Tray feeder system

An improved hopper feeder unit for a tray feeder for a corrugated tray of the type having a front flap, a rear flap and a pair of side flaps, all of the flaps being hingedly connected by scorelines to a bottom panel, said hopper feeder unit being designed to withdraw a plurality of unfolded trays, one at a time, from the hopper without destroying the integrity of the withdrawn tray blank, comprising:

• a. an inclined hopper for receiving and containing a plurality of corrugated tray blanks, said hopper being inclined at an angle in the range of 25.degree. to 30.degree. to the horizontal;
• b. vacuum means, associated with said hopper for withdrawing the tray blanks, one at a time, from said hopper by bending the tray downwardly from the front flap while pivoting the tray about the rear scoreline which hingedly connects the rear flap to the bottom panel;
• and
• c. means, associated with said hopper for conveying the withdrawn tray blank in a downwardly direction from said hopper and forwardly away from said hopper.

A tray feeder for a corrugated tray of the type having a front flap, a rear flap and a pair of side flaps, all of the flaps being hingedly connected by scorelines to a bottom panel, said tray feeder being designed to withdraw a plurality of unfolded trays, one at a time, from a hopper without destroying the integrity of the withdrawn tray blank and to convey the withdrawn tray blank continuously to a downstream filler unit with the front and rear flaps of the tray blanks being turned upwardly to a vertical position while the side flaps are turned downwardly to a vertical position prior to filling of the bottom panel with a predetermined quantity of cans or bottles, comprising:

• a. a hopper feeder unit, comprising
• 1. an inclined hopper for receiving and containing the plurality of tray blanks;
• ;p2 2. vacuum means, associated with said hopper, for withdrawng the corrugated tray blanks, one at a time, from said hopper by bending the tray blank downwardly from the front flap while pivoting the tray blank about the rear scoreline which hingedly connects the rear flap to the bottom panel;
• 3. conveyor means, associated with said feeder unit, for conveying the withdrawn tray blank in a downward direction from said hopper and forward direction away from said hopper;
• and forwardly direction being determined as the direction from the section of said hopper wherein the rear flap is located to the portion of said hopper wherein the front flap is located;
• b. first conveyor unit means, associated with said hopper feeder unit, for receiving the downwardly and forwardly moving tray blank and continuously moving it horizontally and in said forward direction;
• c. second, upwardly running, inclined kicker conveyer unit means, positioned below said first horizontal conveyer unit means, for kicking up and bending upwardly the front flap of the tray blank, about the front scoreline, which hingedly connects the front flap to the bottom panel, to an upwardly inclined position while said first conveyer unit means is continuously moving the tray blank in said forward horizontal direction, said first conveyer unit means rotating in one direction while said second conveyer unit means rotates in an opposite direction;
• d. hold-down means, positioned above said second conveyor unit means, for holding down the front flap as the tray blank moves in said forward, horizontal direction said hold down means also for holding down the rear flap when the rear flap is bent upwardly, said hold down means comprising at least one segmental wheel having a rubber strip formed on the outer edge thereof with said segmental wheel turning in the same direction as said first conveyer unit means;
• e. third generally horizontal conveyer unit means, associated with said second conveyer unit means, for retaining the front flap in a vertical position while bending the rear flap about the rear scoreline to a vertical position, the rear flap being held down by said fold down means, said third conveyer unit means further serving to retain the rear flap in a vertical position while transporting the tray blank in said horizontal, forward direction, said third conveyer unit means rotating in the same direction as said second conveyer unit means rotates;
• and
• f. turning means, associated with said third conveyer unit means, for turning down the side flaps about their scorelines to a downward vertical position, said turning means comprising a plurality of folding rails positioned generally on each side of said third conveyer unit means and being located below said hold down means.

A method for continuously and rapidly feeding a plurality of corrugated trays, having a front flap, a rear flap and a pair of side flaps, all of said flaps being hingedly connected by means of scorelines to a bottom panel, to a case packer wherein the corrugated tray has its front and rear flaps folded upwardly while its side flaps are folded downwardly, comprising the steps of:

• a. providing a hopper feeder;
• b. providing a first conveyer unit downstream from said hopper feeder;
• c. providing a second conveyer unit downstream from said first conveyer unit;
• d. providing a hold-down means downstream from said first conveyer unit and above said second conveyer unit;
• e. providing a third conveyer unit downstream from said hold-down means;
• f. providing a turning down means for turning down the side flaps downstream from the hold down means;
• ;p1 g. intermittently withdrawing a corrugated tray blank one at a time from the hopper feeder while bending the tray blank about the scoreline hingedly connecting the rear flap to the bottom panel;
• h. continuously moving the withdrawn corrugated tray blank downstream with said first conveyer unit;
• kicking up the front flap of the corrugated tray blank with the second conveyer unit while holding down the bottom panel with the hold down means;
• j. kicking up the rear flap of the corrugated tray blank with the third conveyer unit while still holding down the bottom panel with the hold down means;
• and
• k. turning down the side flaps of the corrugated tray blank with said turn down means while holding up the front and rear flaps with said third conveyer.

A continuous tray feeder to a tray blank of the type having a front, rear and a pair of side flaps, all of the flaps being hingedly connected by scorelines to a bottom panel, said tray feeder being designed to withdraw a plurality of unfolded tray blanks, one at a time, from a hopper without destroying the integrity of the withdrawn tray blank and to continuously convey the withdrawn tray blank to a downstream filler unit with the front and rear flaps of the tray blanks being turned upwardly to a vertical position while the side flaps are turned downwardly to a vertical position prior to filling of the bottom panel with a predetermined quantity of cans or bottles, comprising:

• a. inclined hopper feeder unit means for receiving and holding the plurality of tray blanks, said hopper feeder unit means further comprising means for withdrawing the tray blanks one at a time from said hopper feeder unit means by bending the tray blank about the rear scoreline, which hingedly connects the rear flap to the bottom panel, said hopper feeder unit means further comprising means for conveying the withdrawn blank downwardly and away from said hopper feeder unit means;
• b. transfer means, associated with said hopper feeder unit means and located downstream therefrom, for transferring the direction of thd downwardly moving tray blank to a generally forward and horizontal moving direction, said blank moving in a continuous motion and direction without intermittently stopping and starting;
• c. flap turning means, associated with said transfer means, and located downstream therefrom, for turning up the front and rear flaps while turning down the side flaps, the tray blank moving in a continuous motion and direction without intermittently stopping and starting, the flap turning means including moving members which manipulate the position of the flaps.

A tray feeder for a corrugated tray blank of the type having a front flap, a rear flap and a pair of side flaps, all of the flaps being hingedly connected by scorelines to a bottom panel, said tray feeder being designed to withdraw a plurality of unfolded tray blanks one at a time, from a hopper without destroying the integrity of the withdrawn tray blank and to convey the withdrawn tray blank continuously to a downstream filler unit with the front and rear flaps of the tray blank being turned upwardly to a vertical position while the side flaps are turned downwardly to a vertical position prior to filling of the bottom panel with a predetermined quantity of cans or bottles, comprising:

• a. a hopper feeder unit holding the tray blanks;
• b. conveyor means, associated with said hopper feeder unit, for conveying the tray blank downwardly and forwardly away from said hopper feeder unit;
• c. first conveyor unit means, associated with said hopper feeder unit, for receiving the downwardly and forwardly moving tray blank and continuously moving it horizontally in said forward direction;
• d. second, upwardly running, inclined kicker conveyor unit means, positioned below said first horizontal conveyor unit means, for kicking up and bending upwardly the front flap of the blank about the front scoreline, which hingedly connects the front flap to the bottom panel, to an upwardly inclined position while said first conveyor unit means is continuously moving the tray blank in said forward, horizontal direction, said first conveyor unit means rotating in one direction while said second conveyor unit rotates in an opposite direction;
• e. hold-down means, positioned above said second conveyor unit means, for holding down the front flap as the tray blank moves in said forward horizontal direction said hold down means also for holding down the rear flap when the rear flap is bent upwardly,
• f. third generally horizontal conveyor unit means, associated with said second conveyor unit means, for retaining the front flap in a vertical position while bending the rear flap about the rear scoreline to a vertical position, the rear being held down by said hold-down means, said third conveyor unit means further serving to retain the rear flap in a vertical position while transporting the tray blank in said horizontal forward direction, said third conveyor unit means rotating in the same direction as said second conveyor unit means rotates;
• and
• g. turning means, associated with said third conveyor unit means, for turning down the side flaps about their scorelines to a downward vertical position.