US 5,626,002 A · Packaging machine having overhead assembly for opening and lowering carton onto article groups

Abstract

A packaging machine places cartons on an carton conveyor in an inverted-T configuration with the panels of the carton being generally horizontal and the walls of the carton collapsed together in a generally vertical orientation. An overhead assembly has carrier assemblies for picking up the cartons, opening the cartons, and lowering the cartons onto article groups. Each carrier assembly has a pair of opening members with protruding fingers for insertion within cut-outs formed in the cartons. After a carrier assembly has engaged a carton in an inverted-T configuration, one of the opening members in the carrier assembly is moved away from the other opening member, thereby opening the carton. Each carrier assembly has cam followers which travel within three cam plates, one for controlling an orientation of the carrier assembly, one for supporting the carrier assembly, and one for opening and closing the opening members. The overhead assembly is substantially located on only one side of the articles and cartons and thus provides easy access for repairs, maintenance, or removal of article or cartons jams. The packaging machine can package articles of various sizes and configurations into various types of cartons. In general, the packaging machine can package articles into any type of carton having panels opposite each other which may be engaged and lowered onto an article group. The packaging machine can also operate at fairly high speeds since cartons are positively and quickly opened by the movement of the opening members.

Claims36

Dependent claims

An overhead assembly for use in a packaging machine moving an article group in a downstream direction and placing a carton in a predetermined configuration wherein a pair of panels are oriented on either side of a central portion of the carton, said overhead assembly comprising:

a carrier assembly having a pair of opening members;
means for driving said carrier assembly in said downstream direction and for lowering the carrier assembly onto the carton, said opening members engaging the panels of the carton;
means for separating said opening members away from each other to open the carton;
means for lowering the carrier assembly toward said article group and lowering said opening members toward the article group, said lowering means positioning the opening members of the carrier assembly so that the carton is placed onto the article group;
and
means for raising the carrier assembly away from the article group after the carton has been placed onto the article group by said lowering means, the opening members disengaging the carton during the raising of said carrier assembly.

3 more elements

An overhead assembly for use in a packaging machine moving article groups in a downstream direction and placing cartons in a predetermined configuration onto a carton conveyor wherein a pair of panels of the cartons are oriented on either side of a central portion of the carton, said overhead assembly comprising:

a first cam plate having a first cam groove;
a plurality of carrier assemblies each having a pair of opening members and first cam followers for traveling within said first cam groove;
a chain attached to each of the carrier assemblies and looped partially around a pair of spaced sprockets;
means for rotating one of said sprockets to cause the chain and the carrier assemblies to rotate about said overhead assembly;
wherein:
the opening members in the carrier assemblies become engaged with the panels on the cartons during a rotation of said carrier assemblies about said overhead assembly;
said first cam plate, said first cam groove, and said first cam follower move the opening members away from each other to open the cartons;
and
rotation of said chain about said overhead assembly further causes the carrier assemblies to be lowered toward article groups so that the cartons held by the opening members are placed on the article groups.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Packaging machine having overhead assembly for opening and lowering carton onto article groups

Life of this patent

Packaging machine having overhead assembly for opening and lowering carton onto article groups

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims36