JP5778529B2 - Method and apparatus for supplying tube container to packaging machine - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for supplying an empty plastic tube container having a capped mouth portion and an open bottom portion to an gripper installed in a packaging machine in an inverted posture.

  When filling the contents into the tube container, use an empty tube container whose cap is capped and whose bottom is open, and supply the tube container in an inverted position to a container holder installed on the conveyor at equal intervals. A configuration in which a holder is used to hold the lower part (cap part) of the tube container, and a predetermined packaging process (filling of contents, sealing of the opening (bottom part), etc.) is performed sequentially while the tube container is intermittently conveyed by the conveyor. Are common (see Patent Documents 1 to 3). In this packaging process, the contents are filled from the bottom (opening at the top) of the tube container, and then the opened bottom is clamped and sealed (sealed) by a pair of heat plates that can be brought into and out of contact with each other. .

  The bottom portion (upper end opening) of the tube container in the inverted posture is opened in a free state (no load state) in a substantially circular shape or a substantially elliptical shape, and the opened bottom portion serves as a filling port for contents. When the main body of the tube container (the body part excluding the mouth and shoulders) is made of relatively thick plastic, the main body has high rigidity and excellent shape retention. The opening shape (substantially circular or substantially elliptical) is stable. Therefore, the filling of the contents through the opened bottom and the sealing of the opened bottom after filling are performed smoothly.

Japanese Patent No. 3309341 Japanese Patent No. 3108787 Japanese Patent No. 2584418

  However, in recent years, the main body of the tube container tends to be thin for reasons such as reducing the manufacturing cost of the tube container and easily making it compact when discarded. When the tube container body is molded from a relatively thin plastic, the body section has poor rigidity, the opening shape of the bottom of the tube container in an inverted position becomes unstable, and the tube container opens due to mechanical vibration during transportation. The shape may be deformed. For this reason, in the packaging process, filling failure of contents or sealing failure (for example, wrinkle sealing) may occur.

  For such tube container packaging processing, a packaging machine having a pair of left and right grippers, represented by an intermittent rotary rotary bag filling and packaging machine (see, for example, JP 2010-278551 A and JP 07-002235 A). ) May be applied. In this case, while the tube container having the bottom opened to the gripper is supplied in an inverted posture, both side edges of the main body of the tube container are held by the gripper and suspended, and the gripper moves along a predetermined movement path. In addition, a series of packaging processes such as filling the tube container and sealing the bottom opening are performed.

  If both side edges of the tube container body (especially near the top opening) are gripped by a pair of grippers, the bags used for normal bagging (flat bags, gusset bags, free standing bags, bags with chucks, etc.) Similarly to the case, the opening shape of the tube container in the inverted posture can be stabilized, and the gap between the pair of grippers can be widened to tighten the opening (closing the opening linearly). Therefore, even when the tube container body is formed of a relatively thin plastic, it is expected that a smooth packaging process can be performed without causing a filling failure or a sealing failure.

  However, the tube container in which the main body portion is formed of a relatively thin resin is different from a normal bag having a substantially flat shape in a free state, and the main body portion including the bottom opening has a three-dimensional shape (a substantially circular shape) in a free state. (Or oval shape), and the opening shape of the bottom is not stable as described above. Therefore, a general empty bag supply device (for example, the conveyor magazine type empty bag supply device described in the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-247851, the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 07-002235) is used. The laminated magazine type empty bag supply device described in the publication No.) cannot be used.

Therefore, in order to apply the packaging machine (a packaging machine having a pair of left and right grippers) to the packaging process of the tube container, a new supply method and apparatus for supplying an empty tube container to the gripper of the packaging machine are required. It becomes.
The present invention has been made in order to meet such a demand in tube container packaging processing, and an object thereof is to provide a supply method and apparatus for supplying an empty tube container to a gripper of the packaging machine. .

  In the tube container supply method according to the present invention, an empty plastic tube container whose mouth is capped and whose bottom is opened is inverted to a gripper installed in a packaging machine that fills the tube container with an object to be filled. In the method of supplying at the receiving position, the opening forming step for flattening the opening of the tube container positioned in the inverted position at the receiving position, and the container transfer for transferring the tube container from the receiving position to the delivery position in the inverted position And a container delivery process for delivering the tube container to a gripper of a packaging machine at the delivery position. In the opening forming step, the opening is flattened by sandwiching a tube container positioned in an inverted posture at the receiving position between a pair of forming members. In the container transfer step, the flattened opening of the tube container is clamped by a pair of clamping members, the pair of molding members is opened to release the tube container from the pair of molding members, and at this time, the opening of the tube container The portion is clamped by the pair of clamping members and maintained in a flattened state. Subsequently, the clamping member is moved to transfer the tube container from the receiving position to the delivery position in an inverted posture. In the container delivery step, the side edges of the opening of the tube container are gripped by the gripper at the delivery position, the pair of clamping members are opened, and the tube container is released from the pair of clamping members.

  A tube container supply device according to the present invention is for carrying out the above method, wherein the tube container is transported in an inverted posture and positioned at a receiving position in an inverted posture, and positioned at the receiving position. A container opening forming device for flattening the opening of the tube container, and a container transfer device for holding the opening of the tube container and transferring it from the receiving position to the delivery position to the gripper. The container opening forming device includes a pair of forming members that come in contact with each other, and the pair of forming members flatten the opening with the tube container sandwiched from both sides when approaching each other. The container transfer device includes a transfer arm and a pair of clamping members installed on the transfer arm, which are opened and closed. When the pair of clamping members are closed, the opening of the tube container flattened by the pair of molding members is provided. Even when the pair of molding members are opened, the opening is kept flat. Further, the pair of holding members installed on the transfer arm moves together with the transfer arm to transfer the tube container from the receiving position to the delivery position.

The supply device has the following embodiment, for example.
(1) The said container holder is provided with the cylindrical holding part in which the cap of a tube container fits.
(2) The container holder is composed of a plurality of holder members that open and close. When the plurality of holder members are closed, the cap of the tube container is held, and when the container holder is opened, the tube container is released.
(3) A plurality of container holders are arranged at regular intervals on an annular conveyance belt that is intermittently driven, and is the same as the intervals along an annular movement path set in a vertical plane as the container supply conveyor is driven. Move intermittently by distance. The annular movement path has a horizontal movement path, and when the container holder moves intermittently along the horizontal movement path, the tube container is intermittently transferred in an inverted posture, and when stopped, the tube container is moved to the receiving position. Position to.

(4) A pair of guide members are arranged along the horizontal movement path. The pair of guide members come into contact with the tube container transported in an inverted posture toward the receiving position from both sides, and correct the orientation of the tube container in the horizontal plane. This embodiment is applied to a tube container in which a main body including a bottom opening is substantially elliptical in a free state. This type of tube container has a main body formed of a relatively thin plastic and generally has creases on both side edges.
(5) The transfer arm can be moved up and down and can pivot about a vertical fulcrum shaft, and the pair of clamping members are installed on the transfer arm so as to advance and retreat in a horizontal plane.

  According to the present invention, an empty tube container can be reliably and stably supplied to the gripper of the packaging machine in an inverted posture. In the packaging machine, the both side edges of the opening of the main body of the tube container are gripped by a pair of left and right grippers. A series of packaging processes such as sealing is performed. Since the tube container is subjected to a packaging process in which both side edges of the opening of the main body are gripped by a pair of left and right grippers, in the free state, in the same way as a normal bag having a substantially flat shape, the tube container has a filling failure and a sealing failure. Smooth wrapping can be performed without waking up.

It is the top view (a) and front view (b) of the tube container of an inverted posture. It is a top view of the supply apparatus of a tube container. It is the front view. It is a side view explaining an opening part formation process among supply methods of a tube container. It is a side view explaining a part of container transfer process similarly. It is a side view (a) and a top view (b) explaining a part of container transfer process similarly. It is a front view (a) and a top view (b) explaining a part of container transfer process similarly. It is a front view (a) and a top view (b) explaining a part of container transfer process similarly. It is a front view explaining a container delivery process similarly. It is a top view of the supply apparatus of the tube container provided with the container holder of a different type. It is a top view of the container holder and an operation mechanism.

Hereinafter, the tube container supply method and apparatus according to the present invention will be specifically described with reference to FIGS.
First, FIG. 1 shows a plastic tube container 1 in an inverted posture. The tube container 1 includes a mouth portion (spout port) 2 formed with a male screw, a shoulder portion 3 and a main body portion (body portion) 4, and a screw-type cap 5 is fastened to the mouth portion 2. The main body 4 has an open bottom (opening 6), folds 7 formed on both side edges, has a substantially elliptical cross section, and gradually increases in flatness from the shoulder 3 side (substantially circular) to the opening 6. It has become.

2 and 3 show a container supply device 9 for supplying the tube container 1 to the grippers 8 and 8 of an intermittent rotary type bag filling and packaging machine (only a pair of grippers 8 and 8 are shown) in an inverted posture. Yes. The grippers 8 and 8 each have a fixed side gripping claw 8a and a movable side gripping claw 8b. The container supply device 9 includes a container supply conveyor 11, a container opening forming device 12, a container transfer device 13, and the like.
The container supply conveyor 11 is installed at equal intervals on two pulleys 14 and 15 that rotate intermittently by a certain angle, a conveyance band 16 that is stretched between pulleys 14 and 15, and rotates in a vertical plane, and the conveyance band 16. It consists of a number of container holders 17 and a pair of guide members 18, 18.

  The container holder 17 is a cylindrical member having a bottom wall, and its inner diameter is slightly larger than the outer shape of the cap 5 of the tube container 1, and the cap 5 can be fitted in a rotatable state. The container holder 17 moves intermittently along an annular movement path set in the vertical plane as the conveyance band 16 rotates intermittently. The one-time moving distance of the transport band 16 and the container holder 17 is equal to the mounting interval of the container holder 17 on the transport band 16. The movement path of the container holder 17 includes an upper and lower linear and horizontal movement path and arcuate movement paths at both ends, and the container holder 17 faces upward when moving along the upper horizontal movement path. When the container holder 17 is upward, the inverted tube container 1 is supplied to the container holder 17 (the cap 5 of the tube container 1 is fitted into the container holder 17). The container holder 17 holds the tube container 1 in an inverted posture and can transport the tube container 1 along the upper horizontal movement path.

  In the case of the container supply conveyor 11, the container holder 17 stops eight times while moving along the upper horizontal movement path. The first stop position (the leftmost stop position in FIGS. 2 and 3) of the container holder 17 in the upper horizontal movement path is the supply position. When the container holder 17 stops at this supply position, the operator 19 The container 1 is supplied to the container holder 17 in an inverted posture (the cap 5 is fitted into the container holder 17). The last stop position (the rightmost stop position in FIGS. 2 and 3) of the container holder 17 in the upper horizontal movement path is a receiving position. When the container holder 17 stops at this receiving position, the container holder 17 The held tube container 1 is positioned at the receiving position. In the present application, the position of the tube container 1 held by the container holder 17 stopped at the receiving position is also referred to as a receiving position.

  A pair of guide members 18, 18 are arranged above the container holder 17 that moves along the upper horizontal movement path so as to sandwich the upper horizontal movement path. The pair of guide members 18, 18 are arranged in a range from the position past the supply position to the front of the receiving position along the upper horizontal movement path, and are held by the container holder 17 and intermittently moved. The tube container 1 is guided from both sides so that the major axis direction of the substantially elliptical cross section of the tube container 1 is aligned with the traveling direction of the container holder 17. When the orientation of the tube container 1 supplied to the container holder 17 by the operator 19 (the major axis direction of the substantially elliptical cross section) is deviated from the traveling direction of the container holder 17, the tube members 1 are operated by the guide members 18 and 18. Rotates in the container holder 17 and its orientation in the horizontal plane is corrected.

  The container opening forming device 12 flattens the opening (meaning the opening 6 and its vicinity) of the tube container 1 positioned at the receiving position, and sandwiches the upper horizontal movement path. A pair of molding members 21, 21 arranged opposite to each other, and air cylinders 22, 22 for moving the molding members 21, 21 forward and backward, are installed in the vicinity of the receiving position of the container holder 17. The molding members 21 and 21 are plate-like members having a vertical molding surface parallel to the upper horizontal movement path of the container holder 17, and the upper horizontal movement path in the horizontal plane by the air cylinders 22 and 22. In contrast, the main body 4 of the tube container 1 stopped at the receiving position is sandwiched and the opening of the tube container 1 is flattened.

The container transfer device 13 receives the flattened tube container 1 positioned at the receiving position, and transfers the tube container to a delivery position where the tube container 1 is delivered to the grippers 8 and 8 of the packaging machine in an inverted posture. It includes a transfer arm 23 and a pair of clamping members 24, 24 installed on the transfer arm 23 that open and close.
The base of the transfer arm 23 is fixed to a vertical fulcrum shaft 25 that moves up and down a predetermined distance and reciprocates within a predetermined angle range (set to 90 ° in this example). A clamping member advancing / retreating air cylinder 26 is installed at the turning end of the transfer arm 23, and a clamping member opening / closing air cylinder 27 is fixed to the tip of the rod of the clamping member advancing / retreating air cylinder 26. The pair of clamping members 24, 24 are installed in the lower part. The rod of the air cylinder 26 for advancing and retracting the clamping member advances and retracts in the horizontal direction along a vertical plane passing through the axis of the fulcrum shaft 25.

  As the fulcrum shaft 25 moves up and down and reciprocates, the transfer arm 23 and the pair of holding members 24 and 24 move up and down and reciprocates. With the operation of the holding member advance / retreat air cylinder 26, the holding members 24 and 24 move horizontally. The clamping members 24 and 24 open and close as the clamping member opening / closing air cylinder 27 is actuated. By the operation of these members, the clamping members 24 and 24 receive the tube container 1 positioned and flattened at the receiving position, transfer it to the delivery position, and deliver it to the grippers 8 and 8 of the packaging machine.

2 and 3 and FIGS. 4 to 9, an example of the operation of the container supply device 9 is mainly performed in the order of steps, mainly for flattening the tube container 1 and transferring the tube container 1 from the receiving position to the delivery position. explain in detail.
(1) Opening forming step (see FIG. 4)
(A) The container holder 17 holding the tube container 1 moves along a horizontal movement path and stops at the receiving position (FIG. 4 (a)). At this time, the tube container 1 is positioned at the receiving position.
(B) The air cylinders 22 and 22 are operated, the molding members 21 and 21 are moved forward and approach each other, the tube container 1 is sandwiched from both sides, and the tube container 1 and the opening (the opening 6 and its vicinity) are flattened. (FIG. 4B).
(C) The fulcrum shaft 25 is turned (the transfer arm 23 is turned), and the holding members 24 and 24 are turned in the same direction. At the same time, the holding member advance / retreat air cylinder 26 is operated to hold the holding members 24 and 24. Retreats (moves in a direction approaching the fulcrum shaft 25). Thereby, the clamping members 24 and 24 stop above the tube container 1 (FIG.4 (c)).

(2) Container transfer process (see FIGS. 5-8)
(A) The clamping member opening / closing air cylinder 27 is actuated to close the clamping members 24, 24, and the vicinity of the opening 6 of the tube container 1 positioned at the receiving position (position above the location where the molding members 21, 21 are sandwiched). ) Is clamped (FIG. 5A).
(B) The air cylinders 22 and 22 are operated in the opposite directions, and the molding members 21 and 21 are retracted and separated from each other to release the tube container 1 (FIG. 5B). At this stage, the reception of the tube container 1 by the clamping members 24, 24 is completed. The tube container 1 is sandwiched in the vicinity of the opening 6 by the sandwiching members 24, 24, and the opening (the opening 6 and the vicinity thereof) remains flat even after being released from the forming members 21, 21. .
(C) The fulcrum shaft 25 is raised (the transfer arm 23 is raised), and the holding members 24 and 24 are raised accordingly, and the held tube container 1 is taken out from the container holder 17 (FIG. 6).

(D) The fulcrum shaft 25 turns in the opposite direction (the transfer arm 23 turns in the opposite direction), and the gripping members 24 and 24 turn in the same direction, and the gripper 8 that stops the sandwiched tube container 1. 8 is transferred to the front position (near the outside of the moving path of the grippers 8, 8) (FIG. 7). At this stage, a new tube container 1 is positioned at the receiving position on the container supply conveyor 11.
(E) The clamping member advancing / retreating air cylinder 26 operates in the opposite direction, so that the clamping members 24, 24 move forward (move away from the fulcrum shaft 25), and horizontally transfer the clamped tube container 1 to the delivery position. (FIG. 8). At this time, the movable side gripping claws 8b, 8b of the grippers 8, 8 are open, and do not hinder the transfer of the tube container 1. In this delivery position, the tube container 1 is in contact with the gripping surfaces of the gripping claws 8a, 8a of the grippers 8, 8. At this stage, the new tube container 1 positioned at the receiving position on the container supply conveyor 11 has its opening flattened by the molding members 21 and 21.

(3) Container delivery step (a) The movable gripping claws 8b and 8b of the grippers 8 and 8 are closed, and both side edges of the tube container 1 are gripped between the fixed gripping claws 8a and 8a (FIG. 9 (a )). The gripping position by the grippers 8 and 8 is set slightly below the clamping position of the clamping members 24 and 24 so as not to interfere with the clamping members 24 and 24.
(B) The clamping member opening / closing air cylinder 27 operates in the opposite direction to open the pair of clamping members 24, 24, thereby releasing the tube container 1 (FIG. 9B). At this stage, the delivery of the tube container 1 from the pair of clamping members 24, 24 to the grippers 8, 8 is completed.

  In the container supply conveyor 11 described above, the container holder 17 is fixed to the transport band 16, but may be installed so as to be rotatable with respect to the transport band 16. In that case, the cap 5 of the tube container 1 fitted in the container holder 17 may not be rotatable in the container holder 17, but it is desirable that the cap 5 is loosely fitted in the container holder 17. While the container holder 17 moves along the horizontal movement path, the tube container 1 can rotate in the horizontal plane together with the container holder 17. Therefore, the guide members 18 and 18 can be used to change the direction of the tube container 1 in the horizontal plane. It can be corrected.

10 and 11 show another embodiment of a container supply conveyor and a container holder according to the present invention. In the container supply device shown in FIG. 10, the same reference numerals are given to substantially the same parts as those of the container supply device 9 shown in FIG.
The container supply conveyor 31 shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 is different from the container supply conveyor 11 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 in the form of the container holder 33 installed on the transport band 32 and operates the container holder 33. It differs in the point provided with, but it matches in other points.
The container holder 33 is composed of two holder members 34 and 35 arranged before and after in the transport direction. Each of the holder members 34 and 35 includes a substantially semicircular bottom wall and a side wall surrounding the bottom wall, and the bottom wall has a convex portion 36 and a concave portion 37 that engage with each other. When the holder members 34 and 35 are closed, the container holder 33 becomes a cylindrical member having a bottom wall like the container holder 17, and the cap 5 of the tube container 1 can be gripped inside thereof.

  The actuating mechanism is swingably installed on the transport band 32, one end of which is connected to the holder member 34 via the engagement pin 38, and is also swingably installed on the transport band 32. A trifurcated lever 42 whose front end is connected to the holder member 35 via an engagement pin 41, and both ends are locked to both levers 39, 42 via spring hooks 43, 44. And a plate roller 47 having a cam surface on which the cam roller 46 is driven. An engaging pin 48 installed at the middle end of the trifurcated lever 42 engages with a long hole 49 formed at the other end of the L-shaped lever 39, whereby the swinging of the trifurcated lever 42 causes the L-shaped lever 39. Transmitted symmetrically. The plate cam 47 is fixed to a frame (not shown) of the container supply conveyor 31. Reference numerals 51 and 52 denote support pins that support the L-shaped lever 39 and the trifurcated lever 42 on the transport band 32 so as to be swingable.

In this container supply conveyor 31 as well, when the container holder 33 stops at this supply position, the first stop position (the leftmost stop position in FIG. 10) of the container holder 33 in the upper horizontal movement path is the supply position. The person 19 supplies the tube container 1 to the container holder 33 in an inverted posture (cap 5 is fitted into the container holder 33). The holder members 34 and 35 constituting the container holder 33 are open at this point as shown in FIG.
The container holder 33 is moved from the supply position, and in the process, the direction of the tube container 1 is corrected by the pair of guide members 18 and 18, and then the cam roller 46 is retracted along the cam surface of the cam plate 47 (in FIG. 11). 11 (b), the urging force of the tension spring 45 causes the L-shaped lever 39 and the trifurcated lever 42 to swing inward, and the holder members 34 and 35 are closed to close the tube container 1. Grab the cap 5.

Also in this container supply conveyor 31, when the container holder 33 stops at this receiving position, the last stop position of the container holder 33 in the upper horizontal movement path (the stop position at the right end in FIG. 10) is the receiving position. The tube container 1 held in the container holder 33 is flattened by the container opening molding device 12 and transferred from the receiving position to the delivery position to the grippers 8 and 8 by the container transfer device 13.
During the movement immediately before the container holder 33 reaches the receiving position, the cam roller 46 moves forward (moves upward in FIG. 11) along the cam surface of the cam plate 47, and as shown in FIG. The L-shaped lever 39 and the three-pronged lever 42 swing outwardly against the urging force of 45, and the holder members 34 and 35 are opened to release the tube container 1.

  Even when the biasing force of the tension spring 45 is relatively small and the holder members 34 and 35 are closed and the cap 5 of the tube container 1 is gripped, the tube container 1 that has been sandwiched when the pair of sandwiching members 24 and 24 ascends. If the container holder 33 can be taken out, the holder members 34 and 35 may be opened after the container holder 33 passes the receiving position.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Tube container 5 Cap 6 Opening 8 Gripper 9 of a packaging machine Container supply apparatus 11, 31 Container supply conveyor 12 Container opening molding apparatus 13 Container transfer apparatuses 16, 32 Transport belts 17, 33 Container holder 18 Guide member 21 Molding member 23 Transfer Arm 24 Holding member 33, 34 Holder member

Claims (8)

In the method of supplying an empty plastic tube container whose mouth is capped and whose bottom is open to the gripper installed in the packaging machine for filling the tube container with an object to be filled in the inverted position, the inverted position is set at the receiving position. An opening forming step of flattening the opening of the tube container positioned in step, a container transfer step of transferring the tube container from the receiving position to the delivery position in an inverted position, and the tube container at the delivery position. It consists of a container delivery process for delivering to a gripper of a packaging machine. In the opening molding process, the opening is flattened by sandwiching the tube container positioned in an inverted posture at the receiving position between a pair of molding members, and the container transfer process. Then, the flattened opening is clamped by a pair of clamping members, the pair of molding members are opened, and the tube container is The opening is held between the pair of forming members, and the opening is held in a flattened state by the pair of holding members. Subsequently, the holding member is moved to keep the tube container in an inverted posture. The container is transferred from the receiving position to the delivery position.In the container delivery step, the gripper grips both side edges of the opening of the tube container at the delivery position, and opens the pair of clamping members to remove the tube container. A method of supplying a tube container to a packaging machine, wherein the tube container is released from a pair of clamping members. 2. The tube according to claim 1, wherein the tube container in an inverted posture is transferred to the receiving position along a predetermined path, and the orientation of the tube container in a horizontal plane is corrected in the process of the transfer. A method of supplying containers to a packaging machine. In a device that supplies an empty plastic tube container with a cap closed and an open bottom to a gripper of a packaging machine that fills the tube container with an object to be filled in an inverted position, the tube container is transferred in an inverted position. A container holder that positions the receiving position in an inverted position, a container opening forming device that flattens the opening of the tube container positioned at the receiving position, and the receiving that sandwiches the opening of the tube container The container opening forming device includes a pair of forming members contacting and separating from each other, and when the pair of forming members approach each other, the tube container is disposed on both sides. The container transfer device is a pair of a transfer arm and an opening / closing pair installed on the transfer arm. A clamping member, the pair of clamping members sandwiching the opening of the tube container flattened by the pair of molding members when closed, and the opening is flattened even when the pair of molding members is opened An apparatus for supplying a tube container to a packaging machine, wherein the tube container is moved from the receiving position to the delivery position by moving the pair of holding members together with the transfer arm and maintaining the state. The said container holder is provided with the cylindrical holding part in which the cap of the said tube container fits, The apparatus which supplies the tube container described in Claim 3 to a packaging machine. The said container holder consists of a some holder member which opens and closes, The cap of the said tube container is hold | maintained when the said several holder member closes, The said tube container is released when opened. Device for supplying the tube container to the packaging machine. A plurality of container holders are arranged at equal intervals on an annular transport belt that is intermittently driven, and the same distance as the interval along an annular movement path set in a vertical plane as the container supply conveyor is driven. When the annular movement path has a horizontal movement path, and when the container holder moves intermittently along the horizontal movement path, the tube container is intermittently transferred in an inverted posture and stopped. The apparatus for feeding a tube container according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the tube container is positioned at the receiving position. A pair of guide members are disposed along the horizontal movement path, and the pair of guide members are in contact with the tube container transferred in an inverted posture toward the receiving position, and the tube container is oriented in a horizontal plane. The apparatus which supplies the tube container of Claim 6 to a packaging machine characterized by the above-mentioned. 8. The transfer arm is capable of moving up and down and pivotable about a vertical fulcrum shaft, and the pair of clamping members are installed on the transfer arm so as to advance and retreat in a horizontal plane. The apparatus which supplies the tube container described in either to a packaging machine.

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