US2255251A - Packaging method and apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 9, 1941. R. GUYER PACKAGING METHOD AND APPARATUS Filed July 22,l 1959 glwumvto'z y Regnolds Guger Patented Sept. Y 9, .i941

iA 2,255,25i

PACKAGING METHOD AND APPARATUS Reynolds Guyer, St. Paul, Minn., asslgnor to Waldorf Paper Products Company, St. Paul. Minn., a corporation oi Minnesota Application July 22, 1939, Serial No. 285,994

3 Claims.

My invention relates to a packaging method and apparatus and has for an object to provide an extremely simple and inexpensive apparatus which may be used in a method to package substances adapted to be poured in a fluid state into a carton or similar receptacle.

An object of the invention resides in providing a method which may be carried out by simple manipulation and with the use of simple and eiective apparatus.

Another object of the invention resides in providing a method by means of which foldable trays having a bottom with lateral walls attached thereto but unattached to each other, together with the substance to be packaged may be assembled into' a cover.

Another object of the invention resides `in providing a method by means of which the substance, if desired, may be poured into a bag or liner disposed within the tray and the substance, liner and tray inserted into the cover without disturbance of the relation between the substance, liner and tray.

Another object of the invention resides in providing a practical and simple apparatus for carrying out the method of the invention.

A still further object of the invention resides inA providing a form into which the erected trays may be inserted and into which the liner, when used, may be placed, said form holding the liner and tray in shape while the substance to be packaged is poured.

Another object of the invention resides in constructing the form open at the top for the reception of the tray and in constructing the bottom with an opening therein through which a suitable plunger inay be operated to transfer theY package out of the form.

Another object of the invention resides in providing an apparatus by means of which a tray may be erected and inserted into the form in a single, operation.

.'Afeature of the invention resides in providing anfapparatus by means of which a package including a tray may be removed from the form and directlyinserted into the cover without disturbing the positions of the lateral walls of the tray.

Another object of the invention resides in providing supports by means of which the packages in the details of construction hereinafter illustrated and/or described.

In the drawing: A

Fig. 1 is an elevational sectional view of an apparatus for packaging uid substances showing the parts thereof generally in diagrammatic form.

` Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the forms used with the invention.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a tray partly erected.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the device for erecting the trays and inserting the same into the forms.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the plungers used with the invention.

In the packaging of cheese and similar substances it becomes desirable to yutilize as a container a tray having a bottom and lateral Walls hingedly connected to the bottom and free from each other so that these walls may be subsetrated in Fig. 2, 'and which is designated by the reference character B. This metal form comand trays may be guided for movement toward and from the assembling device of the apparatus.

Other objects of the invention reside inthe to expose the contents of the package. One such tray is shown in Fig. 3, which is particularly adapted for use in packaging small quantities of cheese' This tray is indicated in its entirety by Athe reference numeral A and is constructed from I paper stock of suitable thickness.

is formed with a bottom lil having side walls il and end walls l2 hingedly connected thereto through scores i3. The corners betweenthe lateral walls are removed so that when the walls ll and l2 are folded up the tray is formed, which is open at the top and disconnected at the lateral edges. In the use of such trays the customary practice has been to insert into the tray a liner or a sack constructed of suitable material to prevent the cheese or other substance being packaged from adhering to the tray so as to leave the lateral walls and bottom of the tray directly out of contact with the cheese. Such sacks or liners being well known in the art have not been shown in detail in the drawing, though it can be readily comprehended that any suitable construction may be employed for the purpose.

In conjunction with my invention lI employ a number of metal forms, one of which is illusprises lateral walls I4 and end walls I5 which are ljoined together at the corners by soldering or in any other suitable manner. These walls `are open. at the top and are` connected at their lower ends by means of plates I6, l1 and I8 novel combination and arrangement of parts and which form in conjunction a bottom, indicated The tray A in itsentiretyby the reference numeral I9. The plates 16, I8 and l1 are spaced from one another to leave openings 2l and 22 in the bottom which serve a purpose to be presently described in detail. The upper marginal edges 23 of the walls I4 and I6 are flared outwardly to permit of the insertion of the tray A into the same. It will be noted that the plates I6, I'I and I8 form a suitable support for the bottom of the tray when the tray has been inserted into the form B.

The apparatus'used ,'in conjunction withmy improved method for packaging fluid substance is shown in Fig. 1 and comprises two portions C and D. The portion C serves to erect the trays A and to insertthe same into the metal forms B, While the portion D of the apparatus serves to remove the packages from the metal forms and insert the same into suitable covers. These portions of the apparatus will now be described in detail.

The portion C of the apparatus comprises a support 24 in the nature of an elongated table which support has attached to it cleats 25 running in the direction of the length thereof and spaced from one another a distance slightly greater than the length of the forms B, to form guides for guiding the said forms lengthwise along the support. This support has formed in it an opening 26 through which may be inserted the forms B. Below the opening 26 is situated a block 21 formed with a passageway 2'8 extending through the same, which passageway is of such dimensions as to snugly receive a folded tray A and to guide the same for vertical movement upwardly through said passageway. The lower end of the passageway 28 is ared, as designated at 29, for a purpose to be presently more fully described. The passageway 28 is llined with a sheet metal' liner 3l to reduce wear,

which sheet metal liner projects upwardly above the upper edges of the block and provides a number of tongues 32 lying in continuation of the walls of the said liner and arranged in converg- 28. One such form. indieated at B2, is lowered through the opening 28 and applied over the tongues 32 so as to take position shown in Fig. 1. The plunger 34 is next lowered and a blank fed by means of the guide roller 4I over the upper surface of the support 31 and the upper surface 43 of the plunger 34. The plunger 34 is then elevated as by means of a food lever plvoted thereto and a treadle, not shown in the drawing. Raising of the said plunger carries the'blank with it and the said blank, upon striking the flared portion 29 of the liner 3l becomes folded and the blank passes into the upper portion of the channel 28. Continued upward movement of the plunger 34 forces the formed blank between the tongues 32 and into the form B2. When the bottom I0 of the tray A reaches the bottom i9 of the form, continued movement of plunger 34 disengages the form and tray from the tongues 32 and elevate the same through the opening 26. The tray and form assembled are then righted and placed upon the portion of the table 24 following the opening 26 and the assemblies of form and tray are then progressed along the said table 24 between the guides 25. Two such assemblies are indicated at in the drawing.

The assemblies 45 with the open portions uppermost as shown in Fig. 1, are next conveyed to suitable apparatus for inserting bags or liners into the same and for pouring the melted cheese or other substances into the liners or bags. Such apparatus forming no feature of the invention has not been shown in the drawing, though it can readily be comprehended that any suitable apparatus may be used for the purpose. If desired, suitable material may be used. for the construction of the trays A so that the cheese or substances may be poured directly into the same.

In such case liners or bags may be dispensed ing relation. The liner 3l may be secured to the block'21 in any suitable manner, such as by means of clip angles 33 soldered to the said liner and secured to the -block by screws, not shown. The liner is preferably constructed of resilient material to make the tongues 32 flexible.

Operating in conjunction with the passageway 28 is a plunger 34 which is mounted on a vertically extending rod 35. This rod is guided for vertical movement in a guide 36, secured to a support 31. The plunger 34 is slightly smaller in dimensions than the passageway 28 so that the same may pass upwardly through the said pasi sageway with the walls of a tray disposed between the said plunger and the liner 3|.

On the support 31 is arranged an inclined rack 38 on which is stacked a number of blanks 39 from which the trays, shown in Fig. 3, are constructed. A feed roll 4l serves to remove the blanks one at a time from the rack 38 and to deliver the said blanks upon the upper surface of the support 31 and against a stop 42 on said support where the said blanks are immediately below the passageway 28. The guide 36, in which the rod 35 is guided for vertical movement, is suitably depressed so that the plunger 34 may occupy a position such that the upper surface 43 thereof is level with the upper surface of the support 31.

In the operation of the portion of the apparatus indicated at C, a number of forms BI are placed upon the support- 24 in advance of the opening with. In the drawing the liners have been designated by the reference numeral 46, and the cheese or substance disposed within the said liners by the reference numeral 41. The entire package, thus formed, is designated at 48 and comprises the cheese, liner and tray.

The portion of the apparatus indicated at D consists of two supports 5I and 52 which are disposed in horizontal spaced relation a distance slightly greater than the height of the forms B in which the packages 48 are disposed. These supports are in the nature of tables similar to the support 24. The two supports 5l and 52 have registering passageways 53 and 54 formed therein. The passageway 53 is constructed with a liner 55, similar to the liner 3| in block 21, which liner terminates in tongues 56, similar to and serving the same purpose as the tongues 32. The passageway 53 is of suitable dimensions to snugly receive the Packages 48 and is sufficiently small so as to prevent the forms B from entering the same. Disposed along the support 52 are two spaced cleats 51, similar to the cleats 25, which cleats form guides for guiding the forms B for movement to a position over the passageway 54.` In Fig. 2 it will be noted that the side walls I4 of the forms B have rectangular notches 58 therein which are adapted to slide over stops 59 secured to the support or table 52 immediately following the passageway 54. These stops engage the foremost lateral wall Il of the tray A and arrest movement of the unit 46 to a position immedirights 62 and 63 which are connected together through a crosshead 64. A guide rod 65 is attached tothe crosshead 64 and is guided for vertical movement in a guide 66 attached to a support 61. The two uprights 62 and 63 are of such shape and proportion that the same are adapted to enter the openings 2l and 22 in the bottom I9 of the form B. When the plunger` 6| is raised upwardly, as described in connection with the plunger 34, the unit 46 is raised upwardly until the marginal edges 23 of the forms B engage the under surface of the support Further upward movement of the plunger causes the package 48 to be forced out of the form B and moved into the passageway 53. For the purpose of illustration, two of the lled forms are indicated at B4 and the form directly over the passageway 54 by the reference numeral B5.Y

The operation of the portion D of the apparatus is as follows: The units 46, upon leaving the filling machine, are placed upon the support 52 and package 48 therein are first elevated before the package is forced out of the form, the lateral 'walls Il and I2 of the tray A are not permitted to expand and follow along the walls of the hner `ual operation. Y No specic conveyors for feedthe other have been shown.

ing the packages and forms from one locality to It can, however, be readily comprehended that automatic means may be used for operating the various4 parts of the invention and for conveying the packages and parts of the carton, as well as the forms to and from the various localities where the operations are performed. j

The advantages of my invention are manifest. By the method'disclosed, packages employing trays with detached side and end walls, capable of being moved out of closing position, may be easily and quickly assembled. With my meth- 0d the cheese or other uid substance may be poured into the assembled container as a mold. By means of the apparatus used the various operations of the method may be easily and quickly carried out. The apparatus is extremely simple in construction and positive in action.

Changes in the specific form of my invention, as herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent .1. 'Ihe method o f packaging which comprises shaping a tray and simultaneously inserting the tray in a temporary holder, filling lthe tray while insaid holder, and thereafter simultaneously re-' shaping a tray and inserting the same in atemporary holder, filling said tray while in said holder, and thereafter simultaneously removing the tray and contents from the holder and inserting the same into a preformed enclosing cover, and in restraining lateral expansion of the tray during removal of the tray from the holder and insertion into the cover. v REYNOLDS GUYER.

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