A blank feeder is used for feeding blanks to a bottom forming mandrel. The blanks are initially in a flat form and are unfoldable to a form of square cross section. The feeder includes a magazine for the flat blanks, and a transport arrangement having a path of transport extending from the delivery opening along a circular arc having a central axis parallel to the widthwise direction of the blank in the delivery opening. The transport arrangement includes a suction member, a transport arm carrying the suction member on a forward end, and a shaft rotatably supporting the transport arm and having an axis aligned with a central axis of the circular arc. The suction member has suction cups at different distances from the central axis for gripping one side of the blank, so that the blank is unfolded by movement of the suction member along the circular arc causing a greater separation of a gripped side of the blank at the furthest end of the blank from the central axis than at the nearest end of the blank. An unfolding arrangement is also provided, for unfolding each blank while the blank is being transported, the unfolding arrangement having first and second blank unfolding claws at edge portions of the delivery opening so as to individually engage with opposite ends of the blank in the delivery opening.
A carton blank erector and feeder comprising a magazine having a delivery opening at one end and accommodating flat blanks as arranged closely side by side from the end toward the other end thereof, the delivery opening being so positioned as to be opposed to a phantom outward extension of a bottom forming mandrel as stopped at a feed station, transport means for withdrawing the blank from the delivery opening and transporting the blank to the outward extension, and means for unfolding the blank from the flat form to a tubular form of square cross section while the blank is being transported by the transport means. The unfolding means has at least two unfolding claws provided at edge portions of the opening so as to be engageable respectively with opposite ends of the blank to be withdrawn from the opening, and at least two unfolding ensuring claws arranged at an intermediate portion of the path of transport of the blank so as to be engageable with the respective blank ends after the blank ends are released from the unfolding claws.
A feeding and loading mechanism for use in pulling carton side-seam-sealed blanks from a magazine, opening same into tubes, and loading the latter onto mandrels of an indexing turret on a liquid-carrying container forming, filling, and sealing machine. The feeding and loading mechanism includes a slidably mounted carrier having at least one vacuum cup mounted at each end thereof aligned with oppositely disposed magazines, a forming shoe fixedly secured between each magazine and adjacent mandrel for opening each tubular flat side-seam-sealed blank into a tube as the blank moves therepast, a loading finger for loading each tube onto the respective mandrel, and a drive assembly operatively connected to the carrier for reciprocally moving same to alternately remove blanks from the oppositely disposed magazines to alternately process same.
An improved gate assembly for the carton blank magazine of a packaging machine includes a frame fixedly mounted on the magazine. The frame has a longitudinal opening formed therein for permitting the passage of a single carton blank therethrough. The frame has air ducts extending therethrough and receiving members extending from the air ducts. Each of the receiving members has at least one slot formed in the surface thereof facing the magazine. Each of the receiving members also has an interior channel formed therein for communicating air between the slots and the respective air duct. In operation, negative air pressure applied to the air ducts induces a carton blank from the magazine into contact with the receiving members.
An apparatus and method for forming an erected carton from a blank for cartons having non-traditional configurations is disclosed herein. Such non-traditional configurations may include beveled edge cartons and eight-sided cartons. The apparatus includes rolling means for breaking a first set of crease lines on the blank, force exertion means for breaking a second set of crease lines on the blank, and maintenance means for maintaining the shape of en erected carton. The present invention also includes a mandrel configured to substantially match the side configuration of a carton such as a beveled edge carton.
