Method and means for packaging cans having chines at the ends thereof

April 26, 1960 h. g. gentry 2,933,867

METHOD AND MEANS FOR PACKAGING CANS HAVING

CHINES AT THE ENDS THEREOF

Filed Feb. 24, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet-1

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HERMOND G. GENTRY

BY

ATTORNEYS

April 26, 1960 h. g. gentry 2,933,867

METHOD AND MEANS FOR PACKAGING CANS HAVING

CHINES AT THE ENDS THEREOF

Filed Feb. 24, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2

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April 26, 1960 h. g. gentry 2,933,867

METHOD AND MEANS FOR PACKAGING CANS HAVING

CHINES AT THE ENDS THEREOF

Filed Feb. 24, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 3

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ArTCffHEY'S

2,933,867

Patented Apr. 26, 1960

United States Patent Office

2,933,867

METHOD AND MEANS FOR PACKAGING CANS HAVING CHINES AT THE ENDS THEREOF

Hermond G. Gentry, Atlanta, Ga., assignor io Mead Packaging, Inc., a corporation of Ohio

Application February 24,1959, Serial No. 795,086

Claims. (Cl. 53—29) element arranged at the bottom wall portion of a wrapper carton such as is illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional detail taken substantially at the line 8—8 in Fig. 7; and

Fig. 9 is a further transverse sectional detail taken substantially at the line 9—9 in Fig. 7.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, and in particular at first to the representative wrapper blank and package formed therefrom as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, to illustrate the packaging result obtained with the apparatus and according to the method of the present invention, the reference numeral 100 indicates generally a paperboard wrapper blank such as is disclosed in the above noted copending application Serial No. 771,033 and which, as seen in Fig. 1, comprises a top wall panel 101, a pair of side wall panels 102 and 103 at opposite sides of the top wall panel 101, and a pair of bottom wall lap panels 104 and 105 respectively associated with the side wall panels 102 and 103; and all of which panels are arranged as a foldably hinged series in a blank of elongated form.

When folded and secured about a package group of cans C, the paperboard wrapper 100 assumes the form illustrated in Fig. 2 in which the top wall panel 101 is shown arranged across the top of the packaged rows of 25 cans C, with the side wall panels 102 and 103 folded downwardly at the sides thereof and the bottom wall lap panels 104 and 105 overlapped therebeneath; while upper and lower chine engaging positioning slots 106 and 107 are spaced along the foldably hinged edges of the side chine separating means are provided at 108 and 109.

The upper chine separating means 108 comprises a pair of tabs formed in the top wall panel 101 along medial hinge lines at 110 and 111 as seen in Fig. 1, for folding ³⁵ downwardly in separating relation between the upper chines of the cans C at the ends of the rows forming the package group as seen in Fig. 2. Alternatively, additional tabs 108 may be comparably arranged for medial separation of further or all adjacent chines of the cans C ⁴⁰ if desired, as fully adequate space otherwise remains in the top wall panel 101 for locating depressible tabs 112 at the dead spaces between the cans C of the package group to provide finger apertures for carrying purposes.

It should also be noted that the tabs 108, as illustrated, are specially arranged in the top wall panel 101 in that the hinged extent thereof is arranged oppositely from the respective medial hinge lines 110 and 111. This arrangement allows the apparatus for manipulating the tabs 108 to a chine separating disposition to be arranged for particular operating advantage as pointed out further below, although the tabs 108 may also be employed effectively with a medially hinged extent all in one direction.

The lower chine separating means 109 comprises a flange formed by a flap member foldably hinged at the ₅₅ overlapped edge of the inner bottom lap panel 104 along a score line 113. This flap member forming the lower chine separating means 109 is also specially formed in that it is located and restricted in length along the score line 113 so as not to extend at the open ends of the ₆₀ wrapper 100 substantially beyond the point at which the bottom edge chines of the respective end pairs of packaged cans C are adjacent; so that the inner and outer bottom lap panels 104 and 105 may have the end edges thereof relieved diagonally toward the overlapping edges 05 thereof as illustrated at 114 and 115, respectively, to maintain substantially the entire extent of these end edges within the cylindrical outline of the end pairs of cans C, as seen best in Fig. 3, for the purpose disclosed in the previously noted copending application Serial No. ₇0 771,033; or so that end locking means (not shown) may alternatively be provided as also disclosed in that copending application.

in be an

This invention relates to the packaging of articles paperboard wrapper cartons of the type adapted to folded and secured about a group of articles to form open-ended merchandising package or the like, and more particularly to the formation of packages of this sort containing cans having chines at the ends thereof and arranged in two aligned rows with medial partition elements of the wrapper carton disposed in separating relation between the adjacent chines of the can rows for positioning the cans to better advantage within the package.

Copending application Serial No. 771,033, filed October 31, 1958, discloses a wrapper enclosed package arrangement incorporating medial partition elements disposed in the above noted manner, while U. S. Patent No. 2,751,730, issued December 21, 1954, discloses an apparatus and ---_r------₌ ---------- . _ method for automatically packaging articles in wrapper ³⁰ wall panels 102 and 103, and upper and lower medial blanks which is modified according to the present inven- ' ’ --------------- ^lna °'^{1 ino} tion for effective handling of wrapper cartons incorporating medial partition elements so as to form packages such as are illustrated and described in the above identified ₍copending application.

According to the present invention, the medial partition elements are automatically folded and disposed between the adjacent chines of aligned can rows in a package group, while the package group and the wrapper carton therefor are maintained continuously traveling through the packaging apparatus. The arrangement provided for folding the medial partition elements and disposing them between the can chines functions in the normal course of operation of the packaging apparatus without rearranging substantially or complicating the manner in which this apparatus is employed generally and without slowing down its production rate, all as described in further detail below in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a wrapper blank incorporating medial partition elements to provide a package arrangement such as may be formed by the method of, and on apparatus arranged in accordance with, the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a completed package formed in accordance with the present invention using a wrapper blank such as is shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section detail corresponding to

Fig· 2; . .

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail in side elevation illustrating the arrangement of means in accordance with the present invention for folding and disposing in chine separating relation medial partition elements formed in the top wall portion of a wrapper carton in the manner illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan detail corresponding to

Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary end elevation detail as seen from the right in Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary plan detail of means arranged in accordance with the present invention for folding and disposing in' chine separating relation a medial partition

5,933,867

The wrapper 100 is secured in package form about a group of cans C by locking and retaining tabs 116 and 117 provided intermediately of the rows of cans C, and the wrapper 100 further incorporates lap panel tightening apertures 118 and 119 in the same manner and for the same purpose as is further disclosed in detail in the 771^33 ^ment*°^{ned C0}P^endinS application Serial No.

The apparatus and method of the present invention for automatically packaging groups of cans C in paperboard wrappers 100 of the above described type are illustrated in Figs. 4 to 9 of the drawings, in which Figs. 4, 5 and 6 show the manner of initially manipulating the top wall panel tabs 108 for separating disposition between adjacent upper chines of the rows of cans C.

In. Fig. 4 the manipulating means for the top wall tabs 108 is shown in fragmentary side elevation detail as arranged on automatic packaging apparatus of the type disclosed in the previously noted prior Patent No 2 751 730, and further in U.S. Patent No. 2,809,484, issued October 15, 1957; the reference numeral 10 in Fig. 4 indicating a framing bridge portion of the packaging apparatus frame in which a driven shaft 12 is journaled to form the forward support and drive means for an overhead weighting structure, as indicated at 14, by which ²⁵“^rouP °f ^cans C and an aligned wrapper blank x00, after assembly of the cans C between separating plungers 16 and alignment of the wrapper blank 100 across the top thereof by feeder chains 18, are maintained m properly aligned relation as the apparatus operates continuously to complete the folding and securing of the package.

, According to the present invention, the top wall tabs 108 are manipulated to a chine separating disposition as each wrapper blank 100 is placed in aligned relation across the top of a separated package group of cans C. For this purpose, the wrapper blank feeder chains 18 are arranged with an initial reach spaced above the package groups of cans C and level with the top face of a tab folding support structure indicated generally by the reference numeral 20, the initial spacing above the cans C being _at least _{as great as t}h_e hinged extent of the top wall tabs 108. '

The above mentioned tab folding support structure 20 comprises a pair of horizontal supporting plate portions 22 m which notched openings are formed at 24, and which have downwardly rounded end edge portions at ²f h ^CSA^ln5 ‘ Ϊ Rapper blanks 100 readily thereon, as fed by the feed chains 18, and downwardly inclined delivery end portions 28. The notched plate portion extend T °^{f substantial len}2^{ih and} have apteral extent at least as great as the hinged extent of the ton wall tabs 108 Each of the paired^upporting plate pS ‘ °ⁿ.^{s 22 ars furt}ber formed with vertical flange portions withXX”⁰¹⁰,'? V ³² “ ^lengthwise correspondence XnA*! ,^horizontaI P^Iate Portion openings 24 and in a “J’T^a-^{the hinged extent of the} f°p ™ ¹³⁸&gt; while leaving outwardly rounded lip portions 34 extending within the notches 24 from the end edges thereof adjacent the delivery end of the folding ' support plate structure 20. The respective vertical flange portions 30 of the support plates 22 are attached at opposite faces of a central spacer member 36 that is shaped to clear the flange notches 32 and to form a slot-like . spacing lengthwise between the paired support plates . . As thus arranged, the folding support structure 20 is mounted by bracket arms 36 on the packaging apparatus frame as indicated in Fig. 6.

Above the tab folding support structure 20, and in re- 70 lation to the notched openings 24 and lengthwise slotlike spacing of the paired plate portions 22 thereof, a nub member 38 carrying radially extending tab folding pins 40 is fixed on a shaft 42 that is journaled on bracket extension 44 from the previously mentioned framing 75 bridge 10, and that is driven through a sprocket chain connection 46 from the driven shaft 12 of the overhead weighting means 14 so as to rotate the tab folding pins 40 about the shaft 42 in timed relation to the linear rate of travel of the cans C through the packaging operation, as reflected by the operating motion of the overhead weighting means 14, it being understood that this timed relation might otherwise be established from any other operating means of the packaging apparatus having a com¹ parable motion.

With the packaging apparatus operating continuously to advance package groups of cans C assembled between the separating plungers 16 and to maintain wrapper blanks 100 aligned therewith on the feed chains 18 so as to cause continuous travel of the cans C during packaging as indicated at length in the above noted prior patents, the disposition of the tab folding support structure 20 is such that the central spacer member 36 and the vertical flange portions 30 attached at opposite sides thereof extend downwardly in medial separating relation between the upper end portions of the cans C so as to spread the rows of the continuously advancing can groups outwardly as they pass beneath the support structure 20 (compare Figs. 4 and 6); the entrance ends of the vertical flange portions 30 being beveled at 30' to facilitate the can row spreading and the tops of the can C in the spread rows standing at a level below the lower edges of the vertical flange notches 32.

At the same time, the wrapper blank 100 aligned with each spread group of cans C is advanced continuously across the top face of the support structure 20 by the previously mentioned initial raised reach of the feed chains 18, and the lateral position of each wrapper blank 100 is maintained on the feed chains 18 by side guides 48 so that the respective medial hinge lines 110 and 111 of the top wall tabs 108 are aligned centrally of the lengthwise slot-like spacing between the support strucίη? I ^ate P^o,2^{ions 22 for} downward folding of the tabs 40 ,^{through the}, P^late Portion openings 24 as the wrapper ^bL^an&lt; ,^passes thereover; this downward folding being effected by the previously noted folding pins 40 which extend radially so as to reach through the plate portion openings 24 and are rotated by the shaft 42 at a timing such as to cause the respective pins 40 to bear downward ’ successively on the tabs 108 and fold them to a vertical disposition for entrance between the outwardly rounded lips 34 of the vertical flange portions 30. In this connection, it should be noted that the respective folding pins 40 rotate in planes offset laterally with respect to the )^{ab lnes},^{110 and} Wl, and that as the respective ^tabs I^{08 e},^xtend °PP°^site’y from the hinge lines 110 and 111 the planes m which the pins 40 rotate are correspondingly laterally offset oppositely. The tabs 108 might alternatively be arranged with a hinged extent all in one direction and still be folded successively and effectively with comparably arranged pins if desired, although there is an advantage of substantially balanced folding action m the oppositely offset arrangement illustrated and described above which has the effect of facilitating the ease with which the wrapper blanks 100 ride on the feed chains 18 between the side guides 48 during folding manipulation of the tabs 108. ^b

Upon completion of the above described tab folding and entrance of the downwardly folded tabs 108 between the vertical flange lip portions 34, the lengthwise slot. spacing m the support structure 20 provides for ^{the downwardI}y folded disposition of the tabs 108 between the spaced vertical flange portions 30, as the spread rows of cans C advance continuously along the opposite outer faces of the vertical flanges 30, and as the aligned wrapper blank 100 is carried with a corresponding continuous travel over the top faces of the paired plate portions 22 to the downwardly inclined delivery end portions 28 thereof; and at which end portions the wrapper blank 100 is progressively lowered to

2,933,867 ΰ be delivered directly across the top of the package group of cans C as it passes off of the tab folding support structure 20, while the downwardly folded tabs 108 are inserted in separating relation between adjacent chines of the spread rows of cans C during such lowering.

In order to allow this lowering of the wrapper blank 100 at the inclined delivery end of the support structure 20, the feed chains 18 which are carried on support bars, as indicated at 50 in Fig. 6, follow a corresponding downward incline in these support bars so as to effect a corresponding lowering of these chains 18 from the initial raised reach thereof to a lowered reach substantially level with the tops of the traveling cans C, as indicated in Fig. 4 at 18'. Upon such lowering of the feed chains at 18' they are arranged in exactly the same relation to the traveling cans C as in the above noted prior patents, and they serve exactly the same purpose of maintaining the wrapper blanks 100 in alignment with the package groups of cans C, the only difference being the insertion of the tabs 108 in medial separating relation in the above described manner. The spreading of the rows of cans C for such tab insertion may be suitably allowed for by providing side guide bars 52 for the traveling cans C that have outwardly spread portions, as shown at 52' in Fig. 5, accommodating the can row spreading for the tab insertion and then acting to return the traveling can rows inwardly to their previous package group relation for continuing the packaging operation. Alternatively, the side guide bars 52 may be formed straight, without the spread portions 52', and the necessary spreading of the can rows effected by outward tilting of the cans C at their top portions as they pass along the outer faces of the support structure vertical flanges 30 during the tab insertion.

The succeeding packaging step consists of folding each wrapper blank 100 downwardly at the sides of the related package group of cans C according to the disclosure of the previously noted prior patents in preparation for folding the wrapper bottom wall panels 104 and — -----.. - _c .-,- ,

105 to overlapping relation and simultaneously inserting ⁴⁰ 74 is also of generally angular form with a leg portion the lower chine separating flap 109 by the means and ’ ’ in the manner illustrated in Figs. 7, 8 and 9.

Fig. 7 illustrates an arrangement of the type disclosed in copending application Serial No. 633,641, filed Ian- ----------_--------.,,uarv 11 1957 for folding the wrapper bottom wall panels ⁴⁵ tionally having the delivery end thereof comparably re104 and 105 comprising conveyor means, suitably in the nrethe form of a pair of conveyor belts 54, arranged to travel over a supporting surface as indicated at 56 in Fig. 8, to maintain the continuing advance of the pack- ----------------- . ,..- ,,.

age groups of cans C through the above mentioned step ⁵⁰ wall panel 104 and to effect a preliminary prebreaking of folding the wrapper blanks 100 downwardly at the °” ° -- ------ —™ sides thereof for delivery of the can groups and related wrapper blanks partially folded thereon onto elongated parallel strip members 58 and 60 arranged to receive from the conveyor belts 54 the respective rows of cans C in the successive package groups for sliding therealong from right to left, as seen in Fig. 7, with the downwardly folded wrapper blanks 100 thereon extending below the strip members 58 and 60 for overlapping.

The bottom wall folding means further comprises a pair of plate members 62 and 64 arranged to have the support of the package groups of cans C transferred thereto from the strip members 26 and 28 and to effect overlapping of the downwardly extending bottom wall panels 104 and 105 directly beneath each can group in the course of such transfer. For this purpose, the plate member 60 and 62 extend parallel to, and are parallelly spaced to each side of, the longitudinal axis of the respective strip members 58 and 60, and each of the plate members 62 and 64 have downwardly reaching folding lips 66 and 68 formed at the ends thereof adjacent the strip members 58 and 60, with the respective adjacent ends of the strip members 58 and 60 and plate members 34 and 36 arranged in spaced relation so as to form gaps across which the traveling groups of cans C may pass and still remain continuously supported as the support therefor is transferred from the strip members 58 and 60 to the plate members 62 and 64.

One of the strip members 58 has a lesser length than the other, and the folding lip 66 on the related plate member 62 is spaced in advance of the folding lip 68 on the other plate member 64 so as to time the inward folding of the inner bottom lap panel 104 properly in advance of the other lap panel 105 for overlapping thereof. The plate member 62 having the advanced folding lip 66 thereon is also formed intermediate its length with a downward reaching guide lip 70 at a further transverse gap therein so as to provide for directing the extending edge portion of the overlapped outer bottom lap panel 105 from an initial position beneath the plate member 62 to a final position on top thereof. The foregoing arrangement of the bottom wall folding means corresponds with that disclosed in the above identified copending application Serial No. 633,641, to which reference is made for further details.

According to the present invention the above described bottom wall folding means is further arranged with prebreaking guide members 72 and 74 and with a flap insertion guide structure, as indicated generally by the reference numeral 76, for effecting medial chine separating insertion of the bottom wall flap member 109 during the inward folding of the bottom wall panels 104 and 105 to overlapping relation. The prebreaking guide members 72 and 74 are mounted to extend along a terminal portion of the previously mentioned conveyor belts 54 and therebeyond in relation to the strip member 58 on which the row of cans C is received beneath which the inner bottom wall lap panel 104 is to be folded. Of these prebreaking guide members, the member 72 is arranged lowermost and has an angle form with one leg portion 78 of this angle form extending horizontally inward as seen in Fig. 8, and with the entrance end of this horizontal leg portion 78 relieved angularly as indicated at 78' in Fig. 7. The other prebreaking guide member of this angular form extending horizontally outward in spaced relation above the leg portion 78 of the first guide member 72, and likewise having the entrance end thereof angularly relieved as indicated at 80' and addilieved'as indicated at 80. As thus arranged, the prebreaking guide members 72 and 74 are disposed to receive between the angularly relieved entrance ends 78 and 80' thereof the downwardly extending inner bottom fold of the bottom wall separating flap 109 with respect thereto as each package group of cans C continues to travel lengthwise of the prebreaking guide members 72 and 74, so that before the strip members 58 and 60 are ⁵⁵ reached the bottom wall flap member 109 has been prebroken in the manner illustrated in Fig. 8.

The previously mentioned flap insertion guide structure 76 is then arranged to guide the prebroken flap member 109 to a medial can separating disposition as ⁶⁰ the folding of the bottom wall panels 104 and 105 is completed. In order to provide for accomplishing this result, the flap insertion guide structure 76 is mounted longitudinally between the strip members 58 and 60, by means of mounting flanges 82 arranged for attachment ⁶⁵ beneath the respective strip members 58 and 60, with each mounting flange 82 carrying respective guide plates 84 in spaced relation to extend vertically above the strip members 58 and 60 where their upper edges are braced by spacer blocks 88 to efiect spreading of the can rows 7° for insertion of the bottom wall flap 109, and to extend downwardly in respective short and long curved extents, as seen at 90 and 92 in Fig. 9, for directing the bottom wall flap 109 to its intended chine separating· disposition during the bottom wall folding operation, the longer 7® curved extent 92 of the guide plate 86 being arranged

2,933,807 to receive the prebroken bottom wall flap 109 from the prebreaking guide members 72 and 74 and maintain its prebroken disposition during the bottom wall folding operation, while the shorter curved extent 96 of the guide plate 84 is provided to guard against any overfolded inclination of the bottom wall flap 109 as it is directed to chine separating position.

Side guide bars 94 are provided at the bottom wall folding means to contain the traveling can groups and aligned wrapper blanks as they advance through the bottom wall folding step, the spacing of the guide bars 94 being such as to allow outward spreading of the rows of cans C by tilting outwardly from the tops thereof, as seen in Fig. 9, in passing the flap insertion guide structure 76, after which the can rows are returned to contiguous traveling relation as the remaining extent of the plate members 62 and 64 is traversed to complete the folding of the bottom wall lap panels 104 and 105 directly beneath the cans C in preparation for delivery of the package groups to have the folded wrapper blanks 100 secured thereon as disclosed in the above noted prior patents.

The present invention has been described in detail above for purposes of illustration only and is not intended to be limited by this description or otherwise except as defined in the appended claims.