NOV- 16, 1971 . K. H.

MARTENSSON EI‘AL 3,619,919

PACKAGING MACHINE
'F'iled Oct. 17, 1969 9 Sheets-Sheet 1
Nov. 16, 1971 K, H. MARTENSSON ETAL ‘ 3,619,979
PACKAGING MACHINE
Filed 001;. 17, 1969 9 Sheets-Sheet 2
Nov. 16, 1971 K. H. MARTENSSON ET AL 3,619,979
PACKAGING MACHINE
Filed Oct. 17; 1969 9-Sheets-Sheet 5

7? Fig. 3

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Nov. 16, 1971 K. H. MARTENSSON EI'AL 3,619,979
PACKAGING MACHINE
Filed 001;. 17,’ 1969 9 Sheets-Sheet 4.

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Nov. 16, 1971 K. H. MARTENSSON EFAL 3,619,979
PACKAGING MACHINE ’

Filed Oct. 17-. 1969 '9 Sheets-Sheet 5

Fig.4
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Nov. 16, 1971 K. H. MARTENSSON ETA!- 3,619,979
PACKAGING MACHINE
Filed 0011. 17, 1969 9 sh86tS—Sh88t 6
Nov. 16, 1971 K. H. MARTENSSON EFAL 3,619,979
_ PACKAGING MACHINE

Filed Oct. '17, 1969 9 Sheets-Sheet '7

Nov. 16, 1971 K. H. MARTENSSON ETAL 3,619,979
PACKAGING MACHINE
Filed Oct. 17, 1969 9 Sheets-Sheet 8
Nov. 16, v1971 K. H. MARTENSSON ETAL- 3,619,979
7 ' PACKAGING MACHINE

Filed Oct. 17, 1969 9 Sheets-Sheet 9

111d
 United States Patent 0 ’ C6 3,619,979
Patented Nov. 16, 1971

1 2
ferent positions, both by an angle equal to 360°/n which
3,619,979 rotational angle corresponds to the normal indexing
PACKAGING MACHINE angle when the machine is in operation, and by an angle
Kjell Halvard Martensson, Malmo, and Lars Anders equal to 360°/2n which rotational angle corresponds
Karlsson, Akarp, Sweden, assignors to AB Tetra Pak,
Lund, Sweden CI to the angular displacement necessary when changing
Filed Oct. 17, 1969, Ser. No. 867,324 mandrel sets.
Claims priority, application Sweden, Oct. 30, 1968, A particularly advantageous constructional version of
14,661/68 the invention will be described below with the aid of the
Int. Cl. B65b 7/10, 43/18 attached diagrammatic drawings, of which
US. Cl. 53—186 16 Claims 10 FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the machine,
FIG. 2 shows a side elevation of the machine,
FIGS. 3 and 3a show cross sections of the mandrel
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE wheel,
A machine for erecting, forming, ?lling and sealing FIGS. 4 and 4a show the mandrel wheel with various
package containers for products such as milk in which items of interacting equipment,
different sized packages may be employed and in which FIGS. 5 and 5a show a detail of a press unit and as
various elements of the machine may be adjusted or sociated pressure relieving mechanism,
altered to accommodate the different sized package con FIG. 6 shows a partial section of a puller mechanism,
tainers. and
20 FIG. 7 shows a container blank.
__ With the packaging machine in accordance with the
invention, packages are manufactured from pre-produced
This invention relates to a packaging machine for the container blanks made from thermoplastic-coated card
production of ?lled and sealed packages from pre-pro board or similar material. An example of such a con
duced blanks of a thermoplastic-coated material, e.g. tainer blank is shown in FIG. 7, in which the container
plastic-coated cardboard, provided with fold lines to blank 4, which is initially ?at, has been raised up to form
facilitate folding, comprising an intermittently rotatable a tube with a square section. Production of the packaging
mandrel Wheel carrying mandrels, equipment for raising blank 4 is accomplished by a sheet of plastic-coated card
up the container blanks into the shape of a tube and for board, after the application of pressure if necessary, being
' placing the raised-up containers onto the mandrels, equip pressed out along the desired shape and provided with
ment for the forming and sealing of a bottom on the fold lines 1031 which facilitate folding of the container
container blanks placed onto the mandrels, a conveyor blank. After the cardboard blank has been pressed out,
?tted with holders that can be moved, preferably in the its two longitudinal edges are united in a longitudinal
horizontal plane, equipment for moving the container joint :104 which makes possible raising-up of the blank
blanks processed and ?tted with bottoms on the mandrels, into the shape of a tube.
to the holders in the said conveyor, and equipment for The bottom end 35 of the container blank 4 exhibits
pre-folding, ?lling and sealing of the containers carried two larger rectangular bottom end areas 105 and 106,
along in the said holders. as well as two smaller triangular bottom end areas 107
Packages of the “gable-top” type have been used for a and 108‘, which through the fold-back areas 109 and 110‘
long time in packaging technology. These are almost al are joined to the larger ?aps 105 and 106. All the said
ways manufactured from pre-produced blanks which are end areas are separated from one another and from the
provided with a suitable fold-line pattern in order to container body 111 by means of the fold lines 103 pro
facilitate raising-up and forming of the packages by vided in the packaging material in order to facilitate
folding the areas forming the top and bottom respectively folding.
down into their ?nal positions. The said container blanks The top portion 113' of the container blank exhibits
are nowadays most often coated with a thermoplastic much the same folding pattern as the bottom portion, but
material such as polythene, the thermoplastic layer being since the top portion is not to be folded in such a way
utilised both for making the package liquid-tight and for as to produce a ?at top but a “gable top,” the dimensions
sealing the package by the application of heat and pres of the areas forming the top are different.
sure so that it is secured in the raised position. The areas 113‘ forming the top are in addition joined
The above packages have found their most important to scaling areas 112 which are designed to be brought
use as packages for liquids and particularly"for milk, and together to form ‘a ?at ?n, in which the sealing areas
various machines have been designed for manufacturing have been sealed to one another so as to form a leak
these packages. One drawback of all known packaging proof and durable joint.
machines of this type is that they cannot be changed Both the top and bottom portions are formed in the
over from one package size to another. There have been same general manner, but for the sake of simplicity only
cases of two or more machines, designed for different the folding operation used for the bottom portion will be
package sizes, being combined on the same machine described here, which folding is accomplished by the
foundation, but the savings made in this Way have been smaller triangular areas 107 and 108 being folded in
insigni?cant since in principle all the machine elements over the opening of the container blank, after which the
have to be duplicated. larger ?aps 105 and 106‘ are also folded in over the
The need for a packaging machine that can be con opening of the container blank, and at the same time
verted for different package sizes is particularly great as the fold-back ?aps 109 and 110 are folded in against the
far as small and medium-sized dairies are concerned triangular flaps, so as to be situated at the conclusion of
since it is far too expensive to purchase a number of 65 the folding operation between, and in contact with, the
packaging machines. The above drawbacks of known larger and smaller ?aps, in which position the ?aps are
packaging machines are avoided by means of the machine sealed to one another with the aid of heat and pressure.
in accordance with this invention, which is characterised As has been pointed out before, the top portion of the
by the mandrel wheel having two different sets of package is formed in the same general Way, but with the
mandrels of different cross sectional areas‘, each set 70 difference that the areas forming the top, by virtue of
comprising 11, number of mandrels; by the mandrel wheel their dimensions, cannot be folded in completely over the
being designed to be rotated intermittently between dif opening of the container, but only to a position in which
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the opposing pairs of areas meet each other. The sealing same time as the areas of the container blank 4, which
areas 112 are folded against one another to form a ?at form the bottom, are pressed together between the pres
?n, the smaller sealing areas being folded in, concertina sure plate 10 and the end piece of the mandrel 5, the
fashion, between the larger ones. heated-up thermoplastic layers, once the heated-up sur~
For the sake of clarity, a general speci?cation of the faces have been joined by surface fusion, and the areas
packaging machine will be given below ?rst, mainly by forming the bottom are thus held together in the com
reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, after which certain construc pressed position, are caused to form a ?at liquid-tight bot
tional components or elements of the machine, which in tom. In order to ensure satisfactory leakproofness, it is
accordance with the invention are characteristic for the essential that the folded-up bottom areas should be pressed
machine and interact with one another, will be speci?ed in 10 against one another with a great force, and press forces
greater detail. up to several tons are recommended since press forces
of this magnitude cause satisfactory ?ow of the plastic
GENERAL SPECIFICATION OF THE MACHINE material to take place in the sealing area and thereby
The ?at container blanks 1, which have not yet been sealing of any leakage channels which may have been
raised up, are taken out of the storage unit 2, and at 15 formed at the joint between the overlapping layers of
the same time the container blanks are formed into a tube material.
4 which in this case has a square section. When compression of the bottom, has been completed,
By means of the pusher unit 3, which consists of a ro the mandrel wheel indexes on to position V, in which posi
tatable chain ?tted with carriers 9, the raised-up container tion there is no working operation to be carried out, and
blanks 4 are pushed onto a mandrel 5 situated on a 20 the container 33, which has been provided with a bottom,
mandrel wheel 6 which has been brought into position in is therefore moved on after a period of time correspond
front of the pusher unit. (This position is denoted on the ing to an indexing interval to position VI in which the
drawing by I.) After the container blank 4 has been placed mandrel 5 points vertically downwards.
onto the mandrel 5, the mandrel wheel 6 indexes to the In position VI, the container 33 is drawn off the man
next stop, and since the indexing angle in this case is drel 5 with the aid of a puller 11 that can be moved
60°, this means that the mandrel wheel rotates 60° anti vertically, the front end of which is ?tted with a suction
clockwise to the position II, after which the mandrel wheel cup 37 which can be connected to a source of vacuum
again stops. not shown here.
In the position II, the bottom portion 35 of the con The pulling-off operation is carried out by the puller
tainer blank 4 placed onto the mandrel 5 is situated right 30 11 being raised by an operating unit 38, e.g. a pneumatic
in front of a pre-folder unit 7 actuated by an operating cylinder, to a position such that the suction cup 37 comes
unit 30, preferably a pneumatic cylinder. With the aid of into contact with the ?at bottom of the container 33. When
the control unit 30, the pre-folded unit 7 is moved up the suction cup 37 has made contact with the bottom, or
to the bottom portion 35 of the container blank 4 pro before this contact has been established, the suction cup
truding from the mandrel 5, whereupon the leaves of is connected to a source of vacuum that is not shown
the pre-folder unit 7 are folded in against the bottom por here, which means that the suction cup attached itself
tion of the container blank, in order to pre-fold or “soften ?rmly to the bottom of the container 33. When the puller
up” the previously provided fold lines situated in the bot 11 is now given a downward movement, the container 33
tom portion of the container blank 4. Pre-folding is how is drawn off the mandrel 5 and is lowered in between hold
ever stopped before the wall areas of the container blank, 40 ers ?tted onto an intermittently moving chain conveyor
which are to form the bottom, have been folded right in 13, by means of which the container 33 removed from
to their ?nal positions, and, owing to the elasticity of the the mandrel wheel 6 is given a mainly horizontal travel
material, the portion 35 of the container blank 4 pro ling motion.
truding from the mandrel 5 will regain the same general After completion of the pulling-off operation, the man
position which it had before the pre-folding operation. drel wheel 6 indexes to position I, in which position a
When the pre-folding operation has been completed, new container blank 4 is placed onto the mandrel 5 by
the mandrel wheel 6 again indexes, and stops in position means of the pusher unit 3.
III, in which position the pre-folded end portion 35 of the The procedure during the time that one mandrel de
container blank is situated right in front of a heating device scribes a complete indexing cycle has been described
8 which can be raised and lowered. By lowering the heat above, but naturally working operations are carried out
ing device 8 down into the raised-up bottom portion 35 simultaneously in all positions during every indexing in
of the container ‘blank 4 and blowing a hot gas, prefer terval, with the exception of position V, which means
ably air, against the outer parts of the end portion which that a completely processed container 33 is drawn off dur
are intended to act as sealing areas, the thermoplastic ing each indexing interval and a new container blank is
coating on these parts is heated to such an extent that at the same time placed onto a mandrel 5. The time be
the thermoplastic coating softens. When suf?cient heating tween two subsequent indexing movements must naturally
of the sealing areas of the end portion 35 has been be adjusted in such a way that there is time for the vari
achieved, the heating device 8 is raised to a position ous working operations at the various positions to be
outside the opening of the end portion 35, after which completed.
the mandrel wheel 6 can continue its indexing to position The conveyor 13 consists of two parallel endless chains
IV. ?tted with holders 97, pairs of holders situated opposite
While the mandrel wheel 6 with the mandrels 5 moves each other on the two chains forming between them a
on from position III to position IV, the portion 35 of space 98 such that a container 33 can be placed into it
the container blank 4 protruding from the mandrel 5 upright. When a container 33 is drawn off the mandrel
comes into contact with a guide rail arrangement 36 which 5 by means of the puller 11 and is moved downwards, it is
guides two opposite sides 105 and 106 of the end wall inserted between the two chains 13 and into the space 98
area of the container blank 4 towards one another, while de?ned by the holders 97. In order that this should be
the remaining end wall areas 107 and 108 are folded in, feasible, movement of the conveyor chain must naturally
concertina-fashion, between the ?rst-mentioned end wall be synchronised with that of the mandrel wheel, so that
areas. When the mandrel 5 has reached position IV, a 70 the conveyor chain 13 moves forward one holder divi
pressure plate 10 actuated by an operating unit 29, prefer sion for each indexing of the mandrel wheel 6, and also
ably a pneumatic cylinder, is pressed onto the folded-up in such a way that there is always a new and empty space
bottom area, as a result of which a largely ?at container de?ned by the said holder elements 97, right underneath
bottom is formed. By virtue of the fact that the heated-up the mandrel 5 when this is in position VI.
parts of ‘the bottom portion 35 are cooled down at the When the container 33 has been inserted into the space
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5 , 6
de?ned by the holders 97, the suction cup 37 releases its ing areas are brought together into a ?n, which in posi
hold and is disengaged from the container 33 which is tion E is compressed between two interacting compres
now in position between the holders 97 connected to the sion blocks 18, which are cooled. By virtue of the fact
conveyor chain 13. As mentioned above, the conveyor that the plastic is hot at the start of the sealing opera
chain is moved intermittently to the left in FIGS. 1 and tion, surface fusion takes place between the heated plastic
2 for each indexing of the wheel, the level of the con layers that have been brought together, which means that
tainers 33 being determined by the fact that their bot the seal obtained after compression and cooling at posi
toms slide along a track 12. tion E will be very strong. Another position F may be
In position A, the top part of the container 33 is pre provided beyond position E, in which position labelling,
folded by a pre-folder 14 affixed to a yoke 25 which can 10 date stamping or similar operations can be carried out
be raised and lowered. Pre-folding is effected by triangular with the aid of a stamping mechanism, marking mech
leaves 40, incorporated in the pre-folder 14, being folded anism, labelling machine or similar.
in against two opposite triangular side areas of the top At position G at the end 19 of the conveyor chain, the
part 41, the remaining side areas being at the same time holders which have been surrounding the container dur
folded in over the opening of the container and locating 15 ing its travel in the chain 13 are separated and the com
between themselves the said triangular areas. The pre pleted package is released from the packaging machine.
folding operation is however only intended to pre-fold or The packaging machine is powered by an electric mo
“soften up” the fold line pattern produced on the con tor 20 with a directly-coupled gear box of e.g. the worm
tainer blank in advance, with the aim of de?ning the fold or spur gearing type, the output shaft of which is de
pattern required to form the top closure of the container, 20 noted 44. On the output shaft 44, there is ?tted by means
and the pre-folding operation is therefore not completed, of a sliding clutch a chain wheel 45, which drives through
the pro-folder 14 being raised to its upper position when a chain another chain wheel 46 that is ?tted on the input
the fold pattern has been pre-folded. shaft 48 of bevel gearing 47. On the same shaft 48, there
In position B, which in the example shown is situated is ?tted another chain wheel 49 which through a chain
a container holder division away from position A, the 25 drives a chain wheel 51 ?tted on the input shaft 50 of
opening of the container 33 is expanded by means of an the indexing gear 23 of the mandrel wheel 6.
expander 15, which opening has been somewhat reduced The output shaft 52 of the bevel gearing 47 carries a
in area during the pre-folding operation, as a result of chain wheel 54 which through a chain transmission drives
the fact that the top areas of the container 33 do not cams that govern the movements of the ?lling unit 16
completely return to their initial positions. During the op 30 and also operate the reciprocating pump forming part of
eration at position B, the downwardly-pointing expander the ?lling unit.
15 ?tted to the yoke 25, by means of the wings 42 at There is furthermore a chain transmission connected
tached to the expander 15, presses against the inside of to the shaft 52 which drives the pusher unit 3.
the top portion 41 during the downward motion of the The main shaft 21 from the bevel gearing 47 carries
expander, so that this is largely returned to the position 35 cams, one set 31 for driving and governing the vertical
it was in before the pre-folding operation. movements of the operating rod 43 and thereby also for
The pre-folder 14 and the expander 15 may with ad operating the pre-folder 14 and the expander 15, the
vantage be placed on a common yoke 25, which may in other set 32 for driving and governing the movements
turn be connected with an operating rod 43 common to of the top heating device 17. The main shaft 21 also ac
both the units 14 and 15, the vertical movements of the 40 tuates an indexing gear 24 which drives the chain con
rod 43 being steered by a cam 31 ?tted onto the drive veyor 13.
shaft. Apart from the driving operations obtained from the
After another indexing of the mandrel wheel 6 and a motor 20, a number of movements are carried out with
lateral movement of the conveyor chain 13, the pre the aid of pneumatic or hydraulic cylinders, as has been
folded container 33 is at position C, i.e. right underneath 45 referred to before. The ?at container blanks 1 are thus
the ?lling unit 16, through the agency of which is a pre taken out of the storage unit 2 and formed into a tube
set quantity of liquid is poured into the container, after with the aid of suction cups, which are capable of swivel
which the ?lled container, intermittently and synchro ling, ?tted to an arm 115, the swivelling motion of which
nously with the indexing mechanism, is moved to posi may e.g. be obtained with the aid of a pneumatic cylin
tion D, where the opening of the container is situated 50 der. The operations along the mandrel Wheel are also
right underneath the top heating unit or “top oven” 17. carried out by items of equipment which are actuated
The top heating unit 17, like the bottom heating unit 8, or governed by pneumatic cylinders, and there is a sepa
consists of heating elements provided with holes, hot air rate pneumatic cylinder ?tted to lift the top sealing oven
being blown through the said holes which are arranged 17 to a position further away from the container 33
in such a pattern that heat is only supplied to those parts 55 than the upper position which can be reached by the cam
of the top area 41 which are to be sealed to one another. 32, in the event of breakdowns or when the machine
Hot air is obtained by burning gas in a special combus is stopped. Further equiment that is driven separately
tion chamber 28, after which air is blown through the and with the aid of pneumatic cylinders are the sealing
combustion chamber and out through the holes on the blocks 18 and possibly also the marking unit 34.
heating elements. Heating of the sealing areas at the top The above speci?cation of the packaging machine and
part 41 of the container 33 is accomplished by the top its means of driving will have given a general idea of
heating unit 17 being lowered into and over the top part its working. As has been mentioned in the introduction,
of the container 33, so that the heated air blown out the machine described can be changed over from one
through the said holes largely impinges on the thermo size of package to another, and it is therefore to a certain
plastic-coated sealing areas at right angles. The thermo 65 extent ?tted with duplicate equipment.
plastic material is quickly heated up to its softening tem If we assume that the machine is to be equipped for
perature, after which the top heating unit 17 is raised the production of packages with a capacity of 2 litres
to a point outside the opening of the container 33, after and 1 litre respectively, the packages will be given the
which the container is moved from position D to position same height while their cross sectional areas will be dif
E, the sealing areas of the top part 41 being simultane 70 ferent. The machine described is constructed for packag
ously folded in over the opening of the container with ing containers with a square bottom section, but other
the aid of the guide rails 114. Folding-in of the top part bottom sections also can naturally be used, with the prin
41 of the container 33 is effected by the said triangular ciple remaining unchanged.
areas being folded in, Concertina-fashion, between the The items of equipment or parts of the machine which
outer areas forming the top, in such a way that the seal must be made convertible or easy to replace are e.g. the
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8
storage unit 2, the guide rails 53 of which must be arranged wheel 6 shown in FIG. 3 comprises a hub 56 which can
so that the ?attened container blanks 1 are guided between be freely rotated on the driving shaft 54. On the hub 56,
the rails. In the machine speci?ed here, the storage unit there are ?tted a number, in the present case twelve, man
has been made convertible by virtue of the fact that the drels which are divided into two mandrel sets denoted 5
guide rails 53 can be lifted up and lowered again into one and 5'. The mandrel sets 5 and 5' each contain six man
of two positions corresponding to the desired package drels which are identical. The mandrels in the two sets are
size. Some of the rails are furthermore ?tted in a guide the same length but differ in that e.g. they have different
with elongated holes, by which means the guide rails can cross sectional areas. The mandrels in the two sets are
be moved between an inner and an outer position of the naturally suited to packaging containers of different size,
said elongated holes. 1O and the mandrel wheel 6 is arranged so that either one
When the size of package is changed, the mandrel wheel or the other mandrel set may be brought into the work
must also be converted in such a ‘way that the duplicate ing position, vwhile the mandrel set which is not in the
mandrel set 5', which has dimensions to ?t the new pack working position is caused to passively rotate with the
age size, is brought into position right in front of the mandrel wheel 6 during its rotation.
pusher unit 3. A ring 63 is a?ixed to the hub 56 of the mandrel wheel
Since both the fold pattern and the opening area of 6 by means of bolts 64, which ring exhibits a number of
the new container blanks are different when the size of connector seats 67 which are also divided into two sets,
package is changed, the pre-folder unit 7 at position 11 and one set of connector seats having an angular displacement
the heating device 8 at position III must be changed. This of 30° in relation to the other set of connector seats, all
may be done simply by duplicating the equipment for 20 measured from the centre of rotation of the mandrel
units 7 and 8 and mounting these on retractable or rotat wheel.
able devices, so that the pre-folder unit and the heating On the head 62 of the shaft 54, there is ?tted a disc
device which ?t the container blanks being used can be 72 which is ?rmly secured to the driving shaft and ex
easily brought into position right in front of the hibits a number of locating slots 66 as well as connectors
mandrels 5’. 25 65 ?tted into these slots, which connectors have the shape
The conveyor chain 13 must naturally contain duplicate of elongated bodies or pins with rounded or chamfered
holders and the conveyor chain 13 must in addition be ends. It is also possible to use balls as connectors, but
rendered adjustable in such a way that the holder which since the locating slots must have a certain length for
?ts the container blank being used can be brought right reasons of strength, the balls which must have a diameter
underneath the mandrel 5' in position VI. Once the man 30 larger than the legnth of the locating slots will have un
drel wheel has been moved on and the conveyor chain necessarily large dimensions.
13 re-positioned so that the mandrels 5' and the holders The locating slots 66 on the disc 72 are placed so that
which ?t the new container blanks will be correctly posi they coincide with either of the said connector seat sets
tioned, no further adjustment will be required since the 67. The number of locating slots 66 is thus equal to half
indexing intervals, the indexing angle of the mandrel wheel the number of connector seats 67 and since in this case
6 and the feed movement intervals of the conveyor chain the disc 72 is provided ‘with four locating slots, each set
13 remain unchanged. of connector seats will contain four sets. The disc 72 and
The pre-folder 14, expander 15 and the heating unit 17 thereby the driving shaft 54 can be connected to the
must naturally be changed over for the same reason as mandrel wheel by connectors 65, which are placed in the
that which necessitates changing of the corresponding parts locating slots 66, being ?tted into one of the sets of con
on the mandrel wheel 6. Change-over of units 14, 15 and nector seats, and by moving the position of the connec
17 is effected in the simplest manner by duplicating the tors from one to the other of these sets of connector
units and mounting them on a retractable or rotatable seats 67, the mandrel wheel 6 can thus be given an angular
arm ‘which allows the appropriate unit to be placed into displacement, relative to the shaft 54, of 30°.
the operating position manually. In order to retain the connectors 65 in position inside
The ?lling unit 16 can also be made exchangeable, even the connector seats 67, the connectors are pressed against
if this does not appear to be absolutely necessary. It is the seats 67 by means of the pressure plate 73 which is
however necessary to alter the stroke of the reciprocating ?tted on the hub 78 of the disc 72, and which is pressed
pump or to ?t a duplicate pump, since the packages are against the ends of the connectors 65 protruding from
not intended to be ?lled with the same quantity of liquid. ,the locating slots 66 by a compression spring 57. In order
The packaging machine in accordance with the spec to retain the spring in position and to make possible ad
i?cation has been found particularly reliable in operation justment of the spring force, a thrust washer 60 is ?tted on
and is in addition considerably cheaper than known ma the shaft head 62. The thrust washer 60, onto which one
chines, which, if they are to be capable of use for differ end of the spring 57 abuts, is held in position by a nut
ent sizes of package, must largely be duplicated with the 58, and the disc 72 which is wedged onto the shaft head
exception of the actual machine foundation. 62 is secured to this in the axial direction by the nut 59.
It is naturally possible to use e.g. hydraulic cylinders The driving shaft 54 further exhibits a cooling duct 79
or electromagnetic power units instead of pneumatic cylin drilled in the axial direction, which through radial ducts
ders, but we have found that pneumatic cylinders produce 63 is in communication with annular grooves 81 situated
a fast and sure movement and they are in addition easy 60 1n the hub 56 of the mandrel wheel. From the annular
to operate. grooves 81, cooling ducts 80 radiate outwards through
After this introductory general speci?cation of the op the hub 56, which cooling ducts are in connection with
eration of the packaging machine, a more detailed spec the cooling ducts 55 situated inside the mandrels 5.
i?cation will be given below of certain units of vital im In order to prevent leakage, there are sealing rings 82
portance for the packaging machine, and the way in which ?tted on both sides of the annular grooves 81. Coolant
these interact in order to achieve the desired result, name is supplied through the end 68 of the shaft head 62 and
ly a cheap, fast and convertible packaging machine which is caused to circulate through the mandrels 5 with a view
in addition exhibits good operational characteristics. to removing the heat transmitted to the container blanks
in conjunction with the sealing operation.
(PARTICULAR MACHINE SPECIFICATION When the driving shaft 54 is rotated during the index
70
Since the mandrel wheel 6 and the items of equipment ing process, the mandrel Wheel 6 is rotated along with
interacting with the mandrel wheel are a vital part of the shaft, since the hub 56 of the mandrel wheel is con
the machine in accordance with the invention, the man nected to the driving shaft by means of the connections
drel wheel will be made the subject below of a particular 65. If there should arise some obstacle to the rotation
and more detailed speci?cation. The design of a mandrel of the mandrel wheel, e.g. a faultily formed container or
 3,619,979
10
something similar, the mandrel wheel 6 should be disen disc, causing the cylinder to push the pressure plate 10
gaged since the mandrels 5 may otherwise be damaged down to the top side of the mandrel 5, whereby the
through being deformed. This disengagement takes place heated and pre-folded bottom portion 35 of the container
automatically, through the connectors 65 being forced blank 4 is completely folded and compressed between
out of seats 67 in the event of the force transmitted be the pressure plate 10 and the mandrel. Since, as has been
tween the mandrel wheel and the disc 72 becoming exces mentioned previously, the compressive force transmitted
sive, and being pressed against the pressure plate 73 so by the pressure plate 10 is very large, the reaction from
that this is displaced from the disc 72 against the spring the mandrel 5 will force the pressure plate 10 and the
force exerted by the spring 57. The connectors 65, if the pneumatic cylinder 29 against the direction of compres
force transmitted is excessive, can therefore leave their 10 sion, i.e. away from the mandrel. If the pneumatic cylin
seats 67., from which they will be automatically displaced der 29 were rigidly ?xed to the machine base 88, the
owing to the conical or rounded shape of the end of the above reaction force would only be transmitted to this,
connectors. When the connectors 65 have been forced without the pneumatic cylinder being moved out of its
from the connector seats 67, the mandrel wheel hub 56 position, and the mandrel wheel shaft 54 would have to
is disengaged and the mandrel wheel 6 ceases to rotate absorb the whole compressive force. Since, however, the
along with the driving shaft 54. Since in most cases the pneumatic cylinder 29 is ?xed to the carrier plate 90 con
obstacle causing disengagement remains, it is not desirable nected to the machine base 88 in a resilient manner, the
that the connectors 65 should slide along the disc 72 and pressure plate 10 and the pneumatic cylinder 29 can move
drop into a connector seat 67, only to be forced out again, away somewhat through the rubber element 92 being
every time they pass a seat. In order to prevent this hap 20 compressed, which also means that the shaft 91 and the
pening, the machine is equipped with a sensor unit 69 rods 84, which take up the force, are displaced somewhat
shown in FIG. 4, which may be a micro-interruptor or in a direction away from the mandrel 5.
an air valve, which detects the position of the pressure After the rods 84 have been displaced somewhat (in
plate 73 b‘y means of a sensor arm, and which, if the pres the present case about 0.25 mm.), yoke 85 comes in con
sure plate is moved towards the left as a result of its hav 25 tact with the hub of the mandrel wheel 6, thus preventing
ing become disengaged, actuates an operator 70 e.g. an further elastic movement of the pneumatic cylinder 29,
air valve, which in turn operates a lever 71 that moves pressure plate ‘10 and the rods 84, which take up the
away the pressure plate 73 vagainst the spring force and force, away from the mandrel. The shaft 54 of the man
thus de?nitely disengages the mandrel wheel 6. The valve drel wheel 6, during the initial stage, before contact has
69 can naturally also transmit an impulse to a relay which 30 been reached between the yoke 85 and the mandrel wheel
switches off the current to the driving motor and thus hub, is subjected to a load of the same magnitude as the
stops the machine. force exerted by the pressure plate 10 against the top
In position [[V, the pressure plate 10, as described side of mandrel 5, but when the yoke 85 comes into con
earlier, is pressed vagainst the top side of the mandrel 5 tact with the hub of the mandrel wheel, the force from
in order to seal the folded-up bottom ?aps 35 of the con 35 the pressure plate 10 is transmitted, by way of the man
tainer blank 4. Since the compressive force on the man drel 5, the mandrel wheel hub and the yoke 85, to the
drel 5 and thereby on the driving shaft 54 of the mandrel tension rods 84 which, by virtue of the fact that they are
wheel 6 will be considerable, steps have been taken in ?rmly secured to the pneumatic cylinder 29, form a closed
the present design to prevent excessive stresses and con force system of which the shaft of the mandrel wheel does
sequent deformation of the driving shaft. The steps taken 40 not form a part, an dthe shaft will not therefore be sub
to prevent the driving shaft 54 being subjected to exces jected to load.
sive stress are described by reference to FIG. 5 which The mandrels 5 attached to the mandrel wheel 6 are
shows a detail of the pressure unit 10 and associated divided into two groups 5 and 5’, as has been mentioned
equipment. before. In the ?gure, mandrels 5 have a larger cross
As will be seen in FIG. 5, there is a frame 89 attached 45 sectional area than the mandrel 5', and the mandrels 5
to the machine framing 88. The frame ‘89 is furthermore are all so oriented in relation to the mandrel wheel 6
?rmly secured to two carrier plates 90, each of which at that their central axes, when produced, intersect at points
their ends have resilient units 87 of the type shown in which coincides with the centre of rotation of the man
FIG. 5a. drel wheel. The mandrels 5 thus project radially from
‘The resilient unit 87 consists in. principle of a rubber 50 the mandrel wheel 6. Since as little adjustment work as
ring element 92 which is retained between a hole in the possible is to be carried out when mandrel sets are being
carrier plate ‘90 and the shaft 91 connecting pairs of resil changed over, the arrangement chosen is such that the
ient units 87. In order that the rubber elements 92 should side edges of the mandrels 5 and 5', which are the rear
be retained in position, they are located both by spacer edges when seen in the direction of rotation, have the
sleeves 96 and locating washers 95, which are in turn held 55 same positions in both sets of mandrels. This means that
in the intended position with the aid of washers 94. the feed table near the pusher unit 3 need not be adjusted
The shafts 911 are joined to both the pneumatic cylinder when the size of package is changed, and that in position
29, by means of which the pressure plate is operated, VI the side of the mandrel, which is turned towards the
and to the rods 84 which take up the force, which are container track 12, is always in the same position relative
in addition joined to one another by a yoke 85 that passes to the near end of the container track, regardless of which
round the hub of the mandrel wheel 6, while allowing mandrel set is being used.
some clearance between the yoke and the hub, so that In order to achieve this, the mandrels in the set 5' must
rotational movement of the latter should not be prevented. be positioned asymmetrically in relation to the centre
The rods taking up the force are connected to the carrier of rotation of the mandrel wheel, i.e. the central axes of
plates 90 by means of a ?xture 86, and the positions of 65 the smaller mandrels 5’, when produced, do not all inter
the rods 84 and thereby also that of the yoke 85, in rela sect at one and the same point, nor do they pass through
tion to the hub of the mandrel wheel, can be adjusted by the centre of rotation of the mandrel wheel 6.
means of the nuts 93. Account must naturally be taken of the asymmetrical
The method of operation of the equipment is as fol positioning of the smaller mandrels 5’ when locating the
lows: 70 pre-folding equipment in position II and the heating unit
When the mandrel wheel 6 has completed its indexing in position III, but this adjustment is no appreciable prob~
movement and a mandrel 5 with a container blank on it lem since the said units are nevertheless duplicated and
has been brought into position IV, an impulse is delivered are arranged in such a way that they are swung or dis
to the pneumatic cylinder 29 by a programming device, placed between two positions, ie a working position and
not shown here, which may conveniently consist of a cam 75 a non-working position. The holders 98 in the chain con
 3,619,979
11
veyor 13 must also be located in such a way that they
are suited to the placing of the mandrels 5’ on the mandrel
Wheel 6. The smaller holders 98 thus cannot be placed
exactly between the larger holders, since the mandrels 5
and 5’ have different widths, and it is only the edges of
mandrels S and 5', which are the rear edges when seen
in the direction of movement, that have the same position
in position VI. This means that the edges of the holders,
which are the front edges when seen in the direction of
movement, will be spaced equally on the chain conveyor 10
13, and that the conveyor moves forward a distance corre
sponding to two divisions for every indexing movement
of the mandrel wheel 6. The reason why the feed move
ment is two divisions is naturally that every other holder
98 belongs to the same holder set and thus takes place in
the operation, while every other holder belongs to the
holder set which is not used.
The holders within each holder set must naturally be
arranged at an even spacing, and when changing over the
packaging machine from one size of package to the other, ‘
care must be taken that the chain conveyor 13 is displaced
so that the holders 98 in the holder set being used corre
spond to the positions of the mandrels 5 in position VI.
The holders 98 are formed by angle-section holder
elements 97 which are attached to two interacting endless
chains running between chain wheels 99. The holder ele
ments in the sides 100 of the chains, which are turned
towards one another, together form a space that is the
same size as, or somewhat larger than, the cross section
of the container 33. Since the containers may have two
different sizes, every other holder is smaller and every
other one larger. The positions of the holders 98 are ad
justed when a change is made from one size of package
to the other by the chain wheels 99 being turned, and the
chain wheels 99 may in addition be ?tted with advantage 35 it has reached the correct level, with the bottom of the
with a disengagement device of the same kind as the one
already described in connection with the speci?cation of
the mandrel wheel 6.
The puller device shown in FIG. 6 consists, as men
tioned before, of a suction cup 37 made from an elastic 40 coated packaging material provided with fold lines to fa
material, which through a duct 75 is in communication
with a valve 76, which connects the duct 75 either with
a source of vacuum or the ambient atmosphere, or with
a source of compressed air, depending on the position of
the control arm 77 of the valve 76. The suction cup 37
is attached to a pusher rod 74 which is connected to,
or is the piston rod of, a pneumatic cylinder 38. The pneu~ while on said mandrels to form open packages, conveyor
matic cylinder 38 is operated by a valve that is not shown
here, which is most conveniently operated by a cam disc,
and the pneumatic cylinder 38 must naturally work syn- .
chronously with the indexing wheel 6.
The valve 76 is designed so that its position in relation ?lling the packages, means for closing the packages,
to the container track 12 can be adjusted, and the control
arm 77 of the valve 76 is designed to be capable of being
actuated by the pusher rod 74 or by a unit 101 connected
to the pusher rod. When the control arm 77 is not actuated
by the unit 101, the duct 75 is connected to a source of
vacuum through the valve 76, but when the control arm
77 is actuated by the unit 101, the duct 75 is connected
to the ambient atmosphere.
The method of operation of the puller device is as
follows:
When a mandrel 5 has indexed to position VI, the
pusher rod 74 is lifted up by the pneumatic cylinder 38
until the suction cup 37 is pressed against the bottom of
a container 33 situated on the mandrel 5. In this position,
the duct 75 is in communication with a source of vacuum
and the suction cup will thus be clamped onto the bottom
of the container 33.
When the pusher rod, driven by the pneumatic cylinder
38, is thereafter moved downwards, the container 33 is
drawn off the mandrel 5 and into a holder 98 which is
situated directly underneath the mandrel 5. When the
unit or rod 101 connected to the pusher rod 74, during
the dOWIIWaId stroke, comes into contact with the control
12
arm 77 of the valve 76, the suction cup 37 is placed in
communication with the ambient atmosphere or with a
source of compressed air through the duct 75, which means
that the suction force is lost and the suction cup is released
from the container 33.
By adjusting the position of the valve 76 or more cor
rectly that of the sensor arm 77 in relation to the con
tainer track 12, release of the suction cup 37 from the
container 33 can be adjusted to coincide with a position
where the container 33 is situated on or immediately above
the container track 12. The reason why the container 33
is to be disengaged from the suction cup 37 before the
edge of the container has reached the container track 12
is that the suction force is considerable and the container
may become damaged, and a breakdown ensue, if the
container is drawn off against the edge of the container
track 12 with the suction cup 37 exerting the full suction
force.
In order to facilitate vertical positioning of the con
tainer 33, the near part 102 of the container track 12
slopes, and care is taken that the valve device 75 is ad
justed so that the container 33 is released before reaching
the sloping near edge 102 of the container track 12, but
that the container is not disengaged before it has been
brought to a position underneath the level de?ned by the
container track 12 at the end of the sloping part 102.
When the container 33 has been disengaged from the
puller, it is positioned inside a holder 98 situated on the
chain conveyor 13, by means of which it is intermittently
moved onto position A. On the way to position A, the
bottom of the container 33 is in contact with the container
track somewhere along the sloping part 102, and the con
tainer 33 is steered in the vertical direction by the con
tainer track 12 until at the end of the sloping part 102
container resting on the container track 12.
We claim:
1. A packaging machine for the production of ?lled and
sealed packages from package blanks of thermoplastic
cilitate folding, said machine comprising an intermittently
rotatable mandrel wheel, mandrels mounted outwardly
thereabout, means for erecting the package blanks to
form a rectangular shape, means for placing the erected
blanks onto said mandrels, means for forming the bot
toms of the packages, means for sealing the bottoms
means, adjustable holders provided thereon for the open
packages, means for transferring the open packages from
said mandrels to said conveyor means, means for pre
folding the open ends of the open packages, means for
means for sealing the packages, said mandrels comprising
two sets of an equal number of mandrels, each set having
a different cross-sectional area and being arranged alter
nately about said mandrel wheel, the mandrels of each
set being spaced equidistantly from each other, means
for intermittently rotating said mandrel wheel so that
one set of mandrels moves consecutively between a series
of stations arranged about said mandrel wheel for opera
tions thereat and means for angularly displacing the man
drel wheel so that the other set of mandrels intermit
tently rotates between the series of stations for opera
tions thereat.
2. A packaging machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein
each of one set of said mandrels extends outwardly
radially from the mandrel wheel and each of said alter
nating set of mandrels extends outwardly and parallel
to but spaced from a radius of the mandrel wheel.
3. A packaging machine as claimed in claim 2 wherein
the trailing face of each mandrel of each set of said
mandrels takes the same position at each of the series of
stations when each of said sets of mandrels is disposed
to intermittently rotate between the stations for operations
thereat.
 8,619,979
13 14
4. A packaging machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein 12. A packaging machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein
the means for sealing the bottoms of the packages while said means for transferring the open packages from said
on the mandrels comprises a pressure means for sealing mandrels to said conveyor means comprises reciprocal
the bottom of the packages and means connecting said suction means for engaging the packages to withdraw them
pressure means with said mandrel wheel to relieve stresses from said associated mandrel and deposit the package on
on said mandrel wheel caused by said pressure means. said conveyor means, means for operating said suction
5. A packaging machine as claimed in claim 4 wherein means when a mandrel is in proper position with respect
said connecting means includes a resilient means con to said conveyor means.
necting said pressure means with said mandrel wheel so 13. A packaging machine as claimed in claim 12 and
as to take up some of the pressure exerted by said pres 10 further comprising a suorce of vacuum and means for
sure means. applying a vacuum to said reciprocal suction means when
6. A packaging machine as claimed in claim 1 and a package on a mandrel reaches the station and for releas
further comprising a drive shaft for said mandrel wheel, ing said vacuum when the package is adjacent said con
detent means, means resiliently mounted about said drive veyor means.
shaft for releasably engaging said detent means with said 15 14. A packaging machine as claimed in claim 13
mandrel wheel whereby said mandrel wheel becomes dis wherein the vacuum is released when the package ap
engaged from said drive shaft when said mandrel wheel proaches said conveyor means.
is overloaded. 15. A packaging machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein
7. A packaging machine as claimed in claim 6 ‘and the package receiving end of the conveyor means includes
further comprising means for continuously applying pres a downwardly sloping ramp portion onto which the pack
sure to said resiliently mounted means to prevent said ages are transferred whereby said packages move up
detent means from becoming permanently disengaged wardly along at least a portion of said sloping ramp por
from said mandrel wheel. tion before the bottoms of said packages move in con
8. A packaging machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein tinuous contact with the remaining portion of said con
said mandrel wheel is provided with two sets of alter 25 veyor means.
nately arranged indentations to permit engagement of said 16. A packaging machine as claimed in claim 15
detent means with one set of said indentations. wherein the means for transferring the packages to said
9. A packaging machine as claimed in claim 8 wherein conveyor means releases the packages at a point below
one indentation of one set thereof is spaced equidistant the level of the remaining portion of the conveyor means
from the adjacent indentations of the other set. 30 and above the downwardly sloping ramp portion.
10. A packaging machine as claimed in claim 6 and
further comprising means for restraining all of said detent References Cited
means to prevent said detent means from engaging any of UNITED STATES PATENTS
said indentation whereby said mandrel wheel may be dis
engaged from the said drive shaft. 35 3,405,505 10/1968 Mistarz _________ .. 53—375 X
11. A packaging machine as claimed in claim 10 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner
wherein said restraining means comprises means for de
tecting the position of the resiliently mounted means for E. F. DESMOND, Assistant Examiner
releasably engaging said detent means with said mandrel
wheel and means cooperating with said detecting means 40 US. Cl. X.R.
for preventing engagement of said mandrel wheel with 53—-201, 266, 375
said drive shaft.