Cartoning machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10604290-B2
Application number	US-201615546459-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 25, 2016
Priority date	Jan 26, 2015
Publication date	Mar 31, 2020
Grant date	Mar 31, 2020

Abstract

A cartoning machine for packaging one or more products in a respective carton includes a product conveyor for conveying the products along an advancement direction, a transport device for transporting the carton along a transport path, an insertion zone wherein the products face an aperture of the carton and are inserted into the carton. The product conveyor includes a first belt on which first edges are mounted and a second belt on which second edges are mounted, each first edge defining with a respective second edge a pair of containment edges of the products. A mutual position of the first belt and of the second belt is adjustable so as to adjust accordingly a distance between the first edges and the second edges to adapt the pair of containment edges to a dimension of the products. The product conveyor further includes a first cam path and a second cam path, each first edge including a first cam follower engaging the first cam path and each second edge including a second cam follower engaging the second cam path, such that the first edges and the second edges are movable transversely to the advancement direction towards the carton at the insertion zone.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cartoning machine for packaging one or more products in a respective carton, including: a product conveyor for conveying said products along an advancement direction, a transport device for transporting the carton along a transport path, an insertion zone where said one or more products are arranged in front of an aperture of the carton and are inserted in the carton, said product conveyor including a first belt having a plurality of first edges mounted thereon, and a second belt having a plurality of second edges mounted thereon, each first edge and a respective second edge defining a pair of containment edges of said one or more products, a mutual position of said first and second belts being adjustable to simultaneously adjust a distance between the first and second edges for each pair of containment edges of said one or more products depending on a dimension of said one or more products, wherein said product conveyor further includes a first cam path and a second cam path, each first edge including a first cam follower engaging said first cam path and each second edge including a second cam follower engaging said second cam path, so that the first edges and the second edges are movable transversely relative to said advancement direction towards the carton at the insertion zone, to shorten a distance of the first and second edges, respectively, from the aperture of the carton at the insertion zone and favour a correct insertion of said one or more products in the carton.

2. The cartoning machine according to claim 1 , wherein the first cam path and the second cam path are shaped to move the first edge and the second edge of the pair of containment edges of said one or more products together towards the carton at the insertion zone.

3. The cartoning machine according to claim 2 , wherein a rectilinear portion and a curved portion of the first cam path are parallel to a rectilinear portion and a curved portion of the second cam path, respectively, said rectilinear portion of the first cam path and said rectilinear portion of the second cam path being closer to the transport path of the cartons than other portions of the first cam path and of the second cam path.

4. The cartoning machine according to claim 3 , wherein the first cam path is defined by a plurality of cams including a fixed cam and an adjustable cam having a position linearly adjustable with respect to said fixed cam and parallel to the advancement direction.

5. The cartoning machine according to claim 4 , wherein the position of the adjustable cam is adjusted according to the relative positions of the first belt and of the second belt.

6. The cartoning machine according to claim 4 , wherein the plurality of cams further includes a joint cam that joins the fixed cam and the adjustable cam.

7. The cartoning machine according to claim 6 , wherein the adjustable cam includes the curved portion of the first cam path.

8. The cartoning machine according to claim 7 , wherein the joint cam includes a part of the first rectilinear portion of the first cam path, said part being adjacent to the curved portion of the first cam path.

9. The cartoning machine according to claim 1 , including fixing bases bearing on the first belt and on the second belt, respectively, each of said fixing bases including a guide, the first edges and the second edges being slidably mounted on said guides, respectively.

10. The cartoning machine according to claim 1 , wherein the first cam path and the second cam path extend to an upper stretch of the first belt and to an upper stretch of the second belt, respectively.

11. The cartoning machine according to claim 10 , wherein the first cam follower and the second cam follower each include a slider that projects from the first edge and from the second edge to the first belt and to the second belt, respectively, through slots arranged in the first belt and in the second belt, respectively.

12. The cartoning machine according to claim 1 , including first pulleys on which the first belt is wound and second pulleys on which the second belt is wound, said first pulleys and said second pulleys being mutually angularly adjustable to simultaneously adjust a distance between the first edges and the second edges for each pair of containment edges of said one or more products.

13. A cartoning machine for packaging one or more products in a respective carton, including; a product conveyor for conveying said products along an advancement direction, a transport device for transporting the carton along a transport path, an insertion zone where said one or more products are arranged in front of an aperture of the carton and are inserted in the carton, said product conveyor including a first belt having a plurality of first edges mounted thereon, and a second belt having a plurality of second edges mounted thereon, each first edge and a respective second edge defining a pair of containment edges of said one or more products, a mutual position of said first and second belts being adjustable to simultaneously adjust a distance between the first and second edges for each pair of containment edges of said one or more products depending on a dimension of said one or more products, wherein said product conveyor further includes a first cam path and a second cam path, each first edge including a first cam follower engaging said first cam path and each second edge including a second cam follower engaging said second cam path, so that the first edges and the second edges are movable transversely relative to said advancement direction towards the carton at the insertion zone, to shorten a distance of the first and second edges, respectively, from the aperture of the carton at the insertion zone and favour a correct insertion of said one or more products in the carton; wherein the first cam path is defined by a plurality of cams including a fixed cam and an adjustable cam having a position linearly adjustable with respect to said fixed cam and parallel to the advancement direction.

14. The cartoning machine according to claim 13 , wherein the position of the adjustable cam is adjusted according to the relative positions of the first belt and of the second belt.

15. The cartoning machine according to claim 13 , wherein the plurality of cams further includes a joint cam that joins the fixed cam and the adjustable cam.

Assignees

• Ima Spa

Inventors

• Orillo Antonio
• Di Maio Pierpaolo

Classifications

• B65G17/48

  Controlling attitudes of load-carriers during movement ({B65G17/18 takes precedence;} guides B65G21/20; inverting or tilting load carriers to discharge contents B65G47/38) · CPC title

• B65G15/42

  having ribs, ridges, or other surface projections · CPC title

• B65B35/205 Primary

  linked to endless conveyors · CPC title

• B65B5/04

  Packaging single articles · CPC title

• B65B5/02

  Machines characterised by incorporation of means for making the containers or receptacles · CPC title