Rotary blade carton riddler

Claim 2

Riddling apparatus for removal of product from parallepipedal cartons, said cartons having a tubular carton body with opposed, alternating, pairs of face and side panels attached along lengthwise-extending scores and an upper and a lower closure, said apparatus comprising: A. A slitting station including slitting means comprising a pair of vertically spaced, circularly shaped knives rotating in a substantially horizontal plane and adapted to make a cut through both side panels and one face panel of the carton adjacent both upper and lower closures, thereby defining a pair of end flaps articulated to opposite ends of the uncut face panel along transverse lines aligned with the cuts on said side panels; B. A product dumping station comprising means for supporting said cut carton and for outwardly rotating said end flaps about their lines of articulation to open positions permitting egress of said product whereby said carton is emptied through its lower opening; C. Carton crushing means for reducing the bulk of said empty carton, said means comprising a pair of counter-rotating rolls have a nip therebetween for receiving said empty carton; and D. Conveying means for moving the carton through said slitting station and said dumping station and into said crushing means.

Claim 3

The riddling apparatus of claim 1 including a creaser adapted to fold the flattened carton transversely, across the carton body.

Claim 4

The riddling apparatus of claim 2 including carton flattening means to collapse said tubular carton body subsequent to egress of said product therefrom and before entry of saId carton into the nip of said crushing means, said carton flattening means being adapted to cause said face panels to approximate, with a lengthwise-extending edge of the cut face panel projecting outwardly beyond the balance of said carton body and thereby constituting a leading edge.

Claim 5

The riddling apparatus of claim 3 in which said creaser comprises an outwardly projecting rib on one roll and an aligned, cooperating groove on the other roll.

Claim 6

The riddling apparatus of claim 4 in which said carton flattening means comprises rotating elements having projections thereon adapted to contact and move the cut face panel of the tubular carton body toward and in advance of the uncut face panel.

Claim 7

The riddling apparatus of claim 5 in which the conveying means is a belt adapted to contact the uncut face panel of said carton.

Claim 8

The riddling apparatus of claim 6 in which the conveying belt is of the grip-top type and in which the adjacent portions of the rotating knives are moving in the same general direction as said belt.

Claim 9

The riddling apparatus of claim 3 in which thumping means is provided at said product dumping station, said thumping means being adapted to impact the uncut face panel of said carton to dislodge product within said carton.

Claim 10

Riddling apparatus for removal of product from closed parallepipedal cartons, said cartons having a tubular carton body with opposed, alternating pairs of face and side panels attached along lengthwise-extending scores and an upper and a lower closure, said apparatus comprising: A. A carton infeed station for aligning a column of cartons in face-to-face contact; B. A conveyor belt moving transversely of said column and adapted to contact a first face panel of the innermost carton of said column and move said carton through a slitting station; C. said slitting station comprising a pair of spaced, rotating knives each of which is adapted to cut said carton along a line adjacent the corresponding carton closure, said cuts each extending through both side panels and through the second face panel of said carton, defining a pair of end flaps articulated to opposite ends of said first face panel along transverse lines aligned with the cuts on said side panels; D. Upper and lower flap plow rails having their upstream ends in alignment with said knives and being of a curviform shape adapted to oppositely rotate said end flaps about their lines of articulation to open positions as said cut carton is moved from the upstream to the downstream ends of said plows; E. Guide rails for maintaining the vertical and horizontal attitudes of said carton as it traverses said plow rails; F. Product collection means for recovery of product flowing from said carton as it traverses said plows; G. Rotating elements adapted to collapse said tubular carton body subsequent to egress of said product, said elements having projections thereon adapted to contact and move said second face panel of the tubular carton body toward and in advance of the said first face panel whereby a lengthwise-extending edge of said second face panel is the leading edge of the carton; and H. A pair of counter-rotating crushing rolls having a nip therebetween adapted to receive the collapsed carton, one roll having an outwardly projecting rib on its periphery and the other roll having an aligned groove, said rib and said groove being adapted to cooperatively crease the carton transversely, across the carton body.

Claim 11

Riddling apparatus for removal of product from closed parallepipedal cartons, said cartons having a tubular carton body with opposed, alternating pairs of face and side panels attached along lengthwise-extending scores and an upper and a lower closure, said apparatus comprising: A. A carton infeed station for aligning a column of cartons in face-to-face contact; B. A conveyor belt moving transversely of said column and adapted to contact a first face panel of the innermost carton of said column and move said carton through a slitting station; C. said slitting station comprising a pair of spaced, rotating knives each of which is adapted to cut said carton along a line adjacent the corresponding carton closure, said cuts each extending through both side panels and through the second face panel of said carton, defining a pair of end flaps articulated to opposite ends of said first face panel along transverse lines aligned with the cuts on said side panels; D. Upper and lower flap plow rails having their upstream ends in alignment with said knives and being of a curviform shape adapted to oppositely rotate said end flaps about their lines of articulation to open positions as said cut carton is moved from the upstream to the downstream ends of said plows; E. Guide rails for maintaining the vertical and horizontal attitudes of said carton as it traverses said plow rails; F. Product collection means for recovery of product flowing from said carton as it traverses said plows; G. Rotating elements adapted to collapse said tubular carton body subsequent to egress of said product, said elements having projections thereon adapted to contact and move said second face panel of the tubular carton body toward and in advance of the said first face panel whereby a lengthwise-extending edge of said second face panel is the leading edge of the carton; and H. A pair of counter-rotating crushing rolls having a nip therebetween adapted to receive the collapsed carton, one roll having an outwardly projecting rib on its periphery and the other roll having an aligned groove, said rib and said groove being adapted to cooperatively crease the carton transversely, across the carton body.

Claim 12

The riddling apparatus of claim 9 in which a dust control hood and system is provided in which the velocity of air flow through open areas thereof is at least about 100 feet per minute.