US3304193A

US3304193A - Method and apparatus for making blanks for containers and the like

Info

Publication number: US3304193A
Authority: US
Inventors: Dollheimer Franz
Original assignee: Owens Illinois Inc
Current assignee: OI Glass Inc
Priority date: 1963-10-09
Filing date: 1963-10-09
Publication date: 1967-02-14
Anticipated expiration: 1984-02-14

Description

Feb. 14, 1967 F. DOLLHEIMER 3,304,193

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING BLANKS FOR CONTAINERS AND THE LIKE Filed Oct. 9, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. I

INVENTOR. FIMIVZ DOLL HE/MER,

| O NEYJ.

Feb. 14, 1967 F. DOLLHEIMER 3,304,193

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING BLANKS FOR CONTAINERS AND THE LIKE Filed Oct. 9. 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Lfl N 0' (\l j u' N I F PO 2' LI- 2 INVENTOR. L

FRANZ DOLLHEIM E R TOR NE Y3,

United States 3,304,193 g METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING BLANKS FOR CONTAINERS AND THE LIKE Franz Dollheimer, Valtlosta, Ga., assignor to Owens- Illinois Inc., a corporation of Ohio Filed Oct. 9, 1963, Ser. No. 315,000 6 Claims. (Cl. 117-4) This invention relates to the manufacture of containers of the type made up of substantially rectangular blanks of sheet material which may be scored to define the edges of the walls in such a manner that the blank, when folded along the scored lines and joined together at its ends, will form the container.

The blanks may be conveniently formed by feeding a continuous web of sheet material, such as cardboard, through scoring and cutting rolls with the cutting rolls severing selected lengths of the web material from the continuous web. It is desirable to apply a strip of adhesive to the blank, generally along one edge thereof, before the blank is severed from the web. One complication arising from this type of procedure is that when the adhesive is applied before the blank passes through the cutters, adhesive material accumulates on the cutter blades requiring frequent stoppages in order to remove the adhesive from the blades.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a method of and apparatus for cutting blanks for making containers and the like from a web of sheet material in which a strip of adhesive is applied to the blank prior to its being severed from the web in such a manner that the blades of the cutters do not come in contact with the adhesive.

A further object is to provide an improve-d method and apparatus for successively cutting blanks of selected lengths for containers and the like from a continuous moving web of sheet material and applying an adhesive strip to the blank prior to its being completely severed from the continuous web.

In achievement of theforegoing, and other objects, a web of material is continuously fed along a fixed path with the leading end of the web defining the leading end of each blank as the blanks are successively cut from the web. As the web advances along the fixed path, it is first precut along a line spaced from the leading end of the web a distance which is equal to the length of the blank such that the precut line defines a portion of the trailing end of the blank. The length of the precut is less than the width of the web, and after passing the precutter, the advancing web engages an adhesive applicator which applies a relatively narrow strip of adhesive to the web, which strip is normal to the precut and has a width less than the length of the precut. Therefore, the precut extends beyond the edges of the adhesive strip. The blank is then severed from the web by a main cutter positioned between the adhesive applicator and the discharge end of the path along which the web travels. The main cutter severes the remaining portion of the line defining the trailing end of the blank that is free of adhesive. The precutter and main cutter are interconnected by a drive means which cyclically operates the cutters in timed sequence so that the line of the main cut is coextensive with the line of the precut but does not extend into the adhesive strip. Consequently, neither the precutter nor main cutter blades come into contact with-the adhesive material.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of apparatus embodying the invention in its preferred form;

3,3611% Patented Feb. 14, 1967 FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on lines 22 of FIG. 1; and

FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 diagrammatically illustrate the suc cessive steps of precutting, applying adhesive, and severing the blank from the web.

With reference to FIGS.- 3, 4 and S, a web A of mate= rial is continuously fed from a supply (not shown) along a fixed path in a direction of the arrows of FIGS. 3, 4

and 5. At selected intervals, a precutter partially severs the web along a line B which is spaced from the leading end of the web a distance equal to the length of the blank to be cut therefrom. After the leading end of the web passes the precutter, it engages an applicator which applies a strip C of adhesive material to the web which intersects the precut line B and has a width less than the length of the precut line B. As the web continues to advance, the precut line B registers with a main cutter which then severs the web along a line D which is coextensive with line B, with lines D and B together defining the trailing end of the finished blank E. The length of the main cut (i.e. line D) is equal to the width of the web less the length of line B. Consequently, neither the precutter nor main cutter blades come in contact with the adhesive strip C.

Apparatus for performing the above operations is illustrated in FIG. 1 and 2 wherein reference numeral 10 identifies a frame including front and

rear frame members

12 and 14, respectively, and

side frame members

16 and 18. Rear frame member 14 defines the inlet end of the fixed path along which the web travels for the cutting and adhesive applying operation, and front frame member 12 defines the discharge end of the path.

Cross-brace members 24 are mounted between

side frame members

16 and 18 intermediate the front and rear frame members. Frame 10 is supported on a platform 20 which in turn is mounted on vertical support members 22 (FIG. 2).

Mounted between

side frame members

16 and 18 in succession from the inlet end 11 to the discharge end 13 is a length scoring assembly 26, a precutter assembly 28, a cross-scoring assembly 39, a draw roll assembly 32, a main cutter assembly 34, and a delivery roll assembly 36. Supported at the inlet end of the frame on conventional brackets is a pair of

opposed entrance rolls

40 and 42.

The leading end of web A from a supply (not shown) is fed between

entrance rolls

40 and 42 and is thereafter successively scored in a lengthwise direction by assembly 26, precut along line B by assembly 28, and scored transversely by assembly 30. As the web advances beyond cross-scoring assembly 30, it engages an adhesive appplicator 38 which is connected through a supply line 39 with a supply of adhesive. Adhesive strip C is applied to the web, usually along one edge, as it passes applicator 38. Draw roll assembly 32 then advances the web through main cutter assembly 34 where blank E is severed from the web and is thereafter discharged from the apparatus by the delivery roll assembly 36.

In the apparatus illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, length scoring assembly 2 6 includes a pair of spaced female scoring rolls 44 and cooperating male scoring rolls 46 mounted respectively on parallel, vertically spaced shafts 4S and 50. Shafts 48 and 50 are journalled for rotation in

side frame members

16 and 18. Female scoring rolls 44 are each formed with a circumferential groove 44' engaged with a circumferential scoring blade 46' on the associated male scoring roll 46.

Precutter assembly 28 consists of a pair of drums 52 and 54 fixed to shafts 56 and 58, respectively, which shafts in turn are journalled for rotation between

side frame members

16 and 18. Mounted in drum 52 along an axis parallel to the axis of shafts 56 and 58 is a blade 60 which cooperates in timed sequence with a pair of oppositely disposed bearing blocks 62 carried by drum 54 to precut the web normal to its longitudinal axis at predetermined intervals as the web advances from the inlet to the discharge end of frame 10.

Cross-scoring assembly 30 includes a plurality of axially spaced, opposed pairs of drums 64 and 66 mounted, respectively, on

shafts

68 and 70. Drums 64 carry four grooved bars 72 which cooperate with scoring blades 74 carried by drums 66 to score the web of material crosswise as it passes between drums 64 and 66. In the illustrated apparatus, four cross-scores are applied to each blank by assembly 30.

Draw r-oll assembly 32 includes a pair of laterally spaced discs 76 fixed to a rotatable shaft 73. Disks '76 cooperate with a cylindrical roll 80 mounted on a shaft 82 which is vertically spaced from shaft 78 as shown in FIG. 2. Disks 76 and cylindrical roll 80 are driven in opposite directions by their respective shafts as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 2.

As the leading end of the web passes beyond draw roll assembly 32, the blanks are severed from the web by the main cutting assembly 34 which includes axially spaced drum members 84 mounted on a rotatable shaft 86. Drums 84 support a main cutter blade 88 which cooperates with a fixed blade $9 mounted on a support 92 to sever selected lengths of blanks from the web.

As the blanks are severed from the web by

blades

88 and 90, they are picked up and delivered from the frame by delivery assembly 36. Mounted on a shaft 180 is a pair of spaced delivery disks 98 which cooperate with a cylindrical roll 94 mounted on a shaft 96 to discharge the severed blanks from frame 10. Disk 98 is formed with a reduced diameter portion 102 defining a pair of shoulders 104- at the periphery of disks 98 which are spaced diametrically opposite each other. When the small diameter portion 102 of disks 98 are opposite cylindrical roll 4, a space greater than the thickness of the web is defined between the disks and the cylindrical roll. However, when the small diameter portion 182 is out of registry with roll 94, the large diameter port-ion of disks 98 engages the severed blank and slightly compresses it against roll 94 to rapidly deliver the severed blank from the frame.

Disposed between the cross-scoring assembly 30 and draw-roll assembly 32 is a shaft 106 which is rotatably mounted in

frame members

16 and 18. Additionally, shaft-s 108 and 110 are rotatably mounted in

side frame members

16 and 18 between the main cutter assembly 34 and delivery disks 98 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Shafts

68, 70, 106, 78, 82, 86 and 1% are interconnected through a gear train 112 (FIG. 1) on the ends of the shafts adjacent side frame members 16, and

shafts

108, 110, 100 and 96 are interconnected through a gear train 114 on the ends of the latter shafts adjacent side frame member 18.

Shaft 78 is formed with an extension 78 projecting outwardly from side frame 18 which is connected with a shaft 118 through

bevel gears

126 and 122 on shaft extension 78' and 118, respectively. Shaft 118 is further connected with shaft 56 through meshed

bevel gears

124, 126, and with shaft 48 through meshed bevel gears 128 and 139. Shafts 48 and 50 are interconnected through gears 132 and 134 on their respective ends adjacent ,side frame member 18, and shafts 56 and S8 of the precutter assembly are interconnected through gears 136 and 138 at their respective ends adjacent side frame member 18.

In one embodiment of the invention, the gear ratios are such that when power is supplied through shaft 56, for example, to rotate shaft 56 200 rpm, shaft 58 of the precutter assembly rotates in the opposite direction 150 rpm. The directions of rotation of the various shafts is indicated by the arrows in FIG. 2. With shaft 56 rotating at 200 rpm, shafts 48 and 50 of the length scoring assembly 36 may rotate respectively at speeds of 200 rpm. and 150 r.p.m., shafts 68 and of the cross-scoring assembly will rotate at r.p.m.,

shafts

78 and 82 of the draw roll assembly will each rotate at speeds of rpm, and

shafts

86 and 100 of the main cutter assembly 34 and delivery disk 98, respectively, will each rotate at speeds of 100 rpm. It should be understood that the foregoing values are exemplary only and are not to be construed in a limiting sense as varying conditions and types of containers may be accommodated by other arrangements without departing from the invention.

The path of web A from entrance rolls 40 and 42 to the delivery or discharge end of the assembly is indicated by the phantom line in FIG. 2. With the gear ratios and shaft speeds outlined above, length scoring assembly 26 continuously applies parallel, longitudinal scores through out the length of the web, and crossscoring ass embl'y 31) applies four cross-scores throughout the width of the web, for each blank that is to be cut from the web. As the web passes through precutter assembly 28, blade 60 makes two complete revolutions for each length of blank and drum 54 makes one and one-half revolutions per blank with the result that one precut B (FIG. 3) is applied along the trailing end of each blank. As the leading end of the blank passes applicator 38, adhesive such as polyvinyl acetate is continuously supplied through conduit 39 from a source (not shown) preferably along the edge of the web as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The strip C of adhesive has a width less than the length of precut B and intersects the precut with the result that the precut extends beyond the edge of adhesive strip C.

When the leading end of the blank to be cut from the web passes draw roll assembly 32 and main cutoff assembly 34, blade 88 reaches the position shown in FIG. 2, just as the trailing end of the blank registers with blade 99, and the trailing end of the blank is severed from the web. The length of blade 83 is such that it does not come into contact with the adhesive strip C. The leading end of the blank reaches cylindrical roll 84 prior to the time that blades 88 and 9t) sever the blank from the web and the small diameter portion of disks 98 are in a position degrees from that shown in FIG. 2 such that disks 93 are not in contact with the blank. The gear ratios are such that disks 98 reach the position shown in 2 simultaneously with the main cutoif operation and one of the shoulders 104 at the ends of the large diameter por tion of disks 198 engages the severed blank to discharge it from the apparatus. As a result the blank, after being severed, is ejected from the machine at a faster rate than the web is travelling through the machine.

Since the length of blade 88 is such that it does not come in contact with the adhesive strips C, and the precut is applied before the adhesive strip is applied, neither of blades 60 or 88 are subjected to a buildup of adhesive, which would require frequent shutdowns in order to clean the blades.

While I have described and illustrated one embodiment of my invention, I wish it understood that I do not intend to be restricted solely thereto, but that I do intend to cover all modifications thereof which would be apparent to one skilled in the art and which come within the scope and spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A method of cutting rectangular blanks of material from a continuous web by severing selected lengths of the material from the web to define one end of the blank, with the leading end and side edges of the web defining the other end and side edges, respectively, of the blank, and applying a relatively narrow, longitudinal strip of ad hesive throughout the length of the blank, comprising the steps of;

precutting the web along a line defining said one end of the blank for a distance slightly greater than the width of said adhesive strip and less than the width of the blank,

applying said strip of adhesive between the precut and the leading end of the web with the adhesive strip intersecting said precut,

and thereafter cutting the remainder of the blank from the web along that portion of said line that is free of adhesive.

2. A method of making blanks for containers and the like by successively cutting the blanks from a continuously moving web of sheet material having a length substantially greater than the length of the blanks comprising;

precutting the Web along a line spaced from the leading end of the web a distance equal to the length of the blank with the length of the precut being less than the width of the web,

applying a strip of adhesive to the blank that intersects the precut and has a width less than the length of the precut,

and thereafter severing the blank from the web by cut ting that portion of the web free of adhesive along a line coextensive with the precut.

3. In apparatus for making blanks for containers and the like by successively cutting the blanks from a continuous web of material with the leading end of the web defining the leading end of each blank;

means for precutting the web along a line spaced from the leading end of the web and defining the trailing end of the blank,

means for thereafter applying a longitudinal strip of adhesive to the web which intersect the precut and has a Width less than the length of the precut,

and means for thereafter severing the blank from the web along that portion of said line that is free of adhesive. 4. Apparatus for making blanks for containers and the like comprising;

means for feeding a continuous web of material having a leading end defining the leading end of the blank,

means for successively precutting the web at a selected distance from the leading end thereof with the length of the precut being less than the width of the Web,

means for sequentially applying a strip of adhesive material having a width less than the length of the precut between the leading end of the web and the precut with the strip of adhesive intersecting the precut such that a portion of the precut extends beyond the edge of the adhesive strip,

and means for thereafter severing the web completely along a line coextensive with said non-adhesive portion of the precut. 5. Apparatus for making blanks for containers comprising;

means for continuously advancing a web of sheet material along a fixed path having an inlet end and a discharge end,

means for applying a continuous, longitudinal strip of adhesive to the web as it is advanced along said fixed path,

precutter means positioned along said path between the inlet end and the adhesive applying means cyclically operable to precut the web at selected intervals along a line disposed transversely of the longitudinal axis of the web for a distance less than the width of the web,

main cutoff means positioned along said path between the outlet end and the adhesive applying means cyclically operable to sever the web along a line disposed transversely of its longitudinal axis for a distance equal to the width of the web less the length of said precut line,

and means interconnecting said precutter means and main cutoff means for operating the precutting means and main cutoff means in timed sequence such that the main cutoff line is coextensive with the precut line to successively sever selected lengths of blanks from the web.

6. Apparatus for making blanks for containers and the like comprising;

a frame having side frame members defining a fixed path having an inlet end and a discharge end,

means for advancing a continuous web of sheet material along said fixed path from said inlet end toward said discharge end,

a precutter assembly mounted in said fixed path includa pair of opposed vertically spaced drums journalled for rotation in said side frame members,

a precutter blade carried by one of said drums at the periphery thereof and disposed along an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of said fixed path,

bearing means carried by the other of said drums cyclically engageable with said precutter blade to partially sever the advancing web at selected intervals along one edge thereof on a line transverse to its longitudinal axis,

adhesive applyingmeans engageable by the web as it advances beyond said precutter assembly toward said discharge end for continuously applying a longitudinal strip of adhesive to said one edge of the web, which strip has a width less than the length of the precut,

a main cutter assembly mounted in said fixed path between the adhesive applying means and the discharge end including:

a fixed blade mounted between said side frame members transversely of said fixed path having a length such that one end thereof terminates short of said one edge a distance equal to the length of the precutter blade,

drum means journalled for rotation in said side frame members,

a main cutter blade carried by said drum means for cooperating with said fixed blade with each cycle of rotation of said drum to partially sever the web from said one end of said fixed blade to the other edge of the web,

and drive means interconnecting the precutter and main cutter for operating the main cutter in timed sequence with the precutter such that the precut portion of the web registers with the main cutter with each cycle of operation of the main cutter to successively sever selected lengths of blanks from the web.

No references cited.

RALPH S. KENDALL, Primary Examiner. ALAN M. GRIMALDI, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. A METHOD OF CUTTING RECTANGULAR BLANKS OF MATERIAL FROM A CONTINUOUS WEB BY SEVERING SELECTED LENGTHS OF THE MATERIAL FROM THE WEB TO DEFINE ONE END OF THE BLANK, WITH THE LEADING END AND SIDE EDGES OF THE WEB DEFINING THE OTHER END AND SIDE EDGES, RESPECTIVELY, OF THE BLANK, AND APPLYING A RELATIVELY NARROW, LONGITUDINAL STRIP OF ADHESIVE THROUGHOUT THE LENGTH OF THE BLANK, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF; PRECUTTING THE WEB ALONG A LINE DEFINING SAID ONE END OF THE BLANK FOR A DISTANCE SLIGHTLY GREATER THAN THE WIDTH OF SAID ADHESIVE STRIP AND LESS THAN THE WIDTH OF THE BLANK, APPLYING SAID STRIP OF ADHESIVE BETWEEN THE PERCUT AND THE LEADING END OF THE WEB WITH THE ADHESIVE STRIP INTERSECTING SAID PRECUT, AND THEREAFTER CUTTING THE REMAINDER OF THE BLANK FROM THE WEB ALONG THE PORTION OF SAID LINE THAT IS FREE OF ADHESIVE.