US3385260A - Applicator - Google Patents

Description

y 1968 H. B. MOORS ET AL 3,385,260

APPLICATOR 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed May 11, 1965 TIL l T J L May 28, 1968 H. B. MOORS ET AL 3,385,260

APPLICATOR Origin a1 Filed May 11, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 m m In an 8 a 7 MIX Q L r H I [I I May 28, 1968 H. B. MOORS ET AL APPLICATOR 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Original Filed May 11, 1965 May 28, 1968 H. B. MOORS T I- APPLICATOR 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Original Filed May 11, 1965 May 28, 1968 H. B. MOORS ET AL APPLICATOR 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 7 Original iled May 11, 1965 United States Patent 0 3,385,260 APPLIQATOR Harold B. Moors, Richboro, William E. Schwenk, Norristown, William .l. Crothers, 51"., Bryn Mawr, and James N. Ademino, Ambler, Pa, assignors to International Paper Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Continuation of application Ser. No. 454,935, May 11, 1965. This application Aug. 14, 1967, Ser. No. 660,531

8 Claims. (Cl. 118-202) This application is a continuation of US. patent application Ser. No. 454,935 filed May 11, 1965.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in liquid applicators in general and particularly seeks to provide a novel device for impregnating the raw edges of paper board carton blanks with a hydrophobic substance to prevent liquid or moisture absorption through such edges.

Plastic coated paper board containers have long been used for the packaging of liquids such as milk and orange juice where the shelf-life requirements are relatively short; seldom more than a few days.

A widely used container for such purposes includes a gable top and a square cross-section body having an overlapping side seam extending down into a fiat bottom, In this type of construction the raw edge of the inner lap of the side seam is exposed to the contents and wicking thereof into the side seam, particularly in the area of the right angle fold at the bottom, may cause leakage or seepage to develop under prolonged storage conditions.

An object of this invention is to provide an apparatus to impregnate certain raw edge portions of paper board or other fibrous container blanks with a hydrophobic material to prevent edge wicking when the blank is formed into a container and filled with a liquid.

Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus of the character stated which is operably installed adjacent the supply magazine of a container blank folding and side seaming machine.

Another object of this invention is to provide an up paratus of the character stated that includes a heated receptacle for containing the impregnating material at a predetermined level and an applicator roll having an absorbtive resilient surface partly immersed in the impregnating material and moveable into and out of contact with edge portions of container blanks passing through the supply magazine.

A further object of this invention is to provide an apparatus of the character stated in which means are provided to pre-heat those edge portions of the container blanks that subsequently are to be contacted by the applicator roll.

A further object of this invention is to provide an apparatus of the character stated in which means are provided to move automatically the pre-heater and applicator roll into contact with the container blanks upon start-up of the folding and seaming machine and to retract the same from contact with the blanks whenever the folding and seaming machine is stopped.

A further object of this invention is to provide an apparatus of the character stated in which the applicator roll is friction driven by contact with the container blanks when in its operative position and power driven when in its inoperative or retracted position in order to keep it constantly rotating in the impregnating material and avoid a temperature drop of the roll and of the impregnating material carried thereby.

With these and other objects in view, the nature of which will be more apparent, the invention will be more fully understood by reference to the following detailed description taken in connection with the appended drawings, in which:

3,385,260 Patented May 28, 1968 "ice FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fragmentary portion of a container showing the area impregnated through the use of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a fragment of a plastic coated flat blank showing in greater detail the location and extent of impregnation;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the feed end of a container blank folding and seaming machine with the apparatus of this invention installed and a stack of blanks in the supply magazine;

FIG. 4 is an end elevation taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a vertical section taken along line 55 of FIG. 3 with the stack of blanks broken away to show the apertured wall of the supply magazine through which the applicator roll and pre-heater are projected into contact with edge portions of the blanks;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged front elevation of the apparatus of this invention;

FIG. 7 is a rear elevation thereof with the motor drive left oii;

FIG. 8 is a vertical section taken along line 88 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a horizontal section taken along line 9-9 of FIG. 8 and shows a load-release type of drive connection for the driven wheel on the applicator roll shaft;

FIG. 10 is a vertical section taken along line 10-10 of FIG. 6 and shows the applicator roll and pro-heater in operative contact with the stack of blanks;

FIG. ll is a vertical section taken along line 1111 of FIG. 6 and shows the applicator roll and pre-heater in their retracted positions;

FIG. 12 is a horizontal section taken along line 1212 of FIG. 10;

FIG. 13 is a horizontal section taken along line 1313 of FIG. 10; and

FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing the electrical control circuit and air piping used in conjunction with this invention.

Referring now to the drawings, it will be seen that a preferred form of impregnating apparatus generally indicated A constructed in accordance with this invention is attached to a side rail B of the feed magazine of a container blank folding and seaming machine C. The latter might be, for example, of the type described in the copending United States patent application of Riedinger and Schwenk, Ser. No. 381,619, filed July 10, 1964.

The impregnating apparatus A comprises a main frame formed from two symmetrically opposed metal castings 5, 5 held together by bolts 6 to form a structure that includes a lower reservoir 7 to hold liquefied impregnating material and a pair of spaced parallel side plates 8, 8. The plates 8, 8 may be integral with the casting 5, 5.

An applicator roll 9, made from felt or other suitable absorbent resilient material, is mounted on a shaft 10 journalled in bearing blocks 11 mounted in horizontal slideways 12 formed in the side plates 8. The applicator roll 9 is of such size and is so positioned (see FIGS. 10 and 11) that its lower portion is constantly immersed in the Wax or other impregnating material in the reservoir 7 and a face portion is projectable beyond the front of the main frame in accordance with the positions of the hearing blocks 11 as will be hereinafter more fully described.

One end of the shaft 10 extends beyond its associated side plate 8 and carries a knurled driven wheel 13 rotatably mounted thereon between a pair of collars 14, 14 secured to the shaft. The wheel 13 is normally restrained against rotation with respect to the shaft 10 by a springloaded ball detent 15 or other suitable type of load-release driving connection.

The applicator roll 9 may be positively driven by sliding the bearing blocks 11 rearwardly to bring the driven wheel 13 into friction contact with a driving wheel 16 operably carried by a reduction geared electric motor drive generally indicated at 17 and attached to the main frame of the impregnating apparatus.

A container blank pre-heater generally indicated 18 is sliduhly mounted on four horizontally positioned oppositcly disposed roller studs 1h fastened to the side plates 8, and includes a vertical front face 20, a downwardly and rearwardly projecting tongue 23 and a lug 22 extending upwardly from the rear thereof. The underside of the preheatcr 18 is concavely shaped to generally conform to the curvature of the applicator roll 9 so that the pre-heater serves both as a partial housing and an additional source of heat therefor.

A short stroke two-way air cylinder 23 is mounted on a cross bar 24 affixed between the side plates 8 above the pro-heater 18 and is provided with a rearwardly extending piston rod 25 adjustably attached to the pre-heater lug 22 as by nuts 26 to reciprocate the pre-heater from a forward position in which its face is in heating contact with a stack of container blanks to a rear position in which the face 20 has been retracted from contact with the blanks.

The connection between the piston rod and the lug 22 is preferably adjusted so that forward movement of the pre-heatcr 18 is stopped when its face 20 contacts the stack of blanks and is maintained in pressure-contact therewith by the air cylinder. When operation of the air cylinder is reversed the rearward movement of the preheater is stopped as the result of the bottom portion of the lug 22 coming into contact with an adjustable abutment screw 27 mounted through a cross bar 28 arlixed to the back of the side plates 8.

The applicator roll 9 is constantly urged towards its projecting or container blank contacting position by contpression springs 29 carried within the side plates 8 and acting against the rear faces of the bearing blocks 11 (see FIG. 13). The limit of forward movement of the appli cator is determined by adjustable abutment screws 30 carried within the side plates 8 and contactable by the front faces of the bearing blocks 11, and the roll is frictionally driven by contact with the container blanks.

A rearwardly extending arm 31 having an inwardly projecting car 32 is attached to the rear face of each of the bearing blocks 11 as at 34-. An adjustable abutment screw 35 extends through each ear 32 into proximity with the downwardly extending tongue portion 21 of the preheater 18 so that when the pro-heater is moved toward its rear or retracted position by the air cylinder 23, its tongue portion 21 will contact the abutment screws 35 to pull the bearing blocks 11 rearwardly against the action of the compression springs 29 and withdraw the applicator roll 9 out of contact with the stack of container blanks. This rearward movement of the applicator roll 9 and its shaft 10 brings the knurled driven wheel 13 into operative contact with the driving wheel 1% of the motor drive 17 and also into contact with the roller 36 of a normally open micro-switch 37' to move it into its closed position and actuate the motor drive to keep the applicator roll turning during the time it is out of contact with the stack of container blanks.

The reservoir 7 is heated by a pair of electrical heating elements 38, 38 under control of a thermostat schematically indicated at 39. The temperature required is of course dictated by the type of impregnant to be used. If for example, a relatively low melting point paraffin is used, it would be maintained at from about 150 F. to 200 F. in the reservoir in order to properly impregnate the container blank edges.

Pre-heating of the container blank edges is necessary in order to avoid hardening of the impregnant before it has adequately penetrated (%s" or more) the edge portions of the blanks to be treated. Accordingly the preheater is heated by another pair of electrical heating elements 40, 40 under control of a thermostat schematically indicated at 41. These should be regulated to provide a 4- temperature at the face 20 of the pre-hcater of approximately 300 F., although this too will be variable as the physical characteristics. of the paper board blanks may be changed.

No wiring diagram is shown for these heaters and thermostats as it is considered conventional.

By reference to FIG. 14 it will be seen that operating air for this apparatus is supplied through a pipe 42 to a two-way spring-biased solenoid valve 43, which in the position indicated admits air to the back side of the cylinder 23 through a reduction valve 44 and pressure gauge 45. In this condition the pre-heater 18 and the applicator roll 9 are in their forward or operative positions and the pressure of the pre-heater against the stack of container blanks has been properly adjusted by the setting of the reducing valve 44.

When the pro-heater and applicator roll are to be retracted from operative contact with the stack of container blanks, a switch 46 is closed to energize the solenoid valve 43 and reverse the action of the air cylinder 23. Flow control valves 47 and 48 are used in the line from the front side of the air cylinder 23 to the solenoid valve 43 to cushion the action of the air cylinder in both directions. As mentioned above, when this retractive movement occurs the knurled wheel 13 on the applicator roll shaft 10 closes the microswitch 37 to start the motor drive 17.

As generally indicated in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 of the drawings, the impregnating apparatus A of this invention is secured to the side rail B of a container blank feed magazine D of the folding and seaming machine C. The side plate of the magazine adjacent .to the apparatus A is suitably apertured to permit the faces of the applicator roll 9 and the pre-heater 18 to be projected therethrough into contact with edge portions of a stack of container blanks B being moved downwardly through the magazine D when the folding and seaming machine is in operation.

Referring to FIG. 10 of the drawings, it will be seen that as the blanks E move downwardly through the magazine, edge portions thereof first contact the face 20 of the pre-heater to raise their temperature and then move into contact with the resilient face of the applicator roll 9 to absorb molten wax therefrom and to frictionally drive the applicator roll. The resulting impregnation of the blanks is clearly indicated in FIG. 2 of the drawings and the absorbed wax is shown by the generally rectangular stippled area F. This is also shown in FIG. 1 which represents a fragment of a finished container.

Whenever the folding and seaming machine is stopped and no blanks are moving through the feed magazine, the pre-heater 18 and the applicator roll 9 are Withdrawn from contact with the blanks and the applicator roll becomes power driven by the motor drive 17, as previously described, in order to maintain its uniform temperature and to prevent the wax on its surface from hardening.

Upon shutdown of this apparatus the wax in the reservoir 7 will solidify and lock the applicator wheel against rotation. Then when this apparatus is again started the applicator wheel cannot rotate until the Wax has been completely melted, and the motor drive 17 would be stalled if it were not for the overload detent or drive connection 15 on the driven wheel 13 which permits that wheel to rotate relative to the shaft 10 during melting of the wax.

Following initial start up as described above and during continuous operation molten wax may be maintained at a predetermined level in the reservoir 7 by any suitable type of heated recirculating supply system (not shown).

While the invention has been described in connection with a specific example thereof and in a specific use, various modifications thereof will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a container blank continuous feeding apparatus having a feed magazine adapted to hold a stack of flat fibrous container blanks, and means for successively withdrawing individual blanks from the bottom of said stack whereby to cause the remainder of the blanks in said stack to move downwardly; the combination of impregnating apparatus including a pre-heater maintained in contact with certain edge portions of said blanks during their downward movement through said feed magazine to heat said edge portions and render them receptive to an impregnant, an applicator positioned below and closely adjacent said pre-heater and eifective to apply an impregnant to said heated edge portions, and means to supply an impregnant to said applicator.

2. In a container blank continuous feeding apparatus having a feed magazine adapted to hold .a stack of flat fibrous container blanks, and means for successively withdrawing individual blanks from .the bottom of said stack whereby to cause the remainder of the blanks in said stack to move downwardly; the combination of impregnating apparatus including a pre-heater maintained in contact with certain edge portions of said blanks during their downward movement through said feed magazine to heat said edge portions and render them receptive to an impregnant, an applicator positioned below and closely adjacent said pre-heater and effective to apply an impregnant to said heated edge portions, means to supply an impregnant to said applicator, and means for rendering said pre-heater and said applicator inoperative when said blank feeding apparatus is stopped.

3. In a container blank continuous feeding apparatus having a feed magazine adapted to hold a stack of flat fibrous container blanks, and means for successively withdrawing individual blanks from the bottom of said stack whereby to cause the remainder of the blanks in said stack to move downwardly; the combination of impregnating apparatus including a pre-heater maintained in contact with certain edge portions of said blanks during their downward movement through said feed magazine to heat said edge portions and render them receptive to an impregnant, an applicator roll having an absorbent and resilient surface and positioned below and closely adjacent to said pre-heater and in contact with said heated edge portions to apply an impregnant thereto, means to supply an impregnant to said applicator roll, and means for withdrawing said pre-heater and said applicator roll from contact with the edges of said blanks when said blank feeding apparatus is stopped.

4. In a container blank continuous feeding apparatus having a feed magazine adapted to hold a stack of fiat fibrous container blanks, and means for successively withdrawing individual blanks from the bottom of said stack whereby to cause the remainder of the blanks in said stack to move downwardly; the combination of impregnating apparatus including a pre-heater maintained in contact with certain edge portions of said blanks during their downward movement through said feed magazine to heat said edge portions and render them receptive to an impregnant, an applicator roll having an absorbent and resilient surface and positioned below and closely adjacent to said pre-heater and in contact with said heated edge portions to apply an impregnant thereto, means to supply an impregnant to said applicator roll, means for maintaining said impregnant at a predetermined temperature, said applicator roll being friction driven by movement of said blanks when in contact therewith, means for mechanically driving said applicator roll when out of contact with the edges of said blanks, means for withdrawing said pre-heater and said applicator roll from contact with the edges of said blanks when said blank feeding apparatus is stopped, and means for actuating said applicator roll driving means whenever said applicator roll is withdrawn from contact with the edges of said blanks.

5. In a container blank feeding apparatus having a feed magazine adapted to hold a stack of flat fibrous container blanks, and means for successively withdrawing individual blanks from the bottom of said stack whereby to cause the remainder of the blanks in said stack to move downwardly; the combination of impregnating apparatus including a pre-heater maintained in contact with certain edge portions of said blanks during their downward movement through said feed magazine to heat said edge portions and render them receptive to an impregnant, an applicator roll having an absorbent and resilient surface and positioned below and closely adjacent to said preheater and in contact with sa-id heated edge portions to apply an impregnant thereto, an impregnant-containing reservoir located beneath said applicator roll in such position that the lower portion thereof is immersed in said impregnant, means for maintaining said impregnant at a predetermined temperature, said applicator roll being friction driven by movement of said blanks when in contact therewith, means for mechanically driving said applicator roll when out of contact with the edges of said blanks whereby to maintain said applicator roll at a uniform temperature by transfer of heat from said impregnant, means for withdrawing said pre heater and said applicator roll from contact with the edges of said blanks when said blank feeding apparatus is stopped, and means for actuating said applicator roll driving means whenever said applicator roll is withdrawn from contact with the edges of said blanks.

6. An apparatus as set forth in claim 5 in which said pre-heater has an arcuate heating surface partially surrounding said applicator roll and arranged to heat the latter.

7. An apparatus as set forth in claim 5 in which said pre-heater and said applicator roll are separately mounted and in which said withdrawing means comprises an air cylinder having a piston connected to said pre-heater and interconnecting means joining said pre-heater and said applicator so that motion of said pre-heater away from said edges of said blanks moves said applicator roll out of contact with said edge of said blanks.

8. In a container blank continuous feeding apparatus having a feed magazine adapted to hold a stack of flat fibrous container blanks, and means for successively withdrawing individual blanks from an end of said stack and advancing the remainder of the blanks in said stack in a feed direction; the combination of impregnating apparatus including a pre-heater maintained in contact with certain edge portions of said blanks during their advancement through said feed magazine to heat said edge portions and render them receptive to an impregnant, an applicator positioned downstream of and closely adjacent said pre heater and effective to apply an impregnant to said heated edge portions, and means to supply an impregnant to said applicator.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,269,870 1/ 1942 Carter 118-236 2,639,688 5/1953 Procter 118-236 2,687,110 8/1954 West et al 118-262 XR 2,693,429 11/1954 Radtke et al. 118-262 XR 2,746,422 5/1956 Newman et al. 118-236 3,057,326 10/1962 Jeddeloh 118-236 3,262,418 7/1966 Stephens et a1. 118-236 XR 3,273,531 9/1966 Boothroyd et al 118-202 3,306,255 2/1967 Kolibas 118-236 XR CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner.

R. I. SMITH, Assistant Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. 5. IN A CONTAINER BLANK FEEDING APPARATUS HAVING A FEED MAGAZINE ADAPTED TO HOLD A STACK OF FLAT FIBROUS CONTAINER BLANKS, AND MEANS FOR SUCCESSIVELY WITHDRAWING INDIVIDUAL BLANK FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID STACK WHEREBY TO CAUSE THE REMAINDER OF THE BLANKS IN SAID STACK TO MOVE DOWNWARDLY; THE COMBINATION OF IMPREGNATING APPARATUS INCLUDING A PRE-HEATER MAINTAINED IN CONTACT WITH CERTAIN EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID BLANKS DURING THEIR DOWNWARD MOVEMENT THROUGH SAID FEED MAGAZINE TO HEAT SAID EDGE PORTIONS AND RENDER THEM RECEPTIVE TO AN IMPREGNANT, AN APPLICATOR ROLL HAVING AN ABSORBENT AND RESILIENT SURFACE AND POSITIONED BELOW AND CLOSELY ADJACENT TO SAID PREHEATER AND IN CONTACT WITH SAID HEATED EDGE PORTIONS TO APPLY AN IMPREGNANT THERETO, AN IMPREGNANT-CONTAINING RESERVOIR LOCATED BENEATH SAID APPLICATOR ROLL IN SUCH POSITION THAT THE LOWER PORTION THEREOF IS IMMERSED IN SAID IMPREGNANT, MEANS FOR MAINTAINING SAID IMPREGNANT AT A PREDETERMINE TEMPERATURE, SAID APPLICATOR ROLL BEING FRICTION DRIVEN BY MOVEMENT OF SAID BLANKS WHEN IN CONTACT THEREWITH, MEANS FOR MECHANICALLY DRIVING SAID APPLICATOR ROLL WHEN OUT OF CONTACT WITH THE EDGES OF SAID BLANKS WHEREBY TO MAINTAIN SAID APPLICATOR ROLL AT A UNIFORM TEMPERATURE BY TRANSFER OF HEAT FROM SAID IMPREGNANT, MEANS FOR WITHDRAWING SAID PRE-HEATER AND SAID APPLICATOR ROLL FROM CONTACT WITH THE EDGES OF SAID BLANKS WHEN SAID BLANK FEEDING APPARATUS IS STOPPED, AND MEANS FOR ACTUATING SAID APPLICATOR ROLL DRIVING MEANS WHENEVER SAID APPLICATOR ROLL IS WITHDRAWN FROM CONTACT WITH THE EDGES OF SAID BLANKS.

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