Packaging apparatus and process

Claim 2

In a packaging apparatus operative continuously for inserting product-filled pouches into rectangular folding cartons at a carton-loading station, means for continuously supplying opened cartons to said station comprising, a. a carton magazine for retaining a stack of said cartons in flattened condition above said loading station, b. camming blocks underlying the side walls of said magazine and having inwardly tapered camming surfaces leading into said loading station, the upper surfaces of said blocks serving to support the edges of the bottom-most carton in said magazine, and c. a carton-opening member driven continuously through an orbital movement, the entire forward operative stroke of which follows an initially rising and subsequently descending parabolic curve, the entire rearward return stroke of which is substantially horizontal and straight, said opening member during its operative stroke penetrating the lowermost carton in said magazine and drawing said carton between said inwardly tapering surfaces and into said loading station, said carton when traversing said inwardly tapering surfaces being cammed into an open condition for receiving a pouch at said loading station.

Claim 3

The invention according to claim 1 wherein, a. the carton-opening member starts to penetrate the lowermost flattened carton in the magazine during the rising portion of its operative stroke.

Claim 4

In a packaging apparatus operative continuously for inserting product-filled pouches into rectangular folding cartons at a carton-loading station, said cartons being formed with a cut-away portion in their underlying panel, means for continuously supplying opened cartons to said station comprising, a. a carton magazine for retaining a stack of said cartons in flattened condition above said loading station, b. camming blocks underlying the side walls of said magazine and having inwardly tapered camming surfaces leading into said loading station, the upper surfaces of said blocks serving to support the edges of the bottom-most carton in said magazine, and c. a carton-opening member driven through an orbital movement, the operative stroke of which follows a parabolic curve, said opening member during its operative stroke penetrating the lowermost carton in said magazine and drawing said carton between said inwardly tapering surfaces and into said loading station, said carton when traversing said inwardly tapering surfaces being cammed into an open condition for receiving a pouch at said loading station, d. said opening member comprising a blade having substantially the same width as said panel, the free end of which blade is formed with a projection of narrower width disposed to enter the carton through said cut-away portion, said projection upon passing through said cut-away portion bearing on the overlying panel of said carton to elevate same and thereby partly open said carton to facilitate penetration of said carton by the remaining portion of said blade.

Claim 5

In a packaging apparatus operative continuously for inserting product-filled pouches into rectangular folding cartons at a carton-loading station, said cartons being formed with a cut-away portion in their underlying panel, means for continuously supplying opened cartons to said station comprising, a. a carton magazine for retaining a stack of said cartons in flattened condition above said loading station, b. camming blocks underlying the side walls of said magazine and having inwardly tapered camming surfaces leading into said loading station, the upper surfaces of said blocks serving to support the edges of the bottom-most carton in said magazine, and c. a carton-opening member driven through an orbital movement, the operative stroke of which follows a parabolic curve, said opening member during its operative stroke penetrating the lowermost carton in said magazine and drawing said carton between said inwardly tapering surfaces and into said loading station, said carton when traversing said inwardly tapering surfaces being cammed into an open condition for receiving a pouch at said loading station, d. said opening member comprising a blade having substantially the same width as said panel, the free end of which blade is formed with a projection of narrower width disposed to enter the carton through said cut-away portion, said projection upon passing through said cut-away portion bearing on the overlying panel of said carton to elevate same and thereby partly open said carton to facilitate penetration of said carton by the remaining portion of said blade.

Claim 6

The invention according to claim 3 wherein, a. said blade during the latter portion of its operative stroke bears upon the underlying panel of said carton to transfer said carton from said magazine and between said tapered camming surfaces into said loading station.

Claim 7

In a packaging apparatus operative continuously for inserting product-filled pouches into rectangular folding cartons at a carton-loadIng station, means for continuously supplying opened cartons to said station comprising, a. a carton magazine for retaining a stack of said cartons in flattened condition above said loading stations, b. camming blocks underlying the side walls of said magazine and having inwardly tapered camming surfaces leading into said loading station, the upper surfaces of said blocks serving to support the edges of the bottom-most carton in said magazine, c. a carton-opening member driven through an orbital movement, the operative stroke of which follows a parabolic curve, said opening member during its operative stroke penetrating the lowermost carton in said magazine and drawing said carton between said inwardly tapering surfaces and into said loading station, said carton when traversing said inwardly tapering surfaces being cammed into an open condition for receiving a pouch at said loading station, and d. pawls pivotally mounted on said blocks and biased to engage with an opened carton to thereby yieldably retain the carton at the loading station.

Claim 8

In a packaging apparatus operative continuously for inserting product-filled pouches into rectangular folding cartons at a carton-loadIng station, means for continuously supplying opened cartons to said station comprising, a. a carton magazine for retaining a stack of said cartons in flattened condition above said loading stations, b. camming blocks underlying the side walls of said magazine and having inwardly tapered camming surfaces leading into said loading station, the upper surfaces of said blocks serving to support the edges of the bottom-most carton in said magazine, c. a carton-opening member driven through an orbital movement, the operative stroke of which follows a parabolic curve, said opening member during its operative stroke penetrating the lowermost carton in said magazine and drawing said carton between said inwardly tapering surfaces and into said loading station, said carton when traversing said inwardly tapering surfaces being cammed into an open condition for receiving a pouch at said loading station, and d. pawls pivotally mounted on said blocks and biased to engage with an opened carton to thereby yieldably retain the carton at the loading station.

Claim 9

The invention according to claim 1 including, a. means effective during the time that the lowermost carton is being opened by said opening member for relieving said carton from the weight represented by other cartons disposed thereabove in said carton stack.

Claim 10

The invention according to claim 6 wherein said weight-relieving means includes, a. a pair of carton-engaging pads at opposed ends of the carton stack and disposed above the lowermost carton in the magazine, said pads when rocked to the closed position frictionally gripping the edges of at least one of said flattened cartons to prevent the weight of all cartons thereabove from being impressed upon any carton disposed below said pads.

Claim 11

The invention according to claim 7 wherein, a. said pads are rocked to their closed position at a time prior to the opening of the lowermost carton by said opening blade, said pads being returned to their open position at a time after said lowermost carton has been drawn into the carton loading station.

Claim 12

The invention according to claim 3 including, a. a carton-discharge member mounted below and in parallel with said-opening member and driven through the same orbital movement as said opening member, said opening and discharge members being spaced apart a distance equal to at least the thickness of the carton material, said discharge member being effective while the carton is being opened and transferred to said loading station for bearing upon the preceding carton at said loading station to discharge it from said loading station.

Claim 13

The invention according to claim 1 wherein, a. said carton opener is driven through an orbital movement by means of a four-bar linkage operated continuously by a pair of crank arms carried by parallel shafts.

Claim 14

The invention according to claim 1 wherein product-filled pouches are transferred into an opened carton at the leading station from a pouch conveyor operating to transport pouches seriatim to said loading station and including, a. means for detecting the lack of a pouch on said conveyor at a point of conveyor travel approaching said loading station, and b. means responsive to said detecting means upon detecting the lack of a pouch for disabling the effective operation of said carton-opening member.

Claim 15

The invention according to claim 11 wherein said disabling means includes, a. a pivotal blocking member disposed for engagement by said carton-opening member during its operative carton-opening stroke, said blocking member having a pivotal axis shiftable from a normal ineffective blocking position to an effective blocking position and when in said effective blocking position causing said blocking member to become interposed between said opening member and the opposed edges of the lowermost carton in said magazine, thereby preventing said opening member from penetrating said lowermost carton, and b. means responsive to said detectinG means upon detecting the lack of a pouch for shifting said pivotal axis to its effective blocking position.