Apparatus for opening box flaps on an article loading machine

Apparatus for opening the closure flaps of an empty box conveyed on a conveyor of an article loading machine prior to being filled with articles on said machine comprising:

• a front flap opening foot means for engaging a front end flap of said box and moving said flap toward an open position;
• means for moving said flap opening foot means in a prescribed flap opening motion in which said foot means dips beneath said closed front end flap and moves said flap toward said open position;
• a rear flap opening claw means pivotably carried above said box on said conveyor for engaging a closed rear end flap;
• means conveying said box past said claw means causing said rear flap to be lifted from a closed position toward an open position;
• and
• retaining means carried by said machine and engaging said front and rear flaps of said boxes being lifted open to aid in opening said flaps and maintaining said flaps open during conveyance.

In an article packing machine of the type having a container conveyor on which boxes are conveyed to be loaded with articles, an artilce conveyor for conveying articles to an article loading station which receives the articles and arranges the articles for loading and packing of the articles in said boxes, said boxes being of the type having front and rear end flaps and side flaps for closing the top of the box, apparatus for opening the flaps of the boxes to insure the box top is open for loading comprising:

• a flap opening mechanism adapted for being carried on a frame of said machine;
• a movable flap opening engagement means carried by said mechanism for movement in a prescribed motion to engage a closed end flap and move said end flap toward an open position;
• programmed control means carried by said assembly and connected to said flap opening means for moving said flap opening means in said prescribed motion;
• and
• spaced parallel flap engaging plates carried adjacent said conveyor at said flap opening mechanism, said spaced places defining a sandwich space in which side flaps of said boxes are held to constrain said boxes while said flap opening means lifts and opens said closed flap.

Apparatus for opening the flaps of a box being loaded on an article loading machine, said loading machine being of the type having a conveyor carried on a machine and conveyor frame along which said boxes are conveyed for delivery to an article loading station, a grid set carried by said conveyor frame to which articles are conveyed to loading in said box through said grid set, said apparatus comprising:

• a flap opening station located along said conveyor;
• said flap opening station including a flap opening mechanism carried adjacent said conveyor on said frame;
• rocker shaft means includes in said flap opening mechanism;
• carrier means carried by said flap opening mechanism, said rocker shaft means being carried by said carrier means;
• a flap engaging foot means carried by said rocker shaft means for engaging a closed end flap of said box and lifting said flap toward an open position;
• said carrier means including connecting means connected to said rocker shaft means for moving said flap engaging foot means in an up-and-down motion causing said foot means to engage said closed end flap and lifting said flap toward said open position;
• and
• constraint means for constraining the movement of said box when said end flap is engaged by said flap engaging foot means to constrain said box against the lifting motion of said foot means.

Apparatus for opening the flaps of a box being loaded on an article loading machine having a conveyor frame, a conveyor carried by said conveyor frame for conveying said boxes to the articles to be loaded, said apparatus comprising:

• a movable flap opening means carried by said conveyor frame for movement in a prescribed path to engage a closed flap on the box and move it toward an open position;
• carrier means carried by the conveyor frame for carrying said flap opening means adjacent the conveyor;
• programmed control means for moving said flap opening means in said prescribed path to engage and open said close flap;
• and
• constraint means carried by said conveyor frame for engaging said box and effectively constraining movement of the box during opening of the flap.