GB2288146A

GB2288146A - Reinforcing the bottom of cardboard boxes

Info

Publication number: GB2288146A
Application number: GB9506463A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jaen Jose Boix
Original assignee: Boix Maquinaria SL
Current assignee: Boix Maquinaria SL
Priority date: 1994-04-04
Filing date: 1995-03-29
Publication date: 1995-10-11
Also published as: NL1000040C2; BE1009146A3; PT101682A; IL111062A0; MA23497A1; FR2718077A1; NL1000040A1; ITRM950211A0; GR950100092A; PT101682B; BR9501313A; IT1276511B1; CA2146175A1; ITRM950211A1; DE19509437A1; GB9506463D0

Description

2288146 1 DEVICEFOR GLUING SHEETLIKE REINFORCEMENTS IN THE BOTTOM OF

CARDWARD BOXES OBJECT OF THE INVENTION As is expressed in the title of this specification, the present invention refers to a device for gluing sheetlike reinforcements in the bottom of cardboard boxes. These sheetlike reinforcements are important in certain types of boxes to prevent the bottom from bucklina and to stiffen it. Furthermore if we use a cardboard of lesser quality than that which is normally used, the resulting formed box would not be very rigid. Therefore, this device contributes to economizing material.

On the other hand, the device of the invention is independent and is inserted between the box formina machine and an automatic stacker.

Ihe operation that it carries out consists of adding to the bottom of the box a reinforcement sheet, removing it from a hopper, placing It in said bottom which has been previously glued and pressing it to ensure its correct adherence. The device of the invention is advantageously inserted between the box forming machine and the automatic stacker, which makes it totally autonomous. 25 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Presently, cardboard boxes have a more or less reinforced bottom, but which in any case, the same f orms part of the primitive stamped sheet from which the box on the whole is obtained, carrying out the corresponding cuts and folding lines for the assembly of the same.

On the other hand, if the box in question needs some additional reinforcement sheet, it will be attached by hand upon the corresponding side wall or on the bottom, the corresponding surface having been pre- t _ 1 viously impregnated with glue.

Hence, when it is necessary for the boxes to include this additional reinforcement sheet, the fact of gluing it by hand, implies at the very least outstandina slowness in com plete obtainment of each box, and subsequently a low manufacturing productivity.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

To solve the problems and inconveniences referred to in the above section, a novel device for gluing sheetlike reinforcements in the bottom of cardboard boxes, which is inserted between the box forming machine and the automatic stacker, which makes it totally autonomous, has been created.

The operation that the device carries out consists of including in the bottom of the box a reinforcement sheet, remc-ving it from a hcpper, to place it afterwards in said bottom that has been previously glued and pressing it to ensure its correct adherence. When the formed b:x is introduced int: the device, a glue injector applies the adhesive to the bottom of the box that continues to advance upon being moved by some side pushers. In this second location, two suction heads and one pressing head operate, situating the reinforcement sheet and pressing it for its correct gluing.

The essential elements of this device are two: the movement mechanism of two suction heads and one pressing head. This mechanism is operated by a motor that moves a toothed wheel to which a connecting rod is fit eccentrically. This connectingrod jointedly moves an arm, which is rigidly connected to two side bars, in whose free ends a shaft-bearing support of the heads are mounted from side to side. This shaft turns in terms of the angular path that one of the side bars describes in a section-til table guide, A 1 - - 3 so that the heads are overturned from the plane of the stacked sheets to a horizontal platform where the preglued box is located awaiting the reinforcement sheet.

The suction heads include some pneumatic suction pads whose purpose is to suck and introduce into the bottom of the box, the reinforcement sheet. On the other hand, the pressing head includes a pneumatic cylinder, whose rod is associated to a pushing plate that presses the reinforcement sheet against the bot- tom of the box in a uniform manner. Said plate has some holes to allow movement thereof without affecting the pneumatic suction pads and in turn these can carrv out their task.

On the other hand, some side pushers that trans- fer the bcx in a manner synchronized with the general movement cf the device, fron the gluing area, to the location where the reinforcement sheet is received, pushing alreadv formed box towards the inside of the stacker, have been provided for.

In order to adapt the device of the invention to different box formats, several adjustment systems have been provided for.

When the conveyor belt of the forming machine delivers a box to the device of the invention, the same comes up against a lug emerging from a groove located in the inlet of the horizontal platform. At that moment, a photocell detects the box and operates two cylin--3--rs facing each other and between both, the box that approaches behind that first one that operated the photo=ell is held. The first box, is moved by the two side -pushers with a movement synchronized with the gener=_1 mechanism of the machine.

Here:.nafter to provide a better understanding of this s=ecification and forming an integral part of the sa--e, a series of figures in which the object of the inventicn has been represented in an illustrative and nonrestrictive manner, is attached hereto.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device for gluing sheetlike reinforcements in the bottom of cardboard boxes, object of the invention. It is advantageously inserted between the box forming machine and the automatic stacker.

Figure 2 is a front view of one part of the de- vice of the invention, where some heads that operate the sheetlike reinforcements stacked in a hopper are shown.

Figure 3 is another perspective view of the device of the invention, which is in a phase different from the one of -figure 1.

Figure 4 is a plan view of a box convevor belt, also includina the part of the device where the cited boxes are located.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED -EMBODIMENT

Making reference to the numbering used in the figures, the device for gluing sheetlike reinforcements in the bottom of cardboard boxes is comprised of a metallic structure or frame (1) that supports a mechanism comprised of two suction heads (2) and a pressing head (3).

Said mechanism is operated by a motor (4), to whose shaft a pinion (5) is coupled, which gears with a toothed wheel (6), to which a connecting rod (7) is eccentrically fit, to whose free end an arm (8) that is joined to a cross shaft (9) is connected, to which two side bars (10) are fastened that are connected by their free ends, through a shaft- bearing support (11) of the two suction heads (2) and of the pressing head (3), the latter placed in the center between the first two.

1 The support shaft (11) turns in terms of the angular path that the side bars describe, in such a way that one of the ends of this shaft-support (11) is solid with a prismatic piece (12) that is led at all times in a U-shaped section-tiltable guide (13), which is con nected jointedly to the frame itself (l.) In this way, the heads (2) and (3) are overturned from the almost vertical plane of the reinforcement sheets (14) stacked in an inclined top hopper (15) to a hori- zontal platform (16) where the corresponding box (17) with its glued bottom is located waiting for the respective reinforcement sheet (14.) The suction heads (2) include some pneumatic suction pads (18) responsible for sucking from the is tor) hopper (14) and introducing into the bottom of the box, the reinforcement sheet. On the other hand, the pressing head (3) includes a pneumatic cylinder (19), whose rod is fit with a pushing plate (20) that presses the reinforcement sheet (14) against the bot- tom of the box (17) in a uniform manner. On the other hand, said pushing plate (20) has some openings or holes (21) facing the pneumatic suction pads (18) to permit movement of the pushing plate (20), without affecting the cited pneumatic suction pads (18), thus the same can perfectly carry out their task.

The device of the invention, also includes some side pushers (22) that move each box supported on the horizontal platform (16) from a first initial front position, to a second rear position. These side pushers include some jointed heads (23) provided with some' retractile fingers (24), at the same time that they are led in some longitudinal guides (25.) On the other hand, the jointed pushers (22) have some rods (26) that are connected by one end to the articulated heads (23), while by the other end they 1 - 1 are connected to some side supports (27) fastened to a bottom shaft (28) which upon turning in one direction or the other, the side pushers (22) will move forward or backward, transmitting this rotation by means of some gears (29) and (30) solid respectively with the cross shaft (9) and bottom shaft (28.) The horizontal platform (16) has a central groove (31) through which a lug (32) emerges which each box that enters the device comes up against, there being on the other hand, some small pneumatic cylinders facing each other (33) fastened in the front part of the longitudinal guides (25), the rods of said small pneumatic cylinders (33) act.ing upon the boxes, before the same go to the horizontal platform (16.) The inclined top hopper (15) supporting the reinforcement sheets (14), includes an adjustment system according to the width of the same, said system consisting of two cross shafts, a front one (34) and a rear one (35), both provided with both pinions in which a chain (36) is coupled, threading on each shaft some side pieces (37) solid with some parallel plates (38) between which the reinforcement sheets (14) are adjusted, so that uponsaid shafts (34) and (35) turning, the parallel plates will be separated or will approach each other, according to the direction of rotation of the same. The group of reinforcement sheets (14) are supported in the front on two triangular columns (39.) on the other hand, the longitudinal guides (25) where the jointed heads (23) of the side pushers (22) are led, are solid with some cross cylindric sections (40) provided with some threads, in which some pinions (41) both linked by some chains (42) to adjust said longitudinal guides (25) qw W 9 according to the width of the box are coupled. Besides, these guides include some inside strips (43) and (44) to prevent backward motion of the boxes sitting on the horizontal platform (16), in whose front or initial part and above it, there is a glue or adhesive injector (45) whose purpose is to impregnate the bottom of each box before fastening the respective reinforcement sheet (14), which will be conveyed by the section heads (2) from the hopper (15) to the cited bottom of the box when the box is in the rear part of the horizontal platform (16): the pushing plate (20) of the pressing head (3) then acting on the reinforcement sheet (14.) With the described arrangement, the boxes coming from a forming machine, go along a conveyor belt (46) of the same, each box then entering the initial or front part of the horizontal platform (16) of the device of the invention. In this situation, as it has already been stated, the bottom of the box is impregnated with glue by means of a injector (45), said box then being moved to the rear part of the horizontal platform (16) by means of the side pushers (22.) Simultaneously in this operation, the suction heads (2) take a reinforcement sheet (14) from the top hopper (15) and position it in the bottom of the box already impregnated with corresponding glue or adhesive. Afterwards, the pressing head (3) will press on this sheet (14) to fasten it securely. In a following stage, the box in question will pass on to the automatic stacker (47.) - a -

Claims

C L A I N 8

1. A device for gluing sheetlike reinforcements to the bottom of cardboard boxes, where said bottom and/or said reinforcements are provided with a glue layer# said device comprising:

supporting means for supporting sheetlike reinforcements; conveyor means for conveying cardboard boxes to a predetermined position; transfer means for transferring sheetlike reinforcements from said supporting means to a position adjacent the bottom of a cardboard box situated at said predetermined position; and pressure means for applying pressure to a reinforcement piece that has been transferred to a position adjacent the bottom of a cardboard box at said predetermined position.

2. A device for gluing sheetlike reinforcements in the bottom of cardboard boxes# said device being independent and capable of being inserted between a box forming machine and an automatic stacker; comprising a frame that supports a motor driving a pinion meshing with a toothed wheel, a connecting rod fitted eccentrically to said toothed wheel and being linked to an arm fastened by its free end to a cross shaft, a pair of side bars connected rigidly to the cross 2S shaft and connected by their free ends to a support shaft to one of whose free ends is fastened a prismatic piece that supported in a U- shaped section-tiltable guide which is articulated to the frame itself; wherein the support shaft has two auction heads and a pressing head for cardboard reinforcement sheets that are arranged and stacked in an inclined hopper and retained by their side edges in vertical columins,, there being under the hopper a horizontal platform on which arrive the cardboard boxes coming from a conveyor belt of the box forming machine; 3S wherein an adhesive injector is provided above an initial area of said horizontal platform, said injector having the purpose of impregnating the bottom of the corresponding box before fastening of the respective cardboard reinforcement sheet which will be conveyed by the auction heads from the inclined hopper to said bottom of the boxt the pressing head then acting on a said cardboard reinforcement sheet; wherein there are also side pushers that move each box supported on the horizontal platform from a first or front position to a second or rear position; wherein said side pushers include articulated heads provided with retractable fingers guided in longitudinal guides. and are also linked to a bottom shaft which. upon rotation in one direction or the other. will move the pushers forwards or backwards; wherein the horizontal platform includes a groove through which emerges a lug. against which each box that enters the device abuts; and wherein there are small pneumatic cylinders facing each other and fastened in a front area of the longitudinal guides. the rods of said pneumatic cylinders acting on the boxes before the boxes pass to the horizontal platform.

3. A device according to claim 21 wherein the side pushers comprise supports made fast to the bottom shaft and articulated to tiltable bodies from which extend rods that are connected by their free ends to the articulated heads of the side pushers; and wherein there is a toothed wheel solid with the bottom shaft and meshing with another toothed wheel solid with the cross shaft to which the side bare are connected.

4. A device according to claim 2 or 3# wherein the suction heads include pneumatic suction pads facing complementary openings made in a pushing plate fastened to the rod of a pneumatic cylinder forming part of the pressing headr said pushing plate pressing on the cardboard reinforcement plate when the plate is situated in the bottom of the box.

5. A device according to any one of claims Ito 40 wherein the inclined hopper supporting the reinforcement sheets includes an adjustment system for adjusting to the f 4 - 10 width of the shoots# said system consisting of a front and a rear cross shaft both provided with sprockets on which a chain in coupled# and side piece threaded on each cross shaft and solid with parallel plates between which the reinforcement sheets are adjusted; the arrangement being such thato upon one of maid cross shafts rotating. the parallel plates separate or come together. depending on the direction of rotation of the cross shafts.

A device according to any on of claims 2 to So wherein the longitudinal guides supporting the articulated heads of the side pushers are solid with cylindrical crosssections bosses provided with threads on which are coupled pinions connected by chains for adjusting said longitudinal guides to the width of the boxes.

is 7. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 6r wherein the longitudinal guides include inside strips to prevent backward motion of bosses supported on the horizontal platform. 8. A device for gluing sheet-like reinforcements in the bottom of cardboard boxesp constructed and adapted to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to. and as illustrated in. the accompanying drawings.

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