US3606724A - Method for forming a closed cardboard container - Google Patents

Abstract

A METHOD OF JOINING A CONTAINER, PARTICULARLY ONE MADE OF CARDBOARD, TO ITS LID, AND APPARATUS THEREFOR. THE LID IS TURNED UPSIDE DOWN AND INSERTED INTO THE CONTAINER WITH LID FLANGES ENGAGING THE INSIDE CONTAINER WALLS. JOINING IS PREFERABLY EFFECTED BY FASTENING MEANS. THE APPARATUS INCLUDES A FRAME, A LIFTING TABLE, LOCKING DEVICES AND SEPARATING DEVICES.

Description

Sept. 2l, 1971 H. oTTQ 3,606,724

METHOD FOR FORIIING A CLOSED CARDBOARD CONTAINER Filed Aug. 14, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jogg/W (Q/ENTOR. @MWA/*ff ldd/y/ sept. 2l, 1971 H, OTTO v 3,606,724

METHOD FOR FORMING A CLOSED CARDBOARD vCONTAINER Filed Aug. 14, 1969 2 sheets-sheet z Fi g.3

INVENTOR.

MVM Q @1MM :United States Patent O 3,606,724 METHOD FOR FORMING A CLOSED CARDBOARD CONTAINER Hans Otto, Hamburg-Grosstlottbek, Stockkamp 2, Germany Filed Aug. 14, 1969, Ser. No. 850,173 Claims priority, application Germany, Aug. 16, 1968, P 17 86 091.2 Int. Cl. B65b 7/28 U.S. Cl. 53-24 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A method of joining a container, particularly one made of cardboard, to its lid, and apparatus therefor. The lid is turned upside down and inserted into the container with lid flanges engaging the inside container walls. Joining is preferably effected by fastening means. The apparatus includes a frame, a lifting table, locking devices and separating devices.

The invention relates to a method of joining a container particularly one made of cardboard, to its lid. Furthermore, the invention relates to an apparatus for practicing this method.

Containers of cardboard having a lid are used to ship a multitude of goods. The invention refers particularly to cardboard boxes of this type which are used for handling and shipping textiles, Without the invention being restricted to such a type of usage.

As a rule, containers of this type are tied, after having a lid placed over them, by a cord, wire, hemp, or suitable material in such a manner that the lid is able to perfectly lock and hold the contents of the container. With this type of tying of the containers, the expenditure of work, however, is rather large. The expenditure of work naturally is greater the larger the number of the containers that has to be tied.

It is the object of the invention to vastly simplify the joining of the lid to the container so that with little machinery human effort can be economized to a considerable extent.

The object of the invention shall furthermore' be achieved in such a manner that the packaging and dispatching place of the business concerned can manage with a relatively small number of container sizes of this type.

According to the invention, the object is achieved in that the lid with its flange edge pointing toward the outside is moved as far into the container as is required by the goods contained within the container, the lid ange pointing towards the outside is then connected to the container walls and, finally, the parts of the container walls projecting over the lid lflange are removed.

In this way, the tying of the containers is entirely omitted. Furthermore, only a relatively small number of container sizes is required, the containers differing essentially from each other by their base surface sizes. The flange lid is then turned upside down and inserted as far into the container as is required by the respective goods, the projecting container edges being removed by separating cuts.

The invention will be preferably practiced in such a manner that the lid flange and the container wall are joined by driving in fastening means perpendicularly to their surfaces. For this purpose, preferably staples are used which are driven through the container wall and the lid flange in the usual manner.

A preferred apparatus for practicing the invention is characterized in that the container is movably arranged with regard to a stationary locking unit which includes a 3,606,724 Patented Sept. 2l, 1971 plunger for supporting the lid, a plurality of locking devices for joining the lid ange to the container walls, and a separating device for separating the protruding lid wall portions. Appropriately, the container is lled with the goods at one location, and then the lid is turned over and loosely inserted into the container. Then the container is conveyed by means of a transport mechanism to a lifting table (a lifting platform) which now moves the container with the turned down and inserted lid toward the plunger of the locking device. The lifting height desired in each case may be adjusted, for example, by means of stops or automatically.

With such an arrangement it is desired that the actual locking devices are arranged at rest together with the separating devices so that the machine may be constructed in an extremely simple manner.

For this, the locking devices are preferably arranged on the outside of the container within a frame enclosing the container. As has been stated above, in a preferred embodiment the lid flange is joined to the container wall by means of staples. In this connection, it is recommendable to arrange the locking devices as staples (spike-drivers) driven by compressed air by means of which the Staplers may drive staples into the lid flange and the container wall. Such Staplers are characterized in that they drive in the staples by means of a single stroke. The anvil required in such an arrangement for receiving the reaction forces of the stapling is preferably provided in the stationary plunger against which the flan-ge lid abuts.

The appended illustrations schematically show apparatus for practicing the invention. The method will also be explained in more detail on the basis of these illustrations wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-section, partly in elevational view, of an apparatus according to the invention;

FIGS. 2a and 2b are perspective views of the container including its lid upon commencement and at the end, respectively, of turning the lid upside down into the container; and

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of another embodiment of the invention.

According to FIG. 1 the apparatus comprises a lifting table or lifting platform 1 over which is arranged a frame 2. The lifting table 1 is iixed on a lifting rod 3 which is movable upwardly and downwardly together with the table, in a manner not 'shown here in detail. The upward and the downward movement may be effected, for example, by means of a hydraulic servomotor, A plunger 4 is attached to the frame 2 by means of a plunger rod 5 in the axis of the lifting table 1.

A multitude of locking devices 6 are provided within the frame. These devices have particularly the form of compressed air staples or spike-drivers by means of which staples may be driven into the container wall and the lid flange. On top of the locking devices i6 are provided separating knives 7 which cooperate vwith counter knives 8 mounted on the plunger 4. In order to better illustrate the invention, the thicknesses of the walls of the cardboard 9 and of the lid 10 are shown much thicker than in reality. FIG. l shows the positions of the container rand the lid at a moment in which lid and container have already been joined together and the protruding wall portions have been cut olf. In FIG. 2a the lid 11 having lid flanges 12 pointing towards the outside has been turned loosely upside down into the container 13. The filling is indicated by 14.

By now moving the container 13 with the lid 11 by means of the lifting table 1 towards the plunger 14 the lid 11 is pressed or respectively turned down and inserted as far into the container 13 as required by the goods 14 contained within the container 13. In the condition of FIG. 2b, the lid ange 12 is now joined to the container walls, particularly by means of staples driven by the compressed air Staplers or spike-drivers '6 shown in FIG. 1. The corresponding back stops or anvils are provided in the plunger 4. Then the protruding edges of the container walls are cut olf by means of the separating devices 7 and 8.

The design of the separating device naturally is fully optional. According to FIG. 3, the protruding lid flanges are cut by means of a rotating band saw blade 16 running over rollers 17 and driven by means not shown in detail. The band saw blade may be reciprocated in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the drawing of FIG. 3. The frame 2 has here only been outlined. l

The drawings merely show embodiments which are suitable for a single size of container base surface. As a matter of principle, an apparatus could be designed which can be utilized for several container base surface sizes. In this case, particularly, the plunger 4 would be replaceable. The locking devices 6 would also have to be arranged movably in the frame. The apparatus is, in fact, so simple that it is more practical to provide this apparatus for one single container base surface size only. If several container base surface sizes are used, separate apparatus having acorresponding base surface size are usually employed.

I claim: 1. The method of forming a closed container having a height dimension determined by the volume and degree of compression of the goods confined therein formed by the removal of container material wherein the container includes vertical side walls defining a conlined space. and

side Walls with the bottom wall disposed toward` the goods, relatively translating the lid and side walls in a vertical direction to the extent that a desired degree of engagement between the lid and goods and a desired degree of compression of the goods is produced, stapling the lid flange to the side walls, and then sizing the container by severing the container at a location uniformly spaced above the lid bottom wall above the location of the stapling of the lid to the side walls to remove container material and align the resultant side wall ends with the resultant ange outer upper end.

2. The method of forming a closed container as in claim 1 wherein said severing of said container comprises severing the container side. walls in alignment with the lid flange outer upper end.

3. The method of forming a closed container as in claim 1 wherein said severing of said container comprises severing the lid flange in alignment with the side wall ends.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,487,604 l/1970 Sullivan 53-29 r2,703,952 3/1955 Perriguey 53--287 2,814,240 11/1957 Kuehler et al. 93-55.1(M) 2,696,612 12/1954 Rickus 93-55.1(M) 3,191,474 6/1965 Grevich et al. 53--372 2,681,758 6/1954 Lipson 53--367X 2,747,350 5/1956 Cargill et al 53-124(A) 3,015,197 1/1962 Eichorn 53-208 3,541,752 11/1970 Ness 53-124(A)X FOREIGN PATENTS 169,469 9/1921 England 53-24F d THERON E. coNDoN, Primary Examiner H. M. CULVER, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 53-38, 124A

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