Apparatus for manufacturing a container
AssigneeAuzfresh Holdings Pty Ltd
InventorDarren John Williames
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for manufacturing a container that includes a side wall (5) in the form of a tube and a base (7) at one end of the tube. The apparatus includes a tube forming unit (15) for progressively folding a length of a sheet (19) of a side wall material into an elongate tube shape (21) having a forward end (23) for receiving a base (7) of the container and welding together lengthwise extending sides of the sheet to form the tube. The apparatus also includes a base attachment unit (17) for positioning a base of the container on the forward end of the tube.
Claims24
An apparatus for manufacturing a container that includes a side wall in the form of a tube and a base at one end of the tube, the apparatus including:
- (a) a tube forming unit for progressively folding a length of a sheet of a side wall material into an elongate tube shape having a forward end for receiving a base of the container and welding together lengthwise extending sides of the sheet to form the tube;
- and
- (b) a base attachment unit for positioning a base of the container on the forward end of the tube, wherein the base attachment unit includes a base loading head for picking up the base from a base feed position and supporting the base and releasing the base when the base is positioned on the forward end of the tube, wherein the base attachment unit also includes a drive assembly for moving the base loading head and the base from the base feed position to the forward end of the tube and for returning the base loading head (without the base) from the forward end of the tube to the base feed position, wherein the drive assembly is adapted to move the base loading head in a linear path away from the base feed position to a base loading position, and wherein the drive assembly is also adapted to pivot the base loading head from the base loading position to position the base on the forward end of the tube at a base receiving position.
An apparatus for manufacturing a container that includes a side wall in the form of a tube and a base at one end of the tube, the apparatus including:
- (a) a tube forming unit for progressively folding a length of a sheet of a side wall material into an elongate tube shape having a forward end for receiving a base of the container and welding together lengthwise extending sides of the sheet to form the tube, the tube forming unit including a series of lengthwise spaced-apart tube folding elements for progressively folding the sheet material into a tube having a required transverse cross-section with side edges of the sheet material in contact along the length of the tube, wherein the tube folding elements include a pair of lengthwise spaced-apart guide roller units for guiding the tube to a seam welding unit, wherein each guide roller unit includes (i) a first set of guide rollers for contacting the outer surface of the tube and locating and guiding the tube, (ii) a first support arm supporting each first guide roller for rotation about an axis in response to contact of the first guide roller with the tube as the tube moves through the guide roller unit, and (iii) an adjustment assembly for moving each first support arm radially inwardly and outwardly between an inner position and an outer position to adjust the size of the opening for the tube;
- and
- (b) a base attachment unit for positioning a base of the container on the forward end of the tube.
An apparatus for manufacturing a container that includes a side wall in the form of a tube and a base at one end of the tube, the apparatus including:
- (a) a tube forming unit for progressively folding a length of a sheet of a side wall material into an elongate tube shape having a forward end for receiving a base of the container and welding together lengthwise extending sides of the sheet to form the tube, wherein the tube forming unit includes:
- (i) a drive assembly for transporting the side wall sheet material and the tube formed from the material through the tube forming unit to a base receiving position,
- (ii) an assembly for supporting a coil of side wall sheet material so that the sheet material can be unwound from the coil and fed through the tube forming unit,
- (iii) a series of lengthwise spaced-apart tube folding elements for progressively folding the sheet material into a tube having a required transverse cross-section with side edges of the sheet material in contact along the length of the tube, wherein the tube folding elements include a seam adjustment assembly, and wherein, in a situation where the seam has overlapping side edges, the seam adjustment assembly includes a pair of gripper elements, with each gripper element being formed to engage a side edge of the sheet and to push the side edges apart to form the seam with a required overlap and to keep seam in a position that is aligned with the downstream seam welding unit;
- and
- (iv) a seam welding unit for progressively welding the side edges of the sheet material together and forming an elongate seam of the tube;
- and
- (b) a base attachment unit for positioning a base of the container on the forward end of the tube.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.