Carton set-up and loading machine

A carton set-up and loading machine comprising in combination:

• a. a vertical magazine to hold a stack of flattened die cut cartons having flaps on all edges of both ends thereof and having a carton discharge at the lower end thereof,
• b. a conveyor having compartment-forming members on endless chains extending around sprockets respectively adjacent opposite ends of said conveyor, one end comprising the loading end which is beneath the magazine and the other, the discharge end,
• c. means on said conveyor operable to set up said cartons from flat to rectangular condition in cross-section,
• d. power means connected to the sprockets at one end of the conveyor arranged to move the conveyor stepwise,
• e. first means along one edge of the conveyor to fold all but one of the flaps on one end of the cartons closed,
• f. article-loading means along the opposite edge of said conveyor downstream from said first flap-folding means and extending transversely to the conveyor and including means to receive articles and powered means to project the same into the other ends of said set up cartons,
• g. second means along the opposite edge of said conveyor downstream from said article-loading means to fold all but one of the flaps on the opposite end of said cartons closed,
• h. means to apply adhesive to the remaining unfolded flap on opposite ends of said cartons,
• i. means to fold said remaining flaps closed simultaneously to seal the articles projected into said cartons by the applied adhesive on said remaining flaps, and
• j. a logic control system for the power means of said machine operable to control the movement of all movable elements thereof and including safety-sensing means comprising a pair of sensors adjacent said article-loading means above and below the carton respectively operable to sense the presence of the top and bottom panels of the set up cartons as they arrive opposite said article-loading means to insure respectively that a carton is accurately set up and is in loading position opposite said article-loading means and said control system being operable to cause any inaccurately set up carton or a compartment having no carton therein to pass said article-loading means without said means functioning to project articles from said loading means and without stopping the normal advancing movement of said conveyor, thereby avoiding a jam in the operation of the machine.

A carton set up and loading machine comprising:

• a. a magazine to hold a supply of flat cartons,
• b. a conveyor having a loading end beneath said magazine extending horizontally therefrom to the discharge end thereof,
• c. carton set-up means operable to transform said cartons from flat to rectangular shape in cross-section,
• d. means along one edge of said conveyor to fold the flaps at one end of each carton into folded position to constitute a bottom end of said cartons,
• e. article-loading means extending transversely from the opposite edge of said conveyor and operable to load articles into the opposite open end of each carton,
• f. means along said opposite edge of said conveyor operable to fold the flaps of said opposite open end of said carton into closed position, and
• g. means to advance said conveyor stepwise from the loading end to the discharge end thereof;
• in combination therewith of the improvement in said article-loading means comprising:
• h. guide means to receive articles to be packaged,
• i. pusher means slidable longitudinally along said guide means in opposite feeding and retracting strokes,
• j. fluid-operated cylinder means connected to said pusher means and operable to move said means in said opposite strokes,
• k. said pusher means comprising substantially perpendicular fingers movable vertically relative to said guide means from an inoperative position below said guide means to an operative position above the same, and
• l. actuating means between said fingers and said cylinder means operable at the commencement of a feed stroke to elevate said fingers vertically to the operative position above said guide means and to retract the same vertically downward to the inoperative position thereof below said guide means at the commencement of each retracting stroke to effect a rectalinear movement of said pusher fingers, thereby permitting additional articles to be deposited upon said guide means while said fingers are retracting to enhance the speed of operation of the machine.