US3177802A - Stamping and recording machine for fruit cartons - Google Patents

Description

April 13, 1965 STAMPING AND REC Filed May 2, 1963 E. L. STEVENS ORDING MACHINE FOR FRUIT CARTONS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 19 N 9 12 1 F JWUHM n m U EDGAR lT q z fi'ms V3 B A ril 13, 1965 E. L. STEVENS 3,177,802

STAMPING AND RECORDING MACHINE FOR FRUIT CARTONS Filed May 2, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. EDGAR L. STEVENS \mqb ATTORNEY April 13, 1965 E. STEVENS 3,177,802

STAMPING AND RECORDING MACHINE FOR FRUIT CARTQNS Filed May 2, 1963 I5 Sheets-Sheet 5 v M ml INVENTOR EDGAR L STEVENS k \A ATTORNEY United States Patent G ,y 7 3,177,302 STAMPING AND RECGRDING MACHINE FUR FRUIT CARTONS Edgar L. Stevens, 836 17th Ave, Vero Beach, Fla.

Filed May 2, 1963, Ser. No. 277,526

2 Claims. (El. 101-44) This invention relates to an automatic stamping device tor stamping cartons that traverse a conveyor system and with the stamping of the carton, such as a carton of fruit being upon the leading end of the carton.

An object of the present invention is to dispose a stamping device in an elevated position above a conveyor and with the device being in the path of movement of a loaded carton sothat the device is bodily elevated as the carton passes therebeneath and with the carton then continuing its movement for yieldable engagernent with a stamping roller to initially stamp the end of the carton and with the roller then being progressively shifted upwardly to permit the carton to continue its travel under the influence of the conveyor and with the stamping having yieldable stamping bands thereon that carry numerals and letters indicating a lot numher and a particular fruit that is packed in the carton so that the lot number and the fruit classification is automatically stamp-ed upon the carton as it passes beneath the device.

A further object of the invention resides in a printing roller that is formed with a plurality of yieldable segments supported upon a cross shaft and whereby the numerals or fruit designation may conform to the end of the box totake up any irregularities of the carton.

A further object of the invention resides in novel inking means for the roller that embodies a pair of fiat arms rotatable upon a cross shaft of the frame member and with the arms being provided with downwardly extending cams that are initially engaged by the carton to elevate inking pads away from the printing roller whereby the roller may have a full pressure engagement against the carton end and then as the carton continues its movement, the roller is elevated and rolls upon the top of the carton against the tension of a spring and to a positon where the printing roller is moved in an arcuate path to dispose the numerals and the carton contents in a position to receive the inking pads, the inking pads being released after the carton has elevated the arms so that the inking pads will drop downwardly for inking the numerals and the fruit designation.

Novel means are provided for the mounting of the roller in a bracket device and With the bracket device carrying a cam having a fiat side that bears between a pair of spring tension plates so that, as the carton passes throughthe machine, sufiicienttension Will be exerted upon the roller to cause it to clearly stamp the end of the carton.

Novel features of construction and operation ofthe device will be more clearly apparent during the course of the following description, reference being had to the aecompanyingdrawings wherein has been illustrated the preferred form of the device and wherein like characters of reference are employed to denote like parts through: out the several figures.

In the drawings: a FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a conveyor device showing the invention in use,

FIGURE 2 is aside elevational view thereof, FIGURE 3 is an enlarged section taken substantially on line 33 of FIGURE 2, i FIGURE 4 is a top plan view of the device, FIGURE 5 is a longitudinal sectional view taken sub stantially online 5-5 of FIGURE 4, a

' to the rails 6 of the conveyor.

ice

FIGURE 6 is a longitudinal sectional view taken through the mounting device for theroller,

FIGURE 7 is a longitudinal section taken substantially on line 7-7 of FIGURE 6, and

FIGURE 8 is a transverse section taken substantially on line 88 of FIGURE 7.

. Referring specifically to the drawings and particularly to FIGURES 1 and 2, there has been illustrated a conveyor 5 of any particular material and the conveyor may be a belt or conveyor chains. The conveyor 5 is supported in side rails 6 in any desirable manner. The stamping device has been illustrated as a whole by the numeral 7. The device 7 embodies a supporting frame having side plates 8 carrying a cover 9, that is hinged at 10 to an upper flange 1 1. of one plate 3 and so that the cover may be'swung upwardly for access to the interior mechanism.

The device 7 is carried by a pair of fiat arms 12 that are pivotally connected to a post 13 as indicated at 14. The post 13 carries a plate 15 that is fixed to an upstanding U-shaped bracket 16 and with the legs of the bracket 16 being rigidly connected A screw device 1? extends through the upper arm 12 and through the plate 15 and constitutes the adjustable means for limiting the downward movement of the arms 12 on their pivots 14. The arms 12 at their opposite ends are pivoted at 18 to an angle post 19 that is carried by a cross plate 20 having its opposite ends fixed to the side plate 8. It will thus be observed, that the device 7, see particularly FIGURE-1, is suspended over the conveyor and in the path of movement of cartons. The entire body assembly is caused to rise and fall when the carton travels therebeneath and to facilitate the engagement of the top of the carton with the device, the side Walls 8 are flanged at 8', to constitute runners that ride upon the surface of the carton. The arms 12 maintain the unit in a central position with respect to the belt 5 and permits the unit '7 to be elevated by the carton and downward movement of the unit is by gravity and is controlled by the bolt 17.

Mounted upon a cross shaft 21 are a couple of flat arms 22. The arms 22 are provided with downwardly extending cams 23' that project normally below the flanges 8' to dispose the cams in the line of movement of the carton. The arms 22 at their opposite ends pivotally support a pair of inking pads 24 and 25, pivotally connected to the arms at 26. It will thus be apparent that as the carton is conveyed beneath the device 7, the carton normally strikes the flanges 8a, elevating the mechanism and then under-rides the cams 23, forcing the inking pads upwardly and away from the roller, to be described.

. A printing roller is indicated as a whole by the numeral 27. The roller is rotatably supported upon a square shaft 28, having trunnions 2 that have a bearing in a U-shape bracket, indicated M39. The roller 27 further embodies a plurality of cylindrical disks 31, having square openings 32 and with the openings 32 being relatively larger than the shaft 28-. 'The cylindrical disks are biased in one direction with respect to the shaft 28 by springs33, seating in recesses 34 of the shaft 28 and With;the disks in. their normalposition being concentric with respect to the trunnions 29. Three adjacent disks are provided with a band of printing numerals indicated at 35,.such constitutingthe particular lot number for the particular run of packaged fruit through the plant. There are three numeral bands 35, being preferably formed of rubber and the bands-35 are locked against shiftingby clips 36. EX

tending across the peripheries of theother disks is an strip 37 extends through a dovetail openingj38 of each of.

. 3 its supporting disks and the locking clip 39 is arranged at one end of the roller to prevent displacement of the strip and to permit interchange of strips for other types of goods. Fixed upon the opposite ends of the square shaft 28 are end plates 40. The end plates 40 are cylindrical for their major circumference and with one side flattened as indicated at 41. In the normal printing position, the fiat edges of the end plates 443 permit the printing elements 35 and 37 to extend beyond the flattened portion for a full contacting engagement with the leading end of the carton. It will be observed that each of the disks 31 are yieldable with respect to the shaft 28 and thus permits the type numerals and other designations to readily conform to anyirregularities of the carton. The roller as mounted upon the trunnion 29 is thus rollable first against the end of the carton and then as the carton moves forwardly, the roller is caused to ride over and upon the top of the carton imparting a rotative movement to the roller by the engagement of the carton with the marginal edges of the plates40. The rotation of the rollers is against the tension of a coil spring 42 much in the manner of a shade roller and is limited in its return movement by stops 43, engaging the legs 30' of the bracket 30. With respect to the operation so far of the structure described, the carton first engages the flanges 8a to bodily elevate the mechanism and as the carton moves forward, it strikes the earns 23, causing the arms 22 to swing upwardly to raise the inking pads 24 and 25. As the carton continues in its forward movement, it is stamped by the indicia carrying means 35 and 37 and then the roller is elevated and over-rides the top of the carton, causing the roller to be elevated and rotated sufficiently to place the flat sides of the plates 40 and the stamping strips 37 to underlie the inking pads 24 and 25 and will be maintained in that position so long as the carton is passing through the devices and, the trailing end of the carton will then release the earns 23, permitting the inking pads 24 and 25 to drop downwardly by gravity to ink the type then, when the carton passes entirely through the machine, the roller drops by gravity to its normal stamping position such as that illustrated in FIGURES and 6.

Since it more or less requires that the stamping roller be able to conform to other than a flat surface, the roller may be slightly pivotally supported to swing in a horizon tal plane. The bracket 30 is connected to an arm 44 by a threaded bolt 45. The bolt may rotate in a cylindrical head 46 carried by the arm 44 and is limited in its swinging movement by a bifurcated plate 47 that is adapted to contact either side of the arm 44 to limit the pivotal movement of the bracket and the 'sup'ponted roller. It is also necessary that suificient force be exerted by the roller 27 to print the numerals and the other designations upon the carton and to yieldably support the roller, the arm 44 is fixed upon a shaft 48 and this shaft carries a cam element 49. The cam 49 is provided with a flat portion 50 that rides between a pair of adjustable plates 51. At their rear extremities, the plates 51 are adjustably connected by abolt 52. In the position of the cam 49 shown in FIG- URE 6, the flat surface '50 is hearing against the upper plate 51-such being theprinting position for the roller 27,

The plates 51 are tensioned together by abolt 53 having a' wing nut 54 threaded thereon and a compression spring 55 bears between the nut and the upper surface of the upper plate 51, biasing the plates together. Thus, when the carton comes in contact with the roller, sufficient force is necessary to print the indicia upon the carton and such continued forward pressure as exerted by the carton will swing the roller in the arcaute path upon the dotted lines in FIGURE 5 and, when the flat surface 50 passes beyond its contact point of the plate 51, the roller is then free to swing the additional distance necessary to align the printing type with the inking pads 24 and 25. By this time, the carton has passed from beneath the earns 23 and permits the arms 22 and their supported pads to drop downwardly to ink the type upon the roller and after the carton has passed from beneath the roller, the roller will drop downwardly and at the bottom of its movement, the type will then be properly positioned for a next carton. As the cartonpasses through the machine, the roller is rotated by frictional engagement with the carton against the tension of the spring 42 and in its limit of position, the type has been properly positioned for re-inking.

Suitable guide rails 56 may be mounted upon the rails 6 to function for proper alignment of the carton with the printing device. Also positioned upon one wall 8 is a counter mechanism 57 that is tripped by the carton as it passes beneath the machine and whereby an accurate count may be obtained for the usual period of operation of the plant.

In the use of the device, a carton after having been filled with fruit or the like is placed upon the conveyor 5 and travels under the influence of the conveyor and guided by the arms 56, properly aligns the carton with the stamping mechanism. As the carton engages the mechanism, it first trips the counter 57 and then engages the flanges 8 of the frame, elevating the housing 7. Simultaneously the carton engages the cams 23, causing the inking pads to swing upwardly out of contact with the stamping roller 27, permitting the roller to fall downwardly and also simultaneously rotating to dispose the type or other indicia 37 for contacting engagement with the leading end of the carton. The spring 55 having moved the plates 51 together, engages the fiat surface 50 of the cam roller 49, exerting adequate pressure against the roller 27 sumcient to cause the stamping upon the end of the carton to be performed with suflicient pressure after which, the carton under the influence of the conveyor forces the roller mechanism 27 upwardly and the roller then rolls upon the top of the carton moving the roller upwardly to the dotted line position of FIG-,

URE 5 to a point where the type or other indicia is in a position to underlie the stamp pads 24 and 25 and when the carton has sufficiently passed beneath the mechanism the pads 24 and 25 will fall downwardly to re-ink the type and the stop lugs 43 control the degree of rotation of the roller so that the type is properly aligned for receiving the inking pads 24 and 25. After the carton has passed beneath the roller, the roller is free to drop downwardly to a position where the type or other indicia is disposed in the path of movement of a following carton and when the carton has fully moved beneath the mechanism, the entire mechanism will drop downwardly and be limited in its downward movement by the arms 12. After the roller bracket is released from the cam roller 49, it will be free to swing in a vertical plane and swings downwardly to such an extent that the flat surface St) under the influence of the spring 55 again tensions the stamping side of the roller for stamping the next successive carton.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that a very novel mechanism has been employed to effectively stamp the number and name of the particular fruit or other commodity on the endof the carton. The device is most effective for automatically stamping the leading end of a carton that is traveling under the influence of a conveyor. The device is applicable to any conventional conveyor whether it is a belt or a chain and is disposed in the line or movement of the carton to be stamped. The stamp; ing roller readily adjusts itself to any uneven surface of the carton and the construction of the roller 'is'such as to conform to any uneven surface. The device is relatively simple in construction, is strong, durable and cheap to manufacture. a i

It .is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction shown, but that changes are contemplated as readily fall within the spirit of the invention as shall be determined by the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. In a device for stamping the ends of cartons carried successively on a conveyor, a housing pivotally mounted above the conveyor, said housing including inclined surfaces by which it is elevated by contact with a carton carried beneath it by the conveyor, a bracket mounted within the housing, an arm adjustably connected to said bracket, a stamping roller carried by said arm, means carried by said arm for permitting the roller to rock in a horizontal direction to accommodate itself to unevenness in the end of a carton, the arm being fixed on a shaft extending transversely of the housing, a cam roller mounted on said shaft, a pair of plates pivotally supported'in the housing with the cam arranged between them, the cam roller having a flattened surface for engagement by one of said plates to prevent rotative movement of the shaft to hold the roller against pivotal swing so that the roller can impose printing pressure on the carton, the roller after stamping the end of a carton being elevated by movement ofthe carton and caused to partake of a rolling movement over the top of the carton to rotate the roller to a position for inking.

2. The structure according to claim 1, wherein the roller includes a square shaft having trunnions at its opposite ends for rotatable engagement With parts carried by the roller-supporting arm, the roller having end plates at its opposite ends, said plates being flat at one edge, spring means at one end of the roller for biasing the roller in one direction, a stop lug for limiting the rotation of the roller in either direction, a plurality of disks disposed on the square shaft with certain of the disks supporting bands of numerals, means for adjusting the bands of numerals, the other disks being adapted to support an elongated indicia-carrying strip, and spring means between the disks and the square shaft by which the printing indicia is made yieldabie in its contacting engagement with the end of the carton to conform with any uneven surface on the carton, and locking means by which the indicia is fixed with respect to the disks.

WILLIAM B. PENN, Primary Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. IN A DEVICE FOR STAMPING THE ENDS OF CARTONS CARRIED SUCCESSIVELY ON A CONVEYOR, A HOUSING PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ABOVE THE CONVEYOR, SAID HOUSING INCLUDING INCLINED SURFACES BY WHICH IT IS ELEVATED BY CONTACT WITH A CARTON CARRIED BENEATH IT BY THE CONVEYOR, A BRACKET MOUNTED WITHIN THE HOUSING, AN ARM ADJUSTABLY CONNECTED TO SAID BRACKET,A STAMPING ROLLER CARRIED BY SAID ARM, MEANS CARRIED BY SAID ARM FOR PERMITTING THE ROLLER TO ROCK IN A HORIZONTAL DIRECTION TO ACCOMMODATE ITSELF TO UNEVENNESS IN THE END OF A CARTON, THE ARM BEING FIXED ON A SHAFT EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF THE HOUSING, A CAM ROLLER MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT, A PAIR OF PLATES PIVOTALLY SUPPORTED IN THE HOUSING WITH THE CAM ARRANGED BETWEEN THEM, THE CAM ROLLER HAVING A FLATTENED SURFACE FOR ENGAGEMENT BY ONE OF SAID PLATES TO PREVENT ROTATIVE MOVEMENT OF THE SHAFT TO HOLD THE ROLLER AGAINST PIVOTAL SWING SO THAT THE ROLLER CAN IMPOSE PRINTING PRESSURE ON THE CARTON, THE ROLLER AFTER STAMPING THE END OF A CARTON BEING ELEVATED BY MOVEMENT OF THE CARTON AND CAUSED TO PARTAKE OF A ROLLING MOVEMENT OVER THE TOP OF THE CARTON TO ROTATE THE ROLLER TO A POSITION FOR INKING.

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