Carton opening method and apparatus
AssigneeRiverwood International Corporation
InventorsColin Ford, Jeff Disrud
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A carton opening method and assembly for a continuous motion packaging machine directs opposed carton engaging plates perpendicular to opposite side walls of a collapsed carton moving through the opening assembly. A vacuum is applied to the opposed carton side walls when the assemblies engage the carton. One or more of the opposed carton engaging assemblies are retracted to fully open the carton, which is then transferred to a conveyor that transports the carton to the next workstation of the packaging machine. The carton opening operation is accomplished while tracking the carton movement through the carton opening assembly.
Claims20
In an article packaging machine having a carton opening assembly including a carton engaging assembly which releasably attaches to a paperboard carton, a method of opening a paperboard carton having opposed side walls in a collapsed state, comprising the steps of:
- (a) moving the carton at a carton velocity in a longitudinal path from an upstream position to a downstream position prior to engagement with the carton engaging assembly;
- (b) contacting each of the opposed carton side walls by moving the carton engaging assembly in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal path, while simultaneously moving the carton and the carton engaging assembly in timed relationship along the longitudinal path at the carton velocity;
- (c) pulling the carton open from a collapsed state to an opened state while the carton and the carton engaging assembly continue to be moved in timed relationship along the longitudinal path at the carton velocity.
In an article packaging machine having a conveyor for conveying a carton having opposed sidewalls from an upstream direction to a downstream direction along a longitudinal path at a carton velocity, a carton opening assembly for opening the carton by moving the opposed side walls from a collapsed state to an opened state as the carton moves along the longitudinal path, said carton opening assembly comprising:
- (a) a carton engaging assembly positioned to contact a carton side wall by movement of the carton engaging assembly in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal path;
- (b) a transport mechanism attached to the carton engaging assembly for moving the carton engaging assembly along the longitudinal path at the carton velocity, as the carton engaging assembly simultaneously is moved in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal path;
- and
- (c) a cam positioned to contact said carton engaging assembly and adapted to cause said carton engaging assembly to engage the carton side walls after the carton begins to move in the downstream direction, and in a direction which is perpendicular to said longitudinal path.
In an article packaging machine having a carton feeder disposed along a longitudinal path defined by a carton conveyor and for feeding a carton in a collapsed state to the carton conveyor as the carton conveyor moves the collapsed carton along the longitudinal path at a selected rate, a carton opening assembly positioned along said longitudinal path for receiving the carton in a collapsed state from the carton conveyor and opening the carton, the carton opening assembly comprising:
- at least two opposed carton engaging assemblies disposed on each side of the longitudinal path, a drive assembly connected to said carton engaging assemblies for moving said carton engaging assemblies along the longitudinal path at the same rate as the rate of the carton, wherein two carton opening assemblies are positioned along opposing sides of the carton as the carton is conveyed through the carton engaging assembly, and
- a cam track associated with each carton engaging assembly, wherein the cam track directs at least one carton engaging assembly toward the carton in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal path as the carton engaging assemblies move along the longitudinal path from an upstream position to a downstream position, wherein said carton engaging assemblies engage opposing sides of the carton after the carton conveyor engages and begins movement of the carton in the downstream direction, thereby eliminating relative longitudinal movement between the carton and the carton engaging assembly, whereby said carton engaging assembly opens the carton as the carton moves along the longitudinal path.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.