Patent Publication Number: US-7895812-B2

Title: Machine for raising planar articles

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The invention relates to a machine for raising planar articles, preferably made of cardboard, corrugated cardboard or plastics, in order to manufacture box-shaped or crate-shaped packagings, and where each article is provided with a bottom panel, longitudinal side panels, transverse end panels and optionally a cover panel. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     DK Patent No. 171512 B1 discloses a machine for packaging articles of the sleeve-type, i.e. having the shape of a tube with rectangular cross-section, and being closable at both ends. The machine is provided with the continuous conveyors partially overlapping each other, thus resulting in a comparatively bulky machine. 
     The object of the invention is to provide a machine of the type disclosed in the preamble, which is less bulky than the known machine, but nevertheless very reliable. 
     DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION 
     The machine according to the invention is characterized in that it comprises at least one main conveyor, the planar articles being advanced one at a time by means of said main conveyor, and side forming means able to exert pressure on the longitudinal side panels of the article and rotating them predominantly 90° upwards with respect to the plane of the bottom panel, as well as transversely arranged end forming means movable in longitudinal direction of the main conveyor and able to exert pressure on said end panels and turning them predominantly 90° with respect to the plane of said bottom panel, when the end panels of a planar article are positioned opposite said end forming means, and that the machine is provided with joining means for joining the side panels and the end panels of each article. In this way, the machine requires less space in height compared to the known machine. In addition, the machine is highly reliable. 
     Moreover, according to the invention, the joining means may comprise an inner e.g. pivotable support plate movable between a front position at a front corner of the packaging and a rear position at a rear corner of the packaging, as well as a low retaining plate mounted on a secondary conveyor belt, said retaining plate being movable from a position just in front of the front end panel of the packaging to a position just behind the rear end panel of the packaging by means of the secondary conveyor belt, where a clamping action between the retaining plate and the support plate may be provided in both positions. In this way it is possible to manufacture the corners of the packaging in a particularly reliable manner, since said plates press an end portion on the side panel of the article against a portion on the end panel of said article. 
     According to the invention the joining means may be comprised of glue supply means for supplying glue to the area between the retaining plate and the support plate In this manner, it is possible to easily supply glue to the portions on the end panel and the side panel of the article to overlap each other with respect to joining them. 
     Moreover, according to the invention, the joining means may be comprised of stapling means for stapling each end panel to a portion of the adjacent side panel. 
     Furthermore, according to the invention, the retaining plate may be mounted on the lower continuous secondary belt in such a manner that the retaining plate permanently projects therefrom at right angles. Thus, the joint formed by the retaining plate is more solid. 
     Further, according to the invention, the support plate may be adapted and mounted in such a manner that it can be moved translationally with respect to the inside of the packaging from a position at a front corner inside the packaging—to a rear corner inside the packaging, and is finally rotatable upwards from the article so that the latter is exposed. Thus, the support plate and the retaining plate are able to hold an end panel and a side panel (belonging to the packaging) together in a very efficient manner in order to join those panels at each packaging corner. 
     According to the invention, each article may be provided with two short parallel slots at each of its end panels to define a front wall and a rear wall, respectively, of the packaging, while rectilinear narrow depressions may be formed in the article at those locations of the article where the finished packaging is provided with an edge. In this manner a particularly clean and efficient corner joint of the raised article is obtained. 
     Moreover, according to the invention, the machine may be provided with folding means, preferably in the form of rollers, for folding the cover panel and the edge zone thereof, thereby obtaining a particularly efficient closing of the packaging. 
     Furthermore, according to the invention, the support plate and/or the retaining plate may be provided with a plurality of through-holes. This results in substantial material savings without compromising the retaining ability of the support plate or the retaining plate. 
     Further, according to the invention, the corrugated cardboard used may have a weight of at least 80 g/m 2 . In this way, the finished raised packaging is suitably solid. 
     Finally, according to the invention, the support plate and/or the retaining plate may be able to execute completely vertical movements in connection with raising a planar article. This permits a particularly simple construction. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
       The invention is explained in detail below with reference to the drawing, in which 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a machine according to the invention, 
         FIG. 2  shows a top view of a planar article to be raised by means of the machine, and 
         FIG. 3  shows a second flatly laid-out article, but with integrated cover. 
     
    
    
     BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
     The machine depicted in  FIG. 1  is provided to raise planar articles  2 , preferably made of cardboard, corrugated cardboard or plastics, in order to manufacture box-shaped or crate-shaped packaging. Each article comprises a bottom panel  4 , longitudinal side panels  5   a ,  5   b,  transverse end panels  6   a ,  6   b  and optionally a cover panel  25  ( FIG. 2 ). 
     The machine contains at least one main conveyor  16  by means of which the planar articles  2  are advanced one at a time. Moreover, the machine is provided with side forming means  8  able to exert pressure on the longitudinal side panels of each planar article  2  ( FIG. 1  shows side forming means  8  only on the right-hand side of the figure; corresponding side forming means etc. mounted mirror-inverted have to be imagined on the left-hand side of the figure and parallel to the side forming means  8  depicted on the right-hand side). 
     Moreover, the machine is provided with transversely arranged end forming means  15  movable with respect to the advance direction A of the main conveyor  16  and able to exert pressure on said end panels and turning the latter predominantly 90° with respect to the plane of the bottom panel  4 , when the end panels  6   a ,  6   b  of a planar article  2  are positioned opposite said end forming means, while the article is advanced in the direction of arrow A. 
     Furthermore, the machine is provided with the joining means  12  to be used for joining the side panels  5   a ,  5   b  and the end panels  6   a ,  6   b  of each article. 
     These joining means may be comprised of an inner pivotable support plate  12  movable by means of a conveyor  13  movable between a front position  10 ′ at a front corner of the packaging  2  and a rear position  10 ″ at a rear corner of the packaging  2 ; moreover, the end forming means may comprise a low retaining plate  15  mounted on a secondary conveyor belt  18 , said retaining plate being movable from a position just in front of the front end panel  6   b  (cf.  FIG. 1 ) of the packaging to a position just behind the rear end panel  6   a  of the packaging by means of said belt. In both positions, a clamping action may be provided between the retaining plate  15  and the support plate  12 . 
     As mentioned above, the joining means may also comprise glue supply means for supplying glue to the area between the retaining plate  15  and the support plate  12  at the corners of the article  2 . The glue is preferably of the hot melt type. 
     As mentioned above, the joining means may also be comprised of stapling means for e.g. stapling each side panel  5   b  to the adjacent end panel  6   b  by means of metal staples. 
     As for the planar article  2  (cf.  FIG. 2 ), when the longitudinal side panel  5   b  is rotated 90° upwards with respect to the bottom panel  4 , whereupon the end panel  6   b  (as well as the end panel  6   a ) are rotated 90° upwards with respect to said bottom panel, an end portion  5   b ′ (cf.  FIG. 2 ) is rotated 90° with respect to the longitudinal side panel  5   b  by means of the retaining plate  15  and the support plate  12  so that a regular corner is formed in the packaging. When the support plate  12  has formed the front right-hand corner (at  10 ′), it is moved back to a rear position at a rear corner of the packaging (at  10 ″). At both end positions a strong clamping action may be established between the support plate  12  and the retaining plate  15 , because the retaining plate  15  is mounted on a separate conveyor, i.e. the secondary conveyor belt  18 . As is apparent, the retaining plate  15  always acts upon the packaging being raised from the outside. In contrast, the support plate  12  always acts upon the packaging from an inside position: at first at a forward position  10 ′ and then at a rear position  10 ″. The support plate  12  is moved by means of a belt conveyor  13  and projects downwards for most of the operation, towards the end, however, when the article  2  has to be moved past the support plate  12 , said support plate may be pivoted upwards by means (not shown) to an almost horizontal position (around a horizontal line  1 , cf.  FIG. 1 ) so that the packaging pressed upwards is able to pass the support plate  12 . The practical means for this are not shown in the drawing. When the next article  2  to be folded is transported forward on the main conveyor, the support plate  12  is moved to a position in the vicinity of position  10 ′ by the conveyor  22 , where it pivots down in a vertical direction. The support plate is now in a position inside what will subsequently become a folded packaging While the new article  2  is transported forward by the main conveyor  16 , the retaining means  15  is moved forward from a position at the rear end of the packaging to a position in front of the front end of the packaging. It should be noted that the retaining plate projects permanently at right angles from the secondary conveyor belt  18 . The movement executed by the support plate  12  when returning to its rear position  10 ″ after having been in its front position  10 ′ is a translational movement. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , each article may be provided with two short parallel slots  3   a ,  3   b ,  3   a ′,  3   b ′ in its end panels  6   a  and  6   b  for defining a front wall  6   a  and a rear wall  6   b , respectively, in the packaging. Rectilinear narrow depressions  7  may be formed in the article  2  at those locations of the article where the packaging is provided with folded edges. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the article  2  may be provided with a cover panel  25 . An edge zone  20  may be provided along one of the edges of the cover, said edge zone being folded approx. 90° with respect to the cover panel so that the edge zone is to form a closing flap, when the cover  25  of the finished packaging is pivoted down to close the remaining part of the packaging. The means for folding the cover  25  and said edge zone  26  are preferably rollers, however, they are not shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     Optionally, the support plate  12  and/or the retaining plate  15  may be provided with a plurality of through-holes  27 . Thus, the consumption of material for the support plate  12  and/or the retaining plate  15  may be reduced, thereby decreasing the consumption of material for the machine. 
     Instead of being pivotable, the support plate  12  and/or the retaining plate  15  may execute completely vertical movements (displacements); for example, the support plate  12  and/or the retaining plate  15  may move in several vertical lateral guideways (not shown). 
     It is also conceivable, that the end portions  5   b ′ and  5   b ″ of the longitudinal side panel  5   b  and the corresponding end portions of the side panel  5   a  may be cut off, however this is not shown. In this case, the adjacent side panels  5   b  and  6   a ;  5   a  and  6   a ;  6   b  and  5   a ;  6   b  and  5   b  may each form a corner of the packaging, for example by means of glue seals (not shown) fastened around the respective corner from the outside and/or the inside. 
     Preferably, the corrugated cardboard used for the planar articles  2  may have a weight of at least 80 g/m 2 . However, it is possible to use other types of corrugated cardboard.