US3073217A

US3073217A - Method and apparatus for making printed flattened tubular carton blanks

Info

Publication number: US3073217A
Application number: US63365A
Authority: US
Inventors: Richard O Spalding; Marvin C Street
Original assignee: Owens Illinois Glass Co
Current assignee: OI Glass Inc
Priority date: 1960-10-18
Filing date: 1960-10-18
Publication date: 1963-01-15
Anticipated expiration: 1980-01-15

Description

Jan. 15, 1963 R. o. SPALDING ETAL 3,073,217

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING PRINTED FLATTENED TUBULAR CARTON BLANKS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 18, 1960 ,I INVENTORS RICHARD O. SPALDING MARVIN C. STREET m. M Mi ATTORNEYA' Jan. 15, 1963 R. o. SPALDING ETAL METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING PRINTED FLATTENED TUBULAR CARTON BLANKS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 18, 1960 INVENTORS RICHARD 0, SPALNNG MARVIN C. STREET Y 0M. M M 1% ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3.013311 -METHOD AND APPAR' TUS FOR MAKING gr u N 'r p n FLATTENED TUBULAR CARTON Richard 0. Spalding and Marvin C. Street, Toledo, Ohio,

This invention relates to method and apparatus for making printed flattened tubular carton blanks, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for making such blanks in a combined continuous process.

At the present time, blanks of the type with which the invention is concerned are manufactured by feeding flat sheets of corrugated board or similar material through a printer slotter which prints, slots and scores the blank in readiness for a subsequent folding and gluing operation. In the conventional process, the blanks are stacked as they emerge from the printer slotter and the stack is subsequently transferred to a folder gluer unit and passed through the folder gluer which folds and glues the blank into the desired flattened tubular form. In the usual case. the stacks of blanks are not passed directly from the printer slotter to the folder gluer, but are stored for a period of time in order to allow the printing on the blanks to dry completely before the blanks are fed into the folder gluer unit.

Apart from the drying of the printing, a second characteristic of machines presently in use prevents the combining of the printing, slotting, folding and gluing of the blanks into a single continuous operation. This is due to the fact that the cardboard blanks emerge from the printer slotter with their printed side uppermost, while the manner in which the blanks are folded in presently employed folder gluer units requires the blank to be fed into the folder gluer unit with the printed side down. Thus, in the conventional process, the stacking of the blanks as they emerge from the printer slotter is employed not only to achieve the necessary ink drying time, but also to provide a convenient means for simultaneously inverting a relatively large number of blanks prior to their introduction into the folder gluer.

It is a primary object of our invention to provide a method and apparatus for making printed flattened tubular carton blanks in a combined continuous operation.

Another object of our invention is to provide a method and apparatus for making printed flattened tubular carton blanks which does not require the inverting of the blank during the operation.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a method and apparatus for making printed flattened tubular carton blanks in which the blanks may be fed directly from the printing stage to the folding and gluing stage.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a method and apparatus for folding carton blanks in which the blank is folded in the same orientation as it emerges from the printing stage of the operation.

In the achievement of the foregoing, and other objects, carton blanks emerging from a printer slotter are conveyed through a drying operation in which the printed upper surfaces of the blank are exposed to a drying medium. After the blanks pass through the drying operation, they are fed to a folder gluer unit which is especially designed to receive the blanks in a printed-side-up orientation and to fold the blanks into flattened tubular form while maintaining the printed surfaces of the blank on the exterior of the flattened tubular form. This is accomplished by maintaining the central portion of a blank in printed-side-up orientation while folding opposed side portions on opposite sides of the central portion successively 3,073,217 Patented Jan. 15, 1963 downwardly, inwardly and upwardly into overlapping relationship beneath the central portion and adhesively bonding the overlapped edges of the side portionsto each other.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent by reference to the following specification and to the drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view, partially broken away, of one form of apparatus embodying the invention;

FIG. 1a is a top plan view of a typical blank operated upon by the apparatus of FIG. 1',

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view, partrally schematic with certain parts broken away or omitted, of another form of apparatus embodying the invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on a vertical plane passing through the longitudinal center line of the folder gluer unit of the apparatus of FIG. 1; and

FIGS. 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 are transverse cross-sectional views of the folder gluer unit taken respectively on lines 44, 55, 6-6, 7--7, and 88 of FIG. 3.

Referring first to FIG. 1, one form of apparatus for producing flattened tubular carton blanks in accordance with the present invention is disclosed as including a printer slotter designated generally 10 which may be of any of a number of commercially available machines of this type which accept generally rectangular precut pieces of corrugated paper board or the like, print the upper surface of the blank and simultaneously slot and score the blank for subsequent folding operations. The blank is discharged from printer slotter 10 in a flat, substantially horizontal position with the printed surface of the blank uppermost.

Blanks discharged from printer slotter 10 are received by a first conveyer designated generally 12, which may be either a belt or powered roll conveyer of conventional construction, which conveys the sheets in succession beneath a drier assembly, designated generally 14, with the printed surface of the sheets uppermost. Drier 14 in FIG. 1 consists of a steam drying oven of substantially conventional design. The length of conveyer l2 and drier section 14 are selected in accordance with the rate of movement of sheets along conveyer 12 to expose the freshly printed surfaces of the sheets to the heated air drying medium for a suflicient length of time to dry the printing on the sheets. During transit of drier section 14, the sheets are maintained on conveyer 12 in a flat horizontal position.

The corrugated board blank as it emerges from drier section 14 may have the general form illustrated in FIG. 1a in which the blank B may be slotted as at 16 and formed with a pair of parallel score lines such as 18 and, in most cases, cut with a glue lap or tab 20 extending along one side edge of the blank. Score lines 18 divide the blank into a central portion 22 and a pair of

opposed side portions

24 and 26. The blank, in the usual case, is often provided with additional score lines not shown in FIG. 1a since only score lines 18 are of any especial concern in the operation under consideration.

Sheets discharged from conveyor 12 are received by a folder gluer unit designated generally 28 which includes a glue applicator 29 of conventional construction mounted at the inlet end of the unit and located to apply an adhesive bonding material to the upper surface of glue laps 20 of the sheets as they are fed onto the folder gluer unit.

Folder gluer 28 includes a main conveyer belt 30 trained around

horizontal end rolls

32 and 34, one of the end rolls being driven in rotation by means (not shown) to drive the lower run of belt 30 in a direction away from conveyor 12. Belt 30 is of relatively small transverse extent and, as best seen in FIGS. 1 and 4 through 8 is somewhat narrower than the width of the central portion 3 of carton blanks n. Blanks B are fed into folder gluer unit 28 with score lines 18 extending parallel to the direction of movement of the lower run of belt 30 and

side portions

24 and 26 projecting transversely outwardly bepond the edges of belt 30.

Referring now to .FIGS. 3 through 8, a secondary conveyer belt 36 is traiii'ed around a pair of

end rolls

38 and 40 to underlie that portion" of belt 30 adjacent conveyer 12. One of

end rolls

38 or 40 is connected to a driving source (not shown) to drive belt 36 in a direction such that its upper run moves from right to left as viewed in FIG. 3. As best seen in FIGS. 3 through 5, blanks B discharged from conveyer 12 are received between the opposed runs of

conveyor belts

30 and 36 and thus conveyed from right to left as viewed in FIG. 3.

From the downstream end of belt 36, an elongate platelike table 42 is supported in underlying relationship with belt 30 as by a pedestal type support 44 at its upstream end, the downstream end of table 42 being cantilevered from pedestal 44 as best viewed in FIG. 3. The upper surface of table 42 forms a horizontal slideable supporting surface for the central portions of blanks B after the blanks are conveyed beyond the downstream end of belt 36. Preferably, the upstream end of table 42 is bent downwardly somewhat as at 46 to avoid snagging the leading end of blanks passing onto the table from belt 36.

As the blank is conveyed along conveyor belt 36 and table 42, the projecting

side portions

24 and 26 are first deflected downwardly from the horizontal about score lines 18 by a pair of fixed deflectors 48 and 50 (FIG. 1) and are then deflected further downwardly, inwardly and then upwardly by a pair of

folding belts

52 and 54 which are twisted and inclined inwardly toward the center line of the folder gluer unit in the fashion best shown in FIGS. 4 through 8. A plurality of training rolls such as 58 are mounted upon the conveyer frame 60 (FIG. 1) at suitable locations to guide

belts

52 and 54 in the desired angular relationship to belt 30 at selected points along the conveyer.

Belts

52 and 54 are driven by suitable means (notshown) so that the inner run of the belts (that run which engages the adjacent side portion of blank B) moves in the same longitudinal direction as the blank.

As best seen in F167, as the blank B approaches the downstream end of table 42,

side portions

24 and 26 have been folded into a substantially horizontal position beneath the lowersurface of table 42. Hence, table 42 is terminated as at 62 somewhat short of end roll 32 and a second elongate table 64 extends in longitudinal alignment with table 42 from the downstream end 62 of table 42 to a location somewhat beyond end roll 32. The upstream end of table 64 is curved downwardly in spaced relationship beneath end 62 of table 42 as at 66. As the blanks pass beyond the end 62 of table 42,

belts

52 and 54

guide side portions

24 and 26 respectively upwardly so that the lower side of the side portions engages the upper surface of table 64 and the blank is gripped between the lower run of belt 30 and the upper surface of table 64. As best seen in FIGS. 6 and 7, the dimensions of the blank, the locations of score lines 18 and relative inclinations of

belts

52 and 54 are such that during the folding operation, glue lap 20 is disposed in overlapping adhesive bonding relationship with side portion 26 to thereby form a flattened tubular carton blank. The printed surface of central portion 22 is maintained in printed-side-up relationship throughout movement of the carton blank through the drier 14 and folder gluer unit 28. Hence,.the tubular carton blank is printed on its exterior surface at the conclusion of the gluing operation.

Blanks discharged from folder gluer unit 28 are received in a carton squaring and counting unit of a commercially available type, partially indicated at 68, from which the completed tubular blanks may be conducted to further handling operations.

In the FIG. 2 embodiment a printer slotter 110 is employed to print and slot blanks B to the FIG. 1 configu- 4 ration. In the FIG. 2 embodiment, a relatively short drier section 114 is employed and carton blanks are conveyed through drier 114 as by a belt conveyor 112. The FIG. 2 embodiment differs from the FIG. 1 embodiment primarily in that drying of the printing ink is completely achieved within drier section 14 of the FIG. 1 embodiment, while in the FIG. 2 embodiment only parital drying of the printing occurs during transit of drier 114.

Blanks discharged from conveyer 112 are received upon an inter-leaf conveyer 116 which transfers the blanks from conveyer 112 to an under feeding stacker unit illustrated schematically at 118. From the under feed stacker unit, the blanks are transferred to a folder gluer unit 128 substantially similar to folder gluer unit 28 of FIG. 1 with the exception that powered rolls 136 are substituted for the secondary belt 36 of the FIG. 1 embodiment. The folding and gluing operation in the FIG. 2 embodiment is substantially identical with that performed in FIG. 1 embodiment.

In both embodiments, the freshly printed sheets are conveyed directly from the printer slotter to the folder gluer unit, in contrast with previously known processes where the printed sheets are stacked and stored after they emerge from the printer slotter to afford suflicient time for the ink to dry before the sheets are fed to conventional types of folder gluer units. In conventional processes of this type, the stacking and storing of the freshly printed sheets, while recognized as a time con suming process, was not considered overly ineflicient since conventional folder gluer units operate by folding the side portions of the blank upwardly, inwardly and then downwardly relative to the central portion during the folding and gluing operation and thus require that the printed sheet be inverted to locate the printed side of the sheet down as it is presented to the folder gluer. Since it was necessary to invert the sheets between the printer slotter and the folder gluer, this operation could be conveniently performed in the dead time in the operation during which the ink was drying.

In the process disclosed in this application, the folder gluer operates in an up-side-down manner as compared to conventional folder gluers and hence it is not necessary to invert the sheet after its emergence from the printer slotter. This permits the direct or straight line conveying of the sheet from the printer slotter through the folder gluer unit to thereby achieve a smoothly continuous production of flattened tubular cartons printed on their exterior surface.

While we have shown and described exemplary forms of our invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other forms of modification to the disclosed embodiments may be employed. Therefore, the foregoing description is not to be construed as limiting, but the true scope of the invention is that defined in the following claims.

We claim:

1. The method of making a flattened tubular carton blank printed on its exterior surface from a flat sheet scored along two parallel score lines to define opposite side portions separated from each other by a central portion comprising the steps of printing the sheet on the upper surface thereof at a first work station, conveying the printed sheet in a direction parallel to said score lines to a second work station while maintaining the printed surface of said sheet uppermost, folding said sheet during the conveying of said sheet between said first and said second work stations by successively deflecting said side portions downwardly, inwardly and upwardly in continuous movement about said score lines into overlapping relationship beneath said central portion while maintaining said central portion horizontal with the printed surface uppermost, and adhesively bonding the overlapped portions of said side portions to each other.

2. The method of making a flattened tubular carton blank printed on its exterior surface from a fiat sheet scored along two parallel score lines to define opposite side portions separated from each other by a central portion comprising the steps of printing the sheet on the upper surface thereof at a first work station, conveying the sheet m a direction parallel to said score lines to a second work station while maintaining the printed surface of said sheet uppermost, exposing the printed surface of said sheet to a drying medium during movement of said sheet between said first and said second work stations, folding said sheet subsequent to its exposure to said drying medium and during movement of said sheet between said first and said second work stations by successively deflecting said side portions downwardly, inwardly and upwardly in continuous movement about said score lines into overlapping relationship beneath said central portion while maintaining said central portion horizontal with the printed surface uppermost, and adhesively bonding the overlapped portions of said side portions to each other.

3. The method of making a flattened tubular carton blank printed on its exterior surface from a flat sheet scored along two parallel score lines to define opposite side portions separated from each other by a central portion comprising the steps of printing the sheet on the upper surface thereof at a first work station, conveying the sheet in a direction parallel to said score lines to a second work station while maintaining the printed surface of said sheet uppermost, applying an adhesive bonding material to the upper surface of one of said side portions in a strip extending along the edge of the side portion remote from said central portion during movement of said sheet between said first and said second work stations, subsequently folding said sheet during movement of said sheet between said first and said second work stations by successively deflecting said side portions downwardly, inwardly and upwardly in continuous movement about said score lines to locate the strip of adhesive bonding material on said one side portion in overlapping bonding relationship with the other of said side portions.

4. The method of making a flattened tubular carton blank printed on its exterior surface from a flat sheet scored along two parallel score lines to define opposite side portions separated from each other by a central portion comprising the steps of printing the sheet on the upper surface thereof at a first work station, conveying the sheet in a direction parallel to said score lines to a second work station while maintaining the printed surface of said sheet uppermost, exposing the upper surface of said sheet to a drying medium during the initial portion of movement of said sheet from said first work station, applying an adhesive bonding material to the upper surface of one of said side portions in a strip extending along the edge thereof remote from said central portion subsequent to the exposure of said sheet to said drying medium, and subsequently folding said sheet during movement of said sheet between said first and said second work stations by successively deflecting said side portions downwardly, inwardly and upwardly in continuous movement about said score lines,to dispose the strip of adhesive bonding material on said one of said side portions in overlapping bonding relationship with the other of said side portions.

5. The method as defined in claim 4 wherein the central portion of said sheet is conveyed in continuous movement between said first and said second stations and maintained in a horizontal position throughout movement.

6. The method as defined in claim 4 wherein the rate of movement of said sheet toward said work station is retarded between the exposure of said sheet to said drying medium and the application of adhesive thereto.

7. Apparatus for making flattened tubular carton blanks 7o printed on their exterior surface from flat generally rectangular sheets divided by a pair of parallel score lines into a central portion and opposite side portions, said apparatus comprising printing means for printing said sheets on the upper surface thereof, first conveying means for conveying freshly printed sheets in succession from said printing means with the printed surface of said sheets uppermost, drying means overlying said first conveying means for drying the freshly printed surfaces of saidsheets as said sheets areconveyedalong said first conveying means, second conveying means for receiving sheets from said first conveying means and conveying said sheets in a direction parallel to said score lines with the central portions of the sheets supported in a horizontal printedside-up relationship, folding means extending along the opposed sides of said second conveying means for successively deflecting the opposite side portions of said sheets downwardly, inwardly and then upwardly into overlapping relationship beneath the central portion as said sheets are conveyed along said second conveying means, and means for securing the overlapped side portions of each sheet to each other.

8. Apparatus for making flattened tubular carton blanks printed on their exterior surface from flat generally rectangular s"eets divided by a pair of parallel score lines into a central portion and opposite side portions, said apparatus comprising printing means for printing said sheets on the upper surface thereof, first conveying means for conveying freshly printed sheets from said printing means with the printed surface of the sheets uppermost, drying means overlying said first conveying means for drying the freshly printed surfaces of said sheets as said sheets are conveyed along said first conveying means, second conveying means for receiving sheets from said first conveying means and conveying said sheets in succession in a direction parallel to said score lines with the central portion of the sheet maintained in a ,7

horizontal printed-side-up relationship, means for applying a strip of adhesive bonding material along the upper surface of each sheet adjacent the edge of one side portion remote from said central portion as said sheets are conveyed along said second conveying means, and folding means extending along the opposed sides of said second conveying means for successively deflecting the opposite side portions of said sheets downwardly, inwardly and then upwardly as said sheets are conveyed along said second conveying means to locate the strip of adhesive,

bonding material on said one of said side portions in overlapping bonding engagement with the other side portion.

9. Apparatus for folding a flat sheet having a pair of parallel score lines thereon dividing said sheet into a central portion and a pair of opposed side portions, said apparatus comprising conveying means engageable with the upper surface of said central portion of said sheet for conveying said sheet in a direction parallel to said score lines from a first location to a second location, first supporting means extending from said first location engageable with the under surface of said central portion to support said sheet during movement between said first location and an intermediate location, means engageable with the side portions of said sheet for folding said side portions successively downwardly, inwardly 'and then upwardly about said score lines into overlapping relationship beneath said first supporting means as said sheet is conveyed from said first location to said intermediate location, and second supporting means engageable with the under surface of the overlapped side portions to ,support said sheet as said sheet is conveyed from said/intermediate location to said second location.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Staude et a1. Feb. 18, 1946

Claims

7. APPARATUS FOR MAKING FLATTENED TUBULAR CARTON BLANKS PRINTED ON THEIR EXTERIOR SURFACE FROM FLAT GENERALLY RECTANGULAR SHEETS DIVIDED BY A PAIR OF PARALLEL SCORE LINES INTO A CENTRAL PORTION AND OPPOSITE SIDE PORTIONS, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING PRINTING MEANS FOR PRINTING SAID SHEETS ON THE UPPER SURFACE THEREOF, FIRST CONVEYING MEANS FOR CONVEYING FRESHLY PRINTED SHEETS IN SUCCESSION FROM SAID PRINTING MEANS WITH THE PRINTED SURFACE OF SAID SHEETS UPPERMOST, DRYING MEANS OVERLYING SAID FIRST CONVEYING MEANS FOR DRYING THE FRESHLY PRINTED SURFACES OF SAID SHEETS AS SAID SHEETS ARE CONVEYED ALONG SAID FIRST CONVEYING MEANS, SECOND CONVEYING MEANS FOR RECEIVING SHEETS FROM SAID FIRST CONVEYING MEANS AND CONVEYING SAID SHEETS IN A DIRECTION PARALLEL TO SAID SCORE LINES WITH THE CENTRAL PORTIONS OF THE SHEETS SUPPORTED IN A HORIZONTAL PRINTEDSIDE-UP RELATIONSHIP, FOLDING MEANS EXTENDING ALONG THE OPPOSED SIDES OF SAID SECOND CONVEYING MEANS FOR SUCCESSIVELY DEFLECTING THE OPPOSITE SIDE PORTIONS OF SAID SHEETS DOWNWARDLY, INWARDLY AND THEN UPWARDLY INTO OVERLAPPING RELATIONSHIP BENEATH THE CENTRAL PORTION AS SAID SHEETS ARE CONVEYED ALONG SAID SECOND CONVEYING MEANS, AND MEANS FOR SECURING THE OVERLAPPED SIDE PORTIONS OF EACH SHEET TO EACH OTHER.