Carton loading machine

Claim 1

A carton loading device for loading end loading cartons comprising, a frame, a knockdown carton storage station having carton storage means therein, a carton opening station, carton opening means in said opening station, transfer means for sequentially releasing a carton from said storage means and transferring the released carton to said opening station, conveyor means for conveying an open carton from the opening station to a loading station, knockdown carton storage means in said storage station consisting of substantially horizontally disposed guide rail means for suppoRting a stack of knockdown cartons in a vertical face-to-face relationship, said storage means having a discharge end and feeder means for urging the stack of cartons towards said discharge end, restraining means for preventing said knockdown carton from discharging from said storage means under the influence of said feeder means, said restraining means including lip means projecting downwardly from an upper horizontal edge of the knockdown carton, abutment means for engaging in turn the flat face of each knockdown carton which is directed towards said discharge end of said storage means, releasable lower edge support means for supporting the lower edge of the first carton of the stack of cartons against downward vertical movement, said transfer means including transfer suction cup means mounted on said frame for movement towards the discharge end of said storage means to engage a carton and away from the discharge end of said storage means to cause the upper end of the engaged carton to pass under said downwardly projecting lip, such that the upper edge of a first carton of the stack of cartons is spaced from the upper edge of the second carton of the stack of cartons, said transfer means also including primary support guide means pivotably connected its upper end to said frame, and a carriage adapted to reciprocate on said guide means to move to and fro between said storage station and said opening station, rotary crank drive means and connecting rod means connecting said rotary crank drive means to said carriage to provide reciprocating movement of said carriage on said support guide, secondary guide rail means adapted to retain said carriage in a substantially vertical plane over a major portion of its reciprocating movement and to cause said primary support to pivot about the pivotal mounting thereof when said carriage reaches the lower end of its reciprocating movement to cause the carriage to move transversely of the opening station in the direction of the movement of the conveyor, said transfer means also including a tongue at the upper end of said carriage for engaging the upper edge of the first carton and moving said carton downwardly through said releasable support to an intermediate position wherein the upper edge of said carton is retained by said releasable support, said carton opening means including; first opening suction cup means mounted on the lower end of the transfer carriage to reciprocate vertically with the carriage and to move transversely with the carriage at the lower end of the carriage travel, said first opening suction cup means being engageable with a sidewall of the carton disposed in said intermediate position when said carriage is in the upper position, linkage means connecting said carriage to a stationary frame member, said linkage means including intermediate link arms having one end pivotably connected to said carriage and secondary link arms pivotably connected at one end to said intermediate link arm and at the other end to said frame, said intermediate link arms being adapted to pivot about its pivotal connection to said carriage to move away from said carriage in an arc as said carriage moves downwardly and towards said carriage as it moves upwardly, second opening suction cup means mounted on said intermediate link and disposed with the suction surface thereof located in a substantially vertical plane for movement into engagement with a top wall of a carton located in said intermediate position when said carriage is in its upper position, said second opening suction cup means moving downwardly with said intermediate link in an arc as said carriage moves downwardly to locate the suction surface thereof downwardly and transversely of its vertical position in a substantially horizontal position to cause a top wall of a carton engaged thereby to move in an arc away from an adjacent sidewall engaged by said first opening suction means to open a carton in use, said second opening suction means also moving transversely in response to the transveRse movement which occurs at the lower end of the reciprocating movement of said carriage, said conveyor means including a continuously moving conveyor, divider means carried by and extending upwardly from said conveyor to define a plurality of carton receiving compartments each having a base for supporting a bottom of a carton and side supports for restraining the sidewalls of a carton the upper end of each of said compartments being open when in said opening station whereby a carton which is opened by the cooperating movement of said suction cups and a transfer carriage may be located in each of said compartments as said conveyor moves continually through said opening station, movable carton restraining means pivotally mounted on said frame and extending downwardly therefrom to overlie the top wall of a carton located in said conveyor compartment immediately after loading, said movable restraining means being adapted to pivot away from said overlying position as a carton is opening to permit the carton to enter the conveyor compartment, fixed carton restraining means for engaging the upper wall of a carton as it moves transversely out of said opening station, loading means for loading a carton carried by said conveyor and closure means for closing a carton carried by said conveyor.