Patent GB-1486463-A (GB)
Title: Method and apparatus for mounting a lid on a container
IPC: B65B7/28
Filed: 1974-09-25
Abstract: 1486463 Mounting lists on containers INTERNATIONAL PAPER CO 24 Sept 1974 [9 Jan 1974] 41458/74 Heading B8C A method of mounting on a filled container 15, a lid 16 which has a central portion 17 and foldably-connected pairs of end flaps 18, 19 and side flaps 20, 21, comprises depositing an adhesive on the lid or the container and holding the central portion 17 of the lid against the top of the container while simultaneously squeezing the end flaps against the container. The container is then moved horizontally while an adhesive is applied to the side flaps 20, 21 and while the latter are subsequently folded down into face-abutting relation with and then compressed against, the sides of the container. As shown, the machine 25 comprises a lid supply- and-feeding section 31, a forming section 32, and a compression or, second forming, section 33. The feeding section 31 comprises a conventional paperboard blank feeding mechanism wherein two vacuum cups 45, 46 successively remove the lowermost lid blank 16 from a stack of blanks and position it, with its end flaps 18, 19 resting upon support members 35, above an endless chain 40 which is driven by a motor 42 and which has kicker plates 42 to feed the lid over glue guns 50, 51, which apply glue to the underside of the end flaps 18, 19, and to the forming section 32. A mandrel 60, vertically reciprocable by means of a cylinder unit 62, Fig. 1, 7, carries a pair of squeezer plates 90, 91 which are fixed respectively to rods 68, 69 which are rotatable by respective cylinders 72, 70 linked thereto and mounted upon the mandrel 60. A container 15, filled, e.g. with meat, is advanced beneath the mandrel 60 by a conveyer 100 which has a support plate 103 beneath its upper run, a photo-cell 101 controlling the conveyer 100 and positioning-arms 106, 107 which are rotatable into and out of contact with the end walls of the container 15, and initiating the feed of a lid blank by actuating the motor 42 and the vacuum cups 45, 46. After the blank 16 is fed beneath the mandrel 60 the latter is moved downwards to push against the central portion 17 of the lid and push the latter downwardly past support members 39 and on to the top of the container. The cylinders 70, 72 are then actuated to rotate the squeezer plates 91, 90, in downward, opposing parallel relation, to bend the end flaps 18, 19, downwardly into abutment with, and to adhere to, the side walls of the container 15. After an adhesive bond is ensured the plates 90, 91 are retracted, the mandrel 60 is raised, and the conveyer belt 100 delivers the box 15, with the lid 16 thereon, to a conveyer belt 110 which is preferably continuously operated. The conveyer 110 passes the container between a first set of vertically-disposed compression rollers 115 which press against the sides of the container, and past glue guns 150, 151 which spray glue on to the undersides of the side flaps 20, 21 which engage between respective pairs of rods 119, 120 and 116, 118 which curve inwardly and downwardly in such a manner that the side flaps 20, 21 are ploughed downwardly against the sides of the container as the latter proceeds towards a hold-down roll 125. Second sets of vertical rollers 130 provide a second transverse compression zone and adhesively bond the side flaps 20, 21 to the walls of the container, before the latter leaves the machine. Instead of depositing adhesive on the underside of the flaps adhesive may be applied to the side or end walls of the container.