US3564981A

US3564981A - Apparatus for producing box components

Info

Publication number: US3564981A
Application number: US725879A
Authority: US
Inventors: Heinrich Olswald; Knut Lelonek; Otto Czerweny Von Arland; Otwin Schaffer; Fritz Van Endert
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1967-05-03
Filing date: 1968-05-01
Publication date: 1971-02-23
Anticipated expiration: 1988-02-23

Abstract

Flat, stiff blanks for match box sleeves are withdrawn from a stack in a magazine by a belt and transferred to a shaping bar about which they are draped by a system of belts and rollers. Edges of the blank are covered with adhesive prior to draping and glued to each other.

Description

United States Patent Inventors Otto Czerweny Von Arland;

Fritz Van Endert, Dusseldorf-Oberkassel; Knut Lelonek, Starnberg;

Heinrich Olswald Otterfing; OtwinSchatfer, Munich,

Germany May 1,1968

Feb. 23, 1971 said Van Endert;

said Lelonek; said Olswald; said Schaffer; assignors to said Von Arland May 3, 1967 Germany Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignees Priority APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING BO COMPONENTS 4 Claims, 9 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl 93/81, 93/36, 93/52, 93/59, 93/94 Int. Cl B3lb 1/28, 1331b l/62,B3lc 1/00 Field of Search 93/36 (C),

39.1 (P), 52, 59, 81-82, 94 (PX) [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 795,949 8/1905 Wright 93/52 996,785 7/1911 Motz 93/94X 1,136,479 4/1915 Motz 93/52 1,298,586 3/1919 Sidebotham... 93/52 1,375,108 4/1921 Rees 93/59X 1,707,712 4/1929 Cowgill 93/52X 1,985,997 l/1935 Keeran 93/94X 2,915,952 12/1959 ONeil 93/82 3,073,217 l/l963 Spalding..... 93/52 3,122,069 2/ 1964 Lopez 93/52 3,405,611 10/1968 Millich 93/52X 3,439,588 4/ 1969 Taylor 93/94X Primary Examiner-Wayne A. Morse, Jr. Attorney Low and Herman ABSTRACT: Flat, stiff blanks for match box sleeves are withdrawn from a stack in a magazine by a belt and transferred to a shaping bar about which they are draped by a system of belts and rollers. Edges of the blank are covered with adhesive prior to draping and glued to each other.

PATENTED FEB23 IHYI SHEET 3 BF 6 3; 554 9 1 PATENTEUFEawsn SHEET 5 OF 6 3,5 4,9 1

APlPAlRATUS FOR PRODUCING lBOX COMPONENTS The present invention relates generally to the production of open ended prismatic box components and more particularly to apparatus for producing the outer parts of match boxes within which the inner, drawerlike parts can be slid in and out.

In one known apparatus for making such components cut, individual blanks are withdrawn from a magazine, by means of a feed belt which transfers the blanks to conveyor belts. The blanks are coated with adhesive, folded flat by the conveyor belts and removed from the apparatus. Before use, box components produced in this manner must however first be erected.

However in match factories, for example, it is desireable that the boxes be transported without manual labor from the box making apparatus to the machine for inserting the drawer part, and that further operations take place without manual work. This is only possible if the stiff box components have already been erected. Apart from this, the box components are often not sufficiently stiff since they are pressed flat to a degree which is excessive so that such outer box parts will not retain the inner drawer parts, and the matches or other contents will drop out.

One object of the present invention is to avoid these disadvantages.

A further object of the invention is to provide a box component making apparatus which has a high output.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which produces erected stiff box components.

Yet a further object of the invention is to avoid distortion of the box components.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a box component making apparatus which can produce components of different length.

The apparatus in accordance with the invention is intended, also, to make boxes with sharp edges and sides which do not bulge outwards.

In accordance with one aspect the present invention resides in an apparatus for making open ended hollow prismatic box components comprising a shaping bar, means for moving blanks along this bar, and means for simultaneously folding them about the bar so as to envelop it and assume a shape whose internal cross section corresponds to the cross section of the bar, and including belt means of flexible material for conveying the blanks along the bar.

An embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a machine in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view.

FIGS. 3 to 9 are sections on the lines AA, BB, C-C, D-D, E-E, F14 F, G-G of FIGS. 1 and 2, respectively.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2 it can be seen that reference numeral 1 denotes the frame of the apparatus, this frame only being shown in FIG. 2. Reference numeral 2 denotes a magazine which is filled with a stack of blanks 3 from which the box components are to be made. Reference numeral 4 denotes a feed belt which removes the blanks from the magazine one after the other by frictional engagement with a terminal or bottom blank, a stripper or gate 5 serving to prevent more than one blank being removed at a time. After removal from the magazine the blanks are passed along by the belt 4 at the level of the bottom of the magazine and are fed to the transporting parts of the apparatus. This feed system will in what follows be referred to as the belt feed.

The belt feed runs in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 1. The blanks move in the same direction. A small distance upstream from the end of the feed belt 4 the blanks are transferred to two pairs of

conveyor belts

6,7 and 8, 9 (FIG. 3), and are held between the

lower conveyor belts

6, 8 in each pair and the

upper conveyor belts

7, 9. The conveyor belt 6 runs over pulleys or rollers 10, ll, 12, and 13. The conveyor belt 7 runs over pulleys l4, 15, 16. The conveyor belt 8 runs over a pulley 17 which is coaxial to the pulley 10, over a pulley l8, and over pulleys l9 and 20 which are coaxial to pulleys l2 and 13. The conveyor belt 9 runs over the pulley 14', which is coaxial with the pulley 14, a pulley l5, and a pulley 16' which is approximately coaxial with the pulley 16. All four conveyor belts are driven at precisely the same speed by

shafts

21, 22, 23, 24 which are connected by means of nonillustrated toothed belts and gear wheels.

Before the blanks are transferred by the feed belt 4 to the two pairs of

conveyor belts

6, 7, 8, 9, rollers 25 press the blanks onto the feed belt 4 so that the blanks do not run askew.

Owing to the fact that the two pairs of conveyor belts 6. 7. 8. 9 are partly coextensive in the direction of movement with the feed belt 4, distortion of the blanks during transfer from the feed belt to the conveyor belts is prevented even if the speed of the feed belts is not exactly the same as that of the conveyor belts. It has actually been found that a small difference in speed at the transfer position is desirable in order to space out the individual blanks.

Pressure rollers 26 which back the

upper conveying belts

7, 9 are mounted in a nonillustrated manner resiliently, while corresponding rollers 26' for the

lower conveyor belts

6, 8 rotate about fixed axes. To the two sides of the

belts

6, 7, 8,

and 9 are mounted stationary guide rails 27 and 28 (see FIG.

4) which fold the edge portions 3' of the blanks 3 from the flat position into that shown in broken lines through an angle which is greater than for creasing and partly breaking each blank.

As will be gathered from FIGS. 1 and 2, one pair of

conveying belts

6, 7 is somewhat longer than the

other pair

8, 9 for layout reasons. The

belts

6, 7, 8, 9 are followed by a central pair of

conveying belts

29, 30. The belt 29 is placed below the upper belt 30. Pressing rollers 31 for the upper conveyor belt are mounted for resilient displacement while support rollers 32 for the lower conveyor belt rotate about fixed axes.

The

belts

29, 30 and 6, 7, 8, 9 run at precisely the same speed. The pair of

conveyor belts

8, 9 releases the blanks before the pair of

conveyor belts

6 and 7 which retain the blanks until they have been securely engaged by the central pair of

conveyor belts

29, 30.

The lower belt 29 of the central pair of conveyor belts extends as far as the end of the apparatus while the upper belt 30 ends upstream from the position at which the blanks 3 are moved onto a shaping bar or

sword

42, 43. Guide pulleys for the lower central conveyor belt are denoted by

reference numerals

31, 32, 33 and 34 while those for the upper conveyor belt are denoted by

reference numerals

35, 36, and 37. The lower belt 29 is driven by a shaft 38 connected witha wheel 33 and the upper belt is driven by a shaft 39 connected with a wheel or pulley 36.

Adhesive is applied by means of a wheel 40 (see FIG. 2) not illustrated in detail and well known in the art. The speed of rotation of the wheel 40 can be adjusted. It is driven by means of a shaft 41.

The shaping bar or sword is aligned with the pair of

conveyor belts

29 and 30 and consists of two parts 42 and 43 (see 4 FIGS. 6 and 7). The sidewalls 3" of the box component are folded upwards along the part 42. Along the part 43, whose height corresponds to the height of the interior of the box components, edge portions 3 are swung downward into the closed position as shown in FIG. 7. The thickness of the bar or sword corresponds to the interior width of the box component. The belt 29 runs along the lower bar edge and has approximately the same width.

A transport roller 44 which is immediately adjacent to the belt 30 and pulley 36 cannot be brought close enough to the pulley 36 owing to the large diameter of the latter and in order to prevent the blanks from being released, we provide on both sides, somewhat offset, at a position adjacent to the pulley 36, pairs of transport wheels 45, 46, 47, 48 which are driven by a shaft 45 whose speed can be adjusted. Those two pairs of transport wheels take over the conveying of the blank between the pulley 36 and the roller 44.

In the first part of the bar or sword which constitutes a folding up rail 42, the blanks are held between rollers 49 mounted on the rail and the belt 29. On account of the reduction in speed on transfer from the pair of

belts

29, 30 to the rollers 49 of the bar the latter is aligned with the pair of

belts

29 and 30. Since the bar is rigidly fixed in position, the lower support rollers 50, on which the belt 29 runs, are arranged to allow resilient displacement of their axes.

On both sides adjacent to the folding up rail 42 there run

side belts

51, 52 which are supported by a row of

guide rollers

53, 54 whose axes are spaced in a downstream direction along the folding bar 43 starting in a horizontal position and gradually passing into a vertical position. This causes a twisting of the side belts in the longitudinal direction, that is to say along the bar. One lateral or side belt 51 has over support or guide pulleys 55, 56 of which the first one is arranged so that its axis if horizontal while the last one is arranged to that its axis is vertical. The other lateral belt 52 runs over

similar pulleys

57, 58. The two

side belts

51, 52 gradually force the side parts 3" of the blank 3, which rest on it, upwards to induce an upward folding action. During this process the side or lateral belts run at substantially the same speed as the lower belt 29.

At the position adjacent to support 59 for the

folding bar

42, 43 the

side belts

51, 52 complete the pushing of the side parts 3" of the blanks into the upright position. From this position downstream the side belts hold the side parts 3" against the folding bar or sword 43.

As is shown more particularly inFIG. 7 rows of closing rollers 60 and 61 then fold the edge 3' of the box components downwards into the closed position. In the embodiment shown the left edge portion is first folded downwards and is followed by the right portion. Each of the rollers 60, 61 is so shaped that there is a stepwise closing of the flaps as the box component passes from one pair of rollers 60, 61 to the next one. As can be seen from FIG. 7, the two flaps of the blanks are moved downwards one after the other. The last closing rollers 60 and 61 are followed by pressing

rollers

62, 63 as is seen in FIGS. 1 and 8.

The latter rollers are substantially identical and shaped for firmly pressing the folded boxes in order that the adhesive can set somewhat before the box components leave the apparatus. The rollers 64 are arranged inside the closed boxes in two upper rows and two lower rows along the four edges of the sword portion 43 for rotation about axes parallel to the top and bottom faces of the bar and transverse to the direction of bar elongation, so as to reduce the friction between the moving, folded blanks and the sword or shaping bar as the blank is pressed against the bar by the closing rollers 60, 61 and the belt 29 (see FIGS. 7 and 8).

After leaving the bar the box components pass a station in which their edges are again pressed somewhat. This is shown in FIG. 9. All the rollers shown in this FIG. are arranged so that their axes cannot be displaced. They are adjustable. Independently from the

pressing rollers

67, 68 acting on the

belts

51, 52 there are

further rollers

69 and 70 for pressing the upper edges of the closed box components, and pressing

rollers

71, 72 for pressing the superposed edge portion 3. The

rollers

69, 70 and the

rollers

71, 72 are arranged so their positions can be adjusted independently from the positions of the

rollers

67 and 68. Owing to the provision of this roller system the box edges are somewhat over-folded by pressure on the sides so that independently of the action of the creasing rails 27, 28, see FIG. 4, bulging of the sides of the box components is prevented. In other words the spring-back of the folds is decreased.

The

upper rollers

62, 63 are arranged so that their positions can be adjusted laterally and upwards, as is the case with the

rollers

65, 66 and the

belts

51, 52. In order to adapt the apparatus for the production of different box component sizes the only part which needs to be replaced is the bar or

sword

42, 43. Other parts need only be adjusted. Furthermore, box components with greatly differing length can be produced with the apparatus in accordance with the invention.

In order to service the apparatus and remove rejects in operation all the upper and lateral rollers and belts are made so that they can be removed from the shaping bar or sword simply by releasing rapid action detents, which are however not shown. The

lateral belts

51, 52 are driven by means of shafts 73, 74 which are connected with pulleys $6, 58. The speed of the lateral belts and their pulling or braking force can be adjusted in order to be able to draw the side parts of the blanks forwards or backwards and to compensate for the resistance to travel of the blanks on folding.

In the present specification and claims the term belt is to be taken to mean not only leather belts but other flexible bands and also cords.

We claim:

1. An apparatus for making open ended prismatic containers comprising, in combination:

a. an elongated shaping bar of rectangular, elongated cross section so as to have two narrow and two wide longitudinal faces;

b. feeding means for sequentially feeding a plurality of blanks toward said bar, said feeding means including 1. a magazine adapted to hold a stack of blanks, and 2. withdrawing means for individually withdrawing said blanks from said magazine,

3. said withdrawing means including an elongated vn'thdrawing belt member and means for moving said withdrawing belt member longitudinally in frictional contact with a terminal blank of said stack, and for thereby withdrawing said terminal blank from said magazine;

0. guide means extending longitudinally of said bar;

d. transfer means for transferring each blank from said withdrawing belt member to said guide means for engagement thereby, said guide means including 1. a flexible guide belt member extending adjacent one of said narrow faces for receiving a part of said blank between said guide belt member and said one narrow face in simultaneous engagement with said belt member and said face,

2. a plurality of continuous lateral belt members respectively adjacent said wide faces, each lateral belt member defining a surface for contact with said blank, a first end portion of said surface adjacent said transfer means being substantially parallel to said one narrow face, and a second end portion of said surface remote from said transfer means in the direction of elongation of said shaping bar being substantially parallel to one of said wide faces and closely adjacent the same;

3. pressure means for pressing said guide belt member and said lateral belt members toward an engaged blank and respective faces of said bar;

e. drive means for moving said guide belt member and said lateral belt members in said direction away from said transfer means while the transferred blank is frictionally engaged by said guide belt member and said lateral belt members and slidably engages said bar, whereby said blank is folded about said bar so as to envelop said one narrow face and said wide faces, and edge portions of said blank project beyond the other narrow face;

f. closing means for folding said edge portions over said other narrow face; and

g. means for applying adhesive to one of said edge portions prior to said folding thereof over said other narrow face, whereby the blank assumes a shape of an internal cross section corresponding to the cross section of said bar.

2. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said transfer means include a pair of transfer belts, said transfer belts, said withdrawing belt member and said guide belt member having respective blank-engaging faces moving in a common direction during operation of said apparatus, the blank-engaging face of one of said transfer belts being partly coextensive in said common direction with the blank-engaging face of at least one of said transfer and guide belt members.

parallel to said faces and transverse to the direction of elongation of said bar, said guide belt member being moved substantially tangentially to the rollers associated with said one narrow face, and said closing means pressing said blank against the rollers associated with the other narrow face.

Claims

1. An apparatus for making open ended prismatic containers comprising, in combination: a. an elongated shaping bar of rectangular, elongated cross section so as to have two narrow and two wide longitudinal faces; b. feeding means for sequentially feeding a plurality of blanks toward said bar, said feeding means including 1. a magazine adapted to hold a stack of blanks, and 2. withdrawing means for individually withdrawing said blanks from said magazine, 3. said withdrawing means including an elongated withdrawing belt member and means for moving said withdrawing belt member longitudinally in frictional contact with a terminal blank of said stack, and for thereby withdrawing said terminal blank from said magazine; c. guide means extending longitudinally of said bar; d. transfer means for transferring each blank from said withdrawing belt member to said guide means for engagement thereby, said guide means including 1. a flexible guide belt member extending adjacent one of said narrow faces for receiving a part of said blank between said guide belt member and said one narrow face in simultaneous engagement with said belt member and said face, 2. a pluralIty of continuous lateral belt members respectively adjacent said wide faces, each lateral belt member defining a surface for contact with said blank, a first end portion of said surface adjacent said transfer means being substantially parallel to said one narrow face, and a second end portion of said surface remote from said transfer means in the direction of elongation of said shaping bar being substantially parallel to one of said wide faces and closely adjacent the same; 3. pressure means for pressing said guide belt member and said lateral belt members toward an engaged blank and respective faces of said bar; e. drive means for moving said guide belt member and said lateral belt members in said direction away from said transfer means while the transferred blank is frictionally engaged by said guide belt member and said lateral belt members and slidably engages said bar, whereby said blank is folded about said bar so as to envelop said one narrow face and said wide faces, and edge portions of said blank project beyond the other narrow face; f. closing means for folding said edge portions over said other narrow face; and g. means for applying adhesive to one of said edge portions prior to said folding thereof over said other narrow face, whereby the blank assumes a shape of an internal cross section corresponding to the cross section of said bar.

2. withdrawing means for individually withdrawing said blanks from said magazine,

3. pressure means for pressing said guide belt member and said lateral belt members toward an engaged blank and respective faces of said bar; e. drive means for moving said guide belt member and said lateral belt members in said direction away from said transfer means while the transferred blank is frictionally engaged by said guide belt member and said lateral belt members and slidably engages said bar, whereby said blank is folded about said bar so as to envelop said one narrow face and said wide faces, and edge portions of said blank project beyond the other narrow face; f. closing means for folding said edge portions over said other narrow face; and g. means for applying adhesive to one of said edge portions prior to said folding thereof over said other narrow face, whereby the blank assumes a shape of an internal cross section corresponding to the cross section of said bar.

3. In an apparatus as set forth in claim 1, a plurality of rollers spaced longitudinally on said bar for engagement with said blank.

3. said withdrawing means including an elongated withdrawing belt member and means for moving said withdrawing belt member longitudinally in frictional contact with a terminal blank of said stack, and for thereby withdrawing said terminal blank from said magazine; c. guide means extending longitudinally of said bar; d. transfer means for transferring each blank from said withdrawing belt member to said guide means for engagement thereby, said guide means including

4. In an apparatus as set forth in claim 3, said rollers being arranged in respective rows along said narrow longitudinal faces of said shaping bar for rotation about respective axes parallel to said faces and transverse to the direction of elongation of said bar, said guide belt member being moved substantially tangentially to the rollers associated with said one narrow face, and said closing means pressing said blank against the rollers associated with the other narrow face.