GB1357218A - Tray forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

1357218 Making trays EMHART CORP 13 July 1971 [17 July 1970] 32741/71 Heading B5D [Also in Division B8] A pre-scored blank B comprising a rectangular base, side flaps, end flaps, and corner tabs connected to the end flaps, is removed from a magazine 70, has adhesive applied to it over selected areas as it is fed to an infeed station, and is engaged by a mandrel 58 or 60 which carries the blank in an arcuate path past folding plows 152, 154 to a station where the erected tray T is ejected on to a conveyer 66. The lowermost blank B is removed from the magazine 70 by a pivotally mounted vacuum cup 80 which delivers it to a continuously rotating feed roller 108 and a back-up roller 106 which is moved into an operative position by a cam 88 as the vacuum to the cup 80 is released by closing of a limit switch LS1 by the cam 88. Adhesive is applied to the blank by a conventional applicator as it is fed to the infeed station where the blank is held between two spring steel side guides (132) and one of the end flaps abuts fixed stops 120. One of a pair of mandrels 58, 60 pivoted on arms 50, 52 on a rotary shaft 22 engages the blank and moves it arcuately upwardly past pairs of folding plows 152, 154. Each plow 152 has a pivoted finger which is spring biased into the path of the blank and comprises a portion 160, which folds up the adjacent end flap, and a portion 162, which folds in the adjacent tab G which has been partially folded by engagement with the plow 152. Each plow 154 comprises a leaf spring member 170 which is pivotally mounted at 174 to lie in the path of the blank and folds in the adjacent end flap, the corner tabs H being folded inwardly by engagement with the plow 154. The side flaps are folded up by engagement with plows 180 attached to the edges 36A, 38A of a pair of plates (36, 38) between which the trays are passed to the station 60 to allow the adhesive to set. The tray is ejected from the mandrel at station 60 by means of an air-driven cylinder 62, 64 actuated by engagement of a limit switch LS2, with a fixed cam surface 190. The positions of the guides 132, the plates (36, 38), and the plow 154 are adjustable to accommodate blanks of different sizes. A group of articles to be packaged may be positioned on the arms 50, 52 to form a mandrel for forming the tray simultaneously with the filling of the tray.