GB1485561A - Method and apparatus for automatically loading cartons - Google Patents

Abstract

1485561 Packaging; driving conveyers RA JONES & CO Inc 20 Aug 1974 [20 Aug 1973] 36619/74 Headings B8C and B8A Packets 41 are arranged in stacks in compartments 26 and the stacks are then raised into cartons 19. A conveyer 44 feeds the packets to a transfer wheel 46 which has projections 47 forming individual compartments for the packets. Chains 190 extend around a second wheel 48 and have bars 192 which form compartments to receive a group of packets from the wheel 46. Chains 190 are periodically accelerated to move the bars 192 rapidly past the points where packets are transferred between the wheels by periodically forming the chain (214) which drives the chains 190 into a loop downstream of a sprocket which drives the wheel 48 and chains 190. The chains 190 extend downwardly from the wheel 48 to feed each group of packets into a shoot 52. When each bar is laterally withdrawn from the shoot a group supported thereby falls on to fingers 54 extending into a compartment 26 on a turntable 28. The fingers can be lowered beneath the turntable to permit indexing of the turntable. At a subsequent station a vibrator (282, Fig. 11, not shown) engages the bottom of the stack of packets in the compartment and a pivoted head 276 the top of the stack to compress the stack. A suction cup 60 pulls a carton blank 14 from a magazine 12 against a curved surface 61 and a projection (62) partially to erect the carton which slides down a plate 16 on to a conveyer 20. The leading carton on the conveyer is pushed between tabs 77-83 on a wheel 22 and erection of the carton is finished by the wheel moving it past the end of the conveyer. The wheel is indexed to bring the carton above a compartment 26, exact positioning of the wheel being ensured by a detent roll engaging in a notch in the wheel. An elevator 120 raise a stack from the compartment 26 into the carton and holding fingers are projected from the wheel to support the stack within the carton. At the top position of the wheel the carton is pushed from between the tabs 77-83 to between spring members and up an inclined plate 184 on to a platform 34, for discharge in groups by a pusher 36. The packets 41 may be stacked in the compartments 26 as pairs of interconnected packets. The packets may be inserted into the carton in pairs or may be separated in the compartments by a vertically movable cutter.