Box opening and filling machine

(1+2+6) A rectilinear box opening and filling machine for processing vertically arranged boxes, comprising:

• a modular base having a plurality of operating stations;
• a main shaft longitudinally arranged inside of said modular base by which said operating stations operate;
• a plurality of upturned portal stations cantilevered to one side of said modular base, said one side defining proximal and distal relationships;
• a vertical belt conveyor including
• a) proximal and distal pairs of parallel, vertical-axis, toothed belts which convey a vertically arranged box therebetween, and
• b) proximal and distal horizontal belt-support frames which are attached to said plurality of portal stations and which respectively support said proximal and distal pairs of toothed belts;
• wherein at least one of said operating stations is supported by one of said belt-support frames such that underneath of all of said belt-support frames an unoccupied space is provided which allows for a fast removal of dirt which falls from above said belt-support frames and which allows accessibility to said at least one of said operating stations, said toothed belts, and said belt-support frames;
• wherein said modular base has first, second and third module casings which are arranged one after another and fixed together;
• wherein said first casing includes
• a) a magazine which feeds the boxes individually, and
• b) a first closing means and for closing bottom flaps of each box received from said magazine;
• wherein said second casing includes an insertion means for inserting a product into an open top of each box;
• wherein said third casing includes a second closing means for closing top flaps of each box;
• a horizontal belt conveyor on which flattened boxes transversely rest on sides walls and which flattened boxes are inclined with an upper part forward, said horizontal belt conveyor conveying the boxes towards said magazine and
• a) being driven by said main shaft,
• b) being located laterally with respect to said first casing,
• c) being located above and parallel to an initial part of said vertical belt conveyor,
• d) having movable proximal and distal retaining lateral side shoulders between which the flattened boxes are constrained, and
• e) including a ballast weight which pushes the flattened boxes forward through said lateral side shoulders and towards said magazine;
• wherein said magazine includes
• a) an inclined section receiving inclined boxes from an end of said horizontal belt conveyor and turning the boxes horizontally,
• b) a vertical section leading from said inclined section to a magazine bottom, said vertical section receiving the horizontal boxes from said inclined section and presenting a lowermost horizontal box at the magazine bottom with boxes thereabove arranged flat on top of one another and with longitudinal axes thereof oriented at right angles to a direction of travel of said vertical box conveyor;
• c) wherein said inclined section and said vertical section include a movable rear magazine wall adjacent said horizontal belt conveyor and a stationary front wall opposite thereto, and
• d) wherein said inclined section and said vertical section include a movable proximal side magazine wall adjacent said first casing and a stationary distal side wall opposite thereto;
• and
• a mounting structure for said magazine and said movable lateral side shoulders, said mounting structure including
• a) a bracket cantilevered to said first casing which supports said stationary front wall and said stationary distal side wall of said magazine,
• b) a first movable slide which is parallel to said horizontal belt conveyor and which supports said retaining side shoulders of said horizontal belt conveyor and said movable magazine walls of said magazine,
• c) a guide cantilevered to said first casing on which said movable slide is mounted for movement,
• d) a first adjusting means for adjusting a distance of said rear magazine wall and of said lateral side shoulders from said front wall of said magazine such that flattened boxes of different longitudinal sizes are accommodated therebetween,
• e) a second movable slide which is mounted to said first movable slide for movement at right angles thereto and to which said movable proximal side magazine wall and said proximal lateral side shoulder are mounted, and
• f) a second adjustment means for adjusting a distance of said proximal side magazine wall and said proximal lateral side shoulder relative to said distal side magazine wall and said distal lateral side shoulder such that flattened boxes of different lateral sizes are accommodated therebetween.

(1+2+13) A rectilinear box opening and filling machine for processing vertically arranged boxes, comprising:

• a modular base having a plurality of operating stations;
• a main shaft longitudinally arranged inside of said modular base by which said operating stations operate;
• a plurality of upturned portal stations cantilevered to one side of said modular base, said one side defining proximal and distal relationships;
• a vertical belt conveyor including
• a) proximal and distal pairs of parallel, vertical-axis, toothed belts which convey a vertically arranged box therebetween, and
• b) proximal and distal horizontal belt-support frames which are attached to said plurality of portal stations and which respectively support said proximal and distal pairs of toothed belts;
• wherein at least one of said operating stations is supported by one of said belt-support frames such that underneath of all of said belt-support frames an unoccupied space is provided which allows for a fast removal of dirt which falls from above said belt-support frames and which allows accessibility to said at least one of said operating stations, said toothed belts, and said belt-support frames;
• wherein said modular base has first, second and third module casings which are arranged one after another and fixed together;
• wherein said first casing includes
• a) a magazine which feeds the boxes individually, and
• b) a first closing means and for closing bottom flaps of each box received from said magazine;
• wherein said second casing includes an insertion means for inserting a product into an open top of each box;
• wherein said third casing includes a second closing means for closing top flaps of each box;
• wherein said first and second closing means are each include a respective folding means for folding an outermost closing flat and attached end tongue, each said folding means including
• a) an adjustable end means for folding the end tongue by more than 90° in a direction towards the box, and
• b) an adjustable comb means for folding the outermost closing flap into a closed position while guiding the associated end tongue into the box.