US2953884A - Carton closure tab crimping device - Google Patents

Description

P 1960 R. K. GALLOWAY 2,953,884

CARTON CLOSURE TAB CRIMPING DEVICE Filed July 30, 1957 v3 Sheets-Sheet 1 TIE--1 I58- I47- I46 C9 232 I45 I44 G- os I08 Q I INVENTOR 72 22 84 ROBERT K. GALLOWAY ATTO RNEY Sept. 27, 1960 GALLOWAY 7 2,953,884

CARTON CLOSURE TAB CRIMPING DEVICE Filed July 50, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ROBERT K. GALLOWAY ATTORNEY Sept. 27, 1960 R. K. GALLOWAY 2,953,884

CARTON CLOSURE TAB CRIMPING DEVICE Filed July 30, 1957 I5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR ROBERT K. GALLOWAY BY w w ATTORNEY Unite 2,953,884 CARTON CLOSURE TAB CRIMPING DEVICE Filed July so, 1957, Ser. No. 675,160 17 Claims. c1. s3-s74 This invention relates to cartons made of pasteboard or similar sheet material and relates more particularly to machines for processing such cartons.

A type of pasteboard carton in extensive commercial use, particularly in the food processing industry, is characterized by closure flaps hingedly connected to and projecting from certain wall panels and from the cover of the carton, which flaps carry tabs adapted to be inserted into slits in panels that are contiguous to the tab carrying flaps to secure the panels in the positions that they occupy when the carton is filled and closed. Experience with these cartons, however, has taught that their tabs are apt to be dislodged from the slits within which they are intended to remain, with the result that in various marketing programs in which this type of carton is employed it has proven desirable or necessary to individually wrap the filled cartons to make them capable of withstanding the handling to which they are apt to be subjected. This is particularlytrue in the frozen food industry wherein it is customary to display the filled cartons for sale in open self-serve freezer cabinets, thus making it important that the cartons be overwrapped or otherwise provided with means requiring destruction of or conspicuous damage to a carton in order to gain access to the contents of the package. Obviously, overwrapping adds materially to the costs entailed in marketing a commodity in cartons of this type, not only because of the initial cost and the maintenance expense of overwrapping machines but also because of the cost of the wrapping material itself and the cost of the additional handling of the packages that is required to progress them through an overwrapping machine.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved carton processing machine.

Another object is to provide a machine for adding the capability of resisting rough handling and tampering t cartons of the type employing tabs inserted through slits to retain the cartons in erected and/or closed condition. Another object is to provide a machine for crimping tabs of sheet material cartons in such a mannerthat when the tabs are subsequently inserted into slits for the purpose of retaining the cartons in an erected and/ or closed condition the security with which the tabs are retained in the slits is greatly enhanced.

Another object of the invention is to provide a carton tab crimping device of the character described which is adapted for mounting upon, and for operation in conjunction with, an existing carton processing machine in a manner that avoids interfering with operation of the existing machine or interrupting or otherwise delaying the progression of cartons or carton blanks through the same.

-marking or otherwise imprinting identifying indicia upon each carton during the performance of the crimping operation on the same.

Another object is to provide a carton tab crimping States Paten ice device of the general character indicated which is of simple, inexpensive and durable construction, eflicient and positive in operation and capable of continuous high speedoperation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in con junction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is the fragmentary plan of a carton processing machine showing two tab crimping devices of the present invention in cooperative association therewith.

Fig.2 is a section along lines 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section showing parts of one of the tab crimping machines and taken along lines 33 of Fig. 1. i I.

Fig. 4 is an elevation, partly broken away, 'viewed as indicated by the arrows 4 of Fig. 3. v

Fig. 5 is a section along lines 5-5 of Fig. 3. j

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan of the mechanism shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5.

Fig. 7 is a perspective of a carton of one of the types upon which the crimping device of the present invention is designed to operate.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 showing the locking tabs of the carton after having been crimped by the devic of the present invention.

Fig. 9 is a perspective, partly broken away, showing the positions assumed by the crimped tabs to lock the cartonin closed condition.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged section along lines 10--10 of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a section along lines 11--11 of Fig. 9.

'The carton tab crimping machine of the present invention performs a crimping operation upon the tabs of various types of pasteboard cartons, deforming the tabs in a manner that enhances the security with which the tabs become locked in position when they subsequently are inserted through slits in adjoining parts of the cartons to retain the parts in erected arrangement in the case of cartons wherein the tabs interconnect two angularly related wall panels. In the case of a carton wherein the crimped tab is carried by a flap hinged to an edge of the cartons cover panel and is adapted to be inserted through a slit in an end wall or through a slit in the front Wall of the carton, the tab deformation performed by'the ma- 18, respectively, that cooperate with each other to define the body 20 of the carton. End flaps 22 and 24' are hinged to the opposite ends of the front wall 16 and end flaps 26 and 28 are similarly provided at the ends of the rear wall 18. opposite ends of the topwall 12, and somewhat longer closure flaps 34 and 36 (Figs. 9, 10 and 11) are hinged to'the ends of the bottom wall 14. The closure flap '30 (Figs. 7 and 8) is provided with a pair of tabs 40' p'ro jecting from its distal edge and adapted to be inserted through slits 42 in the companion closure flap 34 as the flaps 30 and 34 are folded to carton closing relation. A

similar pair of tabs 44 on the closure flap 32 are adapted to be inserted through slits 46 (Figs. 9, 10 and 11) in the companion closure flap 36 as the flaps 32 and 36 are folded to closing relation.

Two spaced slits 48 extend from each slit 42, 46 to ward the distal edge of the associated flap 34, 36, each Pa'tented Sept. 27, 1960 Closure flaps 30 and 32 are hinged :to

pair of slits 48 thus presenting a tongue 50 adapted to be flexed from the general plane of the associated closure flap 34, 36 to provide clearance space to accommodate the associated tab 40 or 44 as the case might be, as will best be understood by observing the position of the tongues 50 in Figs. 9 and 10.

Because of the above-described relationship of two spaced slits 48 with each tab-receiving slit 42, 46, the central part of the outer edge of each slit 42, 46, i.e., the central part of the edge farther from the hinged edge of the associated closure flap 34, 36, is defined by the free end of the associated tongue 50, while each end of the outer edge of each slit 42, 46 is defined by one edge 52 of a square corner 54, as best shown in Figs. 7, .8 and 9.

A slit 56 is made in each tab 40, 44 extending inward thereof from the lateral edge of the tab that is farther from the companion tab on the same closure flap 30 or 32 as the case might be. The slits 56 are in alignment with the distal edges of the closure flaps 30, 32 and the length of each slit 56 is substantially the same as the length of the edge 52 of the associated corner 54.

Thus, each tab 40, 44 includes a wing 58 severed .along one edge 60 (Fig. 9) from the remainder of the tab by the associated slit 56. The tab crimping machine of the present invention is designed to offset the wings 58 of the locking tabs 40 and 44 in a manner that enhances to a considerable degree the security with which the tabs become locked within the slits 42 or 46 as the case might be, when the closure flaps 30, 34 and 32, 36 are closed.

A pair of tab crimping machines of the invention are indicated at 70 and 70a, respectively, in Figs. 1 and 2 where the machines 70 and 70a are illustrated as being operatively mounted on a carton handling machine 72 that includes an endless chain conveyor 74 adapted to advance filled cartons C in rapid succession. The conveyor 74 is trained around a driving sprocket 76 (Fig. 1) at one end of the conveyor 74 and around an idler sprocket 78 (Fig. 2) at the other end of the conveyor 74. The driving sprocket 76 is carried by a shaft 80 (Fig. 1) journalled in and extending transversely of the frame 82 of the carton handling machine 72, and the idler sprocket 78 is carried by a similiar shaft (not shown) journalled in and extending transversely of the frame 82 at the opposite end thereof.

The frame 82 comprises two vertical plates 84 and 84a disposed in spaced, parallel arrangement and each including an inwardly turned flange 86 at its upper edge. These flanges 86 provide support for opposed, parallel angle bars 88 the horizontal flanges 90 of which slidably Support the plates 92 of which the conveyor 74 is com posed.

The plates 92 are hingedly interconnected by pintle pins (not shown) that extend through hubs 94 that project from the plates in an inward direction with respect to the conveyor 74, i.e., the hubs 94 project downward from the plates 92 comprising the upper run of the conveyor 74 while the hubs 94 project upward from the plates that comprise the lower run of the conveyor. Therefore, the hubs 94 are adapted to seat within notches 76a and 78a in the sprockets 76 and 78, respectively. In this manner the conveyor 74 is positively keyed to the driving sprocket 76, this being an important factor in attaining dependable synchronization of the crimping machines 70 and 700 with the conveyor 74.

The conveyor 74 is driven at suitable speed by a sprocket (Fig. 1) rigid with the shaft 80 to which the driving sprocket 76 of the conveyor 74 is likewise rigidly secured. A chain 102 is trained around the sprocket 100 and around a driving sprocket 104 (Fig. 2) rigidly secured to a shaft 106 extending transversely of the frame 82 in a position intermediate the ends of the same. The shaft 106 is jonrnalled in suitable bearings .(not shown) in gear housings 108 and 108a that are mounted abreast of each other on opposite sides of the frame 82. The shaft 106 is connected by suitable bevel gears (not shown) within the housing 108a to a vertical shaft 110 that is journalled in and extends both above and below the gear housing 108a. The shaft 110 is driven by a motor 112 (Fig. 1) and speed reduction unit 114 to which the shaft 110 is connected by a suitable sprocket and chain connection which is not shown but which is enclosed within a suitable protective housing 116.

The conveyor 74 is provided at equally spaced intervals with pusher blocks 120, the space between blocks being substantially equal to the length of one of the cartons C, i.e., the dimension of a carton C taken perpendicularly with respect to the front and rear walls 16 and 18, respectively, thereof. Consequently, the conveyor is adapted to advance a succession of the cartons C with the body 20 of each carton in such position that its longer axis extends transversely of the conveyor. In the present instance it is intended that the cartons be placed on the conveyor 74 after the cartons have been filled, with the ends of the carton still open and with all flaps projecting laterally from the body 20 in substantially the position illustrated in Fig. 7. It is the function of the carton handling machine 72 to close the carton by folding the flaps inward and by tucking the locking tabs into the slits into which they are, respectively, intended to be received.

The flaps 22 and 24 of each carton are folded by two elongate blades 122 and 122a mounted on the frame 82 in position for their outwardly curved leading ends (i.e., the ends first encountered by an advancing carton C) to be engaged by the leading end flaps 22 and 24 of the carton so that the flaps are thereby folded inward as the body 20 of the carton enters the space between the two opposed blades 122 and 122a. Shortly thereafter, the trailing end flaps 26 and 28 of the carton are folded forward and inward by a pair of oppositely disposed discs 124 and 124a carried by vertical shafts 126 and 126a, respectively, suitably mounted in bearings (not shown) mounted on opposite sides of the frame 82. Each of the discs 124 and 124a is notched to provide a fiapengaging edge 128, 1280. The discs 124 and 124a are rotated by means presently to be described, in counterclockwise and clockwise directions, respectively, as viewed in Fig. 1 and at a peripheral speed somewhat greater than the linear speed of the conveyor 74. The discs 124 and 124a are rotated in such timed relation with the conveyor that the flap-folding edges 128 and 128a advance behind the trailing end flaps 26 and 28 of each carton and fold these flaps forward and inward to their carton closing positions.

The flap folding blades 122 and 122a and the flap folding discs 128 and 128a are mounted in such position that they fold the flaps 22, 24, 26, and 28 of each carton before the carton reaches the tab crimping machines 70 and 70a. Therefore, when a carton reaches the tab crimping machines 70 and 70a only the closure flaps 30, 32, 34, and 36 project laterally from the body 20 of the carton. A carton is shown in this condition in Fig. 2.

The tab crimpers 70 and 70a of the invention are mounted on the gear housings 108 and 108a, respectively, and each crimper includes a vertical operating shaft. In the case of the cn'mper 70a its operating shaft is the upper part 11011 of the shaft 110, the lower part of which serves to connect the transverse shaft 106 to the source of driving power as hereinabove explained. In other respects, however, the two tab crimping machines 70 and 70a are of similar construction and therefore the following description of tab crimping machine 70 will serve as a description of both.

The tab crimping machine 70 comprises a gear housing that is mounted for vertical adjustment upon two rods 142, the lower ends of which are secured to a mount- .ing plate 144 that is rigidly secured by a plurality of ing 140. The upper part of the shaft -147 is joumalled in the housing 140 in a manner permitting vertical adjustment of the housing relative to the shaft as well as rotation of the shaft relative to the housing 140.

The operating shafts 147 and 110a of both crimping machines 70 and 70a project upward through and beyond the tops ofthe respective gear housings 140 and 140a thereof. Sprockets 148 and 148a are rigidly secured to the projecting upper ends of the operating shafts 147 and 110a, respectively. Chains 149 and 149a (Fig. 2) are trained around the sprockets 148 and 148a, respectively, as well as around sprockets 150 and 150a that are rigidly secured to the shafts 126 and 126a of the end flap closing discs 124 and 124a, respectively. This provides means for operating the end flap closing discs 124 and 124a in synchronism with operation of the conveyor 74 by which the cartons C are advanced.

A bevel gear 152 secured to the lower end of the shaft 147 is enmeshed with a driving bevel gear 154 that is secured to the transverse shaft 106 which, as hereinbefore explained, is connected by gears (not shown) to the shaft 110. The gears whereby the shaft 106 is. connected to the vertical shafts 110 and 147 are so selected that the two vertical shafts 110 and 147 are rotated at the same rate, and since the shaft 106 also serves as the means for driving the conveyor 74 rotation of the shafts 110 and 147 is synchronized with operation of the conveyor 74.

A bevel gear 156 (Fig. 2) splined to the shaft 147 within the housing 140 is enmeshed with a bevel gear 158 that is rigidly secured to a horizontal stub shaft 160 journalled in a side of the gear housing 140 and projecting therefrom to a position above the conveyor 74. Preferably the two stub shafts 160 of the tab crimping machines 70 and 70a are in axial alignment with each other as this simplifies the matter of synchronizing both tab crimpers 70 and 70a with the conveyor 74.

A sleeve 162 (Figs. 3 and 4) is fitted to the projecting end of shaft 160 and is secured in selected position of axial adjustment on the shaft 160 by a key 164 and a set screw 166 tightened onto the key 164. The sleeve 162 carries a radial flange 168 to which a disc 180 is secured by bolts 182, each of which is in threaded engagement with the disc 180 and extends through an arcuate slot 184 in the flange 168 to permit a limited degree of rotational adjustment of the disc 180 with relation to the sleeve 162 when the bolts 182 are loosened. A rotor head 186 is secured to the disc 180 by a plurality of bolts 188. An annular bead 190 on the disc 180 is received within a groove 191 formed in the adjacent face of the rotor head 186. I j

-A suitable number of tab crimping dies 192 are mounted within an arcuate recess 194 formed in the other face of the rotor head 186. These dies are individually secured to the rotor head 186 by bolts 196 which are threaded'into the head 186 and extend loosely through arcuate slots 198 in the dies to permit the dies to be individually adjusted circumferentially of the rotor head 186 when the bolts 196 are loosened and to rigidly secure the dies in selected positions of spacing therebetween when the bolts 196 are tightened. At this point it should be mentioned that when cartons having but a single locking tab on each of the closure flaps are to be handled by the apparatus of the invention only one die 192 will be mounted on the head 186. In the present instance, however, two such dies 192 are employed upon the head 186 inasmuch as there are two tabs 40, 44 on each closure flap 30, 32, respectively, of the carton C,

and it is desired to crimp both tabs on each of these closure flaps. Since the parts of the tabs 40 and 44 that are to crimped are the wings 58, each of which is on that side, of the associated tab 40 or 44 which is remote from the companion tab on the same closure flap, the two dies 192 are of mirror image symmetrical form with respect to each other. Each die 192 comprises a base portion 200 within which the associated slot 198 is formed and an upstanding ridge or bead 202 the outer or top surface of which comprises the working face 204 ofthe die. The bead 202 of each die consists of two parts disposed in angular relation to each other, one part 206 extending circumferentially through an arc of substantial extent and the other part 208 extending obliquely from the part 206' as best seen in Fig. 6. The two angularly related parts 206 and 208 of the bead 202 meet in a sharply defined outside corner 207. The two dies 192 are mounted on the rotor head 186 with the oblique parts 208 of their respective beads adjacent each otherand with the circume'.

ferentially extending parts 206 farther apart. Moreover, the two dies 192 are adjusted so that the distance between the oblique parts 208 corresponds to the spacing between the wings 58 on the two locking tabs 40 or 44 on one of the closure flaps 30 or 32, as the case might be.

The peripheral surface of the rotor head 186 is pro vided with a plurality of radial openings or sockets 210 each of which is adapted to receive a die or stamp 212 having a type face 214 or other means for imprinting.

or embossing indicia on the closure flap 30 or '32 of a carton as the carton is progressed past the tab crimping machine. Such markings serve as code markings to indicate date of packing, the particular batch of product from which the contents of a carton are packed, orother significant information. The marking dies 212 are re tained in operative position within their respective sockets 210 by being clamped between the disc 180 and the roto'r head 186 when the bolts 188 are tightened. Furthermore, the bead 190 seats within a complementary groove 215 (Fig. 4) formed in each of the dies 212 to assistin locking the die in operative position. The sockets 210 are formed within a peripheral flange 216 of the rotor head 186 and a disc 218 fits within the circular recess 220 that is defined by the flange 216. The inner ends of the dies 212 abut against the outer surface of the disc 218, thus assuring proper radial spacing of the type faces 214 of the marking dies 212 from the axis of the rotor head 186.

An anvil mounting bracket 230 (Fig. 2) is mounted on the rods 142 for vertical adjustment below the gear housing and is adapted to be secured in selected position of vertical adjustment by setscrews 232. A rod 234 projeots horizontally from the bracket 230 below the stub shaft and is rigidly secured to the bracket 230 in sc lected position of axial adjustment by a set screw 236; An anvil 238 in the form of a cylindrical roller is -rotatab'ly mounted upon the distal end of the rod 234 by means of a suitable antifriction bearing 240 (Fig. 3). The anvil 238 comprises a rigid inrier cylindrical shell 242 and an outer cylindrical pad 244 of resiliently yieldable material such as rubber or rubber-like material. The diameter of the cylindrical anvil 238 is slightly less than the spacing between the top and bottom wall pan els 12 and 14, respectively, of the carton C, and the anvil mounting brackets 230 of the two crimping machines 70 and 70a are so adjusted on their-respective support rods 142 that as a carton C advances past the tab crimping machines 70 and 70a, the closure flaps 30 and 34 at one end of the carton pass above and below the anvil 238 of the crimping machine 70 while the closure flap- s 32 and 36 at the other end of the cartonpass] above and below the anvil 238 of the other tab crimping machine 70a, as shown in Fig. 2.

44, respectively, are causedto pass between the rotor 7.. heads 186 and the roller anvils 238 of the two tab crimp ing machines 70 and 70a, respectively.

The anvil 239 can be adjusted horizontally by loosening the associated set screws 23.6 and sliding the rod 234 relatively to the bracket 2,36). In practical operation of .the apparatus, each anvil 238 should be in a position directly below the associated rotor head 136 as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The parts are so adjusted that when one of the closure flaps 30 and 32 passes between an anvil 238 and the associated rotor head 186 and when the latter is turned so as to dispose one of the dies 192 thereof in its lowest position, the working face 204 of the die will engage a portion of one of the locking tabs 40 or 44 and press the same sharply into the yielda'ole surface of the anvil 238. Inasmuch as the locking tab and the closure flap are yieldably supported by the resilient anvil as they pass between the anvil and the die, a sharp line of crimping 246 will be formed by the working face 204 of the die, causing that part of the tab which is engaged by the die to be permanently offset from the general plane of the closure flap and the locking tab.

'The two crimping dies 192 on each rotor head 186 should be so adjusted thereon and relatively to each other that the sharp outside corners 207 of the beads 202 of the dies 192 engage the tabs at the inner ends of the slits 56 therein, so that the lines of crimping 246 formed in the tabs extend from the inner ends of the slits 56 ohliquely to the distal edges of the tabs 48, as shown in Fig. .8. Thus, the part of each tab that is offset from the remainder thereof and from the associated Closure flap is the wing 58 at the outer lateral side of the tab and which is severed along the edge 60 of the wing from the distal edge of the flap.

It is apparent, therefore, that accurate synchronization of the rotation of the rotor heads 186 with respect to speed of the carton conveyor 74, accurate lateral adjustment of the rotor head 186 and of the anvils 238 to suit the width of the particular size of cartons to be operated upon, and accurate positioning of the dies 192 on the rotor heads 186 are important desiderata in connection with successful practical operation of the tab crimping apparatus of the invention.

Synchronization of rotor head rotation with conveyor travel is attained by proper selection of the gears 152, 154 and 156, 158 to cause the rotor heads to experience one full turn while the conveyor advances the distance equal to the space between the corresponding parts of each two adjacent pusher blocks 12% on the conveyor. In this manner, completion of a full cycle of operation of each die-carrying rotor head 186 during the period required for each carton C to pass the crimping machines 70 and 70a, is assured.

Lateral positioning of the rotor heads 136 in accordance with the width of the cartons to be handled is attained by loosening each set screw 166 (Fig. 3) and sliding the sleeves 162 and the rotor heads 186 carried thereby along the shafts 160 until the outside edge (indicated at 250 in Fig. 6) of the circumferential part 206 of the bead 202 of each die 192 occupies a position wherein it will be aligned with the slits 56 at the bases of the tabs 40 and 44 and separating the locking wings 58 from their respectively associated closure flaps. As previously mentioned, after such lateral adjustment of the rotor heads 186 has been completed the anvils 238 should be adjusted laterally to dispose them directly under their respectively associated rotor heads 186 as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 5.

Rotational adjustment of the dies 192 to attain proper spacing between the two dies on each rotor head is attained by loosening the bolts 196 and sliding the dies circumferentially of the associated rotor head 186 within the recess 194; and loosening the bolts 182 permits rotational adjustment of each rotor head relative to its associated supporting sleev,e 162 and stub shaft 169 to cause the corners 207 of the dies to engage the two locking tabs at one end of each carton accurately at the inner ends of the slits 56, as hereinabove discussed.

The carton handling machine 72 is equipped with two fiap closing and flap inserting assemblies 260 and 260a, respectively, mounted abreast of each other at opposite sides of the conveyor '74 in such posit-ions that after a carton has passed the crimping machines 70 and 70a the closure flaps 39 and 34 are presented to the flap closing and tab inserting assembly 260 and the flaps 32 and 36 are presented to the opposite. assembly 260a. Inasmuch as the constructional details of the assemblies 269 and 2642a do not constitute a part of the present invention ,these details will not be set forth herein. Reference may be had to the copending application of Robert K. Galloway, Serial No. 581,402, now US. Patent No. 2,906,392 for explanation of these details, but it will suffice for the purposes of the present disclosure to state that as a carton progresses past the assemblies 260 and 260a, its lower closure flaps 34 and 36 will be folded upward and inward by the assemblies 269 and 2600, respectively, and thereafter the upper closure flaps 30 and 32 will be folded downward and inward by the assemblies 265 and 260a. As such folding of the upper flaps 30 and 32 occurs the tabs 40 and 44, respectively, are

inserted into and through the slits 42 and 46, respective- 'ly, causing the parts of the carton to assume the carton closing arrangement illustrated in Figs. 9, l0 and 11.

An advantage derived from subjecting the tabs 40 and 44 to the above described crimping operation is that after such crimping, the wing 58 that constitutes one lateral side of each locking tab 40 or 44, as the case might be, is offset inwardly of the carton as shown in Fig. 9. The thus exposed edge 6% of the wing will not be in alignment with the respectively associated slit 42 or 46 as would be the case were the wing 58 still in alignment with the remainder of the tab and its supporting closure flaps. On the contrary, when the wing 58 is offset, as described, and when the carton is subjected to forces tending to withdraw the tab from its associated slit, the edge 60 of the wing 58 will engage the edge 52 of the square corner defined by one of the slits 48 and one end of the associated tab receiving slits 42 or 46 as the case might be. Such engagement between the edges 60 and 52 will prevent the tab from being withdrawn from the slit 42 or 46 and thus effectively lock the closure tab in carton closing arrangement with such a degree of security that the capability of the carton of resisting rough handling is substantially increased. Furthermore, because of the latching type of interengagement between the edges 60 and 52, another advantage derived from the present invention is that before access can be had to the contents of a carton operated upon by the crimping machines 70 and 70a it will be necessary to destroy or at least conspicuously mutilate the carton.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described herein, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the apparatus without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, that which is believed to be new and for which protection by Letters Patent is desired, is:

1. Apparatus for forming a locking offset on a tab projecting from a closure flap of a sheet material carton, said tab having a laterally projecting wing severed along one edge from the remainder of the carton, comprising means for locating the carton with the closure flap and tab in predetermined position, a crimping die and an anvil mounted in cooperative association with said locating means to engage the tab therebetween with an edge of the die extending from the distal edge of the tab to said severed edge of the wing, and means for operating the die to exert crimping pressure on the tab to crimp the tab along said edge of the die and thereby offsetthe wing from the general plane of the tab.

2. Apparatus for forming a locking offset on a tab carried by a part of a sheet material article adapted for use as a carton, said tab being adapted for insertion through a slit in another part of the article to interconnect the parts in assembled relation and including a laterally projecting wing severed along one edge from the remainder of the carton, comprising means for locating the article with the tab and wing disposed in a predetermined position, a deforming die and an anvil mounted to engage the wing therebetween while the wing is in said predetermined position and for the anvil to engage a part of the tab adjacent the wing and cleared by the die, and means for forcing the die toward the anvil to crimp the material of the tab in the. region of the juncture of the wing therewith and thereby to offset the Wing from the general plane of the tab.

3.. Apparatus for deforming part of a tab on a closure flap of a sheet material carton to form a'locking offset on the tab, comprising means for advancing the carton with a flap and tab thereof projecting from the body of the carton, resilient anvil means mounted adjacent said advancing means in position to engage and support the tab asthe carton advances past said anvil means, a die operably mounted adjacent said advancing means in position to engage and exert embossing pressure upon part of said tab while.the tab is supported by the anvil means, and means for operating the die in timed relation with said carton advancing means. '4. Apparatus for deforming a tab on a closure flap of a sheet material carton to form a locking offset on the tab, comprising means for advancing the carton with a flap and tab thereof projecting from'the body of the carton, a deforming die operably mounted adjacent said carton advancing means in position to engage and exert embossing pressure on, one face of part of the tab as the carton is advanced past the deforming die and to clear the remainder. of the tab, means for operating the die in timed relation with said carton advancing means, and anvil 'means mounted adjacent said carton advancing means in position to engage the opposite face of said remainder of the tab while said tab is engaged by the die and to support said remainder of the tab while the die crimps the tab between the said die-engaged part of the tab and the said remainder of the tab.

5. Apparatus for deforming a tab on a closure flap of a sheet material carton to form a locking offset in the tab, comprising means for advancing the carton with the closure flap and tab projecting from the body of the carton, a deforming die operably mounted adjacent the carton advancing means in position to engage part of the tab on one face of the tab while remaining clear of the remainder of the tab, means operating in timed relation with said carton advancing means for actuating the die to exert embossing pressure on said part of the tab, and anvil means comprising a cylindrical roller having a resiliently yieldable peripheral surface and means rotatably mounting said roller adjacent said carton advancing means in position to engage the opposite face of the tab and to resist movement by the die of the part of the tab that is cleared by the die.

6. In a carton closing machine, a conveyor adapted to advance cartons in a predetermined path, carton positioning means thereon for holding a carton with upper and lower closure flaps projecting from an end'of the body of the carton laterally with respect to the conveyor and in vertically spaced relation, anvil means mounted adjacent the conveyor in position for said flaps to pass on opposite sides of the anvil means during advance of the carton by the conveyor, tab crimping means mounted adjacent the conveyor in opposed relation to said anvil means, means operating in timed relation with said conveyor for actuating the crimping means while the flaps are adjacent the anvil means to press one of the flaps against the anvil and tocrimp an offset in a locking tab onsaid one flap, and carton closing means mounted adjacent the conveyor and operative subsequently to their passage beyond said anvil means and said crimping means to close said flaps and to insert the crirnped tab through a slit in the other closure flap.

7. In a carton closing machine, the combination com: prising a conveyor adapted to advance a carton with two spaced apart closure flaps projecting from the body of the carton, an anvil mounted adjacent the conveyor in position to support one of the flaps as the carton advances past the -anvil,-a crimping die operably mounted adjacent the conveyor in position to engage a predetermined part of a locking tab on said one flap while said one flap is in position to be supported by the anvil, means operable while said one flap is supported by the anvil for moving the die toward the anvil to press said part of the tab into the anvil and thereby to crimp the tab along an edge of the die to offset said part of the tab from the general plane of said one flap and tab, and carton closing means mounted adjacent the conveyor in position to close said flaps after offsetting of said tab part and to insert the crirnped tab through a slit in the other flap. 8. A carton closing machine comprising the combination of -a conveyor for advancing a succession of cartons in a predetermined path with two closure flaps of each carton projecting laterally from the body of the carton, a rotor head rotatably mounted adjacent the conveyor, means for rotating the head in timed relation with the 'conveyor, a crimping die carried by said head, means on the conveyor for indexing the cartons thereon with relation to said die to dispose a tab on one of the closure flaps of each carton in position to be engaged by said die as the carton is carried past the same, an anvil mounted adjacent said conveyor in position to support said one flap of each carton while the tab thereof is engaged by said crimping die, and flap closing means mounted adjacent the conveyor for engagement by the flaps of each carton subsequently to engagement of the tab thereof by said crimping die and to insert the tab through a slit in the other closure flap of the same carton.

' 9. In carton handling apparatus including carton closing means and means for conveying to and past the closing means a succession of cartons each of which includes vertically spaced closure flaps projecting laterally therefrom and a locking tab carried by one of said flaps and adapted for insertion into a slit in the other flap, a tab offsetting mechanism including an anvil mounted adjacent the conveying means in position to be engaged by the locking tabs of the cartons as they approach the closing means, a head rotatably mounted adjacent the conveying means in opposed relation to said anvil, a crimping die carried by said head, and means for rotating the head in timed relation with the conveying means to engage the locking tab of each carton between the die and the anvil as the carton advances, said die including a body portion and working face upstanding therefrom adapted to press part of the tab into the anvil temporarily to offset said part from the general plane of the closure flap by which the tab is carried.

10. Tab offsetting mechanism as set forth in claim 9 wherein the anvil is a rotatably mounted cylinder.

11. Tab offsetting mechanism as set forth in claim 10 wherein the cylindrical anvil includes a cushion of resiliently yieldable material defining the peripheral surface of the anvil and into which the part of the tab engaged by the working face of the die is temporarily embedded.

12. Apparatus for handling sheet material cartons of the type having a flap with a locking tab projecting therefrom, comprising means for advancing a carton with the flap and closure tab thereof projecting from the body of the carton, resilient anvil means mounted adjacent said advancing means in position to support the flap and the tab as the carton advances past said anvil means, a tab deforming die operably mounted adjacent said advancing means in position to engage and exert crimping pressure upon part of said tab while the tab is supported by the anvil means to offset part of the tab with relation to the remainder of the tab, a marking die operably mounted adjacent the advancing means in position to engage and mark indicia upon part of the flap while the flap is supported by said anvil means, means for operating the dies in timed relation with said carton advancing means.

13. A carton closing machine com-prising the combination of a conveyor for advancing a succession of cartons in a predetermined path with an open closure flap of each carton projecting laterally from the body of the carton, a rotor head rotatably mounted adjacent the conveyor, means for rotating the head in timed relation with the conveyor, a crimping die carried by said head, a marking die carried by said head, means on the conveyor for indexing the cartons thereon with relation to said dies to dispose a tab on each carton closure flap in position to be engaged by said crimping die and the flap in position to be engaged by the marking die as the carton is carried past the rotor head, and an anvil mounted adjacent said conveyor in position to support the tab on each carton 'while the tab is engaged by said crimping die and to support the flap of each carton while the flap is engaged by the marking die.

14. A carton closing machine comprising the combination of a conveyor for advancing a succession of cartons in a predetermined path with two opposed open closure flaps of each carton projecting laterally from the body of the carton, a rotor head rotatably mounted adjacent the conveyor, means for rotating the head in timed relation with the conveyor, a crimping die carried by said head and projecting radially beyond the periphery thereof, a marking die carried by said head and projecting beyond the periphery thereof, means on the conveyor for indexing the cartons thereon with relation to said dies to dispose a tab on one of the closure flaps of each carton in position to be engaged by said crimping die and said one flap in position to be engaged by the marking die as the carton is carried past the rotor head, an anvil mounted adjacent said conveyor in position to support the tab of each carton while the tab is engaged by said crimping die and to support said one flap of each carton while the flap is engaged by the marking die, and means mounted adjacent the conveyor for closing the flaps of each carton subsequently to engagement ofthe tab by the crimping die and engagement of said one flap by the marking die and for inserting the tab of each carton through a slit in the other flap of the same carton.

15. Apparatus for forming a locking offset on a tab projecting from a closure flap of a sheet material carton, said tab having a laterally projecting wing, comprising means for locating the carton with the closure flap and tab in predetermined position, a clamping die and an an-v vil mounted in cooperative association with said locating means to engage the tab between the die and the anvil with an edge of the die extending transversely of said wing, and means for operating the die to exert crimping pressure on the tab to grip the tab along said edge of the die and thereby offset the wing from the general plane of the tab.

16. Apparatus for ofisetting part of a tab projecting from a closure flap of a sheet material carton, comprising means for locating the carton with said tab part in a-predetermined position, a crimping die and an anvil means mounted in cooperative relation with said locating means to receive the tab part between the die and the anvil means, and means for effecting relative movement between the die and the anvil means to exert crimping pressure on said tab part.

17. Apparatus for ofrsetting a part of a carton flap, comprising means for locating the carton with said part of the flap thereof in a predetermined position, a crimping die and an anvil means mounted in cooperative association with each other and in cooperative association with said locating means to engage said part of the carton flap between the die and the anvil means, and means for operating the die to exert crimping pressure on said part of the flap.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 732,703 Brown July 7, 1903 1,962,638 Czerweny June 12, 1934 2,832,270 Pierce a. Apr. 29, 19 58

Images