Carton erecting apparatus

Abstract

 Carton forming apparatus comprises unitary corner element erecting devices (9) which are independently movable within the frame of the apparatus. The erecting device (9) include pressure plates (24) operable by piston and cylinder units (22) for applying pressure to the overlapping portions of an stected comer portion to cause an adhesive to become effective. In another embodiment a signal pressure plate is common to two of the corner forming devices (9). The particular combination of features of the apparatus allows for the manufacture of an effective carton forming apparatus at low cost anb also allow ready adaptation of the apparatus to cartons of different sizes.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] This invention relates to apparatus including devices and machines for erecting portions or the whole of carton blanks to make cartons or boxes.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002] Carton blanks are usually of planar form and have various crease lines and cut lines arranged so that portions of the carton can be erected with respect to other portions during passage of the carton in one direction through the apparatus for forming the carton from the blank. Apparatus for the formation of cartons from planar blanks is generally of a complicated structure and includes a large number of moving parts designed to erect various elements.of the blank with respect to each other around the aforementioned crease and cut lines. The complexity of known machines increases substantially when it is desired to provide a single machine for a number of different sizes of cartons or to include means for securing the box together in its finished state. British Patents 936 743 and 1,359,498 describe such complex machines.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

[0003] In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided apparatus for erecting a carton blank which includes a substantially polygonal base and, in at least one corner area of the base, two side walls joined to the base along crease lines and extending away from the corner area and at least one uniting portion, parts of one or both said side walls and the or each uniting portion overlapping each other in the erected condition of the blank for holding the side walls erect, the apparatus comprising a plurality of independent devices for erecting respective corner portions of the blank, each such device comprising erecting elements for said side walls and the or each uniting portion arranged to be fixed in relation to each other, the side walls erecting elements extending at an angle to each other corresponding to the angle between the associated side walls in the erected condition of the carton and having a longitudinal extent such as to contact only the relatively short portion of the associated side walls lying adjacent the said corner area, and a forming mandrel arranged to move a carton blank past said erecting elements to erect the side walls and the or each uniting portion, and wherein there is associated with each said device a respective side wall support and guide located downstream with respect to the movement of the mandrel, of each associated side wall erecting element, which support and guide serves to hold the erected parts of the or each corner portion of the blanks in position against the forming mandrel, and wherein the support and guide for the overlapping ones of the erected parts of the corner portion is movable towards and away from the mandrel in a direction generally perpendicular to the direction of movement of the mandrel to cause the support and guide to be applied under substantial pressure against the mandrel with the overlapping parts of the corner portion of the carton therebetween, whereby an adhesive previously applied to such overlapping parts can be caused to be effective.

[0004] In use of the apparatus in accordance with this aspect of the invention the mandrel having a cross- section corresponding to the base portion of the carton blank is caused to pass into contact with this base of a carton blank and to cause the carton blank to engage by way of its side wall and uniting portions with the side wall and uniting portion erecting elements which cooperate with the mandrel to cause the side wall and the uniting portions to attain their respective positions in the erected condition of the carton.

[0005] The support and guide for the overlapping ones of the erected parts of the corner portion is movable towards and away from the mandrel in a direction generally perpendicular to the direction of movement of the mandrel and preferably under the action of a pneumatically operated pressure cylinder, whereby an adhesive previously applied to such overlapping parts, for example a PVA adhesive, can be caused to be effective when the pressure cylinder is actuated to cause the support and guide to be applied under substantial pressure against the mandrel with the overlapping parts of the corner portion of the carton therebetween. The pneumatic cylinder and the support and guide or pressure plate can be an integral part of the device.

[0006] The apparatus may easily be provided with means for applying an adhesive, such as a cold setting pressure sensitiver adhesive, to one or more of the surfaces which areoöverlapped at the end of the erection process.

[0007] In accordance with a particular aspect of the present invention there is provided a unitary device for erecting a corner portion of a carton from a carton blank including a polygonal base, two side walls joined to the base along crease lines and extending away from a corner area of the base and at least one uniting portion in the corner area, parts of said side walls and the or each uniting portion overlapping each other in the erected condition of the blank for holding the side walls erect, the device comprising erecting elements for said side walls and the or each uniting portion arranged to be fixed in relation to each other, the two side wall erecting elements extending at an angle to each other corresponding to the angle between the associated side walls in the erected condition of the carton and having a longitudinal extent such as to contact only the relatively short portion of the associated side walls lying adjacent the said corner area, and two support and guide means for the side wall and uniting portions for holding the side walls erect and each associated with and arranged downstream from a corresponding one of the side wall erecting elements with regard to the path of movement of a carton blank, one of which support and guide means is connected to a pneumatic cylinder, also integral with the device and operable to apply pressure via the support and guide means to the overlapping parts of the corner portion in the erected condition to effect the glueing or adhering of the overlapping portions of the corner portion of the carton.

[0008] Thus, the invention is able to provide a functionally efficient machine which is flexible and adaptable and which has a minimum number of moving parts during operation thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0009] The invention will now be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a front view of a mobile apparatus for erecting cartons in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is an end view of the machine of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of a device for erecting a corner portion of a carton which is included in the apparatus of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a front view and Figure 5 is an end view of the device of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a plan of a carton blank suitable for use in the apparatus illustrated in Figures 1 to 5; and

Figures 7, 8 and 9 illustrate alternative blanks or portions of blanks and are provided to illustrate the way in which the corner portion erecting devices embodying this invention may be utilised to form blanks of different configurations;

Figure 10 is a top plan view of part of a modified form of the apparatus in accordance with the invention and illustrated in Figures 1 to 5; and

Figure 11 is a top plan view of part of a further modified form of the apparatus in accordance with the invention and illustrated in Figures 1 to 5.

[0010] The apparatus embodying the invention shown in Figures 1 to 5 of the accompanying drawings includes a base frame 1 supported on wheels 2 and carrying upright frame members 3 and top frame members 4 which are secured together to provide a rigid framework. Further frame members 5 are secured between the upright members 3 at approximately a mid height position and these members 5 slidably support carton blank guides 6 which have variably positionable end stops 6a. Also the guides 6 can be moved towards and away from each other along the members 5 so that different widths of blanks as well as different lengths of blanks can be fed into the machine and correctly positioned therein.

[0011] A piston and cylinder mechanism 7 is secured to the top frame members 4 and the piston of the piston and cylinder unit 7 is guided vertically and supports in an easily detachable manner at its lower end a mandrel 8 which is of dimensions corresponding to the dimensions of a carton to be erected by the machine in a particular configuration of the movable elements of the machine. The mandrel is movable from a position located above the plane defined by the guides 6 to a position substantially below this plane in which the carton has been erected from the blank.

[0012] Four corner portion forming devices or units 9 are mounted below the plane defined by the blank guides 6 and are arranged in pairs. The corner units 9 of each pair are slidable towards and away from each other on channel members 10 and can be locked in any desired position on the channel members 10. The channel members 10 are themselves movable towards and away from each other on cross members 11 secured to the upright frame members 3 and can be locked in any desired position thereon.

[0013] One of the corner portion forming units 9 is illustrated in greater detail in Figures 3, 4 and 5.

[0014] A mounting plate 20 is provided with slots 21 for receiving mounting bolts for securing the corner unit to a channel member lO. A pneumatic piston and cylinder unit 22 is secured to the mounting plate on one side thereof and the piston rod 23 of the unit 22 extends through the plate and has its end secured to a pressure plate 24 that is reciprocable perpendicularly to the mounting plate 20 under the action of the piston and cylinder unit 22.

[0015] A support plate 25 is secured to the upper edge of he side , the mounting plate 20 and is curved inwardly with of respect to the machine and the mandrel path from the mounting plate 20 and carries at its free end a corner forming assembly 26 which comprises short side wall erecting surfaces 27 and 28 which are of convex form seen in the direction of the mandrel 8 and which have upper surfaces lying in a common plane which is generally parallel to the plane defined by the carton guides 6. The side wall erecting surfaces 27 and 28 are arranged perpendicularly to each other and the side wall erecting surface 28 is arranged so as to be a substantially tangential continuation of the pressure plate 24. The other side wall erecting surface 27 is arranged so that a vertical side wall support and guide surface 29 of a side wall supporting member 3₀ is at a tangent to the surface 27. The member 30 is supported on the corner assembly 26 and depends therefrom.

[0016] A corner flap erecting member 31 is mounted on the corner forming assembly so as to have its upper surface above the plane defined by the upper portions of the surfaces 27 and 28 and in a position outwardly of the path of movement of the mandrel 8. The corner flap erecting member 31 also has its upper surface convex with respect to the direction of movement of the mandrel 8 on erection of a carton.

[0017] The corner portion forming units 9 used in the machine are of two types, a left hand unit and a right hand unit and the pairs of each type are arranged in the machine so that there are a pair of pressure plates 24 and a pair of vertical surfaces 29 in opposition to each other at each side of the machine. The distance between the vertical surfaces 29 is equal to the shorter dimension of the base 40 plus twice the thickness of the blank material and the distance betwee the pressure plates 24 is equal to the sum of the loger dimension of the base 40 and four times the thickness of the blank material.

[0018] A blank suitable for use with the rapparatus of this invention described above is shown in Figure 6. The blank is of rectangular form and has a rectangular base 40 defined between opposite pairs 41 and 42 of crease lines. Side wall pairs 43 and 44 are secured to the base 40 along respective crease lines 41 and 42. The side walls 44 have a length corresponding to the associated dimension of the base 40 while the side walls 43 are extended by uniting portions in the form of corner flaps 45 which are separated from the associated side walls to which they are to be secured by an adhesive by cut lines 46.

[0019] In construction of a carton from the blank shown in Figure 6 a mandrel 8 is mounted on the end of the piston rod of the piston and cylinder unit 7 which mandrel 8 has external dimensions corresponding to the base 40 and a height at least equal to the height of the side walls 43 and 44. Initially the mandrel is located above the plane defined by the blank guides 6 and the blank is slid into the apparatus along the blank guides 6, with the side walls 44 having their edges supported on the blank guides 6, until the corner flaps 45 contact the end stops 6a.

[0020] The mandrel 8 is lowered by operation of the piston and cylinder unit 7 and contacts the blank and causes the blank to spring off the blank guides 6 and to fall into contact with the upper surfaces of the corner flap erecting members 31. Further lowering of the mandrel 8 causes the remainder of the blank and in particular the base 40 and the connected side walls 44 to be lowered with respect to the corner flaps 45. On further lowering of the mandrel 8 the surfaces 28 and 27 engage the side walls 43 and 44 and the erection of the side walls commences. By virtue of the initial erection of the corner flaps 45, erection of the side walls 43 causes the corner flaps 45 to move into engagement with the inner surface of the side walls 44 and to be caused to rotate inwardly with respect to the side walls 43 to the erect position shown in Figure 3 of the drawings. When the carton has been fully erected the mandrel still lies within the erected carton. The mandrel is held in this position while the piston and cylinder units 22 of all the corner portion forming units are operated to cause the associated pressure plates 24 to move inwardly to press the corner flaps 45 and the associated side walls 42 together and against the mandrel 8 and to be secured by adhesive which may have been applied to the carton blank prior to its insertion in the machine or to the carton blank during its passage through the machine by means (not shown) and is located on one or more of the contacting overlapping surfaces of the side walls 42 and the corner flaps 45 and is preferably a cold setting contact adhesive. Thus, the pressure need only be applied for a fraction of a second in order to assure securement of the side walls 42 to the corner flaps 45 and the completion of the. carton.

[0021] The mandrel 8 may nowbe further lowered in order to cause the finished carton to pass completely through the corner units before the mandrel 8 is withdrawn to its initial position above the blank guides 6 or the mandrel B may be withdrawn directly from the position in which pressure was applied and other suitable means be used-to eject the finished carton. For example, the next carton entering into the machine may be used to displace the previous carton.

[0022] The apparatus illustrated in Figures 1 to 5 is particularly designed to erect a cartoh from a blank of the type shown in Figure 6. However, the present invention is not limited to a corner portion forming device of the type shown in these drawings and, by way of example, further types of carton blank are illustrated in Figures 7, 8 and 9 and there now follows a brief description of the corner portion forming devices which might be utilised to erect blanks of the style shown in Figures 7, 8 and 9 and which could be utilised within the basic apparatus described with reference to Figures 1 and 2.

[0023] In Figure 7 there is shown a blank for forming a triangular carton having only two erected sides. The carton blank has a base 50 of equilateral form and two side walls 51 and 52 extending away from one corner portion of the blank. A corner flap or uniting portion 53 is secured to the side wall 51 by a suitable crease line in the corner area. A corner portion forming device in accordance with the present invention for forming or erecting a blank as shown in Figure 7 into a carton would comprise side wall erecting elements arranged at 60° to each other and having a length approximately equal to the length of the uniting portion 53 and would incorporate a pneumatic pressure cylinder on a mounting plate which also supports the.erecting elements for the side walls and the corner flap 53 and arranged so that the cylinder lies below the erecting element for the side wall 52. Apparatus in accordance with the present invention would require only one such corner portion forming device.

[0024] In the carton blank style shown in Figure 8, the corner of an otherwise rectangular base 60 is formed as a diagonal: and the corner flap 61 is secured to the base 60 along a crease line 62 on this diagonal. The side walls 63 and 64 are not formed with any uniting portions themselves but the corner flap 61 has two ears 65 and 66 joined to the corner flap 61 by crease lines 67 and 68. A device for forming the corner portion of a carton from such a blank would incorporate side wall erecting elements arranged at a right angle with respect to each other and joined to each end of a corner flap erecting element extending between the side wall erecting elements. Additional erecting elements for the ears 65 and 66 would also be provided. In this case, it would be necessary to provide two pressure plates for adhering the ears 65 and 66 to the side walls 63 and 64. However, once again all these parts can be included in a unitary construction which can be made movable over the framework of the apparatus including a plurality of such unitary devices so as to allow for the creation of a number of boxes of different sizes.

[0025] In Figure 9 there is shown a corner portion of a blank which has a base of generally polygonal form but in which the base 70 has a cut and rounded corner 71. Side walls 72 and 73 extend along the straight sides of the base 70 and are attached thereto by suitable crease lines. Each side wall 72 and 73 has an extension 74 or 75 secured thereto by way of a crease line and extending out as an extension in the direction of the side wall of the side walls themselves. The uniting portions or corner flaps 74 and 75 are cut from the rectangular basic shape of the blank defined by the outside cut edges of the side walls 72 and 73 and are chosen to be of such a length that the ends thereof overlap each other in the erected form of the blank but do not overlap the side walls 72 or 73. A suitable device for forming the corner portion of this blank and embodying the present invention incorporates side wall erecting devices 72 and 73 arranged in the same way as in the device for erecting the blank of Figure 8. However, in the case of the device for erecting the blank of Figure 9 the erecting element for the uniting portions 74 and 75 has a curved form corresponding to the edge of the corner 71 of the base 70. The pressure applying means is in the form of a curved plate which is designed to cooperate with a curved corner of the mandrel and is movable towards and away from the mandrel and the overlapping parts of the portions 74, 75.

[0026] In Figure 10 there is illustrated a modified form of the apparatus shown in Figures 1 to 5. In this Figure only one pair of corner forming units and the associated elements of the apparatus are shown. In Figure 10 two corner forming units 109 are supported on a channel member 110 by U-bolts 111. Each of the corner units 109 is similar to the corner unit described with reference to Figures 1 to 5 but the pressure plates and the pneumatic pressure cylinder are not part of the corner forming units thereselves. In this modified apparatus a pressure cylinder 112 is mounted independently on the channel member 110 by U-bolts 113 and the pressure cylinder 112 carries a pressure plate 114, pivotally mounted at 115, on the ends of its piston rod 116. The pressure plate ₁₁4 is of a length to extend below the side wall erecting elements in the corner forming units 109 and to be able to apply pressure to the overlapping portions of the side wall and the uniting portions of the corner area of a carton being erected. The corner forming units 109 can be moved towards and away from each other so as to be able tc accommodate different widths of carton blank and, more over, the corresponding supporting channel members ₁10 can be moved towards and away from each other so as to accommodate different lengths of carton blank. The pressure plate 114 can be made of an overall length such that it is usable in all dispositions of the corner units ₁₀9. "The modified apparatus illustrated in Figure 10 is operated in substantially the same way as in the case of the apparatus fully illustrated in Figures 1 to 5.

[0027] In some cases it is desirable to be able to manufacture cartons having a lid from a one-piece blank. This can however present problems as regards the size of a machine because the lid, in a machine of the kind shown in Figures 1 to 5, has to pass completely through the corner forming units 9 before it can be removed laterally from the machine. Figure 11 illustrates a modified corner forming unit which allows the carton to be withdrawn from the machine immediately after the sealing of the overlapping portions of the erected carton to each other.

[0028] In the modified apparatus illustrated in Figure 11 a corner forming unit 200 is mounted on a supporting channel member 201 by U-bolts 202 clamping onto a mounting plate 203. The mounting plate 203 is welded to a sub-plate 204 which carries a side wall erecting element 205 which corresponds to the side wall erecting element 28 of Figures 1 to 5. Arranged immediately below the side wall erecting element 205 is a pressure plate 206 which is mounted on the end of the piston rod of a pressure cylinder 207 which is mounted also on mounting plate 203. A further side wall erecting element 208 corresponding to the side wall erecting element 27 of the apparatus of Figures 1 to 5 and including a portion 209 corresponding to the corner flap erecting element 31 of the apparatus fo Figures 1 to 5 is pivotally mounted at 210 onto a mounting strut 211 so as to be pivotally movable about a vertical axis through pivot point 210 from the position shown in Figure 11 to a position in which it extends at substantially colinearly with erecting element 205. A further cylinder 212 has its piston rod 213 pivotally connected at 214 to the erecting element 208 and the cylinder 212 is itself pivotally connected at 215 to a support plate 216 secured to the mounting plate 203.

[0029] In use of the modified apparatus of Figures 1 to 5 modified as shown in Figure 11 the carton is erected in the manner already described with respect to Figures 1 to 5 with the apparatus in a position shown in Figure 11. Once the adhesive has been caused to be effective the cylinder 212 is operated to cause erecting element 208 to be pivoted about pivot point 210 and the corresponding cylinder on the corner unit opposing corner unit 200 on the other side of the machine is similarly operated so that the erecting elements 208 are swung away from the position shown in Figure 11 to provide a free lateral exit for the carton and its attached lid, which is standing substantially vertical, from the machine. Thereafter the cylinders 212 are reactivated to return the erecting elements 208 to the position shown in Figure 11.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

[0030] Because of the structural simplicity of the apparatus of the invention described above it is possible to construct it with a mobility capability by provision of the carrying wheels 2. This enables the apparatus of the invention to have wide ranging use in packaging processes and particularly where the location of the source of the product varies with time as in the agricultural and horticultural fields.

Claims

1. Apparatus for erecting a carton blank which includes a substantially polygonal base and, in at least one corner area of the base, two side walls joined to the base along crease lines and extending away from the corner area and at least one uniting portion, parts of one or both said side walls and the or each uniting portion overlapping each other in the erected condition of the blank for holding the side walls erect, the apparatus comprising a plurality of independent devices for erecting respective corner portions of the blank, each such device comprising erecting elements for said side walls and the or each uniting portion arranged to be fixed in relation to each other, the side wall erecting elements extending-at an angle to each other corresponding to the angle between the associated side walls in the erected condition of the carton and having a longitudinal extent such as to contact only the relatively short portion of the associated side walls lying adjacent the said corner area, and a forming mandrel arranged to move a carton blank past said erectino elements to erect the side walls and the or each uniting portion, and wherein there is associated with each said device a respective side wall support and guide located downstream, with respect to the movement of the mandrel, of each associated side wall erecting element, which support and guide serves to hold the erected parts of the or each corner portion of the blanks in position against the forming mandrel, and wherein the support arid guide for the overlapping ones of the erected parts of the corner portion is movable towards and away from the mandrel in a direction generally perpendicular to the direction of movement of the mandrel to cause the support and guide to be applied under substantial pressure againstithe mandrel with the overlapping parts of the corner portion of the carton therebetween, whereby an adhesive previously applied to such overlapping parts can be caused to be effective.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein a piston and cylinder assembly is provided for movement of said support and guide.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the piston and cylinder assembly and said-supports and guides for one said corner area are formed as a unitary assembly with the erecting device for that corner portion.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the said side wall supports and guides for overlapping ones of the erected parts of adjacent corner portions are part of a single pressure plate element.

5. Apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the said devices are movable on suitable guides towards and away from each other and the size of the mandrel may be changed so that the apparatus can readily be adapted for the erection of cartons of different sizes.

6. Apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the said erecting elements are exchangeable.

7. Apparatus according to any one preceding claim provided with means for applying an adhesive, such as a cold setting pressure senitive adhesive, to one or more of the surfaces of the carton which are overlapped at the end of the erection process.

8. A unitary device for erecting a corner portion of a carton from a carton blank including a polygonal base, two'side walls joined to the base along crease lines and extending away from a corner area of the base and at least one uniting portion in the corner area, parts of said side walls and the or each uniting portion overlapping each other in the erected condition of the blank for holding the side walls erect, the device comprising erecting elements for said side walls and the or each uniting portion arranged to be fixed in relation to each other, the two side wall erecting elements extending at an angle to each other corresponding to the angle between the associated side walls in the erected condition of the carton and having a longitudinal extent such as to contact only the relatively short portion of the associated side walls lying adjacent the said corner area, and two support and guide means for the side wall and uniting portions for holding the side walls erect and each associated with and arranged downstream from a corresponding one of the side wall erecting elements with regard to the path of movement of a carton blank, one of which support and guide means is connected to a pneumatic cylinder, also integral with the device and operable to apply pressure via the support and guide means to the overlapping parts of the corner portion in the erected condition to effect the glueing or adhering of the overlapping portions of the corner portion of the carton.

Drawing