Turning apparatus

[57] ABSTRACT

Apparatus for turning carton blanks or the like comprising a conveyor and means forming two nips generally transverse to the conveyor. An inward freewheeling disk forms a blank engaging nip with the conveyor for maintaining a portion of the carton at conveyor velocity and an outward disk forms a second blank engaging nip with a third free-wheeling disk located beneath it. The outward disk is driven at a circumferential velocity which is greater than the conveyor velocity so as to drive a portion of a blank at greater speed than the portion engaged by the first nip. The difference of the velocities acting on the blank turns it. The speeds and axial distance between the inward and outward disks may be adjusted to provide various turning results.

Claims, 3 Drawing Figures

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PATENTED SEP 111973

3,758,104

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3,758 1

TURNING APPARATUS

The present invention relates to a carton turner and more specifically to apparatus for turning a carton blank 90° to facilitate feeding the blank into a receptacle in the proper orientation for further processing.

The apparatus is especially useful, although not limited thereto, in providing a transition between a side seam glueing apparatus and cartoning apparatus. In side seam glueing apparatus, a carton blank is folded and glued along its seam. The nature of the side seam gluer is such that the carton blank is fed with its seam extending in a longitudinal direction.

The nature of the cartoning apparatus is such that the carton blank is fed with the side seam extending in a transverse direction. In order to have the cartoning apparatus in line with the side seam gluer, the carton blank from the side seam gluer must be rotated through an angle of 90° and deposited into the magazine of the cartoner with its seam in the transverse direction.

One objective of my invention has thus been to provide a relatively simple, continuously operating apparatus for turning carton blanks 90° about their centers.

Another objective of the invention has been to provide a method and apparatus for moving carton blanks along a path in a first orientation and changing the velocity of one side of the carton blank so as to turn the carton blank with respect to the other side of the blank.

Another objective of the invention has been to provide apparatus including a conveyor and means for feeding carton blanks onto the conveyor with one side of the carton blank projecting laterally beyond the conveyor. In this attitude, the portion of the carton blank riding on the conveyor can be held to conveyor speed and the portion projecting beyond the conveyor can be positively gripped to reduce or increase its speed with respect to that of the conveyor, thereby effecting the rotation of the blank.

Briefly, my invention includes a conveyor for transporting carton blanks and means for turning the blanks. The turning means includes means forming two nips for engaging and turning the blank. An inward disk is mounted on a shaft above the conveyor and is freewheeling with respect to the shaft in order to form a first blank engaging nip with the conveyor. An outward disk is secured to the shaft and forms a second blank engaging nip with a third disk freely mounted beneath the outward disk on a shaft which drives an end roll of the conveyor. The outward disk is driven at a speed greater than that attained by the inward disk by virtue of its engagement with the conveyor or a moving carton thereon.

When a carton blank is conveyed toward the disks, a portion is caught in the nip formed by the outward disk and the third disk and this portion of the blank is accelerated while the portion of the blank between the conveyor and the free-wheeling disk remains at conveyor velocity. The carton is thus turned about that area between the conveyor and the free-wheeling disk and is discharged from the conveyor to further apparatus such as a magazine.

Another objective of the invention has been to provide for the adjustability of the turning relationship so as to accommodate the apparatus for changed conditions, including different sizes of cartons. The two major parameters which can be changed are the speed of one of the nips and the distance between nips. Pref10 ,104 erably, the invention contemplates the adjustment of the latter by simply providing for the axial adjustment of the free-wheeling disk overlying the conveyor.

The speeds of the conveyor and the inward disk and the speed of the outward disk or the axial distance between the disks may be adjusted so as to cause a variation in the turning result obtained.

Thus, my invention has the advantage of providing a relatively simple, yet highly reliable, turning apparatus for carton blanks.

A further advantage is that it is continuously operable to act on a successive number of blanks without the necessity of critical timing or sensing apparatus or the like.

These and other objects and advantages will become readily apparent from the following detailed description and drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the invention showing the conveyor, the carton blanks, the disks and a receiving magazine,

FIG. 2 is a top view of the apparatus showing a blank in a partially turned position, and

FIG. 3 is a side view of the invention also showing a blank in a partially turned position, and with the disk driving chain and sprocket removed.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown the turning apparatus indicated generally at 8. The apparatus may be located in a carton assembly line, for instance between a side seam gluer and an erecting apparatus, or it may be utilized for turning carton blanks or the like wherever such re-orientation is required. A conveyor for transporting carton blanks, indicated at 9, 10 and 11, includes a belt 14 which is supported by a typical belt conveyor end roll 15. Upstream of the belt are means 12 for feeding the blanks onto the belt in a longitudinal orientation with a side edge portion 13 projecting laterally beyond said belt. The belt 14 is driven in the direction of arrow “A” by the roll 15 which is rotated by a conveyor drive shaft 16. A chain 17 and sprocket 18 are utilized to connect the drive shaft 16 to a motor (not shown). The blanks are positioned on the conveyor belt such that an outward portion 13 extends past the edge of the belt as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 in order that the blank may be engaged by a nip as will be described.

Two adjacent blank engaging nips 19 and 20 are provided in conjunction with the conveyor for engaging and turning the carton blanks. The first nip 19 is formed by a free-wheeling idler disk 21 mounted on a shaft 22 above the belt 14. Disk 21 is mounted on shaft 22 so as to permit axial adjustment. The shaft 22 is generally parallel to the shaft 16. The circumferential surface 27 of the disk 21 is provided with a rubber tire or a coating of like material and the disk is mounted closely enough to the belt 14 to form the nip 19. The nip 19 engages an inward portion of the carton blanks, such as the blank 11, when they are conveyed under the disk 21.

The second nip 20 includes a free-wheeling idler disk 23, which is freely mounted on the conveyor drive shaft 16, and a driven disk 24 which is also provided with a rubber tire or a coating of like material. The disk 24 is secured on shaft 22 and is driven thereby. The shaft 22 is rotated by a motor (not shown) through chain 25 and sprocket 26 at an angular velocity which provides a peripheral speed of disk 24 which is substantially greater than that of belt 14. Thus, nip 20 is formed by the coop3,758,104 eration of disks 23 and 24. The disk 23 is located outwardly of the conveyor belt 14 and moves independently of it.

A magazine or receptacle such as that shown at 30 is provided to receive the turned blanks and to feed them to further apparatus such as a cartoner.

In operation, carton blanks are fed onto the belt 14 from the compression section of a side seam gluer, for instance. The blanks are generally longitudinally disposed on the belt and are conveyed by it in the direction of arrow “A” toward the nips 19 and 20.

It will be noted that since shafts 16 and 22 are parallel, the nips 19 and 20 will engage the blanks at approximately the same time. When the inward portion 35 of a blank engages the free-wheeling disk 21, the disk is merely driven by the blank at the velocity at which the conveyor belt 14 and the blank are moving. Disk 24, however, is driven by shaft 22 at a peripheral velocity greater than that of the conveyor belt 14 and the freewheeling disk 21. Thus, when the outward portion 13 of the blank is engaged by the disks 23 and 24, the portion is driven through nip 20 at a greater velocity than inward portion 35 is conveyed through nip 19. This difference in velocities of two portions of the same blank tends to turn the blank about the nip 19 in the direction of arrow “B” in FIG. 2. The turning angle may be adjusted by axial movement of disk 21 to change the distance between its nip 19 and nip 20. This velocity of the driven disk 24 may be regulated; however, beneficial results have been obtained when it is 40 to 50 percent greater than that of the conveyor belt 14 and disk 21.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show a blank 13 in a partially turned position. As disk 24 continues to drive the outward portion 13 of the blank, the blank is further turned and discharged into the magazine 30 in a transverse position which is turned 90° from the previous longitudinal position of the blank.

My invention offers a very inexpensive solution to the problem or necessity of reorienting carton blanks between different apparatus in an assembly line wherein each apparatus will accept the blanks only in respective dissimilar positions.

A further advantage of my invention is that it operates continuously regardless of the spacing of the blanks on the conveyor and does not require the utilization of any sensing device of elements which move intermittently to engage and turn the blanks.

Other objects and advantages will become readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the scope of my invention, and I intend to be bound only by the appended claims.