US 4,070,960 AGranted

Apparatus for packing flat articles

OwnerArthur A. Diluiso, Post Machinery Company, Inc.inventors

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Abstract

Apparatus for packing rows of flat articles, such as side-seamed folding carton blanks, in a box. A flat table top is provided with a cavity in the packing region which receives interchangeable inserts. Sets of rear abutment fingers and front compression fingers are mounted for vertical movement between hidden retracted positions and operative raised positions protruding through apertures in an insert. When the operator slides a first row of blanks to the packing region, a switch in the table surface causes a moveable wall to be extended and the rear fingers to rise. Another switch near the rear fingers causes a modular drive mechanism to extend the front fingers and then move them longitudinally to compress the row of articles. A nozzle blows a stream of air across the insert to hold a divider in place against the edge of the compressed row. A second row is then arranged against the next set of rear fingers and the divider, as a second set of front fingers extend and then compress the second row. After a box is placed over the aligned rows, all fingers are automatically withdrawn. By substituting interchangeable insert plates and rearranging the compression finger modules, either one or three or more rows of articles can be packed.

Claims5

Dependent claims

Apparatus for packing stacks of flat articles in a box, which apparatus comprises

a frame having a flat upper surface including a receiving region and a packing region spaced longitudinally from each other, and first switch means located between said regions and protruding from the surface thereof,
at least two sets of rear abutment fingers,
means mounting said rear fingers for movement between raised positions extending upward through holes in said upper surface and retracted positions below said upper surface,
at least two sets of front compression fingers aligned with longitudinally elongated apertures in said upper surface,
means mounting said front compression fingers for extension to a raised position above said upper surface and for retraction to a lower position below said upper surface,
means for moving said sets of front fingers longitudinally of said upper surface,
second switch means extending above said upper surface in association with each set of said rear abutment fingers,
a control system connected to said first and second switch means so that actuation of said first switch means by sliding movement thereover of a first stack of flat articles causes extension of said rear abutment fingers and actuation of said second switch means adjacent a first set of said rear fingers causes extension of a first set of said front compression fingers and longitudinal movement thereof to compress the first stack of articles therebetween, and so that subsequent actuation of said second switch means adjacent a second set of rear abutment fingers by sliding movement of a second stack of flat articles thereover causes extension of a second set of said front compression fingers and longitudinal movement thereof to compress the second stack therebetween, and
air nozzle means mounted on said frame for blowing a stream of air transversely across said upper surface so as to hold a flat divider in vertical orientation against said compressed first stack of articles to provide a separator and guide against which the second stack of articles can be evenly arranged in abutting contact.

6 more elements

Apparatus for packing stacks of flat articles in a box, which apparatus comprises

a frame having a flat upper surface including a receiving region and a packing region spaced longitudinally from each other, and first switch means located between said regions and protruding from the surface thereof,
at least two sets of rear abutment fingers,
means mounting said rear fingers for movement between raised positions extending upward through holes in said upper surface and retracted positions below said upper surface,
at least two sets of front compression fingers aligned with longitudinally elongated apertures in said upper surface,
each set of said front compression fingers being a part of an individual module which is removably mounted to said frame, said module including a generally vertically disposed fluid-actuated cylinder for extension of said fingers to a raised position above said upper surface and for retraction to a lower position below said upper surface and a generally horizontally mounted fluid-actuated cylinder for movement of said front compression fingers longitudinally of said upper surface,
second switch means extending above said upper surface in association with each set of said rear abutment fingers, and
a control system connected to said first and second switch means so that actuation of said first switch means by sliding movement thereover of a first stack of flat articles causes extension of said rear abutment fingers and actuation of said second switch means adjacent a first set of said rear fingers causes extension of a first set of said front compression fingers and longitudinal movement thereof to compress the first stack of articles therebetween, and so that subsequent actuation of said second switch means adjacent a second set of rear abutment fingers by sliding movement of a second stack of flat articles thereover causes extension of a second set of said front compression fingers and longitudinal movement thereof to compress the second stack therebetween, and
said upper surface of said frame having a cavity therein in the packing region thereof and a pair of interchangeable inserts being provided which fit into said cavity, one of said inserts containing holes and elongated apertures to accommodate at least two sets of compression fingers and the other insert containing holes and elongated apertures to accommodate a different number of sets of compression fingers,
said frame including support means for mounting said modules at different transverse locations so as to align said front compression fingers with said elongated apertures in said different interchangeable inserts.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.