Improvements relating to packaging machines

摘要

1,120,950. Seaming non-metallic sheet material. ANDERSON. BROS. MFG. CO. 30 March, 1967 [24 May, 1966], No. 14499/67. Heading B5K. [Also in Division B8] In a packaging machine of the kind in which open topped containers are moved in pockets of an endless conveyer past means closing them by sealing covering material on them, the conveyer pockets include teeth which mesh with teeth on the sealing means so that the conveyer drives the latter. In the machine described, filling, cover sealing and package separating means all have sprockets engaged by the conveyer teeth. Containers C are fed from the base of a vertical stack, Fig. 1 (not shown), by means not described and dropped into open bottomed pockets 52 on the conveyer. The pockets are held between hinged chain plates 55 from which protrude the drive teeth 110 and extensions 59 of the hinge pins. The extensions 59 are engaged by notches 96 in conveyer sprockets (72), 74, the sprockets rotating at constant speed and imparting a variable velocity to the chains. A cover web 37 is applied by a rotary sealer head, see particularly Fig. 7, having a driven sprocket 157, the head having three rectangular sealing areas and heater elements 218 for three successive containers. The pockets have resilient facings beneath the container flanges co-operating with the sealing areas. Transverse sealing is timed to take place during periods of minimum velocity of the conveyer and as greater sealing pressure is required at this time, the sealing head is drawn down with additional forces by piston and cylinder means (162), (1621), Figs. 8, 11 (not shown), attached to vertically slideable end bearings. When the machine stops, springs (166, 1661) raise the head clear of the container.