GB947611A - Stacking mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

947,611. Stacking sheets. UNIVERSAL CORRUGATED BOX MACHINERY CORPORATION. July 6, 1961 [March 27, 1961], No. 24493/61. Heading B6H. [Also in Division B8] Equipment for forming stacks of collapsed cartons comprises a vertical hopper having retractable supports part-way down the hopper on which a stack of cartons dropped one by one from the top of the hopper is built up, the supports being retracted when the stack reaches a predetermined size to allow further cartons to drop one by one to build up the stack. The supports are again extended to interrupt the fall of further cartons while the stack upon the base is ejected. The hopper dimensions are adjustable for various carton sizes. The sides of the hopper entrance are formed by plates 38, 52. A bar 35 and the plate 38 extend between a pair of plates 27, 28 cupported by wheels 31 which roll on fixed tracks 26. This assembly is mounted for movement along the tracks by blocks 54 rotatably mounted on the threaded rods 55, 56. The rods 55, 56 can be rotated simultaneously by an electric motor. A bar 34 similar to bar 35 and the plate 52 are mounted on fixed supports 32, 33À Assemblies 64 are mounted on wheels 76 which run in slots 77 on the top and bottom of the bars 34, 35. The assemblies are moved along the bars by threaded rods 83 each of which can be rotated when required by further electric motors. The lower part of the hopper comprises guides 91 mounted on the plates 28, 32 and guides 93, 95 mounted on the assemblies 64. Mounted on assemblies 64 and supports 28, 32 respectively are piston and cylinder members 107, 112 having plungers 108, 114 which project into the path of the cartons B, fed into the top of the hopper by a belt conveyer (Fig. 2, not shown), and temporarily support a stack thus built up. These plungers are positioned just below the plates 38, 52. When the plungers are withdrawn the stack resting on the plungers falls to the base of the hopper, this comprising a number of rollers 21. The stack is allowed to further build up by cartons dropped directly from the top of the hopper when a predetermined number has passed the plunger they are re-extended to permit build-up of another stack. The stack on the rollers 21 is engaged by a pusher 127 mounted on a carriage 118 so as to be adjustable to be mid-way between the plates 38, 52. Angled plates 104 which form part of the guides for the corners of the folded boxes B swing back as the stack is advanced. The stack is ejected from the hopper by a pair of continuous rollers 74 mounted one on each of the assemblies 64 and driven by motors 71. The apparatus is controlled by photo-electric cells operating through apertures in the plates 38, 52 to count the boxes and initiate operations of the members 108, 114, 127. An additional plunger S may be arranged to support the centre of the cartons to reduce sagging of their centres. In a modified form of apparatus two sets of plungers mounted one below the other are used to give a further intermediate build-up position for the stack.