US3418894A

US3418894A - Carton opening device

Info

Publication number: US3418894A
Application number: US558162A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jivoin Anton
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1966-05-20
Filing date: 1966-05-20
Publication date: 1968-12-31
Anticipated expiration: 1985-12-31

Description

Dec. 31, 1968 A. JIVOIN CARTON OPENING DEVICE Sheet Filed May 20, 1966 Dec. 31, 1968 A. JIVOIN 3,418,894

CARTON OPENING DEVICE Filed May 20. 1966 Sheet of 5 9 INVENTOR. Anton J ivoin BY Attorney Dec. 31, 1968 A. JIVOIN 3,418,894

CARTON OPENING DEVICE Filed May 20. 1966 Sheet 3 FIG.4-

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72 Anion Jivoin Attorney United States Patent 3,418,894 CARTON OPENING DEVICE Anton Jivoin, 4307 N. Hamlin Ave, Chicago, Ill. 60618 Filed May 20, 1966, Ser. No. 558,162 16 Claims. (CI. 9353) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A carton opening device comprising a pair of opposed jaws disposed to receive diagonally opposite edges of a folded carton, one jaw movable in a path to open the carton with the other jaw and a preopener positioned in intercepting position to folded carton issuing from a magazine and comprising a jaw and a pin, the jaw embracing an edge portion of such folded carton while the pin enters the folded carton to separate the overlapping walls of such carton to present the partially open carton to the opposed jaws.

This invention relates to mechanisms for opening cartons, which are stacked folded in a magazine, preparatory to and then mounting the same onto a mandrel whereupon the carton is sealed.

Present mechanisms utilize a vacuum suction cup structure which has been found to be excessively faulty and thus requires an operator present at this station to aid the mechanism. The most common problem occurs in these mechanisms reverse folding and once this occurs, the operator must stop the entire machine and reach into the mechanism and then manually either extricate the defective carton or straighten it out and insert it onto the mandrel.

A general object of my invention is to provide a novel mechanism which will positively open the carton even though it may be bent or otherwise misshapen such as cannot be handled by present vacuum systems.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide :a novel carton opening device which incorporates means for preliminarily opening the carton so as to prevent reverse folding and thus entirely eliminate malfunction such as previously described.

A further object is to provide an entirely mechanical structure for positively opening the folded cartons and then ejecting the open carton, with the sides held square, onto a mandrel positioned to receive the carton.

These and other objects of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following specification and drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of my novel carton opening and delivering mechanism;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken essentially on line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 2a is an enlarged detail of FIGURE 2 showing the movable carton engaging jaw in its lower position.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on line 33 of FIGURE 2 showing the carton opening spindle retracted;

FIGURE 3a is similar to FIGURE 3 showing the parts preparatory to extension of the spindle;

FIGURE 3b shows the parts with the spindle extended;

FIGURE 4 is an end view of the carton opening spindle structure;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the carton discharging device taken substantially on line 55 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5a is a sectional view taken substantially on line 5a5a of FIGURE 5 in one position of the feeder; and

Patented Dec. 31, 1968 FIGURE 5b shows the feeder in another position thereof.

Description of the invention The carton opening and mandrel feeding device is generally designated 2 and comprises a frame 3 having a base 4 which carries a plurality of laterally spaced side uprights 5, 6 and

end uprights

7, 8 which are interconnected by transverse horizontal braces 9 to form a magazine 10 in which there are stacked a plurality of folded cartons 11.

Each carton 11 is a square tube having top and

bottom walls

12 and 13 and

side walls

14 and 15. As is well known in the art, each top and bottom wall has an extension lap 16 as best seen in FIGURES 3-317 which are guided at their free edges 17 (FIG. 3) along the interior surface 18 of the end braces 7 and the other ends 17a of the cartons are guided along the interior surface 18a of the opposite end braces 8. The diagonally opposite lateral edges 19, 20 (FIG. 2) are guided along the interiors of the opposite braces 5, 6.

Below the magazine there are provided

opposite supports

22, 23 carried from the frame elements '5, 6. The support 22 comprises a ramp with a downwardly inwardly sloping surface 24 which supports the lowermost carton along the lateral edge 19 of the lowermost carton which at said edge is adapted to slide downwardly. The opposite lateral edge 20 of the carton rests upon an upper ledge or tooth 25 of an oscillating stepby-step discharging or metering device 26. The discharging device 26 comprises a vertically elongated bearing hub 28 which has a central vertical bore 29 which admits a pivot spindle or pin 30 therein. The bore 29 has an intermediate reduced diameter portion 32 and the pin has a complemental portion 33 extending through portion 32, the lower end of portion 33 is provided with a head 34 recessed in a counterbore 35 engaging with its upper side against the under shoulder 36 and the enlarged portion 37 of pin 30 engages the top side 38 of shoulder 36 whereby the hub 28 is held against axial or vertical shifting.

The upper ledge 25 and a companion lower ledge or tooth 40, which is spaced below the ledge 25, approximately the thickness designated a in FIG. 5b of the folded carton 11 are formed about the circumference of the hub 28 and are respectively tapered radially outwardly to form

sharp apices

42, 53. Ledge 25 has upper and lower radially outwardly converging surfaces 44, and ledge 40 also has similar upper and lower radially outwardly converging

surfaces

46, 47. On the carton engaging portion of the hub, the ledges 25, 40 are cut ofi? to provide chordal edges 48, 49 (FIG. 5) which are offset circumferentially from each other approximately 120 and thus they provide

offset sectors

50, 51 which in a vertical plane are contiguous to each other as best seen in FIGURE 5.

In operation the downward inclination of the ramps 24 (there being several longitudinally spaced of the carton) opposing the metering mechanism 26 causes the lowermost carton to be wedged toward the annular pe riphery 52 of the hub 28 while this carton engages on its bottom side as a 53 adjacent to its edge 20 the top side 44 of the ledge 25. The escapement mechanism is caused to oscillate in timed sequence as hereinafter described to withdraw the tooth sector from under this lowest carton and clear the edge 20 by disposing edge 48 parallel with edge 20 clear of the same. Thus the lowest carton drops by gravity onto the lower tooth sector 51 which has been moved to catching position. In the meanwhile this carton has shifted slightly laterally in the direction of the edge 20 by sliding on the ramp surface 24. As the mechanism 26 is oscillated in a return motion, the upper tooth cleaves between the lowermost carton and the one next thereabove as at 57 (FIG. 5a) while the tooth sector 51 withdraws from under the lowermost carton. Upon the edge 49 aligning with edge of this carton the latter drops and concurrently this carton slides or shifts laterally in a direction toward edge 20 in view of the ramp angle of the surface 24.

As this lowermost carton drops from the

supports

22, 23 it is guided in its fall to rest adjacent to its

edges

19, 20 upon the inwardly directed lips, or lugs or

flanges

59a, 60a of

opposed jaws

59, 60. Simultaneously the end flap 16 (which is along guide 7) of the top wall 12 of the lowermost carton slides along a vertical surface 61 on the combination guide and holder element 62 of the carton opening initiator device generally designated 63. Surface 61 is initially in vertical alignment with surface 18 as best seen in FIGURE 3. The flap 16 comes to rest upon the pointed end portion 64 of the opener spindle 65 and the weight of the carton partly opens it. Thereupon hydraulic or pneumatic fluid is exhausted from a holding chamber 67 in a cylinder 68 (FIG. 1) whereupon the plunger or pin 65 is urged toward the carton by spring 69 (FIG. 3a) expanding, said spring being disposed within a horizontal bore 70 in a housing 71 of the opener between a shoulder 72 provided on one end of a bearing 73 which is fitted into an intermediate reduced section 74 of bore 70, the bearing sleeve affording a sliding mount for a tubular reciprocal portion 75 of a follower 76 which includes a vertical front mounting flange 77 which provides an abutment for the other end of the spring 69. Flange 77 slidably supports a carton flap catching jaw element 78. The element '78 is provided with vertically elongated slots (FIG. 4) 79, 79 and held in place by

screws

80, 80 which are threaded into flange 77. The heads 81 of the screws are recessed in the countersunk portions 82 of slots 79 so as not to present obstructions to the drop of the cartons.

As best seen in FIGURES 3, 3a, 3b and 4, the element 78 is provided with a horizontal slot 83 which is in horizontal alignment with the flap 16 of the carton and the outer edges '84, 85 of the slot 83 are rounded to facilitate entry of flap 16 into the slot 83 as the follower 76 and jaw element 78 extend out of the cavity 86 in the housing 71 pursuant to expansion of the spring 69. Upon the follower 76 reaching the outwardly extended position of FIGURE 3a wherein the shoulder or abutment ring 87 on the tubular portion 75 of the follower engages the limit shoulder 88 at the rear end of the reduced bore section 74. Thereafter fluid is ported into the chamber 89 (FIG. 1) of the cylinder 68 behind the piston 90 urging the piston leftwardly (FIG. 1) with the stem 91 which may be part of the plunger 65. The plunger disengages its rear shoulder 90a from the inturned shoulder 90b in the follower 75 and is urged ontwardly through a bore 90:: in the follower 75 and through an enlarged opening 91a in element 78 into the adjacent end of the carton 11 and in view of the taper of the conical end portion 92, the jaw element 78 is caused to move upwardly, which being in engagement with a portion of the flap 16 of the carton, causes the upper wall 12 thereabove to separate from the side wall 15 therebeneath as seen progressively from FIGURE 3 to FIGURE 3b.

Concurrently with the carton being opened by the preopener, which prevents reverse fold, the movable jaw 60 (FIG. 2) is actuated from the position shown in solid lines in FIGURE 2 to the dotted lower position by a ram 93 which has its cylinder 93a pivoted at 93b to a frame anchor and has a piston rod 94 connect to a dependent portion 95 of jaw 60 which in turn is provided at each end with a roller guide 96 rotatable on a horizontal pin 97 mounted to the related end of jaw 60. The roller 96 moves within a guide track or slot generally designated 98a which comprises a horizontal upper portion 98 which 4 at its inner end connects with a downwardly and inwardly curved cam portion 99 (FIGURE 2).

It will be seen in FIG. 2 that the jaw 60 is somewhat .reverse L-shaped in cross-section with the upstanding back side portion 100 and on back side 100a is sloped upwardly and inwardly for complementally engaging a tapered roller 101 rot-atably mounted upon the lower end of a pin 102 which at its upper end is connected to the outer end of a horizontally extending lever arm 103 (FIGS. 2 and 5), the inner end of arm 103 being connected to the hub 28, said hub being connected to another arm 104 which is connected to a return spring 105, the spring being connected to an anchor 106 on the support frame.

Thus the metering device 26 is biased in a clockwise direction toward the jaw 60 and upon the jaw 60 moving outwardly in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 5 the metering device 26 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction and upon the jaw being moved inwardly, the spring counter-rotates the device 26 whereupon the cartons drop by one in consequence of oscillation of device 26 as heretofore explained. The clockwise movement of the device 26 is limited by a stop 107 on the frame in the path of movement of the arm 103 as best seen in FIG. 5.

It will be observed that at the juncture of the

portions

100 and 60a, the jaw 60 is recessed to provide a longitudinal groove 108 wherein the edge 20 of the carton being processed enters to prevent its escape. Simultaneously with edge 20 entering groove 108, the jaw 59 which is L-shaped in cross-section, and is pivoted on a horizontal axis at the upper end of its upstanding flange portion 109 (FIG. 2) by a rod or pin 110 from the support frame, pivots in a clockwise direction as best seen in FIG. 2 from the full lines to the dotted lines and the edge 19 enters into the longitudinal groove 112 formed in the junction of the

portions

109, 59a of the jaw 59.

Jaw 59 is biased to its supporting position shown in full lines in FIG. 2 by a counterweight 114 which is provided on the lower end of an arm portion 115 extending downwardly and outwardly from the underside of the jaw 59, the inward swing of the jaw 59 being limited by abutment of the counterweight against a frame member 116. The dumping position of jaw 59 is shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 2.

Upon the movable jaw 60 being positioned in its lowest position (see FIGS. 2 and 2a) the carton is opened fully and assumes a square shape. As the jaw 60 starts its descent the plunger 65 is retracted to the position of FIGURE 3.

Upon the carton being fully opened as seen in phantom lines in FIGURE 2 it is engaged at its corners by the horizontal and

vertical rollers

118, 119 on jaw 60,

rollers

120, 121 on the

supports

116, 122 and

rollers

123, 124 on

supports

125, 126.

The opened carton as shown in FIGURE 2 is then engaged by an ejector 127 from one end, the ejector comprising an upright finger element with a hooked over end portion 128 which overhangs the carton. The lower end of the finger is furcated and mounts a roller 129 which rides on the upper edge 130 of the upright leg 131 of the inverted T-shaped guide 132. The lower ends of the furcations are provided with outturned lugs 133 which mount

bolts

134, 134 which provide vertical journal axes for rollers 135 which flank the leg 131 and roll along its sides 136. The base web 137 of the T is connected to the frame structure.

The ejector is actuated by a ram 140 moving a stepped piston 141 connected to the ejector, the latter moving the carton longitudinally onto one of a plurality of man drels 142 which are sequentially aligned with the carton being ejected for carrying the car-ton to an associated carton bottom sealing station as shown and described in my companion application Ser. No. 527,135, filed on Feb. 14, 1966, entitled Carton Sealing Apparatus.

It will be noted that after the carton is ejected the mechanism is conditioned to return the jaw 60 to its upper position whereupon the jaw moves laterally in the upper portion 98 engaging its upstanding flange 100 with roller 101 whereupon the metering device is oscillated in a couterclockwise direction to drop the next carton onto the plunger 65 and the

ledges

59a, 60a. The sequence of operation heretofore described then continues.

It will be understood that various forms of the invention will become readily apparent from the foregoing disclosure within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device for opening a quadrilateral folded carton, said device comprising opposed jaw means disposed to receive diagonally opposite lateral edges of a planar folded carton, and means for moving at least one of said jaw means diagonally of the plane of the folded carton in a locus coincident with that along which the related edge of the carton moves from the folded to the open position of the carton whereat said carton assumes its quadrilateral shape.

2. The invention according to claim 1 and the other of said jaw means being pivoted on an axis generally parallel with said edges of the carton for movement from a carton supporting position to a carton dumping position, and said one jaw means having an initial position in a plane substantially coplanar with the plane of the folded carton and a final position transversely displaced from said plane and closer to said other jaw means in accordance with the transverse dimension of the carton.

3. The invention according to claim 1 and said other of said jaw means being pivoted about an axis generally parallel with said edges and said one of said jaw means being movable translationally.

4. The invention according to claim 1 and means for guiding said one jaw means in a direction initially generally horizontally toward the other jaw means in a plane generally coplanar with the carton and thereafter in a path diagonal to said plane toward said one jaw means.

5. The invention according to claim 1 and a magazine above said jaw means, said jaw means disposed at opposite sides of said magazine, means for dispensing cartons individually from said magazine onto said jaw means, means mounting said other of said jaw means to move from a carton supporting position to a carton dumping position, and means supporting said one of said jaw means to move initially toward the said one jaw means in carton engaging relationship therewith and then downwardly and in a direction arcuately toward the carton subslantially in the locus of the edge of the carton as it moves to a squared position of the sides of the carton forming the edge engaged by said other jaw means.

6. The invention according to claim 1 and a carton feed magazine disposed above said jaw means, means mounting one of said jaw means to move in a direction away from the other of said jaw means, and carton dispensing means actuatable by said one jaw means attendant to movement of the latter as last aforesaid.

7. The invention according to claim 6 and said dispensing means comprising an element pivotal on a substantially vertical axis and having a pair of circumferentially ofiset vertically spaced upper and lower supports alternately oscillatable on said axis to positions supporting the lowermost carton initially upon the upper support and then upon the lower support and then dropping that carton upon said jaw means attendant to said one jaw means moving away and then toward and then away from said other jaw means.

8. The invention according to claim 1 and carton preopener means comprising an element disposed in a position to engage with an upper part of an end portion of a folded carton in supporting relation thereto and with the lower portion hanging downwardly below said element.

9. The invention according to claim 8 and said element having a wedging segment and means for entering said portion into the end of the carton to prevent reverse folding upon operation of said jaw means.

10. The invention according to claim 9 and means for grasping said upper part of said end portion actuatable transversely of said element pursuant to said wedging segment being entered into said carton.

11. In a carton forming device having a source of folded carton, each carton having edge portions, and carton opener means receiving the carton from said source, automatic mechanical preopener means disposed in intercepting relationship to cartons moving from said source to said opener means and comprising jaw means movable into temporary grasping position with the edge portions of successive cartons moving from said source to said opener means.

12. The invention according to claim 11 and said preopener means further comprising a plunger extensible into an intercepted carton grasped by said jaw means and having means cooperable with the jaws means for moving the same transversely of the engaged carton and said plunger concurrently movable into the carton for partially opening the carton to prevent reverse fold, said preopener cooperably associated with said opener means for opening the carton.

13. The invention according to claim 11 and said jaw means reciprocal endwise of an intercepted carton in grasping position of an edge portion of a wall of such intercepted carton, and a plunger reciprocal endwise of the intercepted carton and extensible into the end of such carton between opposed walls thereof.

14. The invention according to claim 13 and means for moving said jaw means transversely of the carton wall grasped thereby and moving the plunger into the carton.

15. The invention according to claim '14 and said means for moving the jaw means comprising an enlarged opening in the means receiving the plunger therethrough and a cam surface on the plunger engageable with an edge surface of the opening and operative to move the jaw means as aforesaid attendant to said plunger reciprocating therethrough.

16. The invention according to claim 11 and said jaw means comprising a slot alignable with an edge wall portion of said intercepted carton and having diverging lips flanking the slot to facilitate entry and exit of the edge portion of a carton with respect to the slot.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,887,021 5/1959 Duffy et a1. 9353 2,907,252 10/ 1959 Owens 93-53 X 3,044,371 7/1962 Gastright 9353 3,143,937 8/1964 Martin 93-53 BERNARD STICKNEY, Primary Examiner.