Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture – Surface bonding means and/or assembly means therefor – With gas – vapor – or flame contact means for work
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-14
2001-11-27
Crispino, Richard (Department: 1734)
Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
Surface bonding means and/or assembly means therefor
With gas, vapor, or flame contact means for work
C156S580100, C156S580200, C053S133200, C053S410000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06321813
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus for use with containers to be filled with a liquid, such as milk, juice or sake, and each in the form of a rectangular or square tube and having an open upper end and an outlet in a top forming portion of the container, for bonding a pour spout to the container edge portion defining the outlet.
As disclosed, for example, in JP-A No. 61-104833, apparatus of the type mentioned are already known which comprise a conveyor for transporting containers so as to halt the containers successively at a bonding station, a support fixedly disposed above the container to be halted at the bonding station, and a lifter for raising the container from the conveyor for the support to fit into the container for contact therewith from inside and to receive the pressure of bonding.
With the conventional apparatus described, the support is likely to cause damage to the inner surface of the container since the container inner surface and the contact face of the support are moved relative to each other in face-to-face contact when the container is lifted from the conveyor and fitted to the support.
Further in the field of packaging machines, it is practice to prepare different kinds of containers which are made different in capacity by being given varying heights although having the same cross sectional area.
When the bonding apparatus described is to be used for containers of altered height, there arises a need to vary the level to which the containers are to be raised by the lifter in conformity with the height of the containers. This renders the lifter complex in construction.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for bonding a pour spout to each of containers without the likelihood that the inner surface of the container will be damaged by a support to be brought into contact therewith.
The present invention provides an apparatus for bonding a pour spout to an edge portion of each of tubular containers defining an outlet formed in the container, the apparatus having a support movable into contact with the outlet-defining edge portion from inside the container for receiving the pressure of bonding, the apparatus being characterized in that the support is so disposed as to be movable into and out of the container along an arc path and has a contact face facing outwardly of the arc path.
With the spout bonding apparatus of the invention, the support is so disposed as to be movable into and out of the container along an arc path and has a contact face facing outwardly of the arc path. It is therefore only when the support is contacted with the outlet-defining edge portion of the container from inside thereof that the contact face comes into face-to-face contact with the inner surface of the container, consequently eliminating the likelihood of the support causing damage to the container inner surface.
The spout bonding apparatus preferably comprises a conveyor for transporting the containers as held thereto with an opening of each container facing upward so as to halt the containers successively at a bonding station, such that the container to be contacted by the support is halted at the bonding station.
The support is attached to a free end of an arm pivotally movable upward and downward so as to be advanced into the container by the downward pivotal movement of the arm and to be retracted from the container by the upward pivotal movement of the arm. The arm can then be caused to reliably perform an arc motion.
The arm is further restrained from pivotally moving downward by a stopper with the contact face of the support positioned vertically as moved into contact with the outlet-defining edge portion from inside the container, and the center of pivotal movement of the arm is not higher than the level of a lower end of the contact face when the arm is restrained from pivotally moving downward by the stopper. The support can then be positioned in place as moved into contact with the outlet-defining edge portion of the container from inside the container.
The support has a pair of positioning faces orthogonal to the contact face and parallel to each other to face toward opposite directions, the positioning faces being spaced apart by a distance equal to the distance between inner surfaces of two end panels of the container opposed to each other and orthogonal to a container end panel having the outlet, and the contact face is formed at an upper end thereof with a horizontal ridge to be brought into contact with an upper end of the container with the arm restrained from pivotally moving downward by the stopper. The support can then be positioned in place by the contact face and the two positioning faces with respect to the horizontal direction of the container, and by the ridge with respect to the vertical direction of the container.
Furthermore, the conveyor comprises holders for holding the containers upwardly and downwardly movably, and a rail movable upward or downward in accordance with the height of the containers for receiving the bottoms of the containers as held by the holders and guiding the containers. Containers of different heights can then be handled by a simple construction.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1989039 (1935-01-01), Geyer
patent: 5058360 (1991-10-01), Yamazaki
patent: 5304265 (1994-04-01), Keeler
patent: 5601669 (1997-02-01), Moody et al.
patent: 5653832 (1997-08-01), Thompson et al.
patent: 5964687 (1999-10-01), Rogalski et al.
patent: 5983599 (1999-11-01), Krueger
patent: 6085489 (2000-07-01), Bachner et al.
patent: 0 450 146 (1991-10-01), None
patent: 2 238 287 (1991-05-01), None
patent: 61-104833 (1986-05-01), None
patent: 03-288636 (1991-12-01), None
patent: 04-086250 (1992-03-01), None
patent: WO 95 05317 (1995-02-01), None
Kitajima Hiroshi
Miyajima Tohru
Ueda Michio
Armstrong Westerman Hattori McLeland & Naughton LLP
Crispino Richard
Purvis Sue A.
Shikoku Kakoki Co. Ltd.
LandOfFree
Apparatus for bonding pour spout to containers does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Apparatus for bonding pour spout to containers, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Apparatus for bonding pour spout to containers will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2611401