Improvements in or relating to methods and apparatus for unfolding and forming cartons.

摘要

1,169,382. Setting-up cartons; sealing carton closure flaps. SERVICE D'EXPLOITATION INDUSTRIELLE DES TABACS ET DES ALLUMETTES. 26 Oct., 1966 [27 Oct., 1965], No. 47946/66. Headings B8C and B8F. Flattened cartons, removed from a magazine, are erected into tubular shape by grippers acting upon the end closure flaps. The rear edge 15, Fig. 2, of a flattened carton, having bottom end closure flaps 7 to 10, and top end closure flaps (71) to (101) to form the base and top end, respectively, is contacted by a flight 16, Fig. 3, of a conveyer 13 and pushed as far as a position 17 whereat the conveyer stops. During the carriage, the flaps 8, (81), 9, (91) are lifted by fixed ramps 21, 22 respectively after sliding up movable ramps 23, (231), respectively. Pressure members 26 on a system rotatable about a point a then bear on a side face 5 of the carton to press the side walls of the carton back on to the conveyer to cause flaps 8, 9, (81) and (91) to be lifted by reaction against the ramps. Grippers 27, also on the system, move to engage the flaps 9, (91) where they are not overlapped by the flaps 8, (81). Dogs 28 clamp the flaps 10, (101) against plates 24 at positions where they are not overlapped by flaps 7, (71). The ramps 23, (231) retract and the system rotates anticlockwise to erect the carton by raising the flaps 9, (91) relative to the flaps 10, (101). When the carton is erected, levers move to close flaps 7, (71), 8, (81). When the ramp 23 returns to its former position, the carton is pushed by conveyers 13 and 32 and the flaps 9, 10 at the bottom end of the cartons are folded inwards by reaction against ramps 21, 33. Ramps 22, 34 cause flaps (91), (101) at the opposite top end to be folded outwardly to rest against faces 5 and 6. An adhesive strip 35 is then applied across the flaps 9 and 10 and the carton is delivered to a rocker unit 38 which rotates about a pivot b to discharge the carton either for direct use or to a station to fold the flaps (71), (81) outwards. Tape applying.-Tape 35, Fig. 3, withdrawn from a reel by the motion of a carton, and moistened at (50), Fig. 6 (not shown), is applied to the base of successive cartons by an applicator pad (51). The tape bridging the gap between adjacent cartons is severed and folded along the carton sides by a unit 43, comprising a knife 44, Fig. 8, and flexible flanges 47 to apply the tape along the sides.