GB842660A - Improvements in or relating to methods of and apparatus for packaging articles in a wrapper blank - Google Patents

Abstract

842,660. Packaging cans in wrappers. MEAD PACKAGING Inc., [formerly MEAD ATLANTA PAPER CO]. Aug. 20, 1957 [June 4, 1957], No. 26326/57. Class 94(1). [Also in Group XVI] The invention relates to a machine for packaging articles, such as a group of cans, in an open ended wrapper. In Fig. 8, the cans C accumulate at the entrance to the machine on bottom tracks 102 and their flow is controlled by star wheels 108 that are normally locked against rotation but which, on each step-by-step motion of the machine, are freed to allow a set number of cans to move past them to an assembly station 100 under the feeding pressure of the incoming supply delivered by any suitable feed conveyer (not shown). A motor, operating through a clutch that will slip if jamming takes place, oscillates an arm 430 to reciprocate a pair of indexing bars 402, Figs. 8 and 10, the bars 402 carrying dogs 412, 414, 416, that are pivoted such that during each working stroke of the indexing bars 402, the group of cans at the assembly station 100 is moved to a wrapper folding station 200 at which wrapper blanks are folded about and lapped beneath the package group, the cans at the folding station 200 are moved to a wrapping locking or securing station 300, and the cans at the locking station 300 are moved out of the machine. Hopper for wrappers. The wrappers W, Fig. 3, are held on an inclined plate member 204, Fig. 17, by an assembly 208, 220 that is open at its lower end to permit the wrappers to be pressed against a friction facing 2061. The upper ends of the wrappers are engaged by an angled arm 210 extending over the wrappers and by a lip member 218 extending under the wrappers. The part 208 has side arms formed with elongated slots by which the assembly 208, 210, 218, 220, is mounted on studs 214 in a floating pivoted manner. A spring 216 biases the pivoted assembly down the incline so that the lower edges of the wrappers W engage the friction facing 2061. When additional wrappers are to be inserted the assembly 208, 220, is raised about its pivot studs 214, so that the newly added supply may be inserted there beneath and the floating reach of the side arms is then used to allow the lip member 218 to be transferred to a position below the lowermost blank of the newly added supply. A roll member 222 acts as a weight to the topmost wrapper. Removing wrappers from hopper. The removal of the wrapper blanks W is by suction cups 226, Fig. 17, carried on a parallelogram structure 228, Fig. 8, operating on cam tracks 230. Folding station. A wrapper W is placed over the cans C at the folding station 200 by the suction cups 226 and downward folding of the wrapper is performed by folding arms 236, Fig. 18, spaced to move downwardly at the sides of the package group whilst a pair of spring biased folding arms 238 steady the wrapper. Thereafter the wrapper W is lapped beneath the package group by a pair of arm members 250 pivoted in scissor fashion. Each arm member 250 has a starting fold leg portion 260 and a finishing fold leg portion 262. Upon completion of the blank folding operation the wrapper enclosed package is then advanced for final securing to the locking station 300. Locking station. At the locking station 300, wrapper locking tabs 62 on one underflap, Fig. 3, are engaged with retaining tabs 60 on the other underflap. To hold the package firmly an overhead hold-down bar 316, Fig. 8, presses on the package and the actual mechanism for manipulating the wrapper locking tabs 62 into engagement with the retaining tabs 60 is of the same form as is described in Specification 826,997, except that in the present invention it is actuated automatically through a connecting arm 308. Discharging completed package. A rider member 326, Fig. 8, on a hold-down bar 316, is connected to the suction cup parallelogram structure 228 by a connecting rod 328 so that the rider 326 will follow the reciprocating motion thereof. The rider member 326 is fitted with a roller 330, Fig. 24 (not shown), which rests by gravity on the centre hold-down bar 316 so as to rise upwardly and pass over a package group at the locking station 300 during recovery and then to lodge in front of this package group so as to discharge it from the locking station 300 during the subsequent working stroke. Specification 826,840 also is referred to.