Counter-ejector and box feed machine

A process for stacking boxes of material having leading and trailing edges, comprising the steps of:

• providing an box feeder having an infeed end and a discharge end;
• operating the box feeder to move the boxes in a shingled stream leading edge first toward the discharge end;
• providing a magazine downstream of and below the box feeder discharge end;
• deflecting the shingled stream of boxes downwardly from the discharge end of the box feeder such that the boxes drop elevationally into the magazine to progressively form a first stack;
• movably supporting the progressively forming first stack;
• forming a gap between boxes being deflected downwardly at the discharge end and the first stack;
• detecting when a selected number of boxes are received on the first stack;
• moving a trailing edge support finger into the gap when the selected number of boxes have been received on the first stack;
• receiving and supporting the trailing edge of a next box received within the magazine above the first stack on the trailing edge support fingers, and supporting successive trailing edges of boxes received within the magazine initiating formation of a second stack on the trailing edge support fingers above the first stack to form an opening between said next box and the first stack;
• moving an intermediate stripper plate into the gap to support the second stack of boxes being formed above said first stack;
• withdrawing the trailing edge support fingers from the magazine;
• removing the first stack of boxes from the support surface;
• and
• withdrawing the intermediate stripper plate to strip the forming second stack from the intermediate stripper plate and onto the support surface.

A counter-ejector and box feeder for receiving flexible boxes delivered in end-to-end relation along a delivery plane, comprising:

• a frame;
• a shingling conveyor on the frame configured to receive individual boxes at an infeed end and to deliver the boxes in a shingled stream from an infeed end to a discharge end;
• a magazine on the frame adjacent the discharge end for reception of boxes delivered by the shingling conveyor;
• a stripper arm mounted on the frame adjacent the magazine and movable between an extended position within the magazine for receiving successive boxes from the shingling conveyor, and a retracted inoperative position clear of the magazine;
• a lift fork on the frame below the extended position of the stripper arm, and movable elevationally between an elevated stack receiving position and a lowered stack discharge station;
• wherein the stripper arm is retractable to the inoperative position to strip a stack of boxes received thereon onto the lift fork;
• a stack top hold-down arm on the stripper arm and elevationally movable below the extended position of the stripper arm to slidably rest against a top surface of a stack of boxes received on the lift fork, and to lift upwardly and move with the stripper arm to the inoperative position clear of the magazine;
• and
• a compression conveyor on the frame positioned adjacent the magazine to receive successive stacks from the lift fork and to move the successive stacks laterally from the lift fork;
• and
• wherein the frame is movable about a pivot axis situated adjacent the compression conveyor to vary the angular position of the shingling conveyor.

A process for delivering the shingled boxes to a counter-ejector, comprising the steps of:

• feeding individual boxes having top and bottom surfaces along a plane in substantial end-to-end relation;
• orienting an infeed end of a shingling conveyor below the infeed plane in a position to receive individual boxes delivered along the infeed plane;
• depositing the boxes at the box feed station onto the shingling conveyor in an overlapping, shingled course with top surface of boxes being partially overlapped by bottom surface of succeeding boxes;
• operating the shingling conveyor to move the shingled course up an incline to a discharge end;
• pressing the top surfaces of boxes in the shingled course down against the bottom surface;
• and
• deflecting the shingled course downwardly at the discharge end by pressing the top surfaces of the boxes downwardly;
• and
• collecting the boxes onto a stack on a counter ejector;
• and
• providing the shingling convevor and counter ejector on a frame that is pivoted on an axis downstream of the discharge end such that the shingling conveyor and counter-ejector may pivot together about the axis to accommodate boxes of varying dimension.