Improvements in Machines for Folding or Setting Up Pasteboard and like Boxes or Receptacles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Sept., 1899-Accepted, 10th Feb., 1900
[Communicated from abroad by HENRIETTA WILLIAMS DOBLE, of 33, Canal Street.
Quincy, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States of America, Married
Woman.]
Improvements in Machines for Folding or Setting Up Pasteboard and
like Boxes or Receptacles.
I, HENRY HARRIS Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement; —
My invention relates to a machine for folding or setting up cartons and other
receptacles of a kindred nature. For convenience and economy of packing and
transporting the cartons, they usually come from the manufacturer in a
"knock
down" form, that is, the flaps which form the top and bottom of the carton are
left unfolded, and the body of the carton is knocked down flat. In this "knock
down" form, one side flap and one end flap lie end to end and the other end and
side flaps also lie end to end underneath the first pair, but in reverse order.
Before the cartons can be used they have to be squared out and the flaps which
form the bottom of the carton folded. The object of my invention is to produce
a machine for that purpose. I have especially intended the machine for use
in combination with a package filling or a weighing and package filling machine,
so that it will automatically fold and deliver to the package filling machine the
cartons, paper-bags or other receptacles as fast as they are needed, although the
machine embodying my invention may be used independently of the package
filling machine.
In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying my inven-
tion. Fig. 2 is an end elevation looking from the left of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a
plan. Fig. 4 is a detail view showing the dog pivoted to the carton lifter which
aids in spreading open the caiton. Fig. 5, is a top view of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is
a detail of the sliding carton carrier. Fig. 7 is a section on line 7-7 of Fig. 3
showing the clutch for starting and stopping the machine. Fig. 8 is an enlarged
detail showing the fingers for folding the third flap on the bottom of the carton.
Fig. 9 is an enlarged view of the upper part of Fig. 1 and showing some portions
which were broken away in Fig. 1. Fig. 10 is an enlarged sectional view showing
the pneumatic lifting arm applied to a carton ready to lift it, and also shows the
lower suction arm which acts on the lower panel of the carton. Fig. 11 is an
enlarged view of the guides 59 and of the pneumatic lifting arm partly elevated
with the carton held thereby and two of the bottom flaps folded as shown in
Fig. 19. Fig. 12 is a section on line 12-12 of Fig. 11. Fig. 13 is a view of
the hopper broken away to show the blanks, and the slide drawn back ready to
push forward a carton blank to the pasting rolls. Fig. 14 shows the carton
pushed forward ready for the pasting rolls to advance. Fig. 15 is a view from
the left of Fig. 14 taken after the pasting rolls have advanced and are in contact
with the blank. Fig. 16 shows the flattened blank as it comes from the hopper.

page_text: Fig. 17 shows the blank folded through and beyond the square after it has been
opened by action of the lower suction arm on the bottom panel during the first
part of the lifting movement by the lifting arm and then by the dog 57 as
shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 18 shows the carton sprung back to the square form when
released from the dog 57 after entering between the guides 59. Fig. 19 shows
the form of the carton when in the position shown in Fig. 11 with two of the end
flaps folded. Fig. 20 shows the carton after it has been turned to an upright
position and the third flap has been folded by fingers 39. Fig. 21 shows the carton
after it has been turned at right angles to Fig. 20 when the standard is turned
around and the fourth end flap has been folded after engagement with the
incline 52, the dotted lines showing what was the unfolded end flap of Fig. 20,
and showing thereby that the carton has been turned part way around.
The mechanism for feeding the flattened cartons to the opening up mechanism
is as follows:—
The unfolded or "knocked down" cartons are stacked in a hopper 1 and are
drawn out at the bottom, one at a time. The hopper should be of a size to fit
the cartons, or it should have adjustable walls so that the cartons will be kept
with even edges. The hopper is secured to bracket 5 by bolts 6. A sliding
carriage 10 has flanges 11 which fit in the grooved ways 8 in the side guides 7.
The guides 7 are supported on the frame 9. On the top of the carriage is a
plate 2 which supports the stack of cartons when the carriage is in its forward
position as shown in Figs. 1, and 9. The plate 2 has a forwardly extending
portion 4 which is thinner than the rear portion so that the offset or shoulder 3
is formed. When the carriage 10 moves to its rearmost position the plate 2 will
slide back until the portion 4 comes under the cartons which will settle down
when the shoulder 3 is at the rear. When the carriage moves forward the
shoulder 3 will engage the lowermost carton so that it will be carried forward
on the projecting portion 4. Link 12 is pivoted at one end to the carriage 10
and at its other end it is pivoted to the upper end of bent cam lever 13 having
on its lower end pin 14 which engages with groove 15 in the side of cam 16
on shaft 17. Rotation of shaft 17 and consequently of cam 16 reciprocates the
sliding carriage 10.
As the cartons are usually constructed they are rectangular in cross section
when folded, that is, when set up, and they have both at the top and the bottom
four flaps to close the ends. One pair of the oppositely folding end flaps are
usually folded first, then one flap of the other pair, then the fourth flap. In
order to keep the flaps in place to tightly close the bottom they should be pasted
before folding. It is unnecessary, however, to paste the fourth or outside flap.
I have contrived pasting mechanism for pasting the flaps as soon as the carton
is moved forward by the carrier, the cam groove 15 of cam 16 being of such
form that the carriage 10 slides forward at first only a part of its forward move-
ment, then the carriage remains stationary long enough for the pasting opera-
tion, and then moves forward again to bring the carton into position for the
folding mechanism. The pasting mechanism is as follows: a feed paste roll 66
turns in a paste box 67 and is driven by pulley 68. The two pasting rolls 69
which paste the flaps are kept in contact with feed roll 66 by the action of
spring 173 on lever 73, (see Figs. 1 and 2), and are kept in contact with each
other by springs 70, the shafts 71 of the pasting rolls being journaled in yielding
supports 72. (See Figs. 2, 13, 14, 15). The said yielding supports 72 are sup-
ported on the bell crank lever 73 which is pivoted at 74, the lower end being in
position to be engaged by cam 75 on cam disk 16. On the completion of the
first forward movement of the carriage 10, one of the cams 75 acts on the lever 73
to push forward the pasting rolls 69 which engage between them the carton and
the projecting portion 4 of the slide plate on which the carton is supported. The
axles of the pasting rolls yield sufficiently to include the carton 56 and plate 4
between the said rolls, but the springs 70 keep the rolls in contact with the carton
and plate. The forward movement of the pasting rolls is sufficient for them to

page_text: travel over the flaps of the carton and then they retreat. As the carton lies
on the plate one of the side flaps and one of the end flaps is exposed to the action
of the upper pasting roll. The plate 4 has an open space at 140 (see Fig. 6),
so that one of the under flaps which lies over said opening will be exposed to the
action of the lower pasting roll, the other under flap being protected from the
pasting roll by the plate 4. After the pasting rolls have withdrawn, the car-
riage 10 completes its forward movement and brings the carton under the end
of the lifting lever as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The mechanism for lifting.and
opening the carton is as follows:-The second cam projection 75 on disk 16 now
causes the pasting rolls to move forward again to paste the flaps which form the
top end of the carton so that they may be closed in when the package is filled.
The lifting lever has two arms 18, 19, and is pivoted on the hollow shaft 20.
Said shaft 20 has its bearings in the sides of the swiveling frame 41, the side
being broken away to more clearly show the lever. The arm 18 has a hollow
passageway 21 through it leading into the hollow shaft 20. The end of arm 18
terminates in a cup shaped portion 22 having an elastic edge formed of rubber
or other elastic material. A vacuum chamber 25 is connected with the end of
said hollow shaft by an air tube 124 and flexible connection 24. The tube 24
should be flexible and also have some slack to allow for the lateral swing of
the arm with its standard as will be hereinafter described. The tubes are shown
broken away. A three way valve 125 controls the passage from the tube 124
to flexible tube 24. A flexible tube 126 leads also from said tube 124 to slide
plate 4 with which it is connected, the said plate having an opening 141 to said
tube. (See Fig. 6.) A three way valve 127 controls the passage. A rod 128
connected with arm 132 of valve 125 and a rod 129 connected with arm 133 of
valve 127 are both engaged by the arm 18 of the lifting lever when in its down-
ward position to open the said valves 125 and 127 and make open communication
from the vacuum chamber to the hollow arm 18 and from the vacuum chamber
to the flexible tube 126. By opening the valve 125 when the cup 22 rests on
one of the cartons, the suction will cause the carton to adhere to the cup and be
lifted with it when the arm 18 rises. By opening the valve 127 to the vacuum
chamber when the carton is on the plate 4 the suction will draw on the lower side
of the carton. When the arm 18 rises from engagement with rod 129 the con-
traction of spring 130 will turn the valve 127, closing the passage to the vacuum
chamber and cutting off the suction on the lower panel of the carton. Before
the valve 127 closes to cut off the suction, however, during the first part of the
upward movement of the arni 18, the lower panel of the carton is held stationary
while the upper panel is being lifted, the result being that the body of the carton
such that the suction on the
is opened out. The adjustment of the machine
lower panel will be released as soon as the carton is partially opened and the
carton will then be lifted.
Fixed to the hollow shaft 20 on which the arm 18 is pivoted is a segment
gear 26 which meshes with rack 27. Said rack is reciprocated vertically in
grooved ways in frame 41 by a lifting rod 28, and causes the lifting lever 18, 19,
to turn on its horizontal axis. Said rack is pivoted on the rod 28 so that the
rack can rotate a quarter turn. The rod 28 passes down through hollow pivot 42
on which frame 41 is pivoted as will be described hereinafter, and through a
guide 29 and has a pin 30 at its lower end which engages with cam-slot 31 in
cam 32 on shaft :13. The arm 19 is bifurcated at its end to form bearings 35
for the fingers 334. These fingers 34 have rearwardly projecting branches 36
connected by a tension spring 37 which tends to keep the fingers 34 spread open.
(See Figs. 8 and 12). The office of the fingers is to engage with the two flaps
of the carton which are to be first folded and turn them under to form part of
the bottom. These I will term the end flaps, as the narrow flaps are the ones
which are usually turned in first when the end of the carton is oblong in shape.
As the lifting lever 18. 19. turns up on its pivot the fingers 34 rise hetween
cam guides 38 which engage the fingers. The inside walls of these cams approach

page_text: each other upwardly. On the sides of the fingers 34 are antifriction rollers 139
which are pivoted on axes radial to the axis of arm 18. These antifriction
rollers ride up on the sides of said arms 38 when the arm 18 rises and the fin-
gers 34 are caused to approach each other. Before the lifting lever 18, 19
begins to rise, the fingers 34 are lower than the carton which lies on the plate 4.
During the first part of the upward movement of the lever 18, 19, while the
opening up of the carton is taking place, the fingers 34 will rise so that when
the whole carton begins to be lifted the fingers will then be in engagement with
the two end naps. As the luting lever continues to rise and the fingers 34
approach each other by the pressure of the cams 38 the fingers will push inwardly
the end taps of the carton. If the machine is intended to fold square cartons
in which the flaps are all the same size and overlap each other when folded, it
is necessary to devise means by which one of the end flaps will be folded in
advance of the other, because the two will interfere if it is attempted to fold
them simultaneously. This can be accomplished by variation in the form of
the cam guides 38. In order not to tear the cartons it is preferable to have the
fingers 34 bent so that the bent portions 134 will engage with the flaps.
There is usually a certain amount of spring in the carton along the folding
lines, owing to the elastic nature of the cardboard of which the carton is com-
posed, and this elasticity tends to cause the carton to spring back out of true
again after the carton is once squared. In order to overcome any bad results
from that tendency the side panels are folded in considerably beyond the right
angle so as to allow for the back spring. The mechanism which I have devised
for this purpose is particularly shown in Figs. 4 and 5 in which the carton 56
is represented as clinging to the cup 22 on the end of arm 18 before the arm
begins to rise, the carrier plate 4 not being shown. A dog 57 is pivoted on an
arbor 60 journaled in ears 61 projecting from cup 22. When the arm 18 rises
the dog 57 will engage with the boss 58 projecting from one of the carton
guides 59 and be turned down on its pivot. The toe 62 of the dog will engage
with the edge of the carton at the outer folding line and aid the suction devices
already described to square out the carton. After the lower suction action is
cut off the toe 62 will continue turning until it swings around into the position
shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, the carton being shown in dotted lines turned
back past the right angle giving the carton the shape shown in Fig. 17. This
will break the spring somewhat, so that when the carton is again brought back
to the square form as in Fig. 18 it will retain its shape. After the arm 18 has
risen far enough for the dog 57 to clear the projection 58 the holder 22 with
carton attached passes between the two curved parallel guides 59 which are
concentric with the axis of shaft 20, the space between said guides being adjusted
to the width of the carton to retain the carton in its now squared form and per-
nitting the fingers 34 to fold the end flaps as previously described. (See especi-
ally Figs. 2, 9, 11 and 12). The carton will now be in the form shown in Fig. 19,
two flaps remaining unfolded. On the down movement of the arm 18 after the
carton has been folled and delivered, the point 65 on the dog 57 will striko
the projection 58 and turn the dog back on its pivot to its normal position. The
pin 63 which projects from the dog will strike against stop 64 to prevent the
dog from being thrown back too far.
After two flaps are folded the third is folded in the manner which will now
be described.
Rising from the swivel frame 41 are two standards 40 to the upper ends of
which are hinged the fingers 39. Springs 55 normally hold the hinged fingers 39
in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, projecting toward each other into the
path of the projecting side flaps of the carton. When the arm 18 reaches nearly
an upright position the upper one of these projecting side flaps, (the one which
has been pasted) is brought into engagement with said fingers 39, both fingers 39
engaging the same flap near opposite ends thereof. The continued upward
movement of the arm 18 will cause the said flap to be folded inward. The posi-

page_text: tion when partially folded is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. When the arm 18
has rocked far enough up for the said side flap to be folded in at an angle of
about forty-five degrees, the fingers 34 will have passed up through the con-
tracted passage between the cant guides 38 into a wider way, which allows the
said fingers to be spread apart by the tension of spring 37 and to be withdrawn
from the end flaps out of the way of the side flaps, so that the side flap can be
folded square onto the two end flaps which have been already folded. The
carton is now in the shape shown in Fig. 20. The fourth flap yet remains un-
folded. The means for folding the fourth will now be described. The swivel-
ing frame 41 has a pivot 42 on which it turns in bearing 43. Pivot 42 is
hollow so that the rod 28 may pass through it. On the bottom of the swiveling
frame 41 is secured a horizontal segment gear 44 which meshes with rack bar 45
which slides in ways in the stationary frame. Connected with the rack bar 45
is a connecting rod 46 which is also connected with bent lever 47 pivoted at 147,
said lever 47 having at the end of its short, lower arm a pin 48 which engages
with cam slot 49 in cam 50. Said cam 50 is mounted on shaft 17, being the same
shaft on which cam 16 is mounted. When the cam 30 revolves, the rack 45 is
reciprocated in its horizontal ways far enough to give a quarter turn to segment
gear 44 and swiveling frame 41, thus also turning the arm 18 and standards 40
which are carried on said frame. This turn will swing the arm 18 around to
bring the carton over the table 51. When the device is used with a weighing
and package filling machine such as I have already referred to, this table 51 will
preferably be fixed to or form a part of the weighing machine. When the
arm 18 swings over as just above described, the fourth flap of the carton strikes
the inclined surface 52 which projects from the end of the table, and the said
flap is folded under to complete the bottom end of the carton. The carton will
now be in the form shown in Fig. 21, the dotted lines indicating the position of
the fourth flap before it was folded after the carton was given the quarter turn
from the position in Fig. 20. By the same swinging movement of arm 18, the
hinged fingers 39 will strike the projections 5:3 on the under side of table 51.
This projection is so adjusted as to cause the fingers 39 to tip over on their
hinges 54 sufficiently to clear the under side of table 51 and not to interfere with
the folding of the last flap when the quarter turn of the swiveling frame occurs.
This movement of the fingers 39 away from the carton is made to occur when the
fourth flap has been folded to an angle of about thirty to forty-five degrees.
Extending up from the horizontal sliding rack 45 is a projection 145, and when
the rack moves to the right as viewed from Fig. 1 to give the quarter turn to the
swiveling frame already described, this projection will engage with the down-
wardly extending arm 131 of the three way valve 125 and turn the valve so as
to close the passage between the arm IS and the vacuum chamber and open the
passageway in the arm 18 to the outer air, so that the suction on the carton will
be released. This will occur at the end of the forward movement of the rack
and after the swiveling frame has completed its quarter turn when the carton is
suspended by the arm 1S over the table 51 so that the carton will be deposited
on the table with the four flaps which form the bottom completely folded.
As the flaps have a certain amount of spring in them which the paste is not
sufficiently strong to resist before it dries, it is desirable to have some means
to hold down the carton on its bottom to prevent the flaps from unfolding. A
projection 151 from the weighing machine extends over the table 51 on which
the carton is deposited at a sufficient height above it so that when the carton is
deposited on the table said projection 151 will prevent the carton from springing
up. The continued rotation of the cam 50 reverses the direction of movement
of rack 45 and rotates the swiveling frame a quarter turn backward, the stand-
ards 40 and the lever 18, 19, being carried with it, and springs 55 restore fingers 39
to their normal position. The cam 16 then actuates the vertically reciprocating
rack 27 in a reverse direction to its former movement and causes lever 18, 19.
to deserud. In the meantime the carriage 10 has been drawn back until the

page_text: which
forward slide plate 4 comes underneath the pile of cartons in the hopper, and
the bottom carton settles down with its rear end in front of the shoulder
engages said carton and pushes it forward when the carriage moves forward
again.
My carton folding machine is specially intended to co-operate with a weighing
and package filling machine, and may be connected with the weighing and pack-
age filling machine to work intermittently in unison therewith, so that a carton
will be folded and laid on the table for use in the weighing machine as fast
as the packages are filled. One method of making such connection is illustrated
in the drawings. 81 represents a package moving finger projecting from an
intermittently rotating package moving ring such, for instance as shown in the
Specification of Letters Patent No. 5398 of 1896 in which the package moving
ring rotates through a certain arce after a full package has been removed from
the scales and the package moving fingers push another empty carton onto the
scales and then the ring automatically stops until the package is filled. In the
drawings herewith the said ring is not shown. Pivoted on a support 82 is a bell
crank lever 83 which lies in the path of the fingers 81 so that when the inter-
mittently moving ring rotates, the said bell crank will be engaged by one of
the said fingers and tipped on its pirot. A connecting rod 84 is pivoted at its
upper end to said bell crank, and at its lower end is pivoted at 85 to the short
arm of lever 86 which is pivoted at 87 to a part of the stationary frame. The
cup shaped disk 88 is loose on shaft 33 and is continuously rotated. Keyed to
said shaft 33 is the flat disk 89. Pivoted to the face of disk 89 is the pawl 90
which engages with the ratchet teeth 91 on the inside of the rim of disk 88.
When the pawl is so engaged the two disks which form the clutch will rotate
together and the carton folding mechanism will go through one cycle of its
operation. The arbor 92 of the pawl 90 passes through the disk 89, and on its
outer end is an arm 93 which engages with the lower end of lever 86 once at
each revolution of the disk 89. When the arm 93 and lever 86 do so engage,
the pawl 90 is thrown out of engagement with the teeth of disk 88, and the
disk 89 and shaft 33 are brought to a stop. This stop is timed to occur when
the arm 18 has reached its uppermost position carrying one of the cartons which
then has three flaps folded and is ready for the quarter turn to fold the other flap
as already described. When the package moving finger 81 again moves, tipping
the bell crank 83 and lifting the rod 84, the rod 86 will be disengaged from
arm 93, and spring 94 will throw pawl 90 back again into engagement with one
of the teeth 91 of the disk 88.
Gear wheel 95 which is fast to shaft: 33 gears with a similar gear wheel 96 (as
shown in Fig. 3) on shaft 17, and gives motion to said shaft 17 and the_cams 16
and 50.
In describing now the operation of the machine I will assume it to be com-
bined with a weighing and package filling machine of the character already
referred to, and for convenience I will begin the description at the point in the
operation when the machine is in the position shown in Fig. 1, in which the
lifting arm 18 has just descended, the suction cup 22 resting on the carton which
has been fed forward and pasted, and the valves 125 and 127 are both opened
to the vacuum chamber and closed to the outside air by the downward pressure
of the arm 18 on rods 128 and 129 in the manner previously described. The
package moving fingers of the weighing machine are now supposed to be at rest
and a carton is on the scales being filled, and the disk 89 which as already stated
makes one rotation at each cycle of operation is in the midst of a rotation. Cam 32
now draws down rod 28 and rack 27 which, be engagement with segment gear 26
turns up lever 18, 19, on its pivot. The carton clings to cup 22 on the end of
arm 18 and is lifted, the suction on the lower panel of the carton through flexible
tube 126 retarding the movement of that portion of the carton until the valve 127
is turned by the tension of spring 130 to shut off the suction. The carton will
be squared out by the upward pulling of the lifting arm 18 and the suction which

page_text: has been pulling down on the lower panel, and by the action of the dog 57, and
it will be preserved in its squared form by the action of the side guides 59 after
the suction on the lower panel is cut off. As the arm 18 rises the fingers 34
will fold in the end flaps and then said fingers will withdraw when they have
passed up through the contracted portion of the passage between the guide cams 38.
The fingers 39 will fold one of the side flaps during the latter portion of the
upward ascent of the lifting arm, the fingers 34 withdrawing from the end flaps
in time to avoid interference with the folding of the side flap. At this point
the clutch 88, 89 will have rotated far enough to bring the arm 93 which is on
the outer end of the arbor 92 of pawl 90 into engagement with lever 80, dis-
engaging the pawl 90 from the teeth of disk 88 so that the disk 89 and shaft 33
are brought to a stop, and the arm 18 will stand stationary holding the carton
with three flaps folded until the two disks of the clutch are again in engage-
ment. During this period of rest the package moving ring of the weighing
machine is at rest and a carton is on the scales being filled. As soon as the
scale beam tips under the weight of the package, the package moving ring
begins to rotate to bring a fresh package to the scales. In so doing the package
moving finger 81 engages bell crank lever S3, thereby lifting the rod 84 and dis-
engaging it from arm 93 so that the disk 89 again rotates with disk 88 and the
carton folding mechanism is set in operation. The cam 50 rotates, and through
its intermediate mechanism already described causes the swiveling frame 41 to
make a quarter turn by which the fourth flap is folded, valve 125 is turned to
shut off the suction through arm 18, and the carton is deposited on the table
ready for use. The swiveling frame then makes a quarter turn in the reverse
direction carrying with it the lever 18, 19, then the said lever turns down on
its pivot and brings the cup 22 down onto the new carton which is now on the
carrier plate 4 in position to receive it, the said plate having been moved back
to receive said carton from the hopper, then forward to the pasting rolls and
then forward again to its position to meet the lifting arm 18 by means of the
cam 10 while the arm 18 has been making its several movements to fold the
preceding carton. The valves 125 and 127 are both turned by the downward
movement of arm 18 to bring into action the suction on the upper panel of the
carton through arm 18 and cup 22, and on the lower panel through flexible
tube 126 and the opening in the plate 4. The carton is lifted and folded as before.
It is thus seen that when the folding machine is combined with a weighing and
package filling machine of the kind described herein each cycle of movement of
the folding machine begins when one carton is partially folded, and during the
cycle said partially folded carton is completed and delivered and another is
brought from the hopper and partially folded. The cartons are folded as fast
as the packages are filled. The newly folded carton need not necessarily be the
next one to be filled, but may be deposited in a position where it will in due
course he carried to the proper place to be filled in regular order. I do not
intend to limit myself to the use of the folding machine in combination with the
particular type of weighing machine above described, as it is obvious that the
weighing machine may be varied in construction, the main object being that it
shall give intermittent motion to the carton folding machine, so that a carton
shalle folded for every carton filled. It is also obvious that the carton folding
machine may be used independently of a weighing machine. Other means than
suction may be readily devised to enable the liftin arm to hold the carton and
be within the scope of my invention.
Having row particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is:-
1. The improved machine for setting up knocked down packages and feeding
them to a parlage filling machine, said setting up machine comprising a hopper
for the knocked down packages, a suction holder for holding the packages while

page_text: being opened, a valve which controls the action of the suction holder on the
package, means for transferring a package from the hopper and presenting it
to the suction holder, valve operating mechanism which causes the suction holder
to hold the package when presented to it, mechanism for opening the package,
mechanism which transfers it to the package filling machine, and mechanism
which causes the suction holder to release the package, substantially as described.
2. The improved machine for setting up knocked down packages, containing
a hopper for the knocked down packages, a carrier which withdraws the packages
one by one from the hopper, a pivoted arm which seizes and lifts the packages
from the carrier, mechanism which swings said arm through an are in a vertical
plane and then turns it on its pivot, mechanism which opens the package while
being lifted, and mechanism which causes the said pivoted arm to deposit the
opened package in an upright position, substantially as described.
3. In a machine for setting up cartons and closing the end, a hopper for the
knocked down cartons, mechanism for taking a carton from the hopper, pasting
mechanism which pastes the flaps, a pivoted arm which lifts the carton, mechanism
which squares open the carton, mechanism which folds three of the flaps, mech-
anism which then gives to the said lifting arm a partial rotation and mechanism
which folds the remaining flap, substantially as described.
4. The improved machine for setting up cartons, comprising mechanism which
feeds the unfolded cartons, pasting mechanism for pasting the flaps, an arm
which lifts the carton, guides which square the carton as it is lifted, fingers which
fold two of the flaps, mechanism which then folds a third flap, mechanism
which then gives the lifting arm a partial rotation, and mechanism which then
folds the remaining flap, substantially as described.
5. The instrumentalities for transferring and setting up knocked down cartons
in a carton folding machine, comprising a pivoted lever having an arm which
takes the unfolded cartons one at a time, mechanism which moves said lever on
its pivot, guides which square the carton as it is lifted, fingers pivoted in another
arm of said lever, guides which turn said fingers inwardly as the arm rises, said
fingers engaging with two of the flaps of the carton and folding them, and mech-
anism which then folds the remaining flaps, substantially as described.
6. A machine for folding or setting up cartons and the like, having devices
for handling the cartons comprising a pivoted lever having a hollow suction
arm, a vacuum chamber, a flexible tubular connection and a valve between said
chamber and said suction arm, mechanism for presenting an unfolded carton to
the suction arm, valve operating mechanism whereby the suction arm takes hold
of the carton, mechanism for operating the said pivoted lever whereby it lifts the
carton, mechanism for folding the flaps of the carton while held by said arm
and mechanism for cutting off the suction whereby it releases the carton, and
mechanism for retracting the said lever, substantially as described.
7. The improved mechanism for use in connection with a weighing and pack-
age filling machine, comprising mechanism which opens and sets up the empty
packages, and intermediate mechanism intermittently actuated by the weighing
and package filling machine at each cycle of movement thereof to start the setting
up mechanism, substantially as described.
8. In a machine for folding and setting up knocked down packages the com-
bination with a weighing and package filling machine having an intermittently
moving member which has a period of movement each time a package is filled,
of a package folding or setting up machine having start and stop mechanism,
and intermediate mechanism which controls said start mechanism actuated by
said intermittently moving member of the package filling machine whereby a
package is folded for each cycle of movement of the intermittently moving mem-
ber, substantially as described.
9. The instrumentalities for stopping and starting a machine for folding or
setting up cartons, comprising a clutch which connects the driving mechanism
with the folding or setting up mechanism, a stop which.disengages the clutch at

page_text: the end of each cycle of movement and causes the folding or setting up mechanism
to become inactive, a trip device which releases said stop from engagement with
the clutch, and means for again engaging the clutch with the driving mechanism
and rendering the folding mechanism again active, substantially as described.
10. The improved mechanism for setting up knocked down packages for use
in connection with a package folding and setting up machine, comprising a
suction device which acts on the under side of the unfolded package and a pivoted
suction arm which acts on the upper side of the package and lifts it, thereby
partially opening the package, means for releasing the hold of the lower suction
device, mechanism which then engages with the package and completes the fold-
ing while it is being lifted by said pivoted arm, substantially as described.
11. A machine for folding knocked down cartons and filling and weighing the
packages comprising a weighing and package filling machine having a member
which moves intermittently with the tipping of the scales, a package folding or
setting up machine having a start and stop mechanism, intermediate mechanism
between the weighing machine and the folding machine which controls said start
mechanism and is actuated by said intermittently moving member of the weigh-
ing machine, whereby each time the scale beam tips the folding machine is set
in operation, substantially as described.
12. The mechanism for breaking the back spring of folded cartons for use in
connection with a machine for folding and setting up knocked down cartons,
comprising mechanism which lifts the carton, mechanism which opens the carton
on its folding lines to a rectangular form, mechanism which then engages with
the package and continues the folding past the right angle and then withdraws,
allowing the carton freedom to resume its rectangular form, and guides which
check its return movement past the rectangular, substantially as described.
13. In a machine for setting up knocked down packages, a movable suction arm
which lifts the packages, a vacuum chamber, a pneumatic connection and three-
way valve between said vacuum chamber and suction arm, means for turning
said valve to open communication between said vacuum chamber and suction
arm and render the suction arm operative to hold the package, means for moving
the said arm with package attached, guides which engage with and open the
package as it rises, means for closing communication between the suction arm
and the vacuum chamber and means for opening communication from the suction
arm to the external air, substantially as described.
14. The herein described mechanism for setting up knocked down cartons.
15. The herein described mechanism for setting up knocked down cartons and
delivering them to a package filling machine.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.