Patent GB-728273-A (GB)
Title: Machine for nailing lids on boxes
IPC: B27F7/02
Filed: 1953-05-11
Abstract: 728,273. Box-lidding machines. FOOD MACHINERY & CHEMICAL CORPORATION. May 11, 1953 [Sept. 10, 1952], No. 13115/53. Class 94 (1). [Also in Groups VII, XXIX, XXX and XXXII] A machine for nailing-on box lids, which automatically adjusts itself to different sizes of boxes, comprises an anvil 58 with driven rollers 74 which align the box whereupon the rollers are stopped and the anvil is raised hydraulically until the top of the box contacts a plate 221 at a level just below rows of nail chucks 220, on. carriages 255a, 255b. The upward motion is stopped by a valve operated by the plate 221 and the carriages move inwardly until centering fingers 295, 297 on the carriages engage the rear corners of the box, the carriages then stop and the upward motion of the anvil is resumed under increased hydraulic pressure to force the nails through the lid and into the end walls of the box. The carriages are thereupon retracted, the anvil lowered, and the rollers 74 then restarted to pass the box to a discharge conveyer and align another box. Means are provided for collecting nails ejected by those chucks 220 which are not contacted by the box lid. A conveyer 60 feeds the boxes B with their lids loosely in position to a table 65 covered with rows of ball bearings 70, and the attendant pushes the box on to the rollers of the anvil 58 which move the box against spring pressed arms 111a, 111b which when the box is correctly aligned open switches to stop the motor 127 driving the rollers 74 and close switches controlling a solenoid valve 500 so that when the attendant steps on a pedal switch 610 pressure liquid is supplied to a hydraulic cylinder 86 to raise the anvil. When the top of the box lifts the plate 221 the valve 500 is operated to stop the lift and retain the anvil in the raised position ; and simultaneously a switch is closed to start a reversible motor 246 driving pinions 311, 312 meshing with racks 314, 317 fixed to the sliding carriages 255a, 255b which thereupon move inwardly towards the centre of the machine. If the box is displaced say to the left of the centre line of the machine the finger plate 295a, Fig. 25, pivoted to the lower part of the left-hand carriage 255a first engages the left hand end wall of the box and swings so that its thumb plate 297s engages the rear wall of the box, and the box is then pushed to the right until its right hand rear corner is correspondingly engaged by the finger plates 295b and 297b. The finger plates are at lid level so that they bring the lid flush with the walls of the box, and further fingers 406, Fig. 32, between the nail chucks 220 ensure proper positioning of the lid. The finger plates operate switches such that when the box is properly centred movement of the carriages is stopped; and the the vertical movement of the anvil resumed for nailing. Nailing. Nails deposited at random in continuously oscillated hoppers 346a, 346b, Figs. 1 and 28, drop with their stems through channels 362 of width to retain the heads and pass down inclined bars 366 from which nail picks 370 permit a single nail to drop into each one of rows of fixed funnels 371 each time the carriages reach their retracted positions adjacent the side frames of the machine. At this time the carriages hold another set of funnels 398 below the extensions 399 of the stationary funnels 371 and each nail passes through a flexible conduit 403 to a nail chuck 220, Fig. 27, where it rests in a channel 331 with its point contacting closed spring jaws 332. The box will have tilted aside nail catchers 447 pivoted beneath the nail chucks, see Fig. 32. Switches operated by the finger plates 295, 297 when the box is centred start the rising movement of -the anvil 58 and the box is forced against the ends of the nail chucks 220 and lifts them until the heads of the nails abut the ends of fixed punch rods 420 which slidably protrude into the upper ends of the channels 331. The increase of the pressure in the hydraulic cylinder 86 due to the heads of the nails engaging the rods 420 is used to bring into action a pressure booster 505, Fig. 36, causing the anvil to rise at a slower rate with increased pressure (see Group XXIX), and the spring jaws 332 are forced apart by the points of the nails and the nails penetrate through the lid and end walls of the box. As the box is forced against the nails a latch releases the finger plates 295, 297 so that they drop away from the box. When the upper surface of the box lid reaches the level of the lower ends of the fixed punch rods 420, i.e. the nails are fully driven home, switches are operated to set the valve 500 so that the anvil descends under its own weight and when it reaches the level of the table 65 the lowering is stopped. The box bottom depresses the levers 111a, 111b and the rollers 74 are started to eject the loaded box to a discharge conveyer, the levers 111a, 111b then rising ready to align another box. As soon as the box detector plate 221 ceases to be supported by the box the carriages 255a, 255b are retracted and as they approach their outermost positions the finger plates 295, 297 are raised totheir operative position. The nail catchers 447 are provided on those nail chucks at the front which may not be contacted by a box, and have spring-pressed bottoms 452 opened as the carriages approach their outermost positions to drop the nails into a tray mounted so as to yield when the anvil rises. A lever 180 enables the attendant to lower the arms 111a, 111b, so that any box may be passed directly from the platform 65 to the discharge conveyer. The return movement of the anvil is hydraulically cushioned (see Group XXXII).