GB1406744A - Packaging machine and method - Google Patents

Abstract

1406744 Forming cartons around goods STONE CONTAINER CORP 23 July 1973 [29 August 1972] 35000/73 Heading B8C A packaging machine is of the type wherein a blank 24 is drawn downwardly at a first folding station 14 past stationary folding members 70- 77 for erecting end and side wall panels 25-28 about goods to be packaged, then the partially formed package is moved horizontally past stationary folding bars 141-143 for folding down a top wall panel 132 to a second folding station 16 whereat pivotal folding members (198, 200), Fig. 8, (not shown), fold down top wall side flaps 33, 34 against the erected side wall panels 25, 26, and is next moved horizontally to a third station 18 whereat a pivotal bar (322) Fig. 9 (not shown), folds a top wall end flap 37 against an end wall panel 27. The machine includes a first pusher arrangement 109 for moving a partially formed package from the first station 14 to the second station 16, and a second pusher arrangement 220 which is articulated to the first pusher arrangement 109 for moving a partially formed package from the second station 16 to the third station 18 as the first pusher arrangement 109 pushes a subsequent partially formed package to the second station 16. The first pusher arrangement 109 comprises pusher plates 131-133 secured to three blocks 111-113 for supporting the partially formed package. The second pusher arrangement 220 comprises two pusher members 222, 224 pivotally mounted to the blocks 111, 113 and slidably mounted on a connecting rod. Each pusher member 222, 224 carries plates 265, 267, 269 for engaging a lower trailing corner of the package and a rib between each pair of plates 267, 269 is engageable with the trailing end edge of the respective side wall panel 25, 26. A piston and cylinder assembly 124 connected to the first pusher arrangement 109 reciprocates the first and second pusher arrangements between their respective stations. The connecting rod carries at each of its ends a pair of cam followers, one follower (260, 260a), Fig. 5 (not shown), of each pair being co-operable with a stationary can track 254, 254a and the other follower 236, 236a of each pair being co-operable with a horizontally reciprocable cam track 234, 234a. The reciprocable cam track 234a is driven directly by a piston and cylinder assembly (104) and is operatively connected through chains and sprockets to the other reciprocable cam track 234 and a carriage 62 on which the blanks are moved downwards at the first station so that as the carriage 62 moves downwardly the cam tracks 234, 234a move towards the second station 16 to raise the pusher members 222, 224 to a package engaging position. The pusher members 222, 224 are maintained in their raised positions during movement to the third folding station by double roller assemblies 244, 245 which are pivotally mounted on the pusher members 222, 224, moving along guide rails 186, 188. When the pusher members 222, 224 reach their fully extended positions the roller assemblies 244, 245 become disengaged from the guide rails 186, 188 and the cam followers 260, 260a engage the stationary cam tracks 254, 254a and allow the pusher members 222, 224 to be retracted below the partially formed package at the third station. The machine includes stationary glue applicators 150 and a movable glue applicator (286), Fig. 9 (not shown) for gluing the side walls 25, 26 and end wall 27, respectively. The applicators are controlled by cam followers (166) Fig. 10 (not shown), (318) Fig. 9 (not shown) and cam tracks formed by tensioned cables (178, 307) extending about capstans (e.g. 171) Those positions are adjustable to change the form of the cam tracks. The end wall panel glue applicator (286) is mounted on a movable carriage (304) which also carries a guide bar (315) for engagement with the end wall panel 27 to maintain a predetermined spacing between this panel and the head (314) of the applicator (286). Spring biased pressure rollers (292) acting on the top wall panel 32 in the region overlying the end wall panel 27 prevent the end wall panel 27 being pushed inwardly of the package by the guide bar (315). The completed packages are pushed by subsequent packages through a compression chamber 40. The various components of the machine are adjustable to produce packages of different sizes.