US 5,473,857 AGranted

System integration for hot melt sealing of fitments in-line with form/fill/seal machine

AssigneeInternational Paper Company

InventorDonald E. Keeler

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A fitment application apparatus, for applying plastic spout fitments to filled and sealed cartons, is integrated in line with a conventional form/fill/seal production line. The fitment application apparatus includes a conveyor for intermittently advancing each one in a series of formed, filled and sealed cartons in turn to a fitment application station. A hopper and associated gravity-feed track supply a series of fitments to a fitment applicator anvil. Each fitment has a flange portion, the bottom surface of which is coated with hot melt adhesive as the fitment slides past a hot melt adhesive applicator roll. A fitment retaining mechanism receives and positions each fitment such that the flange bottom surface coated with hot melt adhesive faces an external side of the wall of the filled carton. The fitment applicator anvil intermittently carries fitments from the fitment retaining mechanism into abutting relationship with the filled carton in registration with the spout hole, thereby pressing the flange bottom surface coated with hot melt adhesive against the extrusion layer on the external side of the carton wall, whereby the fitment is applied to the filled and sealed carton.

An apparatus for applying fitments on formed, filled and sealed cartons output in series by a conventional form/fill/seal machine, each of said cartons having a closed top end with a spout hole formed in its wall and an extrusion layer sealing said spout hole, comprising:

carton advancing means for intermittently advancing each of said formed, filled and sealed cartons in turn to a fitment application station;
fitment supply means for supplying a series of said fitments to said fitment application station, each of said fitments having a cap portion and a flexible flange portion;
hot melt adhesive application means for applying a hot melt adhesive material on a bottom surface of said flange portion of each of said fitments;
fitment retaining means for receiving each of said fitments supplied by said fitment supply means and positioning each of said fitments such that said bottom surface of said flange portion with said hot melt adhesive material applied thereon faces said extrusion layer sealing said spout hole in said wall of each of said cartons while each of said cartons are standing at said fitment application station;
and
fitment application means for carrying each of said fitments from said fitment retaining means into abutting relationship with an external side of said wall of each of said cartons such that said bottom surface of said flange portion of each of said fitments with said hot melt adhesive material applied thereon is pressed against said extrusion layer in registration with said spout hole,
wherein said fitment retaining means comprises first and second fitment flange support means arranged in opposing relationship, each fitment flange support means having a guideway for cooperating with a peripheral edge of a corresponding diametral portion of said flange portion of each of said fitments retained thereby, and said guideway having an inclined surface which facilitates snapping of said flexible flange portion out of said guideway as said fitment application means carries each of said fitments toward said closed top end of each of said formed, filled and sealed cartons.

4 more elements

Abstract

Claims18