparatus, respective piston elements being moreover provided for performing the above mentioned movements of said belts. There is also provided a method according to claim 12. On the same folding and glueing line, moreover, is performed a transfer of said cut and ribbed sheet elements, which are held in their initially spread or unfolded position, as well as the subsequent stacking thereof. According to yet other features of the inventive method, furthermore, on the same folding and glueing line is performed a lateral or side transfer of the packs with respect to said folding and glueing line as well as a subsequent strapping thereof. This strapping operation, in particular, is performed by applying the binding straps according to the overlaying axis of the mentioned central flaps of the folded and glued boxes. With respect to the conventional case-maker machines, the apparatus according to the present invention provides the advantage of making, on the same folding and glueing line, not only folded and glued boxes, but also strapped packs of said boxes, both of loose stacks of said boxes and of the initially unfolded sheet elements. Owing to the above disclosed features, the folding-glueing apparatus of the invention is of a multifunctional type, differently from prior art machines, thereby the inventive apparatus will perform a full making cycle, in which the boxes or cases are made and packaged in the most appropriate configuration for a subsequent transfer or dispatching thereof. A further advantage provided by the multi-functional apparatus according to the present invention is the provision of the above mentioned side ejecting line, for ejecting at 90°, either rightwardly or leftwardly, folded and glued box packs, thereby allowing the box pack to be strapped by causing it to be gripped by the binding straps on the end closing flaps of the boxes. Thus, the finished boxes will be prevented from being damaged. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The above mentioned and other features, objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following disclosure, with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show an exemplary not limitative preferred embodiment of said apparatus. In the drawings, constituting an integrating part of the disclosure: Figure 1 is a general perspective view illustrating the multifunctional apparatus according to the present invention; Figures 2 and 2A illustrate a diagram of the folding-glueing method, respectively seen from a side and from the top; Figures 3 and 4 are respectively a side and a top plan view illustrating the apparatus of Figure 1; Figure 5 illustrates a detail of the transfer section for transferring the folded and glued boxes to the pack forming station of the apparatus shown in Figure 3; Figures 6 and 6A are respectively a side and top plan view illustrating a detail of the movable bridge of the apparatus of Figure 1, in a lowered position thereof; Figure 7 illustrates a detail of the pack forming well, on the stacking section of Figure 6; Figure 8 is a top plan view illustrating a detail of the pack strapping section included in the apparatus of Figure 4; Figure 9 illustrates the apparatus of Figure 5 during its operation for forming a folded box stack or a starting distended sheet element stack; Figures 10 and 11 illustrate the swinging folding rods included in the apparatus of Figure 1, respectively in a lowered flap folding position and in a starting distended sheet element transferring raised position; Figures 12 and 13 illustrate a detail of the movable sheet element flap bending belts, respectively at a lowered and raised position thereof; and Figure 14 illustrates a block diagram of the method performed by the apparatus illustrated in the preceding Figures. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The multifunctional apparatus according to the present invention has been generally indicated by the reference number 1 in Figure 1 and comprises a bending and glueing section 2 for bending and glueing starting sheet elements, as well as a levelling or jogging section 3 for forming both folded and glued box packs and a stack of said boxes of said starting distended sheet elements. The section 2 of the machine 1 is provided for folding and glueing the sheet elements, as suitably cut and ribbed, thereby forming a folded box or case. Figures 2 and 2A illustrate, in a simplified manner, the folding and glueing steps carried out in the section 2 of the machine 1. The process carried by said machine provides, in particular, to fold the central flaps 6 of the sheet element 4, made of corrugated cardboard or a like material, to apply a given amount of glue on the flaps and to overlap said glued flaps so as to form a folded and glued box 5. At the use time, the cardboard box-like keys will be obtained by opening the folded box construction and closing the remaining side flaps 6a. In order to make the folded and glued box 5, the section 2 of the machine 1 comprises two top longitudinal beams 7, thereabove the sheet element 4 is transferred through a suitably designed system of conveyor belts 8 (shown in Figure 6). In particular, the folding of the flaps 6 of the of the box 5 is carried out at the level of the folding rods 9 and of the vertical belts 10, clearly shown in Figures 10 to 13. As illustrated in Figures 10 and 11, the folding rod 9 can rotate or swing between a lowered position and a raised position. In the first case (Figure 10), the flaps 6 of the sheet element 4 are subjected to a folding operation and, at the output of the section 2 of the machine 1, a folded box 5 will be provided. In the second case (with the folding rods in a raised position, as shown in Figure 11), on the contrary, the sheet 4 is not folded and the section 2 of the machine 1 will operate as a simple transfer unit for the distended sheet elements 4, to transfer them to the subsequent stacking section. The above disclosed movement of the folding rods 9 is performed as follows. Each folding rod 9 comprises a metal wire, of helical configuration, so as to facilitate the engagement thereof with the flaps 6 to be folded. Each folding or bending rod 9, moreover, is pivoted at 37 to the top longitudinal beam 7 of the machine 1, thereby each folding rod can be displaced to the positions shown in Figures 10 and 11, by suitable pneumatic pistons 38. The vertical belts 10, shown in Figures 12 and 13, which control the overlapping amount of the flaps 6 of the sheet element 4, are driven with a vertical movement. In particular, as the belts 10 are lowered to the position shown in Figure 12, they will so operate as to overlap and control the mutual overlapping amount of the glued flaps 6, preliminarily folded by the folding rods 9. If, on the contrary, the belts 10 are arranged at a raised position (Figure 13), in combination with the corresponding position of the folding rods 9, then the sheet element 4 will pass, with its opened and extended flaps 6, under the mentioned belts 10. Thus, th section 2 of the machine 1 will not perform any folding and glueing operations, but it will exclusively operate as transfer means for transferring the spread or extended sheet elements 4 toward the subsequent stacking operation. The movable construction of the belts 10 will be hereinbelow disclosed. Each belt 10 is provided with a respective supporting frame 39, in turn provided with pins 40 which are slidably housed within bushings 41 provided on the longitudinal beams 7 of the machine 1. The displacement of the belts 10 to the positions thereof shown in Figures 12 and 13 will be finally achieved through the pneumatic piston 42. The section 2 of the machine comprises moreover a glueing system for applying a glue material on the sheet elements, said glueing system being generally indicated by the reference number 11 in Figure 1. At the outlet 12 (Figure 5) of the above disclosed section 2 of the machine 1 there will be, accordingly, available: boxes 5 the flaps 6 of which have been suitably folded and glued (as carried out at the lowered position of the folding rod 9 and of the belts 10 of the machine 1); or sheet elements 4 in their starting spread apart or distended condition, which are transferred on the longitudinal beams 7 of the section 2 of the machine with the folding rods 9 and belts 10 in their raised positions. Thus, as the folded boxes 5 or distended sheet elements 4 are unloaded from the outlet 12 of the section 2, they will access the subsequent section 3 of the machine 1, in which it is possible to perform the following: both the packaging of the folded and glued boxes 5 into bound or strapped packs 13 (Figures 5 and 8); and the forming of loose stacks 14 of folded boxes 5 or spread or unfolded sheet elements 4 (Figure 9). The selection of the above two mentioned operations or functions of the machine 1 can be made by using the movable bridge 15 included in the section 3 of the machine 1 and which is adapted to operate between a lowered position (Figure 6) and a raised position (Figure 9). The construction of said movable bridge 15 is clearly shown in Figures 6 and 6A. This construction comprises, in particular, a bottom belt assembly 43, including a plurality of belts adapted to cooperate with a plurality of top pressing wheels 44, in turn swingably mounted on spring-urged arms (not shown in the Figures). The system, which provides a substantially "sandwich" construction, receives the folded and glued boxes 5, and transfer them by engaging them between the wheels 44 and belts 43. The swinging movement of the wheels 44, on the other hand, will allow to trade-off any thickness differences characteristic of the different types of materials used for making the boxes. The bridge 15 construction, is swingably mounted on the section 3 of the machine 1, at its hinge or pivot-pin point 45. Pneumatic pistons 46 are provided for lowering and raising the bridge 15. Thus, as the bridge 15 is arranged in its lowered position shown in Figure 6, it will receive the folded and glued boxes 5 coming from the outlet 12 of the folding-glueing section 2 of the machine 1. The section 3 of said machine will be then preset for packaging the boxes into strapped packs 13. To that end, downstream of the bridge 15, in the box 5 feeding direction, the section 3 of the machine is provided with a well 16 (shown in Figure 7, in turn provided with box feeding belts 17, a rear jogging or levelling bracket 18, for levelling or jogging said boxes, as well as a front abutment bracket 19, which can be driven transversely of the box feeding direction, thereby fitting the size of said boxes. The system comprises furthermore a top pressing element 20 for restraining the pack 13 and a counting system for counting the boxes forming said pack. As clearly shown in Figure 8, the box pack 13 exiting the well 16 is sent, by a motorized roller assembly, to a strapping and ejecting station 26. This station comprises a suitably designed pushing carriage 27, adapted to eject the packs through 90° with respect to the machine running direction (arrows of Figure 8), by indifferently translating said packs either rightwardly or leftwardly. The station 26 is moreover provided with a strapping machine 28, adapted to bind the box pack 13 by binding straps 29 (Figure 8). The above disclosed 90° transfer will allow to bind the box pack by the strap 29 engaging at the side flaps 6a of the box and centered on the overlapping line 36 of the glued flap 6 (Figure 2). To that end, the pushing carriage 27 is moreover provided with a stroke control system therefor (not shown), adapted to transfer the box pack 13 so as to center it with the line 36 on the strap 29 applying point, by the machine 28. As disclosed thereinabove, as the movable bridge 15 is arranged at a raised position on the outlet 12 of the sheet elements 4 or of the boxes 5 from the section 2 of the machine 1, said machine will operate as an automatic stacker. In this position of the bridge 5, as clearly shown in Figure 9, the unfolded sheet elements 4 or the folded boxes 5 will fall from above on a platform 30 arranged at and under this outlet 12. Moreover, in order to provide a well levelled and ordered box or sheet element stack 14, the above disclosed falling movement of said elements on the platform 30 will be controlled or driven, from one side, through vertical shoulders 31 arranged downstream of the section 2 of the machine 1 and, on the other side, by a counter-biassing arm 32 included in the section 3 of said machine, at a facing or opposite position with respect to that of the guiding shoulders 31. Figure 14 schematically illustrates the method carried out by the disclosed folding-glueing machine. By the disclosed folding and glueing operations on the starting spread sheet elements, there are formed, at will, either folded and glued boxes, or a simple transfer of the starting cut and ribbed sheet elements. Moreover, on the same folding-glueing line, in which the boxes are formed or the sheet elements are transferred, it is possible to perform, alternatively, either the forming of loose stacks obtained by piling and jogging the mentioned boxes or sheet elements, and forming counted box packs, the boxes thereof have been levelled and strapped by the above disclosed straps. The latter operation, in particular, is performed, on the same bending and glueing line, at first by transferring through 90° the pack with respect to the line and, then, by applying the binding straps according to the overlapping axes of the central flaps of the folded and glued boxes. The invention, as disclosed and illustrated, is susceptible to several modifications and variations all of which will come within the scope of the accompanying claims. Thus, for example, the materials of the sheet elements for making the boxes could be any strong and flexible materials suitable for making cases or the like. Moreover, it would be possible to use different servomechanisms, anyhow adapted to provide a folding-glueing machine which, in addition, is also suitable to operate as an automatic stacker for stacking folded boxes and unfolded sheet elements, as well as adapted to make packs of folded, glued, levelled and strapped boxes.

Claims: A multi-functional folding-glueing machine (1) for making cardboard box-like cases (5), of the type comprising a folding and glueing section (2) for folding and glueing, along a folding-glueing line, initially unfolded cut and ribbed sheet elements (4), and stack forming means adapted to automatically form stacks of folded and glued boxes of said sheet elements (4) or packs of folded, glued, levelled and strapped boxes, characterized in that said machine comprises in said folding and glueing station (2), folding means (9) suitable for folding a sheet element (4) to form a folded box (5), and conveyor means (8) to transfer the unfolded sheet element (4) to said stack forming means, that said stack forming means are movable between a position for forming loose stacks of said folded and glued boxes or of said initially unfolded sheet elements (4), and a position for forming packs including a preset number of said folded, glued, levelled and strapped boxes, and that said machine further comprises, at said folding and glueing section (2) swinging folding rods (9) which can swing between a folding position in which the central flaps (6) of said unfolded sheet elements (4) are folded and a position in which said folding rods do not interfere against said central flaps. A machine, according to Claim 1, characterized in that said stack forming means are moreover adapted to automatically form stacks of said initially unfolded sheet elements. A machine, according to Claim 1, characterized in that said stack forming means comprise a movable bridge (15) arranged at the outlet (12) of said sheet elements (4) and of said boxes (5) from said bending and glueing section (2). A machine, according to Claim 3, characterized in that said movable bridge (15) is adapted to operate between a lowered position, in which said said movable bridge receives said folded and glued boxes (5) and transfers said boxes to a line for forming said strapped packs (13), and a raised position, at which stacks (14) of said unfolded sheet elements (4) or of said folded and glued boxes (5) are formed. A machine, according to Claim 4, characterized in that said movable bridge (15) comprises a swinging attachment hinge (45) for providing a swinging connection to said section (3) of said machine (1). A machine, according to Claim 5, characterized in that said movable bridge (15) comprises moreover a belt (43) and pressing wheel (44) assembly for transferring said folded and glued boxes (5) and piston means (46) for raising and lowering said movable bridge (15) by turning it about said hinge (45). A machine according to Claim 1, characterized in that said machine further comprises a a strapping ejection station (26) for strapping and ejecting through 90° said packs (13), either leftwardly or rightwardly, with respect to said folding-glueing line, said strapping-ejecting station (26) comprising a pushing carriage (27) and a strapping device (28) for strapping said packs at unfolded flaps (6a) thereof for finally closing said box (5), A machine, according to Claim 1, characterized in that said pushing carriage (27) comprises control means for controlling the displacement of said carriage, thereby centering the position of the strap (29) applied by said strapping device (28), at a line (36) of central flaps (6), overlapped and glued, of said box (5). A machine, according to Claim 1, characterized in that said folding rods (9) comprise helically contoured wire elements, provided with a hinge (37) for connection to longitudinal beams (7) of the machine (1) and driven by piston means (38). A machine, according to Claim 1, characterized in that said folding and glueing section comprises moreover vertical belts (10) for controlling the overlapping of flap portions (6) of said sheet elements (4) said vertical belts (10) being movable between a folding and overlapping position of said flaps and a not-interferring position with said flaps. A machine, according to Claims 8 and 10, characterized in that said vertical belts (10) are supported by a supporting frame (39) including pins (40) slidably housed in bushings (41) provided on said longitudinal beams (7) of said machine (1), respective pistons (42) being moreover provided to drive said vertical belts (10). A method for making box-like cases, characterized in that said method comprises the steps, performed on the same folding and glueing line, of providing cut and ribbed sheet elements and folding and glueing said sheet elements to form folded boxes and then, by means of using movable stack forming means, in one position thereof, forming packs of said folded, glued levelled and counted boxes (5), or, in a second portion thereof, forming stacks of said folded boxes (5) or of said sheet elements (4). A method. according to Claim 12, characterized in that said method comprises the step of transferring, on the same folding-glueing line, said cut and ribbed sheet elements, held in their initially unfolded position, and a subsequent stacking thereof. A method, according to Claim 12, characterized in that said method comprises the steps of laterally transferring, on the same folding and glueing line, packs (13) with respect to said line and strapping said transferred packs. A method, according to Claim 14, characterized in that said strap applying step is carried out along an overlapping axis of central flaps (6) of said folded and glued boxes.

Inventors: BENZONI RINALDO, BENZONI, RINALDO
Applicants: ENGICO S R L, ENGICO S.R.L.
Application year: 1998
Main classification: B31B1
IPC codes: B31B1, B31B5