Kliklok Corporation

John Christopher Harston

John A Messenger

William E Hampton

Colin P Ford

William S Howard

Brian C Pike

A rotary transfer mechanism for transferring flat sleeve cartons () from a magazine () to a receiving station () on a conveyor (), with opening of the cartons ready to receive end-loaded product, is characterized in that the path of suction cups () for holding the cartons during transfer is basically determined by a continuous stationary cam track () permanently engaged by a cam follower () on a gear segment () pivotally mounted on carrier means () rotatable by a drive shaft (), the suction cups () being carried by a support shaft () rotatable on the carrier means and coaxial with a pinion () meshing with the gear segment. (), and the support shaft being connected to a bracket () carrying a manifold () for the suction cups () by a crank arm (), which is connected by a link arm () to a rocker arm () freely rotatable on the drive shaft (). A servomotor () programmed by a computer (not shown) drives the drive shaft () through a gearbox () to vary the speed of the suction cups (), especially when passing through the delivery station () to effect opening of the cartons () by movement relative to flights () on the conveyor ().

Rotary transfer mechanism

An apparatus for cross sealing a continuously moving plastic tube, such as to form bags for packaging in a form-fill-seal packaging machine is disclosed, along with a related method. The tube is fed continuously between a pair of opposed sealing jaws that move toward and away from each other in a polygonal path. Substantially continuous sealing pressure is provided between the jaws during a sealing pattern of movement along the path, with the remainder of the path including a return pattern of movement away and back towards the sealing zone. Each sealing jaw is carried on a bridge extending between dual gear assemblies. The sealing pattern of movement along the path is substantially linear so as to provide highly efficient sealing. The polygonal path is established by an offset point on an output shaft/pinion; the locus defining the path being selected from the group of hypotrochoids and epitrochoids. To provide the hypotrochoidal path, each gear assembly preferably employs a pinion rotating around the inside of a ring gear with an integer gear ratio, such as 3:1-5:1. For the epitrochoidal path, the pinion is rotating about a fixed sun gear with an idler in between, and may establish the same integer gear ratios. Sliding guide rods between the sealing jaws maintain the jaws parallel during the sealing and return patterns of movement.

Packaging machine with continuous sealing jaw movement

Carton forming apparatus with servo control

A conveyor comprises two parallel endless chains (20, 21) carrying flights (22, 23), and guide tracks (24, 25) for the chains in a forwarding run consist of an inner guide track (24) and an outer guide track (25) with respect to the direction in which the flights (22, 23) project from the chains, the guide tracks (24, 25) also being disposed so that one chain (20) overlaps the other (21) in the direction transverse to the direction in which the flights project. The guide tracks (24, 25) are formed by channels (29) with low-friction liners (31) in a single elongate guide member (30) secured to a frame member (32) by bolts (33).

Conveyors with transversely spaced flights

A rotary transfer mechanism has carrier means (18) rotatable with a drive shaft (16) on a support member (15), at least one support shaft (19) rotatable on the carrier means (18), with a pinion (24) secured coaxially to the support shaft and engageable with an arcute rack (25) secured to the support member (15) when a cam follower (26) is not engaged with a cam track (27) secured to the support member, whereby at least one suction cup (21) attached to the support shaft (19) is caused to follow a path having a 'node point' at the discharge opening (11) of a magazine (12), for extracting a flat sleeve carton (10), and whereby the suction cup (21) is caused to move past a receiving station (13) on a conveyor (14) in the same direction as the conveyor with the carton (10) generally parallel to the conveyor, for accurate placement and deposit of the carton on the conveyor.

A hot melt adhesive applicator comprises an enclosed wheel glue pot (2) the sides (3, 4, 5) of which fit closely to the sides of the applicator wheel (6), a doctor blade (7) preceding the applicator wheel, an anti-stringout wheel (8) following the applicator wheel, a remote tank (9) forming a reservoir for adhesive, a flexible hose (10) from the tank (9) to the glue pot (2), a pump (11) for feeding adhesive from the tank (9) through the hose (10), heating means for the tank and hose and glue pot, passages (12A, 12B, 13-FIGS. 3 and 6) in one side (5) of the glue pot (2) for feeding adhesive from the hose (10) to a pool (14) between the underside of the doctor blade (7) and the periphery of the applicator wheel (6), and switch means (15) for actuating the pump (11), there also being provided a chamber (16) between the hose (10) and the passages (12A, 12B, 13) in the glue pot (6), with an inlet (17) from the hose (10) and an outlet (18) to the passages (12A, 12B, 13) in the glue pot (2), and adhesive level sensing means (19) in the chamber (16) adapted to operate the switch means (15) when the adhesive level (L) in the chamber (16) falls below a predetermined level.

Growing community of inventors

Clevedon, United Kingdom

John Christopher Harston