Continuous motion packaging machine with carton turning station

{
  "publication_number": "US12060181B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Continuous motion packaging machine with carton turning station",
  "abstract": "An article packaging machine and method or turning article packs, the article packaging machine having a turner station for turning article packs moving though the packaging machine. The packaging machine includes a main conveyor extending longitudinally from an upstream end to a downstream end and through the turning station. Article packs are carried by the main conveyor spaced and sequentially in the downstream direction through the turner station. The turner station includes flight drive assembly having multiple flight assemblies. The flight assemblies are driven above upper cam plates in the upstream direction, and below lower cam plates in the downstream direction. The flight assemblies include turner rods that are moved toward the main conveyor to contact the article pack in at least two points. The turner rods progressively move toward the main conveyor center line until the distal ends of the turner rods are moved past the article pack side walls and the pack is turned 90 degrees.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A method, comprising: moving a carton blank from a carton blank feeder to an article wrap station; wrapping the carton blank around a group of articles to form an article pack; positioning the article pack on a conveyor; driving the conveyor to move the article pack downstream in a longitudinal direction; activating at least one flight drive assembly positioned along the conveyor, the activating the at least one flight drive assembly comprising moving at least one flight assembly along a lower portion of the at least one flight drive assembly in a first path and moving the at least one flight assembly along an upper portion of the at least one flight drive assembly in a second path that is different from the first path, each of the first path and the second path are at least partially defined by movement along a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction to position the turner rod a preselected distance from the conveyor; and contacting the article pack with a turner rod extending from the at least one flight assembly to turn the article pack on the conveyor.",
    "2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one flight assembly comprises a bearing block, the turner rod coupled to the bearing block and extending toward the conveyor.",
    "3. The method of claim 2, wherein the bearing block comprises a cam follower, the lower portion of the at least one flight drive assembly comprises a lower cam plate having a cam track for at least partially receiving the cam follower, and the upper portion of the at least one flight drive assembly comprises an upper cam plate having a cam track for at least partially receiving the cam follower.",
    "4. The method of claim 3, wherein the moving the at least one flight assembly in a first path comprises moving the cam follower along the cam track of the lower cam plate, and the moving the at least one flight assembly in a second path comprises moving the cam follower along the cam track of the upper cam plate.",
    "5. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least one flight drive assembly is a first flight drive assembly, the at least one flight assembly is an at least one first flight assembly, and the method further comprises activating a second flight drive assembly positioned along the conveyor opposite the first flight drive assembly, the activating the second flight drive assembly comprising moving at least one second flight assembly along a lower portion of the second flight drive assembly in a first path and moving the at least one second flight assembly along an upper portion of the second flight drive assembly in a second path that is different from the first path along the second flight drive assembly.",
    "6. The method of claim 5, wherein the method further comprises contacting the article pack with a turner rod extending from at least one second flight assembly in cooperation with the turner rod extending from the at least one first flight assembly to turn the article pack on the conveyor.",
    "7. The method of claim 3, wherein the activating the at least one flight drive assembly comprises driving a pair of spaced apart belts around the at least one flight drive assembly, and wherein the at least one flight assembly comprises at least one flight shaft coupled to the pair of spaced apart belts, the bearing block slidably coupled to the at least one flight shaft.",
    "8. The method of claim 7, wherein the moving the at least one flight assembly in a first path comprises sliding the bearing block along the at least one flight shaft such that the turner rod moves toward or away from the conveyor, and wherein the moving the at least one flight assembly in a second path comprises sliding the bearing block along the at least one flight shaft such that the turner rod moves toward or away from the conveyor.",
    "9. The method of claim 3, wherein the upper cam plate is positioned over the lower cam plate.",
    "10. The method of claim 9, wherein the upper cam plate is spaced apart from the lower cam plate such that a gap is formed therebetween, and wherein the activating the at least one flight drive assembly comprises moving the at least one flight assembly across the gap.",
    "11. A method of turning an article pack, the method comprising: positioning an article pack on a conveyor; driving the conveyor to move the article pack downstream in a longitudinal direction into a turning station comprising at least one flight drive assembly positioned along the conveyor; activating the at least one flight drive assembly, the activating the at least one flight drive assembly comprising moving at least one flight assembly along a cam track in a lower cam plate of the at least one flight drive assembly and moving the at least one flight assembly along a cam track in an upper cam plate of the at least one flight drive assembly, wherein moving the at least one flight assembly along the cam track in the lower cam plate and moving the at least one flight assembly along the cam track in the upper cam plate each comprise at least partially moving the turner rod in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction; and contacting the article pack with a turner rod extending from the at least one flight assembly to turn the article pack on the conveyor.",
    "12. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one flight assembly comprises a bearing block having a cam follower for being at least partially received in the cam track of the lower cam plate and the cam track of the upper cam plate, the turner rod coupled to the bearing block and extending toward the conveyor.",
    "13. The method of claim 11, wherein the cam track in the lower cam plate defines a first path relative to the longitudinal direction, the cam track in the upper cam plate defines a second path relative to the longitudinal direction, and the second path is different than the first path.",
    "14. The method of claim 13, wherein the upper cam plate is positioned over the lower cam plate.",
    "15. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one flight drive assembly is a first flight drive assembly, the at least one flight assembly is an at least one first flight assembly, and the method further comprises activating a second flight drive assembly positioned along the conveyor opposite the first flight drive assembly, the activating the second flight drive assembly comprising moving at least one second flight drive assembly along a cam track in a lower cam plate of the second flight drive assembly and moving the at least one second flight assembly along a cam track in an upper cam plate of the second flight drive assembly.",
    "16. The method of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises contacting the article pack with a turner rod extending from at least one second flight assembly in cooperation with the turner rod extending from the at least one first flight assembly to turn the article pack on the conveyor."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present invention relates to a carton turning unit especially adapted for a continuous motion packaging machine, and to those packaging machines that incorporate these turning units or stations. Packaging machinery that place products, such as cans, bottles and other containers into cartons, including paperboard cartons, are well known. These packaging machines include, but are not limited to, those which place articles or products into a wrap-type cartons, basket-type cartons or sleeve-type cartons. In some packaging machines, it is desirable to turn or rotate a carton or pack as it travels uninterrupted along a path of travel on a conveyor.\n\nOne example of a packaging machine that packages articles, such as cans or bottles into a wrap-type carton is the Marksman® brand machines, including the Marksman® MM16HSi brand machine manufactured by Graphic Packaging International, LLC. Other types of packaging machines are especially adapted to package products into sleeve-type or fully enclosed cartons and into basket-type cartons, such as Graphic Packaging International, LLC's Quikflex® and Autoflex® brand machines. Many of these machines include one or more elongate conveyor systems or assemblies that extend from a carton blank feeder positioned at a first end or upstream section, to a second end or downstream section where the filled cartons or packs are discharged. The main conveyor moves articles, such as bottles or cans, and the carton blanks that become filled packs, through the machine toward the downstream or discharge end.",
  "cpc": [
    "B65B 43/42",
    "B65B 21/24",
    "B65B 21/242",
    "B65B 2220/16",
    "B65B 35/44",
    "B65B 35/58",
    "B65B 43/126",
    "B65G 47/2445",
    "B65G 47/845"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B65B 21/24",
    "B65B 35/44",
    "B65B 43/12",
    "B65B 43/42"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Graphic Packaging International LLC"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Colin P. Ford",
    "Thomas A. Rice"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2021-10-13",
  "publication_date": "2024-08-13",
  "grant_date": "2024-08-13",
  "priority_date": "2018-01-29",
  "application_number": "US-202117500139-A",
  "family_id": "67391818",
  "cited_by_count": 0,
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}