US2351670A - Folding and gluing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

June 20, 1944. c, DEscH ET AL FOLDING AND GLUING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 12, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 20, 1944. DES H ETA 2,351,670

FOLDING AND GLUING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 12, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 [if F.

June 20, 1944. c. DESCH ETAL FOLDING AND GLUING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-sheaf 5 Filed Aug. 12, 1942 fiz venz ofs C/Zarles Dear/ and June 20, 1944. C(DESCH ETAL FOLDING AND GLUING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 12, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 and r'l o'nzani as Patented June 20, 1944 FOLDING AND GLUING APPARATUS Charles Desch, Chicago, and Walter, Yomantas, Evergreen Park, Ill., assignors to Container Corporation of Americ poration of Delaware a, Chicago, 111., a cor- Application August 12, 1942, serial No. 454,540

This. invention relates to apparatus for folding and gluing paperboard cartons and the like, and more particularly to machines of the type adapted to infold extensions on the side walls of tray blanks of folding boxboard and to secure the same with adhesive While the blanks move continuously in series through the machine.

In some cases, however, each side Wall is of such structure that more than one folding and gluing operation is required, and this would normally require the use of two such machines and thereby increase the cost of the whole operation beyond the economical limit. Furthermore, the blank may be so arranged that one of the folding operations cannot be performed on such a machine of the usual type. The arrangement of the present invention, on the other hand, is adapted to handle jobs of this sort in a single operation, and to do so by means of a novel, but nevertheless simple, modification of existing machines.

It is an object of the invention to .provide a folding and gluing machine adapted to carry out a plurality of such, operations upon the side wall portions of a series of paperboard blanks within thespace and using the equipment usually occupiedin handling a single such operation. Another object is to provide a novel and efficient glue machine especially adapted to infold and glu in a single operation a plurality of flaps or extensions on the side walls of paperboard blanks in which such flaps or extensions overlap when so infolded. Other objects, uses and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description thereof and the drawings forming a part of this specification. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a simplified plan view of a folding and gluing machine according to the invention showing the arrangement of some of the operative parts and, in dotted lines, the positions of a succession of blanks similar to that of Fig. 8 passing therethrough;

"Fig. 2 is a side view of the machine of Fig. 1, showing in addition the glue pot, the folding belt and the driving mechanism for the special folding cams; x

Fig. Bis a simplified sectional View along line 3--3 of Fig. 1;

. Fig. 4 is a top view, omitting the glue-rolls and hold-down belt, showing the folding apparatus in detail;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view in per-, spective illustrating the first step in folding a side Wall extension of a blank like that of Fig. 8;

5 Claims. (01. 93-49) Fig. dis a view similar to thatof-Fig. 5, but illustrating the next folding step;' i

Fig. 7 illustrates the next stage in the folding operation; and i i Fig. 8 shows a typical blank adapted to be handled in accordance with the invention with one multi-ply side wall folded and glued as desired.

In order to bring out the various features of the invention in the clearest manner, it will be describedin connection with aparticular form of paperboard blank, althoughdt is also applicable to those having different configurations. This blank, as shown in Fig. 8, is adapted to beset up into a tray, and is fully described in the copending application ofLloyd Wynne and Earl C. Potter S. N. 381,504 filed March 3', 1941.

Th bottom panel In is provided with side walls H and end walls l2 and to these adjacent their ends along score lines l3 and I4, respectively, are hingedly joined side wall extensions .15 and end Wall extensions l6. Side walls I I also have hingedlyjoined to them along score lines I], which are parallel to but closer to panel Ill than are score lines [3, reinforcing flaps l8 formed from the material WhiCh would otherwise be incorporated in sidewalls H and; their extensions l5. Similarly, reinforcing fiaps l9 are hingedly joined toend wallsl 2 along score lines 20.:

In setting up this blank into the form of a tray, the first operation is to fold inwardlyand glue flaps l8 to side walls II and to fold and glue extensions l5 in position overlyingbothof them. The lower of the side walls illustrated in Fig. 8 shows the structure as it then appears, and it will be seen that the side wall has a finished edge and-a depressed intermediate portion thereof which enhances the display value of the finished tray. This is the operation which is adapted to be carried out on the machine of the present invention, and it is normally performed in the plant of the, container manufacturer.

The remainder of the'setting-up operations normallyjtake place in the plant of the user, and consist in gluing fiaps I9 to. the inner surfaces of end walls l2, raising wallsv H and I2 to upright position with the securing flaps 2| and 22 on side walls l l and extensions |5,Mrespectively, folded behind end walls [2 with their ends adjacent the ends of flaps. I9. Then extensions l6 are infolded and glued to flaps I9, 2| and 22 to hold the tray in set up condition. While these operations form no part. of the present invention, the above brief description will serve to point out the utility of the machine in performing some of the essential steps in connection with this specific example.

In the embodiment of the invention herein described, the operations of folding and gluing are simultaneously carried out on both side walls, and the mechanism for carrying forward a series of these particular blanks is entirely conventional, so that it has not been shown in great detail. Referring to. Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that a succession'of tray blanks,which have been placed thereon by hand or preferably by well-known automatic means, are carried by belt under roller 3|, which is synchronized therewith, so that the side walls ll of. the blanks rest successively on. the endless conveyor chains 32 traveling on sprockets 33, 34 and 35. Since sprockets "33' and the pulley over which belt 36; runs are one. common shaft 36 and are of the same effective radius, belt 36 and chains 32 have the same linear velocity. In order to insure accurate spacing of the blanks for the following so-called timed gluing step, chains 32 are provided at regular intervals with lugs 31 which, as they advance, come in Y contact with thetrailing securing flaps 2! of the downwardly over sprockets 34, the leading portion thereof-isgripped-between an upper belt 38 travelingon pulleys 39, 46 and 4| and a lower belt42 on pulleys 43 and-44 These belts are likewise driven by well-known means (not shown) so that the blanks continue to. move in a linear path at the same speed. This arrangement is best seen in Fig. 3. As the blanks pass under pulley 59, two bandsoi' adhesive 23and 24 are applied to the side wall extensions l5 and the reinforcing flaps l8, respectively, and as shown in Fig. 8, on both sides of each blank. The adhesive is accurately placed by reason of the synchronized relation of the parts as above described, and by means of a die 45 on each of the glue rolls 46, which are in turn mounted .on the same shaft 41 as is the pulley 39. The dies-45 are supplied with glue from glue pot 48 by means of rollers 49 and 56. (Fig. 2) in the conventional manner.

. The advancing blanks are then automatically folded in the desired manner. It will be observed that they pass immediately from the glue rolls 46 beneath a "pairof bars 5| (Fig. 4) supported from above by brackets 52 which taper in the direction of the blankmotionand are spaced so that their outer edges substantiallyoverlie the side edges of the bottom panellll. Then the. extensions l5 pass beneath the guides .53, which are supported by means of bars 5i and supports 54, and which act to hold side walls ll and side wall extensions l5 in horizontal position while the reinforcing flaps I8 are being raised from the plane of the blank by rotating cams 55. The cams 55 are also synchronized to the blank motion and are mounted on shafts 56 and driven from the shaft 51 carrying pulley 43 through universal joints 58, shaft 59, sprockets 60, chains 6| and sprockets 62 (Fig. 2). From Fig. 5,1 which best illustrates this stage, it will be seen that cam55 raises the leading edge of flap [8 so that uponcontinued motion of the blank, each flapv 18 passes behind'a guide 63 and is thereby maintained in partially folded position. 7

Guides 63 are also supported on bars 5| and converge slightly as shown in Fig. 4 so that flaps H} are further folded to a. position preferably somewhat beyond the vertical as the blankprogresses through the machine. In the meantime, 75

folding of side wall extensions l5 by means of the usual folding belts 64 begins. It will be observed from Figs. 2, 3 and 4 that these folding belts are arranged to travel up around the pulleys 65 which are angularly disposed on each side of the machine, and to turn over before passing under rollers 66 and around pulleys 61. As belts 64 turn over they also fold side wall extensions l5, side walls ll being held in the plane of the blank by means of guides 68 under which the outer portions of walls I I pass and which are attached to guides 63. This is best seen in Figs. 4 and 6. Fig. '7 illustrates the appearance of an extension l5 when the folding is somewhat more than half complete and shows how the flap I8 has been released from behind guide 63 and lies behind extension [5, so that it is thereafter completely folded with the latter under the action of belt 64. The rest of the machine is conventional, and the side wall structure of the trays is held in place by the spring-loaded rollers 66 under which belt 64 travels as the blanks progress. Thereafter the blanks pass under a pressure receiving arrangement which holds them until the adhesive has set. It will be noted that the drawings show few machine parts not absolutely necessary to an understanding of the invention and little supporting structure, but these can readily be supplied by one skilled in the. art and have. been omitted in the interest of clarity. Many modifications and alternative arrangements will likewise occur to those skilled in the art in the light of this disclosure.

While the invention has been described in connection with a specific embodiment thereof, it is not limited thereto, but only by the scope of the following claims. We claim: 7 1. In a machine of the class described including means for continuously moving a'series of paper board blanks in a linear path, means for applying adhesive to selected lateral edge portions. of each blank, and means forfolding said lateral edge portions along fold lines paral- -lel to said linear path .over upon said blank, the

spaced from said lateral edge and additional fold.

lines parallel to said linear path, prior to the. folding of said edge portions, and means'for re taining said flaps in partially folded condition until said edge portions have been folded sufiiciently to overlie said flaps, whereby both of said folding operations are completed simultaneously and said flaps and edge portions are caused to adhere in position overlying said blank andeach other. 1

2. In a machine for producing a multi-ply side wall on a plurality of paperboard blanks each having a side wall panel, a side wall extension joined thereto along a hinge line and a fiap formed from the material of said panel and said extension joined to said panel along a 'score line parallel to said hinge line including means for continuously moving said blanks successively in a linear path, means for applying an adhesive to a predetermined portion of said extensions and means for folding said extensions along said hinge lines over upon said side wall panels, the 'com bination which comprises means acting on said blanks immediately following said adhesiv'e-ap-- plying means for partially folding said flaps along said fold lines, and means for retaining saidfiaps in partially folded condition until said extensions have been folded sufiiciently to overlie said flaps, whereby both of said folding operations are completed simultaneously.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said partial folding means includes a rotating cam synchronized to raise the leading edge of said flaps as the blanks pass successively thereover and means for retaining said extensions in the plane of said blank during the partial folding operation.

4. In a machine for producing a multi-ply side wall on a plurality of paperboard tray blanks each having a side wall panel, a side Wall extension joined thereto along a pair of hinge lines adjacent the ends of said panel and a flap formed from the material of said panel and said extension joined to said panel along a score line parallel to said hing-e lines and adapted to be folded over against the inner surface of said panel and in that position to underlie said extension when the latter is also infolded, said machine including means for continuously moving an equally spaced series of said blanks along a path parallel to said hinge lines, means for applying an adhesive to a predetermined portion of the extension and flap associated with each blank moving in said path and means for infolding said extensions along said hinge lines upon said panels as said blanks continue to move along said path, the improvement which comprises means acting on said blanks immediately following said adhesive-applying means and while said blanks are in motion for at least partially infolding said flaps along said fold lines prior to the infolding of said extensions.

5. The improvement according to claim 4 including synchronized means for moving said flaps from the plane of said blanks, means for holding said extensions in the plane of said blanks during the action of said synchronized means, and subsequent guide means to continue the folding of said flaps.

CHARLES DESCH. WALTER YOMANTAS.

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