Package making – Apparatus for forming or partially forming receptacle and... – Forming by opening or setting up collapsed receptacle
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-30
2001-07-31
Gerrity, Stephen F. (Department: 3721)
Package making
Apparatus for forming or partially forming receptacle and...
Forming by opening or setting up collapsed receptacle
C053S252000, C053S377200, C053S377500, C053S378300, C493S182000, C493S316000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06266948
ABSTRACT:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a rectilinear box opening and filling machine suitable for processing vertically arranged boxes and consequently usually called a vertical box opening and filling machine. Vertical box opening and filling machines constructed in accordance with the known art have the following technical problems: The boxes are generally arranged in the feed magazine, stacked and oriented with their axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the box-making machine. This condition results in problems with regard to feeding the boxes into the magazine by means of a stacking conveyor positioned parallel to the longitudinal axis of the box-making machine in order to limit the plan dimensions of the machine, since the boxes themselves would have to rest on this conveyor via their end flaps, which could result in their becoming disarranged or being damaged. The invention aims to overcome this drawback by placing the boxes on the said stacking conveyor, edgeways, on their side walls, transversely and such that the boxes reach the vertical part of the magazine with their longitudinal axis parallel to that of the box-making machine, similar to what happens in horizontal box-making machines. In order to achieve these advantages, special devices have been devised in order to extract the boxes from the magazine, arrange them vertically, unfold them from a rhombus shape and insert them open and undamaged into the pairs of parallel and toothed belts which convey the said boxes and position them in the succeeding work stations of the machine.
A further problem which is encountered in vertical box opening and filling machines of the known type consists in the fact that the frames on which the toothed and parallel box conveying belts travel and the various operating stations of the machine are supported by a base structure which is also positioned partly below the said conveying belts, creating hygiene-related problems since it retains any dirt which falls from the operating line and restricts the possibility of inspecting the said operating stations during the adjustment operations and during ordinary and extraordinary maintenance of the machine. The invention therefore intends to solve this problem with the following solution. The machine is formed by a long base structure in the form of a container inside which the drive systems for the various operating stations are housed. The frames supporting the parallel and toothed belts conveying the boxes themselves are mounted on one side of this structure cantilever-fashion and allow the possibility of performing the adjustments required by a change in shape or size of the boxes. The operating stations of the machine are mounted on these frames and/or on the same side of the base which carries the said frames. In this way the current practice of having a base underneath the box-conveying line is avoided, resulting in the advantages arising from this condition.
In box opening and filling machines of the known type there often exist problems of diversification of the central part assigned for insertion of the product into the boxes. This part of the machine must, if necessary, be prepared so as to introduce first of all, into the boxes, protective ribbed cardboard inserts and to introduce, again before or following insertion of the product, leaflets, any dosing devices or any other means for correct use of the product itself. These various conditions at present require general re-designing of the machine, with the consequent production costs arising therefrom. The invention aims to overcome this drawback with the following solution. The machine is divided up lengthwise into three modules which are fixed one behind another and interconnected with the main drive system. A first module supports the magazine and the means for feeding the boxes to the conveyor belts and supports the stations for closing the bottom flaps of the boxes. The last module supports the means for closing the top flaps of the boxes and unloading the boxes and supports the means for driving the conveying belts. The first and the third modules house, for example, the frames of the box conveying belts. The middle module supports the station(s) for filling the boxes with one or more products. If these stations are to be customized, it is sufficient to modify the central module, while the end modules remain unchanged.
Operating stations for closing the end flaps of the boxes, which are particularly suitable for installation on a modular sectional box opening and filling machine which has a cantilever constructional design of the type mentioned above, have also been devised.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2935918 (1960-05-01), Goss
patent: 3486423 (1969-12-01), Mistarz
patent: 4790123 (1988-12-01), Ljungstrom et al.
patent: 5509257 (1996-04-01), Tagliaferri et al.
patent: 5613828 (1997-03-01), Haddow et al.
patent: 5713187 (1998-02-01), Peterson
patent: 0679578 (1995-11-01), None
patent: 0693425 (1996-01-01), None
patent: 712783 (1996-05-01), None
BFB S.p.A.
Gerrity Stephen F.
Larson & Taylor PLC
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