GB1568570A

GB1568570A - Process and a device for producing packages filled with objects

Info

Publication number: GB1568570A
Application number: GB4402877A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Focke and Pfuhl
Current assignee: Focke and Pfuhl
Priority date: 1977-10-22
Filing date: 1977-10-22
Publication date: 1980-06-04

Description

(54) A PROCESS AND A DEVICE FOR PRODUCING PACKAGES FILLED WITH OBJECTS (71) We, FOCKE & PFUHL, of Siemensstrasse 10, 2810 Verden, Federal Republic of Germany, a German Company, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to a process for inserting two rows of bottles or cans or other objects into a package, and a device when used for effecting the process.

The package is made from a blank of foldable packaging material and comprises a top wall, two side walls hingedly connected to the top wall on two opposite sides thereof, and two bottom halves connected one to each of the side walls and provided with edge tabs which are folded upwards to form an internal longitudinal upstanding stiffening partition.

The foldable packaging material may be cardboard, corrugated carboard or the like.

The bottom halves each support one of the two rows of objects, and the longitudinal stiffener located between the two rows forms a partition between two halves of the package, each of the two halves accommodating a respective row of objects.

There may be cross-stiffeners which enter between the objects within the package and may be parts of the longitudinal stiffener punched to form swivel tabs, or they can be separate and fitted on to the longitudinal stiffener as downwardly-slotted blanks.

The invention is intended to provide a process and a device to facilitate mechanised insertion of two rows of objects into respective packages, the objects preferably being conveyed on a continuous basis.

According to the invention there is employed a process for inserting two rows of bottles or cans or other objects into a package which is made from a blank of foldable material and comprises a onepiece continuous top wall, two side walls hingedly connected to the top wall on two opposite sides thereof, and two bottom halves connected one to each of the side walls and provided with upwardly-foldable edge tabs for forming a central longitudinal stiffening partition between the two rows of objects, the process comprising the steps of:: i) folding the bottom halves and the edge tabs each into a vertical position perpendicular to the side walls and the top wall whilst keeping these walls horizontal, ii) placing the resulting partly-folded blank from above on to two rows of the objects, which are in inclined positions with the bottoms of the objects in one row spread apart from the bottoms of the objects in the other row, iii) wrapping the side walls and the bottom halves around respective rows of the objects, iv) lifting the edge tabs and folding the edge tabs to extend upwardly between the two rows of the objects. and v) pressing and glueing the edge tabs together.

The process is preferably effected substantially continuously during uninterrupted conveying of the objects and packages.

The filled packages are substantially parallelepipedic when completed. These rows of objects may move during the transport from their originally slightly downwardly divergent or inclined positions to increasingly inclined positions until the rows of objects contact the respective side walls and rest on the respective bottom halves. From then on the blank and the two rows of objects are conveyed as a whole.

It is possible to "under-size" the blank to create the finished package so that its cross-sectional inside dimensions are slightly smaller than the respective outside dimensions of the objects. For example, the side walls of a package filled with bottles, as compared with the dimensions of the objects, are approximately 1% shorter in the vertical direction and the dimensions of the covering (top) wall are approximately 2% less, so that in the completed package the side walls converge upwardly in the region of the bottle necks and the top wall is slightly arched.

Due to the spread position of the rows of objects and the downward divergency of the package halves, the objects can be inserted into the package without the use of force, in spite of the "under-sizing" of the package. In the complete package, however, the objects are tightly held.

How the invention may be put into practice appears from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of an unfolded blank for a package, Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view through a package made from the blank of Figure 1; Figure 3 is an isometric view of the package of Figure 2, with sides and top partly removed; Figure 4 is an isometric diagrammatic view illustrating the folding and filling procedure, Figures 5 to 12 are a series of sequential views of different phases of the package folding and filling procedure, showing a device designed for the process, in crosssection perpendicular to the direction of the movement of the objects and the packages;; Figure 13 is a plan view of the device, and Figure 14 is a sectional view of a completed filled assembly comprising a package formed from a blank which is "undersized" relative to the dimensions of the objects in the package.

The drawings show blanks and packages each having an upper closed top wall 10 joining on its opposite edges to side walls 11 and 12. The package bottom is divided longitudinally, consisting of two bottom halves 13 and 14 secured to the edges of the side walls. These halves 13 and 14 carry at their edges the package edge tabs 15 and 16, which are connected together in a finished package, for example by glueing, forming in this manner a central doublewalled upstanding longitudinal stiffening partition 17. In the packaging of bottles this stiffening partition 17 is generally the height of the lower main parts of the bottles or slightly higher. In this case the front walls of the package are closed by means of the end tabs 18 and 19 attached to the side walls 11 and 12 as well as the corner tabs 20 and 21 attached to the bottom halves 13 and 14.The end tabs 18 and 19 as well as the corner tabs 20 and 21 overlap and are joined together, for instance, by glueing. The end tabs 18 and 19, in turn, are overlapped on the outside by closing tabs 22 attached to the top wall 10.

Figure 1 shows a blank in which some of the boundaries of the blank which form individual walls etc., are defined by prepunched bend lines 23, shown in this case as chain-dotted.

The illustrated example of a package is provided, in addition to the longtiudinal stiffener 17, with cross-stiffeners. In this case, these are made as straps 24 and 25 pre-punched in the edge tabs 15 and 16.

The straps 24 and 25 are connected with the rest of the edge tabs 15 and 16 by bridges 26. Each of the straps 24 and 25, in turn, is turned around one of the bend lines in the bridge area into a position perpendicular to the edge tabs 15 and 16 to form a cross-stiffener. For this reasons, one half each of the straps 24 and 25 is located on each side of the edge tabs 15 and 16 and the longitudinal stiffener 17 formed in this manner. Each of the halves of the straps 24 and 25 projecting in the adjacent half of the package is inserted into the respective slot 27 and 28 of the adjacent edge tabs 15 and 16. This makes it possible to form compartments by means of the two straps 24 and 25 to accommodate six objects, i.e.

two rows with three objects each.

A package prepared in the above-mentioned manner is folded and filled with objects, for example bottles 29, as shown in Figure 4. The blank shown in Figure 4 differs from the blank in Figure 1 in that each of the end tabs 15 and 16 is provided with two straps instead of one strap.

The flat blank is first partly folded. For this purpose, the bottom halves 13 and 14 with connecting edge tabs 15 and 16 are brought in upright positions with respect to the horizontal side walls 11 and 12, with the top wall 10 in between. The end tabs 18 and 19 and the corner tabs 20 and 21 are brought upright in a similar manner.

The tabs 20 and 21 are brought to the insides of the end tabs 18 and 19 and joined with them, for example, by glueing. In this manner an intermediate shape of the package is formed moving on the upper conveyor 30 as shown in Figure 4.

The objects, i.e. bottles 29, are conveyed under the upper conveyor 30 on a lower conveyor 31 in two adjacent rows. From these endless rows, groups 32 are formed in two rows 33 and 34. The prefolded packages conveyed on conveyor 30 are turned 1800 and placed on top of the bottles 29 with the bottom halves 13, 14 and end tabs 15, 16 downwards, so that the top wall 10 is located in the area of the bottle caps.

From now on the groups 32 and the appropriate package travel together. During this movement the rows 33, 34 are being spread gradually so that they diverge towards the bottom of the bottles. At the same time, the side walls 11 and 12 are folded in opposite directions, from the horizontal position into an inclined and finally vertical position. At some point along the conveyor 31, the rows 33 and 34 have been moved by a mutual motion into their respective package halves, touching the side walls 11 and 12 and resting on the bottom halves 13, 14. In this manner, the rows 33, 34, so far in a spread position, are introduced into the unfinished package.

During further movement, the package halves and also the rows of bottles are being moved together at the bottom. Prior to this, the edge tabs 15 and 16 are folded unwards between the spread rows 33 and 34 and are moved closer together during the approach of the package halves. Fin ally, the closing tabs 22 protuding in the area of the top wall 10 are folded against the front walls of the package, i.e. against the end tabs 18 and 19.

The device for this folding and filling procedure is constructed in a conventional manner. Figures 5-13 show important details of the conveyor 31.

The approaching bottles 29 are con veyed in two rows 33 and 34 on support rails 35 and 36. The support rails 35 and 36 are shown in this case to be made of right-angle cross-section members. The bot tles 29 rest on the lower legs 37 and lean against the inward turned inside legs 38 arranged with a suitable spacing. Between the two angle members moves a bottle conveyor, in this case an endless chain conveyor 39 with attachments 40 for each of the groups 32.

During further transport of the rows 33 and 34 with the partly folded packages on top, the bottles and packages are held in the required relative position by guides of vari ous length and shape. These are mainly guide rods arranged in the direction of the transport.

Figure 5 shows a cross-section of con veyor 31 in its initial area. The rows 33 and 34 are held on the support rails 35 and 36 already slightly diverging at the bottom by guide rods 41 arranged on the out side. In the upper area of the side walls 11 and 12 are located the ends of the folding mechanism, i.e. two-armed folding levers 42 and 43. These and the corresponding package are further rotated by the folding levers 42 and 43 travelling over a certain distance of the track by applying the sup port rollers 44 to a curved rod 45. Due to the swivelling movement of the folding levers 42 and 43 shown in Figures 5, 6 and 7, the side walls 11 and 12 and the connected blank parts are folded down wards towards the bottles 29. The folding levers 42 and 43 are carried over a suit able distance of the track by a conventional conveying device, not shown in detail.

In cross-section in Figure 6 are shown the side walls 11 and 12 already folded in this way into an inclined position. The bot tles 29 are still in a position as shown in Figure 5.

In the cross-section shown in Figure 7 the folding levers 42 and 43 have been moved out of the package area. At the same time, outside rods 46 are placed to the side walls 11 and 12. These outside rods 46 converge in the direction of transport. In addition, there are lower rods 47 provided at the underside of the package in the area of the bottom halves 13 and 14, which support the package from below since with increasing spreading of the rows 33 and 34 the top wall 10 no longer rests immediately on the bottle caps. The support rails 35 and 36 originally made of angles, have gradually changed into relatively narrow flat strips 48. These support the bottom edges of the bottles 29 which are moved to the outside in a spreading movement.

To bring about the vigorous spreading movement, two spreader rods 49 and 50 are provided between the rows 33 and 34 one on top of each other. At the start of the spreader track the aforementioned spreader rods 49 and 50 are connected with each other by their tips (see Figure 13).

The spreader rods 49 and 50 gradually diverge in the direction of transport, thereby effecting the gradual spreading of the adjacent bottles 29. In this area also the support rails 35 and 36, with the bottles in joined, are moved apart and at the same time change their cross-sectional shape from an angle into a flat strip 48.

The final position of the spreading movement is shown in Figure 8. The bottles are moved into the package halves until they touch with side walls 11 and 12 and the bottom halves 13 and 14.

In this area new guide rods are added, i.e. one supporting rod 51 under each of the edge tabs 15 and 16. During further movement this support rod causes the inward swivelling of the edge tabs 15 and 16 in between the spread bottles 29 (Figures 9 and 10). During this continuous folding procedure the lower spreader rod 50 from time to time travels towards the bottom area of the bottles 29 to secure a perfect folding of the edge tabs 15 and 16 over the bottom halves 13 and 14. Toward the end of the conveyor 31 all the rods between the rows 33 and 34 terminate. The package halves are now moved together by outside support devices, for instance by the outside rods 46, and eventually also by an addi tional compressing device until they contact the opened edge tabs 15 and 16.Prior to this, a glue nozzle 52 may be attached to the conveyor 31, applying glue to the areas of the edge tabs 15 and 16 to be joined together.

If the package has the cross-stiffeners formed by the straps 24 and 25, these straps 24 and 25 are folded perpendicular to the edge tabs 15 and 16, preferably in the maximum spread position (see Figure 8) by a suitable device (not shown in detail). For this purpose support rods 51 are provided on the outside of the straps 24 and 25.

During further folding movement, i.e.

the folding of the edge tabs 15 and 16 and the following approach of the package halves in its lower part, the halves of the straps 24 and 25 are inserted between the bottles 29 which are separated in this man ner, which is done partly by passing through the corresponding slots 27 and 28.

Since the top wall 10, the side walls 11 and 12 and the bottom walls 13 and 14 can be "under-sized" relative to the dimen sions of the bottles as shown in Figure 14 the package will be wrapped about the bot tles under tension to hold the bottles sec urely in place within the containers. The top wall 10 will be bowed and the side walls 11 and 12 adjacent the upper half of the bottles will be disposed at an angle 2 rela tive to the vertical.

While the invention has been particu larly shown and described relative to a pre ferred embodiment thereof, various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the invention as de fined in the following Claims.

In view of Section 9 of the Patents Act, 1949, attention is directed to the Claims of Patent Specification No. 1 332938 (H.

Focke).

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A process for inserting two rows of bottles or cans or other objects into a package which is made from a blank of foldable material and comprises a one-piece continuous top wall, two side walls hingedly connected to the top wall on two opposite sides thereof, and two bottom halves connected one to each of the side walls and provided with upwardly-foldable edge tabs for forming a central longitudinal stiffening partition between the two rows of objects, the process comprising the steps of::- i) folding the bottom halves and the edge tabs each into a vertical position perpendicular to the side walls and the top wall whilst keeping these walls horizontal, ii) placing the resulting partly-folded blank from above on to two rows of the objects, which are in inclined positions with the bottoms of the objects in one row spread apart from the bottoms of the objects in the other row, iii) wrapping the side walls and the bottom halves around respective rows of the objects, iv) lifting the edge tabs and folding the edge tabs to extend upwardly between the two rows of the objects, and v) pressing and glueing the edge tabs together.

2. A process according to Claim 1, wherein the steps of the process are effected whilst the rows of objects and the partlyfolded blank are conveyed along conveyor means.

3. A process according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the blank is partly-folded and then turned through 1800 and then moved to wards the objects.

4. A process according to Claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein end tabs in the package end areas are connected to the side walls and there are corner tabs connected to the bot tom halves, and before placing the partly folded blank onto the two rows of objects, respective end tabs and corner tabs are over lapped and joined together by glueing or other means.

5. A process according to Claim 3 or Claims 3 and 4, wherein following the placement of the said partly-folded blank on to two rows of objects, firstly the side walls are gradually folded from approximately horizontal initial positions to increasingly in clined positions, and finally the side walls are moved into vertical positions.

6. A process according to Claim 3 or Claim 3 and Claim 4 or 5, wherein the initi ally downwardly divergent rows of objects are spread to become more divergent within, the partly-folded blank, by movement against the direction of movement of the side walls, until the objects contact the side walls as well as the bottom halves, and these bottom halves are then brought together, as the rows of objects and the side walls are moved into upright positions.

7. A process according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein straps are prepunched in the edge tabs, and before the folding of the edge tabs these straps are turned into positions perpendicular to the respective edge tabs to form cross-stiffeners which are inserted between the individual objects due to the folding of the edge tabs and the movements of the rows of objects towards one another.

8. A process according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the cross-sec- tional inside dimensions of the package, as determined by the inside width of the top wall as well as the inside height of each side

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **.

tional compressing device until they contact the opened edge tabs 15 and 16. Prior to this, a glue nozzle 52 may be attached to the conveyor 31, applying glue to the areas of the edge tabs 15 and 16 to be joined together.

If the package has the cross-stiffeners formed by the straps 24 and 25, these straps 24 and 25 are folded perpendicular to the edge tabs 15 and 16, preferably in the maximum spread position (see Figure

8) by a suitable device (not shown in detail). For this purpose support rods 51 are provided on the outside of the straps 24 and 25.

During further folding movement, i.e.

the folding of the edge tabs 15 and 16 and the following approach of the package halves in its lower part, the halves of the straps 24 and 25 are inserted between the bottles 29 which are separated in this man ner, which is done partly by passing through the corresponding slots 27 and 28.

Since the top wall 10, the side walls 11 and 12 and the bottom walls 13 and 14 can be "under-sized" relative to the dimen sions of the bottles as shown in Figure 14 the package will be wrapped about the bot tles under tension to hold the bottles sec urely in place within the containers. The top wall 10 will be bowed and the side walls 11 and 12 adjacent the upper half of the bottles will be disposed at an angle 2 rela tive to the vertical.

While the invention has been particu larly shown and described relative to a pre ferred embodiment thereof, various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the invention as de fined in the following Claims.

In view of Section 9 of the Patents Act, 1949, attention is directed to the Claims of Patent Specification No. 1 332938 (H.

Focke).

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A process for inserting two rows of bottles or cans or other objects into a package which is made from a blank of foldable material and comprises a one-piece continuous top wall, two side walls hingedly connected to the top wall on two opposite sides thereof, and two bottom halves connected one to each of the side walls and provided with upwardly-foldable edge tabs for forming a central longitudinal stiffening partition between the two rows of objects, the process comprising the steps of::- i) folding the bottom halves and the edge tabs each into a vertical position perpendicular to the side walls and the top wall whilst keeping these walls horizontal, ii) placing the resulting partly-folded blank from above on to two rows of the objects, which are in inclined positions with the bottoms of the objects in one row spread apart from the bottoms of the objects in the other row, iii) wrapping the side walls and the bottom halves around respective rows of the objects, iv) lifting the edge tabs and folding the edge tabs to extend upwardly between the two rows of the objects, and v) pressing and glueing the edge tabs together.

2. A process according to Claim 1, wherein the steps of the process are effected whilst the rows of objects and the partlyfolded blank are conveyed along conveyor means.

3. A process according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the blank is partly-folded and then turned through 1800 and then moved to wards the objects.

4. A process according to Claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein end tabs in the package end areas are connected to the side walls and there are corner tabs connected to the bot tom halves, and before placing the partly folded blank onto the two rows of objects, respective end tabs and corner tabs are over lapped and joined together by glueing or other means.

5. A process according to Claim 3 or Claims 3 and 4, wherein following the placement of the said partly-folded blank on to two rows of objects, firstly the side walls are gradually folded from approximately horizontal initial positions to increasingly in clined positions, and finally the side walls are moved into vertical positions.

6. A process according to Claim 3 or Claim 3 and Claim 4 or 5, wherein the initi ally downwardly divergent rows of objects are spread to become more divergent within, the partly-folded blank, by movement against the direction of movement of the side walls, until the objects contact the side walls as well as the bottom halves, and these bottom halves are then brought together, as the rows of objects and the side walls are moved into upright positions.

7. A process according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein straps are prepunched in the edge tabs, and before the folding of the edge tabs these straps are turned into positions perpendicular to the respective edge tabs to form cross-stiffeners which are inserted between the individual objects due to the folding of the edge tabs and the movements of the rows of objects towards one another.

8. A process according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the cross-sec- tional inside dimensions of the package, as determined by the inside width of the top wall as well as the inside height of each side

wall, are slightly smaller than the respective outside dimensions of the objects, so that the package is wrapped around the objects under tension.

9. A device when used for effecting a process according to claim 1, comprising a first conveyor means (31) for simultaneously advancing two parallel rows (33, 34) of objects (29), support rails (35, 36) to support said objects (29) and cause them to become inclined with the bottoms of the objects (29) in one row (33) spaced from the bottoms of the objects (29) in the other row (34) as the objects (29) advance, means for placing a precreased and partly folded blank comprising a top wall (10) and side walls (11, 12) and edge tabs (15, 16) of foldable material from above upon a group of said objects (29) in which group one half of the objects (29) therein is in one (33) of said rows and the other half is in the other (34) of said rows, means for causing said blank and said group to advance in unison and further folding said blank to pass said edge tabs (15,

16) upwardly between the two rows (33, 34) of objects (29) in said group, and means for pressing and glueing said edge tabs (15, 16) together.

10. A device according to Claim 9, further comprising fixed guide means which are located at intervals along said first conveyor means 131) and which guide the objects (29) and the packages during transport.

11. A device according to Claim 9 or 10, wherein said support rails (35, 36) are constructed as fixed right-angle cross-section members which comprise horizontal and vertical legs and which are gradually inclined and diverged in the direction of transport.

12. A device according to Claim 9, 10 or 11, wherein in the area of the maximum spread of the rows (33, 34) of objects the support rails (35, 36) change into narrow flat strips (48).

13. A device according to Claim 9, 10, 11 or 12, further comprising a folding mechanism movably mounted adjacent the outside of the package side walls (11, 12) and including folding levers (42, 43) movable with the packages for folding the side walls from a horizontal into an inclined position during transport.

14. A device according to any one of Claims 10 to 13, wherein the package parts are additionally folded during the transport by fixed guide rods extending along a portion of the path of movement.

15. A process for inserting two rows. of objects into a package, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

16. A device for effecting a process according to any one of Claims 1 to 8 or 15, constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 4 to 13 of the accompanying drawings.