Package, method and apparatus for manufacturing such package, and product feeder suitable, for instance, for use with such apparatus

Abstract

A package, as well as a method an apparatus for manufacturing such a package and a product feeder which, for example, can be utilized for feeding the products to such a package. In normal circumstances, the method and apparatus work continuously, which considerably increases the capacity with respect to the known method and apparatus. Moreover, with the method and apparatus packages of different inner space dimensions can be manufactured. Not only the length of the inner space of the package can be varied, but also the height and the width thereof. Variation can take place without or with minimal resetting time. The product feeder is distinguished from the known feeders in that it can process both heavy, rigid products, such as books, and light, slack products, such as loose sheets of paper.

1 . A method for manufacturing a package and for placing a product therein, wherein in a pad manufacturing line pad blanks from cardboard are advanced and, during this transport, are provided with parallel extending folding lines, whereupon, during the transport, the pad blank parts bounded by the folding lines are folded over by guides and wherein at least one of the pad blank parts is provided with an adhesive such that tubular pads are manufactured, wherein, in a main packaging line, in normal use, main blanks are uninterruptedly advanced in a main line transport direction and, during this transport, provided with parallel extending folding lines, wherein, subsequently, at least two tubular pads are placed on the main blank and are connected thereto with adhesive, whereupon, then, at least one product to be packaged is placed between the pads on the main blank, whereupon during advancement, a number of main blank parts bounded by the folding lines of the main blank are folded over by guides and wherein at least one of the main blank parts and/or pads is provided with adhesive such that a closed package is manufactured.  
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein placing the products takes place from above and wherein during the placing of the products, these products have a forward velocity, the horizontal velocity component of which substantially corresponds to the traveling speed of the main blank.  
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein placing the pads onto the main blank takes places from above and wherein during the placing of the pads these pads have a forward velocity substantially corresponding to the traveling speed of the main blank.  
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 3 , wherein the pads, for some time and hence over a particular transport path, are pressed onto the main blank.  
     
     
         5 . A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the pads after manufacture in the first packaging line are placed alternately in two or more parallel rails extending substantially perpendicularly to the main line conveying direction and wherein, each time, two or more pads are then picked up from these rails by a corresponding number of gripper mechanisms each following a fixed, repetitive movement pattern and are placed on the main blank, while the mutual distance between the pads on the main blank is controllable in that the starting moment of the movement patterns of the various gripper mechanisms can be varied with respect to each other or with respect to the position of the main blank.  
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 5 , wherein during placing of the pads, these pads, which are supplied in the same orientation by the pad manufacturing line, are alternately rotated through 90 degrees in a first direction about a vertical central axis and placed in a first said rail, and the next is rotated about a vertical central axis through 90 degrees in an opposite direction and placed in a second said rails.  
     
     
         7 . A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the mutual distance between the folding lines in the pad blanks can be varied for forming pads of different heights.  
     
     
         8 . A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the mutual distance between the folding lines in the main blanks can be varied for forming packages of different width and/or height.  
     
     
         9 . A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein in the pad manufacturing line the number of folding lines to be provided in the pad blanks is such that the pads to be formed therefrom in the blank parts extending upwards contain a folding line, such that the pads are compressible in vertical height, while the pads, after having been attached to the main blank and after the at least one product is placed, are pressed down to the desired height before the outermost flaps of the main flaps are folded down on these pads and attached.  
     
     
         10 . An apparatus for carrying out the method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the apparatus comprises a pad manufacturing line and a main packaging line and at least one product feeder, wherein the pad manufacturing line and the main packaging line each are provided with a creasing station and a conveyor disposed behind it, wherein at least the conveyor of the main packaging line, in normal use, is designed for interrupted transport.  
     
     
         11 . An apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the pad manufacturing line is provided with a number of first guides arranged along the transport path for folding up pad blank parts serving as side walls and a number of second guides arranged along the transport path for folding down the pad blank parts serving as upper wall, and with glue application means for connecting to each other two pad blank parts for forming a pad.  
     
     
         12 . An apparatus according to  claim 10  or  11 , wherein the main packaging line is provided with a number of third guides arranged along the transport path for folding up main blank parts serving as side walls and a number of fourth guides arranged along the transport path for folding down the main blank parts serving as upper wall, and with glue application means for connecting the main blank parts serving as upper wall for forming a closed package.  
     
     
         13 . An apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein the product feeder is arranged upstream of the third guides.  
     
     
         14 . An apparatus according to  claim 12  or  13 , wherein the fourth guides are height-adjustable for forming packages of different heights.  
     
     
         15 . An apparatus according to any one of claims  10 - 14 , wherein a transfer assembly is provided for transferring pads from the pad manufacturing line to the main packaging line and for placing pads on main blanks present in the main packaging line.  
     
     
         16 . An apparatus according to  claim 15 , wherein the transfer assembly is provided with at least two parallel rails extending substantially perpendicularly to the main line transport direction for alternately placing the pads therein.  
     
     
         17 . An apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein each rail is provided with an endless conveyor, arranged for moving the pads against a stop.  
     
     
         18 . An apparatus according to  claim 16  or  17 , wherein the transfer assembly, adjacent the downstream end of the pad manufacturing line, comprises a pad transfer element which is designed for rotating pads, manufactured in the pad manufacturing line and which are supplied behind each other in the same orientation, alternately through 90 degrees in a first direction about a vertical central axis and placing them in a first said rails, and for rotating the following pad through 90 degrees in an opposite direction about the said vertical central axis and placing it in a second said rails.  
     
     
         19 . An apparatus according to  claim 18 , wherein the pad transfer element comprises two pick-up heads provided with suction cups, which are each connected via a rigid connecting part to a vertical shaft which is rotatable about said vertical central axis.  
     
     
         20 . An apparatus according to any one of claims  15 - 19 , wherein the transfer assembly comprises at least two gripper mechanisms which each follow a fixed, repetitive movement pattern for picking up pads from a pick-up position and for placing the pads on the main blank.  
     
     
         21 . An apparatus according to  claim 20 , wherein the different gripper mechanisms of the transfer assembly are provided with a control which is designed to vary the starting moment of said fixed movement patterns, such that the mutual distance between the pads on the main blank is controllable.  
     
     
         22 . An apparatus according to  claim 20  or  21 , wherein the gripper mechanisms are each provided with two grippers which are provided with controllable gripper arms, which gripper arms close around a pad such that the pad is pressed into the desired shape.  
     
     
         23 . An apparatus according to  claim 22 , wherein the gripper arms are provided with a bent or curved contour for pressing the pads in a desired bent or curved contour when picking up of the pads.  
     
     
         24 . An apparatus according to any one of claims  20 - 23 , wherein said pick-up position is the position before the stop mentioned in  claim 17  in a respective rail, this pick-up position being located perpendicularly above the main packaging line.  
     
     
         25 . An apparatus according to any one of claims  20 - 24 , wherein said at least one product feeder is disposed downstream of said gripper mechanisms.  
     
     
         26 . An apparatus according to any one of claims  20 - 25 , wherein downstream of the gripper mechanisms a trailing downholder is disposed which is designed for compressing the pads in a downward direction, until a main blank part serving as upper wall has been folded down over the pads.  
     
     
         27 . An apparatus according to  claim 26 , wherein the trailing downholder is fitted on a mechanism similar to the gripper mechanisms.  
     
     
         28 . An apparatus according to any one of claims  10 - 27 , wherein downstream of the fourth guides, an address carrier feeder is disposed for application of an address on the now closed package.  
     
     
         29 . A product feeder which is for example destined for an apparatus according to any one of claims  10 - 28 , wherein the product feeder is provided with a loading space whose bottom, which, viewed from a rear side to a front side of the product feeder, is disposed at a slight downward inclination, is provided with at least one endless conveyor, wherein the loading space, at a front side adjacent the bottom, is provided with an opening for forward discharge of a lowest product of a stack of products present in the loading space, wherein downstream of the opening at least one upper and at least one lower endless clamping conveyor is disposed between which, in use, the product to be discharged is clamped, wherein the clamping conveyors are controllably drivable, wherein the transport path defined by the clamping conveyors extends in the same plane as the transport path defined by the at least one bottom conveyor.  
     
     
         30 . A product feeder according to  claim 29 , wherein at a downstream end of the clamping conveyors a sensor is disposed which is arranged for observing the front side of a product clamped between the clamping conveyors, wherein the product feeder is provided with a control, provided with an input connectible to a control of a main packaging line, wherein the feeder control is arranged for causing a product lying ready between the clamping conveyors at said sensor, to be discharged at the moment when the main packaging line control gives a signal to this end to the product feeder control.  
     
     
         31 . A product feeder according to  claim 30 , wherein the main packaging line is provided with a main packaging line conveyor, wherein the product feeder control is arranged for controlling, in use, the speed of the clamping conveyors, such that a product, when discharged by the clamping conveyors has a horizontal velocity component which substantially corresponds to the velocity of the main packaging line, which latter velocity is each time communicated by the main packaging line control to the feeder control.  
     
     
         32 . A product feeder according to any one of claims  29 - 31 , wherein adjacent the rear side of the feeder just above said bottom an energized ejector is located for ejecting the lowest product of a particular thickness from the loading space as far as between the clamping conveyors.  
     
     
         33 . A product feeder according to any one of claims  29 - 32 , wherein the at least one bottom conveyor is provided with openings, while under the upper part of the bottom conveyor a vacuum chamber is disposed which is provided with an at least partly open upper side over which the upper part extends.  
     
     
         34 . A package manufactured from a main blank and two pad blanks, wherein, by folding and gluing, the pad blanks are formed into tubular pads and, by gluing, are connected to the main blank, wherein the main blank is provided with at least four parallel folding lines over which folding lines the main blank is folded together and is held in a closed position by adhesive for forming a substantially tubular box structure, wherein the ends of the tubular box structure are closed off by the pads extending substantially transverse to the folding lines, characterized in that the pads are not placed on the ends of the main blank but closer together for forming a package having an inner space of a lesser length.  
     
     
         35 . A package manufactured from a main blank and two pad blanks, wherein, by folding and gluing, the pad blanks are formed into tubular pads and, by gluing, are connected to the main blank, wherein the main blank is provided with at least four parallel folding lines over which folding lines the main blank is folded together and is held in a closed position by adhesive for forming a substantially tubular box structure, wherein the ends of the tubular box structure are closed off by the pads extending substantially transverse to the folding lines, characterized in that the pads have a cross section in the form of a parallelogram.  
     
     
         36 . A package manufactured from a main blank and two pad blanks, wherein the pad blanks, by folding and gluing, are formed into tubular pads and, by gluing, are connected to the main blank, wherein the main blank is provided with at least four parallel folding lines over which folding lines the main blank is folded together and is held in a closed condition by adhesive for forming a substantially tubular box structure, wherein the ends of the tubular box structure are closed off by the pads extending substantially transverse to the folding lines, characterized in that upstanding walls of the pads are provided with additional folding lines, while the upstanding wall parts of the pads located above and under the additional folding lines mutually include an angle such that the pads, at least during manufacture of the package, are compressible.  
     
     
         37 . A package obtained with the method according to any one of claims  1 - 9 , utilizing an apparatus according to any one of claims  10 - 28 .