Patent US3902406A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3902406A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for applying glue to cartons
Assignee: ABC Packaging Machine Corp
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Filing: 1973-08-21
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Granted: 1975-09-02
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Expires: 1993-08-21
Abstract
Abstract An apparatus and method of sealing the flaps of fiber board cartons in which successive cartons are fed along a prescribed path over discs of tandem arranged open glue pots, the discs of one glue pot applying a relatively slow drying, cold liquid adhesive and the other applying a relatively hot fast drying thermoplastic adhesive to generally the same areas of the end flaps of each successive carton. The side flaps are then automatically folded against the end flap and held until the hot melt adhesive cools or drys sufficiently to hold the flaps together. The hot melt glue or adhesive is applied from an open heated glue pot by laterally adjustable removable discs driven through a clutch, the upper peripheries of the discs being engaged by the folded end flaps of each carton, as they pass thereover. The cartons are yieldably urged to a position to align the end flaps and into engagement with the discs by a hold down assembly which includes parallelogram suspended hold down bars which ride on opposite upper edges of the cartons. Certain discs have interrupted peripheries for applying successive spaced lengths of glue to the flaps. Thermostat controls regulate the temperature and thus the viscosity of the hot melt glue.
Inventors
- 👤 Donald G Reichert
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 17:47
CPC Classifications
B; B31; B31B; B31B50/00; B31B50/60; B31B50/62; B31B50/624; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T156/00; Y10T156/17; Y10T156/1798
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 27
Claim 1
Independent Claim
361 words
An apparatus for applying glue to cartons, comprising: a. conveyor means for moving successive righted cartons with their flaps folded inwardly toward each other along a prescribed path; b. a hot melt glue applicator disposed adjacent and below said path of travel for applying to said flaps of the cartons a thermoplastic glue which is solid at room temperature, said hot melt glue applicator including a glue pot having an upwardly open glue carrying cavity, means for heating said glue pot to maintain the glue in said cavity in a melted and liquid condition, and transversely spaced applicator discs rotatably carried by said pot, said applicator discs being at positions in said pot such that the lower peripheral portions of said discs are normally submerged in the glue carried in said pot, said discs being rotatable and being disposed sufficiently close to said path of travel that the upper peripheries of said discs engage said flaps of said cartons for transferring the glue on the peripheries to said flaps as said flaps are engaged with said upper peripheries of said disc; c. means for yieldably urging said carton in its movement so as to position said flaps of said carton against the upper periphery of said discs sufficiently to receive the glue from said discs; d. a supply tank disposed adjacent said conveyor means and into which said thermoplastic glue in a solid condition is charged; e. a pipe connecting the lower portion of said supply tank to said glue pot; f. means for heating said supply tank and said pipe for maintaining said thermoplastic glue in a liquid condition in said supply tank and in a liquid condition in said pipe, the means for heating said supply tank and said pipe being sufficient to melt the solid glue in said supply tank without effecting the liquid condition of said glue in said glue pot; g. the levels of said glue pot and said supply tank being such that said glue, when heated to liquid condition, will flow by gravity through said pipe and into said glue pot to a level determined by the level of liquid in said supply tank.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
361 words
An apparatus for applying glue to cartons, comprising: a. conveyor means for moving successive righted cartons with their flaps folded inwardly toward each other along a prescribed path; b. a hot melt glue applicator disposed adjacent and below said path of travel for applying to said flaps of the cartons a thermoplastic glue which is solid at room temperature, said hot melt glue applicator including a glue pot having an upwardly open glue carrying cavity, means for heating said glue pot to maintain the glue in said cavity in a melted and liquid condition, and transversely spaced applicator discs rotatably carried by said pot, said applicator discs being at positions in said pot such that the lower peripheral portions of said discs are normally submerged in the glue carried in said pot, said discs being rotatable and being disposed sufficiently close to said path of travel that the upper peripheries of said discs engage said flaps of said cartons for transferring the glue on the peripheries to said flaps as said flaps are engaged with said upper peripheries of said disc; c. means for yieldably urging said carton in its movement so as to position said flaps of said carton against the upper periphery of said discs sufficiently to receive the glue from said discs; d. a supply tank disposed adjacent said conveyor means and into which said thermoplastic glue in a solid condition is charged; e. a pipe connecting the lower portion of said supply tank to said glue pot; f. means for heating said supply tank and said pipe for maintaining said thermoplastic glue in a liquid condition in said supply tank and in a liquid condition in said pipe, the means for heating said supply tank and said pipe being sufficient to melt the solid glue in said supply tank without effecting the liquid condition of said glue in said glue pot; g. the levels of said glue pot and said supply tank being such that said glue, when heated to liquid condition, will flow by gravity through said pipe and into said glue pot to a level determined by the level of liquid in said supply tank.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
69 words
The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said hot melt glue applicator includes drive means, a shaft connected to said clutch and journaled by the sides of said glue pot, said shaft being disposed above the normal level of the liquid glue, said discs being connected to said clutch for rotation thereby only when said heating means has heated said glue within said glue pot to a liquid condition.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
31 words
The apparatus defined in claim 1 includes a severing bar, rearwardly adjacent said discs for breaking or severing strands of glue extending from said discs to the flaps of said carton.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
72 words
The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said cavity includes a reservoir and an applicator vat disposed in side-by-side relationship, a filter disposed between and separating said reservoir from said applicator vat for filtering the glue as it passes therethrough and means for intRoducing liquid glue into said reservoir, said discs being disposed over said applicator vat for receiving liquid glue after the same has passed from said reservoir into said vat.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
52 words
The apparatus defined in claim 1 including a shaft for rotatably carrying said discs, drive means for rotating said shaft and a clutch between said means and said shaft, said shaft being journaled by the sides of said glue pot and being disposed above the normal level of the liquid glue therein.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
64 words
The structure defined in claim 1 wherein certain of said discs are circular and have their peripheries notched to provide radially aligned circumferentially spaced teeth with convex concentric surfaces for applying to the flaps of said cartons spaced increments of glue longitudinally along the flap adjacent of said teeth being sufficiently close that the glue is applied as an interrupted strip along said flaps.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
32 words
The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said means for heating said pot includes a plurality of spaced heating elements in said pot and a thermostatic control for controlling said heating elements.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
207 words
The apparatus defined in claim 1 including a cold liquid glue applicator disposed adjacent and below said path of travel of said cartons, said cold liquid glue applicator being forwardly of said hot melt glue applicator for applying a glue which is liquid at room temperature to said flaps of said cartons before the carton receives the thermoplastic glue, said cold liquid glue applicator including a second glue pot having an upwardly opening glue carrying cavity, second applicator discs rotatably carried by said second pot at positions in said pot such that the lower peripheries are normally submerged in the glue carried in said glue cavity of said second pot, said second discs being disposed sufficiently close to said path of travel that the upper peripheries of said second discs engage said flaps of said cartons for transferring the liquid glue on the peripheries of said second discs in longitudinal strips along said flaps as said flaps engage said upper peripheries of said second discs, said first mentioned discs and said second discs having their upper peripheries in a common plane and being so arranged adjacent said path of travel that said first mentioned discs apply their glue between the strips of liquid glue on said flaps.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
34 words
The apparatus defined in claim 8 including means for simultaneously rotating both said first mentioned discs and said second discs at peripheral speeds approximately equal to the linear speed of travel of said cartons.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
219 words
An apparatus for applying glue to cartons comprising: a. means for moving successive cartons along a prescribed longitudinal path of travel; b. means disposed below and adjacent the path of travel for applying glue to the bottom flaps of each carton as it passes said means; and c. hold down means disposed above said path of travel for aligning and holding said successive cartons in said path of travel, said hold down means including a pair of longitudinally extending bars disposed adjacent opposite sides of said path of travel for engagement by the opposite upper edge portions of each carton, means for suspending each of said bars for swinging movement in a longitudinal direction so that the bars will be swung and lifted by the cartons as they move therebeneath and the weight of said bars will be carried by the edges of said cartons, said means for suspending each of said bars including support means and depending links swingably carried by said support means, at least two of said links being connected at longitudinally spaced locations to each of said bars for supporting the associated bar in a pendant and a horizontal position and for holding it in its horizontal position as it is urged by the cartons from its pendant position in an arcuate and upward path.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
219 words
An apparatus for applying glue to cartons comprising: a. means for moving successive cartons along a prescribed longitudinal path of travel; b. means disposed below and adjacent the path of travel for applying glue to the bottom flaps of each carton as it passes said means; and c. hold down means disposed above said path of travel for aligning and holding said successive cartons in said path of travel, said hold down means including a pair of longitudinally extending bars disposed adjacent opposite sides of said path of travel for engagement by the opposite upper edge portions of each carton, means for suspending each of said bars for swinging movement in a longitudinal direction so that the bars will be swung and lifted by the cartons as they move therebeneath and the weight of said bars will be carried by the edges of said cartons, said means for suspending each of said bars including support means and depending links swingably carried by said support means, at least two of said links being connected at longitudinally spaced locations to each of said bars for supporting the associated bar in a pendant and a horizontal position and for holding it in its horizontal position as it is urged by the cartons from its pendant position in an arcuate and upward path.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
44 words
The apparatus defined in claim 10 wherein said support means includes a pair of of brackets for carrying the links of the respective bars, meaNs for moving said brackets toward and away from each other, and means for simultaneously raising and lowering said brackets.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
83 words
An apparatus for applying glue to selected portions of a carton as said carton is passed adjacent the apparatus, comprising: a. a glue pot having an upwardly opening cavity for containing glue; b. a shaft carried by said glue pot; and c. a plurality of discs carried on said shaft, said discs each having opposed separable disc segments on each disc on opposite sides of said shaft and means for clamping said disc segments of each disc in radial alignment on said shaft.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
83 words
An apparatus for applying glue to selected portions of a carton as said carton is passed adjacent the apparatus, comprising: a. a glue pot having an upwardly opening cavity for containing glue; b. a shaft carried by said glue pot; and c. a plurality of discs carried on said shaft, said discs each having opposed separable disc segments on each disc on opposite sides of said shaft and means for clamping said disc segments of each disc in radial alignment on said shaft.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
39 words
The structure defined in claim 12 wherein said means for clamping said disc segments on said shaft includes opposed blocks respectively connected to said disc segments on opposite sides of said shaft and bolt means securing said blocks together.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
92 words
An apparatus for applying glue to selected portions of a carton comprising: a. a glue pot having an upwardly opening cavity; and b. a circular disc rotatably carried by said pot for rotation about a transverse axis, said disc being provided along its periphery with radially aligned and circumferentially uniformly and regularly spaced teeth having concentric curved outer surfaces for applying the glue at corresponding longitudinally spaced intervals from said pot in a longitudinal line to said carton as said carton is passed in a longitudinal path adjacent to said glue pot.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
92 words
An apparatus for applying glue to selected portions of a carton comprising: a. a glue pot having an upwardly opening cavity; and b. a circular disc rotatably carried by said pot for rotation about a transverse axis, said disc being provided along its periphery with radially aligned and circumferentially uniformly and regularly spaced teeth having concentric curved outer surfaces for applying the glue at corresponding longitudinally spaced intervals from said pot in a longitudinal line to said carton as said carton is passed in a longitudinal path adjacent to said glue pot.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
145 words
An apparatus for applying glue to cartons comprising: a. means for moving successive cartons along a prescribed longitudinal path of travel; b. means disposed below and adjacent the path of travel for applying glue to the bottom flaps of each carton as it passes said means; and c. hold down means disposed above said path of travel for aligning and holding said successive cartons in said path of travel, said hold down means including a pair of longitudinally extending bars disposed adjacent opposite sides of said path of travel for engagement by the opposite upper edge portions of each carton, means for suspending each of said bars for swinging movement in a longitudinal direction so that the bars will be swung and lifted by the cartons as they move therebeneath and the weight of said bars will be carried by the edges of said cartons.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
145 words
An apparatus for applying glue to cartons comprising: a. means for moving successive cartons along a prescribed longitudinal path of travel; b. means disposed below and adjacent the path of travel for applying glue to the bottom flaps of each carton as it passes said means; and c. hold down means disposed above said path of travel for aligning and holding said successive cartons in said path of travel, said hold down means including a pair of longitudinally extending bars disposed adjacent opposite sides of said path of travel for engagement by the opposite upper edge portions of each carton, means for suspending each of said bars for swinging movement in a longitudinal direction so that the bars will be swung and lifted by the cartons as they move therebeneath and the weight of said bars will be carried by the edges of said cartons.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
230 words
In a method of sealing the flaps of fiber board cartons the steps of: a. disposing the carton with its end flaps folded toward each other on a horizontally disposed boom; b. yieldably urging said carton toward said boom to maintain said flaps flatter against said boom; c. moving said carton in a longitudinal path along said boom as said carton is urged toward said boom; d. engaging the opposite sides of said carton as it is moved along said path and on said boom to hold said carton in a prescribed horizontal position as it is moved further along said path; e. disposing a pair of glue pots respectively containing liquid glue at room temperature in one pot and heated thermoplastic glue in the other pot in tandem adjacent to the end of said boom; f. passing said carton as it is held over first said liquid glue in one glue pot and then said heated thermoplastic glue in the other glue pot, with said end flaps of said carton remaining folded toward each other to present a planar surface to said glue pots; and g. moving both glues in circular paths so that the upper peripheral portions engage transversely spaced portions of said end flaps for applying strips of said glue to said end flaps as said end flaps are carried by said carton along said longitudinal path.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
230 words
In a method of sealing the flaps of fiber board cartons the steps of: a. disposing the carton with its end flaps folded toward each other on a horizontally disposed boom; b. yieldably urging said carton toward said boom to maintain said flaps flatter against said boom; c. moving said carton in a longitudinal path along said boom as said carton is urged toward said boom; d. engaging the opposite sides of said carton as it is moved along said path and on said boom to hold said carton in a prescribed horizontal position as it is moved further along said path; e. disposing a pair of glue pots respectively containing liquid glue at room temperature in one pot and heated thermoplastic glue in the other pot in tandem adjacent to the end of said boom; f. passing said carton as it is held over first said liquid glue in one glue pot and then said heated thermoplastic glue in the other glue pot, with said end flaps of said carton remaining folded toward each other to present a planar surface to said glue pots; and g. moving both glues in circular paths so that the upper peripheral portions engage transversely spaced portions of said end flaps for applying strips of said glue to said end flaps as said end flaps are carried by said carton along said longitudinal path.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
48 words
The method defined in claim 16 wherein the said circular paths are in vertical planes offset from each other for producing the strips transversely spaced along said end flaps, and folding and holding the side flaps against the surfaces of said end flaps which have received said glue.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
145 words
Method of sealing the flaps of fiber board cartons comprising: a. disposing a pair of gluE pots in tandem; b. passing a carton in a longitudinal path over first liquid glue in one glue pot and then a hot thermoplastic glue in the other glue pot with the end flaps of said carton folded toward each other to present a planar surface to said glue pots; c. applying weights to said carton prior to the passage of the carton along said path so as to position the carton vertically in the path to dispose said end flaps in close proximity to said pots; and d. moving both glues in circular paths so that the upper peripheral portions engage transversely spaced portions of said flaps for applying strips of said glue to said flaps as said flaps are moved with said carton in said longitudinal path.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
145 words
Method of sealing the flaps of fiber board cartons comprising: a. disposing a pair of gluE pots in tandem; b. passing a carton in a longitudinal path over first liquid glue in one glue pot and then a hot thermoplastic glue in the other glue pot with the end flaps of said carton folded toward each other to present a planar surface to said glue pots; c. applying weights to said carton prior to the passage of the carton along said path so as to position the carton vertically in the path to dispose said end flaps in close proximity to said pots; and d. moving both glues in circular paths so that the upper peripheral portions engage transversely spaced portions of said flaps for applying strips of said glue to said flaps as said flaps are moved with said carton in said longitudinal path.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
197 words
An apparatus for applying glue to cartons, comprising: a. conveyor means for moving successive cartons along a prescribed path; and b. a hot melt glue applicator disposed adjacent and below said path of travel for applying to the flaps of the cartons a thermoplastic glue which is solid at room temperature, said hot melt glue applicator including a glue pot having an upwardly open glue carrying cavity, means for heating said glue pot to maintain the glue in said cavity in a melted and liquid condition, and applicator discs rotatably carried by said pot, said applicator discs being at positions in said pot such that the lower peripheral portions of said discs are normally submerged in the glue carried in said pot, said discs being rotatable and being disposed sufficiently close to said path of travel that the upper peripheries of said discs engage said flaps of said cartons for transferring the glue on the peripheries to said flaps as said flaps are engaged with said peripheries of said discs, said applicator includes a shaft, said discs each includes abutting separable disc segments on opposite sides of said shafts and means for removably joining said disc segments.
Claim 27
Independent Claim
197 words
An apparatus for applying glue to cartons, comprising: a. conveyor means for moving successive cartons along a prescribed path; and b. a hot melt glue applicator disposed adjacent and below said path of travel for applying to the flaps of the cartons a thermoplastic glue which is solid at room temperature, said hot melt glue applicator including a glue pot having an upwardly open glue carrying cavity, means for heating said glue pot to maintain the glue in said cavity in a melted and liquid condition, and applicator discs rotatably carried by said pot, said applicator discs being at positions in said pot such that the lower peripheral portions of said discs are normally submerged in the glue carried in said pot, said discs being rotatable and being disposed sufficiently close to said path of travel that the upper peripheries of said discs engage said flaps of said cartons for transferring the glue on the peripheries to said flaps as said flaps are engaged with said peripheries of said discs, said applicator includes a shaft, said discs each includes abutting separable disc segments on opposite sides of said shafts and means for removably joining said disc segments.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-09-01 | 1979-03-03 | 1979-09-02 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-09-01 | 1983-03-03 | 1983-09-02 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-09-01 | 1987-03-03 | 1987-09-02 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |