Patent GB-1274222-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to box loading apparatus
Inventor: JOHNSON KENNETH
IPC: B65B5/10
Filed: 1968-05-17
Abstract: 1,274,222. Box loading apparatus for tubular containers. REDMAN HEENAN INTERNATIONAL Ltd. 23 May, 1969 [17 May, 1968], No. 23598/68. Heading B8C. A method of loading, or packaging, tubes 9 in a box 30 comprises supporting the box on one of its sides, holding open at least two opposed sides of the box to remove any inward bowing thereof, feeding a succession of tubes along a conveyer 11, 12 to a loading station, pushing a number of tubes 9 longitudinally off the conveyer 11, 12 into the box, the number of tubes being sufficient to fill a complete row in the box, lowering the box by a distance equal to the pitch between the rows when inserted into the box, and then pushing a further row of tubes off the conveyer into the box, the tubes being inserted on top of the row of tubes which was previously inserted and the timing of the pushing and lowering steps being such that the above cycle may be repeated until the box is full. The tubes 9, discharged from a treating machine, not shown, are fed on to the two-part walking beam conveyer 11, 12. The first part 11 of the conveyer 11, which receives the tubes 9, is driven continuously by chain devices 14, 15 connected by bevel gears 16, the second part 12 being driven by further gears 17, 18, 25 and a dry clutch 19 controlled by a jack 24 which is actuated whenever a tube 9 is missing as sensed by a photo-electric cell 26 located between the two parts 11, 13. Another photo-electric cell 26 may be provided to give warning of missing end caps. When a photo-electric cell 70 senses that the required number of tubes has collected near the downstream end of the second conveyer part 12 a pivotally mounted pusher bar 31, guided by a rod 33 and actuated by a jack 34, pushes a row of tubes 9 axially forward on to a table 32 which can be indexed laterally, from a central position, by a jack 36 so that adjacent rows of tubes are staggered in the box. A stop-bar 37, limits the forward movement of the tubes and is withdrawable by a jack 39 after the table 32 has been indexed one way or the other so that the pusher 31 can be moved forward a second time by a jack 45 guided by a rod 46 to load the first row of tubes in to the box 30. The pusher bar 31 is part retracted by the jack 45, then rotated through 180 degrees about its pivotal mounting, and finally withdrawn to its initial position by the jack 34, the table 32 being returned to its central position, the stop bar 37 being raised, the box 30 being lowered one pitch for the reception of a second row of tubes, and the bar 31 rotated back to its original position. The box 30 being filled is supported on a framework 40 which is controlled by means of a jack 41 which turns a spur gear in engagement with a gear track on the frame to lower it step-by-step, the precise pitch being measured accurately by another rack with notches which are engaged by a latch withdrawable by a piston jack. Preferably the latter has a pair of spur gears which engage a corresponding pair of tracks, the jack driving through a magnetic clutch, the disengagement of which allows the latch to engage the notched rack. Two latches and a corresponding pair of notched racks may be provided. The indexed lowering of the box is repeated until the box is full. A double box holding frame 50, which allows one box to be filled while the other is emptied, is movable on rollers across the front of the machine, the box changing-station being alternately on the right and left of central filling-station. The box is supported on a sub-frame 52 by means of a bracket 53 which can be pivoted between a backwardly tilted and a vertical position. In the latter position the box is completely aligned by means of four metal strips 54 which engage the respective inside edges of the mouth of the box along the major parts of their lengths, but not at the corners, to prevent inward bowing of the box sides. The strips 54 are movable from retracted to engaging positions by jacks 57 which act through pivoted levers 55, a catch 71 also being provided above the top side of the box to hold the box in a vertical position. The framework 40 is raised by a jack 72 and balanced by weights 73.