Patent GB-959409-A (GB)
Title: Machine for setting up cartons
IPC: B31B5/78
Filed: 1961-08-04
Abstract: 959,409. Setting up cartons. CAL-CROWN CORPORATION. Aug. 4, 1961 [Aug. 23, 1960], No. 28453/61. Heading B8C. A machine for setting up knocked down cartons of the type shown in Fig. 4, and for closing the side and end flaps thereof, comprises a frame structure on which first carton engaging means are movable in a path extending from a carton engaging point to a carton discharging point, and operative to propel a knocked down carton to a discharge point, second carton engaging means being movable along said path in synchonism with said first engaging means and co-operating therewith while traversing said path to transform the engaged carton from the knocked down condition into the erected, set-up condition, and end panel manipulating means operative after the carton has been set up to fold the end panel across the end of the carton as the carton approaches the discharge point. Knocked down cartons are fed singly from a magazine 9 at the back of the machine by a conveyer mechanism comprising a pair of endless chains 51, 53 driven in contact with correspondingly spaced supporting plates 42, 43, each one of the latter carrying inner and outer cam plates 55, 56 extending lengthwise of the supporting plates and closely adjacent them. The rear posts 66 of the magazine are attached to the side plate assemblies 42, 43 and carry studs 70 which support the stack of cartons; the front of the magazine consists of laterally adjustable posts 79 on an adjustable transverse member 80, and the latter supports brushes 93 which hold the cartons on the chains during their passage from the magazine. Each carton is removed from the latter by a pair of pick-up lugs 100, one on each chain, and pivotally supported at 101. A hook portion 99 of each lug engages the lowermost carton and feeds it forwardly. Pairs of stop members 105 are also pivotally mounted on the chains and correspond in number to the pairs of pick-up lugs. The members 105 pivot at 104 on the chains and, on reaching cam.portions 108 on the inner cam plates 55 are pivoted upwardly and ride along those plates as shown in Fig. 11. Similarly when the pick-up lugs reach those cam portions they are turned about their pivots whereby a carton is forced into an opened condition between the members 100, 105. At this position adjustable side flap plows 112 of suitably shaped rod form secured to the sides of the plate assemblies 42, 43 bend the leading side flaps inwardly and hold them in position until the end panel F is moved to overlie them. Pairs of tucker members 115, Fig. 11, for the trailing side flaps,- are pivoted to the same pivot pins as the lugs 100 but on the outside of the chains, and engage the cam faces 119 of cam plates 56 whereby they are pivoted anti-clockwise to endfold and hold the trailing side flaps in position until held by the end panels. For the purpose of closing the end panels are provided stationary tuck plows 125 and tuck breakers 129 of suitably shaped rod form, and adjustably attached to the side plate assemblies 42, 43. The tuck breakers have parts 137 extending along and just inwardly of the score lines S, Fig. 4, of the cartons, whereas the tuck plows have corresponding parts just outside those scorelines so that as the cartons are carried along the tuck portion F is bent in the manner shown in Fig. 15. On reaching a zone III, Fig. 11, the cam plates 56 are shaped with a vertical edge 140 and space 140<SP>1</SP>, and the side flap tuckers 115 fall into that space. Guide plates 144 adjustably carried by horizontal rods 147 strike those tuckers and ensures their disengagement from the carton; those plates also have tongues 145 which ensure the proper seating of the cartons on the chains. The end panels F are then folded into closed positions about the score lines 5<SP>1</SP> by end closing plates 152 pivotally mounted on the chains. The plates pivot about axes parallel to the chains and normally hang downwardly, but are pivoted upwardly to engage and urge the end panels inwardly. This pivoting is provided by cam surfaces 121 on the cam plates 56 which bring the closing plates to positions slightly below horizontal, and at this point the plates 152 engage suitably shaped plows 156 of rod form adjustably supported on the plate assemblies 42, 43, which brings them into a vertical position. The under faces 163 of the guides 144 are curved to provide a tuck guide, Fig. 18. On reaching the zone VI, Fig. 6, the stops 105 and then the lugs 100 pivot into a clearance 164 provided by the cam surface and the carton is carried along by the plates 152 until it is discharged from the machine. In order to accommodate different lengths of carton the transverse parallel spacing of the chains and their supporting plates is adjustable, and for this purpose the chain supporting plates 42, 43 are attached to collars 44, 45, Fig. 7, which threadably engage right and left hand threads on transverse tubular members 30, 31; the latter are rotated simultaneously manually by a chain and sprocket drive. During the return runs of the chains the side flap tuckers 115 are reorientated by plates 169 causing them to be swung outwardly so that they return to a depending position. The plates 152, during their return run, encounter rods 170 causing their inversion, and they are held in this position by retainer plates 171 and bristles 172 of a brush 173. In a modification, for closing one end of a carton only, instead of flap unfolding means on one of the plate and chain assemblies, that chain carries stops which are slidable vertically thereon and are engaged by a cam surface at the appropriate position so as to be moved over the open end of a carton to hold it in position whilst the end flaps at the opposite end are folded.