Patent GB-700586-A (GB)
IPC: B31B105/00
Abstract: 700,586. Closuring cartons. OSWEGO FALLS CORPORATION. Dec. 12, 1915, No. 29090/51. Classes 94 (1) and 125 (2). Relates to machines for forming and applying end closures to open-ended cartons of rectangular cross-sectionin which on.e corner of the carton has applied to it a strip 427 of e.g. foil to prevent sealing of the closure at that corner and then a closure blank 614 is so applied to the filled carton that a depressed central part lies below the top of the carton and the peripheral part forms an inverted channel 900, 901 over the side walls of the carton after which the closure is sealed to the carton. The carton may be that described in Specification 669,369, the closure being weakened at 1070 to form a pouringaperture at the corner to which the strip 427 is applied. In its broadest aspect, the invention resides in the device, described below, for applying the closure blank to the carton. General description : (Figs. 1, 3. 4). A base 20 is supported on feet 21 and carries a housing 22 containing a main cam-shaft 24 driving the various units of the machine. Empty cartons are fed into the machine at 193 and split into two streams 192, the streams passing along two parallel guide rails 32, being traversed intermittently by fingers carried on a reciprocating frame 125, 126. The rails 32 can be set at one of three heights to accommodate quart, pint or halfpint cartons. Firstly cartons are deposited on elevators 248 which raise them to, a unit 200 which applies to one corner the foil strip 427 cut from a reel 203. Secondly the cartons pass beneath a filler unit 548 forming no part of the present invention. Thirdly they are raised by elevators 523 and have there applied the closures 614 which are withdrawn from a magazine 615 conveyed through a heated chamber, pushed into the applying head and applied. Fourthly, the cartons are raised by elevators 512 to have the closures sealed to the cartons by heated sealing heads of a unit 911.Fifthly, the cartons are raised by elevators 522 to repeat the sealing by further heads in unit 911 to ensure perfect sealing. Carton detector fingers are associated with the conveyer rails 32, so that the unit 200 and the closure-applying unit are inoperative if a carton is missing from the procession. Conveyer rail elevating mechanism (Figs. 3. 6, 18). The rails 32 are mounted on inverted channels 36 having, at each end, depending sleeves 44 surrounding vertical shafts 33 which are threaded at their lower ends and can therefore be elevated by rotation of geared nuts 50 which mesh with gears 51 rotated by a gear 53 carried at each end of a shaft 54 extending longitudinally of the machine. Shaft 54 is geared to a transverse shaft 65 having a gear 64 driven from above by a gear in a housing 58. This housing contains reduction gear between a hand-operable crank 56 and the drive to gear 64. Detent means within the housing prevent operation of the crank 56 unless the prime mover for the machine is at rest and also prevent restarting of the prime mover by knob 99 unless the rails 32 are set in one of the three positions for quart pint or halfpint cartons. A slight trimming adjustment can, however, be effected. Carton feeding mechanism (Figs. 1, 3 and 21). The frame 125, 126 carries three sets of fingers 127, 128, 129, all of which engage quart cartons, the two uppermost of which engage pint cartons, and the uppermost of which engages half-pint cartons. The frames are carried each on three shafts 175 having rack portions 176 engaging geared parts 153 of a longitudinally extending shaft 143. This shaft is mounted in housings 134, 135,136 slidablycarried on the tops of pillars 130,131, 132. Shaft 143 is rotated to advance and retract the shafts 175 by its geared part 153 meshing with a rack L54 reciprocated vertically through connectors 155, 156, 157, the latter of which is connected to a cam roller (not shown) co-operating with a cam track 162 in a cam disc 163. This disc is driven by a shaft 164 driven by the main shaft 24 through gearing 168, 169. Shaft 164 also carries a cam disc 180, the cam track 181 c.f which co-operates with a roller connected to a lever 187 having a gear segment 190 meshing with a gear 185 driving a rack 183 fixed to the housing 135 which is thus reciprocated longitudinally of the machine, the carton traversing fingers being similarly reciprocated as a result. The cam tracks 162, 181 are so disposed that the fingers move in a rectangle, transversely to engage the cartons, longitudinally forwards to advance them, transversely to disengage the cartons and longitudinally backward to complete the cycle. Carton elevators (Figs. 69, 72, 78). A slider 473 is reciprocated longitudinally in guides 471 in the base of the housing 22 by a cam-roller 474 co-operating with a cam track 475 in a cam disc 470 mounted on shaft 24. Arms 478 are oscillated about their pivots 479 by rollers 482 carried thereby engaging a groove 483 in the slider and are formed with racks 484 which oscillate vertically extending shafts 486 coupled to shafts 490 which are square in cross-section. Shafts 490 are slidably fitted in squared sleeves 501 which drive shafts 495 journalled in blocks 494 fitted in the channels 36 beneath rails 32. Shaft 495 carries a gear 496 meshing with a rack 505 which is clamped to a longitudinally extending rod 506 which is thus reciprocated to and fro. Rod 506 carries between abutments 527,529 (Fig. 78) a sleeve 526 which is loaded by a spring 528 and has a rack driving a gear 531 meshing with a rack 533 onthe stem 524 of the elevator 248. The other elevators 512, 522, 523 are similarly actuated by reciprocation of the rod 506. Foil strip applicator 200 (Figs. 26, 28, 39, 59, 63, 65). This device is mounted on a pillar 202 supported on the housing 22 and comprises a mechanism casing 201 on the front end of which are arranged a pair of applicator heads 212 one over each stream of cartons. The housing (Fig. 28) lies at 45 degrees to the line of the machine so that the applicators are in correct position to apply the fail to the corners of the cartons. Casing 201 contains a cam. shaft which drives various shafts and is driven through a shaft 208 in pillar 202 and gearing 209, 210 by the main shaft 24 (Fig. 4). Each applicator comprises the elements shown in Fig. 39, and has a base plate 224 secured to the casing 201. In operation, a carton is raised by an elevator 248 so that a corner enters between members 240, 241 which are V-shaped in cross-section to fit the corner. Member 241 is then moved about its pivot 243 by descent of a rod 227 having a portion camming on a boss 249, to clamp the carton against member 240. A slider 259 is simultaneously moved forward to cause a knife 258 to cut off a piece 257 from the foil strip 213 (Fig. 59). Slider 259 also carries a cutter 261 to pierce a notch in the next strip section in the position which will ultimately be in the corner of the carton. Next a slider 251 is advanced against the action of a spring 253 to clamp the piece 257 of foil against the 'outside of the carton. Next (Fig. 63) a slider 264 is advanced to fold the upstanding part of the strip piece over the carton edge, the slider having a leading finger 265 which forms a tuck in the part which will lie in the corner. Next (Fig. 650. the sliders 259, 264 are retracted and a member 266 is lowered by a rod 268 to press the strip piece against the inner wall of the carton. The member 241 is then retracted and the carton descends. The sliders 251, 259, 264, are reciprocated by connectors 284. 290, 295 actuated by shafts 282. 287, 293. Rods 227 and 268 are reciprocated by linkages 346. 347 and 339, 340 respectively. In the applicator, the strip 213 is fed down a channel 238 which is straight at the top but develops into a right angled crosssection at the bottom to shape the strip to the carton corner. It is fed down the channel by a roll 220 acting against an adjustable pressure roll 221, and carried on a shaft 310 rotated step by step by a pawl 317 operated by shaft 299 through a linkage 300. 303. 301. 304, 306. This linkage also operates a further linkage 314, 331. 330, 328 to cause a feed roller 215 to reciprocate vertically to draw the strip 213 from a spool 203. During descent of the roller 215.the strip is held against backward motion by a device 367. If no carton is present at this stage, the detectors energize a solenoid in a casing 397 to cause a plunger to rise to contact a roller 429 carried by pawl 317 to disengage the latter and so interrupt the strip feed. The solenoid also moves a link 454 (Fig. 26) to disengage a link 448 connecting the connector 290 to the slider 259 so that the strip cutters do not operate. The carton detectors are described in detail. Closure feed and conditioning apparatus (Fig. 93). After passing the filling apparatus, the closures are applied by applicators 750 (Fig. 86) one above each guide rail 32, the closures being fed thereto from conditionersdisposed outside the rails 32 one on each side These units are supported on a central pillar 554 and on side pillars 559 supported on the base 2'0. Each conditioner comprises a base 556 and contains a driven shaft 579 which rotates intermittently through a Geneva mechanism and gear train (not shown) a pair of chain: sprockets 563, the chains 605 of which are led over further spring-stressed sprockets 999. The chains carry closure carriers 608 comprising side members and two cross pieces 609 on which are mounted resilient holders 612. The closure magazine 615 is mounted adjacent sprockets 599 and, during a still period of the chains, a suction head 618 is advanced and retracted by a link 626 connected to an arm 624 having a roller 623 following a cam 622 on shaft 579. Plunger 618 is connected to a vacuum pipe 633 but, when the plunger is retracted, a ball valve 637 is unseated by a stationary pin 642 so that the section is vented. During retraction, the plunger draws