Patent GB-1260690-A (GB)
Title: Container forming machine
Inventor: SCULLY JOHN WILLIAM
IPC: B31B3/32
Filed: 1969-08-05
Abstract: 1,260,690. Box making machines. PNEUMATIC SCALE CORP. 5 Aug., 1969, No. 39180/69. Heading B5D. A box making machine comprises a number of mandrels 10 arranged radially and two operating mechanisms at two stations for folding up blanks around a mandrel to tubular form to produce a box of a certain size and two similar mechanisms at two further stations for holding a different blank to form a larger box. There are further stations for sealing the side and end seams and for stripping the box from the mandrel, these stations being common to boxes of both sizes. Subsequently the boxes pass in upright position to a filling machine. Feeding blanks and gluing mechanism.- Blanks 18 (of one size) pass from a stack 20 by means of suction pads 60 to rolls 22, 24 and so to a chain conveyer 16 which carries them beneath glue applying mechanism 28. A presser roll (166, Fig. 4) is rocked upwardly at the appropriate time in the cycle to press the blank against the glue roll. This roll applies glue portions 252, 254, 256, 258, Fig. 7, to the top surface of the blank. The blank then passes to a second glue applying mechanism 30 where the underside is glued at portions 260, 262, 264, 266, Fig. 7. Both these mechanisms are similar and each is provided with an "electric-eye" (Fig. 6) to detect the presence of a blank. Folding blanks.-The blanks are fed by rolls 32, 34 to mandrel 10 and located by pusher arms 35 against stops 37. Conventional folding members 294-296 operated by cams 291, 293 on a cam-shaft 96 raise the vertical sides of the blank, air jets hold the blank in this part-folded position prior to formation of the longitudinal side seam. Mechanism 38 forms the side seam and is cam operated from a sleeve shaft 334 mounted on and detachably driven by a shaft 331. At the next station, end forming mechanism 44 folds in the end flaps. A curved guide 700 retains the folded end flaps in position until the fifth station is reached when end sealing mechanism 47 (Fig. 16) comes into operation. Larger boxes.-To form larger boxes stations 1 and 2 are not used, their mechanisms being disconnected from the corresponding cam-shafts and blanks are fed at 46, Fig. 1, to station 3 and folded at station 4 whose mechanisms have been connected to their corresponding cam-shafts. These cam shafts are driven by mitre gears at the corners of the machine, the main drive being from a motor 395. When using stations 3 and 4 a part 702 of the curved guide 700 is removed. Box stripping mechanism.-At station 7 (stations 6 and 8 being idle) stripping fingers 52, Fig. 17, which are cam operated, slide the box off mandrel 10-which is partially collapsed-and on to a support 570 from which a lug 576 on a chain 578 removes the box to guides 586 which direct the box in upright position on a conveyer 588 to a filling machine. The fingers are adjustable to accommodate both sizes of box. Mandrel construction.-To accommodate a larger blank, additional plates are secured to the sides and lower surface of the mandrel, the top surface and outer end surfaces remaining in their original planes. This arrangement enables the same end and side sealing mechanism to be used for both sizes of box. To enable the mandrel to be partially collapsed to facilitate removal of a box the upper and lower surfaces are joined by toggle levers 610, 612, Fig. 17, connected by a rod 620 and a linkage to a cam and roller 632, 630.