Apparatus for opening and partially erecting folded and collapsed cartons

Abstract

Abstract A FLAT BLADE ELEMENT IS RECIPROCATED INTO AND OUT OF FOLDED, COLLAPSED CARTONS POSITIONED ENDWISE RELATIVE TO THE FORWARD END OF THE BLADE ELEMENT. THE BLADE, IN ADDITION TO RECIPROCATION, IS ADAPTED TO ROTATE SELECTIVELY ABOUT A LONGITUDINAL AXIS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF A TORSIONAL BIASING FORCE AND A CAM FOLLOWER. THE CAM FOLLOWER RIDES OVER A LINEAR CAM SURFACE ON THE OUTWARD STROKE OF THE BLADE TO INITIALLY ENTER THE INTERIOR OF THE CARTON WITH THE FLAT BLADE IN A HORIZONTAL ATTITUDE. THE BLADE CAM FOLLOWER LEAVES THE LINEAR CAM SURFACE WHEN THE BLADE REACHES THE TERMINAL END OF ITS OUTWARD STROKE. AT THIS POINT THE TORSIONAL BIASING FORCE IS EFFECTIVE TO ROTATE THE BLADE ABOUT 90* WHICH OPENS AND PARTIALLY ERECTS THE COLLAPSED CARTON. ON THE INWARD STROKE, THE BLADE CAM FOLLOWER RIDES OVER A NON-LINEAR CAM SURFACE WHICH IS OPERATIVE TO ROTATE THE BLADE IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO THE TORSIONAL BIASING FORCE. NEAR THE INNER END OF THE RECIPROCATING STROKE, THE CAM FOLLOWER IS REPOSITIONED ON THE LINEAR CAM SURFACE WITH THE BLADE AGAIN ASSUMING A HORIZONTAL ATTITUDE AND BEING WITHDRAWN FROM THE PARTIALLY ERECTED CARTON. THE CYCLE IS THEN REPEATED SEQUENTIALLY AS EACH SUCCESSIVE FOLDED AND COLLAPSED CARTON IS POSITIONED ADJACENT THE RECIPROCATING BLADE.

Inventors

• 👤 Russell W Allen

Bibliographic Details