Patent GB-1248477-A (GB)
Title: Device for grouping receptacles and enclosing grouped receptacles in a wrap-around carrier blank, and method
IPC: B65B21/24
Filed: 1968-12-30
Abstract: 1,248,477. Packaging bottles. CERTIPAK CORP. 30 Dec., 1968 [8 Jan., 1968], No. 61589/68. Heading B8C. A method of enclosing a group of receptacles in a bottom locking wrap around blank in which in the wrapped around position there are tabs which extend outwardly from the bottom panels which tabs result in the formation of lateral relief openings through which the bottom ribs of the enclosed receptacles project and in which locking tabs are formed on one bottom panel which are insertable into appropriate locking apertures in the other bottom panel with which the one panel overlaps; comprises the step of tightening the blank around the group of receptacle by inserting a pair of members from opposite sides into the spaces immediately above said outwardly extending tabs and so that the members engage the tabs and urging the members together to obtain an increasing degree of overlap of the bottom panels prior to insertion of the locking tabs into the locking apertures. In the device shown the members are blades 114, 115 and each is pivotably mounted upon a respective folding blade 87, 88 the extent to which the blades can tilt upwardly being controlled by stops 120 and the downward tilt being limited by sheet metal legs 121 which engage the folding blades; the blades 114, 115 are biased upwardly by springs 119. The device has a grouping station 11 at which receptacles arrive from a suitable position to be arranged into groups of six which are to be wrapped in the blank and a wrapping station 12 downstream from the grouping station. A receptacle track extends centrally of the device from one end to the other and beginning at one end of the device consists of a single plate 37 which extends to a point beyond two lateral star wheels 38 and 39 where it terminates and two narrow supporting plates 40 and 41 begin one for each of the two rows of receptacles; the plates 40 and 41 are bolted to a frame of the device adjacent the end of the plate 37 and their other end portions are free and rest on rollers 43, 44 which enables withdrawal of the bottom panels of the carrier blank after the blank has been fastened round the receptacles with the plate between the bottom panels and the bottoms of the receptacles. The track is also defined by upper and lower rails 45, 46 on each side. The receptacles are pushed towards the wrapping station by the star wheels 38 and 39 either continuously or intermittently and the receptacles are arranged in groups of six by a pair of lateral pawls which snap past the group of receptacles and then push the group to the wrapping station at a faster rate than the rate of advance produced by the star wheels. Each pawl is carried by a respective carriage 54 which is mounted on a rod 55, the carriage being prevented from tilting by rollers 56 which engage opposite sides of a square bar 57 and being driven by an oscillating arm 58. When the group of receptacles is entirely within the wrapping station they come to rest and the carrier blank is disposed on top of the group of receptacles either manually by an operator or by a blank feeding device (not shown) and the blank is properly aligned by a lateral plate 68 and forward and rear stops 69 and 70, the stops being adjustable for different sizes of blanks. A U- shaped sheet metal hood 73 swings downwardly to fold the blank so that its side and bottom panels extend down the sides of the group and outside a pair of ejector blades 65, 66. The bottom panels 19 and 20 of the blank are then folded underneath the group and underneath the supporting plates 40 and 41 on which the receptacles rest by means of the folding blades 87 and 88 ; the folding blades are oscillated by a pair of arms 94, 95 carrying rollers riding on cams 96, 97 mounted on a cam-shaft 98; the folding blade 88 is provided with three apertures 109 rearwardly of its folding edge 110 to permit three locking fingers 111 of a locking blade 112 to pass therethrough and the blade 87 is recessed along its front edge portion resulting in fingers 113 and slots through which the locking fingers 111 pass. The blades 87 and 88 are curved and the curvature and the shape of the actuating cams 96, 97 is such that the bottom panel 19 is folded upwardly first and then the panel 20 so that its insertion tabs 23 pass through insertion slot 24. Further movement towards each other of the blades 87, 88 causes the blades 114, 115 to engage the blank immediately above the outwardly projecting tabs 29 and tighten the blank around the receptacle. During this operation the blades 114, 115 engage the bottom rims of the receptacles and lift them slightly. The bottom panels of the blank are then locked together by pressing the tips of locking tabs 25 past straight edges of the apertures 224; this is achieved by the fingers 111 of the locking blade 112. During the folding and locking operations performed on the blank the ejector blades 65 which are attached to the carriages 54 are gradually withdrawn by the rearward motion of the carriages 54 until stepped end portions of the ejector blades engage the rearward edge of the blank. Consequently as soon as the carriages 54 advance to place a fresh group of receptacles in the wrapping station, the wrapped group is ejected by the blades. A single motor drives all the various moving parts of the device.