Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
  • B65B43/00—Forming, feeding, opening or setting-up containers or receptacles in association with packaging
  • B65B43/26—Opening or distending bags; Opening, erecting, or setting-up boxes, cartons, or carton blanks
  • B65B43/32—Opening or distending bags; Opening, erecting, or setting-up boxes, cartons, or carton blanks by external pressure diagonally applied
  • B65B43/325—Opening or distending bags; Opening, erecting, or setting-up boxes, cartons, or carton blanks by external pressure diagonally applied to boxes, cartons or carton blanks

Definitions

• the present invention relates to an apparatus which functions for withdrawing blanks stored in a magazine in flat-folded condition and for erecting the blanks into cases .
• Suitable gripping means e.g. suction cups designed to withdraw the blanks from the magazine and transfer them, one by one, to a conveying line.
• At least tv/o endless chains are used, moving on vertical planes, which are parallel to each other, the said chains being provided with transverse outwards extending lugs .
• Each lug of one chain in conjunction with a corresponding lug of the other chain, form a holding seat for a set up blank.
• This solution necessitates constant mainte ⁇ nance of the chains (e.g. lubrication) , and brings about the possibility of damaging the walls of the blank while being pushed by the lugs .
• Another known solution features a conveyor equipped with piongs that define a kind of a comb; also in this case the walls of the blank can be damaged by the prongs .
• the blank is clamped between the lower and the upper runs of two belt conveyors, situated one over the other and whose belts feature openings connected with vacuum sources,- a projection, made in the lower conveyor, acts onto the upstream vertical wall of the blank, and this, in conjunction with the suction force performed by the openings on the lower and upper walls of the blank, imparts the blank a move ⁇ ment .
• the just mentioned solution does not provoke damages of the blank walls, but it is relatively complex, although this does not affect its reliabil ⁇ ity.
• the object of the present invention is to propose an apparatus shaped in such a manner as to withdraw flat folded blanks and to set them up into a case that is subsequently placed in a smooth way, between the holding and pushing means of a packaging line that moves stepwise,- the whole apparatus should operate in optimum way without damaging the same cases.
• Another object of the present invention is to propose an apparatus of simplified structure, easy and quick to be adjusted, and that facilitates printing on walls of the still flat-folded blanks.
• an apparatus for withdrawing and opening flat folded blanks from a magazine, and for feeding them to a packaging line driven with stepwise motion constituted so as to include chain conveyors means for the blanks which are withdrawn, one by one in flat folded condition from the magazine, these chain conveyor means being lined up with the stepwise moving packaging line for the cases obtained from the said blanks, and equip ⁇ ped with pushing bars for pushing a rear edge of each blank.
• Each pushing bar is hinged to the chain conveyor means and to a connecting rod, which is also hinged to the chain conveyor means, so that the bars are imparted oscillations on a vertical long ⁇ itudinal plane due to the motion of the chain con- veyor means.
• a gripping member equipped with suction cups, is situated in the region of an outlet zone of the chain conveyor means and is driven by a crank mech ⁇ anism that rotates in phase relation with the move- ment of the chain conveyor means so that it moves between a withdrawing position, in which the suction cups engage an upper panel of a flat folded blank, and a position in which adjacent panels of the same blank are erected.
• FIG. 1 shows a lateral schematic view of the apparatus being the subject of the present inven ⁇ tion
• FIG. 2 shows a lateral schematic view of the apparatus during different working steps
• FIG. 7 shows a vertical section of the apparatus taken along the plane VII-VII of Fig. 5,- - Figure 8 shows an enlarged view of particular X of Fig. 6.
• the withdrawal station 1 of the apparatus withdraws and sets up, one by one, the blanks 2 which are stored, in flat folded condition, and stacked inside a magazine 3.
• the erected cases, obtained after the blanks have been set up, are conveyed to a packaging line 4 that departs from an opening station 5.
• the packaging line 4, that is operated step- wise in direction H, is formed by a couple of upper endless toothed belts 6, parallel to each other and turning around pulleys 7 of the device 1.
• the toothed belts 6 feature a plurality of regularly spaced apart lugs
• a double couple of lower endless toothed belts 9,10 turn around coaxial pulleys 11,12, and are aimed at cooperating with the upper toothed belts 6; in particular, the pulleys 11 are situated on the same vertical planes as the above pulleys 7.
• the belts 9,10 feature a plurality of regularly spaced apart lugs
• the magazine 3 has vertical guides 15 de ⁇ signed to guide the stack of blanks 2.
• These guides are suitably movable in order to allow adjustment of the magazine dimensions relative to different sizes of the blanks 2 to be erected.
• the guides 15 feature known means, which are not shown, for supporting the stack of blanks 2 and allowing withdrawal of the blanks 2, one by one, by suction cups 16, which moves vertically under the magazine 3.
• the suction cups 16 brings each blank 2, after it has been withdrawn, onto a sliding surface 17, connected with a conveying line 18 for the blanks 2.
• Known means 19 for printing on the panels of the blanks 2 are situated, if requested, downstream of the withdrawal station 1, along the conveying line 18.
• the conveying line 18 is formed by a couple of chain conveyors 20, that are situated side by side parallel to the packaging line 4.
• the chains are trained around respective couples of pulleys or sprockets 21,22. These conveying means are operated in direction indicated with the arrow A.
• a couple of push means, including pushing bars 24, are supported symmetrically, on respective pivot pins 23 of the chains 20. Therefore, the bars 24 swing on vertical planes parallel to the conveying line 18.
• each bar 24 is hinged, by means of a transver ⁇ sal pin 25, to a respective connecting rod 26 that is in its turn hinged to the chain 20, by means of another transversal pins 27.
• the pins 23 protrude from the respective chain 20, so as to engage a grooved guide 28, integral with the fixed frame structure 29 of the machine, along the active upper run of the conveying means, as seen in Fig. 7.
• the opening station 5 of the blanks 2 in ⁇ cludes a gripping member 30 equipped with suction cups 31, situated basically in the zone, in which the blanks 2 leave the conveying line 18, and over the pulleys 22.
• the suction cups 31 are moved by a crank mechanism operated in direction indicated with the arrow B.
• This crank mechanism has a body 32 articu ⁇ lated to a couple of cranks 33, rotating around axes parallel to the axes of the pulleys of the conveying line 18 and packaging line 4.
• the body 32 moves on a longitudinal plane maintaining its horizontal attitude.
• Mixed line 33a in the figures indicates the circular paths followed by the articulations between the body 32 and the above mentioned cranks 33: it is to be pointed out that the cranks 33 rotate synchronously and contin ⁇ uously, in the same direction B following the circu ⁇ lar paths.
• the suction cups 31 are fastened to the lower surface of a support 34, fixed to the body 32 of the crank mechanism in a position that can be adjusted by movement thereof along a transversal slot 35 (see again Fig. 7), and in vertical direction as well.
• the support 34 bears also a striker 36, practically formed by a square member protruding behind the suction cups 31, according to che move ⁇ ment of the blanks 2 to be opened.
• This blank 2 is brought onto the sliding surface 17 on both sides of which the chain con ⁇ veyors 20 moves.
• the pushing bars 24, carried by the chains 20, go in touch with the rear edge of the blank 2 just withdrawn and bring it to the opening station 5 (Fig. 2) .
• the upper panel of the blank 2 is engaged by the suction cups 31 of the gripping member 30 that is driven in a suitable phase relation with the movement of the chain con- veyors 20.
• the suction cups 31 are driven by the crank mechanism including the cranks 33, and move in such a way as to cause the blank 2 to open.
• the cranks 33 rotate so as to bring the suction cups 31 to a position, in which they touch the flat folded blanks fed along the conveying line 18, and the cranks 33 rotate always in the same direction B.
• the suction cups 31 work in cooperation with the bars 24 that act on the rear edge of the each blank to be opened.
• the bars 24 operate also after the suction cups 31 have separated from the blank, so as to accompany the case between the upper belts 6 and the lower belts 9, 10 of the packaging line 4.
• the bars 24 act on the rear surface of the case 200 so as to improve its setting up, making it assume a perfect parallelepiped shape (Fig. 5) . Consequently, the case 200 is inserted, with a light pressure, between the upper belts 6 and the lower belts 9, 10 of the packaging line 4, operated stepwise in a suitable phase relation.
• This case 200 strikes against lugs 8 of the upper belts 6 and is held betv.'een the lugs 13,14 of the lower belts 9, 10, so as to be conveyed along the packaging line 4 (Fig. 6) .
• the distance between the lower run of the belts 6 and the upper run of the belts 9 is smaller than the height of the case 200; as a consequence, the section of the case 200 taken along a vertical plane is not perfectly rect ⁇ angular but it takes the shape of a parallelogram inclined forward with respect to direction H (Fig. 8) . It is advantageous also because the pressure of the runs of the belts 6, 9 exerted on the hori ⁇ zontal sides of the case allows, in conjunction with the action of the lugs 8,13,14, to maintain the case open, despite the inertial stresses on the vertical walls caused by the products inserted inside the case.
• the bars 24 detach from the case 200, performing a backward oscillation in the region of the pulleys 22 of the chains 20, as shown by positions 24b and 24c of Fig. 6.
• This oscillation is determined by the reci ⁇ procal position assumed, in the region of the above mentioned pulleys 22, by the pins 23 and 27 of the hinges between the bars 24, the connecting rods 26, and the chains 20.
• the described apparatus allows to withdraw the cases 200 and to convey them to the packaging line 4, in the best way, assuring perfect opening of each case.
• the cases are opened in an automatic way, after having been withdrawn from the magazine 3, in cooperation with the pusher bars 24 that convey the blanks 2 to the opening station 5.
• Another advantage of the described apparatus is that it avoids blanks damages which can occur with traditional techniques.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Feeding Of Articles By Means Other Than Belts Or Rollers (AREA)
• Making Paper Articles (AREA)
• Supplying Of Containers To The Packaging Station (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=11340192

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Cited By (3)

Citations (2)

• 1995
  • 1995-01-11 IT IT95BO000004A patent/IT1278156B1/it active IP Right Grant
• 1996
  • 1996-01-04 WO PCT/IB1996/000008 patent/WO1996021594A1/en active Application Filing
  • 1996-01-08 IN IN31CA1996 patent/IN186595B/en unknown

Patent Citations (2)

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