US2398200A

US2398200A - Machine for making containers

Info

Publication number: US2398200A
Application number: US511952A
Authority: US
Inventors: William W Van Voorhis
Original assignee: Fibreboard Products Inc
Current assignee: Fibreboard Products Inc
Priority date: 1943-11-27
Filing date: 1943-11-27
Publication date: 1946-04-09
Anticipated expiration: 1963-04-09

Description

April 9, 1945- w. w. VAN voom-ns 2,398,200

MACHINE FOR MAKING CONTAINERS 4 Sheets-Sheet I 1 Filed Nov. 27, 1943 INVENTOR,

WILL/AM. n. VAN VOORH/S.

IJIIIIIIIIIIIIIII'I A A TTORNE K April 9, 1946- I w. w. VAN VOORHIS 2,398,200

MACHINE FOR MAKING CONTAINERS Filed Nov. 27, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. WILL/AM W VAN l/OORH/S.

MwW

A TTORNEY.

April 1946' w. w. VAN vooRl-us MACHINE FOR MAKING CONTAINERS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 27, 1943 INVENTORT W/LL/AMK'. VAN l/OORHIS.

" M I ATTORNEY April 9, 1946.

w. w, VAN voom-us V MACHINE FOR MAKING CONTAINERS Filed Nov. 27, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 IINVENTOR, WILL/AM n. VAN l/OORHIS.

BYMWW A 7' TORNE Y.

Patented Apr. 9, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE j MACHINE FOR MAKING CONTAINERS Application November 27, 1943, Serial No. 511,952

14 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for making nested containers of thewireiess pail type and also of other types, of paperboard.

Containers can be made by folding blanks in different ways and it is often desirable to apply adhesive at suitable areas of the blanks to maintain the containers in their desired form, but a certain period of time must generally elapse before the adhesive dries or sets sufficiently to prevent unfolding of the folded blank. Such folded blanks often have the tendency before setting of the adhesiveto unfold into an unsuitable form and this tendency often results in blockingthe entrance of each unit in such a manner as to prevent nesting of the next unit therein. This is true of different types of containers made by folding blanks, including the full gusset pail type where the gussets are folded exteriorly of the container to which the invention is particularly applicable. It will be described with respect to such type of container with the understanding that it is applicable to other types as well. Such full gusset type is formed from a Single continuous blank of material suitably scored or creased so that it can be easily folded to provide the container when the folds are held in place. The material of which the container or pail is made is generally paperboard, sometimes called cardboard or fiberboard or the like, and it is generally waxed or other-wise treated to prevent it from absorbing liquid contents or permitting such contents to leak therethrough. Full gussets have been used to prevent openings at the edges of adjoining walls of the container through which leakage could occur. well adapted for packaging bulk ice cream, cot tage cheese, olives, pickles, and other materials comprising a liquid. A metal wire handle was generally used with this type of container or pail, the ends of which were connected to the gussets for holding them together. The gussets were folded exteriorly of the container so that the wire need not contact the contents, and the exterior folding also resulted in the smoothest possible interior surface.

Metal for the wire handle is not easily available at the present time, and a handle which is formed of an integral part of the container blank is set forth in the application of Charles H. Goodyear for Container, Serial No. 492,489, flled'June 28, 1943, assigned to the assignee of this application. In the manufacture of full gusset pail type containers, adhesive is usually applied to certain parts which contact other parts when Such containers are particularly" the blank is folded to form the container, the 55 adhesive when dry maintaining the container in the shape desired for use. It is expedient to nest the containers each within the preceding one to save space in manufacturing, storage and shipping, and it is convenient for the user to have the The adhesive used. does not dry or set imme-' diately, and since it does not bind the parts until it has set, the result is that the resiliency of the paperboard causes the folded blank, if it is not exteriorly confined, to open up and become nothing more *than a .:partially folded blank. Confining the container or pail exteriorly so that it cannot open up beforefnesting may be done expediently within a chute or. runway which furnishes at the same time a path of travel for the nested containers. But when confined exteriorly before completion of the nesting of the next succeeding unit therein, the resiliency of the material causes the sides toward which the gussets are exteriorly folded to incline inwardly of the container and thereby block the interior sufllciently to prevent nesting. All four sides of the container of the Goodyear application mentioned above, and perhaps of some other containers also, have extensions to be bent over at creases to form top flaps, and these extensions or flaps further block the openings-into the containers and aggravate the difliculty of nesting of the containers before the adhesive has set.

Objects of this invention are to provide automatic means for holding the parts of the containers in such position that they can be automatically nested and means for nesting them, before the adhesive has set and without any unfolding of the parts, and other objects will be apparent after reading this specification.

Preferred exemplifications of the invention are shown on the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, on which 1 is avertical section of a machine for accomplishing the objects referred to above, with the parts in their position at an earlier stage of a cycle of operation;

Fig. 2 is a similar view at a later stage of the cycle; Y

Fig. 3 is a cross section on theline 3-3 on F18. 1;

of a modified form of machine for accomplishing the objects referred to above, with the parts in their position at the beginning of a cycle of operation, and

Figs. 8, 9, and 11 are views similar to Fig. 7 showing the parts in different p sitions during a cycle of operation.

Flat blanks It, as that shown on Fig. 4, have scores or creases along all the dotted lines thereon. All dotted lines on such figure represent creases or scores and are collectively marked II. All such scores or creases may, if desired for the sake of simplicity, be impressed into the same side of the blank simultaneoisly. The blanks are bent to form containers v." .ich are preferably tapered and have a rectangular bottom l2,- a pair of opposite trapezoidal side walls 13, and a pair of trapezoidal side walls l4. 'Foldable full type gussets I! connect the pairs of side walls [3 and H, the material of which is continuous, and thus the con- .tainer is as leakproof as the material of which it is made. The sides 13 haveextensions I8 and the sides l4 have extensions I'I, these extensions forming the top or cover flaps of'the container'on bending them'at the creases or scores defining them, The flaps it have cuts l8 therethrough and the flaps I! have cuts I! therethrough. The cuts l8 are to form handle portions and the cuts l9 are to form interlocking portions. Adhesive is applied to certain parts of the flat blank Ill, after which it is folded at the scores or creases. It is applied so that gussets will be held to 8115- sets and to outer faces of side walls when the adhesive has set. The adhesive is applied preferably but not necessarily only to faces which will be outside of the finished container to avoid any chance of contamination of contents by theadhesive. For example, if the side walls and gussets are folded upwardly from the blank of Fig. 4, then the adhesive is preferably applied only to the lower face of the blank, and, if desired, only to gussets. The adhesive is preferably applied by conventional automatic means. A pail of such type is described and claimed in the Goodyear application referred to above. The gussets are folded to overlap each other against the outer faces of one of the pairs of side walls II or 14, preferably against the narrower pair if they are not of thesame width. This allows for more rinting space on the wider side walls and also affords more overlapping of the gussets. Such folding is shown on Fig. 6. The present invention is useful with respect to the Goodyear invention and other types of pails, as well as to containers generally.

The blanks having the adhesive properly applied thereto are usually located one at a time over a member having an opening therethrough functioning as a forming die which is conventionally used for folding container blanks, and is therefore not shown, with the bottom l2 properly located over such opening. A plunger moves onto the face of the bottom I 2 and forces the blank through the die thereby causing it to be folded in conventional manner into a container having an open top and this to be moved into a four-sided runway in which containers with their tops open are nested. The containers, after being folded into shape on passing through the die, are moved one by one into a chute or runway 2| having four

sides

22, 23, 24 and 25, through which the series of containers is forwarded and which prevents the sides of the containers from spreading. They are nested within the runway, one at a time, each into the preceding one, as will be described hereinafter.

The plunger has a bottom member 26 dimensioned to fill the bottom of the folded container, and it is attached to a hollow cylinder 21. Attached to the bottom member by screws 28 are side members 29. The cylinder 21' has opposite openings 3| therethrough; through which levers 32 project, these levers having ends 33 shaped to contact the extensions I1 and swing them outw'ardly about their scores or creases, as will be referred to hereinafter. The levers 32 are pivoted on pivot pins 34 affixed to the cylinder 21. A rod 35 is mounted to slide in holes in

disc bearings

36, 31 affixed to the cylinder 21 by pins ll. The lower end of the rod 35 is provided with a disclike head or abutment 4l.. A compression spring 42 extends between the disc 31 and the inner ends of'the levers 32 about the rod 35. A stop member 43 isafllxed to a suitable stationary support 44. A cross-bar 45 is attached to the rod 35, to contact and be stopped by the stop member 43. The cylinder 21 is reciprocated to form the containers consecutively, and the plunger 28 as well as the rod 35 and parts appurtenant thereto reciprocate with it.

The parts of the formed blank, tend to assume, if not confined; before the adhesive has set, the positions illustrated in a general way. on Fig. 6. the walls l4 and the extensions or naps I1 thereon preventing nesting of another unit therein. On its downward movement, the plunger gathers a blank as shown on Fig. 4, to suitable parts of which adhesive has been applied, about itself by pressing the blank through the die which per se forms no part of this invention. The plunger is then within the shaped container in the position shown on Fig. 1, the applied adhesive having not yet set, nor has the adhesive set on the next preceding unit. As the cylinder and plunger continue their downward movement to the position shown on Fig. 2, the plunger carries the containers along with it. The rod 35 and the cross-bar 45 move downwardly with the cylinder 21 and plunger until the cross-bar is stopped by the stop member 43, the cylinder 21 continuing its downward movement to compress the spring 42 and thereby cause the pivot pins 34 to approach the abutment 4|. Due to the shape of the levers 32, they are thereby forced outwardly as shown on Fig. 2 to press the flaps ll outwardly.

The

sides

22 and 23 of the runway have opposite openings 46 therein respectively, at the position where the levers 32 move outwardly. Hooks 41 which are preferably resilient, are attached by screws 48 or any other suitable fastening means to the

walls

22, 23, in such position that the flaps I! are pushed under the hooks by the end 33 of the levers 32 when the levers are moved outwardly as shown on Fig. 2. By this time the container on the plunger has entered and has been nested within the container next preceding it by the continued downward movement of the plunger. as shown at the lower half of Fig. 1. The hooks 41 retain the container and strip it from the plunger on the upstroke thereof, and by preventing the flap portions H from 7 moving inwardly, permit nesting of the next eontainer formed by the next downstroke of the plunger.

Nesting is aided by ribs 49 on the inner faces of the runway sides 24 and 25 which exert pressure on the walls I3 of the container which causes them to bend inwardly as shown on Fig. 3, which in turn causes the side walls l4 to extend outwardly away from eachother. This assures that the walls I4 and the flaps I! will b. extended outwardly to be in proper position so that the flaps I! will be extended outwardly under the hooks 41. The container parts would otherwise assume the positions shown on Fig. 6

When the plunger is at the lowermost part of its downstroke, it begins its upstroke and leaves the container which is thereon, before its adhesive thereon has set, within the next preceding one and thereby prevents such preceding one from collapsing and the parts thereof from moving inwardly. The last container in the nest is held open by the hooks 41. The chute or runway 2I extends to a desired point of delivery andthe nest of containers is intermittently and regularly moved forward therein to such point.

In the modification shown on Figs. 7-11, the plunger 6| pushes blanks like that illustrated on Fig. 4, with adhesive applied at the desired parts of the surface thereof, through the forming die (not shown). The plunger does this on its upstrokes and then moves the folded blank thereon upwardly into and through a runway or chute 62, in which nesting occurs. This chute may be similar to that referred to above, and is rectangular and dimensioned so that the folded containers can move therethrough. Opposite sides 63 have openings 64 therein, adjacent which endless chains or other flexible driving means 65 are mounted. Each chain runs over its own set of

sprockets

66, 61, and 68. Each chain is provided with lugs 69 which project outwardly from the chains. On their travel from the sprockets 61 to the sprockets 66, the lugs 69 each project toward an opposite lug 69 on the other chain and are so positioned that they contact the lower edgeslof the last folded blank to lift it up and away from the plunger 6| as will be referred to hereinafter. Lugs 10 project forwardly at right angles to the lugs 69 for a purpose referred to hereinafter.

Vertically reciprocating blocks II, the means to reciprocate which are not shown, carry pivot pins 12 on which short arms 13 can oscillate. The reciprocating blocks are behind, and the pivot pins project through, elongated openings 14 in, guard plates 14a. Carried by such short arms are two sets of arms, 15 and 16. The arms 15 project exteriorly of the chute or runway 62, before the front 11 thereof,'while the arms 16 normally extend into the runway through the openings 64 in the sides 63. The arms 16 which extend into the runway may be broad.

The operation of this modification will now be described. With' the parts as shown on Fig. 7, the plunger 6| has moved upwardly to the uppermost position of its stroke with a blank folded thereon at 18 after the blank has been moved through the forming die (not shown), whereupon lugs 69 by their upward movement lift the folded blank 19 off of the plunger and carry it upwardly. At the same time, the reciprocating blocks II are moving downwardly to complete the last half-of their downstroke. When such downstroke has been completed, the parts will be positioned as shown on Fig. 8. The blocks II and the lugs 69 with the folded blank thereon then both move upwardly. At the end of the upstroke of the blocks, the parts will be positioned as shown on Fig. 9. The folded blank then contacts the arms 16 to cause them, as well as the

arms

19 and 15 to swing outwardly as shown on Fig. 10. The folded blank 18 on which the adhesive has not yet set is continuously moved upwardly within the runway progressively as shown in Figs. 7,- 8, 9 and 10. As it is ready to enter the next preceding folded blank'19, on which the adhesive has not yet set, the arms 16 extend the sides H, or rather the flaps l'l thereof, which normally tend to assume the position shown in Fig. 6, so that the folded blank 18 may enter and be nested therein, the arms 16 functioning something like a shoehorn. The folded blank 19 is maintained with its parts in correct position until the adhesive thereon has set by the unit 18 therein and by the runway. When the folded blank 18 has entered the next preceding folded blank 19 sufilciently to assure proper nesting, the blocks ll begin their downward movement, which, together with the upward movement of the chains 65, causes the arms 15 and the lugs 10 to contact each other. The continued upward movement of such lugs and the downward movement of the blocks 'Il cause the arms 15 to spread apart as shown on Fig. 11, such spreading of the arms15 causing the arms 16 to spread apart likewise and to be'removed from the interior .of the unit 19 and from the interior of the runway, as shown on Fig. 11. This leaves the runway free for the next succeeding folded blank to pass therethrough and to become the element I6 for the next cycle of operation, the one which had just been the element 18 becoming the element 19. The operation shown on Fig. 11 is intermediate between that shown On Figs. 7 and 8. The cycle of Operation is then repeated successively until the desired number of containers have been formed. Ribs 60 which are similar to, and have the same function as, the ribs 49 on Fig. 1 are useful also in this exemplification.

The stack of nested containers, "no matter by which machine it is made, can be delivered to any desired point through an open four-sided runway 8|, each addition to the nested series moving the series one step further. The invention is well adapted for making and nesting containers hava ing the specific structure described and claimed in the Goodyear application mentioned above, and it is also well adapted for making containers generally. of any structure where there is a tendency for the formed blank having unset adhesive thereon to become distorted sumciently to interfere with proper nesting.

Maintenance of nested units in the runway for a time sufficient for the adhesive to dry or set completes the manufacture thereof.

Some of the specific features referred to for the purpose of illustrating and describing the invention may be varied without departing from the spirit thereof. a

I claim:

1. A machine for making containers, having means comprising a reciprocative plunger for forming container blanks successively into container form, a runway into which said plunger moves on its forming stroke'to insert the container forms thereinto and nest them therein. and means to maintain open the form of the container immediately preceding that being nested.

2. A machine for making and nesting c'ontainers from successive container blanks, parts formv ing opposite sides of said containers have a tendency to spring out of position before adhesive thereon has set, which comprises means to form successive container blanks into container forms which have unset adhesive thereon to bind the blank parts when the adhesive has set, a runway to receive successively formed nested containers from said forming means, and means cooperating with the runway to cause the sides between said opposite sides to bend inwardly and thereby prevent the container parts forming said opposite sides from springing out of position.

3. A machine for making containers, having means comprising a reciprocative plunger for forming container blanks successively into container form, a runway into which said plunger moves on its forming stroke to insert the contalner forms thereinto and nest them therein, means to maintain open the form of the container immediately preceding that being nested, and means to retain said container form on the return stroke of said plunger.

4. A machine formaking containers having a tendency for opposite sides thereof to move inwardly before adhesive thereon has set, comprising a runway for nested containers, and means to cause sides between said first mentioned sides to bend slightly inwardly and thereby prevent such first mentioned sides from moving inwardly.

5. A machine for making containers having a tendency for opposite sides thereof to move inwardly before adhesive thereon has set, comprising a runway for nested containers, and means within said runway to cause sides between said first mentioned sides to bend slightly inwardly and thereby prevent such first mentioned sides from moving inwardly.

6. A machine for making containers having a tendency for opposite sides thereof to move inwardly before adhesive thereon has set, comprising a runway for nested containers, and a rib within and longitudinally of said runway "to cause sides between said first mentioned sides to bend slightly inwardly and thereby prevent said first mentioned sides from moving inwardly.

7. A machine for forming and nesting containers of the type having sides and cover flaps formed from foldable blank material, comprising a runway for holding a group of such containers in nested condition, plunger mechanism mounted for reciprocating movement in the run-' way and movable in one direction to nest sucn containers by insertion of a formed container thereon into a container of said nested group immediately preceding such formed container, and opposite hooks cooperating with the runway to engage over opposite cover rlaps on a container to hold said flaps out of the way during the nesting and also to hold said nested group in position when the plunger mechanism moves in an opposite direction on its return stroke.

8. A machine for formingand nesting containers of the type having sides and cover flaps formed. from ioldable blank material, comprising a runway for holding a group of such containers in nested condition, plunger mechanism mounted for reciprocating movement in the runway and movable in one direction to nest such containers by insertion of a formed container thereon into a container of said nested group immediately preceding such formed container, opposite hooks cooperating with the runway to engage over opposite cover fiaps on a container to hold slid flaps out of the way during the nesting and also to hold said nested group in prsition when the plunger mechanism moves in an opposite direction on its return stroke, and means to efiect relative lateral movement between the hooks and said opposite cover flaps during the nesting.

9. A machine for forming and nesting containers of the type having sides and cover flaps formed from foldable blank material, comprising a runway for holding a group of such containers in nested condition, plunger mechanism mounted for reciprocating movement in the runway and movable in one direction to nest such containers by insertion of a formed container thereon into a container of said nested group immediately preceding such formed container, opposite hooks c0- operating with the runway to engage over opposite cover flaps on a container to hold said flaps out of the way during the nesting and also to hold said nested group in position when the plunger mechanism moves in an opposite direction on its return stroke, and members mounted for movement with the plunger mechanism and which are also movable laterally outwardly relative to the plunger mechanism during the nesting to move said flaps laterally outwardly.

10. A machine for forming and nesting containers of the type having sides and cover fiaps formed from foldable blank material, comprising a runway for holding a group ot such containers in nested condition, plunger mechanism mounted for reciprocating movement in the runway and movable in one direction to nest such containers by insertion of a formed container thereon into a container of said nested group immediately preceding such formed container, opposite hooks cooperating with the runway to engage over opposite cover flaps on a container to hold said flaps out of the way during the nesting and also to hold said nested group in position when the plunger mechanism moves in an opposite direction on its return stroke, members mounted for movement with theplunger mechanism and which are also"p votnlly supported thereby for lateral outward movement relative to the plunger mechanism during the nesting to move said flaps laterally outwardly, and means for automatically moving said members during the nesting.

11. A machine for forming and nesting containers o! the type having sides and cover flaps formed from ioldable blank material, comprising a runway for holding a group or such containers in nested condition, plunger mechanism mounted for reciprocating movement in the runway and movable in one direction to nest such containers by insertion of a formed container thereon into a container of said nested group immediately preceding such formed container, opposite hooks cooperating with the runway to engage over opposite cover flaps on a container to hold said naps out of the way during the nesting and also to hold said nested group, in position when the plunger mechanism moves in an opposite direction'on its return stroke, members mounted for movement with the plunger mechanism and which are also pivotally supported thereby for lateral outward movement relative to the plunger mechanism during the nesting to move said naps laterally outwardly, resilient means movable with the plunger mechanism for normally holding said members inwardly during movement or the plunger mechanism, and means for automatically causing such resilient means to move said members outwardly during the nesting.

s,sae,soo 5 a runway for holding a group of such containers in nested condition, plunger mechanism mounted a for reciprocating movement in the runway and sertion of a formed container thereon into a con- I tainer of said nested group immediately preceding such formed container, means to cause the sides movable in one direction to nest such containers v a by insertion of a formed container thereon into a container of said nested group immediately preceding such formed container, and opposite hooks cooperating with the runway to engage over opposite cover flaps on a container to hold said flaps out o! the way during the nesting and also to hold said nested group in position when the plunger mechanism moves in an opposite direction on its return stroke, said hooks being mounted at the outside 01' said runway and the runway having opposite apertures adjacent the hooks.

13. A ior forming and nesting containers of the type having sides and cover flaps formed from Ioidable blank material in which parts forming opposite sides of such containers have a tendency to spring out or position before adhesive thereon has set, comprising a runway for holding a plurality of such containers in nested condition, plunger mechanism mounted for reciprocating movement in the runway and movable in one direction to nest such containers by inbetween said opposite sides to bend inwardly during the nesting and thereby prevent the parts forming said opposite sides from springing out of position and interfering with the nesting, and

means to hold the cover flaps on said opposite sides out of the way during such nesting.

14 A machine for forming and nesting containers of the type having sides and cover flaps formed from foldable blank material in which parts forming opposite sides of such containers have a tendency to spring out of position before adhesive thereon has set, comprising a runway for holding a plurality of such containers in nested condition, means to nest such containers by insertion of a formedcontainer intov a container of said nested group immediately preceding such formed container, and means within the runway located at the position where the nesting is effected to cause the sides between said opposite sides to bend inwardly during the nesting and thereby prevent the parts forming said opposite sides from springing out of position and interfering with the nesting.

WIILIAMW. VAN VOORHIS.