Display container loader

Claim 2

A display container loader comprising: a. counting means for discretely counting packets to be loaded into a display container, said counting means including a packet delivery means, said packet delivery means comprising a conveyor belt for transporting packets, end to end, into a star-wheel, said star-wheel upending each of said packets to thereby discretely separate each of said packets one from another, said packets being fed by said star-wheel into a system of collatIng belts which carry the discretely separated and upended packets by their edges past a counting station; b. collating means responsive to said counting means, for collecting a predetermined number of packets into a group; and c. loading means for loading said group of packets into said display container.

Claim 3

The display container loader according to claim 1, wherein said counting means includes a light source and a photo-cell located at said counting station, said light source producing a light beam which is broken by packets passing through said station, said photo-cell thereby producing a count pulse upon the passage of each packet.

Claim 4

A display container loader according to claim 2, wherein said counting means includes an electronic counter connected to said photo-cell, said counter producing an output control signal upon reaching a count which corresponds to said predetermined number of packets, said counter resetting to zero count upon reaching a count which corresponds to said predetermined number of packets and upon producing said output control signal.

Claim 5

A display container loader according to claim 3, wherein said collating belt system includes a first and a second collating belt running symmetrically in a direction about an axis in a first horizontal plane and spaced apart by approximately the width of a packet, and a third and fourth collating belt running symmetrically in said direction about said axis in a second horizontal plane, said third and fourth belts being spaced by approximately the width of a packet, said first and second planes being spaced apart by less than the height of a packet, said first and second collating belts being urged towards one another by spring biasing means to thereby hold packets for movement therebetween, said third and fourth collating belts being urged towards one another by spring biasing means to thereby hold packets for movement therebetween, said first and second and said third and fourth belts all moving at substantially the same speed.

Claim 6

A display container loader according to claim 4, wherein first and second pneumatically operated gates are provided between said first and second and said third and fourth belts to stop packets from moving with said belts, thereby allowing said packets to accumulate into said groups, said first and second gates operable to open and to thereby allow said group of packets to move to a holding area via said belts, the operation of said gates being controlled by said counter.

Claim 7

A display container loader according to claim 5, wherein said holding area is defined at its side by said belts, at one end by said first and second pneumatic gates and at its opposite end by first and second mechanical gates.

Claim 8

A display container loader according to claim 6, further including a packet group transport box, said box being movable between a first and a second position, said first position being directly adjacent said first and second mechanical gates, said box being open at its top and bottom, said box having a side closed by mechanical doors, lever means provided on said doors for opening said doors when said box is in said first position, said doors being oriented with respect to said first and second mechanical gates so that when said box is in said first position, said first and second mechanical gates are opened, thereby allowing said belts to move said group of packets into said box, said first and second mechanical gates and said doors closing when said box moves away from said first position.

Claim 9

A display container loader according to claim 7, wherein said loading means includes a hopper means for holding display container blanks, said hopper being movable from a first rest position to a second rest position, said hopper having a display container blank delivery end.

Claim 10

A display container loader according to claim 8, wherein said loading means includes a rotary blank delivery means including a display container blank suction holding means, wherein, when said box is in said first position and said hopper is in said first rest position, said delivery means rotates to a first position so that said holding means is adjacent said delivery end, and wherein said hopper then moves to said second rest position thereby contacting a display container blank with said holding means, wherein, said hopper then returns to said first rest postion thereby leaving said blank affixed to said holding means and removed from said hopper, said delivery means then rotating to a second position.

Claim 11

A display container loader according to claim 9, wherein said loading means further includes a display container forming die located in a table of said loader, mounted in a horizontal plane, the second position of said delivery means and the second position of said box being directly over said forming die so that said delivery means places said blank over said forming die in said second position and then returns to said first position, said box then moving to said second position thereby placing said group of packets over said blank and said forming die.

Claim 12

A display container loader according to claim 10, wherein said display container blank is comprised of a bottom portion having a first pair of opposite edges and a second pair of opposite edges; a front and a back portion connected to said first pair of opposite edges, said front and back portions each having side edges to which glue tabs are connected, said blank also having side portions connected to said second pair of opposite edges.

Claim 13

A display container loader according to claim 10, wherein said loader means further includes a ram which moves downwardly through the open top of said box to contact said group of packets, said ram further moving in a downward direction so as to force said blank and said group of packets through said forming die, thereby folding the back and front portions of said blank at approximately 90* to said bottom portion around said group of packets.

Claim 14

A display container loader according to claim 12, wherein said loading means further comprises four L-shaped plates located adjacent to the four corners of said group of packets, said four L-shaped plates being moved toward said corners thereby folding said glue tabs against said group of packets at approximately 90* with respect to said front and back portions.

Claim 15

A display container loader according to claim 13, wherein said group of packets and said container blank are pushed through a pair of rollers by said ram and a subsequent container-packet group thereby folding said side portions against said group of packets and against said glue tabs.

Claim 16

A display container loader according to claim 14, wherein said group of packets and said container blank are moved, by said ram and subsequent container-packet groups into a heating means located at said four corners of said group of packets, said heating means activating hot melt glue on said glue tabs to thereby bond said glue tabs to said side portions to form said display container filled with said group of packets.

Claim 17

A display container loader according to claim 15, wherein said loading means further comprises a cooling means which holds said display container and said group of packets in their formed configuration until said hot melt glue cools.

Claim 18

A display container loader according to claim 15, wherein said heating means are electrically controlled to prevent over heating of said display container and said group of packets.