US 3,937,131 AGranted

Carton feeding apparatus

AssigneeEx-Cell-O Corporation

InventorRobert C. Kellogg

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Abstract

Carton feeding and erecting apparatus for transferring flattened cartons from one location to another while simultaneously unfolding the cartons to an erect, or partially erect, condition. The apparatus is particularly useful in high speed packaging operations such as operations wherein thermoplastic coated paperboard cartons are to be sequentially unfolded or erected from a flattened condition, closed and sealed at their bottom ends, filled with milk or other contents, and closed and sealed at their top ends. The apparatus includes a carton receiving station at one location, a carton delivery station at another location, carton carrying means operable to engage a flattened carton at the receiving station and carry the carton to the delivery station, and carton unfolding means operatively associated with the carrying means and operable to unfold a carton to its erect condition as the carton is carried by the carrying means from the receiving station to the delivery station.

Claims32

Dependent claims

Carton feeding and erecting apparatus for transferring flattened cartons from one location to another while simultaneously unfolding the cartons to an erect condition, said apparatus comprising:

means defining a carton receiving station at one location;
means defining a carton delivery station at another location;
carton carrying means operable to engage a flattened carton at the receiving station and carry the carton to the delivery station;
carton unfolding means operatively associated with said carrying means operable to unfold a carton to its erect condition as the carton is carried by the carrying means from the receiving station to the delivery station;
clamping means having a clamping position in which it is operable to engage a flattened carton at said receiving station and hold it in a position to be engaged by said carrying means to be carried from the receiving station to the delivery station, said clamping means being operable to move out of engagement with a carton engaged by said carrying means to a retracted position as the carton moves from the receiving station to the delivery station;
said receiving station extending from an inlet end thereof to an outlet end thereof, said outlet end being locating nearest the delivery station in the direction of travel of a carton to said delivery station, said clamping means and carrying means being operable to sequentially engage a carton when the carton is located between the inlet and outlet ends of said receiving station;
a supply container for containing a plurality of flattened cartons;
unloading means operable to transfer cartons one at a time from said supply container to the inlet end of said receiving station;
carton driving means for moving a carton from the inlet end of said receiving station to a position to be engaged by said clamping means;
and, carton orienting means operable to engage and orient a carton being moved by said driving means in a position to be engaged by said clamping means.

7 more elements

Carton feeding and erecting apparatus for transferring flattened cartons from one location to another while simultaneously unfolding the cartons to an erect condition;

said apparatus comprising;
means defining a carton receiving station at one location;
means defining a carton delivery station at another location;
a supply container for containing a plurality of flattened cartons;
a support;
a drum rotatably mounted on said support;
carton unloading means operable to successively transfer cartons from said supply container to said receiving station;
carton carrying means on said drum operable during rotation of said drum to engage a carton at the receiving station and transfer the carton to the delivery station;
carton unfolding means operatively associated with said carrying means operable to unfold the carton to its erect condition as it is transferred to the delivery station from the receiving station;
clamping means having a clamping position in which it is operable to engage a flattened carton at said receiving station and hold it in a position to be engaged by said carrying means to be carried from the receiving station to the delivery station;
carton driving means for moving a flattened carton to said receiving station, and carton orienting means operable to engage and orient a carton being moved by said driving means in a position to be engaged by said clamping means.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.