AU617414B2

AU617414B2 - Process and apparatus for the feeding of package blanks to a packaging machine

Info

Publication number: AU617414B2
Application number: AU28980/89A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Jurgen Focke; Kurt Liedtke
Original assignee: Focke and Co GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Focke and Co GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 1988-02-25
Filing date: 1989-02-01
Publication date: 1991-11-28
Anticipated expiration: 2009-02-01
Also published as: AU2898089A; EP0329945B1; CA1338725C; EP0329945A1; JPH01261107A; BR8900876A; DE3805974A1; JPH06587B2; DE58901511D1

Description

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1952 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Form FOR OFFICE USE 617414 Short Title: Int. Cl: Application Number: Lodged: 9 '9r 91 .9 a.

Complete Specification-Lodged: Accepted: Lapsed: Published: Priority: Related Art: TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT 9 Name of Applicant: Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for Service: 4 FOCKE CO. (GMBH CO.) Siemensstr. 10, D-2810 Verden, West Germany JURGEN FOCKE and KURT LIEDTKE GRIFFITH HACK CO.

71 YORK STREET SYDNEY NSW 2000

AUSTRALIA

,.j Complete Specification for the invention entitled: "PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR THE FEEDING OF PACKAGE BLANKS TO A PACKAGING MACHINE" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us:- 6600A/bm -2- Description: The invention relates to a process for the feeding of package blanks, in particular prefabricated, fLatLy foLded together carton blanks, to a packing machine (cartoning machine). Furthermore, the invention relates to an apparatus for carrying out this process.

In the production of packages from cardboard, it is often usual to produce package blanks outside the packing machine and to present them to the packing machine as blank stacks. In the production of large-volume carton packages, for example of corrugated cardboard, carton blanks are prefolded outside the cartoning machine, namely forming a closed carton cross-section. The carton blank prepared in this way is fed flatly folded-together to the cartoning machine, set up in the region of the same and filled. Furthermore, mutually opposite folding flaps (bottom and top walls) are folded.

S Although flatly folded together, such carton blanks have relatively large dimensions. With high-speed cartoning machines, this gives rise to problems regarding an adequate supply of carton blanks to the same.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is based on the Sobject of substantially mechanising the feeding of package blanks, in particular carton blanks, to a packing machine and of thereby ensuring an efficient supply to the packing machine without manual effort.

To achieve this object, the process according to the invention is characterized in that stacks of package blanks S are delivered to the packing machine and moved by tilting into a position with upright or approximately upright position of the blanks.

L1, -3- According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a process for feeding of package blanks to a packing machine wherein: blank stacks of package blanks are arranged initially in a horizontal position one on top of the other for delivery to a receiving station of the packing machine where they are arranged to be moved by a tilting conveyor through an angle of substantially 1000 relative to the horizontal position into a position where the package blanks are in an upright position or slightly inclined position with respect to the upright position, the tilting conveyor adjoins a rear wall of a stationary blank magazine, and a supporting wall of the tilting conveyor extends in the plane of a lower supporting plane of the blank magazine so that S 15 the package blanks are conveyed from the tilting conveyor to a removal end of the blank magazine.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided an apparatus for feeding package blanks, in particular prefabricated carton blanks, to a packing machine, said apparatus comprising a feeding means for feeding blank stacks of package blanks arranged on top of one another to a receiving station of the packing machine, and comprising a tilting conveyor having an angular cross-section, for tilting one blank stack at a time, said a., 25 tilting conveyor having, in an initial horizontal position, a horizontally oriented supporting surface for blank stacks and an upright supporting wall acting as an upright bearing surface for the blank stack, the tilting conveyor being tiltable via a tilting bearing through substantially 1000 relative to the horizontal position in such a way that the carton blanks of the blank stack bear against the supporting i wall in an upright or slightly inclined position, wherein in a tilted position, the tilting conveyor adjoins the rear wall of a stationary blank magazine and the supporting wall of the tilting conveyor extends in the plane of a lower supporting plane of the blank magazine, such that the carton blanks of the blank stack are arranged to be conveyed in an upright or slightly inclined position from the supporting wall of the tilting conveyor to a removal end of the blank magazine.

O A -4- Exemplary embodiments of the apparatus according to the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of the apparatus inside view, Fig. 2 shows a section from the representation according to Fig. 1 on an enlarged scaLe, Fig. 3 shows trie apparatus according to Fig. 1 in basic out- Line and in plan view, Fig. 4 shows a rear transverse view of the apparatus according to Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale, Fig. 5 shows a front view of the apparatus with details of c a the tilting device, Likewise on an enlarged scale, Fig. 6 shows a second embodiment of the apparatus in side 15 view, a Fig. 7 shows a frontal transverse view of the apparatus on an enlarged scale, partially in section.

The exemplary embodiments shown relate to the feeding of carton blanks 10 for the production of large-volume car- 20 ton packages to a corresponding packing machine 11 (cartoning a machine). The carton blanks 10, consisting in particular of corrugated cardboard, are prepared by punching, partial folding and joining of carton walls, so that in the packing machine 11 the carton blanks 10 are set up, filled and finish-folded.

The design of the carton blanks 10 and of a setting-up device S12 of the packing machine 11 preferably correspond to those in the configuration represented in German Offenlegungsschrift 3,429,761.8.

The flatly folded-together carton blanks 10 are conveyed one on top of the other as blank stacks 13, 14 to the packing machine 11. Specially designed pallets 15, 16, on which two blank stacks 13, 14 in each case rest next to each other, are used for this purpose. These pallets consist of two carrying frames 17, 18, arranged one on top of the other, preferably of boards 19 and beams 20. The construction of the pallets 15, 16 is designed in each case such that (two) fork prongs 21 of a fork-lift truck 22 or of a corresponding industrial truck enter into the lower carrying frame 18 of a pallet 15, 16. The blank stacks 13, 14 rest on the upper carrying frame, 17': The Latter is designed such that carrying arms of a lifting or conveying element can be introduced into the carrying frame 17 and can Lift one or both blank stacks 13, 14 off the pallet 15, 16.

A pallet 15, 16 of such design, with two bLank stacks 13, 14, is conveyed to the packing machine 11 by the fork- Lift truck 22. The pallet 15, 16 is set down in the region of a receiving station 23, 24. The blank stacks 13, 14 are then fed individually to the packing machine 11 or a blank magazine 25, 26 of the same.

In the preferred embodiment according to Figs. 1 to the pallet 15 is conveyed transversely to the (imaginary) Longitudinal centre plane 27 of the apparatus. The pallet '15 is in this case not set down on a base but is held ready 15 in an exact position for direct acceptance of the blank stacks 13, 14 by the fork prongs 21 of the fork-lift truck 22. This position is chosen such that carrying elements, namely three carrying prongs 28, 29, 30, arranged in the shape of a fork, are able to enter from the side opposite the fork-lift truck 20 22 into the region of the pallet 15, to be precise into the 9 0 .o 0 upper carrying frame 17.

SThe carrying prongs 28, 29, 30 are part of a fixed lifting conveyor 31 in the region of the receiving station 23. The carrying prongs 28..30, which'lie a slight distance below the blank stacks 13, 14 during the phase of conveying the part 15 into the receiving station 23, accept the blank stacks 13, 14 by lowering of the pallet 15 due to corresponding downward movement of the fork prongs 21 of the fork-lift truck 22. As a result, the pallet 15 comes free from the blank stacks 13, 14, which now rest on the carrying prongs 28...30 (Fig. The empty pallet 15 can then be withdrawn by the fork-lift truck 22 underneath the blank stacks 13, 14 and transported away.

The carrying prongs 28, 29, 30 are arranged as cantilever arms projecting to one side, on a carrying beam 32 of the Lifting conveyor 31, the beam running along the side of the receiving station 23. The carrying beam 32 is mounted on (two) upright cArrying bolts 34 such as to be moveable up and down by means of guide sleeves 33. The carrying beam -6- 32 can be moved up and"'dow n with the carrying prbngs 28...30 by a suitable actuating element, in particular by a pressuremedium cylinder (hydraulic cylinder) (not shown).

The upper position of the carrying prongs' 28...30 can be seen in Fig. 4. After withdrawal of the pallet the carrying prongs 28...30 are Lowered with the blank stacks 13, 14 until the LI tter rest on a conveyor, in the present case a roller conveyor 35. In so doing, the carrying prongs 28...30 are lowered into a plane underneath the upper side of the roller conveyor 35 (dot-dashed position in Fig. 1).

The blank stacks 13, 14 are conveyed by the roller conveyor 35 one after the other to a tilting station 36.

4 1 For this purpose, the roller conveyor 35 is subdivided into two individual conveyors 37 and 38. The individual convey- 15 ors 37, 38 can be driven separately from each other, here by chain drive 39. Each individual conveyor 37, 38 consists of 0 a plurality of elongated, cylindrical conveying rollers 41. These are rotatably mounted with their ends in upright carrying flanges 42, 43 of a machine frame 44. The carrying 20 flanges 42, 43 are connected to each other by a baseplate 0 0 The blank stack 13, Lying (at first) away from the tilting station 36 rests on the first, shorter individual conveyor 37. The blank stack 14 facing the tilting station 36 rests on the conveying rollers 41 of the second individual conveyor 38, Leading into the tilting station 36.

The blank stack 14 is conveyed by the drive of the individual conveyor 38 from the initial position in the receiving station 23, shown in Fig. 1, into the tilting station 36 (dot-dashed representation in Fig. From this position, the blank stack 13 is conveyed, with tilting, into a higher position and transferred into the bLank magazine 25. In so doing, the blank stack 13 is tilted in such a way that the originally horizontally aligned carton blanks 10 are oriented approximately upright next to one another. A special feature is that the blank stack 13 is conveyed in an inclined position by a tilting movement along an angle of approximately 1000. As a result, the carton blanks are, in the region of the blank magazine 25, on a plane inclined downwards in the direction of conveying.

v -7- For execution ofi-the tilting movement, the blank stack 13 is transported into a tilting conveyor 46, held ready in the tilting station 36. The said conveyor consists essentially of an originally horizontal carrying leg and an upright supporting leg. The latter serves at the end of the tilting movement as bearing surface for the blank stack 13.

For receiving the blank stack 13 when conveying into the tilting station 36, the tilting conveyor 46 is provided with two carrying Legs 47, 48, which are arranged a distance apart and horizontally in the initial position. These extend in a plane underneath the conveying plane predetermined by the conveying rollers 41. The conveying rollers 41 in the region of the tilting station 36 are provided for this 4 0o purpose with recesses 49 (turned-out reliefs) (Fig. The 15 carrying legs 47, 48 extend within the same.

In upright plane, there extends a supporting wall as originally upright bearing leg of the tilting conveyor 46. Side walls 51, 52, which laterally adjoin the supporting wall 50, are provided as side limitation. Seen in basic 20 outline, the blank stack 13 is embraced in the shape of a U but side wall 50 and side walls 51, 52.

The carrying legs 47, 48 are extended beyond the supporting wall 50. In the plane and in extension of the carrying legs 47, 48, bearing ends 53, 54 are attached on the rear of the supporting wall 50 and are mounted rotatably in the region of a tilting bearing 55. As can be seen in Fig. 3, each bearing end 53, 54 is mounted with an outwardly directed bearing pin 56, 57 in a supporting bearing 58, 59 of the machine frame 44 or the correspondingly drawn-up carrying flanges 42, 43. The tilting bearing 55 is located a clear distance above the bearing plane of the blank stacks 13, 14.

For the execution of tilting movements of the tilting conveyor 46, in the present case the bearing end 54 is provided with an arc-shaped tooth segment 60. The Latter is in engagement with a pinion 61, which is driven by a motor %not shown here) in one and the other direction of rotation.

If the pinion 61 is driven in the anti-clockwise direction (Fig. the tiling conveyor 46, consisting of U 1-

T

-8deal ols 9494 0% 4 .4 44,.

o 4.

a o 94 9 9 4* 4 carrying Legs 47, 48., "s pporting waLL 50 and side waLLs 51, 52, is moved out of the Lower position in Fig. 1 into the upper tiLting position shown in dashed Lines. In the said position, the now downwardLy directed supporting waLL 50 is Located in the pLane of a Lower supporting pLane of the blank magazine 25. The supporting waLL 50 forms a downwardLy directed continuation of the bLank magazine The said magazine consists essentiaLLy of two magazine beLts 62, 63, arranged at a distance from each other.

The magazine beLts 62, 63 are driven by a common shaft 64 for a continuous or intermittent conveyance of carton bLanks 10 to a removaL end 65. Here, the front carton bLank 10 in each case is fixed by lateraL stationary retaining hooks 66.

The dimension of the latter is chosen such that the front carton bLank 10 in each case can be withdrawn from the blank magazine 25 and fed to the packing machine 11 without changing the position of the retaining hooks 66. A setting-up device 12 according to German OffenLegungsschrift 34 29 761.8 is advantageousLy used for this.

20 The tiLting conveyor 46 remains in the upper tiLting position as continuation of the bLank magazine 25 untiL the carton bLanks 10 resting on the supporting wall 50 in this position are graduaLLy conveyed into the region of the fixed part of the bLank magazine 25 (magazine belts 62, 63).

For the advancement of the carton blanks 10 on the supporting wall 50, the Latter is provided with a conveyor.

In the present exemplary embodiments, two belt conveyors 67, 68, arranged at a distance from each other, are provided. One conveying strand 69 extends in the plane of the upporting wall 50 and projecting slightly beyond the latter. On the upper and lower ends of the supporting wall 50, deflection rollers 71 for the two bep t conveyors 67, 68 ara provided. A further, third deflection roller 72 is arranged concentrically to the tilting bearing 55, so that the belt conveyors 67, 68 are led around the tilting bearing 55. As a result, the belt conveyors 67, 68 can be moved without any problem with the tilting conveyor 46.

On the tilting conveyor 46, there is arranged a drive motor 73, which transfers the drive via a further deflection

:I

I

_1 i -9roller 74 to the two be.Lt conveyors 67, 68.

The belt conveyors 67, 68 are mechanicaLLy interconnected. For this purpose, the deflection roLLers 72, arranged coaxially to the tilting bearing 55, are interconnected by a hollow shaft 75. The deflection roLLers 72 are designed at the ends of the hollow shaft 75 as part of the same. The hollow shaft 75 is for its part mounted rotatabLy on a connecting shaft 76, which interconnects the two bearing ends 53, 54.

The belt conveyors 67, 68 are arranged such that, in the upwardly tilted position of the tilting conveyor 46, the upper deflection rollers 70 are aligned coaxially with deflection rollers 77 of the magazine belts 62, 63. In this arrangement, the deflection rollers 77 lie between the de- 15 flection rollers 1 On the tilting conveyor 46 there are retaining elements attached for the fixing of the blank stack 13, 14 on its upper side. In the case of the present exemplary embodiment, two moveable, mainly swingable retaining claws 8, 79 20 are attached in each case on the two side walls 51, 52.

These retaining claws are interconnected by an off-centre rocking shaft 80, which is mounted rotatably in a sleeve-like r holder 81 fitted on the outside of the side wall 51, 52. The "4 retaining claw 79 is provided with a downwardly pointing extension 82. On the latter there acts an actuating element (not shown), in particular a pressure-medium cylinder, in the sense of a swinging movement of the retaining claw 79.

The movement of the latter is transferred via the rocking shaft 80 onto the other retaining claw 78. The retaining claws are capable of swinging back out of a holding position, w shown for example in Fig. 2, in such a way that the blank stack 13, 14 comes free on the upper side and on the front side, respectively (in the region of the blank magazine The transfer of the blank stacks 13, 14 to the packing machine 11 or its blank magazine 25 proceeds in the way that, after reception of the forward-lying blank stack 14 by the tilting conveyor 46, the latter is tilted in the way described by driving of the pinion 61 in the clockwise direction, until the supporting wall 50 acts as base in the region j Lof the blank magazine 2.5_and as continuation of the same.

The tilting movement is expediently executed at the moment when a residual stack 83 in the region of the blank magazine has been reduced to such an extent that the following blank stack 13 can adjoin the residual stack 83 virtually without any intermediate space. The functions are coordinated in such a way that, for this purpose, the tilting conveyor 46 is swung back into the Lower initial position when the blank stack 13 fed by the tilting conveyor 46 has been reduced to a residua.L amount of about 20 carton blanks This residual amount of carton blanks 10 has a dimension in longitudinal direction of the blank magazine 25, which cor- ',00 responds approximately to the distance between the upper edge of supporting wall 50 and side walls 51, 52 on the one 15 hand and of the blank stack 13, 14 on the other hand. The tilting conveyor 46 can consequently be moved back without any constraint, while the abovementioned residual amount of p. the blank stack 14 remains in the blank magazine After return of the tilting conveyor 46 into the 20 initial position, the individual conveyor 37 and the further 0 6 individual conveyor 38 are driven, so that the second blank 09 0 *0 4 stack 13 is transported into the region of the tilting conveyor 46. The transfer of the said second stack into the o P P blank magazine 25 takes place in the same way already described. At the same time, the'receiving station 23 is fed a further group of blank stacks 13, 14.

Whenever a tilted blank stack 13, 14 is joined up with the existing residual stack 83, the retaining claws 78, 79 are swung back in the way described, so that residual stack 83 and blank stack 13, 14 can adjoin each other directly.

In the embodiment of the apparatus represented in Figs. 6 and 7, pallets 16 are delivered to the receiving station 24 by the fork-lift truck 22 in the conveying direction (tilting plane) of the blank stacks 13, 14. The pallet 16 is likewise designed in a special way. A lower carrying frame 85 is intended for receiving*the fork prongs 21 of the fork-lift truck 22. The carrying frame 86 arranged above it serves as a supporting surface for the blank stacks 13, 14, but is provided with recesses, which make possible the _j _I i_ 1 -11entry of Lifting eLemen.ts on the side opposite the fork-Lift truck 22.

In the case of this apparatus, the pallet 16 Loaded with two blank stacks 13, 14 is set down on the floor in the receiving station 24. A tilting conveyor 87 accepts the front, facing blank stack 14 and moves it, by tilting, into an upper position, with simultaneous relative turning of the blank stack 13, so that the carton blanks 10 are set upright with a slight inclination. In this exemplary embodiment, tilting conveyor 87 and blank magazine 26 are arranged in offset planes. The tilting conveyor 87 is tiltable in a region next to the blank magazine 26 (Fig. 7).

As in the previously described exemplary embodiment, the tilting conveyor 87 consists of horizontal carrying ele- 15 ments, namely carrying prongs 88 and 89. These are mounted 9* displaceably in a Longitudinal direction in the Lower region of an upright supporting wall 90, to be precise in a carrying body 91 connected to the supporting wall To take up a blank stack 14 or 13, the carrying prongs 20 88, 89 can be extended in such a way that an adequate section S extends underneath the blank stack 14, 13 to be taken up.

0 o By the tilting movement of the tilting conveyor 87, the ex- Stended carrying prongs 88, 89 Lift the corresponding blank o stack 14, 13 off the pallet 16.

After setting down the pallet 16 in the region of the receiving station 24, the blank stack 14 to be accepted first is Located a slight distance from the tiLting conveyor 87 (dot-dashed Lines in Fig. After the extending of the carrying prongs 88, 89 and a sLight swinging of the tiLting conveyor 87, the carrying prongs 88, 89 are retracted, taking the blank stack 14 with them, untiL the Latter bears against the supporting wall 90. The carrying prongs 88, 89 are thereby moved out of the dot-dashed position in Fig. 6 into the solid position.

For execution of the forward and backward movements of the carrying prongs 88, 89, the Latter are designed on the upper side as toothed racks. A drive gearwheel 92, 93 meshes with these in each case. These gearwheeLs are arranged on a common driveshaft 94, which are (sic) driven in one h' A' P -12direction and the other-by. a motor 95 flange-mounted on the tilting conveyor 87 of on the carrying body 91.

The tilting conveyor 87 is provided furthermore with an upper waLL 96 and side waLLs 97 and 98. These limitations for the blank stack 14, 13, connected to the supporting waLL are of Limited dimension in transverse direction of the blank stack, but sufficient to avoid Lateral movements.

The supporting waLL 90 is adjoined, off-centre on the side opposite the blank stack 14, 13, by a carrying Link 99, as a cantilever arm protruding at the rear. Arranged on the end of the Latter, directed transverseLy, is a rotary shaft 100, which rests rotatabLy in a rotationaL bearing 102 formed in a main support 101 of the apparatus. At the free end of the rotary shaft 100 there engages a drive (not shown 15 in detaiL), in particular a motor. The tilting movements are transferred to the tiLting conveyor 87 via the rotary shaft 100.

6 After reception of a bLank stack 14 by the tilting conveyor 87 (Fig. the tilting movement takes place 20 here too along an angle of approximately 1000 into the o upper position, dot-dashed in Fig. 1. The tilting conveyor *4 is here aligned with the supporting wall 90, serving as supporting surface for the carton blanks 10, in the plane of a the blank magazine 26, but offset laterally next to the latter (Fig. The blank stack 14 is then pushed off in a transverse direction from the tilting conveyor 87 or its supporting wall 90 and transferred to the blank magazine 26. This transverse conveyance is executed by a cross slide 103, which takes up the complete blank stack 14 at the side and extends with a driver arm 104 above the side wall 97 of the tilting conveyor. On the lower side of the driver arm 104, an arc-shaped limiting edge 105 is formed, which makes possible the tilting movement of the tilting conveyor 87 in the initial position of the cross slide 103 (dot-dashed in Fig.

7).

The cross slide 103 is mounted displaceably by two carrying rods 106, 107 in a carrying guide 108 arranged underneath the blank magazine 26. A free region of the carrying rods 106, 107 projecting out of the carrying guide 108, -13is designed as a toothed-ra.ck 109. In engagement with the Latter is a drive pini6n 110, which is driven in one direction and the other by a motor (not shown).

With the aid of the abovementioned drive, the cross slide 103 can be moved transversely according to the arrow shown, out of the initial position shown dot-dashed in Fig.

7, taking the tilted blank stack 14 with it. The blank stack 14 thereby passes from the tilting conveyor 87 into the blank magazine 26. In the initial position, the driver arm 104 forms a Lateral Limitation for the blank stack 14 during the tilting movement. Due to the arc-shaped Limiting edge 105, the side wall 97 underneath the driver arm 104 Located in this initiaL position can be moved through without any 0a constraint.

15 Furthermore, the driver arm 104 is provided with a sLit 111, through which the (tiLted) upper waLL 96 passes Sthrough during the transverse movement of the driver arm 104.

The blank magazine 26 is also designed in a special way. On a crosshead 112, inclined slightly downwards in con- 20 veying direction towards the packing machine 11, there are S, arranged two drivable magazine belts 113, 114. On these are

S

b o mounted the carton blanks 10, in an essentially upright or slightly inclined position. In a region facing the packing machine 11, an in this case relatively Largely dimensioned residual stack 115 is maintained. At its rear, it is adjoined in good time in each case by a blank stack 13, 14. The thus-designed blank magazine 26, or the crosshead 112, rests on the main support 101. The magazine belts 113, 114 are recessed into the plate-shaped elongated crosshead 112. A rear deflection roller 116, 117 of the two magazine belts 113, 114, is arranged so as to be raisable and lowerable, for example by an actuating cylinder (not shown here). In the lowered position (solid lines in Fig. the magazine belts 113, 114, or their upper conveyinp strand, are underneath the plane of the crosshead 112. In this position, the blank stack 13, 14 can be transferred without hindrance by the magazine belts 113, 114 onto the crosshead 112. Thereafter, the deflection rollers 116, 117 are raised, so that the magazine belts 113, 114 are brought into conveying position _jr _I~IC -14with slight raising of t'he-carton bLanks 10. Due to the magazine belts 113, 114, the carton blanks 10 are then conveyed to the front end of the blank magazine 26 according to consumption.

The functional sequence of this apparatus is similar to that of the previously described exeRnlary embodiment.

One difference is merely that, after the pushing-off of the blank stack 13, 14 onto the blank magazine 26, the tilting conveyor 87 which has then become free returns without delay into the Lower initial position and is consequently ready to receive the next blank stack.

9,.

S* 9 6 9

*O

*0 0* 9 099I 9

Claims

1. A process for feeding of package blanks to a packing machine wherein: blank stacks of package blanks are arranged initially in a horizontal position one on top of the other for delivery to a receiving station of the packing machine where they are arranged to be moved by a tilting conveyor through an angle of substantially 1000 relative tc :he horizontal position into a position where the package blanks are in an upright position or slightly inclined position 5: with respect to the upright position, the tilting conveyor adjoins a rear wall of a stationary blank magazine, and a :supporting wall of the tilting conveyor extends in the plane 15 of a lower supporting plane of the blank magazine so that the package blanks are conveyed from the tilting conveyor to a removal end of the blank magazine.

2. A process according to claim 1 wherein the tilting conveyor comprises conveying means for conveying 20 package blanks to the removal end after tilting. a

3. A process according to any one of the preceding claims wherein: the lower supporting plane of the blank magazine is higher than the plane corresponding to the part of the receiving station which is arranged to support the blank stacks.

4. A process according to any one of the preceding claims characterised in that the blank stacks are arranged to be delivered to the receiving station on a carrying device in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the S.supporting wall when in a non tilting position. A process according to any one of the preceding claims wherein: the tilting conveyor comprises carrying legs for carrying each blank stack during movement by the tilting conveyor. AL 4

6. A process according to any one of the preceding claims wherein: 8465S:JM c L -il -16- the tilting conveyor is arranged to move each blank stack in a pivoting motion about its tilting bearing.

7. A process according to any one of the preceding claims wherein: 0 a blank stack, once it has been moved by the tilting conveyor, is arranged to be moved by a cross slide, from a position off-set laterally from the blank magazine, to the blank magazine.

8. An apparatus for feeding package blanks, in particular prefabricated carton blanks, to a packing machine, said apparatus comprising a feeding means for feeding blank stacks of package blanks arranged on top of one another to a receiving station of the packing machine, and comprising a tilting conveyor having an angular 15 cross-section, for tilting one blank stack at a time, said tilting conveyor having, in an initial horizontal position, a horizontally oriented supporting surface for blank stacks and an upright supporting wall acting as an upright bearing surface for the blank stack, the tilting conveyor being 20 tiltable via a tilting bearing through substantially 1000 relative to the horizontal position in such a way that the carton blanks of the blank stack bear against the supporting wall in an upright or slightly inclined position, wherein in a tilted position, the tilting conveyor adjoins the rear wall of a stationary blank magazine and the supporting wall of the tilting conveyor extends in the plane of a lower supporting plane of the blank magazine, such that the carton blanks of the blank stack are arranged to be conveyed in an upright or slightly inclined position from the supporting wall of the tilting conveyor to a removal end of the blank magazine.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8 characterised in that the tilting conveyor is of angular design in cross-section with carrying legs directed substantially horizontally in an initial position for supporting a blank. An apparatus according to claim 9 characterised A in that the tilting conveyor has side walls as well as, in a i non tilting position, an upper cover for the blank stacks. 8465S:JM I -17-

11. An apparatus according to claim characterised in that moveable retaining claws for supporting the blank stack are mounted on an upper side of the side walls and are pivotable by a common pivot shaft.

12. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims characterised in that the tilting conveyor is tiltable by means of bearing ends arranged on the supporting wall of the tilting conveyor, at least one bearing end being designed as a toothed segment for driving by a pinion in a swinging or tilting motion.

13. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims characterised in that the supporting wall of the tilting conveyor is provided with conveying means for 0. the transport of the carton blanks in the tilted position in Se 15 the direction of the removal end of the blank magazine by 0 means of two belt conveyors, one belt of which extends in the region of the supporting wall. o

14. An apparatus according to any one of the oo preceding claims characterised in that in the region of the t 0 S 20 receiving station, two mutually independently driven conveyors are arranged for the transport of blank stacks to the tilting conveyor. u. 15. An apparatus according to claim 14 characterised in that the blank stacks which are arranged to o 25 be fed by means of a pallet to the receiving station, are arranged to be set down on carrying prongs which are jointly moveable up and down and by which the blanks are arranged to be set down on the individual conveyors.

16. An apparatus according to any one of the 00 30 preceding claims characterised in that the carrying legs are displaceable for acceptance of a blank stack from the pallet.

17. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims characterised in that on the supporting wall of the tilting conveyor which is upright in its non tilting position, a rearwardly protruding carrying bar is attached, which is arranged to be swung for execution of the tilting movement by a rotary shaft driven in one direction Sand then an opposing direction. -18-

18. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein: the tilting conveyor comprises a cross slide which is arranged to move a blank stack to the blank magazine from a position off-set laterally from the blank magazine.

19. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims characterised in that the blank magazine rests on a main support on which the tilting conveyor is rotatably mounted by means of rotary shaft. An apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the conveying means comprises belt conveyors.

21. The apparatus according to claim S"'characterized in that the blank magazine consists of magazine belts adjoining the belt conveyors of the tilting conveyor, and that the carton blanks of the blank stack are arranged to be transported to a removal end of the blank magazine by these magazine belts. 2 022. The apparatus according to claim 20 or 21, 20 characterized in that the package blanks of the blank stack are conveyable from the belt conveyors of the tilting conveyor to the magazine belts of the blank magazine in an upright position and in that the tilting conveyor can be I moved back to its initial position after all package blanks have been conveyed from the belt conveyors to the magazine belts.

23. An apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to figures 1 to 5 and 6 and 7.

24. A process substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the figures 1 to 5 and 6 and 7. Dated this 13th day of September 1991 FOCKE CO. (GmbH Co.) By their Patent Attorneys GRIFFITH HACK CO. II, I 8465S:JM