US2766666A - Machine for forming windowed cartons - Google Patents

Description

Oct i6, 1956 J. G. VERGOBBI MACHINE FOR FORMING WINDOWED cARToNs Filed Nov. l5. 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet ATTORNEY,

Oct. i6, 1956 J. G, VERGOBBI MACHINE FOR FORMING wINDowED cARToNs Filed Nov. 15, 1952 l ATTORNEY Oct. 16, 1956 .1. G. VERGOBBI MACHINE FOR Fem/11N@ -wINDowED cARToNs 3 Sheets-Sheet I5 INVENTOR. JJM 6%:

Filed NOV. l5l 1952 MACHINE FOR FORMING WINDGWED CARTONS John G. Vergobbi, Quincy, Mass., assignor to Pneumatic Scale Corporation, Limited, Quincy, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application November 15, 1952, Serial No. 320,761

1 Claim. (Cl. 93-36) This invention relates to a machine for forming windowed cartons.

One object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved machine for forming windowed cartons in a novel, simple, economical and efiicient manner.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel machine for manufacturing windowed cartons wherein provision is made for applying the transparent windowforming material over a precut opening in a at carton blank in a simple, economical and efficient manner and for subsequently forming the carton from such blank.

With these general objects in view and such others as may hereinafter appear, the invention consists in the carton-forming machine and in the various structures, arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter described and particularly defined in the claim at the end of this specification.

In the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention,

Fig. l is a side elevation of the present carton-forming machine;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a carton blank having a window opening therein;

Fig. 3 is la perspective View of the adhesive-applying member for applying a band of adhesive about the window opening;

Fig. 4 isa plan View of the machine shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 5 is a detail view of a portion of the feed mechanism for the transparent sheet material;

Fig. 6 is a detail view in side elevation of a portion of the driving mechanism;

Fig. 7 is a detail view in side elevation of the sheetcutting mechanism;

Fig. 8 is an end view of the carton-forming block and associated folding mechanism; and

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the formed carton showing the window panel.

In general, the present invention contemplates a machine for making windowed cartons wherein successive carton blanks, each having a precut window opening formed therein, are conveyed into the machine, and provision is made for securing a sheet of transparent windowforming material over the precut opening to form the window. Preferably, the window-forming material is adhesively secured to the body of the carton during the continuance of advance of the carton blank, and after the application of the window the carton blank may and preferably will be folded about a for-ming block, and the remaining operations of bottom sealing and sealing the side seams of the cartons may be performed in known forms of carton-forming machines, preferably of the general type having a plurality of radially extended forming blocks mounted to be intermittently rotated to present the forming blocks successively to the various carton-forming stations of the machine. In operation, a prescored carton blank is presented under one of the horizontally extended forming blocks, and then elevated and folded about the block, the longitudinal edges of the folded blank ICC being adhesively secured to form the side seam. At a succeeding station, the extended bottom llaps are folded over the end of the forming block and adhesively secured. to each other to form the bottom of the carton, and at a subsequent station the carton is stripped from the forming block ready to be filled and the top flaps thereof closed and sealed.

Referring now to the drawings, 10 represents the radially extended forming blocks secured to a flange 12- mounted on and rotated intermittently with a central shaft 14 of the carton-forming machine for forming the carton from a at carton blank to present the forming blocks to successive stations of the machine. Inasmuch as machines of this type which 'are provided with mechanisms for folding the carton blank about the forming block are well known in the packaging trade, only sufficient portions of the machine have been herein illustrated and will be hereinafter described as will enable the present invention to be understood, reference being made to the United States patent to Vergobbi, No. 2,364,406.

In general, in the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the carton-forming blanks 15, herein shown as comprising flat prescored blanks having precut window openings 17 formed therein, are arranged to be withdrawn from a stack 16 stored in a magazine 18 and transferred to a conveyor 20 to be conveyed into operative relation to adhesive-applying mechanism, indicated generally at 22, for applying a band of adhesive 10S about the marginal edges of the precut opening 17 in the carton blank. At a succeeding station of operation, indicated generally at Z4, the carton blank is provided with a sheet of transparent material 25 which is applied over the opening and against the band of adhesive 108 to secure the transparent material to the carton blank. Thereafter, the continuously advanced carton blank is brought into operative relation to an adhesive-applying station, indicated generally at 26, for applying a longitudinal strip of adhesive 2S to enable the Side seam to be subsequently formed, and transverse strips of adhesive 30, 32 to selected bottom aps to enable the bottom of the carton to be subsequently sealed.

As herein shown, the uppermost carton blank 15 in the stack 16 is inserted between feed rolls 34, 36 by suction transfer means 38 arranged to lift the uppermost blank upwardly and forwardly to present the leading edge of the blank between the feed rollers. The suction transfer mechanism 38 may be of a known type, herein shown as including a plurality of suction cups 39 carried by a hollow to effect the transfer operation.

elevating mechanism, generally indicated at 45, and which operates to elevate the stack periodically to compensate for the withdrawn blanks.

The conveyer 2t! may comprise a pair of spaced endless chains 46 arranged to run over sprockets 48, 50 mounted on shafts 52, 54 at the receiving and delivery ends respectively of the conveyer, around idler lsprockets 56, and around drive sprockets 58 fast on a cross shaft 60. The shaft 60 m-ay be driven from a drive shaft 62 of the carton-forming machine which is connected by bevel gears 64, 66 to a longitudinal shaft 68. The shaft 65 is connected by bevel gears 70, 72 (see Fig. 6) to a cross shaft 74 which in turn is connected by a chain and sprocket drive 76 to the shaft 6ft. As herein shown, the chains 46 are provided with a plurality of equally spaced fingers 7S for engaging the rear edges of succes. sive carton blanks 15 transferred thereto, and the feedi,

rolls 34, 36 are arranged to effect advance of the blank at a relatively faster rate of speed than the speed of the conveyer in order to permit engagement of the rear edge of the blank by the next succeeding pair of fingers 78 as the chains 46 travel around the sprockets 48V at the receiving end of the machine. As illustrated in Fig. l, the lower feed roll 36 mounted on the shaft 52 may be driven from the cross shaft 60 by a chain and sprocket drive 80. ri`he upper roll 34 comprises an idler roll carried between arms 82 fast on a rocker shaft 84 and is arranged to be rocked upwardly each cycle of operation to permit entrance of the leading edge of the blank presented thereto by the transfer mechanism, and to be rocked down into cooperative engagement with the driven roller 36 toeffect advance of the blank into operative position to be engaged by the lingers 78 of the chains. As herein shown, the rocker shaft S4 is provided with an arm 86 fast thereon connected by a link 88 to an arm 90 fast on a shaft 92 supported in a bracket 94 attached to the machine frame. The shaft 92 is provided with an arm 96 having a cam roll for cooperation with a cam 98 fast on a driven shaft 100, which may comprise the adhesive-applying member shaft, to be described. The arm 86 may be provided with a handle portion 102 to permit manual rocking of the idler roll 34.

The adhesiveapplying mechanism 22 for applying adhesive about the marginal edges of the precut opening 17 in the carton blank comprises an adhesive-applying member 104 having peripheral surfaces 106 shaped as illustrated in detail in Fig. 3 to apply a band of adhesive 108 around the rectangular opening as indicated in Fig. 2.

As herein shown, adhesive may be supplied to the member 104 by a transfer roller 110 engaged with a supply roller 112 rotatably mounted in an adhesive tank 114. to which adhesive may be supplied by a pipe 116, the surplus adhesive being received by a drain pipe 118 to be returned to a supply tank 120 and recireulated in a known manner.

The adhesive-applying member 104 is fast on the shaft 100 rotatably mounted in 4the bracket 94 attached to the machine frame, and in practice the member 104 may be of a radius such as to have a surface speed slightly greater than the linear speed of the conveyer 20 in order that the blank may be pulled forward a slight distance from the pusher fingers 78Vof the conveyer chains whereby to prevent jamming or buckling of the blank between the applying member and the fingers when the blank is engaged by the applying member. As herein shown, the adhesive-applying member shaft 100 may be driven from the cross shaft 74 through bevel gears 124, 126 connecting the cross shaft 74 to a vertical shaft 128 and through bevel gears 130, 132 connecting the vertical shaft to the adhesive-applying member shaft. ln operation, the adhesive pattern is applied about the precut opening during the continuous advance of the blank on the conveyer 20 and as the blank passes between the rotary applying member 104 and a backing roller 134 rotatably mounted in the bracket 94.

The continuously moving carton blank is then advanced into operative relation to station 24 where a sheet of transparent material is placed over the precu-t opening in the blank and secured thereto by the marginal band of adhesive previously applied. As herein shown, a supply roll 136 of the transparent material is supported in the bracket 94 and is arranged to be withdrawn from the supply roll by driven feed rolls 138, 140 arranged to intermittently advance a length of the material to present the leading edge thereof into engagement with the adhesively coated portion of the carton blank, and between upper and lower presser rolls 142, 144 arranged to press the web against the adhesively coated portion of the carton. Atrthe end of the intermittent feeding operation and simultaneously with the arrival of the leading edge of the web into engagement with'the carton blank, the webis severed by a cutter 146,V and during the-continued advance of the cartonx blank between the presser rolls 142, 144 the severed length of the web is pressed against the blank over the opening therein to secure the severed sheet to the adhesively coated portion 108 about the opening.

The feed rolls 138, 1411 may be mounted on shafts 148, respectively Yand are arranged to be intermittently rotated: bymechanism including a pinion 152 loosely mounted ori-the shaft 148 and an elongated rack member 154 meshing with thepinion and arranged to be reciprocatcd by a cam 156 fast on the shaft 74. As herein shown, the rack member is provided with a forked portion 15S arranged toembraceV the shaft74, and` a cam roll 160 carried by theA` forked portion is arranged to cooperate with the cam 156. The loosely mounted pinion 152 is provided with a pawl 162 arranged to engage a ratchet 164 fast on the shaft 148 to effect rotation of the feed rolls in one direction only, thepawl slipping on the ratchet during the retracting stroke of the rack. The rollers 138, 140. may be connected to rotate together by intermeshing gears 166. In operation, the web is guided around the lower feed roll 140 by a guide roll and then extends downwardly across the cutter plate 172 and into engagement with the carton blank.

The movable cutter member 146 is carried by a lever 176 pivotally mounted on a shaft 178 and is arranged to be rocked toV effect the cutting operation at the end of the intermittent advance of the web by a cam 180 fast on the shaft 74 and through linkage includinga cam roller 182 carried by a lever 184 pivotally mounted on a shaft 186, the lever 184. being connected by a link 18S to the lever 176.'. The presser rolls 142, 144 may be connected by intermeshing gears 192 andmay be driven from a shaft 196 by a chain and sprocket drive 198, the shaft 196 forming a part of the second adhesiveappiying station 26.

The second adhesive-applying station 26 is provided with applying members 200, 201 and 203 fast on the shaft 196 and are provided with peripheral surfaces-shaped to apply the adhesive strip 28 along a marginal edge of the blank for the side seam of the carton, and adhesive coatings 30, 32 to the carton flaps for forming the bottom seal, the applying members cooperating with a backing roller 202. The second adhesive-applying mechanism may be similar to that previously described wherein the applying members cooperate with a transfer roll 204 'and a supply roll 206 rotatably mounted in a pan 208. The rolls 204, 206 may be supplied with adhesive by a pipe 210, the surplus being returned to the supply through a drain pipe 212 to be again recirculated. The shafty 196 may be driven from the longitudinal shaft 68 through pairs of bevel gears 214, 216 to a vertical shaft 218, the latter being connected to the shaft 196 by bevel gears in a manner similar to that shown in Fig. 6. In practice, the applying members 200, 201, 203 may have a surface speed such'as to advance the blankfslightly on the conveyer during the applying'operation to prevent buckling of the blank by the pusher fingers 78, as described. with relation to the first adhesive-applying mechanism.

During the continued advance of the carton blankalong the conveyer 20, the ,leading edge of the blank is gripped between discharge rollers 224, 226 arranged to transfer the blankfromthe, conveyer 20 onto the elevating platform 228 of the folding mechanism in its lowered posi. tion beneath the forming block 10. The upper roller 224 may be supported in a slot formed in a bracket 232 for frictional engagement with the top of the blank. The lower roller 226 may be driven by a chain and sprocket drive 230 from the shaft 196 at a relatively faster rate ofr speed than the speed of the conveyer 20 in order to deposit the carton blank onto the elevating platform in timed relation Yto the Varrival of an intermittently operatedforming block 10 into operative relation-to the foldingY mechanism;

When the blank thus advanced passes beyond the feed rolls 224, 226, provision is made for further advancing the blank along the elevating platform 228 to present the leading edge of the blank against stop members 229 carried by the platform whereby to dispose the blank in registered relation to be folded about the forming block 10. As herein illustrated, the blank may be thus advanced by cam-operated pusher fingers 233 fast on a rocker shaft 234 arranged to be rocked to cause the fingers to engage the rear edge of the blank and push the blank forward against the stop. The rocker shaft 234 is provided with an arm 236 connected by a link 238 to one arm 240 of a bell crank pivotally mounted at 242, the second arm 243 of the bell crank being provided with a cam roll 244 for cooperation with a cam 246 fast on the main cam shaft 62.

The mechanism for folding the carton blank about the forming block to form a rectangular carton may comprise the folding mechanism illustrated and described in the United States patent to Vergobbi, No. 2,533,642, and includes the elevating platform 228 and vertically reciprocal side plates 248, 250 arranged to be elevated simultaneously for a short distance until the elevating platform engages the bottom of the block lifting the blank up against the underside of the block. In operation, the side folder blades 248, 250 continue upwardly to fold the side portions of the carton blank against the sides of the block. The side portions of the blank extended beyond the top of the block are then folded over into overlapping relation against the upper surface of the block by a pair of curved and rockingly mounted folder plates 252, 254. When the curved folder plates are retracted, a top presser member 256 may be lowered into engagement With the overlapped seam to set the adhesive, thus forming a tubular carton about the block. Thereafter, the elevating platform 228 and the side folder blades 248, 250 are retracted, and the forming block is intermittently moved to a succeeding station of operation (not shown) where the extended bottom flaps of the carton are folded over and adhesively secured to form the bottom of the carton in the usual manner, and the carton may then be stripped from the block ready to be lled and the top aps closed and sealed.

From the above description it will be observed that the illustrated machine embodies novel mechanism for applying a transparent window panel over a precut window opening formed in a carton blank during the continuous advance 4of the blank into operative relation to one of the forming blocks of the usual carton-forming machines ready to be folded about the carton-forming block whereby to produce window-panel cartons in an economical, rapid, ecient and superior manner.

In its broader aspects the transparent window-forming material may be secured to the carton blank in any de sired manner.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been herein illustrated and described, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms within the scope of the following claim.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

In a machine for forming windowed carton blanks, a conveyor for continuously advancing carton blanks having precut window openings, said conveyor including spaced :lingers for engaging and advancing successive carton blanks, adhesive applying means including an adhesive applying member comprising a rotary segment having a radially extended portion shaped at its outer periphery to form a pad for applying adhesive about the marginal edges of the precut openings in said blanks, means for simultaneously driving said conveyor and said rotary segment in timed relation, said driving means being arranged to drive said segment at such a rate that the linear speed of said pad exceeds the linear speed of said conveyor, said conveyor being arranged to extend substantially past said adhesive applying means whereby to continue advancing said blanks after application of adhesive thereto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,596,488 Jacquemin Aug. 17, 1926 1,752,608 Olgay Apr. 1l, 1930 1,808,014 Bergstein June 2, 1931 1,908,291 Goss May 9, 1933 1,969,106 Stande Aug. 7, 1934 2,079,668 Swift May 11, 1937 2,191,496 Novck Feb. 27, 1940 2,620,711 Lindsay Dec. 9, 1952 2,625,085 Bergstein Ian. 13, 1953

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