GB920424A - Improvements in or relating to packing machines - Google Patents

Abstract

920,424. Packaging; forming cartons. METAL BOX CO. Ltd. Feb: 15, 1961 [March 11, 1960], No. 8747/60. Classes 18 and 94(1). Box blanks for forming open-ended boxes, Fig. 1, are fed from a magazine at stage 31 Fig. 4, on to an intermittently moving conveyer and are erected to tubular form as in Fig. 12 during the feeding, in which form they are fed to a filling stage 33, at which an article is pushed thereinto by conveyer 85, and then to a folding station 35 at which the side flaps 5. which partly cover the ends, are folded inwards, and secured. In Fig. 12 the box has flaps 9, 10 in addition to the side flaps 5, which latter have tabs 7 which are secured in slots 8 in the top and bottom. The collapsed box blanks in magazine 31 are fed downwardly on to the conveyer 13 by suction carriers 37, Fig. 9, on a reciprocating carriage 42 which is actuated through a bell-crank member 45 by a reciprocating plate 49. In moving downward into position between supports 24 on the conveyer, the blanks are set up to the condition of Fig. 12 by guides 62, Fig. 9. The carrier 37 may be rendered inoperative by de-energization of a solenoid 44, Fig. 9, which allows lever 45 to swing out of contact with the reciprocating member 49. At stage 70, Fig. 4 pairs of hooks engage the infolded tabs 6 and pull them outwardly into the plane of the side flaps 5. At the filling stage 33 an article, such as a batch of eggs 11, Fig. 2 held by connectors 12, is fed forwardly by chain operated pushers 84, Fig. 16, and pushed into the box through a guide funnel 99 which is reciprocated into the box opening by lever 100. A stop 82, operated from the tab lifting mechanism 70 Fig. 4, locates the box during filling. At the folding stage 35 the flaps 9, 10, are first folded inwards by rotating members 104, 105, Fig. 18, the side flaps 5 are folded inwards and tabs 6 bent down against slots 8 by rotating rollers 116, 115, Fig. 20, and the tabs are pushed through the slots 8 by reciprocating fingers 130, 131, Fig. 18. In a modification the flaps 9, 10, are replaced by locating means which formed in the sides 1, 2 by score lines and are pushed inwards.