US 7,077,259 B2Granted

Carton transfer unit

AssigneeTetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A.

InventorThomas S. Breidenbach

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A transfer unit is configured for use with a form, fill and seal packaging machine. The transfer unit receives a partially erected carton from a first station in a tubular form, conveys the carton to a second station, and conveys the carton from the second station to a third station. The transfer unit includes a hub defining a longitudinal hub axis and configured for rotational movement about the hub axis. A plurality of car pairs are mounted to the hub for longitudinal movement along the hub. Each of the car pairs includes first and second cars, each of which has first and second mandrels mounted thereto. The mandrels are configured to receive a partially erected carton. Each mandrel has a mandrel axis and is rotational about its respective axis. The mandrel axes are perpendicular and tangential to the hub axis. A drive longitudinally moving the car pairs along the hub and rotationally moves the mandrels about their respective mandrel axes, about 90 degrees, between an untwisted position and a twisted position.

Claims8

Dependent claims

A drive assembly for longitudinally moving a pair of carrier elements along a hub having a longitudinal axis and rotating about the longitudinal axis, the drive assembly comprising:

a frame;
a rail disposed longitudinally along the hub and spaced from the longitudinal axis, the rail configured to carry the carrier elements;
a ring fixedly mounted to the frame and disposed about the hub, the ring defining a track and including a stationary portion and a rotating portion, the rotating portion being operably connected to a drive;
first and second rotating shafts disposed on the hub, longitudinally spaced from and aligned with one another, the first shaft being a driven shaft and including a head portion disposed at and guided by the ring, the second shaft being an idler shaft;
a continuous, flexible element disposed about the first and second shafts for rotational movement about the shafts, the flexible element, disposed about the shafts, defining opposing elongate sides and return portions at the shafts, the carrier elements being mounted to the flexible element;
and
the drive mounted to the frame and operably connected to the ring rotating portion for rotating the ring rotating portion,
wherein the head portion, traverses along the ring track into the rotating ring portion and is engaged and rotated by the rotating ring portion and wherein rotation of the head portion rotates the flexible element to move the carrier elements along the rail.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/099,961Filed 6 Apr 2005 · division
Priority: 23 Jan 2004
Published: US 2005/0161306 A111 Aug 2005
Granted: 18 Jul 2006
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

B65B 43/50
Feeding or positioning bags, boxes, or cartons in the distended, opened, or set-up state; Feeding preformed rigid containers, e.g. tins,…
B65B 3/025
Machines characterised by the incorporation of means for making the containers or receptacles: making parallelepipedal containers from a single…
B65B 61/186
For making package-opening or unpacking elements: by applying or incorporating rigid fittings, e.g. discharge spouts
B31B 50/788
Mechanically: by introducing the blanks into undeformable holders, e.g. on a drum or on chains

Family

Application10/763,893Parent of this division · filed 23 Jan 2004
US 2005/0172572 A1Pre-grant publication · published 11 Aug 2005
US 2005/0161306 A1Published application
US 7,059,466 B2Related patent
US 7,077,259 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.