Carton feeding system for packaging machine
AssigneeRiverwood International Corporation
InventorsSteven D. Brown, Colin Ford
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A carton feeding system for feeding cartons into a packaging machine is disclosed. The carton feeding system includes a frame in which a carton feeder is rotatably mounted and a carton guide assembly. The carton guide assembly includes a pair of spaced guide tracks along which guide chains are moved to engage and urge the cartons along the carton feeding system toward a drop point overlying a series of products passing therebeneath. A pair of spaced chute plates receive and support the ends of the cartons as the cartons are released by the carton feeder and are urged by the guide chains along a feed path toward the drop point and engagement with a series of products passing through the product-packaging machine.
Claims27
A system for feeding cartons from a magazine of cartons into a packaging machine for packaging products passing through the packaging machine, comprising:
- a feeder frame;
- a carton feeder mounted within said frame and adapted to engage and pick each carton from the magazine of cartons;
- and
- a carton guide assembly adjacent said carton feeder and including at least one guide chain or belt having a series of spaced lugs mounted thereto for engaging and urging the cartons away from said carton feeder and toward a drop point for application to a selected group of the products passing through the packaging machine, and at least one guide track mounted to said feeder frame adjacent said carton feeder and defining a pathway along which said guide chain or belt is received and passes for guiding said lugs out of and into engagement with each carton engaged by said carton feeder and for guiding said guide chain or belt and said lugs along said feed path to urge each carton toward said drop point.
A carton feeding system for feeding cartons into a product packaging machine for packaging a series of products passing through the product packaging machine, the carton feeding system comprising:
- a frame adjustably mounted on the packaging machine and including a pair of feeder support plates moveable laterally with respect to the products passing through the product packaging machine;
- a carton feeder mounted between said feeder support plates and including at least one carton engaging assembly adapted to engage and move a carton along a carton feed path;
- and
- a guide assembly including at least one guide track mounted to at least one of said feeder support plates and defining a pathway therealong, a guide chain received within said pathway and including a series of carton lugs mounted thereto for engaging and urging the cartons along the feed path, and at least one chute plate for supporting the cartons as the cartons are moved along the feed path toward the products passing through the product packaging machine.
A method of feeding cartons into a product packaging machine for packaging a series of products passing through the packaging machine, comprising:
- engaging and moving a carton along a carton feed path with a carton engaging assembly;
- moving a lug of at least one guide chain from a position spaced from the carton into a position adapted to engage the carton as the carton is moved along the feed path;
- releasing the carton from the carton engaging assembly;
- as the carton is released from the carton engaging assembly, engaging the carton with the lug and urging the carton along the feed path toward a drop point;
- and
- depositing the carton into an overlying relationship on a series of products passing adjacent the drop point for the carton.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.