US2855741A - Carton closing machines - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 14, 1958 v H. H. SHAW ETAL 2,855,741

1 CARTON CLOSING MACHINES Filed May 9, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN V EN TOR.

By ATZORNEK9 HUGH H. SHAW MART IN SANDERS ON I HAROLD BRADSHAW Oct. 14, 1958 H. H. sHAw ETAL 2,855Q741 CARTON CLOSING MACHINES Filed May 9, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

HAW

United States Patent 2,855,741 CARTON CLOSING MACHINES Hugh H. Shaw, Martin Irving Sanderson, and Harold Bradshaw, Salinas, Calif., assignors to Cochran Motors, Salinas, Calif., a corporation of California Application May 9, 1955, Serial No. 506,937

7 Claims. (Cl. 53374) This invention relates to closing machinery for cartons, and more particularly to apparatus especially adapted, in connection with cartons filled with produce, such as lettuce, and the like, to buttress the side walls of the carton while causing the closure flaps of the carton to be moved to a closed postion for sealing.

The subject apparatus constitutes an improvement over the apparatus disclosed in a commonly owned co-pending application, Serial Number 439,316, filed June 24, 1954. Both the apparatus disclosed in said co-pending application, and the improved apparatus forming the subject matter of the present application are adapted to be embodied in a field crop packing machine of the type which is employed to harvest and pack field produce, such as lettuce.

An important object of the invention is to provide an improved carton closing apparatus which enables the rapid and efiicient closing of a vegetable-filled box or container and at the same time preserves a right angled relationship of the walls thereof while the container flaps are being urged to a closed position and secured in said position.

A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the type described in which carton wall retaining plate members are moved together and into engagement with a pair of oppositely disposed walls of a container while a pair of carton flap closure means are simultaneously operated to move the flaps to a closed position.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings forming part of this specification, and in which: 7

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of the subject apparatus;

Figure 2 is a disassembly view in perspective of the apparatus of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view in end elevation of the apparatus, showing a filled carton disposed thereon and the parts thereof in their positions prior to the closing operation;

Figure 4 is a view in vertical section of the apparatus, illustrating the parts thereof at the end of the carton closing operation;

Figure 5 is a partial view in end elevation of the apparatus showing the same after a carton has been closed; and

Figure 6 is a schematic illustration of the actuating and control system of the apparatus. a

With reference to the drawings, the apparatus comprises: a pair of base supports 10 having secured thereto four upstanding and cylindrical post members 12; a rectangular frame 14 having integral therewith legs 16 which have fixedly secured thereto sleeve elements 18 adapted to beadjustably secured to posts 12, as by set screws 20; a pair of channel members 22 secured to frame 14 at oppositely disposed sides of the top thereof; a plurality of conveyor rollers 24 secured to the channel members 22;

and a pair of oppositely disposed carton closing assemblies indicated generally at 26 and 28.

The carton closing assembly 26 comprises a vertically disposed plate 30, a plate 32 having a hinge connection 34 with plate 30, cylindrical post members 36 fixedly secured to plate 30, said post members 36 extending into sleeve members 38 fixedly secured to frame 14 and being adjustably secured thereto, as by set screws 40. The plate 30 has also secured thereto a bar 42 which is provided at its lower end with an outwardly directed ear 44 to which the lower end of a two way acting hydraulic cylinder 46 is pivotally secured, as by pin 48 which extends through spaced ear members 50 carried by the cylinder and through ear 44. The piston rod 52 of the cylinder 46 is pivotally secured, as by pin 54, to an arm 56, said arm having a forked end 58 which is fixedly secured, as by welding, to plate 32.

The carton closing assembly 28 is movable toward and away from carton closing assembly 26, said assembly 28 being mounted on a carriage indicated generally at 60 and comprising: a pair of parallel plate members 62 each provided with a plurality of rollers 64; a transversely disposed plate member 66 interconnecting the plate members 62; and a pair of channel-shaped trackways 68 constituting cross members for frame 14 and adapted to receive and support the rollers 64. Carton closing assembly 28 comprises a plate 70, a plate 72 pivotally secured to plate by hinge connection 74, a paid of cylindrical post members 76 fixedly secured to plate 70 and extending within sleeve members 78 fixedly secured to plate 66 and adjustably secured therein, as by set screws 80. Plate 70 is further provided with a downwardly extending bar 82 having an outwardly protruding ear to which spaced cars 84, forming the lower end of two way acting by draulic cylinder 86, are pivotally secured, as by pin 88. The piston rod of cylinder 86 is pivotally connected, as by pin 92, to arm 94 which is provided with forked end 96, the latter being fixedly secured to plate 72, as by welding.

Means are provided to cause the carriage 60 to move relative to frame 14 and thereby cause the carton closing assembly 28 to move toward and away from carton closing assembly 26, said means comprising a two way acting hydraulic cylinder 98 having end 100 thereof fixedly secured to frame 14 and having the piston rod 102 thereof secured, as by pin 104, to an ear 106 carried by carriage plate 66.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that the roller conveyor table constituted by roller members 24 and, in fact, all of the parts of the apparatus secured to frame 14, may be vertically adjusted with respect to the base supports 10; that the assemblies 26 and 28 may be vertically adjusted with respect to the roller conveyor to adapt the assemblies for use with cartons of varying heights; that the assemblies 26 and 28 may be relatively moved toward and away from each other, thereby adapting them for use with cartons of varying widths and for movement into wall-retaining position with respect to these cartons; and that the plates 32 and 72 of assemblies 26 and 28 may be moved toward each other and downwardly and upwardly and away from each other; and that these operational characteristics of the apparatus enable the side walls 108 of a carton 110 disposed on the conveyor rollers 24 to be pressed inwardly by plates 30 and 70 against the resistance of produce 112 disposed within the container while the closure flaps 114 of the container are forced downwardly by plates 32 and 72 to a closed position, in which position the flaps 114 are secured, as by stapling means, not shown.

The hydraulic control system for the cylinders 46, 86 and 98 is shown in Figure 6. The system is comprised broadly of a power fluid reservoir 116, a pump 118, a primary control valve 120 mounted on a base support and adapted to be operated by foot lever 122, a secondary control valve 124 mounted on the underside of frame. 14 and having a slidable, control member 126. The control member 126 for valve 124 extends through a hanger sleeve 128 carried by the carriage 60, said control member 126 being provided with a flanged end 130 which serves to connect the member to the carriage 60 for movement therewith in one direction, and said control member 126 being provided with a collar 132 and having a spring 134 sleeved thereon between the collar and the hanger sleeve 128, whereby movement of the carriage 60 inwardly of the frame 14 causes a delayed yielding movement in the other direction of the control member 126.

The pump 118 is disposed in flow delivery relation to both valve 12%) and valve 124 through conduit 136, while sump 116 is disposed in flow receiving relation to the two valves through conduit 138. Valve 120 is disposed in both flow delivery and flow receiving relation with each end of cylinder 98 through conduits 140 and 142. Valve 124 is provided with a pair of T fittings 144 and 146, with fitting 144 being disposed in both flow delivery and flow receiving relation with the upper ends of cylinders 46 and 86 through condiuts 148 and 150, and with fitting 146 being disposed in both flow delivery and flow receiving relation to the lower ends of cylinders 46 and 86 through conduits 152 and 154.

When the foot pedal 122 is depressed, valve 120 is actuated to connect conduits 136 and 142 through the valve and to conduits 138 and 140, thereby causing the piston rod 102 of cylinder 98 to be moved inwardly of the cylinder and to roll the carriage 60 inwardly of frame 14. Movement of the carriage inwardly effects a delayed movement inwardly of the control member 126 of valve 124 through the spring and collar connection 134 and 132. Such movement inwardly of control member 126 effects a connection between conduit 136 and fitting 146 through valve 124, thus admitting fluid to the lower ends of cylinders 46 and 86 through conduits 152 and 154 and causing piston rods 52 and 90 to be moved outwardly to move the carton flap closure plates 32 and 72 from the position shown in Figure 3 to the position shown in Figure 4.

When the carton closing operation has been accomplished, release of the foot pedal 122 actuates valve 120 to connect therethrough conduits 136 and 140 and to connect conduits 138 and 142, thus eflecting outward movement of piston rod 102 and consequent outward movement of carriage 60 toward the Figure 3 position. Engagement between hanger sleeve 128 and the flanged end 130 of the control member 126 of valve 124 imparts an outward movement to the control member 126, thereby actuating valve 124 to connect conduit 136 with fitting 144 and to connect conduit 138 with fitting 146. The piston rods 52 and 90 are thereby positively retracted to the Figure 3 position to return the flap closure plates 32 and 72 to rest position.

It will be noted that the carton side presser plates 30 and 70 are provided adjacent their upper ends with facing strips 156 having downwardly and outwardly inclined surface portions 158. As will be apparent from Figure 4, these strips 156 bow the upper ends of the sides of the carton 110 inwardly without imparting any damage to the carton. When the carton flaps 114 are then secured in, place, as by stapling, the side walls 108 of the carton are under tension after the carton is removed from the machine, and this tension enhances the firmness of the side walls against the tendency of the produce 112 to bulge them outwardly.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it is to be understood that all substantial equivalents thereof are considered to be within the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus of the type described comprising a support frame, horizontally disposed roller conveyor means mounted on said frame whereby a filled carton may be moved onto and off of said frame, a pair of oppositely and vertically disposed carton side presser plates carried by said frame and extending above said conveyor, at least one of said plates being attached to said frame for translational movement toward and away from the other of said plates, a pair of oppositely disposed carton flap presser plates pivotally attached to the upper ends of said carton side presser plates for movement downwardly and toward each other and upwardly and away from each other, and means for first moving said movable carton side presser plate toward the other of said side presser plates and for moving said fiap presser plates downwardly and toward each other and for then moving said movable carton side presser plate away from the other of said plates and for moving said flap presser plates upwardly and away from each other.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 comprising, further, means for adjustably raising and lowering said side presser plates with respect to said conveyor means whereby the apparatus may be adapted for use with cartons of varying sizes.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, said movable side presser plate being mounted on a carriage rollably supported by said support frame, with said means for moving said pairs of plates comprising a two way acting hydraulic cylinder having one end secured to said frame and the other end secured to said carriage, and a two way acting hydraulic cylinder pivotally attached to each of said side presser plates and having lever arm connections with said flap presser plates.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 3 comprising, further, a hydraulic system for the operation of said cylinders including a sump, a pump, conduits to interconnect said pump withsaid cylinders and to interconnect said cylinders with said sump, a manually operable control valve to selectively connect one of the ends of said frame and carriage connected cylinder with said pump and the other end of said cylinder with said sump, and a second control valve carried by said frame and actuated by said carriage to selectively connect alike ends of said pair of cylinders to said pump and the other ends of said cylinders to said sump.

5. Apparatus of the type described comprising a support frame, horizontally disposed roller conveyor means mounted on the top of said frame for movement of a filled carton onto and off of said frame, a vertically disposed carton side presser plate secured to one side of said frame, a second and alike carton side presser plate oppositely disposed to said first mentioned plate, a carriage for said second plate slidably mounted in said support frame whereby said second plate may be moved toward and away from said first mentioned plate, and means for moving said carriage comprising a two way acting hydraulic cylinder having one end secured to said frame and the other end secured to said carriage.

6. Apparatus as set forth in claim 5, including means for vertically adjusting said plates relative to said conveyor means.

7. In apparatus of the type described, frame means adapted to support a carton, a vertically disposed plate disposed at one side of said frame means and connected thereto for adjustable movement upwardly and downwardly, a carton flap presser plate pivotally connected to the upper end of said vertically disposed plate, a two way acting hydraulic cylinder carried at the outside of said vertically disposed plate, the lower end of said cylinder having a pivotal attachment with said vertically disposed plate, and the upper end of said cylinder being pivotally connected to an arm member which is fixedly secured to said flap presser plate, and means for actuating said cylinder to pivot said flap presser plate to a carton flap closing position and to reversely pivot said plate to a rest position, said means including flexible power fluid conduits connected to said cylinder, whereby said cylinder may be moved upwardly and downwardly with said vertically disposed plate during adjustable movement of the latter without disturbing the connections between said cylinder and conduits.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Fales Dec. 24, 1901 Barrett Jan. 5, 1937 Moore Sept. 13, 1949 Genco et al. June 2, 1953 Sawyer et a1. July 5, 1955 Wright et al. Aug. 9, 1955

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