Box Taping Machine

Abstract

This application discloses a machine for taping and folding paperboard box blanks wherein a strip of tape is applied to one side edge of a box blank while the blank is moving in a direction parallel to that edge, and the blank is subsequently folded by structure similar to the folding device shown in Hottendorf U.S. Pat. No. 2,986,078 to bring a projecting portion of that tape into engagement with an opposite edge of the box blank.

Description

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for box folding and, more particularly, to improvements in methods and apparatus for making taped paperboard containers.

In general, there is available today equipment for making folded and glued paperboard containers. This equipment comprises in sequence: a hopper and kicker type feed means for paperboard blanks; creasing rolls to define, or accentuate, the fold lines about which the blank will be folded in the machine; slotting and crushing rolls to define the eventual top and bottom panels of the box, right and left side longitudinally, offset flap folding means adapted to fold the flaps through 180.degree. into overlapping relationship; gluing means to attach two flaps together; and compression means adapted to move the folded blanks away and to apply pressure to the tape.

In accordance with this invention, the flaps of such paperboard containers are attached together by applying adhesive tape to an edge of one flap prior to the folding of the flaps into an abutting relationship. This permits easier setup of the apparatus for varying sizes of paperboard containers. Under the invention, all that is required is to position the paperboard containers with respect to one edge of a flap. This is as opposed to prior art devices which require orientation of the adjacent seam of the flaps with the gluing mechanism.

A further advantage of the invention method is that the wetted tape is given additional time to set before the container is ejected from the apparatus.

Other objects and advantages of the subject machine will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings forming part of this specification, and in which;

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a machine utilizing the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a paperboard container on which the machine operates;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the tape applying mechanism of the machine taken along the plane 3--3 of FIG. 1; and,

FIG. 4 is a top planned view taken along plane 4--4 of FIG. 3.

With initial reference to FIG. 1, the machine is designated in general by numeral 10. The general arrangement of the machine is similar to the machine described in Hottendorf U.S. Pat. No. 2,986,078. Therefore, the machine 10 will not be described in detail since reference can be made to applicant's prior patent for a description of the apparatus shown therein for feeding, folding, and delivering paperboard boxes. The new machine 10, however, varies from the machine described in the prior patent in that a taping station 12 has been added to the basic machine 10 in place of the gluing station shown in the patent. The function of the taping station 12 is to apply a segment of adhesive tape 14 to one edge of a paperboard box blank 16 prior to the folding of flaps 18 and 20 of the box blank. This can be seen more clearly in FIG. 2 where the paperboard container 16 is shown with its flaps 18 and 20 in their extended position in phantom. The tape segment 14 is attached to one edge of the flap 18 with a portion of the tape 14 projecting beyond the edge of the flap 18. Thus, when the flaps 18 and 20 are later folded, a tape segment 14 is overlapped on top of the flap 20 thereby attaching the two box flaps 18 and 20 to each other.

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate the components of the taping station 12 in more detail. A supply roll of gummed adhesive tape 22 is rotatably mounted on an axle 24 so that the tape may be fed out in a counter-clockwise direction. The tape is run under a wheel 26 and then over a water wheel 28 and under a wheel 30. This causes water from a water container 32 to be fed up by water wheel 28 to meet the pre-gummed side of the tape 33. The tape 33 is then carried up between an upper feed wheel 34 and a lower feed wheel 36. The upper feed wheel 34 is freely rotatably mounted on an axle 38. The lower feed wheel 36 is keyed to an axle 40. The rotating velocity of axle 40 is governed by the following train of drive elements: a sprocket 42 keyed to the axle 40 and rotatable by a chain 44 which is entrained over a sprocket 46. The sprocket 46 is mounted to an axle 48. The axle 48 is connected to a worm gear reducer 50 which is driven by a shaft 52 which is in turn connected to a variable speed drive 54. An axle 56 is connected to the variable speed drive 54 at one end thereof and at the other end has a pulley 58 mounted on it. The pulley 58 is connected to a pulley 60 by a belt 62; the pulley 60 is rotatably mounted on a shaft 64 which leads through a bearing 66 to a miter gear box 68; the miter gear box 68 is connected to a shaft 70 which has a sprocket 72 mounted on the end of it. A chain 74 is connected to the sprocket 72 and to a sprocket 76, the latter sprocket being mounted on the line shaft 78. The line shaft 78 is a conventional component of box making machines of this type and is driven by the main drive source of the machine in synchronization with the delivery of boxes to the feed belts 80 of the machine by the feeder-kicker at the supply end of the machine. The line shaft is used to synchronize all of the operating elements of the machine with operation of the kicker and feed belts 80. Thus, the rotational velocity of the lower feed wheel 36 is a direct function of the rotational velocity of the line shaft 78. The miter gear box 68, the relative diameter of pulleys 60 and 58, the variable speed drive 54, the worm gear reducer 50, and the relative diameters of the sprockets 46 and 42 all cooperate to effect the relative rotational velocity between the line shaft 78 and the lower feed wheel 36.

In normal operation, the relative velocity is altered simply by changing the variable speed drive 54. The lower feed wheel 36 feeds the tape toward a taping wheel 82; a stripper 84 strips the tape from the lower feed wheel 36. The tape 33 is held on the taping wheel 82 by a vacuum which is created inside the taping wheel 82 and conveyed to the surface by holes 84. Vacuum inside the taping wheel 82 is created by a fan 85 (FIG. 1) and a suction pipe 86 which are connected to the taping wheel 82. The taping wheel 82 is driven at speed of the container 16 by means of a shaft 88 which is connected to a sprocket 90. The sprocket 90 is driven by a chain 92 which is connected to a sprocket 94 mounted on a shaft 96; shaft 96 leads into a running register 98; connected to the running register 98 is a shaft 100 which leads into the miter gear box 68 which is in turn driven by the line shaft 78 as mentioned above. Thus, like the lower feed wheel 36, the angular velocity of the taping wheel 82 is a direct function of the angular velocity of the line shaft 78. The number of teeth on the sprockets 92 and 94 is selected to drive the taping wheel 82 one revolution for each strip of tape to be applied to the box blank with the peripheral speed of the tape wheel not exceeding the linear speed of the belts 80. The running register may be adjusted to adjust the relative rotational positions of the shafts 96 and 100 to adjust the position on the box blank where the tape will be applied. Mounted on the taping wheel 82 is a cut-off knife 102 which strikes against a cut-off anvil 104 to cut off a desired tape segment as illustrated by tape segment 106. A baffle 107 is mounted within the taping wheel 82 so that the suction created by the suction pipe 86 is cut off in the upper right quarter of the taping wheel 82. This vacuum cut-off is provided to release the tape segment from the taping wheel. Note that a pressure wheel 108 helps apply the tape segment 106 to the container 16. After the initial application of the tape segment 106, a compression section 110, composed of a series of rollers 109, permanently set the tape segment 106 to the container 16.

In operation, a tape segment is applied in the following manner: the tape 33 is metered through the feed wheels 36 and 34 onto the taping wheel 82; the tape 33 slips on the surface of the taping wheel 82 but is held against the taping wheel 82 by suction. The cut-off knife 102 mounted on the taping wheel 82 serves the tape 33; the tape segment no longer held back by the feed wheels 34 and 36 instantaneously accelerates to the speed of the taping wheel 82 positively assisted by the cut-off knife 102. Tape segment 106 is then fed to the container 16 between the pressure wheel 108 and the taping wheel 82; the taped container 16 is then carried to a compression section 110 which permanently sets the tape segment 106 to the container 16. The above arrangement permits the adjustment of both the position of the tape segment on the container and the length of the tape segment. The position of the tape segment is regulated by the running register 98. The length of the tape segment is regulated by the variable speed drive 54.

From the foregoing description, it is believed apparent that the present invention provides for the attainment of the objectives initially set forth herein, and others. It is understood, however, that the invention is not intended to be limited to the details of the exemplary embodiment illustrated and described herein.

Claims

I claim:

1. Apparatus for applying adhesive tape to articles moving on a conveyor which comprises:

A. a taping wheel having a perforated surface;

B. means for applying suction to the interior of said taping wheel;

C. an anvil wheel in rolling engagement with the periphery of said taping wheel;

D. means including a feeding wheel for feeding tape at the peripheral speed of said feeding wheel onto the periphery of said taping wheel between said taping wheel and said anvil wheel;

E. a tape cut-off knife mounted on the periphery of said taping wheel and positioned to engage said anvil wheel to cut off tape therebetween;

F. drive means for rotating said taping wheel in synchronization with movement of articles along a conveyor and at a peripheral speed not exceeding the speed of said conveyor; and,

G. variable speed drive means for driving said feeding wheel at adjustable peripheral speeds not exceeding the peripheral speed of said taping wheel.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 characterized further by the inclusion of:

A. transport means for moving paperboard box blanks along a path and including drive means synchronized with the periodic delivery of box blanks to said path;

B. means supporting said taping wheel adjacent to said path with said taping wheel tangent to said path and with its periphery movable in the same direction as box blanks in said path; and,

C. means connecting the drive means for said taping wheel to the drive means of said transport means for rotating said taping wheel one revolution for each box blank delivered to said path.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 characterized further in that said variable speed drive means is connected between said feeding wheel and said drive means of said transport means for driving said feeding wheel at a speed proportional to the speed of said transport means.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 characterized further in that said drive means for said taping wheel comprises means for driving said taping wheel at a peripheral speed equal to the linear speed of box blanks on said transport means.