Patent GB-1249389-A (GB)
Title: Apparatus for packaging fish and various other products
IPC: B65B25/06
Filed: 1969-04-30
Abstract: 1,249,389. Packaging. PITTERS PTY Ltd. 30 April, 1969 [30 April, 1968], No. 22046/69. Heading B8C.  Apparatus for packaging articles 9 in cartons 1 of open-ended tube form having closable flaps 3, 4, 5, 6 at each end, comprises a pair of conveyers 7, 8 extending side by side and movable continuously in the same general direction to transport articles 9 and cartons 1 respectively from a receiving station 17, towards a discharge station 38, two series of trays 12, 25 each forming part of a respective one of the conveyers, the trays of one series being substantially aligned with the respective trays of the other series, each tray being arranged to receive at least one article 9 or a carton 1 according to whether the tray forms part of the article or carton conveyer respectively, a plurality of pusher members 33 mounted on the article conveyer for movement therewith, each pusher member 33 being associated with a respective one of the article trays and movable towards and away from the adjacent carton tray to deposit the or each article carried by its respective article tray within the carton carried by the respective carton tray, and mechanism for operating each pusher member in turn at a feeding station during operation of the article conveyor. As shown, in which the articles to be packaged are fish fingers, the cartons are fed from a magazine 18, Fig. 2 on to the trays 12, each of which is slidably mounted on parallel rods'13 supported below the conveyer 8 and each tray being slidable towards and away from the conveyer 7 by means of a cam follower 15 depending from each tray and a track 16 extending lengthwise of the conveyer. The trays 25 are secured to the rods 13, and the fish fingers 9 are located in the trays by means of ribbons 31. Each pusher member 33 is carried by a reciprocatory rod 34 slidably mounted on the rods 13 through a slider 35 which is provided with a cam follower 36, Fig. 5, engageable in a track 37 along the conveyer 7. Spring fingers (39) on the trays 25 spread the closure flaps on the cartons as the members 33 feed the fish fingers into the cartons. Closure means for the flaps 3, 4, 5 are provided adjacent the inlet end of the feeding station 11 (for the flaps located remote from the conveyer 7) and adjacent the outlet end of the station 11 (for the flaps adjacent the conveyer 7). Each closure means comprises a finger 41, Figs 6-9, a striker 42 actuated by the conveyer 8 and a twisted blade 43 which moves the flap 5 into its closed position. The flaps 6 are automatically coated with adhesive from a pair of containers 45, Fig. 10, which discharge through nozzles 46 at opposite sides of the conveyer 8 and the flaps 6 are thereafter folded to their closed positions by ramps 56 and walls 57 on the conveyer 8. The apparatus may be driven by an electric motor (not shown) and parts thereof may be pneumatically operated. In another arrangement, Figs 12-17 (not shown), each article tray with the articles thereon, is arranged to enter the adjacent carton completely and to be subsequently withdrawn, leaving the articles within the carton.