DK154409B - MACHINE FOR PROCESSING PACKAGING CONTAINERS - Google Patents

Abstract

A machine for the processing of packing containers of the type used for example for milk products. Such packing containers are manufactured from a filled material tube and are first given cushion-shape. With the help of the machine in accordance with the invention they are subsequently converted to a substantially parallelepipedic shape. The machine comprises a means of transport in the form of a wheel (35) having radial holding devices (37) for the cushion-shaped semi-finished products (2). The means of transport can be rotated step-by-step so that each indiviual packing container passes around processing stations (45 - 50) placed around the periphery of the means of transport for the folding of corner lugs, sealing and shaping.

Description

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The invention relates to a machine for processing packaging containers and comprising a driven conveyor means for moving the packaging containers between different processing stations, the conveying means 5 comprising an intermittently rotatable drum having along its periphery a holding means for individual packaging containers which are arranged evenly a division corresponding to the division of the processing stations fixed around the conveyor 10, wherein each holding means comprises a pair of trays extending substantially radially relative to the drum and during rotation of the drum movable between a closed position where the distance between the trays corresponds to the size of the packaging container to be placed between them and an open position or a partially open position where the packaging container can be moved between the trays in a radial direction and radially outer and inner guide rails which are spaced apart and extend along holdeo the path of movement of said rails, which 20 guide rails are arranged to cooperate at least in a folding station with the corner flaps of the packaging containers, which must be folded against the walls of the container.

In the manufacture of disposable packaging for liquid dairy products and the like, a material web is made of a flexible, but relatively rigid, laminated material comprising layers of paper, thermoplastic and optionally aluminum foil. The material web is supplied in the form of a roll to a packaging machine which successively transforms the material web into a hose 30 or pipe by sealing the longitudinal edges of the web against each other. The liquid-tight tube is filled with stuffing material, after which it is divided into individual, generally cushion-shaped packaging containers by compression and sealing at zones located at regular intervals 35 across the material tube. The packaging containers thus produced are formed in connection with 2

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said compression and sealing to substantially parallelepipedic units which are separated in section in the transverse sealing zones. However, the parallelepipedic shape is disturbed by both said sealing zones, which are transformed into protruding sealing tabs, as four triangular, double-walled corner tabs which, for geometric reasons, are formed by surplus material in the transformation from cushion shape to substantially parallelepipedic shape.

Each packing container is then passed on to a machine which may be combined with the main packing machine, optionally for processing (so-called final molding or final folding) of the packing containers, in which the machine, e.g. both the sealing tabs and the corner tabs are folded inwardly and joined to the actual container body so as to provide a packaging container with a more correct parallelepipedic shape.

This processing or final folding of each packaging container made by the packaging machine is done successively by moving each packaging container between and processed in different processing stations in the final feeder. is determined by the heat sealing times of the thermoplastic material, which makes it difficult to construct a final fold assembly that operates at a sufficiently high speed to operate fast packaging machines.

The movement of the more or less finished packaging containers stepwise through the end folding apparatus also places high demands on accuracy if one is to guarantee that each packaging container is moved to the exact correct processing position at each station.

and c

Previously used end-folding machines cannot process the packaging containers with sufficient accuracy

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accuracy and safety at the high working speeds required by modern packaging machines, and it is therefore a common wish for a faster and more accurate working1 5 end-folding machine to be constructed.

FR-A-2 326 333 discloses a machine of the above type. The corner flaps of the containers are folded from the unfolded position to a folded position by means of guide rails and cooperating elements during the movement of the drum 10 in a counterclockwise direction. However, this folding and folding of the corner tabs, especially of the bottom corner tabs, is quite critical, as the load on the laminated material is very significant, especially in the area of the transverse sealing tab because it has to be folded twice below the corner tabs. Therefore, there will occasionally be leaks that may cause a lack of sterility and other problems with the finished packaging containers.

DE-B-1 247 192 describes an apparatus for handling containers inserted into voids in a drum where the walls of the voids are fixed so that the width of the space is always the same. It is possible to move these walls from a closed position to a partially open position.

It is an object of the invention to provide a machine capable of safely and accurately folding and forming both sealing tabs and corner tabs and of finished packaging having a substantially rectangular outer shape without leakage occurs and at high machining speed 30 for the machine.

According to the invention, a folding plate in the folding station is movable mainly in the radial direction of the drum from a resting position outside the radially outer guide rails to an effective or active position between the outer guide rails to apply a packaging container to a radially inwardly directed pressure and the trays in the folding station can be brought into the partially open position.

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By means of this, the folding is carried out not only by means of fixed guide rails, but also by the influence of a folding plate, in particular a bottom folding plate which is movable mainly in the radial direction of the drum 5. During this process, it is important that the trays are placed in at least partially open position so that the packaging can be moved radially inwardly between the trays.

Preferred embodiments of the machine 110 according to the invention appear from the subclaims.

In this embodiment of the machine according to the invention there is provided a machine for processing or final folding of packaging containers, which not only provides a very high operating speed, but which also enables the available processing time to be increased at each station while guaranteeing the machine a safe moving of the partially processed packaging containers between carefully fixed positions at each processing station. The machine 20 according to the invention also provides safe control of the packaging containers during transport between the processing stations and finally ensures that the folding of the corner tabs takes place stepwise and in a well-defined and accurate manner.

25

A preferred embodiment of the machine according to the invention is described in more detail below with reference to the drawing, which schematically illustrates this embodiment.

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preferred embodiment of the machine according to the invention, for the sake of simplicity only the details necessary for understanding the construction and operation of the machine are included in the various figures.

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of the machine according to the invention, as it is arranged and coupled to a packaging machine of known type; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the main or final fold portion of the machine according to the invention; FIG. 3, substantially similar to FIG. 2, but showing the end system drive system; FIG. 4 is a side view of a transport member mounted on the end fold; FIG. 5 is a side view of the machine's end folding station; FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the final folding station of FIG. 5, and FIG. 7-13 processing and forming a packaging container on its way through the machine according to the invention, in which fig. 7 shows the packaging of an access station; FIG. 8 shows the packaging during its removal from the access station; FIG. 9 shows the packaging in a folding station; FIG. 10 shows the packaging in a binder station; FIG. 11 shows the packaging in a final folding station; FIG. 12 shows the packaging in the finished form after the final folding station; and FIG. 13 finally, the finished packaging container in a departure station, where it is ejected from the conveying member of the final folding member.

In FIG. 1 schematically shows a preferred embodiment of the machine according to the invention. The machine is arranged by and connected to a known packaging machine, of which only a limited part 1 is shown in the figure. The machine according to the invention is arranged to process and finalize packaging containers 2,

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6 delivered from the packaging machine 1, and therefore it is driven synchronously with the packaging machine 1 by means of a drive shaft 3, which connects the machine according to the invention with a power take-off 4 in the packaging machine.

5 The machine according to the invention can, for the sake of convenience, be divided into three main parts, namely an actual end-fold part 5, in which the successive processing of processed packaging containers takes place, a transport part 6 for transfer of the packaging containers 10 2 from the packaging machine 1 to the end-fold part 5, and a power transfer and drive part 7 for operation of the final fold part · 5 and the transfer part 6 synchronously with the packaging machine 1. The power transfer and drive part 7 are located at the bottom of the machine and at the same time form a foundation for the other parts. The transport part 6 is located between the packaging machine 1 and the final folding part 5, while there is space underneath the transport part 6 for a conveyor 8 mounted above the drive part 7, which extends at a right angle 20 with respect to the transport part 6, and which is arranged to remove finished packaging containers. 2 from the end-folding portion 5 for further transport to a packing means · which collects a number of individual packaging containers 2 in a larger assembly package to facilitate further transport to the consumer.

The transport member 6 comprises a rack 9 which has two parallel longitudinal side walls between which the packaging containers are transported from the packaging machine 1 to the final folding part 5 by means of an endless main conveyor belt 10 running around turning rollers arranged at both ends of the transfer part 6, and which are freely rotatably mounted between the two parallel sides of the frame 9. The turning roller 11 is connected to a drive motor (not shown), 35 and at the same time serves as a turning roller for an outer 7

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like conveyor belts 12 which are designed as receiving conveyor belts for the packaging containers delivered from the packaging machine 1. Both the receiving conveyor belt 12 and the main conveyor belt 10 comprise a plurality of parallel belts spaced apart so that they can run without interference with one another over the common turning roller 11.

The main conveyor belt 10 extends generally horizontally or slightly upwardly towards the final folding portion 5, while the receiving conveyor belt 12 inclines in the opposite direction and more specifically extends upwardly toward the packaging machine 1 at an angle to a horizontal plane of approx. 30 °. In this way, after a short distance, the packing dispensed from the packaging machine 1, partially 15-shaped, arrive at a free fall and are softly braked by the sloping conveyor belt 12, whereupon they are directly transferred to the main conveyor belt 10 for further transport towards the final fold section 5. at the end of the main conveyor belt 10 facing the end fold portion 5 there is an outlet conveyor belt 13 located above this which moves in the same principal direction as the main conveyor belt 10, but located at such a distance above it, which corresponds to or substantially exceeds the height of the packaging containers transported on the main conveyor belt 10. While the main conveyor belt and the receiving conveyor belt 12 are driven at a uniform, constant speed, the departure conveyor belt 13 30 is operated at a constant speed twice the speed of the main conveyor belt 10. By means of a carrier 14 projecting from the conveyor belt 13, the departure conveyor belt 13 takes over the delivery of the packings 35 arriving on the main conveyor belt 10 and moves them at the double speed the last

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5 extending from the main conveyor belt 10 to the final fold portion 5. This separates the packages which are transferred successively to the final foil portion 5, so that the space between them becomes larger than the space 5 between the packaging containers conveyed along the main conveyor belt 10, which is important for the function of the final fold portion. which will be explained in more detail below.

The power 10 or drive part 7 located below the transport part 6 extends from the lower end of the packaging machine 1 and under the actual final fold part 5. The power transmission part 7 comprises a left-hand side of FIG. 1 shows the open part in which the drive shaft 3 runs and connects the power take-off of the packaging machine 4 to a right-hand side of FIG. 1, closed distribution box 15, which is at the same time the foundation of the final folding part 5. The open part of the PTO 7 comprises two parallel sides and a bottom and has essentially three functions, namely 20 firstly to prevent contact with the drive shaft 3, secondly to fix the final fold portion at a proper distance from the packaging machine 1, and thirdly, to act as a collection trough for liquid, e.g. leaking stuffing from the packaging containers. The drive shaft 3 25 connects the packaging machine's drive motor via suitable, not shown couplings and gearboxes with the drive system 5's drive system 5, so that the drive train can be automatically driven synchronously with the packaging machine.

It is also possible to drive the end fold portion 5 by means of a separate, not shown drive motor, e.g. permits continued operation of the final folding part 5 and the transporting part 6, even if the main packaging machine 1 is stopped.

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The actual main part of the machine according to the invention, i.e. the endfold section 5 has a base which comprises at the bottom the previously mentioned distribution gearbox 15. On top of this is a second gearbox 5 comprising a delegate box 16, and on top of this there is a further gearbox with an upper angular gear 17. The drive shaft 3, which extends through the power transmission part 7, is connected via a coupling to an input shaft 18 in the distribution gearbox 15 (Fig. 3). The input shaft 18 extends horizontally in the distribution gearbox and drives a lower angular gear 19 as well as a rear angular gear 20. At the rear angular gear 20, the rotation of the input shaft 18 is transmitted to a likewise horizontal, but at a right angle to the lower shaft located lower shaft 21, which at both ends via maneuvering control curves 22, converts the movement into a reciprocating, pivotal movement for two maneuvering arms 23 pivotally mounted in the distribution gearbox, the function of which will be described in more detail below.

The rotation of the input shaft 18 is transmitted via the aforementioned lower angular gear 19 to a distribution shaft 24 extending vertically through the end fold portion 5. The distribution shaft 24 drives via an angular gear 16 so that the rotation of the distribution shaft 24 is converted into a repetitive rotational movement or division of 1/6 turn for an intermediate shaft protruding on both sides of the delegate box 25. By means of a further outlet from the delegate box, the rotation is further transferred via the upper angular gear 17 to a horizontally located upper shaft 26, which has control curves 27 at both ends, the function of which will be described in more detail below.

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Finally, the incoming shaft 18 also carries a supply control curve 28 which drives via an cam follower 29 an insertion assembly 30 pivotally mounted outside the distribution gearbox. The insertion assembly 30 comprises two generally vertical arms 31 extending on both sides of the drive shaft. The arms 31 are supported by two parallel shafts 32, both of which are pivotally mounted at the end of the distribution gearbox 15. However, one shaft 32 extends 10 with its one end into the distribution gearbox where it carries the cam follower 29. By means of this shaft, the insertion assembly 30 operated in a reciprocating, swinging motion. The two pivotable arms 31 carry at their upper end an insertion member 33 and 15 a discharge member 34 which is parallelogram suspended in the arms 31. The function of the insertion member 33 and the discharge member 34 is described below.

The distribution gearbox 15 is designed as an oil trough and is partially filled with oil which is supplied to the various moving parts, such as shafts, angular gears, etc., by means of 20 pumps not shown, to avoid oil leakage and contamination of those in the final folding part. 5 treated packaging containers are the aforementioned drive system described in connection with FIG. 3, completely 'closed.

The machine will now be described in more detail with particular reference to FIG. 2, which shows the final fold part 5 in perspective. The figure shows how the previously described foundation, consisting of the distribution gearbox 15, the delegate box 16 and the upper angular gear 17, carries two pivotal conveying means 35. Each of the two conveying means 35 comprises a centrally pivotable pivot drum 36 which is fixedly connected. with the end of the intermediate shaft 25, 35 extending out of the delegate box 16. The two trans- 11

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gate means 35 are mutually identical (which is why only one of them is described hereinafter) and is located axially in line with each other on each side of the delegate box 16. The task of the transport means 35 is to move them by means of the transport part 6 (Fig. 1) provided packaging containers between the various processing stations in the final folding portion and the conveying means, therefore, have a plurality of uniformly arranged around the drum 36 holding means 10 37, each comprising a fixed and movable tray 38 and 39 respectively (Fig. 4). forming between each other, substantially planar work surfaces, a space adapted to the size of the packaging container 2. Each of the fixed trays 38 is substantially L-shaped, the longest leg of the L forming the said working surface which extends generally radially to the drum 36, while the shorter leg extends at an angle of 90 °. in relation to the working surface so that said shorter leg 20 forms the base 40. of the holding member 37. In the bottom there is an outlet for receiving a sealing fin on the packaging containers. The fixed tray 38, with its shorter leg, is rigidly connected to the drum 36. The movable tray 39 is pivotally mounted about a shaft 41 parallel to the center shaft of the drum 41. Specifically, the pivotally supported tray 39 constitutes one arm of a lever 42 whose the second arm carries a cam follower 43, which is still engaged with a centrally mounted double guide curve 44, fixedly mounted on the drum 36. When rotating the conveyor 35, the guide curve 44 impacts via the cam follower 43 and the lever 42 so that the movable tray it is moved between a closed position where the planar work surface of tray 39 35 extends parallel to the work surface (the longest

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12 legs) of the fixed tray 38, and an open position where the movable tray 39 is pivoted out at an angle of substantially 10 ° to the fixed tray 38, which is further explained in the following description of the operation of the machine.

Distributed around the conveyor 35 there are a plurality of machining stations disposed with each other which correspond to the division between the holding means 37 of the conveyor. As can be seen most clearly in FIG. 1, at the end of the transport portion 6, there is an access station 45 followed by a folding station 46 located substantially above the center shaft of the conveying means 35. Following the folding station 46, a binder station 47, a final folding station 48, a currently unused spare station follow. 49 and a departure station 50. The various stations are listed in the order in which they are obtained by a single packing container by means of the conveyor means 35 during operation of the machine. Thus, during operation, the transport means 35 is indexed stepwise in a clockwise direction in FIG. 1, each movement being matched by a rotation corresponding to the angle of division between the different stations (60 °).

In addition to the various machining stations, each conveying means 35 is also surrounded by a plurality of guide rails (Fig. 4) which are fixedly mounted relative to the machine's foundation and which are adapted to control and process the 30 packaging containers provided by the conveyor. Each conveyor 35 cooperates with two different types of guide rails, namely, outer guide rails 51 extending around the transport member substantially flush with the outer ends of the retaining member 37, and inner guide rails 52 extending around the conveyor mainly flush with the bottom surfaces 40 of the retaining member 37. 13

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outer as the inner guide rails are double and are located on both sides of the conveyor 35, as is most clearly seen in FIG. 2. The guide rails 51 and 52 are firmly connected to the outside of the transport means 5 35 of a stand 53 which in turn is rigidly connected to the foundation of the machine. The frame 53 is illustrated for illustrative purposes only by dotted lines in FIG. 2. The guide rails 51 and 52 are thus fixed and do not accompany the conveying means 35 during its parting movement.

The two outer guide rails 51 begin outside the access station and extend substantially from this past the folding station and further around the transport means to terminate at the departure station.

The distance between the two guide rails 51 and the center shaft of the transport means 35 varies such that the guide rails 51 next to the access station 45 are closer to the central axis of the transport means than they do during the remainder of the stretch around the transport means. Specifically, the distance between the guide rails 51 and the center shaft of the conveyor is successively increased on the distance between the access station and the folding station and then again reduced so that the guide rails approach the periphery of the conveyor means and run at a substantially constant distance on the other distance of the guide rails to the departure station. Hereby, during the said stretch of the guide rails, the distance between the guide rails 51 and the bottom faces 40 of the holding member 37, seen in the direction of movement of the holding member 37, is gradually increased from a distance less than the height of the holding member 37 the folding station 46 is greater than the height of the holding member 37. The guide rails 51 then approach the height of the holding member and then run at this height

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η all the way to the departure station. The distance between the two guide rails also varies. During the first part of the guide rails mentioned, viz. between the access station and the folding station, the distance between the guide rails 51 is somewhat greater than the width of the folding member 37, ie. the distance between the lateral surfaces of the trays 38 and 39r measured in parallel with the center shaft of the conveying means 35. During the stretch from the access station to the folding station 10, this distance is gradually reduced, while the guide rails 51, as previously mentioned, increasingly remove from the middle shaft of the conveying means 35, and the spacing between the guide rails 51 is reduced off the folding station 46 so that the distance between the opposite sides of the guide rails 51 corresponds substantially to the distance between the side surfaces of the trays 38 and 39.

During the continued stretching of the guide rails 51 around the conveyor 35, the distance 20 is successively reduced further so that it is off the binder station 47 somewhat smaller than the distance between the side surfaces of the trays 38 and 39. This distance is maintained substantially during the continued course of the guide rails 51 until departure station.

The two inner guide rails 52 extend similarly to the outer guide rails 51 around the transport means 35, with the beginning end next to the access station 45, or between this and the folding station and the end end located before the departure station 50.

However, the two inner guide rails 52 are located substantially closer to the center axis of the conveyor means 35 and are therefore located substantially off the bottom surfaces 40 of the holding member 37. The guide rails 52 extend along their entire length at some distance 35 outside the side surfaces of the two trays 38 and 39, i.e.

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that the distance between the facing faces of the guide rails 52 is somewhat greater than the width of the trays 38 and 39. By the width of the trays 38 and 39 it is meant here, as in other parts of the description and the claims, the distance between each tray's facing side faces. , which distance in the main case corresponds to the width of a treated container. Furthermore, by the height of a holding member is meant the distance from the bottom surface of the holding member towards a packaging container 10 to the outer end of trays 38 and 39. The height of the holding member 37 corresponds, in other words, substantially to the height of a processed packaging container.

The starting ends of the two guide rails 52 15 are located at the access station at a distance from the center axis of the transport means 35, which is somewhat smaller than the distance between the bottom surface 40 of the holding means and the said center axis, ie. the guide rails 52 are somewhat "below" the bottom surface of the holding member 40. From the access station 45, the distance between the two guide rails 52 and the center shaft of the transport means 35 is successively increased so that the guide rails outside the folding station 46 are at a somewhat greater distance from the center shaft than the bottom 25 surface 40 of the holding member 37. The two guide rails 52 then extend at some distance "above" the bottom surface 40 during the remaining stretch to the end.

Both the outer guide rails 51 and the inner guide rails 52 preferably consist of metal tubes through which a cooling medium, e.g. water can be circulated during machine operation.

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As mentioned earlier, there are around the transport means 35 a number of fixedly mounted processing stations between which the packaging container during processing and molding is arranged to be intermittently moved by the holding means of the transport means. During rotation of the conveying means 35, the movable trays 39 of the holding means are affected by engagement between the cam followers 43 and the control curve 44. between open and closed position. In this open position 10, the movable tray is in a somewhat outwardly pivoted position with respect to the fixed tray, which permits the moving of a packaging container to or from the holding means. In the closed position, the working surfaces of the two trays are generally parallel and located at such a distance from each other that, without difficulty, they hold a packaging container located in the holding means, even when the holding means is upside down, ie. in the lower part of the conveying means 35. In order to enable said maneuvering of the movable trays 39, the control curve 44 has a varying radius along its periphery.

Specifically, the control curve has generally a relatively small radius during a half revolution, which is then increased to maximum and then again successively reduced to the previously mentioned small radius.

The portion of the control curve in which the radius is successively reduced from said maximum to the smaller radius region is located such that the holding member 37 is in an intermediate position, ie. be partially open when in the folding station 46. The term "partially open" is understood to mean that while the holding means holds the packaging container firmly between the trays, yet allows some displacement or correction of the position of the packaging container in the holding means if 17

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holders exposed to external forces. Furthermore, the various parts of the control curve are positioned so that the holding means during the intermittent rotation of the transport means are open while they are at the entry and exit stations, and closed while they are at the binder and clamping stations. In the partially open position in which the holding means 37 are located at the folding station 46, the packaging container located in the holding means is surrounded by both trays 38 and 39, although these do not hold the packaging container unwaveringly, but the packaging container can with some resistance be moved under influence of external forces.

The access station 45 is located adjacent to the insertion means 33 carried by the insertion assembly 30, and by this means is adapted to be moved back and forth between the two access stations of the conveying means 35 to allow the movement of packaging containers coming from the transport part 6 , along a gutter (not shown in the drawing) extending transversely between the transport means 35. At the access station there is also an abutment 54 mounted on the side of the stand 53, which is in the form of an insertion member. 33, which serves to limit the movement of the packaging containers and ensures that these end up in the correct position in the open holding means. The stroke length of the insertion member 33 is such that the distance · between the guide member and the abutment 54 in the turning position of the insertion member corresponds to the width of a packaging container, which ensures correct placement and fixing of the packaging container between the trays of the holding member.

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The folding station 46 comprises a bottom folding plate 55 disposed above the holding means located in the folding station, as well as two top folding plates 56 located on both sides of the holding means (Fig. 9).

Both the bottom folding plate 55 and the top folding plates 56 are supported by a support arm 57t which is freely pivotally mounted on a transverse support shaft 58 extending parallel to the center axis of the conveying means 35. The bottom folding plate 55 and the top folding plates 56 are synchronously displaceable between an upper position and a lower position. by means of the guide curve 27 mounted on the upper shaft 26 which abuts and influences a roll 59 rotatably mounted in the bottom folding plate 55, which is arranged by means of a spring member 15 not shown to be pressed against the surface of the guide curve 27. The bottom folding plate 55 has a planar face facing the retaining means which, in the upper, inoperative position of the bottom folding plate, is at a certain distance above the outer (upper) end of the retaining means in order to under the influence of the control curve 27 in its operative position be substantially outside the holding means 37 outer edge, i.e. in other words, flush with the upper end faces of the two trays 38 and 39. In other words, the bottom fold plate 55 is movable in the radial direction of the conveyor from a resting position outside the two guide rails 51 and to its active position between the guide rails and the center of the conveyor. The bottom folding plate 55 is between two and ten mm narrower than the free distance between the guide rails 51 next to the folding station. This must be adjusted to the material thickness of the processed packaging container. The reciprocating movement of the bottom folding plate caused by the control curve 27 also gives the two folding plates 56 located on both sides of the holding member 19

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a corresponding movement since these are connected by means of intermediate arms 60 to the support arm 57. Thus, towards the center axis of the conveyor 35 facing the end edges of the top folding plates 56, 5 is moved between a resting position at a distance above the bottom surface 40 of the holding member 37 to an active position substantially off said bottom surface. The top folding plates 56 are arranged to cooperate with the two inner guide rails 52 which serve as a restraint 10, which are located in each folding station on each side of the holding means and are at some distance * above the bottom surface 40. Between the access station 45 and the folding station 46 is there is a guide plate 61 suspended in the support arm 57 and arranged to accompany it in its swinging motion as the control curve 27 moves the bottom folding plate 55 between its upper and lower positions. The guide plate 61 is located slightly outside the outer ends of the holding member 37 and has a width which substantially corresponds to the width of the bottom folding plate 55.

The binder station 47 is provided with the illustrated embodiment of the machine according to the invention with a hot air assembly 62 which is fixedly mounted outside the path of movement of the transport means 35.

The hot air assembly 62 is of known type and produces hot air which is supplied via the pipes and nozzles to the packaging containers located in the binder station of the conveying means. More specifically, the hot air is supplied via two bottom nozzles 63 located at some distance outside the outer limiting surface of the holding member 37 so as to extend below the partially folded bottom tabs on a packaging container fixed in the holding member, and two 35 on each side of the inner end of the holding means 35 nozzles 64 extending between the side wall of the packaging container and the partial container of the packaging container

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20 folded top tabs. Both the bottom nozzles 63 and the top nozzles 64 are located without a travel path of the conveyor 35 and thus do not hinder the rotation of the conveyor.

In another embodiment of the machine according to the invention, the hot air unit 62 and the hot air nozzles 63 and 64 can be replaced by a so-called hotel heater, ie. an assembly for applying thermoplastic binder to the packaging container.

In that case, the location of the hot-melt nozzles corresponds essentially to the position of the nozzles 63 and 64, since the hot-melt must be applied, like the hot air, between the corner flap of the packaging container and the wall of the packaging container against which the corner flaps must then be folded. Hot melt assemblies of this type are well known and are not described in detail.

The end folding station 48 comprises a final folding assembly 65 (Figs. 5, 6) which is designed for final folding or final shaping of the packaging containers 20 so as to obtain the desired parallelepipedic shape with inwardly folded and fixed corner tabs. To this end, the final folding assembly comprises two side pressure means 66 and a bottom pressure means 67 arranged in their active position together with the trays 38 and 39 of the holding means 25 and the base 40 of the holding means 40 to form a near-closed parallelepipedic space whose internal dimensions correspond to the desired final dimensions of the packaging container. The two lateral pressure members 66 comprise pressure plates 68 having face surfaces which are completely flat except for grooves 69 for the inner guide rails 52. Each of the pressure plates 68 is supported by a front lever arm 70 with which the pressure plate is pivotally connected. by means of a connecting means 71. The connecting means 71 comprises rubber bushings and is flexible so that the pressure plate 68 seeks to take a substantially parallel 21! However, each thrust plate 68 can, against contact with the side wall of the packaging container, swing against a flat abutment against the effect of the flexibility of the connecting member 71.

Each of the two front lever arms 70 is connected via a shaft 72 mounted in the machine frame to a rear lever arm 73 located within the distribution gearbox 15. The rear lever arms 73 are connected through a known system of link joints and a knee joint structure 74 with a maneuvering bar. 75, which at its front end carries the bottom pressure means 67. The bottom pressure means 67, which, like the side pressure means 66, has a flat working surface facing the packaging container, is arranged so that it can be brought into contact with the packaging container synchronously by means of the side pressure means 66. of one of the two maneuvering arms 23 located in the distribution gearbox 15, which are driven via the maneuvering curves 22 by the lower shaft 21 of the machine.

To prevent damage to the end-folding means 65 or the transporting means 35, if e.g. the movement is obstructed by foreign objects, a safety clutch 76 is provided in the drive system between the maneuver arm 23 and the actual final folding aggregate 65. The safety clutch 76 is of the known type which automatically activates at a certain load and does not need to be described further. . Both the safety coupling 7i6 and the other drive mechanism for the end-folding assembly 65 are, as is particularly apparent from FIG. 5, located in a bearing housing 77 mounted on the distribution gearbox 15. Thus, outside the bearing housing, only the two side pressure means 66 and the bottom pressure means 6.7, which during operation of the machine are arranged to be moved between an open position or a resting position, in which both side pressure means as

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22 bottom pressure means are at such a distance from the transport means 35 that a holding means 37 can freely pass between them, and an active position in which both the pressure means and the bottom pressure means are pressed against a packaging container fixed in the final fold position 5.

The next processing station for a packaging container moved by means of the conveying means 35 is the spare station 49 which can be utilized for further desired processing of the packaging container, e.g. application of reinforced strips or ribbons, date stamping or the like.

The outlet station 50 is located adjacent to the outlet member 34 which is arranged to move 15 synchronously with the feeder 33 by the arms of the reciprocating feeder unit 31. The feeder member 34, like the feeder 33, comprises pressure plates 78 arranged to move the packaging container. out of the holding means 37, 20 whose movable tray 39 in the departure station is moved by its control curve 44 to its outwardly pivoted position. The pressure plate 78, by pivoting the feed assembly 30, moves one packaging container at a time from the holding means 37 to a 25 adjacent (outside) the holding means, not shown slidingly arranged to move the packaging to the aforementioned conveyor 8 on which the packaging containers in standing position is moved away from the machine according to the invention.

When a machine according to the invention is used in conjunction with a packaging machine for forming substantially parallelepipedic liquid container packaging containers, the machine is placed as shown in FIG.

1, i.e. next to a packaging machine and connected to it via the power transmission and drive part 7.

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23 When the actual packaging machine is started, the machine according to the invention is also started, since it is operated by means of the packaging machine's drive unit.

The 5 packaging containers or packaging container items coming from the actual packaging machine, which are filled and closed, leave the packaging machine after being separated from the tube from which they are made, and fall onto the receiving conveyor belt 12 which, due to its angle to the water container. 10, the packaging containers gently brake and transfer them to the main conveyor belt 10, which is conveyed at short intervals towards the end fold portion 5. When a single packaging container approaches the end of the main conveyor belt 10, 15, the feed of the supply conveyor belt 13 driven twice the speed of the main conveyor belt 10. The conveyor belt 13 of the conveyor belt 13 engages the individual packaging container and moves it from the end of the main conveyor belt 10 to the transverse supply pipe, along which the insertion member 33 performs its reciprocating movement. The feed conveyor belt 13 is synchronized with the movement of the feeder 33 so that it is always 25 in one of its reversing positions when a packaging container is fed to the gutter. When moving the insertion member 33 to the opposite end position, the supplied packaging container is pushed via the gutter to one of the holding means 37 of the two transport means 35 located in the access station, where the single packaging container is stopped in the correct position by the stop 54.

The holding member 37 is dimensioned such that the packaging container 2 located in the holding means, with its bottom surface, rests against the base 40 of the holding means, at the same time that the protruding top and bottom corner

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24 tabs 79 and 80 (the packaging container is upside down in Fig. 7) rest on the two inner guide rails 52 and one of the outer guide rails 51. The movable tray 39 is in its upper position at some distance from the side wall of the packaging container, and the guide plate 61 is spaced from the protruding sealing fin 8 of the packaging container. Immediately before the conveying means 35 is again brought forward a division is lowered in FIG. 7 shows the visible end of the guide plate 61 towards the sealing fin 81-, since the base plate 55 is simultaneously guided to its resting position in the folding station.

As the guide plate 61 is moved in the direction of the sealing fin 81, the conveying means 35 advances 15 (clockwise in Fig. 2) so that the packaging container 2 is slid along the guide rails 51 and 52 from the access station towards the folding station 46. Fig. . 8 illustrates the packaging container and holding means in an intermediate position between these two stations, i. during the moving container container to the right in the figure. The guide plate 61, in its abutment against the sealing fin 81, folded it downwardly towards the bottom surface of the packaging container 82. As mentioned earlier, the packaging container 25 is not rigidly fixed in the holding means until it has passed the folding station and in the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the movable tray 39 is still spaced from the side wall of the packaging container, so that the packaging container can be freely moved in the holding member 30 and controlled by the guide rails 51 and 52. As these in the area between the supply station and the filling station gradually increase their radius, the packaging container is lifted. by the engagement between the protruding corner tabs and the guide rails such that it is at a distance from the bottom 40 of the holding member.

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25, at the same time, in the direction of movement of the packaging container, the sealing fins 81 are folded backwards by the contact with the guide plate 61 and the two inner guide rails 52.

5 When the partial movement of the conveying means 35 ceases, the packaging container is located in the folding station 46. In this station, the movable tray 39 partly comes into contact with the packaging container 2, but the packaging container is not completely fixed, but can still be moved in the holding means 37 (Fig. 9). By the engagement between the guide rails and the corner tab of the packaging container, the packaging container is in an upper or outer position, in which its bottom surface 82 is located immediately below the working surface facing the packaging container of the bottom face plate 55. The upper shaft 26 is now brought by angular 17 for turning a rotation, whereby the control curves 27 move both the bottom fold plate 55 and the top fold plates 20 in the direction towards the middle shaft of the transport means 35 and back again. This movement moves the packaging container downwards until its bottom surface abuts the bottom 40 of the holding means 37 and the packaging container is again in the position 25 in which it was placed in the holding means at the access. Since the guide rails 51 and 52 at the folding station are at a greater distance from the center shaft of the conveyor 35 than they did at the access station 45. during this movement, the corner containers of the packaging container 79 and 80 are held upwards, i.e. in the direction away from the center shaft of the conveyor. The top tabs 79 located at the bottom surface 40 of the retaining member are folded around the upper ends of the top fold plates 56 so that they occupy an angle of 35 ° below substantially 45 ° relative to the packaging.

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26 the side surface of the container. The two bottom corner tabs 80 fold more forcefully and extend after completed movement substantially straight up, ie. at an angle of 90 ° to the bottom surface 82 of the packaging container 82. The folding of the two bottom corner tabs 80 must take place with simultaneous compression of the material layer in the corner tabs, since this must then be folded down and attached to the bottom surface 82 of the packaging container, over which the sealing fin 81 precursor.

The large number of layers of material to be folded and compressed before the corner tabs are properly attached to the bottom surface 82 makes it necessary to compress the corner tabs and in particular the overlying sections of the sealing fin 81 between the sides of the bottom sheet plate 55 and the two outer guide rails 51. This can be done by making sure that the free distance on both sides of the bottom pressure plate is as small as possible with respect to the thickness of the material, and preferably such that this free distance 20 has a size which corresponds to the theoretical material thickness in the corner tabs (usually between 1 and 5 mm). After both the bottom folding plate 55 and the top foil plates 56 have returned to their outer resting position, the conveying means 35 25 is again advanced a division (1/6 turn clockwise), which leads the packaging container from the folding stand to the binder station 47. During this movement, the holding means 37 is closed. moving the movable tray 39 to a position parallel to the fixed tray 38 so that the packaging container is held firmly in the holding means. Since the distance between the two outer guide rails 51 is reduced somewhat in the area between the folding station and the binder station, the two bottom tabs 80 are further folded somewhat towards each other so that when the packaging container reaches the binder station 47, they have an angle of approx. 45 ° relative to the bottom surface 82.

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27 When the holding member 37 stops at the binder station, the packaging container 2 is in such a position that the hot air unit bottom nozzle 63 is in the space between the partially folded-down bottom corner tabs 80 and the bottom surface of the packaging container 82 (Fig. 10). At the same time, the top nozzles 64 of the hot air assembly 62 are located on either side of the upper of the packaging container, towards the end of the holding member 40 and more specifically, between the partially inwardly folded top corner flaps .79 and the free side surfaces of the packaging container. By means of outflow holes on the nozzles 6.3 and 64, which outflow holes are directed at both the corner tabs and the packaging container walls, hot air is blown against the surface of the packaging container material in the areas below the corner tabs to be used for fixing the corner tabs. underlying packaging container wall. Hereby, the thermoplastic layer on the packaging container is heated to such a degree that it becomes soft and can serve as a binder when fixing the corner tabs.

After heating to the softening temperature of the thermoplastic material, the packaging container is displaced by means of the conveyor 35 until it is in the final folding station 48. During this movement, the position of the guide rails 51 and 52 is further changed somewhat so that the corner tabs when the packaging container reaches the final folding station, has an angle to the underlying surface which is less than 45 °. This prevents unnecessary cooling of the heated surfaces during the transfer of the container to the final folding station.

During the movement of the packaging container to the end folding station 48, the side pressure means 66 and the bottom pressure means 67 of the endfold assembly 65 are located at a distance 35 from the movement path of the holding means so as not to engage

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28, with the packaging container protruding corner tabs 79 and 80. After the packaging container of the holding member 37 is placed in the correct position in the final folding station, both the side pressure means and the bottom pressure means are successively brought into contact with the side walls and bottom of the packaging container. The pressure plates 68 of the side pressure means 66, as long as they are not affected by external forces, are oriented relative to the weights 70 so that they are first brought into contact with the side walls of the packaging container at their ends which lie against the bottom of the packaging container, after which they continue to rotate the weights to the active position is successively rotated about the connecting member 71 until they become parallel to each other and abut against the free sidewalls of the packaging containers. By the "slant" of the pressure plates 68 in the rest position, the stroke length of the levers can be minimized since the ends of the pressure plates located at the top tabs in the rest position are given a relatively greater distance 20 to the packaging container, so that the corner tabs 79 easily fit. The relative position of the two pressure plates 68 and the bottom pressure means 67 is shown in FIG. 11, in which the position of the printing plates 68 the moment they first touch the side surface of the packaging container is illustrated by dotted lines. By this flexible suspension of the pressure plates 68, they automatically position themselves in relation to the side surfaces of the packaging container, so that the risk of damage or deformation of the packaging container is substantially reduced. When both the side pressure means and the bottom pressure means are placed in the correct position, together with the trays and the bottom of the holding means, they form a substantially closed, parallelepipedic space, the free inner dimensions of which correspond to the desired dimensions of the finished packaging container.

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29 sions. The packaging container must remain in this position until the thermoplastic layer is solidified again and the seal is completed.

The packaging container is then moved by a new rotation of the transport means 35 1/6 turn to the spare station 49 unused in this embodiment, which e.g. can be used for. applying reinforcing cardboard discs to one or more of the free faces of the packaging container (Fig. 12.). Reversed rotation 10 of the transport means 35 brings the holding means 37 with the current packaging container to the departure station 50. During rotation. the reserve station 49 successively extends the cam follower 43 of the movable tray 39 into the region of the control curve 44, where the 15 radius is greatest, i.e. where the holding means is opened. However, the packaging container is nevertheless held in its position in the holding means by, above all, the two outer guide rails 51 against which the bottom of the packaging container slides during the transfer to the departure station.

At the departure station (Fig. 13), the pressure plates 78 on the reciprocating outlet 34 are inserted between the two trays 38 and 39 of the retaining means and push the released packaging container in the lateral direction 25 out of the retaining means 37 to the sliding surface, which is not shown, along the transport means 35. which packaging container slides onto the conveyor 8. Pre-formed packaging storage containers are dispensed in this way alternately from both conveying means 35 in the final fold portion 5 and transferred to the conveyor for disposal.

An alternative embodiment of the machine according to the invention can, as mentioned earlier, be provided with a binder application unit instead of the hot air unit 62 shown in the figure.

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30 may be used, even if the machine according to the invention is used for the final molding of packaging containers made of a material not covered with an outer thermoplastic layer. The fixing of the corner tabs to the side walls of the packaging container in such cases is done by means of thermoplastic adhesive which is applied under the corner tabs before being pressed against the walls of the packaging container.

The design of the machine according to the invention with a rotary conveying means which, in a partial movement, moves the packaging containers between the different processing stations, guarantees a safe movement of the packaging containers between precisely fixed positions at each processing station, which completely removes the risk of deformation of the packaging containers due to a faulty positioning these relative to the machining tools. Furthermore, since all of the machine, cooperating, movable means, i.e., the transport means, the various processing stations, the feed assembly etc. are driven from a common power source and are mechanically connected to each other via the drive arrangement, synchronization between the various movements during normal operation cannot be lost. This also allows the machine to work with no risk of error-processing. high speed, which ensures a high production capacity, which is further increased by the use of dual transport means, which alternately process incoming packaging containers.

Claims (17)

A machine for processing packaging containers (2) and comprising a driven conveying means (35) for moving the packaging containers between different processing stations, the conveying means (35) comprising a 5 intermittently rotatable drum (36) having along its periphery holding means (37) for individual packaging containers (2), said holding means being evenly spaced, corresponding to the division of the machining stations (45-50) fixed around the transport means (35-50), and each holding means (37) comprising a pair of trays (38, 39), there. substantially extending radially with respect to the drum (36) and during rotation of the drum are movable between a closed position where the distance between the trays (38, 39) corresponds to the size of the packing container to be placed between them and an open a position or a partially open position in which the packaging container can be moved between the trays in a radial direction and radially outer and inner guide rails (51, 52) which are spaced apart and extend along the path of movement of the holding means (37), which guide rails (51, 52) are arranged to cooperate at least in a folding station (46) with the corner tabs (79, 80) of the packaging containers (2), which must be folded into the walls of the containers, characterized in that in the folding station (46) is a folding plate (55) movable mainly in the radial direction of the drum (36) from a rest position outside the radially outer guide rails (51) to an effective or active position between the outer guide rails (51) to apply a emballagebe maintains a radially inwardly directed pressure and that the trays (38, 39) 30. the folding station (46) can be brought into the partially open position. Machine according to claim 1, characterized in that one tray (38) of the pair of tray cores is firmly connected to the periphery of the drum and the other tray (39) 35 is pivotally mounted on a central axis extending parallel to the drum (36). shaft (41). Machine according to claim 2, characterized in that the pivotally mounted tray (39) constitutes one arm of a lever (42), the other arm of which engages 5 with a radial guide curve (44). Machine according to claim 3, characterized in that the control curve (44) is firmly connected to the frame (53) of the machine and is located in the central part of the drum (36). Machine according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the control curve (44) is of such a shape that the holding means (37) are open when they are at an access station (45) and at a departure station (50) and closed. when located at a binder station 15 (47) and at a final foil station (48), and partially open at the folding station (46). Machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that two outer guide rails (51) extend substantially from the access station (45) and past the folding station (46), the distance between the guide rails (51) and the holding means (37). bottom surfaces (40) are successively increased in the direction of movement of the holding member from a distance less than the height of the holding member to a distance greater than the height of the folding station (46) greater than the height of the holding member 25 (37). Machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the free distance between the sides of the bottom folding plate (55) and the outer guide rails (51) substantially corresponds to the theoretical material thickness of the corner tabs (79, 80). Machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at the folding station (46) two inner guide rails (52) are arranged radially within the outer guide rails (51) on each side of the holding means (37). and at some distance above its bottom surface (40) when the retaining means is at the folding station. DK 154409 B Machine according to claim 8, characterized in that the inner and outer guide rails (52, 51) are respectively arranged to cooperate with and fold respectively a top and bottom tabs (79, 80) of the packaging container (5) when the packaging container of the bottom folding plate (55) is moved from an upper position to a lower position. Machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bottom folding plate (55) is supported by a support arm (57) which is positioned so that it can freely rotate on a transverse support shaft (58) extending in parallel. with the center shaft of the drum (36). Machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that two top folding plates (56) are arranged on each side of the holding means (37) and are synchronously movable with the bottom folding plate (55). Machine according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that opposing side pressure pads (68) capable of abutting opposite side surfaces of a packaging container (2) are oriented in relation to the lever arms (70). turning the lever arms from passive to active position is first brought into abutment with their ends facing the bottom faces (82) of the packaging container (2). Machine according to claim 12, characterized in that, by continuing to rotate the lever arms (70) to active position, the pressure plates (68) are adapted to pivot between the side pressure plates (68) and the lever arms (70) against the action of flexible connecting means (71). until they become parallel to each other and abut 30 against the free side walls of the packaging containers (2). Machine according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each holding member (37) trays (38, 39) and bottom (40) together with the side pressure plates t68 of the final folding station (48) and bottom pressure means (66, 67) in their active position encloses a parallelepipedic space, the size of which increases shape corresponds to the size and shape of the finished packaging container (2). Machine according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the two conveying means (35) have between them a reciprocating feed assembly (30) arranged from a supply channel extending between the access stations (45) at by means of an insertion means (33) alternately moving packing containers (2) to the holding means (37) of the two transport means (35) when they are at the access stations (45). Machine according to claim 15, characterized in that the insertion assembly (30) comprises a discharge means (34) for alternately ejecting finished packaging containers (2) from the holding means (37) of the transport means (35) when they are in the departure station (50). Machine according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that the insertion assembly (30) comprises two pivotable arms (31) in which both the insertion means (33) and the outlet means (34) are parallelogram suspended.