US3435588A

US3435588A - Continuous motion closure apparatus

Info

Publication number: US3435588A
Application number: US562397A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles J Johnson Jr; Harry G Westerlund
Original assignee: Ekco Products Inc
Current assignee: Ekco Products Inc
Priority date: 1966-07-01
Filing date: 1966-07-01
Publication date: 1969-04-01
Anticipated expiration: 1986-04-01

Description

April 1, 1969 c. J. JOHNSON, JR., ET AL 3,435,533

CONTINUOUS MOTION CLOSURE APPARATUS Filed July 1, 1966 Sheet of 4 w n 1 5 2;; 1 llllll {ii i :31 I I U I 1 in LL i N 1 i g, 2 F I L "J l ;i

E r --n O I Ii s! I I 3 II |l INVENTORS Charles' J. Johnson Jr. Harry G. Westerlund Attorney C.'J. JOHNSON, JR, ET AL Atto ney April 1, 1969 Sheet Filed July 1, 1966 I- MW w A w mm mm I INVENTORS' Charles J. Johnson Jr.

m W mm 2 NF mm o. :2: a w l- #W o A /o\ T m W 3 v v 5 A. 1 .w

g H. mm 9 m m o o o o o o o .o EUWN A m/ a m mi 0. m n S A. e W G/,. y/ n/. G

April 1,1969 I c, JOHNSON, JR" ET AL 3,435,588

CONTINUOUS MOTION CLOSURE APPARATUS Filed July 1, 1966' Sheef, 4 of 4 h 3 mg; 30

INVENTORS I Charles J. Johnson, Jr. Harry G. Westerlund A T OI'EYE United States Patent 3,435 588 CONTINUOUS MOTION IJLOSURE APPARATUS Charles J. Johnson, Jr., and Harry G. Westerlund, Des Plaines, Ill., assignors to Ekco Products, Inc., Wheeling, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed July 1, 1966, Ser. No. 562,397 Int. Cl. B21d 51/32; B6510 7/28 US. Cl. 53--366 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to improvements in the production of a closed package wherein a lip defining the upper edge of a container is folded over and interlocked with the edge of a cover which is fitted closurewise of the area within the confines of said lip.

Packages of the type with which the present invention is more particularly concerned includes a container of any desired depth and size made out of thin aluminum foil which is shouldered along its upper rim to seat a cover which is secured in closing relation to the container by folding and crimping the lip of the container extending from said seat into tight engagement with the portion of the cover within the confines of said lip. The covers for the containers may be formed of any suitable material although a common type of cover comprises a thin sheet of paperboard.

An object of this invention is to provide improved means for folding and interlocking the rim of a container about the marginal edge of a cover therefor as said container is undergoing continuous movement in a fixed path.

Another object resides in the provision of improved folding means which include folding elements operating simultaneously to progressively fold rim portions of a container along opposite walls of said container while said container is continuously traveling in a fixed path lengthwise of said walls and between said folding elements.

Another object resides in the provision of improved folding means which include folding means operating to fold rim portions of a container along opposite walls of said container while said container is continuously traveling in a path extending lengthwise of the distance between said opposite walls.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide novel hold-down means for the container cover while the rim of the container is undergoing action of the folding and interlocking means to secure the cover and the container in a closed package state.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of package closing apparatus and method as indicated which is simple in construction, easy to operate and economical to manufacture.

These and other objects of the present invention will become more apparent during the course of the following detailed description and appended claims.

The invention may best be understood with reference to the drawings wherein an illustrative embodiment is shown.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an apparatus constructed and arranged in accordance with the present invention.

"ice

FIG. 2 is an enlarged detail plan view of the conveyor mechanism with which the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 is associated.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged top perspective view, with portions in section, illustrating a representative type of container and cover assembly with which the apparatus of this invention is particularly concerned.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 44 of FIG. 1 with portions in elevation.

FIG. 5 is a vertical section taken along line 5--5 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 5a is a similar section showing the folding and interlocking means in the process of securing the cover to the walls of the receptacle which extend transverse to the line of travel of the conveyor.

FIG. 6 is a vertical section taken along line 66 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a vertical section taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view of the interlocking means in operative relation to a container and cover assembly according to the present invention.

FIG. 8a is a modified form of cover locking means.

As shown in the drawings, a container and cover assembly exemplifying a packaging unit with which this invention is concerned is shown in FIG. 3 in the form of a metallic foil container 10 having flat rectilinear side and end walls 11 and 12 respectively. An outwardly extending flange at the upper limits of said walls defines a continuous peripheral ledge 13 upon which the marginal portion of a suitable cover 14 of cardboard or the like is seated, said ledge 13 terminating in a foldable upstanding closure lip 15 within the confines of which said cover is secured by clamping said cover between said ledge and the folded portion of said lip 15 overlapping said cover.

Apparatus for so securing and clamping a cover 14 in closing relation to a container 10 in accordance with this invention, as shown in the drawings, is applied to a conveyor on which the container and cover assembly is loaded and thereby forwarded through the operating zone of said apparatus without the conveyor stopping. Such a conveyor, as shown, is in the form of a motor-driven endless roller chain 16. The chain passes over a set of aligned sprocket wheels including a sprocket wheel 17 mounted on a shaft 18 which has its bearings in standards 19 supported in upright relation on a frame work generally designated by reference numeral 20. A pair of side walls 21 are secured to the frame 20 in fixed upright parallel positions along opposite sides of the line of travel of the conveyor chain 16 via spacer bars 22. Guides 23 also flanking the chain 16 and occupying horizontally aligned positions in a plane offset upwardly from the line of travel of chain 16 have inwardly spaced fixed relation to the walls 21 via threaded adjustment rods 23a which are mounted for movement inwardly and outwardly of the area between said walls via openings. Adjusting nuts 23!: and 230 with which each of the rods 23a has threaded engagement act against the surfaces of the wall 21 facing said nuts to establish the fixed axial position of the rod 23a according to the desired position of the guides 23. Thus the guides may be secured at a distance apart as needed to accommodate variations in the dimensions of the container units delivered to the area between said guides 23'. These guides provide upwardly facing seating surfaces 23d with which the ledge 13 of the container 10 may have downward engagement so as to thereby fix the position of the container unit in overhead relation to the upper flight of the conveyor chain 16. The surfaces of the guides 23 likewise cooperate with the side walls of the container unit facing said guides to thereby control the position of the container'unit in directions extending laterally of the line of travel of the conveyor chain 16. While a succession of such container units are thus supported on the guides 23 driving elements in the form of pushers 24 secured to the chain 16 are provided to propel said container units along said guides 23-during operative movement of said conveyor chain 16. The pushers 24 are spaced apart a distance conforming to the dimensions of the container measured lengthwise of the line of travel of the chain 16. End surfaces of each pusher 24 facing the area occupied by a container unit preferably conforms to the contour of the walls of the container unit facing the pusher. The marginal area of the upper face of each pusher 24 along end surface of the pusher provides an upwardly facing seat 24a in coplanar horizontal alignment with the upper seating surface of the guides 23. Thus the seats 24a of each pusher 24 provides underlying support for the ledge 13 of a container unit along end walls 12 of the container unit facing said pushers. During such propulsion of the container units by the pushers 24 while the conveyor chain 16 operates, a pair of bottom rails fixed and occupying positions in straddling relation to the chain 16 provide bearings against which the underside of the pushers 24 have sliding engagement so as to support the seats 24a of the pushers 24 in fixed horizontal alignment with the upper surfaces of the guides 23. While the rails 25 thus provide slideways for the pushers 24 during operation of the chain 16, a supporting surface for downward sliding engagement of the chain 16 is defined by a bearing strip 26 suitably fixed medially of the rails 25.

A roller 27 is supported for free running rotation about an upright pivot 28 fixed to a bracket 29 adjustably secured to and extending inwardly from each of the walls 21. The rollers 27 are thus selectively positioned in such flanking relation to the course of the chain 16 as to exert a downwardly and inwardly directed wiping action against the upstanding closure lips of the container unit parallelling the guides 23 as the container unit is advanced to a position between the contoured edges of the rollers 27. This action effects a pre-folding of the closure lips so engaged by the rollers 27 (see left hand roller 27 in 'FIG. 7) so that subsequent force applied on said lips in a full downward direction will avoid (as more particularly described hereinafter) crushing or otherwise reverse bending of these lips incident to preparation of the container unit for the sequence of closing operations as provided in the apparatus of this invention which will thereby effect satisfactory final closing action when the unit undergoes such work after advancing from the area between the rollers 27. Each bracket 29 is secured to the wall 21 associated therewith via suitable fasteners 30 which respectively extend through vertically elongated slots 31 in an arm 32 of the bracket 29 to permit vertical adjustment of the bracket 29 relative to the path of the container unit. Thereby the roller 27 and its pivot 28 may be controlled to occupy various vertically adjusted positions to accommodate a rante of container unit sizes.

Reference numeral 33 indicates a stub shaft mounted in a bearing member 34 secured to one of the Walls 21 of the frame 20 so as to rotate about an axis transverse to and below the path of the container unit 10 and in an outbound direction relative to the area between the rollers 27. A sprocket wheel 35 fixed to the shaft 33 has driven connection with a sprocket wheel 17a mounted on shaft 18 via a drive chain 36 trained about sprocket wheels 35 and 17 as well as a tightener sprocket wheel 37. A counter shaft 38 mounted in bearings 39 secured to the walls 21 in overhead parallel relation to the shaft 33 is driven in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of shaft 33 via a gear 40 fixed to shaft 38 and a gear 41 fixed on shaft 33 and having intermeshing relation with the gear 40. A stub shaft 42 is mounted in a bearing member 43 secured to the wall 21 opposite to and in spaced apart axially aligned relation to stub shaft 33. The stub shaft 42 is rotated in unison with the shaft 33 via a gear 44 secured to stub shaft 42 and a gear 45 fixed to counter shaft 38. Fixed connection between the shaft 38 and gears 40 4 and 45 is established via end plates 46 having hub portions 47 which receive the shaft 38 and to which the plates 46 are secured in spaced apart relation axially of the shaft via set screws '48. Each of the

gears

40 and 45 and the end plate 46 associated therewith are secured by bolt 49 against opposite faces of a perforating wheel 50. The wheels 50 are disposed at spaced apart positions axially of the shaft so as to rotate in paths in vertical alignment with the guides 23 and are of such radial dimension as to project downwardly through a gap 51 interrupting the continuity of the guides 23. Teeth 52 defining the periphery of the wheels 50 thus have intermeshing engagement with teeth 53 defining the periphery of similar perforating wheels 54 respectively secured by bolts 55 to the

gears

41 and 44. Such intermeshing action is accordingly performed at stations into which margins of the container unit cover previously folded downwardly by the rollers 27 are advanced so as to cause the folded down lips of the container unit and the original portions of the cover confined thereunder to be subjected to a perforating action by the teeth of the perforating

wheels

50 and 54. Such perforating action is effective to cause said inwardly folded closure lips and the ledge of the container opposite said closure lips and the portion of the cover overlapped thereby to be interlocked by indentations 15a (see FIG. 8) so as to more positively resist forces which tend to accidentally release the cover from the container unit during subsequent handling of the container unit.

The area between the end plates 46 secured to shaft 38 is occupied by a cylindrical shell 56 having opposite ends thereof welded or otherwise fastened to the end plates 46 so as to provide a drum rotating in unison with and having its axis of rotation defined by the shaft 38. The drum or shell 56 is of such radial dimension as to have rolling engagement with the full extent of the container unit measured lengthwise of its line of travel and the full width of the unit except the portion undergoing action of the perforating wheels. Such rolling engagement is effective to firmly press the lips of the container unit paralleling the axis of the drum 56 and the portions of the cover overlapped thereby into tightly closed relation. The drum is likewise effective to apply sufiicient pressure against the portions of the cover exposed to the drum as to restrain shifting of the cover relative to the container while the container unit is undergoing action of the perforating wheels.

An end portion of shaft 38 extending from an outer face of one of the walls 21 of frame 20 has a sprocket wheel 57 fixed thereon. A shaft 58 is mounted in bearings 58a secured to walls 21 for rotation in a path above the path of the conveyor chain 16 and in vertical alignment with a plane containing the roller pivots 28. A sprocket wheel 59 secured to shaft 58 has driven connection with the sprocket wheel 57 fixed to countershaft 38 via a chain 60 passed around sprocket wheel 59 and sprocket wheel 57 as well as a tightener sprocket wheel 57a. A cam 61 splined to the shaft 58 midway of the distance between rollers 27 is accordingly rotated with the rotation of shaft 58 in response to operation of the driving means which actuates the shaft 38. Such rotation of the cam 61 is counter clockwise as viewed in FIG. 5 and except for a radially inwardly offset area of the periphery of said cam extending through the arc of approximately degrees defining a sector 62, the cam presents a circular edge portion concentric with the shaft 58 and of such diameter as to have rolling contact with the upwardly facing surface of the container unit cover opposite thereto as seen in FIG. 5 to thereby prevent displacement of the cover relative to the container while the lips of the container are undergoing bending action through forces applied by the rollers 27 The linear speed of the conveyor through which the containers are successively delivered to the area between the rollers 27 and below the cam 61 corresponds to surface speed at which the cam is driven via sprocket and the position of the container unit is so correlated with the position occupied by the sector 62 of the cam 61 as to synchronize the arrival of the closure lip below the cam when the sector 62 faces said lip whereby the lip escapes engagement of the cam 61 and the portion of the container unit in trailing relation to said leading lip is engaged by the cam while the sector 62 is withdrawn from a position facing the container unit.

An endless carrier defined by a pair of

chains

63 and 64 which are driven along parallel orbital paths via sprocket wheels 65 fixed to a shaft 66 and a pair of idler sprocket wheels 67 supported for rotation on shaft 68 occupies a position in overhead relation to an area of the path of the conveyor between the shaft 58 carrying the cam 61 and the area occupied by the drum 56. Shaft 66 is journalled in bearings 69 secured to the Walls 21 of frame 20 while opposite ends of shaft 68 are supported in brackets 70 mounted on the walls 21 for adjustment fore and aft of the path of the conveyor for tightening or loosening the chains, as desired. It will be noted that the lower flight of the

chains

63 and 64 travel along a line in upwardly spaced parallel relation to the line of travel of the conveyor. A track defined by vertically spaced guides 71 and 72 secured to the inner surfaces of walls 21'cooperate with the lower flight of the chain opposite thereto to control of the flight of the chain as well as the path of a fold-down roller 73 pivotally supported on the links of said chains in bridging relation to said chains for rolling movement about an axis parallel to the axis of orbital movement of the chains. A sprocket wheel 74 secured to an end portion of shaft 66 extending outside the wall 21 of the frame 20 and a second sprocket wheel 75 secured to an extension of counter shaft 38 in combination with a chain 76 trained about

sprocket wheels

74 and 75 as well as a tightener sprocket wheel 77 provide driving means for actuating the carrier so as to drive the lower flight of the

chains

63 and 64 in the direction of movement of the conveyor chain 16. The linear speed of the

chains

63 and 64 of the carrier is sufliciently faster than the speed of the conveyor chain 16 so that upon arrival of a container unit below the path of the carrier, the roller 73 will have a follow-up forward movement at a speed greater than the forward advance of the container unit so as to fold the trailing lip of the container into forwardly extending overlapping relation to the cover of the container unit as the latter completes its journey through the area underneath the carrier. The position of the roller 73 is of course controlled so as to arrive at the beginning of the lower flight of the chains 63-64 as soon as the trailing end of the container unit arrives within the area below said lower flight of the chains.

The side walls 21 facing the area between the drum 56 and the area occupied by the carrier support a shaft 79 which is fixed to occupy a position in spaced parallel relation to the axis of the drum at selected distances apart from the drum. A sleeve 80 revolvably carried by the shaft 79 provides a fold down roller with which the leading lip of a container unit is engaged and bent rearwardly during movement of the container unit thereunder. The position occupied by the roller 80 is substantially coincident with the position of the leading lip of the container unit while the trailing lip of the same unit is undergoing fold down action by the roller 73.

A hold down roller 81 has free running pivotal connection with the

chains

63 and 64 at a distance forwardly of the fold down roller 73 so as to have rolling engagement with the container unit while the latter completes its line of travel through the area below the carrier and said roller 81 is thereby effective to hold the cover against shifting movement relative to the lips of the container unit while the lips undergo fold down action by the

rollers

73 and 80.

OPERATION The operation of the apparatus hereinbefore described is as follows:

Assuming a constant operation of the shaft 18 to rotate the sprocket wheel 17 in clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 1, product filled containers 10, each with a cover 14 fitted closure-wise of the area within the confines of the lip 15 of the container, occupy positions along the upper flight of endless conveyor chain 16 in nested relation to the pushers 24 attached to the chain as shown in FIG. 1. As the sprocket wheel 17 turns to move the chain 16 toward the right of FIG. 1, the containers 10 have sliding engagement with the upper surfaces of the guide rails 23 along the ledge 13 of the container which overlaps said rails 23. The lip 15 of the container extend ing from the portion of the ledge 13 in overhead relation to the rails 23 is initially bent inwardly of the area occupied by the cover 14 by the plough-down rollers 27 as shown in FIG. 7. While thus undergoing action of the rollers 27, the cam wheel 61 driven by the sprocket 59 via the chain 60, sprocket 57, gears 40-41, sprocket 35 to which sprocket 17a fixed to shaft 18 is linked by chain 36, is synchronized in relation to the arrival of the container 10 therebelow so as to apply a hold down pressure on the cover 14 except when the cam Wheel 61 is in a rotated position wherein the recess 62 of the wheel 61 is in downwardly facing relation so as to avoid engagement with the lip 15 at the leading and trailing ends of the container 10.

While the cam wheel 61 is thus in engagement with the central area of the cover 14 of a container 10 as shown in FIG. 5, the container 10 next in leading relation thereto is progressively carried into contact with the roller 73 and the roller 81. While the latter are advancing under power of the

chains

63 and 64 during such times as the roller 73 and roller 81 are in the lower portion of the orbital flight of said chains. The speed of movement of the drive means for the chains is so much faster than the speed of travel of the containers and the position of the rollers 73 and 81 on said chains are so correlated to the time of arrival of a container within the area below the path of said rollers 73 and 81 as to cause the roller 73 to overtake the trailing end of a container passing thereunder as shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 5a as to follow through with a forwardly folding action of the lip 15 at said trailing end of the container. During such folding action by roller 73, the roller 81 is applying a holddown force against the cover 14 of the container while the leading end of the container is being carried into contact with the free-running roller 80. As shown in FIG. 5a, the lip 15 at the leading end of the container undergoes rearward folding action under pressure applied by the roller 80.

Forward travel of the containers from a position below the roller moves the container below cylinder 56 which is driven at a surface speed corresponding to the speed travelled by the containers and has rolling engagement with the cover 14 of the container moving thereunder. While the container is thus being advanced under the cylinder 56, the folded lips 15 extending along opposite side Walls 11 of the container, as well as the ledge 13 and the portion of the cover sandwiched between said ledge and said folded lip is fed between the intermeshing

teeth

52 and 53 of the perforating wheels to thereby cut perforations therethrough and head the cut portion downwardly to interlock the cover 14 with the lip and ledge portion of the container 10 associated therewith.

The containers 10 are thus ready for handling and shipment as a complete package upon being moved out of and discharged from the area occupied by the perforating wheels.

In FIG. 8a a wheel 154 corresponding to perforating wheel 54 is provided with an annular groove 153 in lieu of teeth 53 which receives an annular rib 152 provided on the periphery of a wheel corresponding to perforating Wheel 50. Such interengagement of the groove 153 with rib 152 acts on the lips 15 and ledge 13 of the container and the portion of the cover sandwiched between said ledge and lip to create a continuous interlocking groove 155 and in the lip and ledge portion of the container and the portion of the cover 14 overlapped by said lip and ledge portion.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for securing a cover Within the confines of a lip defining the upper limits of the side walls of a metal foil container While said cover occupies a closing position within the confines of said lip, said apparatus including a conveyor on which said container is transported along a fixed line of travel in one direction, first lip bending means straddling said line of travel with which first and second lip portions of opposite side walls of said container extending lengthwise of said line of travel have engagement to cause said first and second lip portions to be bent inwardly over the edge portions of the cover facing said first and second lip portions While said container with which the cover is associated is travelling between said first lip bending means, second lip bending means engageable with a third lip portion of said container extending cross-wise of the line of travel of said conveyor and in leading relation to the area of the container between said first and second lip portions to cause said third lip portion to be bent rearwardly over the edge portion of the cover facing said third lip portion while said container travels below said third lip bending means, an endless carrier operating about parallel axes of rotation spaced apart lengthwise of and parallel to the line of travel of said conveyor and travelling in the direction of movement of said conveyor along the flight thereof facing said conveyor, third lip bending means mounted on said carrier with which a fourth lip portion of said container extending cross-wise of the line of travel of said conveyor and in trailing relation to the area of the container between said first and second lip portions to cause said fourth lip portion to be bent forwardly over the edge portion of the cover facing said fourth lip portion, cover hold-down means supported on said carrier in forwardly spaced relation to said fourth lip bending means with which the area of the cover intermediate said first and second lip portions of the container has engagement to prevent relative shifting of said cover while the fourth lip portion of the container is undergoing action of said fourth lip bending means, and common driving means operatively associated with said conveyor and said carrier for continuously driving said conveyor at a selected constant uniform peripheral speed, and for driving said carrier at a relatively faster rate of speed.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first lip bending means are defined by prefolding rollers supported for rotation about upright axes, and a cover holddown roller is supported for rotation between said prefolding rollers about a fixed axis in a plane containing the axes of said prefolding rollers and parallel to the line of travel of the conveyor.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein cover locking means are provided in an area to which said containers are delivered upon advancing from the area in which the lips of the container undergo action of said lip bending means, said cover locking means comprising a first and second pair of intermeshing toothed rollers in axially parallel position and occupying axially spaced apart positions in alignment with the path travelled by the folded lip portions of the container extending lengthwise of the line of travel of the container.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said second lip bending means occupies a fixed position at a distance from the third lip bending means while the latter is operative to forwardly bend said fourth lip portion of the container which matches the distance between said third and fourth lip portions of the container and thereby said second lip bending means effects rearward bending of said third lip portion simultaneously with forward bending of said fourth lip portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,982,073 5/1961 Zimmerer 53366 3,146,566 9/1964 Roth 53374 3,263,393 8/1966 Weber 5340 3,355,858 12/1967 Jahn 53366 X THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT L. FARRIS, Assistant Examiner.