A machine is disclosed for packaging a group of beverage bottles, or similar articles, in a wrap-around type blank of foldable sheet material which machine is characterized by a traveling conveyor onto which successive cut and scored blanks are fed and advanced through successive work areas where there are mechanisms for partially folding handle and wall forming panels into which the blanks are divided, which mechanisms include continuously traveling pairs of forming die members which are arranged to move into mating relation against opposite faces of successive blanks so as to fold certain of the panels while the blanks are advanced to a transporting conveyor which carries the partially folded blanks to an assembly area and deposits them on a group of bottles advancing on a bottle conveyor traveling beneath the blank transporting conveyor, mechanism at the assembly area which is operative to seat the partially folded blanks in telescoping relation on the bottles with the handle panels depending between pairs of the bottles and mechanism to hold the blanks in properly seated position on the groups of bottles while they are advanced through a further work area where mechanism is provided for folding end panels of the blanks into wall forming position beneath the bottles and fastening the same together.
A packaging machine places cartons on an carton conveyor in an inverted-T configuration with the panels of the carton being generally horizontal and the walls of the carton collapsed together in a generally vertical orientation. An overhead assembly has carrier assemblies for picking up the cartons, opening the cartons, and lowering the cartons onto article groups. Each carrier assembly has a pair of opening members with protruding fingers for insertion within cut-outs formed in the cartons. After a carrier assembly has engaged a carton in an inverted-T configuration, one of the opening members in the carrier assembly is moved away from the other opening member, thereby opening the carton. Each carrier assembly has cam followers which travel within three cam plates, one for controlling an orientation of the carrier assembly, one for supporting the carrier assembly, and one for opening and closing the opening members. The overhead assembly is substantially located on only one side of the articles and cartons and thus provides easy access for repairs, maintenance, or removal of article or cartons jams. The packaging machine can package articles of various sizes and configurations into various types of cartons. In general, the packaging machine can package articles into any type of carton having panels opposite each other which may be engaged and lowered onto an article group. The packaging machine can also operate at fairly high speeds since cartons are positively and quickly opened by the movement of the opening members.
There is provided an article conveyor mechanism comprising a drive chain 13 on which is pivotally mounted a number of carriages 16 each having a conveyor 17 secured thereto. Each conveyor 17 has a plurality of pockets 18. Each conveyor 16 has two pins 19, 20 for engaging in respective grooves 21, 22 which are identical to each other in shape, but which are offset. When the chain 13 is driven, the conveyors remain parallel to each other throughout their endless paths.
A continuous packaging sleever assembly and process for wrapping packaging sleeves about product groups. The assembly has a frame structure with a generally horizontal working surface, a transfer conveyor to move the product containers across the working surface, and horizontally movable flight bar structures connected to a continuous chain structure. The flight bar structures are constructed and arranged to be selectively movable in a generally perpendicular direction to the product transfer conveyor means and to separate the product containers into predetermined groups. A packaging sleeve transfer and placement structure is provided in synchronization with the flight bar structures for depositing flat packaging sleeves between adjacent flight bar structures and above the product groups. The flight bar structures simultaneously move the product groups and the individual sleeves thereon. Product group wrapping and closing structures are provided to fold and secure the packaging sleeves in a tight configuration about the product groups.
An article rotating assembly and process for rotating articles to a predetermined orientation on a moving conveyor. The assembly comprises movable article control structures and cooperating vertical motion and rotational motion assemblies which are synchronized with the conveyor. Each article control structure is constructed and arranged for vertical and rotational movement above the moving conveyor and is controlled by cam follower and guide track structures to engage and rotate articles on the moving conveyor to a predetermined orientation.
A spacing conveyor mechanism (10) for conveying cans (11) along an article feed path (12) in a packaging machine for forming the cans into groups of cans is disclosed. The spacing conveyor mechanism has a pair of spaced drive sprockets (15) positioned along the article feed path, and over which an endless drive chain (14) is passed. A spaced series of carriages (17) are pivotally attached to the drive chain. Each of the carriages includes a conveyor (18), the conveyor having a plurality of recessed pockets (19) sized and shaped to engage one each of the cans therein. Each carriage includes a toothed cog (20) affixed thereto and extending therefrom, each toothed cog being constructed to engage one of a pair of second sprockets (21) when the drive chain changes direction so that each of the carriages is sequentially rotated at a different rate of speed with respect to the rate of speed of the drive chain to maintain the orientation of the conveyors with respect to the article feed path, and the articles being conveyed thereon.
