Process and means for preforming containers or cartons from a tube which is formed of a material which can be automatically welded by pressure

Claim 1

A method of preforming containers from a tube containing a liquid and constructed of a material which can be welded by presure, comprising the steps of: (a) advancing a filled tube downward between two endless trains of opposite half-moulds; (b) moving said trains of half-moulds around predetermined paths so that opposite counterpart portions of the moulds simultaneously approach and progressively engage the walls of the tube to shape a series of containers to be formed, with the end portions of adjacent half-moulds defining together transverse welding seats between each set of half-moulds at the junctions between the containers; (c) compressing and welding transverse portions of the tube with a first opposite jaw means during descent of the half-moulds at alternate welding seats to form welded seams defining tube sections corresponding to two containers; (d) separating said sections of the tube through the welded seams made by the first jaw means to disconnect each section corresponding to two containers; (e) compressing and welding transverse portions of each section corresponding to two containers with a second opposite jaw means at the other alternate welding seats during descent of the half-moulds to divide said sections into pairs of containers connected by intermediate welded seams; (f) separating each pair of containers through the intermediate welded seams made by the second jaw means to disconnect the individual preformed containers; and (g) moving said trains of opposite half-moulds around predetermined paths so that opposite counterpart portions thereof simultaneously withdraw and progressively disengage the individual preformed containers.

Claim 2

A method of preforming containers from a tube containing a liquid and constructed of a material which can be welded by presure, comprising the steps of: (a) advancing a filled tube downward between two endless trains of opposite half-moulds; (b) moving said trains of half-moulds around predetermined paths so that opposite counterpart portions of the moulds simultaneously approach and progressively engage the walls of the tube to shape a series of containers to be formed, with the end portions of adjacent half-moulds defining together transverse welding seats between each set of half-moulds at the junctions between the containers; (c) compressing and welding transverse portions of the tube with a first opposite jaw means during descent of the half-moulds at alternate welding seats to form welded seams defining tube sections corresponding to two containers; (d) separating said sections of the tube through the welded seams made by the first jaw means to disconnect each section corresponding to two containers; (e) compressing and welding transverse portions of each section corresponding to two containers with a second opposite jaw means at the other alternate welding seats during descent of the half-moulds to divide said sections into pairs of containers connected by intermediate welded seams; (f) separating each pair of containers through the intermediate welded seams made by the second jaw means to disconnect the individual preformed containers; and (g) moving said trains of opposite half-moulds around predetermined paths so that opposite counterpart portions thereof simultaneously withdraw and progressively disengage the individual preformed containers.

Claim 5

A method of preforming containers from a tube containing a liquid and constructed of a material which can be welded by pressure, comprising the steps of: (a) moving two endless trains of opposite half-moulds around predetermined mould paths including portions adjacent to a predetermined tube path at substantially constant predetermined rates; (b) said half-moulds each comprising an upper angular portion, a straight central portion, and a lower angular portion; (c) continuously advancing the filled tube downward along the tube path between the moving trains of half-moulds at a variable predetermined rate; (d) engaging the tube with the opposite corresponding lower angular portions of the half-moulds while the tube descends at a rate relatively greater than the rate of the half-moulds; (e) engaging the tube with the opposite corresponding straight central portions of the half-moulds while the tube descends at a rate substantially equal to the rate of the half-moulds; (f) engaging the tube with the opposite corresponding upper angular portions of the half-moulds while the tube descends at a rate relatively greater than the rate of the half-moulds; (g) compressing and welding transverse portions of the tube with at least one pair of opposite jaw means to weld the tube at spaced locations therealong during engagement with the half-moulds to form a series of containers connected by welded seams; (h) separating the individual preformed containers at the welded seams therebetween during engagement with the half-moulds; and (i) successively disengaging the opposite corresponding lower, central, and upper portions of the half-moulds from the descending preformed containers to individually release the containers.

Claim 6

A method of preforming containers from a tube containing a liquid and constructed of a material which can be welded by pressure, comprising the steps of: (a) moving two endless trains of opposite half-moulds around predetermined mould paths including portions adjacent to a predetermined tube path at substantially constant predetermined rates; (b) said half-moulds each comprising an upper angular portion, a straight central portion, and a lower angular portion; (c) continuously advancing the filled tube downward along the tube path between the moving trains of half-moulds at a variable predetermined rate; (d) engaging the tube with the opposite corresponding lower angular portions of the half-moulds while the tube descends at a rate relatively greater than the rate of the half-moulds; (e) engaging the tube with the opposite corresponding straight central portions of the half-moulds while the tube descends at a rate substantially equal to the rate of the half-moulds; (f) engaging the tube with the opposite corresponding upper angular portions of the half-moulds while the tube descends at a rate relatively greater than the rate of the half-moulds; (g) compressing and welding transverse portions of the tube with at least one pair of opposite jaw means to weld the tube at spaced locations therealong during engagement with the half-moulds to form a series of containers connected by welded seams; (h) separating the individual preformed containers at the welded seams therebetween during engagement with the half-moulds; and (i) successively disengaging the opposite corresponding lower, central, and upper portions of the half-moulds from the descending preformed containers to individually release the containers.

Claim 8

An apparatus for preforming containers from a tube containing a liquid and constructed of a material which can be welded by pressure, comprising: a descending tube; two endless chain means disposed on each side of the tube and mounted for movement around predetermined paths including portions adjacent to the tube; opposite half-mould means each comprising a lower angular portion, a straight middle portion, and an upper angular portion; said opposite half-mould means being mounted in series on the endless chains to define welding seats between the upper and lower portions of adjacent half-moulds and so that the sides of the descending tube are successively approached with opposite corresponding portions of the half-moulds; first movable jaw means for engaging and compressing the tube to form a welded seam between alternate half-mould means; means for separating the welded seams formed by the first jaw means to disconnect sections of the tube corresponding to two containers; second jaw means positioned below and operated in synchronism with the first jaw means for engaging and compressing the tube between the other alternate half-mould means to form intermediate welded seams between the seams made by the first jaw means; and means for separating the intermediate welded seams formed by the second jaw means to divide the sections of the tube corresponding to two containers into individual containers.

Claim 9

An apparatus for preforming containers from a tube containing a liquid and constructed of a material which can be welded by pressure, comprising: a descending tube; two endless chain means disposed on each side of the tube and mounted for movement around predetermined paths including portions adjacent to the tube; opposite half-mould means each comprising a lower angular portion, a straight middle portion, and an upper angular portion; said opposite half-mould means being mounted in series on the endless chains to define welding seats between the upper and lower portions of adjacent half-moulds and so that the sides of the descending tube are successively approached with opposite corresponding portions of the half-moulds; first movable jaw means for engaging and compressing the tube to form a welded seam between alternate half-mould means; means for separating the welded seams formed by the first jaw means to disconnect sections of the tube corresponding to two containers; second jaw means positioned below and operated in synchronism with the first jaw means for engaging and compressing the tube between the other alternate half-mould means to form intermediate welded seams between the seams made by the first jaw means; and means for separating the intermediate welded seams formed by the second jaw means to divide the sections of the tube corresponding to two containers into individual containers.