Ex-cell-o Gmbh

Monsanto Company

Other

Ivan L Kauffman

Robert J Allen

Robert C Kellogg

Gregory J Dwyer

Barry C Owen

George H Pirman

Jack M Neumayer

A single to dual indexing carton transfer mechanism involving a turret and conveyor, wherein the turret includes equally spaced mandrels which index at a first predetermined rate, and wherein the conveyor indexes at one-half the rate of the mandrels. Partially formed paperboard cartons are stripped from the respective mandrels as the latter index to their 6:00 o'clock position, and set on a stationary rail. A pusher mechanism is cammed to alternately transfer odd numbered cartons to the conveyor during the latter's dwell period, and even numbered cartons to the conveyor while it is indexing, thereby increasing the production rate along a single conveyor line.

Single to dual indexing carton transfer mechanism

This disclosure illustrates and describes a liquid packaging machine including a base frame having a vertical keel mounted along the longitudinal centerline thereof. The units relating to forming blanks into cartons, filling the cartons with consumable liquids, and sealing the filled cartons, along with the required conveying means, are all mounted on one side of the keel, while the motor and related drive and indexing mechanisms are mounted on the other side of the keel, operatively connected to the forming, filling, sealing, and conveying means.

Forming, filling and sealing machine

This invention relates to the carton container packaging art, and to a carton filler drive unit and volume adjuster apparatus for packaging machines which have a plurality of filler apparatuses disposed in a linear arrangement, for filling a plurality of cartons at individual fill stations which are disposed in a linear arrangement. The filler drive unit includes a plurality of filler operating shafts which are adapted to be moved between a lowered and raised position by an adjustable cam linkage structure which is powered by the packaging machine main drive shaft. A volume adjuster means is provided for adjusting the stroke of the filler operating shafts to provide very precise calibration of the volume of product being dispensed by the individual carton filler apparatuses controlled by the filler drive unit of the present invention.

Carton filler and volume adjuster apparatus for packaging machines

A carton bottom end tucker-tacker assembly for folding over, closing and tacking the bottom ends of a pair of cartons mounted on a pair of mandrels at a tucker-tacker station on a carton packaging machine. The tucker-tacker apparatus includes a tucker apparatus for engaging a pair of opposed triangular bottom end closure members on the bottom ends of each of a pair of stationary cartons and breaking the bottom end closure members and folding them inwardly toward a closed position, after which the tucker apparatus recedes and a pair of swingably mounted tucker and tacker jaws then move under the partially closed bottom end members of each of the pair of cartons and complete the folding and tucking operations, and concluding with a tacking in place of the bottom end closure tuck-over panel on each carton to retain the bottom end closure members in a square condition for subsequent transferral to a carton bottom end pressure sealing station. The tucker jaws and the tacker jaws are each water cooled, and they are adapted to be operated by the same power drive means as used to operate the tucker apparatus. The tucker-tacker apparatus comprises a pair of swingably mounted tucker wings, for each of said pair of cartons, which swing inwardly and outwardly in planes transverse to the direction of movement of the pair of cartons in and out of the tucker-tacker station. The tucker and tacker jaws of each pair of said jaws are pivotally mounted on an axis that is disposed transverse to the direction of movement of a pair of cartons in and out of the tucker-tacker station.

Carton bottom tucking and tacking apparatus with pivotal tucker wings

A carton magazine apparatus, carton feeder apparatus and carton loader apparatus for feeding and loading erected cartons, in pairs, on a pair of mandrels for forming the bottom end of the cartons. The carton magazine apparatus includes a pair of carton magazines disposed in side-by-side, spaced apart positions, with each of the carton magazines containing a plurality of flattened cartons. The carton feeder apparatus includes a pair of swingably mounted carton feeder arms, with one of the carton feeder arms being operatively disposed adjacent the carton discharge end of one of the magazines and the other carton feeder arm being operatively disposed adjacent the carton discharge end of the other magazine. The pair of carton feeder arms are operable to simultaneously withdraw a flattened carton from each of the carton magazines and move them into an erected tubular position in alignment with a pair of mandrels on a packaging machine. The carton loader apparatus includes a pair of carton loader hooks and carton guide means for moving the pair of erected tubular cartons upwardly onto the two mandrels on the packaging machine. Power drive means is provided for operating the carton feeder apparatus and the carton loader apparatus.

Carton, feeder apparatus for packaging machines

A carton bottom end tucker-tacker assembly for folding over, closing and tacking the bottom ends of a pair of cartons mounted on a pair of mandrels on a packaging machine. The tucker-tacker apparatus includes a tucker means for engaging a pair of opposed triangular bottom end closure members on the bottom ends of a pair of cartons and breaking the bottom end closure members and folding them inwardly toward a closed position, after which the tucker apparatus recedes and a pair of swingably mounted tucker and tacker jaws then move under the partially closed bottom end members of the pair of cartons and complete the folding and tucking operations, and concluding with a tacking in place of the bottom end closure tuck-over panel to retain the bottom end closure members in a square condition for subsequent transferral to a carton bottom end pressure sealing operation. The tucker jaw and the tacker jaw are each water cooled, and they are adapted to be operated by the same power drive means as used to operate the tucker apparatus. In one embodiment the tucker apparatus comprises a vertically disposed plate with a pair of recesses having angled sides for simultaneously engaging the bottom ends of a pair of adjacently disposed cartons for a breaking and partial forming operation on the carbon bottom end closure members. In another embodiment, the last described tucking operation is carried out by two pairs of oscillatable tucker blades which are movable between operative and inoperative positions by the same power drive means that is used in the first embodiment.

Carton bottom tucking and tacking apparatus for packaging machines

A universal floating guide apparatus for guiding a reciprocating slide member so that the slide member does not rotate. The guide apparatus may be employed in reciprocating slides which have linear motion and which are employed in coated paperboard carton packaging machines, such as in a carton loading device and a carton stripper device for loading a carton on a carton forming mandrel, and for stripping a carton off the mandrel, respectively. The floating guide apparatus includes a slide member which is linearly guided and provided with a bore in which is mounted an axially movable bushing that is cross bored. Slidably mounted through the bushing cross bore is a fixed guide rod. The guide rod also extends through enlarged bores formed through the slide member. The bushing is movable axially and radially to take up errors in parallelism between a drive rod carrying the slide member and the guide rod, and prevents rotation and binding of the slide member throughout its stroke or movement. The bushing may be provided with an elongated cross bore or slot to provide a three-dimensional universal floating guide apparatus.

Universal floating guide means

A carton conveyor means for receiving cartons directly from a carton erecting and forming machine, and conveying the cartons along a linear path through a series of work stations for filling and sealing the cartons. The conveyor includes a pair of roller chains. Each of the roller chains has attached thereto a plurality of spaced apart metal lug carrier clips which are detachably mounted on the chain. A non-metallic conveyor lug is assembled to each of the lug carrier clips in a snap-in-fashion. The conveyor lugs function to transport the cartons along a pair of carton support rails. The conveyor lugs also function as guide means and bearing means for supporting the conveyor chains.

Conveyor means for packaging machines

Apparatus for forming a seal between layers of a carton of thermoplastic coated paperboard material and the like wherein the thermoplastic material in the area to be sealed serves as the sealant and is activated to flow by frictional heat generated by a vibration welding horn and is then allowed to cool and set under pressure to form the seal between the layers. The carton first moves to an activating station wherein the layers to be sealed are engaged on opposite surfaces by a vibrating horn and a back-up member (in the form of an anvil or a mandrel) for a time sufficient to activate the thermoplastic material to flow. The carton is then carried to a clamping and sealing station at a different location from the activating station with the thermoplastic material in the activated state. The layers to be sealed with the activated thermoplastic is then engaged on opposite surfaces by a pressure pad and the back-up member for a predetermined period of time to permit the activated thermoplastic to cool and set and form a seal. A holding member extends between the activating and clamping and sealing stations. The holding member overlies the back-up member for engaging the outer surface of the layers to hold the layers together in cooperation with the back-up member when the carton is located at either of the stations or between the stations. The holding member is slotted to permit the horn and pressure pad to engage the outer surface of the layers while the layers are held in the closed position between the holding member and back-up member.

Carton sealing method and apparatus

A continuous motion stretch blow molding apparatus for blow molding hollow articles from tubular parisons. A rotary parison loading turret loads parisons sequentially onto a plurality of stretch pin means operatively carried on a continuous motion transfer means which then conveys each of said stretch pin means into an operative position in a molding station on a continuous motion multi-station rotary molding turret. The parisons are stretched longitudinally, blown to form a final article, cooled in the molding stations, and then said article is ejected.

Rotary stretch blow molding apparatus

A floating sealing pressure means for sealing carton ends, and which eliminates undesirable loading of a carton mandrel support system in a packaging machine due to carton and sealing pressure. The floating sealing pressure means is disclosed in a carton bottom sealing embodiment which employs a pressure pad for sealing engagement with the bottom end of a carton, and a reaction or counter pressure pad. The pressure pad and reaction pad are movably supported so as to function like a 'C' clamp, so as to allow the pressure pad and reaction pad to operate in alignment with each other and locate on a carton mandrel so as to impart substantially no load into the supporting structure of the mandrel during a carton bottom sealing operation. The pressure pad and reaction pad are powered by a toggle actuator means which balances the loading on the supporting system of the mandrel.

Floating sealing pressure means for carton ends

A continuous process for forming hollow, molecularly oriented articles which comprises: gravity-dropping molded preforms at molecular orientation temperature onto upwardly disposed moving stretch pin assemblies continuously presented at a loading station such that after loading, a closed end is above an open end of each preform, conveying the loaded assemblies into operative position between separated sections of continuous and synchronously moving molds, distending the preforms upwardly via stretch pin members and circumferentially via pressurized air after mold closing and while the preforms are at molecular orientation temperature in order to form the articles, opening the continuously moving molds, conveying the stretch pin assemblies with the upwardly disposed articles thereon away from the molds toward a removal station where the articles are removed from the assemblies without interrupting assembly movement generally back toward the loading station where the unloaded assemblies are again presented for receipt of additional preforms.

Continuous stretch blow molding method

A stretch blow molding method for blow molding hollow articles from tubular parisons, and a molding apparatus for carrying out the method. The method includes mounting a tubular parison having a closed end and an open end on a stretch pin means with the closed end in the upper position, and then moving the stretch pin means into an open multi-section molding apparatus. The stretch pin means is then operated to stretch the parison to a predetermined length with the mold halves in an open position. The mold halves are closed after said stretching operation and blow air under pressure is introduced into the parison near the neck portion to blow the parison into molding contact with the closed multi-section mold apparatus. After the molds are opened the article is ejected by air exiting from the tip of the stretch pin near the base of the article.

Stretch blow molding apparatus

A preform locator and blow air valve apparatus, for use in a stretch pin assembly in a blow molding machine that produces hollow thermoplastic articles, which functions as a positive blow air shut-off valve means in the absence of a preform in a mold assembly. A tubular valve body is mounted in a stretch pin assembly, with a longitudinally movable blow air nozzle means slidably mounted in the valve body for carrying the preform and locating and sealing the preform against a shoulder in a mold assembly on a blow molding machine. A stretch pin is slidably mounted longitudinally through the blow air nozzle means for stretching a preform mounted on the nozzle means. A blow air passage means is operatively formed through the tubular valve body and blow air nozzle means for admitting blow air under pressure into a preform located in the mold assembly, by said blow air nozzle means, for blowing the preform into a finished article. The blow air nozzle means is moved by mechanical means into an initial position for loading a preform thereon. The blow air nozzle means is movable toward the mold assembly by either a mechanical means or a pneumatic means. The blow air nozzle means is moved a first distance toward the mold to locate and seal a preform in a mold assembly, and in the absence of a preform on the blow air nozzle means, the blow air nozzle means is moved a second distance, whereby it functions as a valve to close the blow air passage means to prevent loss of high pressure blow air and the resultant high noise levels.

Growing community of inventors

Commerce Township, MI, United States of America

Ivan L Kauffman