US1495191A - Carton-opening mechanism for packaging machines - Google Patents

Description

1.. 9 .J 5 9 4, el.A N A T H .G U A N C A M J.

.May 27 .1924.

cARToN OPENING MEcHANIsMjFon AcKAGxNG MACHINES Filed Nov. s, 1922 4 sheets-sheet 1 May 27, 1924. 1.495.191

J. VMACN-UGHTAN CARTON OPENING MEChHANlSM FO PACKAGING MACHINES Filed Nov. 9, 1922 4' sheets-sheet 2 May 27, 1924.

J. MACNAUGHTAN CARTON OPENING MEGHANISM FOR PACKAGING MACHI'NES Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Nov. 9, 1922 l to avoid the complication` and structural' l YPatented May 27, 1924.

. UNITED STATES-f 1,495,191 PATENT UOFFICE.

JAMES MACNAUGHTAN, OF BROO-KIINSE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 GDRDAN MACHINE COMPANY, 0F WALTHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION 0F MASSA- CHUSETTS.

CARTON-OPENING MECHANISM FOR PACKAGING MACHINES.

Application led November 9, 1922. Serial No. 599,774.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, JAMES MACNAUGH- "rAN, a citizen of the United States, residingat Brookline, in the county of Norfolk an `State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Carton-Open merchandise therein.

Y y The object of the invention is -to provide vimproved opening mechanism, whereby col- V lapsed cartons may be automatically opened partly by internal and partly by external pressure', without the employment 'of means having aturningor partial rotary movement within the carton, my object being chiefly weakness which is involved in carton-opening'r'neans applying opening pressure wholly within the carton.

.Of the accompan ing drawings forming a Figure 1 iis a top plan view of the ortilon i fof a packaging machine which inclu es carton-opening mechanism embodying my 1n- Sventlon. y

f Figure 2 1s an isometric View, showing the opening blade after it has partially'entered A Asecurel the cartonythe tab lever holding the ltab while being opened, the feed strips which pushthebox intopositi'onjfor opening, and the jaws for applying external ressure to tV e carton after the opening bla je hasbeen Figure 9 is a section tov show :the method to the"base plate, the stop Vfingerswhich eep the carton from moving .forward d of bringingxthe .carton to shape of removing 'the plunger from the carton, so

as to leave the carton ceivingboii.V A 1 V Figures 10 to 14 inclusive are side elevations to show the carton in various positions. Figure l0 shows the feed strips pushing the undisturbed in the re'- rlowest carton in-the magazine intoposition against the stop fingers. IniFigure 11 the opening` blade is inserted into the carton and o'pens it partially. The carton which has been opened previously has been dropped into the receiving box and `has started towardthe other end of the machine, as shown in Figure 12.v The jaws swing up to push the carton'into shape while the opening blade is in the carton. 'When the carton is fully opened, the overhead finger swings out and holds the carton, preventing it from collapsing while the'opening blade withdraws. v 1

In Figurel, the plunger guide is raised to thelevel of the carton, and the plunger is pushedE into. the carton as the blade withdraws. The receiving box has ejected the previous carton and is returning to the origfinal position.

In Fi ure 14, the plunger withl the carton is move along the plunger guide, into position directly over the -receiving box. The feed strips have pushed a new carton into position, and the returning receiving box as raised the stop fingers so as to limit the movement of the new carton.- Figure 10 shows the plunger with its carton lowered' into position inside the receiving box, after which the plunger withdraws, leaving the carton tobe carried away by the receiving box.

The machine is provided with a vertical magazine adapted to contain a pile of collapsedcartons 20, the lowest carton resting on the horizontal bottom of the magazine. The vertical sides of the magazine are preferably'fermed b y two upstanding angular members 22, spaced apart as indicated by 'Figure 1, and formed to permit a pile of cartons therebetween to move downward.

The lowest carton is ejected from the magezine b a reciprocating slide 23,' which forms t er bottom of the magazine, and is movable in guides 24, and rovded with means suchas the ends 25 o strips 25, for engaging the rear edge of the lowest carton and pus ing the carton forward.A Thestrips `25 are attached by screws, the slide 23.

blade, the stop fin i or, otherwise, to

A carton ejected by the slide is arrested by stop lingers 26, which 'are raised 'and lowered by means later described. The larger flap at one end of the ejected carton is held down or clamped by a presser-foot 33, formed on a lever 34, which is fulcrumed at '35, and is oscillated by means hereinafter described, to cause the foot to hold down the cartoniiap before and during the operation of opening the carton, and to release the flap after the carton has been opened. The carton is arrested in the path of a reciprocating opening blade 27, which has a wedgedshaped forward end, and is adapted to part ly open the carton and cooperate with the stop fingers 26 in holding the partly opened carton while it is being acted on by swinging jaws 28. Said jaws are fixed to a rockshaft 29, and as indicated by Figures 5 and 6, are adapted to fully open the carton. The blade 27, when inserted in the carton, bears on one of the major sides at its junction with one of the minor sides, and causes the carton to assume the rhomboidal form in* cross section shown by Figure 5, the major sides being somewhat separated, and 4the minor sides inclined,rso that 4one of them 'is in the path of inovement'of the jaws 28. The jaws swing upward when `the cartn is .thus held, and strike the oyerhan'iing minorside of the carton, and'swingtle same 1against one edge ofthe' blade 27, as shown'by Figure. This operation completes 'the opening of. the carton, the cross section of'which is now rec tangular.

To prevent the opened carton from col-V lapsing while the blade2i' is beingwith drawn, 1 provide a' curved holding-'down finger 30, fixed to an arm 31, on a rock-shaft 32. The rock-shaft is turned by means hereinafter described, to Vcause the .finger 30 to alternately assume the positions shown by Figures 10 and 12, the finger being in Figure 10 position before,.and 1n Figure 12 f3" position after, the carton is opened. When in the latter position, the finger exerts' con'- tining pressure on the cartom-Vsojthat the i withdrawal of the blade 27 doesnot displace the carton. A

fter the withdrawal of thegopening gers 26 areirloweied, and the opened carton is transferlgpd by mechanism presently described, toftfreciprocatin'g box 37, which carries the cartonvforwardfor subsequent operations` in which'the'v present invention is not involved.. The "boil lj'lhich is shown 1n perspect1ve 8, is formed on a slidefSS't'iva le horizontally on the table 21. The'box has side faces 37, and a bottom face 37", forming 'the `walls of an open endedreceptacle in which the body portion of an opened carton maybe deposited, and from w lich its' end portions or Aa'ps may project in 'opposite directions, to

be acted 'on by other instrumentalities'of a complete packaging machine.

The transferring mechanism whereby the opened carton is deposited in the box 37, is embodied as follows:

40 represents a plunger formed to enter and conform to the interior of the opened carton, and having a compound movement whereby it is caused 'to first move horizontally into the opened carton, after the witl1- drawal `of the opening blade 27, then horizontally with the carton to a positiop over the box 37, vthe latter bein below the plane in which the opening b1 e moves, as indicated by Figure 7, then downward into the box, thu's depositing the carton in the box, and, finally horizont-ally out of the carton, the latter being detained in the' box by a detent lip 41 (Flgure 9), which bears on one end-of the carton.

The plunger 40 has arecess 42, in its under side, into which the detent proiects, the recess being arranged to permit withdrawahof the plunger from theo ent and the box; The plun er is returned after its withdrawal lfrom t e bpx, to position to enter the cartpnLnjextopened.;y'l Y From' the foregoing it "be seen that the lowest carton is opened by the successive action of the blade 27 and the jaws 28, and is the-n' transferred from the position where it was o cned, so that it may be sibsequently closed at one end, filled, and then closed at its opposite .end by suitable means provided for these pur oses. The reciproeatingv opening blade an the oscillatingjaws constitute a simple and reliablen means for -is involved when'the I'neans for ning the ication and liability to drangement which carton o'era-tes wholly within t e carton, and invo vesainember or m mbers entering thecarton, and then pary rotating or swinging within ythe carton. The opening blade 27 perforlnsits function within the, carton, andwhas only a; reciprocatin movenient. The jays-28 perform their nction outside thecirtpm and haveonly an oscilc la'ting moyem' strnine'n'talities' a' compound movern'int.

It is; obvious' that the (Zperating mechanisnwheby t'lierdescribe movements are imparted togthe essential inammenmlitis in which the'ipyen embodiedf'm'ay be of any suitable-haracterl' In tliiseinbodiment of,..the invntfon',`said mechanism is embodied'as fol-lows:'-` t The-main shaft 443 of the' machine is con nected by gears 44,45, with aysliaft 46, carof cams 4.8, which spondingi plnralityjof 'evers 49,; the lower that4 neither of saijndcoo. crate with 'a correends of which are pivoted to liked fears 50.

One of tli'e levers 49` is connected by n rod 2a rying a sprocket wbeel-47, and a plurality lthe shaft 62, meshes with a beve 51 (Figure 7) with, and reciprocates the carton-ejectng slide 23. Another lever 49 is connected by a rod 52 with1a,slid ing rack 53, meshing with aV ar segment 54 on the rock-shaft 29, whic -carries the jaws 28. The rack is reciprocated by the lever with which it is connected, and Voscillates the Jaws. rod 56 (Figure 7) with an arm 57, on the rock-shaft 32, carrying the carton-holding linger 30, said finger being oscillated by the lever with which it is ccnnected. A rod 58 (Figures 7 and 8) connects. another lever 49 with a slide 60, constituting a guide in which the plunger 40 is movable by means described later. The slide 60 is reciprocated by the lever 49, with a carton in which it is inserted, from the opening station to a point over the box 37. The sprocket wheel 47, on the shaft .46, is connected by a chain 60, with a sprocket wheel 61, on a shaft 62; A bevel ear 63 on gear `64 on a cam shaft 65, having a plurality of cams 66.

Reciprocating motion is imparted to the opening blade 27 by one of the cams 66.

through connections including a lever 67 (Figure 3) fulcrumed at 68, and having a trundle roll 69 bearing on the cam, a bellcrank lever 70, fulcrumed at 71, and havin a pivotal and sliding connection at 72 witi the lever 67, and a rod 73 connecting the lever with an ear 74, fixed to the cartonejecting slide 23. Oscillating motion is imparted from another cam 66 to the flap clamping pressure-foot 33, by a lever 75, fulcrumed at 76, and having a trundle-roll 77 bearing on the cam last referred to, and a rod 78 connecting the lever 75 with the presser-foot lever 34.

The plunger-guiding slide 60 is movable on a guide bar 80, to move the plunger to its carton-entering position, and therefrom to a position over the box 37, this movement being effected by the mechanism already described, including the rod 58. The guide bar SQ is alternately raised and lowered by mechanism which includes two upright rods 81 (Figure 7), connected with opposite' ends of the bar and movable vertically in fixed guides in the table 21, a bar 82 connected withthe lower ends of said rod, and a lever 83 fulcrumed at`84, andhaving a trundleroll at one end, bearing Unione of the cams 66` its opposite end being'fslidably engaged with the lower bar 82.

The plunger 40 is reciprocated in the guiding slide 60 by mechanism which includes a lever 86` (Figure 3), fulcrumed at 84 beside the lever 83, and having at one bell-crank lever 87, fulcrumed at 88, and

which it is connected l by the rod 58, and carries the plunger, and

slidingly engaged at one end with the slotted end of the lever 86, and at its other end with a slotted head 89 on the plunger 40.

I claim:

1. Carton-ogening mechanism comprising a supporting ed, means for locating a collapsed carton in a predetermined position Another lever 49 is connected by e thereon, cartonopening means including one of its major sides in contact with thebed, carton-opening means including two successively operating instrumentali'ties, one being formed to be inserted between the major sides, and having a reciprocating move-4 ment causing it to enter the carton, and partly open the same, and the other formed to contact with one of the minor sides, and having an oscillating movement outside the carton to erect the minor sides and complete the opening of the carton, a curved oscillatory holding-down finger adapted to bear4 on an opened carton, and prevent displacev ment thereof by said reciprocating instrumentality, when the latter is withdrawing from the carton, and means for oscillating said finger.

3. Carton-o ening mechanism comprisin a supaorting ed, means for locating a co la carton, having major and minor si es, in a predetermined position thereon, with one ofits major sides in contact with the bed, cartonopening means including two successively operating instrumentalities, one being formed to be inserted between the major sides, and having a reciprocating movement causing it to enter the carton, and partly open the same, and the other formed to contact with one ofthe minor sides, and having an oscillating movement outside the carton to erect the minor sides and complete the opening of the carton, a carton-receiving box, means 'for transferring an opened carton from the said opening instrumentalities to said box, and means for shifting the box'to transfer the opened carton to other istrumentalities.

4. Carton-opening mechanism comprising a supporting bed, means for locating a collapsed carton, having major and minorsides, in a predetermined position thereon, with one of its major sides in contact with the bed, carton-opening means including two successively operating instrumentalities', one being formed to be inserted between the major sides, and having a reciprocating movement causing it to enter the carton, an partly open the same, and the other formed to contact with one of the minor sides, and having an oscillating movement outside `the carton to erect the minor sides and complete the opening of the carton, a carton-receiving box, a compound motion feed plunger, ada ted to'transfer an opened carton from sai opening instrumentalities to said box, and means for shifting the box to transfer the opened carton to other instrumentalities. 5. Carton-o enng mechanism comprising n supporting ed, means for locating a collapsed carton, having major and minor sides, in a predetermined position thereon, with one of its major sides in contact with the bed, carton-opening means-including two successively operating instrumentalities, one being formed to be inserted betweenthe mafjor sldes, and having a reciprocativr'igrmove. ment causing it te enter the carton, and partly open the same, and the otheriformed to contact with one of he minor sides, and having an oscillating movement outside the carton to erect the minor sides and complete the opening of the carton, a carton-receiving box, a feed plunger adapted to enter an force the latter into theopened carton an box, means for imparting a compound; motion to said plunger, and means for shifting the box Yto transfer the opened carton to other instrumentalities.

In testimony whereof I have ailixed my signature.

JAMES MACNAUGHTAN.

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