| 摘要 |
A carton loading and forming machine having a carton dispenser magazine which includes a walking beam mechanism arranged to underlie portions of the carton blanks in the magazine for moving the carton blanks towards the discharge end of the magazine. The magazine is adapted to suspend the blanks from support rails disposed at opposite sides of the blanks and arranged above the center of gravity of the blanks so that the blanks hang freely from the support rails. The machine also includes transfer means for transferring carton blanks from the dispenser to a wrapping station. The transfer means including a laterally extending carton blank conveyor for moving carton blanks laterally from the dispenser mechanism to the carton wrapping station. Plow blades are provided adjacent the conveyor to fold the carton blanks, as they travel along the conveyor, to a generally U-shaped configuration opening in a direction to receive a mandrel travelling along the wrapping path. The apparatus also provides a plurality of carton forming mandrels and a mandrel exchange station in which the mandrels may be speedily removed and replaced by mandrels of different size. The apparatus is readily adaptable for use with carton blanks of different lengths by reason of the fact that the first end flap is closed as it is moved along a first datum plane which is fixed with respect to the wrapping machine and the second end of the carton is closed as it is moved along the second datum plane which is also fixed with respect to the wrapping machine. The first and second datum planes do not move with respect to the wrap-around carton forming machine to accomodate variations in length of the carton. The adjustments required to accomodate cartons of different lengths are, therefore, minimal. The apparatus also provides wrap-around carton mandrels each of which carry its own plunger mechanism which is used for dispensing the partially wrapped article from the mandrel. The plunger mechanisms are guided by simple overhead guide rails as the mandrels are moved through the various stations.
|
