GB650135A - Improvements in a packaging machine - Google Patents

Abstract

650,135. Packeting-machines. BOULY, H. G. (International Cellucotton Products Co.). July 20, 1948, No. 19434. [Class 94(i)] [Also in Group XXX] In a machine for inserting stacks of articles, such as sanitary napkins into boxes or cartons, the napkins are fed into buckets 2 carried, by a continuously-driven conveyer 3, Figs. 1 and 2, and the cartons 4 are fed by belt conveyers 6, 7 into carriers 10 mounted on a parallel conveyer 11 which is driven continuously at the same speed as the conveyer 3. As the napkins and cartons proceed side-by-side along the upper runs of the conveyers, the napkins are inserted into the cartons by camoperated pushers 12 mounted for transverse movement on a third conveyer 13 driven at the same speed as the conveyers 3, 11, the filled cartons being finally upended and transferred on to a discharge conveyer 14. A detent 8, controlled by a feeler member 9, serves to arrest the feed of the cartons if a stack of napkins is not fed into a bucket 2. The conveyer 3, Figs. 9 and 13, comprises a pair of chains 15 guided by rails 19, 20, and passing over sprockets at the ends of the machine, each chain being provided at intervals with ears for the support of saddles 17 on which the buckets, comprising left- and right-hand L-shaped parts 2a, 2b are adjustably mounted. Each saddle is formed with attachment ears 15a, Fig. 9, and 17a which engage further ears carried by the chains to prevent tilting of the buckets. Each bucket is formed with divergent upper parts 16 to facilitate the insertion of the napkins and with convergent end portions 18 which serve to compress the napkins and act as a funnel during their insertion into the cartons. The driving sprockets 24 are carried by a shaft 26 which is driven through variablespeed and chain gearing from a motor. The conveyers 6 and 7, Figs. 7 and 11, comprise belts 6b, 6c and 7a-c respectively, passing over pulleys 44, 45 and 36, 37 and driven by chain and sprocket gearing, the conveyer 6 being adjustable as a whole towards or away from the conveyer 7 by a screw 52 which effects vertical movement of a member 49 carrying a housing 48 supporting the shafts of the pulleys 44, 45. The tension of the belts 7a-c is controlled by adjustable idler pulleys 73. During their passage through the belts, the open and closed ends of the cartons are guided by a plate 80 and rod 79 respectively. The conveyer 11 comprises a pair of chains 82, 83 passing over sprockets on a shaft 25a and sprockets 86, 87 on the shaft 26, each box carrier comprising four pins 89a, b and 90a, b extending upwardly from a base plate 88 secured to the chains. The two shorter pins 90a, b have enlarged heads 90c eccentrically mounted for adjustment purposes. The cartons are delivered by the belts against guides 95, which overlie the shorter pins of the carriers, as shown in Fig. 9, so that each carton is picked up by a pair of longer pins and carried round into engagement with upper guides 94 which force it down into the carrier. As the carton is moved upwardly, its flaps are folded outwardly by a stationary folding rod 96 and a rotary folder 98 driven from the shaft 25a, and retained temporarily in this position by a plate 103 forming an extension of the rod 96, this plate terminating in an extension 109 which holds the upper flap in the open position but allows the remaining flaps to spring back into engagement with the convergent end portions 18 of an adjacent bucket, see Fig. 10 (not shown). The pushers 12 are formed by bars 142 with heads 143, Figs. 13 and 14, mounted for sliding movement in guides 144 carried by chains 134, 135 constituting the conveyer 13. Each bar is fitted with a roller 148 engaging a track 149 having two inclined sections 150, 155, whereby the bars are moved inwardly in succession to push the stacks of napkins into the containers and then returned to their retracted positions. The section 150 is held in position by a chain 153 and spring 152 so that it may yield in case of an obstruction. Prior to being inserted in the cartons, the stacks of napkins in the buckets 2 are compressed to reduce their height by members 131, Fig. 7, mounted on a chain conveyer 113, the conveyer being adjustable vertically on its supporting frame. The throw of the bars 142 is such that, after a stack of napkins has been inserted fully into a carton, the filled carton is pushed over against a guide bar 157, Fig. 6, ready for transfer to the conveyer 14. This is accomplished by an inclined shoe 159, Figs. 6 and 13, the height of which increases progressively so that the filled carton is up-ended and slides down a shoot 161 between guides 162. 163 on to the conveyer 14.