GB2129757A - Automatic pack-forming and pack-cartoning - Google Patents

Abstract

A succession of products is cartoned by collating them into a pack of desired form, surrounding the pack with a cage c, folding up, a carton blank a closely around the pack-holding cage by passing the cage through a preformed folding box b, and withdrawing the formed carton from the cage (or the cage from the carton) to deposit the pack within the carton without substantially altering the pack form. The box is so sized and shaped that its side walls embrace the fold lines to form the carton automatically around the cage, and the blank-engaging edges of the mouth of the box are rounded to "lead in" the blank. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Automatic pack-forming and pack-cartoning The invention relates to automatic packforming and pack-cartoning and may be embodied in a method of forming and cartoning the pack or in a machine which automatically carries out such a method.

Our U K patent application no 82 08660, filed 24 March 1982 and also entitled "Automatic Pack Forming and Pack-Cartoning", describes and illustrates the cartoning of a succession of products by performing automatically the following steps: a) Coliating a desired number of the products into a row and/or stack ("the pack") of desired form; b) Surrounding the pack with a cage which holds the pack in that form; c) Forming a carton closely around the packholding cage; and d) Withdrawing the carton from the cage, or the cage from the carton, to deposit the pack within the carton without substantially altering the pack form.

The present invention is the development of the invention disclosed in application 82 08660 and is concerned with the way the carton is formed around the pack-holding cage in the sequence of steps a) to d) just outlined.

A method or machine embodying the present invention uses a pre-formed box to form the carton around the caged pack. The box is so sized and shaped as to fit closely, but not immoveably, over that final carton form, and according to the invention a pre-scored or creased or otherwise line-weakened carton blank is positioned closely beneath the caged pack and then the forming box is brought up around the blank to fold the carton flaps up about their respective lines of weakening and so form the carton automatically around the pack-holding cage.

In one advantageous form of the invention, the box folds the flaps simultaneously about their respective lines of weakening to form the carton.

The invention is particularly applicable to the cartoning of products which are soft, irregular and individually fragile. Hitherto such products have been manually packed into cartons which the packers have to crash-erect from a stack of pre-scored carton blanks, and this is an unsatisfactory and nowadays expensive end-stage to the essentially sophisticated high-speed automatic productforming and product-delivering operations.

In the accompanying drawings: Figures 1, 2 and 3 show a pack-forming and cartoning apparatus respectively in perspective, side elevation and plan; and Figures 4 and 5 show the apparatus after the product has been cartoned and are respectively a side elevation and a perspective view.

The apparatus illustrated and now to be described represents only one form the invention might take within its broad aspect. It is currently the best way known to the applicants of putting the invention into practice.

Referring initiallyto Figure 1, a flow of individually spaced wrapped products is delivered in any convenient direction, as indicated by the arrows referenced (1), to a collating station. A product pusher (h) transfers a desired number of the wrapped products into a cage (c) beneath which a pre-scored cardboard tray blank (a) has been positioned. The blank (a) can be fed into position from any convenient direction as indicated by the arrows (2).

In this particular case, the tray blank is square and has relatively shallow flap sides. As well as being scored, the blank is notched to allow the sides to fold up about the score lines to form a four-sided open-topped tray. The blank-feeding means can be selected from known alternatives by the intended skilled addressee of this specification.

The cage (c) has three fixed sides (d) and the fourth side is constituted by a hinged entrance plate (e). The complete cage is supported on a tubular shaft, also referenced (c), which projects centrally from the top of the cage. Another shaft (g) is slideable in the shaft (c), and holds a plate (f) inside the cage (c). In the position illustrated in Figures 1 to 3, the plate (f) is initially held up against the underside of the top of the cage (c), so that the product pusher (h) can transfer products into the cage (c) and on to the pre-fed tray blank (a) with the products passing under the plate (f).

The blank (a) is supported on a bottom plunger (j) whilst products are being packed into the cage (c).

Once the products have been fully transferred into the cage, the initially open-hinged entrance plate (e) drops down to complete a four-sided cage enclosing the products from above.

The product pusher (h), which can either be combed (as illustrated) or otherwise configured to suit the products, then retracts ready for the next cycle. The entrance plate (e) can similarly be combed or otherwise configured to suit particular products.

With the pack in position in the cage, and the cage completed by entrance plate (e) folding down into position, cage (c) is moved down to the position shown in Figures 4 and 5. Blank (a) is automatically brought into contact with the top periphery, and then the inside walls, of a preformed box (b) positioned beneath cage (c). Box (b) is so sized and shaped that it fits closely over cage (c) but with sufficient gap between the two respective sets of side walls to allow the flaps of blank (a) to be folded up around cage (c) and form the desired carton. The folding-up is accomplished automatically by rounding the top peripheral edges of the inside walls of box (b) to "lead in" the carton blank and swing the flaps about their respective crease lines.

Hot-melt glue is applied to the flaps of blank (a), for example at positions referenced (3) in Figure 3, or other suitable points, preferably just before the blank and cage descend into the forming box. As the carton sides are automatically folded up around their crease lines, the flap corners will be pressure-glued, and the carton will be formed as an open-topped and relatively shallow tray.

In this particular instance, the carton flaps are all swung simultaneously about their respective crease lines, and it will be noted from Figure 5 that the corner regions of the top periphery box (b) are rounded to lead-in the carton flaps without necessarily rounding the edge regions in between those corner regions.

Blank (a) descends, supported all the time by plunger (j), together with cage (c) and the product inside it, to the position shown in Figures 4 and 5 in which the caged pack of products and its surrounding carton emerge from the bottom end of the forming box (b). Plate (f) and shaft (g) are automatically carried down to this position by cage (c). Cage (c) then ascends to its Figure 1 position, depositing the pack of products in the carton without substantially altering the pack form, since the cage closely surrounded the pack and the carton was folded up as closely as possible around the cage. Plate (f) stays in position as cage (c) ascends initially, so resisting any tendency of the packed product to stick to the underside of cage (c) and try to ascend with it.Once cage (c) has started to ascend, and has re-entered box (b), plate (f) also then ascends and eventually joins cage (c) in their illustrated Figure 1 positions.

The shaft supporting cage (c), and shaft (g) which runs concentrically inside it, are controlled by respectively independent means to allow this differential ascending movement of cage (c) and plate (f).

Finally, a pusher plate (k) transfers the cartoned product on to a take-off conveyor (1). When plate (k) returns to its Figure 4 position, bottom plunger (j) ascends to its Figure 1 position ready to receive the next cardboard blankfor carton-forming. In the meantime, entrance gate (e) has swung upward to its Figure 1 position to allow cage (c) to receive the next incoming row of products.

The various movements can be controlled by pneumatic means, suitably electronically governed, which the skilled reader will readily supply. The cage sides (d) could be made foldable in similar manner to gate (e). For certain products it might be possible to dispense with hold-down plate (f). The cage sides (d), (e) might comprise bars, rather than plates, each such bar being long enough to span or almost span the adjacent pack side defined in use by the collated products.

Instead of the cage sides (d), (e) moving down with the cage top plate into the forming box (b), the cage sides could be separable from the top plate and could remain permanently in their Figure 1 positions. The top plate alone would then descend, carrying the product with it, into the forming box. As carton-folding begins almost simultaneously with cage descent, the upward movement of the carton side flaps might itself be enough to retain the product, without the need for the cage side plates to do so, during the crucial initial stages of cage descent.

By the same token, gate (e) might be able to be dispensed with, so that once pusher (h) has withdrawn then the initial folding-up movement of the carton side flaps retains the product as the cage top plate begins to descent into the forming box.

Although the box illustrated is, literally, an already-formed rigid box, it could equallywell be "pre-formed" within the scope of the invention by bringing together a number of foldable flaps to define the box prior to each carton-forming operation.

CLAIMS (Filed on 8.7.83) 1. Cartoning a succession of products by: a) Collating a desired number of the products into a row and/or stack ("the pack") of desired form; b) Surrounding the pack with a cage which holds the pack in that form; c) Positioning beneath the caged pack a suitably fold-lined carton blank; d) Bringing up around the blank a box whose sides embrace the fold lines to form the carton automatically around the pack-holding cage; and e) Withdrawing the carton from the cage, or the cage from the carton, to deposit the pack within the carton without substantially altering the pack form.

2. The invention of claim 1 and in which the box folds the carton flaps simultaneously about their respective lines of weakening to form the carton.

3. The invention of claim 1 or claim 2 in which the leading blank-engaging edges of the box mouth are rounded to "lead in" the blank and swing the flaps about their respective lines of weakening.

4. The invention of claim 3 and in which only the corner regions of the box mouth are so rounded.

5. The invention of any of the preceding claims and in which any tendency of the pack to withdraw with the cage, rather than be deposited within the carton, during stage (e), is positively resisted.

6. A method of cartoning a succession of products substantially as described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

7. Apparatus, for cartoning a succession of products, constructed and arranged to operate substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

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

Claims (7)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. corner regions. Blank (a) descends, supported all the time by plunger (j), together with cage (c) and the product inside it, to the position shown in Figures 4 and 5 in which the caged pack of products and its surrounding carton emerge from the bottom end of the forming box (b). Plate (f) and shaft (g) are automatically carried down to this position by cage (c). Cage (c) then ascends to its Figure 1 position, depositing the pack of products in the carton without substantially altering the pack form, since the cage closely surrounded the pack and the carton was folded up as closely as possible around the cage. Plate (f) stays in position as cage (c) ascends initially, so resisting any tendency of the packed product to stick to the underside of cage (c) and try to ascend with it.Once cage (c) has started to ascend, and has re-entered box (b), plate (f) also then ascends and eventually joins cage (c) in their illustrated Figure 1 positions. The shaft supporting cage (c), and shaft (g) which runs concentrically inside it, are controlled by respectively independent means to allow this differential ascending movement of cage (c) and plate (f). Finally, a pusher plate (k) transfers the cartoned product on to a take-off conveyor (1). When plate (k) returns to its Figure 4 position, bottom plunger (j) ascends to its Figure 1 position ready to receive the next cardboard blankfor carton-forming. In the meantime, entrance gate (e) has swung upward to its Figure 1 position to allow cage (c) to receive the next incoming row of products. The various movements can be controlled by pneumatic means, suitably electronically governed, which the skilled reader will readily supply. The cage sides (d) could be made foldable in similar manner to gate (e). For certain products it might be possible to dispense with hold-down plate (f). The cage sides (d), (e) might comprise bars, rather than plates, each such bar being long enough to span or almost span the adjacent pack side defined in use by the collated products. Instead of the cage sides (d), (e) moving down with the cage top plate into the forming box (b), the cage sides could be separable from the top plate and could remain permanently in their Figure 1 positions. The top plate alone would then descend, carrying the product with it, into the forming box. As carton-folding begins almost simultaneously with cage descent, the upward movement of the carton side flaps might itself be enough to retain the product, without the need for the cage side plates to do so, during the crucial initial stages of cage descent. By the same token, gate (e) might be able to be dispensed with, so that once pusher (h) has withdrawn then the initial folding-up movement of the carton side flaps retains the product as the cage top plate begins to descent into the forming box. Although the box illustrated is, literally, an already-formed rigid box, it could equallywell be "pre-formed" within the scope of the invention by bringing together a number of foldable flaps to define the box prior to each carton-forming operation. CLAIMS (Filed on 8.7.83)

1. Cartoning a succession of products by: a) Collating a desired number of the products into a row and/or stack ("the pack") of desired form; b) Surrounding the pack with a cage which holds the pack in that form; c) Positioning beneath the caged pack a suitably fold-lined carton blank; d) Bringing up around the blank a box whose sides embrace the fold lines to form the carton automatically around the pack-holding cage; and e) Withdrawing the carton from the cage, or the cage from the carton, to deposit the pack within the carton without substantially altering the pack form.

2. The invention of claim 1 and in which the box folds the carton flaps simultaneously about their respective lines of weakening to form the carton.

3. The invention of claim 1 or claim 2 in which the leading blank-engaging edges of the box mouth are rounded to "lead in" the blank and swing the flaps about their respective lines of weakening.

4. The invention of claim 3 and in which only the corner regions of the box mouth are so rounded.

5. The invention of any of the preceding claims and in which any tendency of the pack to withdraw with the cage, rather than be deposited within the carton, during stage (e), is positively resisted.

6. A method of cartoning a succession of products substantially as described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

7. Apparatus, for cartoning a succession of products, constructed and arranged to operate substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.