Package making – With means responsive to a sensed condition – Concurrent control of contents and receptacle feeds
Patent
1991-09-10
1993-01-12
Coan, James F.
Package making
With means responsive to a sensed condition
Concurrent control of contents and receptacle feeds
53506, 53563, 493167, B31B 174, B31B 346, B65B 5706
Patent
active
051779307
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to packaging machinery of the type in which a paperboard carton is first formed from a flat paperboard blank by a plunger reciprocating through a forming die, the formed carton with open top being stripped from the retracting plunger and deposited on to a conveyor system at another position along which a product is delivered into the carton, which then receives a separate lid at a further position or has integral flaps folded down and secured.
With the usual cyclical mechanical drive for the plunger in the prior art carton formers, the timing for the blank feeder, and the conveyor system and product delivery, is all set from the timing of the plunger. Also, the motion of the plunger is rigidly determined by the drive means. Even if the length of stroke of the plunger can be adjusted, it is unlikely to vary its speed curve, which is usually sinusoidal with a maximum speed at or near to its passage through the forming die. This prior art packaging machinery is illustrated, for example, in applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 3,260,174 issued Jul. 12, 1966. Except for refinements in a few of the mechanical drive components, there have been no significant changes in this basic drive and control system in the last 25 years.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
One object of the invention is to provide improved drive means for the plunger allowing for a wide variety in the motion of the plunger, such as its stroke, speed curve, or interrelated timing, to be preset.
Another object is to provide improved blank feeder means also allowing for variety in the motion and very accurate positioning of the blank over the forming die.
A further object is to provide programmable control means for the plunger drive means and the blank feeder means whereby their interrelated timing can be adjusted to maximize speed of operation.
Yet another object is to provide improved conveyor drive means also subject to programmable control for precise timing of propelling flights on the conveyor with formed cartons deposited from the die.
A still further object is to provide product delivery means likewise subject to programmable control, by means of a product/carton sensor not only for precise timing of product into a carton, but also to withhold product in the event that a carton is missing from the sequence on the conveyor.
Likewise, an object of the invention is also to provide a product sensor means associated with the conveyor so that a carton blank is not fed to the die in the event that no product will be available to be delivered into the said carton.
Additional objects, advantages, and other novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description that follows and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned with the practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to a first aspect of the invention, a carton former comprises a forming die having carton blank supporting surfaces adjacent an upper entry end, a magazine for flat carton blanks, feeder means for extracting a leading blank from the magazine and depositing it on the supporting surfaces of the forming die, a plunger reciprocally through the forming die to push the blank through the die to form a carton, stripping means at a lower exit end of the forming die, a servo drive means for effecting reciprocation of the plunger, and a controller (such as a programmable logic controller) coupled with the servo drive means for determining at least the stroke and speed of the plunger.
Thus, the controller can be used to program the servo drive means so that it effects a rapid approach of the plunger to a carton blank on the supporting surfaces of the forming die, effects a rapid slowing of the plunger before contact with the carton blank, speeds up again as entry into the forming
REFERENCES:
patent: 3260174 (1966-07-01), Pierce
patent: 3955482 (1976-05-01), Moen
patent: 4722168 (1988-02-01), Heaney
patent: 4930290 (1990-05-01), Barker
patent: 4955176 (1990-09-01), Seko et al.
patent: 5010712 (1991-04-01), Odenthal
Harston John C.
Pike Brian C.
Coan James F.
Kliklok Corporation
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