Folding and gluing machine

Claim 2

In a machine for folding carton blanks along score lines, gluing down a glue flap on the carton, and delivering the glued carton to the supply magazine of a cartoner machine where the carton is erected and then filled by moving the erected carton along a filling path: means to clamp and pull each carton blank progressively through folding and gluing stations along a folding axis parallel to but spaced from the filling path of the cartoner machine with said one score line also being parallel to said filling path as the blank is being moved through said folding and gluing stations; means at said stations respectively to fold the blank and glue said glue flap to an opposed surface of the blank; means to invert the blank after it is glued and while it is still clamped; and means to deliver the inverted blank to the supply magazine of the cartoner machine.

Claim 3

A machine according to claim 1 in which the means to fold the blank comprises an elongated barlike anvil extended parallel to said filling path and cooperating folder blades opposed thereto for bending panels of the carton blank against said anvil.

Claim 4

A machine according to claim 1 having means at said delivery station to cradle the glued blank, to break the glued blank along score lines, and to deliver the broken blank directly to the supply magazine of the cartoner.

Claim 5

A machine according to claim 1 having a supply magazine for the blanks to be folded and said magazine including rear support fingers on which the supply of blanks is stacked, pivotally mounted vacuum draw-down means to extract the lowermost blank in the supply stack, and the pivot for said draw-down means being so placed that the lowermost blank in the supply is pulled forwardly off the rear support fingers with a forward motion component.

Claim 6

A machine according to claim 1 having spaced spring-closed clamps attached to an endless chain for clamping a leading edge of the carton blanks and pulling them through the folding and gluing stations, a sprocket downstream of the gluing station for inverting the chain to invert the glued blank, a sprocket adjacent the carton blank supply magazine for re-inverting the chain, means adjacent said carton blank supply station for opening each clamp to grab an extracted blank, and means to open the clamp to release the glued blank.

Claim 7

A machine according to claim 2 in which the means to fold the blank comprises: a pair of folder blades and a cooperating anvil on one side of said folding axis for making successive 90° bends about one score line of the carton; a pair of folder blades and cooperating anvil on the other side of said folding axis for making successive 90° bends about a second score line of the carton; and said first pair of folder blades and cooperating anvil being supported for adjustment toward and away from said axis.

Claim 8

A machine according to claim 6 including means positioned between the folder blades of the second pair to apply glue to the carton before the last of the 90° bends is made.

Claim 9

In a carton folding machine where a carton blank having a glue flap is folded on two score lines progressively into flat shell form after which the glue flap is adhered to an opposed outside carton surface to afford a shell which is to be pre-broken along two additional score lines to render final erection easier in a cartoner machine, and wherein one of the fold lines is also an orienting datum line: means for transporting the blank along a predetermined feed axis through progressive folding and gluing stations without altering the orientation of the datum line; means for inverting the glued shell; means for turning the inverted shell through a 90° angle in a horizontal plane and for depositing the shell in a pre-breaker cradle at a pre-breaker station with said datum line reoriented by the same angle; and a pre-breaker cradle at the pre-breaker station for erecting the carton and for delivering the carton out of the pre-breaker station without altering the angular orientation of said datum line.

Claim 10

In a carton folding machine where a carton blank having a glue flap is folded on two score lines progressively into flat shell form after which the glue flap is adhered to an opposed outside carton surface to afford a shell which is to be pre-broken along two additional score lines to render final erection easier in a cartoner machine, and wherein one of the fold lines is also an orienting datum line: means for transporting the blank along a predetermined feed axis through progressive folding and gluing stations without altering the orientation of the datum line; means for inverting the glued shell; means for turning the inverted shell through a 90° angle in a horizontal plane and for depositing the shell in a pre-breaker cradle at a pre-breaker station with said datum line reoriented by the same angle; and a pre-breaker cradle at the pre-breaker station for erecting the carton and for delivering the carton out of the pre-breaker station without altering the angular orientation of said datum line.

Claim 11

A carton folding machine according to claim 8 juxtaposed to the carton blank supply magazine of a cartoner machine in which the carton is to be filled, and in which said pre-breaker station and the carton blank supply magazine are paralleled to said datum line so the broken carton in the pre-breaker station may be delivered directly from the pre-breaker station to said carton blank supply magazine.

Claim 12

A carton folding machine according to claim 9 in which the pre-breaker cradle includes a pair of pivotally supported upwardly inclined arms presenting stops for capturing opposed side edges of the glued shell, and means for pivoting the arms downwardly along arcs which approach one another and then depart from one another first to bend the carton to erect position and then to deliver the broken carton from the pre-breaker station.

Claim 13

A carton folding machine according to claim 9 in which the transporting means includes a clamp pivotally mounted on an endless conveyor, guide means for pivoting the clamp through said 90° angle, and means to open the clamp to drop the glued shell in the prebreaker cradle.

Claim 14

A carton folding machine according to claim 9 having a sensor in position to detect the level of cartons in the cartoner supply magazine.

Claim 15

A carton folding machine according to claim 10 juxtaposed to the carton blank supply magazine of a cartoner machine and in which said arms of said cradle deliver the broken carton directly to said carton blank supply magazine.

Claim 16

In a machine for folding carton blanks along score lines, gluing down a glue flap on the carton, and delivering the glued carton to the supply magazine of a cartoner machine where the carton is first erected and then filled by moving the erected carton along a filling path, and wherein the carton has one score line denoting a datum line having an orientation in said supply magazine at right angles to said filling path: means to clamp and pull each carton blank progressively through folding and gluing stations along an axis parallel to but spaced from the filling path of the cartoner machine with said one score line also being parallel to said filling path as the blank is being moved through said folding and gluing stations; means at said stations respectively to fold the blank and glue said glue flap to an opposed surface of the blank; means to invert the blank after it is glued and while it is still clamped; means to turn the glued blank in a horizontal plane after it is inverted and to advance the turned blank to a delivery station with said one fold line oriented parallel to and substantially coincident with said datum line in the cartoner supply magazine; and means to deliver the so-oriented blank to the supply magazine of the cartoner machine.

Claim 17

In a machine for folding carton blanks along score lines, gluing down a glue flap on the carton, and delivering the glued carton to the supply magazine of a cartoner machine where the carton is first erected and then filled by moving the erected carton along a filling path, and wherein the carton has one score line denoting a datum line having an orientation in said supply magazine at right angles to said filling path: means to clamp and pull each carton blank progressively through folding and gluing stations along an axis parallel to but spaced from the filling path of the cartoner machine with said one score line also being parallel to said filling path as the blank is being moved through said folding and gluing stations; means at said stations respectively to fold the blank and glue said glue flap to an opposed surface of the blank; means to invert the blank after it is glued and while it is still clamped; means to turn the glued blank in a horizontal plane after it is inverted and to advance the turned blank to a delivery station with said one fold line oriented parallel to and substantially coincident with said datum line in the cartoner supply magazine; and means to deliver the so-oriented blank to the supply magazine of the cartoner machine.

Claim 18

A machine according to claim 14 having a supply magazine for the blanks to be folded and said magazine including rear support fingers on which the supply of blanks is stacked, pivotally mounted vacuum draw-down means to extract the lowermost blank in the supply stack, and the pivot for said draw-down means being so placed that the lowermost blank in the supply is pulled forwardly off the rear support fingers with a forward motion component.

Claim 19

A machine according to claim 15 in which the means to fold the blank comprises an elongated barlike anvil extended parallel to said filling path and cooperating folder blades opposed thereto for bending panels of the carton blank against said anvil.

Claim 20

A machine according to claim 15 having means at said delivery station to cradle the glued blank, to break the glued blank along score lines, and to deliver the broken blank directly to said supply magazine with said one fold line square to said datum line.

Claim 21

A machine according to claim 17 having spaced spring-closed clamps attached to an endless chain for clamping a leading edge of the carton blanks and pulling them through the folding and gluing stations, a sprocket downstream of the gluing station for inverting the chain to invert the glued blank, a sprocket adjacent the carton blank supply magazine for re-inverting the chain, means adjacent said carton blank supply station for opening each clamp to grab an extracted blank, and means adjacent the delivery station to open the clamp to release the glued blank.

Claim 22

A machine according to claim 18 having spaced spring-closed clamps attached to an endless chain for clamping a leading edge of the carton blanks and pulling them through the folding and gluing stations, a sprocket downstream of the gluing station for inverting the chain to invert the glued blank, a sprocket adjacent the carton blank supply magazine for re-inverting the chain, means adjacent said carton blank supply station for opening each clamp to grab an extracted blank, and means adjacent the delivery station to open the clamp to release the glued blank.