Method and apparatus for feeding flat blanks to make boxes

Claim 2

A blank feeder comprising, a vertical magazine having an open upper end for receiving and feeding blanks in a horizontal attitude, a horizontal conveyor having a discharge end adjacent the upper end of said magazine for conveying blanks in a generally vertical attitude to said magazine, said discharge end of said conveyor including at least one endless belt portion passing about a pulley, said blanks having lower edges engaging said endless belt portion as said blanks swing from a vertical to a horizontal attitude, and restraining means at the upper end of said magazine to temporarily block the drop of blanks into said magazine, said restraining means releasing blanks at least one at a time to drop said blanks in a generally horizontal attitude into said magazine.

Claim 3

A feeder according to claim 1, in which said restraining means comprises two opposed side walls at the upper end of said magazine, the lower ends of said walls being bent inwardly to restrict the opening through which said blanks fall into said magazine whereby said blanks will assume a horizontal attitude at the upper end of said magazine temporarily restrained by said lower ends until the pressure of incoming blanks forces one or more blanks to drop past said lower ends into said magazine.

Claim 4

A feeder according to claim 1, further comprising, a motor for driving said conveyor, a detector in said magazine intermediate the upper and lower ends thereof and connected to said motor to energize said motor when the height of said blanks in said magazine drops below a predetermined level and to de-energize said motor before the blanks in said magazine build up to said restraining means, thereby maintaining a space between blanks in said magazine and upcoming blanks in said restraining means.

Claim 5

A feeder according to claim 1, further comprising, an abutment projecting into sAid magazine at the downstream side thereof to temporarily arrest the fall of the downstream edges of said blanks as they drop into said magazine whereby the upstream edges of said blanks drop first onto the existing stack in said magazine.

Claim 6

A feeder according to claim 4, further comprising a detector mounted above said abutment, and below said restraining means said detector causing the operation of said conveyor when the supply of blanks falls below said detector, whereby said blanks drop into said magazine in two stages, in the first the forward edges resting on said abutment and rear edges resting on said blanks below, and in the second said blanks dropping flat on the blanks below thereby maintaining the weight of the total supply of blanks below a predetermined amount.

Claim 7

A blank feeder comprising, a vertical magazine having an open upper end for receiving and feeding blanks in a horizontal attitude, a horizontal conveyor having a discharge end adjacent the upper end of said magazine for conveying blanks in a generally vertical attitude to said magazine, restraining means at the upper end of said magazine to temporarily block the drop of blanks into said magazine, said restraining means releasing blanks at least one at a time to drop said blanks in a generally horizontal attitude into said magazine, and vibrating means on said magazine to urge said blanks into proper alignment for subsequent discharge from the bottom of said magazine.

Claim 8

A blank feeder comprising, a vertical magazine having an open upper end for receiving and feeding blanks in a horizontal attitude, a horizontal conveyor having a discharge end adjacent the upper end of said magazine for conveying blanks in a generally vertical attitude to said magazine, restraining means at the upper end of said magazine to temporarily block the drop of blanks into said magazine, said restraining means releasing blanks at least one at a time to drop said blanks in a generally horizontal attitude into said magazine, and vibrating means on said magazine to urge said blanks into proper alignment for subsequent discharge from the bottom of said magazine.

Claim 9

A feeder according to claim 6, in which said vibrating means comprises, a generally vertical plate forming at least one wall of said magazine and being movably mounted with respect to said magazine, and means for wobbling said plate.

Claim 10

A feeder according to claim 6, in which said vibrating means comprises a generally vertical plate forming the front wall of said magazine said plate being movable at its upper end and pivotally mounted on said magazine well below its upper end, and means for oscillating the upper end of said plate.

Claim 11

A blank feeder comprising, a vertical magazine having an open upper end for receiving and feeding blanks in a horizontal attitude, said magazine having guides extending vertically within said magazine, said guides being adapted to receive slots in the side edges of said blanks, means for vibrating said magazine to urge said blanks to align themselves with said slots mating with said guides, a horizontal conveyor having a discharge end adjacent the upper end of said magazine for conveying blanks in a generally vertical attitude to said magazine, and restraining means at the upper end of said magazine to temporarily block the drop of blanks into said magazine, said restraining means releasing blanks at least one at a time to drop said blanks in a generally horizontal attitude into said magazine.

Claim 12

A blank feeder comprising, a vertical magazine having an open upper end for receiving and feeding blanks in a horizontal attitude, said magazine having guides extending vertically within said magazine, said guides being adapted to receive slots in the side edges of said blanks, means for vibrating said magazine to urge said blanks to align themselves with said slots mating with said guides, a horizontal conveyor having a discharge end adjacent the upper end of said magazine for conveying blanks in a generally vertical attitude to said magazine, and restraining means at the upper end of said magazine to temporarily block the drop of blanks into said magazine, said restraining means releasing blanks at least one at a time to drop said blanks in a generally horizontal attitude into said magazine.

Claim 13

A feeder according to claim 1, further comprising a guide overlying the upper end of said magazine and engageable by the outer edges of said blanks as they swing from said conveyor to a horizontal attitude overlying said magazine.

Claim 14

A feeder according to claim 10 in which said guide is downwardly and forwardly inclined whereby the forward thrust of the conveyor on said blanks causes the outer edges of said blanks to slide downwardly on said guide past said restraining means to drop into said magazine.

Claim 15

A feeder according to claim 10, in which said conveyor comprises at least one endless belt and a pulley adjacent the upper end of said magazine about which said belt passes, the lower blank edges being forced forwardly as they pass around said belt and pulley.

Claim 16

A feeder according to claim 1, said conveyor comprising, at least one endless belt, said belt having a low friction surface which enables the belt to advance the blanks without driving their lower edges so far forward to cause said blanks to fall backwards.

Claim 17

A feeder according to claim 1, said conveyor comprising, a pair of elongated endleSs belts, and a dead plate between said belts.