Method of and a machine for forming and filling trays with articles

Claim 2

Apparatus for loading articles in a tray of the kind formed from a prepared blank of cardboard or other suitable sheet material having marginal portions which are adapted to be folded to form a confining wall around a base of the tray, in which the apparatus comprises a hollow die of internal dimensions corresponding to the dimensions of a finished loaded tray and having an inlet mouth and an outlet end, means for assembling and positioning articles into sets of articles arranged in a predetermined pattern outside said die and opposite the mouth of the die, means for receiving and locating a tray blank adjacent the mouth of the die, means for contacting the said articles on their sides remote from the mouth of the die and moving the articles in said pre-determined pattern into contact with the tray blank and continuing said movement with the underside of the tray exposed, through the die to fold the marginal portions of the tray to form said confining wall around said articles and continuing said movement through the die until the tray and articles leave the outlet end of the die; and a rectangular hollow channel of progressively reduced crossSectional area with its sides around the mouth of the die, the articles being moved through said channel before contacting the tray blank, to urge the articles into close contact before entering the die.

Claim 3

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the means for receiving and locating the tray blank adjacent the die is a slot into which the tray blank is introduced.

Claim 4

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the means for contacting and moving the articles into contact with the tray and through the die is one or more pneumatically operated rams.

Claim 5

Apparatus for loading articles in a tray of the kind formed from a prepared blank of cardboard or other suitable sheet material having marginal portions which are adapted to be folded to form a confining wall around a base of the tray, in which the apparatus comprises a hollow die of internal dimensions corresponding to the dimensions of a finished loaded tray and having an inlet mouth and an outlet end, means for assembling and positioning articles into sets of articles arranged in a pre-determined pattern outside said die and opposite the mouth of the die, means for receiving and locating a tray blank adjacent the mouth of the die, means for contacting the said articles on their sides remote from the mouth of the die and moving the articles in said pre-determined pattern into contact with the tray blank and continuing said movement with the underside of the tray exposed, through the die to fold the marginal portions of the tray to form said confining wall around said articles and continuing said movement through the die until the tray and articles leave the outlet end of the die, said die being positioned in a horizontal direction whereby the tray and articles are supported by the die during movement therethrough.

Claim 6

Apparatus for loading articles in a tray of the kind formed from a prepared blank of cardboard or other suitable sheet material having marginal portions which are adapted to be folded to form a confining wall around a base of the tray, in which the apparatus comprises a hollow die of internal dimensions corresponding to the dimensions of a finished loaded tray and having an inlet mouth and an outlet end, means for assembling and positioning articles into sets of articles arranged in a pre-determined pattern outside said die and opposite the mouth of the die, means for receiving and locating a tray blank adjacent the mouth of the die, means for contacting the said articles on their sides remote from the mouth of the die and moving the articles in said pre-determined pattern into contact with the tray blank and continuing said movement with the underside of the tray exposed, through the die to fold the marginal portions of the tray to form said confining wall around said articles and continuing said movement through the die until the tray and articles leave the outlet end of the die, said die being positioned in a horizontal direction whereby the tray and articles are supported by the die during movement therethrough.

Claim 7

Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 provided with support means for receiving the loaded trays as they emerge from the die.

Claim 8

Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 in which the support means is hingeable about a horizontal axis so that the loaded trays are hingeable from a vertical to a horizontal plane after being received by the support means.

Claim 9

Apparatus as claimed in claim 6 in which the support means is hinged by pneumatic ram means.

Claim 12

The method of claim 8, wherein the marginal portions of the tray are formed to provide said confining wall in direct contact with the predetermined pattern of articles at the periphery thereof whereby the articles are held together by the marginal portions of the tray after having passed through the die.

Claim 13

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the die has internal dimensions which form the marginal portions of the tray into said confining wall in direct contact with the periphery of said articles whereby the articles are held together by the marginal portions of the tray after having passed through the die.

Claim 14

Apparatus for loading articles in a tray of the kind formed from a prepared blank of cardboard or other suitable sheet material having marginal portions which are adapted to be folded to form a coNfining wall around a base of the tray, in which the apparatus comprises a hollow die of internal dimensions corresponding to the dimensions of a finished loaded tray and having an inlet mouth and an outlet end, means for assembling and positioning articles into sets of articles arranged in a pre-determined pattern outiside said die and opposite the mouth of the die, means for receiving and locating a tray blank adjacent the mouth of the die, means for contacting the said articles on their sides remote from the mouth of the die and moving the articles in said pre-determined pattern into contact with the tray blank and continuing said movement with the underside of the tray exposed, through the die to fold the marginal portions of the tray to form said confining wall around said articles and continuing said movement through the die until the tray and articles leave the outlet end of the die; and said die including shaped members and pressure wheels to insure correct folding of the marginal portions of the tray and pressure wheels to join adjacent marginal portions of the tray.

Claim 15

Apparatus for loading articles in a tray of the kind formed from a prepared blank of cardboard or other suitable sheet material having marginal portions which are adapted to be folded to form a coNfining wall around a base of the tray, in which the apparatus comprises a hollow die of internal dimensions corresponding to the dimensions of a finished loaded tray and having an inlet mouth and an outlet end, means for assembling and positioning articles into sets of articles arranged in a pre-determined pattern outiside said die and opposite the mouth of the die, means for receiving and locating a tray blank adjacent the mouth of the die, means for contacting the said articles on their sides remote from the mouth of the die and moving the articles in said pre-determined pattern into contact with the tray blank and continuing said movement with the underside of the tray exposed, through the die to fold the marginal portions of the tray to form said confining wall around said articles and continuing said movement through the die until the tray and articles leave the outlet end of the die; and said die including shaped members and pressure wheels to insure correct folding of the marginal portions of the tray and pressure wheels to join adjacent marginal portions of the tray.

Claim 16

Apparatus for loading articles in a tray of the kind formed from a prepared blank of cardboard or other suitable sheet material having marginal portions which are adapted to be folded to form a confining wall around a base of the tray, in which the apparatus comprises a hollow die of internal dimensions corresponding to the dimensions of a finished loaded tray and having an inlet mouth and an outlet end, means for assembling and positioning articles into sets of articles arranged in pre-determined pattern outside said die and opposite the mouth of the die, means for receiving and locating a tray blank adjacent the mouth of the die, means for contacting the said articles on their sides remote from the mouth of the die and moving the articles in said pre-determined pattern into contact with the tray blank and continuing said movement with the underside of the tray exposed, through the die to fold the marginal portions of the tray to form said confining wall around said articles and continuing said movement through the die until the tray and articles leave the outlet end of the die; and support means for receiving the loaded trays as they emerge from the dies, said support means being mounted for hinged movement about a horizontal axis whereby loaded trays emerging from said die and received by the support means are moveable from a vertical to a horizontal plane.

Claim 17

Apparatus for loading articles in a tray of the kind formed from a prepared blank of cardboard or other suitable sheet material having marginal portions which are adapted to be folded to form a confining wall around a base of the tray, in which the apparatus comprises a hollow die of internal dimensions corresponding to the dimensions of a finished loaded tray and having an inlet mouth and an outlet end, means for assembling and positioning articles into sets of articles arranged in pre-determined pattern outside said die and opposite the mouth of the die, means for receiving and locating a tray blank adjacent the mouth of the die, means for contacting the said articles on their sides remote from the mouth of the die and moving the articles in said pre-determined pattern into contact with the tray blank and continuing said movement with the underside of the tray exposed, through the die to fold the marginal portions of the tray to form said confining wall around said articles and continuing said movement through the die until the tray and articles leave the outlet end of the die; and support means for receiving the loaded trays as they emerge from the dies, said support means being mounted for hinged movement about a horizontal axis whereby loaded trays emerging from said die and received by the support means are moveable from a vertical to a horizontal plane.