US4233802A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Packaging machine
Assignee: Booth Manufacturing Co
•
Filing: 1979-01-25
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Granted: 1980-11-18
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Expires: 1999-01-25
Abstract
Abstract A packaging machine for automatically packaging articles in a honeycomb structure which includes mechanisms for providing a honeycomb structure in an expanded condition in a loading station. The articles to be packaged are directed into the loading station, dropped into the expanded honeycomb structure, and the articles and honeycomb are subsequently dropped into the container. This is automatically done on a repeated basis until the container is filled, after which the container is automatically moved out of the loading station and a new container is moved into place.
Inventors
- 👤 John L. Booth
- 👤 Peter A. Rittmaster
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 04:04
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65B; B65B35/00; B65B35/30; B65B35/36; B65B35/38; B65B25/00; B65B25/02; B65B25/04; B65B25/046; B65B43/00; B65B43/26; B65B43/30; B65B43/305
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
164 words
A machine for automatically packaging articles into expanded honeycomb and into a container comprising means for locating a container at a loading station of the packaging machine to be filled and moving the container out of the loading station after it has been filled, means for loading articles to be packaged on a carrier assembly disposed outside of the loading station, means for moving said carrier assembly into and out of the loading station of the packaging machine, means for automatically providing in said loading station below said carrier assembly a honeycomb expander tray on which is located a separator sheet and an open honeycomb section for receiving articles and for removing the tray after the honeycomb section and separator sheet have been removed therefrom, and means for lifting said articles from said carrier assembly and depositing them in said open honeycomb and subsequently lifting the filled honeycomb and separator sheet from said tray and then depositing the same in a container located therebelow.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
164 words
A machine for automatically packaging articles into expanded honeycomb and into a container comprising means for locating a container at a loading station of the packaging machine to be filled and moving the container out of the loading station after it has been filled, means for loading articles to be packaged on a carrier assembly disposed outside of the loading station, means for moving said carrier assembly into and out of the loading station of the packaging machine, means for automatically providing in said loading station below said carrier assembly a honeycomb expander tray on which is located a separator sheet and an open honeycomb section for receiving articles and for removing the tray after the honeycomb section and separator sheet have been removed therefrom, and means for lifting said articles from said carrier assembly and depositing them in said open honeycomb and subsequently lifting the filled honeycomb and separator sheet from said tray and then depositing the same in a container located therebelow.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
85 words
A packaging machine as set forth in claim 1 in which the means for moving the container into and out of the loading station includes a conveyor which when actuated moves the container into the loading station, means for stopping the container at a prescribed location in the loading station, and means for lifting the container into the desired proximate location relative to said expander tray to receive the filled honeycomb and separator sheet assembly, and for lowering the container after it has been filled.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
73 words
A packaging machine as set forth in claim 1 in which there is included a carriage assembly for holding the articles to be packaged adjacent the carrier assembly, guide means for guiding the articles from said carriage assembly onto the carrier assembly into the desired position relative thereto, and track means for guiding the carrier assembly into and out of the loading station in the prescribed sequence during the operation of the machine.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
36 words
A packaging machine in accordance with claim 3 in which the carriage assembly includes a plurality of chute sections and means for retaining the articles in the carriage assembly as it is moved into the machine.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
28 words
A packaging machine in accordance with claim 4 in which the means for retaining the articles in the carriage assembly includes end stop means and a bottom support.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
26 words
A packaging machine in accordance with claim 3 in which the carrier assembly includes a plurality of cup members for receiving the articles to be packaged.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
34 words
A packaging machine in accordance with claim 6 including means for adjusting the position of the cups into a nested relationship for accurately locating the articles relative to the expanded honeycomb provided for same.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
62 words
A packaging machine in accordance with claim 1 in which the means for providing a separator sheet onto said expander tray includes a suction cup assembly located adjacent the loading station, and means for operating said suction cup assembly to contact the upper sheet of a stack of separator sheets and subsequently dropping a sheet into the bottom of said expander tray.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
101 words
A packaging machine in accordance with claim 8 in which there are means provided for pivotally mounting the expander tray so it can be moved into and out of the loading station, said means for moving said expander tray into and out of the loading station including a cylinder which engages a bracket secured to an end of said expander tray, means for providing a compressed section of honeycomb into said expander tray on top of said separator sheet when it is located outside of the loading station, and means for expanding the compressed section of honeycomb in its expander tray.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
54 words
A packaging machine in accordance with claim 9 in which the means for providing a compressed section of honeycomb includes a honeycomb tray disposed adjacent the loading station and containing a plurality of sections of compressed honeycomb, and means for engaging a section of said compressed honeycomb and depositing it into said expander tray.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
39 words
A packaging machine in accordance with claim 9 in which the means for expanding the compressed section of honeycomb in said expander tray includes honeycomb gripping assemblies that engage the compressed honeycomb and expand it to its open position.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
103 words
A packaging machine in accordance with claim 11 in which the honeycomb gripping assemblies include a pair of rods disposed on opposite sides of the compressed honeycomb on which are located a plurality of suction cup assemblies, means for resiliently biasing the suction cup assemblies located on the outer ends of said rods towards the rod ends but permitting them to be moved inwardly during the expansion of the honeycomb to accommodate the reduction in width of the honeycomb during expansion thereof, and guide means on said expander tray for biasing the outwardly disposed suction cups inwardly during the expansion of the honeycomb.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
130 words
A packaging machine in accordance with claim 12 in which one of the rods remains fixed relative to the expander tray and the other rod is moved longitudinally to expand to the honeycomb, means secured to said movable rod for moving said rod at the desired time sequence, the guide means on the expander tray includes cam surfaces constructed and arranged to engage the outwardly disposed suction cup assemblies of the movable rod to move them inwardly, said guide means including guide rails pivotally secured to said expander tray and positioned to be engaged by the outwardly disposed cup assemblies located on the movable rod, which movement results in the guide rails engaging the outwardly disposed cup assemblies located on the stationary rod to move them inwardly the prescribed amount.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
105 words
A packaging machine in accordance with claim 1 in which the lifting and container loading assembly for raising the articles off the carrier assembly, placing them in the expanded honeycomb, and raising the expanded honeycomb, separator sheet and articles out of the expander tray, and subsequently depositing the articles, expanded honeycomb and separator sheet into the container after the expander tray has been removed includes a vertically disposed housing assembly having article pickup means constructed and arranged to pick up the articles off the carrier and deposit them in the container along with means for picking up the separator sheet and the filled expanded honeycomb.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
123 words
A packaging machine in accordance with claim 14 in which the housing assembly includes a vacuum housing having depending therefrom a plurality of cups constructed and arranged to engage the articles located on the carrier assembly, cylinder means for raising and lowering said vacuum box into and out of contact with said articles, means for providing a suction in said housing whereby when the cups engage the articles air acting to flow into the vacuum box will cause a pressure differential tending to hold the articles in position relative to the cups and for admitting atmospheric air to said vacuum box to release the articles from the cups when the separator sheet and filled honeycomb are deposited in the box to be filled.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
42 words
A packaging machine in accordance with claim 15 in which the means for picking up the separator sheet and filled honeycomb include suction cup assemblies connected to said vacuum housing engaging the separator sheet and raising it along with the expanded honeycomb.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
27 words
A packaging machine as set forth in claim 1 in which means are provided for sequentially loading a plurality of layers of said articles into a container.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
76 words
Method of automatically packaging articles in a shipping box including the steps of loading articles on a carrier, moving the carrier into a loading station, providing in the loading station a separator sheet and expanded honeycomb section, raising the articles off the carrier, withdrawing the carrier, depositing the articles in the expanded honeycomb on top of the separator sheet, raising the filled honeycomb and separator sheet and then depositing it as a unit into a box.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
76 words
Method of automatically packaging articles in a shipping box including the steps of loading articles on a carrier, moving the carrier into a loading station, providing in the loading station a separator sheet and expanded honeycomb section, raising the articles off the carrier, withdrawing the carrier, depositing the articles in the expanded honeycomb on top of the separator sheet, raising the filled honeycomb and separator sheet and then depositing it as a unit into a box.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
57 words
A method as set forth in claim 18 wherein the steps of loading articles onto the carrier include the steps of initially placing a preselected quantity of articles in a carriage assembly, adjusting the carrier, retaining the articles in said carriage assembly, moving the carriage assembly above the carrier, and then depositing the articles in the carrier.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method as set forth in claim 18 wherein the articles located in the carrier are repositioned to conform the location to that of the expanded honeycomb section.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
66 words
A method as set forth in claim 18 in which the steps of providing a separator sheet and expanded honeycomb in the loading station consists of first depositing a separator sheet and a compressed sheet of honeycomb into a tray disposed outside the loading station, expanding the honeycomb and retaining it in the expanded condition in the tray while moving the tray into the loading station.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
106 words
A method as set forth in claim 18 in which the steps of raising the articles off the carrier, placing the articles into the expanded honeycomb, then raising the articles, expanded honeycomb and separator sheet and depositing the articles, expanded honeycomb and separator sheet into the box includes the steps of first gripping the articles to remove them from the carrier and moving the articles to a raised position, removing the carrier and lowering the articles into the expanded honeycomb and then raising the articles, expanded honeycomb and separator sheet off the expander tray in which it has been located and then removing the expander tray.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
48 words
A method as set forth in claim 21 in which the articles are retained in position during its raising action by establishing a pressure differential through the flowing of air past the articles into a vacuum chamber and releasing the articles by venting the vacuum chamber to atmosphere.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method as set forth in claim 18 including the steps of providing a plurality of layers of articles in the shipping box.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
FR1105105A
Cited
US3318068A
Cited
US3300945A
Cited
US3431698A
Cited
GB1314057A
Cited
US3683582A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1983-11-18 | 1984-05-19 | 1984-11-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1987-11-18 | 1988-05-19 | 1988-11-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1991-11-18 | 1992-05-19 | 1992-11-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |