US 4,303,405 A · Apparatus for forming and inserting partitions into containers

Abstract

A magazine carries a plurality of flat, stacked, corrugated fiber-board partition blanks, each being cut and scored for folding into an "H" partition. The flat blanks are successively removed, one at a time, by a suction stripper feed mechanism which transfers them to a conveyor which, after the end panels of each partition are folded 90.degree. by plows, delivers each partition in a longitudinal path to a carrier in a forming station. A vertically moveable forming head folds the blank transversely about opposed fingers and strips the blank from the carrier, downwardly. Then the folded blank passes through opposed converging plates where the panels are urged against each other and opposed reciprocating flap folding dies fold the flaps to acute angles with respect to the panels. Next, the panels pass between spring-loaded twist members to urge them to deflected positions and are, thereafter, delivered diagonally into an open container where, after about 75% of the blank is inserted, the twister assembly twists the same into an aligned position. Subsequently, a squaring head forces the flaps against the ends of the container and thereby disposes of the U-shaped partition members formed by the panels, parallel to and between the sides of the container.

Claims21

Dependent claims

Apparatus for inserting partitions, each having a central partition member, into open containers, each container of which has opposed spaced parallel end walls and opposed spaced parallel side walls forming a rectangular perimeter:

(a) means for conveying said containers successively along a prescribed path through a partition inserting station;
(b) means for moving said partitions respectively into said containers in said station with the partition member of each partition disposed at a sufficient angle with respect to the sides of its container that it is loosely received in its container;
and occupies less space lengthwise from end wall to end wall in its container than the partition does when it is parallel to the side walls of its container.
(c) twist means for twisting each of said partitions, after insertion into said container, for rotating said partition member from its loose angled position about parallel to the side walls of its container.

1 more element

An apparatus for forming, from a flat partition blank, an H-shaped partition, said partition blank having a pair of panels connected by a common transverse score line and flaps extending sidewise from opposite sides of said panels, said flaps being divided from said panels by parallel longitudinal score lines, and for inserting the H-shaped partition into an open rectangular container, said apparatus comprising:

(a) magazine means for supporting a plurality of said blanks;
(b) feed means for feeding said blanks one at a time from said magazine means along a first linear prescribed path;
(c) conveyor means for receiving the blanks fed by said feed means and for feeding said blanks successively along said first prescribed path;
(d) flap folding means for folding said flaps along said longitudinal score lines to angular positions with respect to said panels;
(e) panel folding means for folding said panels along said transverse acore line to a position adjacent to each other with the panels protruding outwardly therefrom;
(f) means in said first prescribed path for urging said panels into contiguous relationship to form a partition member;
(g) container conveyor means for conveying successive open rectangular containers along a second linear prescribed path arranged at an acute angle to said first prescribed path for positioning said containers for respectively receiving said partitions;
(h) means in said first prescribed path for respectively inserting said partitions into said containers with their panels generally diagonal to such containers when such containers are positioned by said container conveyor to receive said partitions;
and
(i) straightening means for straightening the position of said partition within said container for disposing said panels parallel to the walls of said containers.

7 more elements

Apparatus for inserting partitions into open containers disposed in a petition insertion station, comprising:

(a) a linear container conveyor for conveying successive rectangular containers with their upper ends open along a path of travel with their side walls disposed about parallel to the path of travel into and out of said partition insertion station;
(b) a linear partition conveyor above said container conveyor for feeding successive flat rectangular partition blanks along a linear path of travel with the side edges of said blanks parallel to the path of travel of said partition, said blanks each being scored to provide juxtaposed panels joined along a common edge which is transverse to the path of travel of said blanks, said blanks each being cut and scored to provide opposed flaps connected along score lines on opposite sides of said blank to said panels so that, when said panels are folded against each other and said flaps folded outwardly of said panels, an H partition is formed;
(c) first fold means on opposite sides of said partition conveyor for folding said flaps from the plane of each blank;
(d) folding means at the end of said partition conveyor for folding successive blanks so that said panels of each blank are folded about said traverse score line to positions adjacent to each other;
(e) means for holding the folded panels of successive blanks in planes angularly disposed to said walls of said containers, above the partition insertion zone of said container conveyor and generally perpendicular to the path of travel of said blanks;
(f) means for moving the held successively folded blanks downwardly and into successive of said containers in said partition insert station so that each partition is inserted generally in a diagonal fashion partially into a container;
and
(g) finger means for engaging each such partition and for rotating of the same along a vertical axis from its angled position to a position in which the panels of said blank are about parallel to the side walls of its container.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Apparatus for forming and inserting partitions into containers

Life of this patent

Apparatus for forming and inserting partitions into containers

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21