JPH0249970B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to the field of the packaging industry for packaging articles such as bottles.

More specifically, it is a guide used in the assembly head of a cartoning machine that arranges items, such as bottles, that are brought into contact with each other in a cartoning arrangement and drops them into boxes. The present invention relates to a guide finger body attachment device for attaching a body.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Boxing machines are conventionally equipped with partition plates extending in the lateral and longitudinal directions, on which spring fingers are arranged. However, in recent years, many of the commonly used assembly heads for box packaging have been improved so that only partition plates extending in one direction are attached. Accordingly, four fingers adapted to engage the articles to be dropped into the box and spaced apart around the circumference of the articles to be processed control the falling of the articles into the box. It is made to be.

One previously known type of means for positioning these guide or drop fingers is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,385,027 to Bruce Kotzping et al., and an earlier type of finger mounting bracket was Disclosed in US Pat. No. 3,325,967.

Another arrangement with "corner attachment means" of the guide fingers is disclosed in U.S. Pat.
No. 4,033,095, in which each drop member is secured to a mounting bracket using a cap screw and retaining plate or rod, the mounting bracket being secured to a guide plate attached to a bottle packaging assembly or grid. Fixed.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention In such a conventionally known structure, the drop finger body is usually fixed in place with a cap screw, rivet, bolt, etc., so it is difficult to perform work when repositioning or replacing the finger body. person is required to operate tools for removing and replacing finger bodies. Replacing or repairing finger bodies is usually a somewhat time consuming job. During use, these drop fingers break or break, so when the guide fingers are repositioned or replaced, it is necessary to stop the cartoning machine until the guide fingers have been replaced. It is therefore desirable to locate the guide or drop finger in the assembly head so as to significantly reduce the time required to remove and replace the finger.

Means for Solving the Problems It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved guide finger attachment device for use in the assembly head of a cartoning machine, in particular to provide a new and improved guide finger attachment device without the use of tools. An object of the present invention is to provide a guide finger attachment device configured so that the guide finger body can be replaced. That is, the present invention includes partition plates extending in the length direction of an assembly head for holding articles, and articles that abut the assembly head in a row between pairs of adjacent partition plates. A guide finger attachment device for use in a boxing machine configured to feed a box, comprising: a positioning member having at least one continuous flat outer surface extending in a vertical direction; and a positioning member disposed on the flat outer surface of the positioning member. and a spring finger means slidably engaged with the spring finger means and the locating member to urge the spring finger means into an operative position on the locating member to place it in its normal operative position. a spring clip for retaining said positioning member against downward movement, said spring finger means being made of plastic having a lip located on an upper portion thereof and projecting beyond an end of said spring clip; There is a guide finger attachment device characterized in that it includes a spring finger made of.

Effects According to the present invention, the guide finger means can be easily assembled into the grid of the assembly head of a box packing machine, and can be quickly disassembled and removed for maintenance such as repair or replacement. .

EXAMPLES The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, but the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments and can be modified in many ways without departing from the spirit of the invention. Of course.

The invention particularly relates to the packaging of articles such as containers of liquids such as soft drinks, beer, etc., but the invention is not limited thereto and could process any type of article.

The entire guide finger attachment device embodying the principles of the present invention is designated by the numeral 10 in FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings. These guide finger attachment devices are provided on the sides of a guide or partition plate 12, which partition plate 12 is mounted on one side of an assembly head 14, which is schematically shown in FIG. 2 of the accompanying drawings. It has been extended. This assembly head 14 is used in an apparatus such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. The goods are moved downward between the upper parts of the partition plates 12 attached to the partition plate 12, and the goods are collected in groups, and then placed in packaging boxes for storing the goods for transportation, storage, etc. It's starting to get crowded. The guide finger attachment device according to the present invention has spring finger means 16 attached so as to hang down from the partition plate. A plurality of spring finger means 16 are provided in each article receiving area of the gridhead 14.
are provided so that an article falling through the assembly head will engage the spring finger means at a plurality of peripheral locations, typically four, spaced apart above the article. . In this way, it is possible to accurately guide the article to the appropriate location within the box.

The guide finger attachment device includes a positioning member 18 . The positioning member 18 is made elongated. As shown in FIG. 8a, two adjacent outer surfaces 20 and 22 of the locating member 18
It extends along its length at the top. These outer surfaces 20 and 22 are typically made flat and
It functions to receive and support the upper end of each spring finger body means 16. Continuous flat outer surfaces 20 and 2
When viewed in cross-sectional view, it has a V-shaped bend at an appropriate angle. Bottle or item is second
It is indicated by the symbol B in the figure. The positioning member 18 is fixed to the partition plate with bolts 19.

FIG. 3 of the drawings shows that the spring finger means 16 includes a leaf spring 24 made of metal and a spring finger 26 made of plastic.
It shows that it is composed of. The lower end 24a of the metal leaf spring 24 engages with the back of the plastic spring finger 26 so that the plastic spring finger 26 extends away from the positioning member 18 in the opposite direction. This is being pushed to one side. That is, the metal leaf spring biases the lower ends of the plastic spring fingers to form an article-engaging assembly. Usually, the lower end 24a of the metal plate spring is made of plastic spring fingers 26.
It engages a plastic spring finger 26 approximately midway between its upper and lower ends. However, the components of the spring finger means 16 may be made from any suitable material. The spring finger means may be an integral member or, if desired, may be constructed from two separate members. A pair of small holes or indentations 30, 30 and 32, 32 are provided in each of the outer surfaces 20 and 22 of the locating member 18 to provide positive engagement between the locating member 18 and the spring finger means.
are formed at intervals. Engagement means having a complementary shape include a spring finger means 16 and a means for supporting the spring finger means 16, i.e., the positioning member 1.
8. These engagement means consist of projections or stump-like cylindrical portions 34 of small diameter, which are integrally molded with plastic spring fingers 26 and which are connected to said outer surface 20 or 22. positioned in position to engage holes 30, 32 formed in the
Accurately dimensioned. This prevents the spring finger means 16 and the positioning member 18 from accidentally shifting laterally. Stump-shaped cylindrical portion 34 of the plastic spring finger 26
is inserted into a hole 25 formed in a metal leaf spring 24 which is normally biased into engagement with the back or lower surface of a plastic spring finger 26. Otherwise, the positioning member 18 may be provided with a short protrusion so as to be inserted into and engaged with a hole formed in the leaf spring 24 and the spring finger body 26.

A firm engagement between the spring finger means 16 and the positioning member 18 is ultimately ensured by a spring clip 36. This spring clip 3
6 is made elongated and is made in a complementary relationship with respect to the contour and length of the positioning member 18.

As mentioned above, the outer surfaces 20 and 22 exhibit a V-shaped profile when viewed in horizontal cross-section. Correspondingly, the cross-section of the spring clip 36 is also generally V-shaped, and the spring clip 36 terminates in inwardly extending flanges 38 in opposite positions. The flange 38 of the spring clip 36 is molded to the contour and dimensions of the locating member 18 so that the spring clip 36 can be attached to the locating member 18.
It can be inserted into the upper end of 8 and then slid downward to be engaged with the positioning member 18. The flange 38 of the spring clip 36 is connected to the locating member 18.
If necessary, the flange 38 is adapted to fit under the base of the locating member so that the flange 38 can be easily slid along the edge of the locating member to easily engage the two. A depressed portion may be provided near the edge. Typically, the locating member is wedge-shaped or tapered in cross-section, so that the spring clip 36 can be engaged with the locating member 18 in a predetermined position, such that the spring finger means 16 can be attached to the outer surface 20. The spring finger means 16 can be held in pressure contact with and 22. After the spring finger means 16 is engaged with the locating member, the spring clip 36 is slid into engagement with the locating member 18 to force the spring finger means 16 into contact with the outer surfaces 20 and 22 in the predetermined position. The spring finger means 16 is held in this position. It will be appreciated that the spring clip 36 is dimensioned to slide the spring clip 36 into engagement with the locating member 18 after the spring finger means 16 has been engaged with the locating member.
Spring clip 36 is dimensioned shorter than positioning member 18.

A feature of the guide finger attachment device according to the invention is that a small lip 40 (see FIGS. Figure) is formed. The lip portion 40 extends away from the positioning member 18 in the direction of its own right, and the spring finger body 26 is given a sufficiently large elasticity, so that the lip portion 40 can move on the spring finger body 26 attached to the positioning member 18. Slide the clip 36,
Finally, the upper end of the spring clip 36 can be snapped under the lip 40. Therefore,
The resiliency of the spring finger 26 allows the lip 40 to be held in engagement with the upper end of the spring clip 36. For this reason, at least with respect to the spring clip 36, it is not possible to pull down the spring finger means, in particular the plastic spring finger 26. In this way, it is possible to prevent relative displacement movement in the downward direction between any part of the positioning member and the spring finger.

In addition, when removing the spring clip 36, as shown by the chain line in FIG.
0 slightly inwardly into the upper beveled edge 42 of the locating member 18 to release the spring clip 36. Thereafter, the spring finger means can be removed by sliding the spring clip 36 upwards with a fingertip.

FIG. 3 illustrates that the leaf springs 24 extend only about half the length of the spring fingers 26, and that the leaf springs and spring fingers are fixed only in place at the upper end. This is an illustration of what is happening. By bending the lower end of the metal leaf spring 24 to a desired shape and angle, the lower end of the plastic spring fingers can be easily positioned.

In the above description of the present invention, "spring finger body means"
The expression refers to a guide finger unit arranged in a case packaging device, and the guide finger attachment device according to the invention requires a single finger drop body or a finger drop body made from separate parts. It is used for positioning. "Spring finger means" is therefore a general term for the known types of guide fingers used in case packaging guides.

With reference to U.S. Pat. No. 3,385,027, a known invention relating to a cartoning machine head, it will be appreciated that it is necessary to attach spring finger means to each guide or positioning member 18 in a portion of the cartoning machine head. I'll have it. The positioning member and the spring finger means mounted on the positioning member are adapted to be attached to the partition plate in a desired positional relationship. FIG. 2 shows a part of the cartoning machine head, particularly illustrating the state in which the guide finger attachment device of the present invention is disposed on the partition plate 12. In actual use, an area is formed between a pair of adjacent partition plates in which articles are positioned or dropped in groups for packing operations. The spring finger means and positioning members used to define the drop area are typically mounted on mating partition plates in the manner disclosed in US Pat. No. 3,385,027.

Effects of the Invention The guide finger attachment device according to the present invention allows the spring clip 36 to be easily slid out of operative engagement with the positioning member 18 and the means mounted thereon. The metal plate spring 24 can be used when necessary.
Alternatively, the plastic spring finger 26 can be replaced and a new one inserted or repaired. All such operations can typically be performed without the use of external tools or guide means, allowing quick repair of the spring finger attachment. Therefore, there is no need to keep the entire device using the assembly head out of service for a long period of time. Furthermore, it is possible to have a plurality of grid assembly heads and use the various heads with the device of the invention installed at different times. Further, since a part of the drop finger body or assembly head can be repaired by a factory worker who has free time, there is no loss in production time.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a part of the assembly head and related parts of the cartoning machine, particularly illustrating the structure of the spring finger means and the positioning member, and FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the spring finger means and positioning member shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged sectional view taken along line 4--4 in FIG. 1, 5 is an elevation view of the spring finger means shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 6 is an elevation view of the spring finger means shown in FIG. 5, and FIG. 7 is an elevation view of the spring finger means shown in FIG.
Elevation view of the leaf spring shown in elevation in Figure 8.
The figures are an elevational view of the leaf spring shown in Fig. 7;
Figures a, 8b, 8c and 8d are respectively a front view, an elevation view from the right side, a top view and a bottom view of the positioning member shown in Figure 1;
Figures 9a, 9b, 9c and 9d are front, right side elevation, top and bottom views, respectively, of the spring clip shown in Figure 1. 10... Guide finger attachment device, 12... Partition plate,
14... Assembly head, 16... Spring finger body means, 18... Positioning member, 19... Bolt,
20, 22...Adjacent outer surface, 24...Metal leaf spring, 25...Hole, 26...Plastic spring finger body, 30, 32...Small hole, 34...
Projection or cylindrical portion, 36... Spring clip, 3
8...Flange, 40...Small lip, 42...
Beveled edge.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. Articles that include partition plates extending in the length direction of an assembly head for holding articles, and that abut against the assembly head in a row between pairs of adjacent partition plates. In a guide finger attachment device for use in a cartoning machine, the positioning member 1 has at least one continuous flat outer surface 20 or 22 extending in the vertical direction.
8, spring finger means 16 disposed on the flat outer surface of the positioning member, and slidingly engaged with the spring finger means and the positioning member to move the spring finger means into the positioning member. a spring clip 36 for urging the locating member to the upper operative position and retaining it in its normal operative position to prevent downward movement of the locating member; A guide finger attachment device comprising a plastic spring finger 26 having a lip 40 projecting beyond the end of the spring clip. 2. In the guide finger attachment device according to claim 1,
The plastic spring finger 26 is resilient and the lip 40 is placed over and engages the end of the spring clip to prevent movement of the spring finger means relative to the spring clip. A guide finger attachment device characterized in that the lip portion is bent to disengage the spring clip. 3. In the guide finger attachment device according to claim 2,
The positioning member has a beveled edge 42 at the upper end of the flattened outer surface, and the lip is located adjacent to the beveled edge so that the lip is directed towards the beveled edge. A guide finger attachment device characterized in that it can be pushed away from a clip. 4. The guide finger attachment device according to claim 1,
Said spring finger means includes a metal leaf spring 24 and a resilient plastic spring finger 26 abutting said leaf spring, said plastic spring finger having said spring clip at its end. an engaging lip 40 to prevent relative movement of the spring finger means with respect to the spring clip; and bending the lip out of engagement with the spring clip. A guide finger attachment device characterized by being able to.