US3196760A - Carton forming machine - Google Patents

Description

July 27, 1965 M. A. TERRY CARTON FORMING MACHINE 15 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 19, 1962 INVENTOR. MOPPIS A. TEPPV July 27, 1965 M. A. TERRY CARTON FORMING MACHINE Filed Nov. 19. 1962 15 Sheets-Sheet 3 I "J. 1.. ZIB 23! T 11222 l in . r /0 we L/\ P222 0 INVENTOR. MOEQ/S A. TEEB? A TI'OENEVS /mww w July 27, 1965 M, A, TERRY 3,196,760

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CARTON FORMING MACHINE Filed Nov. 19, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 7 INVENTOR. MORE/5 A. TEPPV A TTOPN E VS July 27, 1965 M. A. TERRY CARTON FORMING MACHINE 15 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed Nov. 19, 1962 INVENTOR. MORE/5 A. TBPFV BY wwwm WM A 7 7 OEN; V5

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CARTON FORMING MACHINE Filed Nov. 19, 1962 15 Sheets-Sheet l4 AIR SUPPLY V VAC SUPPLY I L E783 76' PICK-UP CYL WATER OUT 801 PRESS 8 10 W WATER m FOLDING FORKS INVENTOR. MORE/S 4. TEBBV memww A TTOB/VEVS July 27, 1965 Filed Nov. 19., 1962 M. A. TERRY CARTON FORMING MACHINE 15 Sheets-Sheet l5 INVENTOR.

MOPP/S A. 75294 5. a/Mmfimw/ ATTOPN V3 United States Patent 3,196,76tl CARTUN FURMHNG MAUI-ENE Morris A. Terry, Portage Township, Kalamazoo County, Mich, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Prc-G-Eorrn Corporation, Warsaw, Ind, a corporation of Indiana Eiied Nov. 19, 1952, Ser. No. 238,4tll 18 Claims. (Cl. 93-44.I)

This application is a continuation-in-part of my patent application Serial No. 79,880, filed December 30, 1960, and entitled Carton Forming Machine, now Patent No. 3,064,542, issued on November 20, 1962.

This invention relates in general to a carton forming machine and, more particularly, to a type thereof which is capable of receiving a plastic coated, substantially tubular carton blank. and forming an end wall on one end of said tubular blank.

The advantages of and need for a relatively small machine for forming the bottom end wall in a plastic coated, tubular carton blank have been discussed in detail in my above-mentioned patent application Serial No. 79,880. "In a continuing effort to improve upon the construction and performance of machines for prcforming milk cartons, especially in the small dairy, it was found that a semiautomatic arrangement was often desirable in order to minimize the cost of the machine, the cost of raintenance and the space occupied by the machine. That is, many of the small dairies do not use enough milk cartons in a single day to Warrant the investment and space require for a fully automatic preforming machine. By using a semiautomatic construction, it is practicable to reduce the number of stations through which the car-ton blank must move while the bottom wall is being formed therein. Accordingly, the size and cost of the machine are reduced proportionately.

It was also found that many of the small dairies would prefer to commence their own preforming operations on a very modest basis, even though cost was no object, in order to acquire prefor-nring experience in a gradual manner and wi hout upsetting the normal routine of the dairy. However, it was indicated that some of these dairies would desire a fully automatic machine after such experience had been acquired. Thus, the .need has been present for a semiautomatic machine of modest cost and capacity, which is adapted for use by a small dairy, which can be used efiiciently while obtaining preforming experience in a limited operation, and which can be converted with a minimum of cost into a substantially fully automatic machine when the need for same arises.

It was also found that many dairies desire an automatic preforming machine which is capable of prebreaking the upper end panels on the milk carton, even though they use a relatively small number of milk cartons. This is primarily due to the fact that they wish to be able to feed the preformed cartons directly from the preforrning machine to an automatic machine for filling and sealing the cartons. Such a machine is the Seal- O-Matic Senior manufactured by Liquid Package Equipmeat Corporation of Woodstock, Illinois.

Accordingly, a primary object of this invention has been the provision of a semiautomatic and compact machine for receiving plastic coated, tubular carton blanks having end panels, and for automatically forming from said end panels an end wall which is held in a liquid-tight condition by the thermoplastic after heat and pressure are applied thereto by said machine.

A further object of this invention has been the provision of a relatively small machine, as aforesaid, for preforrning a plurality of milk cartons from tubular and plastic coated carton blanks in rapid succession so that said cartons can be stored in their space saving, flattened ice condition and quickly preformed .in a minimum of space and time for immediate use.

A further object or" this invention has been the provision of .a preforming machine, as aforesaid, which can be efiiciently operated by a minimum of personnel, which requires a minimum of cost for operation, which is easy to maintain and keep clean, and which completely satisties the long standing need for a compact prefiorming machine of this type.

A further object of this invention has been the provision of a preform-lug machine, as aforesaid, which can be adapted for substantially fully automatic operation to erect a flattened carton blank and to form an end wall on the erected carton blank, such fully automatic operation being achieved by adding components to the basic, semiautomatic machine, either initially or as they are needed.

A further object of this invention has been the provision of a preforming machine, as aforesaid, which can be arranged by adding components to the basic assembly, to prebreak the top end panels on the preformed carton blank, either automatically or semiautomatically, so that said cartons can be transferred at once to a machine for filling and sealing the cartons.

Other objects and purposes of this invention will become apparent to persons familiar with this type of equipment upon reading the following specification and examining the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a carton forming machine embodying the invention.

FZGURE 2 is a fragmentary, front elevational view of said machine with the hood removed from the top of the machine.

FIG-UKE 3 is a broken top plan View of said machine with the hood removed therefrom.

4 is a sectional view substantially as taken along the line IV-IV in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragment of the portion of said machine appearing in FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken along the line VIVI in FIGURE 3 with the heating member in a different position of operation.

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged fragment of the pressure machanism appearing in FIGURE 2.

FlGURE 8 is a bottom view of the pressure head appearing in FIGURE 7.

FIGURE 9 is a sectional view taken along the line IX-IX in FIGURE 8 and rotated degrees clockwise.

FIGURE 10 is an enlarged sectional view substantially as taken along the line X-X in FIGURE 3 and rotated 90 degrees clockwise.

FIGURE 11 is an enlarged sectional view substantially as taken along the line X IXI in FIGURE 3.

[FIGURE 12 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line XII-XII in FIGURE 3 and rotated 90' degrees counterclockwise.

FIGURE 13 is a sectional view substantially as taken along the line XIIIXIII in FIGURE 12.

FIGURE 14 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line XIV-XIV in FIGURE 13.

FIGURE 15 is a bottom view of the mechanism for sup-porting and rotating the mandrel table as such mechanism appears from the cutting line XVXV in FIG- URE 6.

FIGURE 16 is a broken, enlarged sectional view substantially as taken along the line XVI-XVI in FIG- URE 6 and disclosing a modified structure for collapsing the bottom end panels on relatively large cartons.

FIGURE 17 is an enlarged, broken sectional view taken along the line XVIIXVII in FIGURE 16.

FIGURE 18 is an enlarged fragment of FIGURE 17 showing parts thereof in different posit-ions of operation.

FIGURE 19 is a sectional view taken along the line XIXXIX in FIGURE 18.

FIGURE 20 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line XXXX in FIGURE 17.

FIGURE 21 is a broken, top plan view of a modified mandrel table having plurality of modified mandrels thereon.

FIGURE 22 is a perspective view of a fragment of FIGURE 1 illustrating automatic structure for receiving, one at a time, cartons having bottom walls formed therein and for advancing said cartons through mechanism for breaking the top panels of said cartons.

FIGURE 23 is a side elevational view of the automatic structure appearing in FIGURE 22.

FIGURE 24 is a fragment of FIGURE 23 showing part thereof in a different position of operation.

FIGURE 25 is a fragment of FIGURE 23 showing part thereof in a different position of operation.

FIGURE 26 is a broken sectional view substantially as taken along line XXVI-XXVI in FIGURE 23 and rotated 90 degrees clockwise.

FIGURE 27 is a sectional view substantially as taken along the line XXVII-XXVII in FIGURE 26 with part thereof in a different position of operation.

FIGURE 28 is a broken fragment of the disclosure appearing in FIGURE 27.

' FIGURE 29 is a front perspective view of a modified machine embodying the invention.

FIGURE 30 is a sectional view substantially as taken along the line XXXXXX in FIGURE 29.

FIGURE 31 is a broken sectional view taken along the line XXXI-XXXI in FIGURE 29.

FIGURE 32 is a sectional view taken along the line XXXII-XXXII in FIGURE 29.

FIGURE 33 is a sectional view taken along the line XXXIII-XXXIII in FIGURE 32 with part thereof in a different position of operation.

FIGURE 34 is an enlarged, broken fragment of FI URE 32 with part thereof in a different position of operation.

FIGURE 35 is a broken sectional view taken along the lines XXXV-XXXV in FIGURE 34.

FIGURE 36 is a broken sectional view taken along the line XXXVIXXXVI in FIGURE 33.

FIGURE 37 is a fragment of the preforming machine as appearing in FIGURE 30 when viewed from the cutting line XXXVIIXXXVII therein.

FIGURE 38 is a sectional view taken along the line XXXVIII-XXXVIII in FIGURE 37.

FIGURE 39 is a sectional view substantially as taken along the line XXXIXXXXIX in FIGURE 30, but showing an alternate discharge structure.

FIGURE 40 is a sectional view taken along the line XL-XL in FIGURE 39.

FIGURE 41 is a diagrammatic illustration of the pressure fluid system and the electrical circuitry for the preforming machine in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 42 discloses the major portion of a front perspective view of a machine embodying the invention and disclosing an alternate, automated top breaker and conveyor mechanism therefor.

FIGURE 43 is a wiring diagram for the machine disclosed in FIGURE 42.

FIGURE 44 is a diagram of the pressure fluid system for the machine of FIGURE 42.

FIGURE 45 is a sectional view substantially as taken along the line XLVXLV in FIGURE 42 and disclosing a top plan view of the top breaker conveyor mechanism.

FIGURE 46 is a sectional view taken along the line XLVI--XLVI in FIGURE 45.

FIGURE 47 is a sectional view taken along the line LVIIXLVII in FIGURE 45.

FIGURE 48 is a fragment of FIGURE 45 with parts thereof in different positions of operation.

FIGURE 49 is a sectional view taken along the line XLIXXLIX in FIGURE 46.

FIGURE 50 is a bottom view of the top breaking head shown in FIGURE 49.

FIGURE 51 is a broken, side elevational view of an alternate mandrel construction.

FIGURE 52 is a sectional view taken along the line LIILII in FIGURE 51.

FIGURE 53 is a sectional view taken along the line LIII--LIII in FIGURE 51.

For convenience in reference, the terms upper, lower and words of similar import will have reference to the preforming machine and parts thereof as appearing in FIGURES 1 and 2. The term front will have reference to the side of the machine shown in FIGURE 2. The terms inner, outer and derivatives thereof will have reference to the geometric center of the preforming machine and to parts thereof when they are being considered apart from the remainder of the machine.

General description The objects and purposes of the invention, including those set forth above, have been met by providing a portable preforming machine for receiving tubular carton blanks which are plastic coated and which have integral closure panels at both ends of the tube. A plurality of mandrels are supported within the machine by a carrier, and drive mechanism moves the carrier so that the mandrels are advanced intermittently and unidirectionally along a closed path, such as a circle.

In one preferred embodiment, the flat carton blank is manually placed in a loading position directly above the path of movement of the mandrels and, at the same time, said carton blank is manually erected into its tubular form. Each mandrel is shaped so that it can slidably and snugly receive an erected carton blank, which is moved downwardly onto an upright mandrel disposed in the loading station. Additional stations are disposed in the machine preferably at uniform intervals along the path of movement of the mandrels and in axial alignment with said mandrels.

The loading station, which is the first station, includes a device for moving the carton blank downwardly onto a mandrel in the carton receiving station and, at the same time, breaking the bottom end panels at the upper end of the erected carton. The second station includes a heating mechanism for softening the thermoplastic coating on the upper bottom end panels. The third station includes guide means for moving the upper end panels downwardly toward horizontal positions and a pressure member for pressing the panels firmly against the upper end of the mandrel to produce a liquid-tight bottom wall. A fourth station is reserved for removing the preformed cartons either manually or automatically from their mandrels.

A modified machine includes automatic mechanisms for erecting the carton blanks and feeding them from a magazine into the carton loading position, and for removing the preformed cartons from the mandrels in the fourth station. The modified machine may include mechanism for prebreaking the panels at the other (top) ends of the cartons and for advancing such cartons from the preforming machine to a filling and sealing machine.

Detailed construction The preforming machine It (FIGURES 1, 2 and 3), which has been selected to illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, is comprised of a frame structure 11 in which a carrier assembly 12 is supported for rotation around a substantially vertical axis. The carrier assembly includes a plurality of upright mandrels 17, which are arranged in a circle around said vertical axis. Drive mechanism 13 (FIGURE 2) is supported upon the frame structure 11 and is connected to the carrier assembly 12 for effecting step-by-step, unidirectional movement thereof.

Ell

A carton erecting mechanism 16 (FIGURE 1) is mounted upon the frame structure 11 directly above a loading station L in the circular path defined by the movement of the mandrels 1'7. The erecting mechanism is arranged for receiving tubular carton blank 13 and holding it in its fully erected and rectangular shape directly above said loading station. Prebrealting and loading mechanism 19 is supported upon the frame structure 11 directly above and adjacent the loading station L for engaging an erected carton blank 1% and moving it downwardly onto a mandrel 17 in the loading position L whil at the same time, bending the panels 21 at the upper end of the erected carton blank 18 along the fold lineswhich separate the panels from the side walls of the preformed carton 22 (FIGURE 4).

Examples of cartons which may be handled in this type of machine are disclosed in patent applications Serial Nos. 111,028, filed May 18, 1961, now Patent No. 3, 118,586; 149,964, filed October 23, 1961; and 228,118, filed Octoher 3, 1962. in this embodiment, the end panels 21 form the bottom wall on a preformed carton 22 (FEGURE 4).

A heating mechanism 23 (FIGURES 2, 6 and 17) is mounted upon the frame structure 11. near the heating station it FELGURE 3) for softening the thermoplastic coating on the end panels of an erected carton blank RS RE 4) supported on a mandrel 117 located in the eating station H. A pressure mechanism 24 is located at, and primarily above, the pressure station P for the purpose of pressing the bent and heated end panels 211 against the upper end of the mandrel 17, upon which they are supported, to form the bottom wall on the carton Said end panels 21 are held together by the thermoplastic coating thereon which is rendered adhesive by the heat a, nlied to said panels while they are in the heating station H.

The ormed cartons (FEGURE 4-) are manually remove; from the mandrel 17, in this particular embodiment, when said inandrels are disposed in the discharge station I). Thereafter, if desired, said preformed cartons can be manually moved through the two stages of the top breaking mechanism The various, above-mentioned mechanisms are preferably operated by pressure fluid actuated devioes, which are in turn controlled by an electrical circuit, such as that shown in FIGURE 41. For convenience of disclosure, the description of the machine ill will follow generally the order in which the principal components thereof have been set forth in the foregoing paragraphs.

Frame structure stantially horizontal platform 32 located approximately i! D sheet 33, the shirt 3%, said 3 frame structure 11 are preferably fabricated from metal and elements.

frame structure 11 includes a plurality of upright ly s=curetl at their lower ends to the platform 32 and proicct upwardly therefrom substantially above the upper ends of the mandrels 1.7. An upper platform 37 is mounted upon the upper ends of upright elements 3% and a hood 38 is removably sup;

on the pper ends the u 'ght elements 3 for the purpose of covering structure which is supported upon the upper platform r and which is discussed hereinafter. The cleneuts are enclosed by side sheets 41 and 4,2 to form the left and right, vertical columns 3? and dd, respectively.

Carrier assembly The carrier assembly includes a circular, substantially horizontal carrier disk which is supported upon the turn table 46 of the indexing device 4'7, which is in turn supported upon the platform 32. The indexing device or table is part of the drive mechanism 13 and, therefore, will be discussed hereinafter.

In this particular embodiment (FIGURE 4), there are eight mandrels 17 secured at uniform intervals around and upon the carrier disk 45, preferably at uniform radial distances from rotational axis of said disk 45. The four mandrels 17a are of appropriate size and shape to receive, snugly but slidably, an erected carton blank 18 of the conventional quart side. The four mandrels 17/) are alternated with the mandrels 17a and they are of the proper size and shape to receive an erected carton of the half-gallon size. If follows that mandrels of different sizes and shapes, including mandrels suited to receive gallon cartons, can be supported upon the carrier disk 45 in a similar manner.

There are four stations (FIGURE 3), identified as L, H, P and D, into and out of which each mandrel is movable in a predetermined sequence. That is, where quart-size cartons are being preformed, each of the mandrels 1% will be located at one of said four stations, whenever the carrier disk 45 is at rest during the normal operation of the machine. By appropriate adjustment of the rotational position of the carrier disk 45 with respect to upon the turn table 46, the four quart-size mandrels 7a are replaced in said stations by the four half-gallon inandrels 17b. Thereafter, each movement of the carrier disk 453 by the drive mechanism 13 will move the mandrels 1% from one station to the next.

Each mandrel 17 (FlGURE-S 4 and 6) may be fabricated in a manner and of materials generally similar to those disclosed in said patent application Serial No. 79,880. More specifically, each mandrel 17 is substantially rectangular in horizontal cross section and is vertically elongated. Each mandrel has a lengthwise recess 45 in the outer surface of each side Wall thereof to minim ze frictional engagement between said mandrels and the erected carton blanks 18 disposed thereon. Furthermore, said recess 58 prevents the occurrence of a vacuum between the bottom wall of a preformed carton and the upper end of the mandrel when the preformed carton is removed therefrom.

Each mandrel 17 (FIGURE 6) has an upper cooling chamber 51 and a lower collection chamber 52 which are connected by a central passageway 53. A vertical passageway 54 is provided in the side wall 5d of each mandrel 1? between the upper chamber 51 and a point adjacent the lower end of said mandrel where said passageway opens to atmosphere. The upper chamber 51. is relatively small by comparison with the lower chamber 512 and the upper end of the passageway $3 may be provided with an up- Wardly extending projection 57 so that coolant disposed within the upper chamber 51 must rise to a predeterm level before it can move downwardly through the passageway 53 into the lower chamber 52 and thence out through the passageway which extends dov. nwartlly from the lower chamber 52 through the disk 45. Coo ant can be introduced into the lower end of the passageway 54, circulated through the mandrel 1'7 and collected from the lower end of the passageway 58 by means similar to those disclosed in said patent application Serial No. 79,380.

Drive mechanism The drive echanism 13 (FIGURES 2, 6 and 15) includes the indexing device 4'"! which, in this particular embodiment, may be a Jackson index Table, manufactured by the Jackson Fluid Power Company, Detroit, Michigan. Briefly, the indexins device or table 47 is comprised of a casing 61. having a sidewarclly extending input shaft (FIGURES 6 and 15) and an upwardly extending output shaft 63. The input shaft is connected by the pulleys 54*, es and the belt 67 to a motor at; which is secured to the frame structure 11. The input shaft 62 and output shaft 63 are interconnected by appropriate linkage, which is partially shown in FIGURES 6 and 15, whereby continuous rotation of the input shaft 62 is converted into intermittent rotation of the output shaft 63, hence of the turntable 46 secured thereo.

A connecting mechanism 69 (FIGURES 2 and 6) is secured upon the turntable 46 and adjustably connected to the carrier disk 45 for the purpose of rotating the disk 45 through a selected angle, such as 45 degrees, around its rotational axis with respect to the turntable 46 in order to place the mandrels 171') in the positions occupied by the mandrels 17a when such becomes desirable. This adjustment will normally be made when it becomes desirable to use the mandrels which are disposed between the stations L, H, P and D.

More specifically, the connecting mechanism 69 includes a spacing disk 72 (FIGURES 2 and 6) which is concentrically secured by means of bolts '73 upon the upper surface of the turntable 46. Said disk '72 has a centrally disposed, upwardly projecting shaft 74 which is threaded at its upward end and is concentric with the output shaft 63. The shaft 74 extends upwardly through a concentric opening '75 in the carrier disk 45 for engagement by a nut '76. A locating pin 77 projects upwardly from the upper surface of the spacing disk 72 for reception into any one of several pin openings 78 in the lower surface of the carrier disk 45. Said openings 78 are located at 45 degree intervals along a circu'iar line concentric with the central axis of said disk 45 The 45 degree intervals are characteristic of this particular carrier assembly which has eight mandrels located at uniform intervals along a circle concentric with said carrier disk. Accordingly, this angular relationship would probably be different where the number of mandrels is different.

A table actuated switch 79 (FIGURES 2 and 41), is supported upon the left side of the casing 61 (FIGURE 2) so that its operator St) is engageable by each of the four radially projecting and uniformaly spaced switch actuators 81 for the purpose of closing the switch 79.

An anvil 82 is adjustably mounted upon a bracket 83 which is in turn supported upon the left side of the right column 40, adjacent and beneath the rightward edge of the carrier disk 45. Said anvil 82 is slidably engaged by the lower surface of the carrier disk 45 in a region directly below the pressure station P. Accordingly, the anvil 82 is arranged to counteract the downward urging of the carrier disk 45 by the pressure mechanism 24 when same is operated.

Erecting mechanism The mechanism 16 (FIGURES 2, 3, 4, 5, 10 and 11) for erecting carton blanks 18 from their flat condition into their tubular condition is mounted upon and partially within the left column 39 of the frame structure 11 so that it extends directly over the loading station L. The mechanism 16, as particularly shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, includes three upright, substantially parallel corner members 86, 87 and 88 which are arranged to define a rectangle substantially identical with the cross-sectional shape of the carton 22 which is being preformed on the mandrel 17. The front corner member 86 is adjustably mounted upon the upper platform 37 by means of the bracket 89 for movement toward and away from the center of said rectangle. The corner members 87 and 88 are interconnected (FIGURE 11) by braces 92, and these combined parts are removably supported upon the platform 37 by means of a bracket 93 (FIGURE 10). Thus, the corner unit 94, including the corner members 87 and 83, can be replaced by another corner unit in which the corner members 87 and 88 are at a different distance from each other for the purpose of adapting the erecting mechanism 16 to a different carton size.

The erecting mechanism 16 (FIGURES 4, and has an associated safety device 96 to protect the hand 97 of the operator when he is inserting a carton blank into the erecting mechanism 16. The safety device 96 includes a switch 93 mounted on the right front corner of the left column 39 by means of the bracket 99. A manually operable switch operator 102 is hingedly supported upon the bracket 99 for movement around a substantially vertical axis. Said switch operator 102 includes a curved plate 103 which extends inwardly to the leftward edge of the rectangle defined by the erecting mechanism 16, hence adjacent the edge of a carton blank disposed within said erecting mechanism. The switch operator 192 has a finger 164 which extends away from the hinge pin 166 in the opposite direction from the plate 103 for engagement with the plunger 167 on said switch 93. A spring 108 urges the switch operator 102 into its FIGURE 4 position where the plunger 197 is depressed and the switch 98 is closed. The switch operator 162 is moved into its FIGURE 5 position by the operators hand 97, thereby opening the switch 93 when a carton blank is placed within the erecting mechanism 16.

Prebreaking and loading mechanism The loading mechanism 19 (FIGURES 2, 3, 10 and 11), which moves an erected carton from the erecting mechanism 16 onto a mandrel 17 disposed in the loading station L, includes a panel breaking or bending device 111 for bending the panels 21 at the upper end of the erected carton blank 18 after said device has moved the carton blank 18 onto a mandrel in said loading station. More specifically, the loading mechanism 19 includes a pressure fiuid actuated cylinder 112 (FIGURE 11) which is mounted upon the frame structure 11 within the left column 39 in an upright position. The piston rod 113 of the cylinder 112 extends upwardly through a horizontal guide plate 114 secured to the upper end of said cylinder 112. The upper end of the piston rod 113 is rigidly secured to one end of a loading arm 116 which extends from the piston rod 113 rightwardly over and above the loading station L. A pair of guide rods 117 and 118 are rigidly secured to the loading arm 116 on opposite sides of and parallel with the piston rod 113 and said rods slidably extend through appropriate openings in the guide plate 114 for bracing and guiding the upward and downward movement of the piston rod 113. The loading arm 116 is movable through an opening 119 in the upper platform 37. The breaking device 111 includes a pair of spaced and downwardly diverging plates 122 and 123 which are se cured to a support bar 124, which in turn is secured by the bolts 126 to the lower side of the arm 116 directly above the loading station L. The plates 122 and 123 may be arranged so that their lower edges move downwardly along and closely adjacent the inner surfaces of the corner members 86, 87 and 88 for the purpose of engaging the upper edges of the upper panels 21 on an erected carton blank 18 held within the erecting mechanism 16. The plates 122 and 123 are sloped so that they effect the desired amount of bending of the panels 21 with respect to the remainder of the carton blank 18.

The bar 124 (FIGURE 11) and loading arm 116 have aligned openings 127 and 127a, respectively, in which a rod 128 is vertically reciprocably disposed. A guide rod 129 is rigidly secured at its lower end to the loading arm 116 so that it extends upwardly adjacent to and parallel with the rod 128. A guide element 132 is rigidly secured to the rod 128 and has an opening 133 through which the guide rod 129 is slidably received. A guide element 134 is rigidly secured to the upper end of the guide rod 129 and has an opening 136 through which the rod 128 is slidably received. A spiral spring 137 is loosely sleeved upon the rod 123 between the guide elements 132 and 134 where said spring is continuously held, at least slightly, under compression. Accordingly, upward movement of the rod 128 with respect to the loading arm 116 is resiliently opposed by the spiral spring 137.

A pair of downwardly diverging, breaking elements 138

Claims (1)

1. IN A MACHINE FOR RECEIVING AN ERECTED TUBULAR CARTON BLANK AND FOR FORMING AN END WALL ON THE ERECTED TUBULAR CARTON BLANK FROM CLOSURE PANEL MEANS AT ONE END THEREOF, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING: A FRAME STRUCTURE; CARRIER MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME STRUCTURE FOR SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT AROUND A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL AXIS; A PLURALITY OF ELONGATED MANDRELS HAVING RECTANGULAR CROSS SECTIONS, THERE BEING AT LEAST TWO GROUPS OF MANDRELS OF DIFFERENT SIZES, THE MANDRELS OF ONE SIZE BEING CONNECTED TO AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM SAID CARRIER MEANS AT UNIFORM INTERVALS AROUND SAID VERTICAL AXIS AND EXTENDING PARALLEL WITH SAID VERTICAL AXIS FOR MOVEMENT BY SAID CARRIER MEANS ALONG A CLOSED, SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL PATH AROUND SAID VERTICAL AXIS, AN ERECTED CARTION BLANK BEING SNUGLY AND SLIDABLY RECEIVABLE ONTO EACH MANDREL OF SAID ONE SIZE; DRIVE MEANS OPERABLY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID CARRIER MEANS FOR EFFECTING STEP-BY-STEP MOVEMENT OF SAID CARRIER MEANS ALONG SAID PATH, WHEREBY EACH OF THE MANDRELS OF ONE GROUP IS MOVED, ONE AT A TIME, INTO AND OUT OF THE CARTON-RECEIVING POSITION IN SAID PATH; MECHANISM MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME STRUCTURE ALONG SAID PATH FOR SEQUENTIALLY PERFORMING OPERATIONS UPON THE CLOSURE PANEL MEANS, WHEREBY THE END WALL IS FORMED ON EACH ERECTED CARTON BLANK WHILE IT IS ON A MANDREL OF SAID ONE SIZE; MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID CARRIER MEANS FOR MOVING SAID CARRIER MEANS A SELECTED AMOUNT AROUND SAID VERTICAL AXIS, WHEREBY THE MANDRELS OF ONE GROUP ARE MOVED INTO THE POSITIONS OCCUPIED BY THE MANDRELS OF THE OTHER GROUP; MEANS FOR EFFECTING THE OPERATION OF SAID DRIVE MEANS AND SAID MECHANISM ON SAID FRAME STRUCTURE.

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