Package making – Apparatus for forming or partially forming receptacle and... – Forming by opening or setting up collapsed receptacle
Reexamination Certificate
1997-12-02
2001-03-20
Kim, Eugene (Department: 3721)
Package making
Apparatus for forming or partially forming receptacle and...
Forming by opening or setting up collapsed receptacle
C053S382100, C053S387200, C053S376700
Reexamination Certificate
active
06202391
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF INVENTION
This invention relates to production line machinery for sorting and packing articles, and in particular to such a machine for sorting and packing vinyl siding panels.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Vinyl siding is popularly used as a substitute for clapboard siding and has the advantage of low maintenance and high resistance to weathering. Vinyl siding is easily applied by home remodelers and do-it-yourselfers. This siding is made by a known extrusion process with a common panel size of 8 inches wide by 12 feet long, although other lengths and widths can be used as appropriate. The siding is normally formed with a hanger strip along one edge which interlocks with a mating strip along the edge of an adjoining strip. These hanger strips complicate packing the strips in stacks within a box or carton, and to achieve maximum space efficiency, the strips are normally alternated in orientation. Moreover, stacking and packing of the panel strips is done by hand in most manufacturing plants. Repetitive hand and wrist movement is required, which can lead to repetitive stress injury. The panel strips are stacked in boxes or cartons which are then sealed and routed for shipment. The boxes arrive at the manufacturing plant as flat, corrugated blanks which have predetermined score lines along which the blanks are folded. The boxes are normally assembled by hand, and because the corrugated board is quite stiff, folding the boxes is another source of repetitive stress injury to the hands and wrists of the operator.
Various attempts have been made to automate the siding sorting and packing process, including those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,941,309 and 5,024,045 to CertainTeed Corporation. These disclose separate machines that prefold boxes from corrugated blanks but which still require significant amounts of hand work.
Accordingly, the objects of the present invention are: to provide a combined siding sorting and box folding machine that automatically folds and positions a box adjacent a siding panel receiving station; to provide such a machine that is able to selectively orient siding panels for saving space within the box; to provide such a machine which is able to seal boxes once they are filled; and to provide such a machine that is compact and well suited for the task.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the drawings which disclose an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A unitary vinyl siding sorting and packing machine includes a panel receiving section positioned in line with a panel strip extrusion production line combined with a box folding section. The panel receiving section and box blank folding section are positioned parallel and generally adjacent to each other for minimal operator hand movement. Vinyl siding panels are deposited on a panel accumulation section platform and several panels are allowed to accumulate. The accumulated panels are then moved toward an open box by slide carriers in the platform and the operator completes the movement of the panels into the open box which has been readied for receipt of the panels. The panel receiving section includes lifting and flipping arms which can be selectively actuated to invert selected panels for efficient stacking of panels within the box. The box blank folding section folds and positions a box for most efficient stacking and minimal hand movement. Extensible arms form a carrier for holding a flat box blank and the carrier retracts, folding the box and positioning it partially under the panel receiving section to minimize hand movement. The box lid is held open in this position. After the box is filled by the operator and the lid closed, a switch is actuated and a conveyor moves the box downstream through stations which hold the box lid closed and glue it down. The filled box next passes into a box end folding and gluing station which accurately positions the box and smoothly secures the box end flap.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3662516 (1972-05-01), Wiseman
patent: 4191005 (1980-03-01), Vinoskey
patent: 4569182 (1986-02-01), Leuvering
patent: 4778554 (1988-10-01), Doman
patent: 4941309 (1990-07-01), Fluent et al.
patent: 5024045 (1991-06-01), Fluent et al.
patent: 5054262 (1991-10-01), Hertel et al.
Buls Michael
Gubbels Roger D.
Miner Steve
Stovin Garfield
Szabo Robert
Day Wm. Bruce
K-Ter Imagineering, Inc.
Kim Eugene
LandOfFree
Siding sorting and packing arrangement does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Siding sorting and packing arrangement, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Siding sorting and packing arrangement will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2496580