Patent GB-638645-A (GB)
Title: Improvements relating to folding and filling machine
IPC: B65B43/32
Filed: 1947-08-16
Abstract: 638,645. Packing. ANDERSON, S. F. Aug. 16, 1947, No. 22832. Convention date, Aug. 16, 1946. [Class 94(i)] In apparatus for setting up and filling cartons which are supplied flat and have closure means at each end, each carton being first opened from the flat state, closed at one end, fed with a pre-determined quantity of material and then closed at the other end, the cartons are traversed through the apparatus step by step, and the operation of filling a carton causes relative movement between the carton being filled and the filling means, on completion of which, the filled carton actuates a control device to initiate the next step of the traversing movement whereby the next carton is brought into the filling position and the full carton is moved to the next stage. Feeding and opening mechanism. A stack 119 of flattened paper cartons is contained in a feed channel 229 (Fig. 5) and reciprocation of two slides 56, 56a causes a lug 121 on slide 56 to engage the rear edge of the leading flat carton and drive it forward from position I to position II (see Fig. 2). The leading edge of the carton is caught by caps 126 on the ends of pivoted levers 123, 123a which swivel about a pin 124 and restrain the forward movement of the carton, thereby causing it to open. The caps 126 are hinged to the ends of the rods so that they can be moved aside when the tension of a retaining spring has been overcome (Fig. 8, not shown). A dividing member 128 of formed wire (as shown) or a formed sheet separates the top flaps f-g and e-h of the carton thereby initiating opening and preventing buckling of the carton. Mechanism for moving the stack of cartons forward each time the front one is removed, comprises a longitudinal angle member 76 which is loosely supported for a limited degree of tipping and forward and backward movement in the feed channel 229 and carries a lever member 79. During rearward movement of the slide 56 a cam carried thereby forces the lever 79 to move outwardly along the edge 87 of a fixed plate 84 (Figs. 1, 1a, not shown) and tilt the edge 81 of member 76 into contact with the stack of cartons and move it slightly forward. Forward movement of the slide 56 merely tips the lever 79 forward slightly against the resistance of a wire spring 89. Folding bottom flaps. Just before the carton is fully opened a lever carried by slide 56a is snapped upwardly by engagement with a fixed cam (Fig. 9, not shown) and this snaps a paddle 136 (Fig. 6) upwardly to close the trailing bottom flap. At the next reciprocation of the slides the carton will be given an initial forward movement by pawls 149 to an intermediate position and then in a final forward motion of the slides pawls 151 will move the carton to position III (Fig. 2). This will close the lower leading flap by engagement with the edge 165 of a block 162 (Fig. 12) and will fold and interlock the side flaps as they move between the block 162 and a formed shell 171 (Fig. 13), a finger 62 of one side flap being guided into a slot 63 in the other, and the rear end of the block 162 being shaped in the form of two intersecting part cylinders 167a and 167b. The carton is next moved by pawls 151, 152 to position IV, and a lever 173 (Fig. 16) pivoted to the slide 56a at 176 is tripped by engagement of a cam 178 with an extension 177 of the lever so that the bent end 174 of lever 173 moves the upper leading flap f downward to clear the lower edge 172 of the filling housing. After passing the cam the lever is returned to its original position by spring pressure. A pair of spring pressed arms 182 prevent forward bowing of the front wall of the carton at this stage, which would interfere with the folding down of the flap f. Filling mechanism. At the initial forward movement of the next reciprocation the carton is moved into the filling housing (Fig. 17) and lifted on a platform to position V so that its open top is moved telescopically upward over the mouth 191 of a filling nozzle 188 from which ice cream or other material is flowing continuously. The pressure of this material forces the carton down until it is filled when it depresses an arm 219 to operate a switch 212 and energize driving means 28. This. will reciprocate the slides to move the following empty carton forward from position IV which will push the filled carton forward' from beneath the nozzle, shearing off the ice cream flush with the carton surface and replacing the filled carton immediately with an empty one. As this empty carton is lifted by the platform a forward oblique extension of the latter (Figs. 20, 21, not shown) moves the filled carton forward sufficiently for it to be engaged by pawls 153 which move it to position VI. Folding top flaps. Just before reaching position VI a lug on the slide 56a engages an extension of a curved lever 223 to rotate the latter and fold the top trailing flap e down into place. At the next reciprocation of the slides, pawls 153, 154 will move the carton to position VII past means 180 for folding down the top leading flap and interlocking the side flaps this means being identical to that for interlocking the lower flaps. Pawls 154, 156 move the completed carton to position VIII. Driving means. A pulley 102 (Fig. 2) is continuously driven by an electric motor 96 and belt 103 and each time the switch 212 is actuated by the downward movement of a filled carton, a solenoid-actuated pawl and ratchet clutch (not shown) connects pulley 102 to a shaft 100 to give the latter a single complete revolution. Crank wheels 101, 101a on the shaft carry pivoted lever arms 109, 109a which are pivotally connected to the mid-point of levers 116, 116a. Lever 116 is pivotally supported at 117 and pivotally connected by a pin 118 to the slide 56, lever 116a being similarly con-- nected to slide 56a. Thus in one revolution of shaft 100 the slides are moved forwards, backwards and then forwards again to their original position. When the slides 56, 56a are moved to the forward end of their stroke to move a carton into line with the filling nozzle 188 a plunger 99 on shaft 100 will contact a rod 106 to move a plunger 94 and the lifting platform once through an up and down cycle to move the carton over the end of the nozzle, the carton being held' in place by means of spaced guide plates while filling is proceeding.