EP0159172B1 - Static guiding mechanism for interlocking carton panels - Google Patents

Static guiding mechanism for interlocking carton panels Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0159172B1
EP0159172B1 EP85302442A EP85302442A EP0159172B1 EP 0159172 B1 EP0159172 B1 EP 0159172B1 EP 85302442 A EP85302442 A EP 85302442A EP 85302442 A EP85302442 A EP 85302442A EP 0159172 B1 EP0159172 B1 EP 0159172B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
panels
forming block
carton
central forming
progressively
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
EP85302442A
Other languages
German (de)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0159172A2 (en
EP0159172A3 (en
Inventor
Hubert Haguenier
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Mw Custom Papers Inc (a Delaware Corporation)
MW Custom Papers LLC
WestRock Packaging Systems LLC
Original Assignee
Mead Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Mead Corp filed Critical Mead Corp
Publication of EP0159172A2 publication Critical patent/EP0159172A2/en
Publication of EP0159172A3 publication Critical patent/EP0159172A3/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0159172B1 publication Critical patent/EP0159172B1/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B11/00—Wrapping, e.g. partially or wholly enclosing, articles or quantities of material, in strips, sheets or blanks, of flexible material
    • B65B11/06—Wrapping articles, or quantities of material, by conveying wrapper and contents in common defined paths
    • B65B11/08—Wrapping articles, or quantities of material, by conveying wrapper and contents in common defined paths in a single straight path
    • B65B11/10—Wrapping articles, or quantities of material, by conveying wrapper and contents in common defined paths in a single straight path to fold the wrappers in tubular form about contents
    • B65B11/105—Wrapping articles, or quantities of material, by conveying wrapper and contents in common defined paths in a single straight path to fold the wrappers in tubular form about contents the axis of the tube being parallel to the conveying direction

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a static guiding mechanism for folding and guiding and thence interlocking the bottom panels of a wrap-around type carton..
  • the invention is particularly concerned with interlocking panels of the sort in which one panel has locking tabs (the male panel) and another panel has locking slits (the female panel) which are interengaged by a relative sliding movement of those panels so that the locking tabs are inserted in the locking slits.
  • US-A-2 780 900 discloses a mechanism for interlocking a pair of panels of a wrap-around type carton, which mechanism comprises an elongate central forming block (149) having opposed side faces about which the panels to be interlocked are progressively caused to fold during longitudinal movement relative thereto so that the panels are folded into edge facing relationship with one another, and by a tunnel (148) the interior of which is disposed adjacent said opposed side faces so as to provide a fissure therebetween through which respective ones of the panels are caused to move, the surfaces of the tunnel juxtaposed said side faces of the forming block being contoured to maintain the panels in close relationship with respect to the central forming block and to induce said progressive folding.
  • the forming block of the present invention includes a stepped portion on which an upturned portion of one of the base panels is held in order to maintain locking apertures formed in that panel in opened condition to facilitate locking the base panels together.
  • an elongate platform is provided atop the central forming block on which product to be packaged is supported during the base panel locking operation.
  • the present invention provides a mechanism for interlocking a pair of panels (f, m) of a wrap-around type carton (c), which mechanism comprises an elongate central forming block (w) having contoured opposed side faces (16, 18) about which the panels to be interlocked are progressively caused to fold during longitudinal movement relative thereto so that the panels are folded into edge facing relationship with one another, a pair of elongate flanking blocks (V, V1) disposed adjacent said opposed side faces so as to provide a fissure (22,26) therebetween through which respective ones of the panels are caused to move, the surfaces (20, 24) of the flanking blocks juxtaposed said side faces of the forming block being contoured to maintain the panels in close relationship with respect to the central forming block and to induce said progressive folding and wherein an elongate platform (S) is disposed atop the central forming block on which product to be packaged in the carton is supported during the panel locking operation, said platform gradually reducing in cross-sectional thickness towards one end in the intended direction of carton blank movement and
  • the mechanism comprises an elongate 'sword' S which is known per se and which has an upper surface 10 providing a platform on which product to be packaged e.g. plastic cup 'p' is supported during the panel locking operation.
  • the undersurface of the sword has convergent faces 12, 14, respectively, and gradually reduces in cross-sectional thickness towards one end (in the direction of carton movement when in use).
  • carton bottom panels progressively are formed about the undersurface of the sword and locked together and thereafter the products to be packaged are transferred from the upper surface of the sword to be supported by the interlocked carton bottom panels as the products and carton leave the free 'thin' end of the sword.
  • the female bottom panel of a wrap-around carton 'c' is designated 'f' and includes locking apertures at 'a'.
  • the male bottom panel is designated 'm' and includes locking tabs at its free edge 'e'.
  • the sword 's' is mounted atop a central elongate forming block 'w' which has side faces 16 and 18 contoured such that they progressively become more convergent along the length of the forming block whose cross-section also diminishes in like manner to that of the sword.
  • the mechanism further includes a pair of elongate flanking blocks 'V' and 'V1' respectively.
  • Flanking block 'V' includes contoured inner face 20 which is juxtaposed the side face 16 of central forming block W so as to form a fissure 22 therebetween.
  • flanking block 'V1' includes contoured inner face 24 which is juxtaposed the side face 18 of the central forming block W so as to form fissure 26 therebetween.
  • flanking blocks 20 and 24 are generally parallel to side faces 16 and 18 respectively, of the forming block and the relative positioning of the blocks is chosen so that the fissures are wide enough to receive the thickness of the carton bottom panels so that they slide relatively freely through the mechanism but at the same time are caused to follow the folding path defined by the fissures.
  • the side face 18 of the central forming block includes a stepped portion 28 on which an upturned end-most portion of the female panel slides. The upturned portion is held thus in order to maintain the locking apertures at'a' in opened condition ready for locking.
  • the mechanism is particularly but not exclusively, suitable for use with panels having locking tabs and locking slits as disclosed in our copending British Patent Application No 8401610.
  • the central forming block may incorporate a static folding device as disclosed in our copending British Patent Application No. 8416280 for folding over portions of such locking tabs prior to the locking procedure.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Making Paper Articles (AREA)
  • Closing Of Containers (AREA)
  • Packages (AREA)
  • Cartons (AREA)

Description

  • This invention relates to a static guiding mechanism for folding and guiding and thence interlocking the bottom panels of a wrap-around type carton..
  • The invention is particularly concerned with interlocking panels of the sort in which one panel has locking tabs (the male panel) and another panel has locking slits (the female panel) which are interengaged by a relative sliding movement of those panels so that the locking tabs are inserted in the locking slits.
  • US-A-2 780 900 discloses a mechanism for interlocking a pair of panels of a wrap-around type carton, which mechanism comprises an elongate central forming block (149) having opposed side faces about which the panels to be interlocked are progressively caused to fold during longitudinal movement relative thereto so that the panels are folded into edge facing relationship with one another, and by a tunnel (148) the interior of which is disposed adjacent said opposed side faces so as to provide a fissure therebetween through which respective ones of the panels are caused to move, the surfaces of the tunnel juxtaposed said side faces of the forming block being contoured to maintain the panels in close relationship with respect to the central forming block and to induce said progressive folding.
  • In the present invention two separate flanking blocks are utilised to form a pair of fissures and to receive respective ones of the carton base panels. The forming block of the present invention includes a stepped portion on which an upturned portion of one of the base panels is held in order to maintain locking apertures formed in that panel in opened condition to facilitate locking the base panels together. Moreover, in the present construction an elongate platform is provided atop the central forming block on which product to be packaged is supported during the base panel locking operation.
  • The present invention provides a mechanism for interlocking a pair of panels (f, m) of a wrap-around type carton (c), which mechanism comprises an elongate central forming block (w) having contoured opposed side faces (16, 18) about which the panels to be interlocked are progressively caused to fold during longitudinal movement relative thereto so that the panels are folded into edge facing relationship with one another, a pair of elongate flanking blocks (V, V1) disposed adjacent said opposed side faces so as to provide a fissure (22,26) therebetween through which respective ones of the panels are caused to move, the surfaces (20, 24) of the flanking blocks juxtaposed said side faces of the forming block being contoured to maintain the panels in close relationship with respect to the central forming block and to induce said progressive folding and wherein an elongate platform (S) is disposed atop the central forming block on which product to be packaged in the carton is supported during the panel locking operation, said platform gradually reducing in cross-sectional thickness towards one end in the intended direction of carton blank movement and extending beyond said central forming block, said platform being substantially co-extensive with said flanking blocks in the intended direction of carton blank movement and having an undersurface provided by a pair of convergent faces (12, 14) about which said carton panels progressively are folded and locked together, said central forming block including a longitudinally extending stepped portion (28) on which an upturned portion of one of said pair of panels is held in order to maintain locking apertures (a) formed in that panel in opened condition to facilitate locking said panels together.
  • An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-
    • Figures 1 to 8 are cross-sectional views taken at successive locations along the length of the mechanism in the direction of travel of a wrap-around carton and show the bottom panels of the carton being progressively folded into position for interlocking.
    • Figures 9 to 13 are successive cross-sectional views similar to Figures 1 to 8 but showing the bottom panels being interlocked one with the other, and
    • Figure 14 is a perspective view of the mechanism in which the flanking blocks are shown detached from the central forming block.
  • Referring to the drawings, the mechanism comprises an elongate 'sword' S which is known per se and which has an upper surface 10 providing a platform on which product to be packaged e.g. plastic cup 'p' is supported during the panel locking operation. The undersurface of the sword has convergent faces 12, 14, respectively, and gradually reduces in cross-sectional thickness towards one end (in the direction of carton movement when in use). Thus, carton bottom panels progressively are formed about the undersurface of the sword and locked together and thereafter the products to be packaged are transferred from the upper surface of the sword to be supported by the interlocked carton bottom panels as the products and carton leave the free 'thin' end of the sword.
  • In Figures 1 to 13 of the drawings, the female bottom panel of a wrap-around carton 'c' is designated 'f' and includes locking apertures at 'a'. The male bottom panel is designated 'm' and includes locking tabs at its free edge 'e'.
  • The sword 's' is mounted atop a central elongate forming block 'w' which has side faces 16 and 18 contoured such that they progressively become more convergent along the length of the forming block whose cross-section also diminishes in like manner to that of the sword.
  • The mechanism further includes a pair of elongate flanking blocks 'V' and 'V1' respectively. Flanking block 'V' includes contoured inner face 20 which is juxtaposed the side face 16 of central forming block W so as to form a fissure 22 therebetween. Likewise, flanking block 'V1' includes contoured inner face 24 which is juxtaposed the side face 18 of the central forming block W so as to form fissure 26 therebetween.
  • The inner faces of the flanking blocks 20 and 24 are generally parallel to side faces 16 and 18 respectively, of the forming block and the relative positioning of the blocks is chosen so that the fissures are wide enough to receive the thickness of the carton bottom panels so that they slide relatively freely through the mechanism but at the same time are caused to follow the folding path defined by the fissures.
  • The side face 18 of the central forming block includes a stepped portion 28 on which an upturned end-most portion of the female panel slides. The upturned portion is held thus in order to maintain the locking apertures at'a' in opened condition ready for locking.
  • The progressive folding of the panels 'm' and 'f' can be seen with particular reference to Figures 1 to 8 which show the panels at various stages as they move towards one another whilst also folding to adopt a more horizontal attitude. Of course, this occurs as the angle of the Planes Passing through the fissures becomes greater with respect to the vertical.
  • At the position shown by Figure 8 the panels 'm' and 'f are about to leave the forward (that is downstream in terms of carton movement) end of the central forming block at which moment the panels are in position for interlocking. Figures 9 to 13 showing the progressive interlocking of the panels about the sword 's' as the carton continues its forward movement until, when the locking components are properly engaged, the bottom panels (and product) leave the end of the sword. This occurs immediately after the condition shown by Figure 13.
  • The mechanism is particularly but not exclusively, suitable for use with panels having locking tabs and locking slits as disclosed in our copending British Patent Application No 8401610. In this event the central forming block may incorporate a static folding device as disclosed in our copending British Patent Application No. 8416280 for folding over portions of such locking tabs prior to the locking procedure.

Claims (4)

1. A mechanism for interlocking a pair of panels (f, m) of a wrap-around type carton (c), which mechanism comprises an elongate central forming block (w) having contoured opposed side faces (16, 18) about which the panels to be interlocked are progressively caused to fold during longitudinal movement relative thereto so that the panels are folded into edge facing relationship with one another, a pair of elongate flanking blocks (V, V1) disposed adjacent said opposed side faces so as to provide a fissure (22, 26) therebetween through which respective ones of the panels are caused to move, the surfaces (20, 24) of the flanking blocks juxtaposed said side faces of the forming block being contoured to maintain the panels in close relationship with respect to the central forming block and to induce said progressive folding and wherein an elongate platform (S) is disposed atop the central forming block on which product to be packaged in the carton is supported during the panel locking operation, said platform gradually reducing in cross-sectional thickness towards one end in the intended direction of carton blank movement and extending beyond said central forming block, said platform being substantially coextensive with said flanking blocks in the intended direction of carton blank movement and having an undersurface provided by a pair of convergent faces (12, 14) about which said carton panels progressively are folded and locked together, said central forming block, including a longitudinally extending stepped portion (28) on which an upturned portion of one of said pair of panels is held in order to maintain locking apertures (a) formed in that panel in opened condition to facilitate locking said panels together.
2. A mechanism according to claim 1, further characterised in that each of the said central forming block and said flanking blocks reduce in cross-sectional thickness towards one and the same end in the intended direction of carton blank movement.
3. A mechanism according to claim 1 or claim 2, further characterised in that said opposed side faces of the forming block progressively become more convergent along the length of the forming block and in that said juxtaposed surface of the flanking blocks are contoured such that angle of the planes passing through said fissures become greater with respect to the vertical so that the panels adopt a progressively more horizontal attitude as they follow the folding path defined by said fissures.
4. A mechanism according to any of the preceding claims, further characterised in that said flanking blocks extend beyond the downstream end of the central forming block in terms of the direction of carton blank movement.
EP85302442A 1984-04-09 1985-04-04 Static guiding mechanism for interlocking carton panels Expired EP0159172B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB8409100 1984-04-09
GB848409100A GB8409100D0 (en) 1984-04-09 1984-04-09 Static guiding mechanism

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0159172A2 EP0159172A2 (en) 1985-10-23
EP0159172A3 EP0159172A3 (en) 1986-10-29
EP0159172B1 true EP0159172B1 (en) 1989-08-09

Family

ID=10559394

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP85302442A Expired EP0159172B1 (en) 1984-04-09 1985-04-04 Static guiding mechanism for interlocking carton panels

Country Status (5)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0159172B1 (en)
JP (1) JPH0645364B2 (en)
CA (1) CA1232482A (en)
DE (1) DE3572148D1 (en)
GB (1) GB8409100D0 (en)

Families Citing this family (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US7427010B2 (en) 2002-06-27 2008-09-23 Graphic Packaging International, Inc. Carton lock
US9022277B2 (en) 2011-04-20 2015-05-05 Graphic Packaging International, Inc. Carrier with locking features
CA2832641C (en) 2011-05-12 2016-08-16 Graphic Packaging International, Inc. Carrier with retention features
GB201300605D0 (en) * 2013-01-14 2013-02-27 Meadwestvaco Packaging Systems Apparatus for packaging articles and method for packaging articles
USD867900S1 (en) 2018-03-01 2019-11-26 Graphic Packaging International, Llc Carrier

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2780900A (en) * 1953-07-15 1957-02-12 Ex Cell O Corp Closure flap manipulating mechanism for carton filling machine
US3061985A (en) * 1960-08-04 1962-11-06 Continental Can Co Method and machine for packaging articles
US3049847A (en) * 1961-02-17 1962-08-21 Fmc Corp Carton closing mechanism

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB8409100D0 (en) 1984-05-16
DE3572148D1 (en) 1989-09-14
CA1232482A (en) 1988-02-09
EP0159172A2 (en) 1985-10-23
JPS612545A (en) 1986-01-08
EP0159172A3 (en) 1986-10-29
JPH0645364B2 (en) 1994-06-15

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