EP0202998B1 - Method and apparatus for erecting and partially closing carton crates or boxes - Google Patents

Abstract

1. A method of erecting boxes or crates made of cardboard from blanks (F) which are folded and stored flat against one another in a magazine (10), with the blanks being extracted from the magazine one by one, with a blank then being successively opened by being unfolded, squared up, and then closed at the bottom by interconnecting longitudinal and transverse flaps (V1 , V2 ), with the box formed in this way then being removed, the method being characterized in that after a blank has been taken from the magazine, it is unfolded level with said magazine by causing two adjacent panels of the blank to pivot relative to each other while the blank is kept level with said magazine by one of the panels being held fast while the other is pivoted, and in that the set of operations comprising extraction from the magazine, erecting, closure of the bottom, and removal of the closed box, is performed along a displacement path for the blank and then for the box, which path is substantially U-shaped in plan.

Description

The subject of the invention is a method and a machine for shaping and partially closing boxes or cardboard boxes.

Machines are already known which, starting from blanks of creased cardboard, folded flat and stored in a store, shape said blanks one by one according to a parallelepiped volume whose bottom is securely closed, for example by gluing, then it is evacuated to a packing station of a packaging line where said boxes or cases are filled with products to be packaged, panels or flaps opposite those constituting the bottom then being joined together, for example by gluing or with adhesive tape or by stapling.

Such machines are generally designated in the packaging technique under the name of "formers" of cardboard boxes or, when the bottom panels or flaps are made integral with one another by gluing, under the name of "formers-gluers".

Such "formers" are known in multiple embodiments which each respond to a specific use of a packaging line.

While some of them include means which allow boxes or boxes of different formats to be shaped, others are devoid of such means which, when they exist, are difficult to adjust. In addition, they are of relatively large dimensions because the mechanisms for deploying the blanks of the flat folded cartons are not intended to be operative over a short distance, given that the users are generally faced with little or no space requirements during their design. Such machines are disclosed, for example, by US-A 4,044,657 or by FR-A 2,244,621. In the latter document, a blank of folded packaging cardboard is deployed using a parallelogram mechanism articulated with wheels meshing together to move relative to each other two opposite faces of the blank during a translational movement of the mechanism. The amplitude of the movement, which must be taken into account for the dimensioning of the machine and the fact that, in addition, the shaped cases or boxes are, at the exit of the machine, conveyed to the filling station by a conveyor which is in the extension of the shaping means, considerably increase the overall size which constitutes, in some cases, a limitation as to the implementation of the machine.

It is, in general, an object of the invention to provide a method and a machine for shaping cardboard boxes or cases from flat folded cardboard blanks, or "formers", which does not have the drawbacks mentioned above of known machines.

It is still an object of _'the invention to provide such a low erector or very small footprint and which, therefore, may find application in the modernization of existing packaging facilities where floor space can not be chosen as large as desired.

It is also an object of the invention to provide such a machine which, not only, can be used for a plurality of types of boxes or cardboard boxes but, also, in which the passage of the operating condition of the machine for a first type of box to another type of box is quick, easy and simple.

A process for the shaping of boxes or cardboard boxes from folded blanks and stored flat against each other in a store, in which or one by one extracts the blanks from said store, then the process is carried out successively opening the blank by unfolding and positioning it square, and then closing the bottom by securing between them longitudinal and transverse flaps or flaps, the box thus formed then being evacuated, is characterized in that after extraction of a blank out of the magazine, this is unfolded to the right of said magazine by rotating one adjacent to the other two adjacent panels of the blank while keeping the blank to the right of said magazine by immobilizing one of the panels while the '' the other is pivoted and in that all the operations for extracting from the store, shaping, closing the bottom and evacuating the closed box is carried out along a path of movement of the blank then of the box having substantially in plan the shape of a U.

A machine for shaping boxes or cardboard boxes from folded blanks and stored flat against each other in a store with pneumatic means for extracting a blank from said store, form for the opening by unfolding of the blank and its positioning, of the means of transporting the box thus partially formed to a station for closing the bottom by securing between them longitudinal and transverse flaps or flaps and means to evacuate the box thus formed from the machine, is characterized in that said shaping means comprise a pivoting device whose axis is positioned to the right of the store in order to unfold the blank to the right of the store by pivoting two panels adjacent to the blank, in that the blank folded flat magazine, the shaping means and the closing means, as well as those for evacuating the box formed from the machine, are arranged in plan substantially su iving a U-shaped configuration, and in that the means for extracting a blank from the store and the means for opening the blank and making it square by folding along pre-existing creasing lines are formed by a single member, advantageously produced as a movable articulated arm in two orthogonal directions.

Such an arrangement allows a considerable saving of space compared to known machines.

The means for extracting the blank from the store are advantageously suction cups connected to vacuum means of the VENTURI type and at least two of which are of adjustable position for their adaptation to blanks of different dimensions.

In a preferred embodiment, one of the parts of the articulated arm is provided with a swivel float whose movement, under the action of a jack, causes the folding around a creasing line of a component constituting the bottom of the body.

The articulated arm is fixed on a bracket mounted to slide on parallel shafts defining one of said orthogonal directions, said shafts being themselves integral with carriage elements slidably mounted on other parallel rails defining the other of said orthogonal directions.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the means of transporting the partially shaped box, from the opening position of the blank to the bottom closing station, are constituted by a member of conjugate shape of the cross section of the body which penetrates therein via its upper part, opposite the bottom, and which is integral with a mobile carriage in the upper part of the machine, said member also serving, at the bottom closing station, to pressing device for gluing or stapling the longitudinal and transverse flaps or flaps of the body.

The dimensions of a machine according to the invention are further reduced by providing that the means for evacuating the box formed outside the machine are constituted by the arm of a rodless cylinder.

• - la figure 1 est un schéma illustrant la mise en forme de boîtes ou caisses en carton à partir de flans pliés à plat;
• - la figure 2 est une vue très schématique, en plan, d'une machine selon l'invention;
• - la figure 3 est une vue de côté d'une machine selon l'invention;
• - la figure 4 en est une vue de dessus;
• - la figure 5 en est une vue par l'avant, suivant la direction de la flèche A de la figure 4;
• - la figure 6 est une vue en coupe selon la linge 6-6 de la figure 7 d'une partie constitutive d'une machine selon l'invention;
• - la figure 7 est une vue en plan de cette partie constitutive de machine selon l'invention;
• - la figure 8 est une vue en plan d'une autre partie de machine selon l'invention;
• - la figure 9 est une vue selon la direction Y de la figure 8.

The invention will be better understood from the description which follows, given by way of example and with reference to the appended drawing in which:

• - Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the shaping of boxes or cardboard boxes from blanks folded flat;
• - Figure 2 is a very schematic plan view of a machine according to the invention;
• - Figure 3 is a side view of a machine according to the invention;
• - Figure 4 is a top view;
• - Figure 5 is a view from the front, in the direction of the arrow A in Figure 4;
• - Figure 6 is a sectional view along the linen 6-6 of Figure 7 of a component of a machine according to the invention;
• - Figure 7 is a plan view of this component part of the machine according to the invention;
• - Figure 8 is a plan view of another part of the machine according to the invention;
• FIG. 9 is a view in the direction Y of FIG. 8.

Reference is first made to FIG. 1 which illustrates, schematically, the shaping of cardboard boxes or cases using a method and a machine according to the invention and from folded cardboard blanks flat.

As shown in this figure, flat folded cardboard blanks F having crease lines are stored vertically on edge, attached to each other in a store along a stack P. Each of these blanks comprises longitudinal panels of large dimensions p ₁ , transverse panels of smaller dimensions p ₂ , longitudinal and transverse flaps or flaps vi, and Y2, respectively, intended to form the bottom of the box or case and longitudinal and transverse flaps or flaps r ₁ , r ₂ , respectively, intended to close the box or cardboard box at the top.

For the shaping of a box from a blank F extracted from the stack P, the panels p ₁ and _Ë2 are pivoted around a creasing line l ₁ , here vertical, to bring them to the square in order to obtain a parallelepiped volume Bi. After this first shaping, the rear flap of small dimensions v ₂ intended to form part of the bottom is folded around the creasing line 1 ₂ , horizontal, to obtain a volume 8 ₂ in which, during the step next, we fold the front flap of small dimensions to obtain the volume B ₃ . From this condition, it is the flaps of large longitudinal dimensions v ₁ which, by folding around the creasing lines 1 ₃ , are partially folded back to be brought into a condition B ₄ where said flaps can receive, - when the closing of the bottom is made by bonding -, adhesive products, advantageously of the hot-melt type, deposited by a gun on the internal face of said flaps v ₁ , as shown in c. The cardboard box or box then progresses to the bottom closing station where a pressure applied in the direction of the arrows fi and f ₂ ensures the fastening between them of the flaps v ₁ and _Y2 bringing the box into the condition B _s . From this condition, the box can then be sent to the next station, either with its vertical upper flaps r ₁ and r ₂ , that is to say in the extension of the panels p ₁ and p ₂ or, at on the contrary, with some of the flaps, for example r ₂ , inclined towards the outside of the box to facilitate filling.

To carry out the shaping phases as defined above, the machine according to the invention shown diagrammatically in FIG. 2 comprises a magazine 10 where the blanks F are stored, a means 11 with suction cups 12 which extracts d '' a folded blank and a first shaping, a means 12a suitable for entering the box in its condition B ₂ and whose movement is controlled by a member 13 for transporting the box to a station 14 where the bottom is closed, either by gluing or by stapling, the crate formed being removed from the station 14 by a means shown diagrammatically at 15 which brings said crate to a packaging machine, like a case packer E, the crate being guided at its upper part and simultaneously deployed with regard to its upper flaps r ₁ and / or _E2 by sabers 16.

The general organization of the machine is thus, as visible in FIG. 2, in the general shape of U, shown diagrammatically by the arrows T coming from the magazine 10 and leading to the case packer E.

More specifically, the machine according to the invention comprises a frame 20 on which are fixed uprights 21 carrying the magazine 10 whose bottom 22 is advantageously with adjustable inclination on the horizontal to facilitate the extraction one by one of the blanks of said store in which they are stacked, singing, vertically. At the front of the magazine 10 two fixed retaining cleats 23, 24a and a movable central cleat 24b oppose the exit of the blanks aus so long as the extraction device is not actuated, means shown schematically in 25a and 25b being provided for adjusting the dimensions of the blanks that the magazine is intended to store while a presser, not shown at the rear of stack P, constantly requests blanks towards the exit of the storage magazine.

This is carried out, according to the invention, using a mechanism generally designated by the reference 11 and which is shown in more detail in Figures 6 to 9. It comprises an arm 30, figure 7, for example in a rectangular cross section, which is articulated around an axis 31 along a first part 32 on which two pneumatic suction cups 33 and 34 are fixed and a second part of shorter length, 35, on which is fixed a pneumatic suction cup 36. The suction cup 33 is fixed while the suction cups 34 and 36 are of adjustable position on the arm 30 to allow the extraction from the magazine 10 of folded blanks of different dimensions, the suction cups 33 and 34 engaging with a panel like _RI of a blank and the suction cup 36 with a panel like p ₂ of the same blank, when the arm is in its unfolded position, that is to say with the parts 32 and 35 in the extension l one of the other. The suction cups 33 and 34 are connected to a first vacuum tube and the suction cup 36 to a second vacuum tube, advantageously of the Venturi type.

On the part 32 of the arm 30 is articulated, about an axis 40, the end of the body of a jack 41 whose rod 42 is integral with a female end piece 43, which receives a pivoting male end piece 44 itself connected by a threaded rod 45 to the part 35 of the arm 30, so that the latter can be brought from an extended position, - in which the parts 32 and 35 are aligned -, in a square position in which the part 32 is orthogonal to part 35.

On the latter is fixed, as shown in Figure 6, a cylinder 50 whose finger 51a of the rod 51 is connected by articulation around an axis shown schematically in the figure at the end 52 of a trowel 53, some little Y-shaped, and which is pivotally mounted about an axis 54 on a bracket 55 secured to a sole 56 which carries the suction cup 36 and which is fixed to the profile constituting the arm 35. By this arrangement, the float 53 can pivot between the position shown in phantom in which it is substantially vertical and that shown in solid line in which it is substantially horizontal.

According to the invention, the articulated arm device which has just been described is mounted movable in two orthogonal directions, shown in X and Y in Figures 8 and 9. For this purpose, the arm device 30 is fixed on a bracket 60, FIG. 3, 5 and 7, which comprises two vertical uprights 61, 62, FIG. 5, connected by horizontal crosspieces 63 and 64 and struts 65, the latter being provided at their ends opposite those of support on the uprights 61, 62 of pads 66 and 67, respectively, while the uprights 61, 62 carry at their lower part pads 68 and 69, respectively.

It is, by means of these pads, FIG. 7, that the bracket 60 is made integral with four bearings 66a, 68a, 67a, 69a, FIG. 8, constituted as ball bushings mounted slidingly, in pairs, on shafts 70 and 71, respectively, said shafts parallel to the Y axis being fixed at their ends on two carriage elements 72 and 73, respectively, themselves slidingly mounted on rails or shafts 74 and 75, parallel to the X axis.

The turning elements 72 and 73 are connected together by a connecting piece 80, FIG. 3, on which is hitched by a yoke 81 the rod 82 of a jack 83, fixed to the frame, while on the turning element 72 is fixed the rod 84 of a jack 85 secured to the turning element 73 by bearings 86 and 87.

While the means which have just been described for the shaping of the box from the folded blank also ensure a start of the transport, this is then carried out using the means shown schematically in 12a and 13 on the Figure 2 and, which in fact, are constituted by a pressing member 90, Figures 3 and 5, of adjustable shape and combined with that of the parallelepipeds formed by the boxes or cardboard boxes in the condition Bε, that is to say with rectangular plan outline and which can be lowered for its introduction into the body by means of a jack 91 which is mounted on a carriage 92 movable in translation by ball bushings 93 and 94 on shafts 95 and 96, respectively, fixed to a portal structure 97 of the machine.

On the carriage 92 is coupled the rod 99 of a jack 98 fixed to the gantry 97 and extending parallel to the shafts 95, 96, so that, by this arrangement, the body 8 ₂ can be moved by means of the member 90 of the position shown in phantom of the jack 85 in FIG. 4 at a station shown schematically at 14 in FIG. 2 and in a translation parallel to the axis of the X, FIGS. 4 and 8.

During this movement, and for a machine in which the bottom of the boxes is fixed by gluing, a gun 100 distributes points or lines of glue ₂ for example "hot melt" inside the longitudinal flaps v ₁ of the box 8 ₄ while, as shown in FIG. 5, a fixed sole 101 with an inclined front edge causes the body of the front flap y _{2 to be} folded inwards, the corresponding rear flap having been previously folded up with the float 53, as will be explained below. During the movement, also, the sabers 110 and 111, FIG. 4, cause the folding of the flaps y _i , to bring the body into the condition shown at 8 ₅ in FIG. 1.

Right of the station 14, and while the pressing member 90 is held in the body, the actuation of a lifting cylinder is actuated, advantageously produced as shown in FIG. 5 as an inflatable bladder 112 of which a tray is integral 113 which, by ensuring pressure contact with the flaps v ₁ and v ₂ coated with glue, causes the bottom of the box to close, as shown in Bs in FIG. 1.

Alternatively, and in an embodiment not shown, station 14 is provided with stapling means, the pressing member 90 then playing the role of anvil while the plate 113 with which the jack 112 is associated is provided with stapling guns.

From the condition shown in 8 ₅ , whether the bottom has been fixed by gluing or by stapling, the invention provides for advancing the cardboard box or box in the direction of the casing machine E, this transfer being advantageously carried out at using the arm 115 of the rodless cylinder 116, for example a cylinder of the Origa type, sold by the company CPOAC and which is fixed on the gantry 97. On the path to the casing machine E of the box 8 ₅ shaped, sabers, one of which is shown diagrammatically at 117, FIG. 4, cause the flaps ₁₂ of the body to be folded outwards, for a good presentation under the machine E.

The operation of a machine according to the invention results immediately from the above.

After extraction of the blank F from the magazine 10 by the arm 30 while not unfolded, the actuation of the jack 85 causes the displacement of the blank in the direction opposite to that of the arrow Y, in FIGS. 4 and 8, while the actuation of the jack 41 begins to cause the deployment or shaping of the blank by bringing the part 35 of the arm 30 at right angles to the part 32 of the said arm, that is to say by giving the blank F the configuration shown in Bi in FIG. 1. At the end of the stroke of the jack 85 the actuation of the jack 50 causes the float 53 to toggle from the condition shown in dotted lines in FIG. 7 to the condition shown in solid lines, resulting in folding back towards the inside of the body of the rear lower flap of small dimensions y ₂ , the body then being in the condition shown in B ₂ in FIG. 1. From this condition, actuation of the jack 83 which drives the carriage 72 -73 brings the box shaped parallelepiped to the position shown in phantom for cylinder 85 in Figure 4.

In this position, the body is in the condition shown at 8 ₃ in FIG. 1, its front flap y ₂ of small dimensions having been folded towards the inside of the body by the sole 101 during movement in the direction X of said checkout.

From this condition, the pneumatic control means of the suction cups 33, 34 and 36 are made inoperative and, while the jack 83 is actuated to bring the arm 30 opposite the magazine 10, the jack 91, - which is in the position shown in Figure 5 - is in turn actuated to lower the pressing member 90 inside the shaped box.

We thus obtain, first of all, a perfect squaring of the body, given that the member 90 is conformed to the dimensions of the body, on the one hand and, on the other hand, we associate with the body a means specific to make it move to the right of the jack 112, by actuation of the jack 98. During this movement takes place the gluing of the flaps yi in a machine for closing the bottom by gluing, as well as the inward folding of the body of the flaps vi, by means of the sabers 110 and 111.

As indicated above, the jack 112 causes the lower presser 113 outside the carton to rise, or trigger the staple guns and, when the bottom is closed, the actuation of the jack 116 controls the evacuation of the box from the machine, towards the next machine E in the packaging chain.

A machine according to the invention, of particularly collected structure, with dimensions on the ground of the order of 2.8 to 3 m ² made it possible, during tests, to obtain rates of the order of 10 to 12 boxes per minute and this without difficulty, in particular because of the numerous safety devices with which the machine is equipped and which have not been described here in a detailed manner, such as, for example, sensors for the presence of blanks in the gripping, satisfactory positioning protectors of the two parts of the arm 30, etc.

In addition, tests have shown that such rates can be obtained regardless of the dimensions of the boxes between 230 x 150 x 100 and 400 x 300 x 320.

Claims (7)

1. A method of erecting boxes or crates made of cardboard from blanks (F) which are folded and stored flat against one another in a magazine (10), with the blanks being extracted from the magazine one by one, with a blank then being successively opened by being unfolded, squared up, and then closed at the bottom by interconnecting longitudinal and transverse flaps (V_i, V₂), with the box formed in this way then being removed, the method being characterized in that after a blank has been taken from the magazine, it is unfolded level with said magazine by causing two adjacent panels of the blank to pivot relative to each other while the blank is kept level with said magazine by one of the panels being held fast while the other is pivoted, and in that the set of operations comprising extraction from the magazine, erecting, closure of the bottom, and removal of the closed box, is performed along a displacement path for the blank and then for the box, which path is substantially U-shaped in plan.

2. A machine for erecting boxes or crates made of cardboard from blanks (F) which are folded and stored flat against one another in a magazine (10) with pneumatic extraction means (12) for extracting a blank from said magazine, erection means (11) for opening the blank by unfolding it and for squaring it up, transport means (12a, 13) for transporting the box which has been partially formed in this way to a bottom closure station (14) where longitudinal and transverse flaps (Vi, V_z) are fixed to one another, and removal means (15) for removing the box formed in this way from the machine, the machine being characterized in that said erection means (11) include a pivot device (30) whose axis (31) is positioned level with the magazine for the purpose of unfolding a blank level with the magazine by pivoting two adjacent panels (Pi, Pz) of the blank, in that the magazine (10) for storing blanks (F) folded flat, the erection means (10), and the closure means (14), together with the removal means (15, 16) for removing a formed box from the machine are disposed in plan substantially in a U-configuration, and in that the extraction means for extracting a blank (F) from the magazine (10) and the erection means (11) for opening the blank and for squaring it up by folding along preexisting score lines are formed by a single member which is advantageously constituted by an articulated arm (30) which is moveable in two orthogonal directions (X, Y).

3. A machine according to claim 2, characterized in that the extraction means for extracting a blank from the magazine art suction cups (33, 34, 36) constituted by VENTURI type pressure-reducing means with at least two of them (34, 36) being adjustable in position in order to adapt to blanks of different sizes.

4. A machine according to claim 2, characterized in that one of the portions of the articulated arm (35) is provided with a pivoting spatula (35) which is moved by means of an actuator (50) in such a manner as to fold a flap constituting the bottom of the box about a score line.

5. A machine according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the articulated arm (30) is fixed to a bracket (60) slidably mounted on parallel shafts (70, 71) defining one of said orthogonal directions (Y), said shafts themselves being fixed to carriage members (72, 73) slidably mounted on parallel rails (74, 75) defining the other one of said orthogonal directions (X).

6. A machine according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that the transport means for transporting the partially formed box from the blank- opening position to the bottom-closing station are constituted by a member (90) which is complementary in shape to the right cross-section of the box and which penetrates therein via its top portion (opposite to its bottom) and which is fixed to a carriage (92) which is moveable in the top portion of the machine, said member also serving at the bottom- closure station as a pressure member for gluing or stapling together the longitudinal and transverse flaps of the box.

7. A machine according to any one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that the removal means for removing the erected box from the machine are constituted by the arm (115) of an actuator (116) which does not have a rod.

Images