Flap Cutter (Patent No: 673346)

Inventor: Molson Breweries Limited

Location: Montreal, PQ

Comments: N/A

Description:
The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A carton flap removing machine comprising: a) at least one set of counter-rotating overlapping rotary shears, each shear being positively driven; b) means for advancing said carton to said counter-rotating shears in spaced relation to the frontal faces of said shears; and c) ploughs adapted to engage and pivot said flaps to a position to be severed by said shears.

2. A carton flap removing machine comprising: a) a plurality of sets of counter-rotating overlapping rotary shears, each shear being positively driven; b) means for advancing said carton to said counter-rotating shears in spaced relation to the frontal faces of said shears; and c) ploughs adapted to engage and pivot said flaps to a position to be severed by said shears.

3. A carton flap removing machine comprising: a) a plurality of sets of counter-rotating overlapping rotary shears, each shear being positively driven, and being rotatable about a vertical axis; b) means for advancing said carton to said counter-rotating shears in spaced relation to the frontal faces of said shears; and c) ploughs adapted to engage and pivot said flaps to a vertically upstanding position to be severed by said shears.


4. A carton flap removing machine comprising: a) a plurality of sets of counter-rotating rotary shears, each shear being positively driven and being rotatable about a vertical axis; b) means for feeding a carton to said machine; c) means for advancing said carton to said counter-rotating shears in spaced relation to the frontal faces of said shears; and d) ploughs adapted to engage and pivot said flaps to a vertically upstanding position to be severed by said shears.

5. A carton flap removing machine comprising: a) a plurality of sets of counter-rotating overlapping rotary shears, each shear being positively driven and being rotatable about a vertical axis; b) means for feeding a carton to said machine; c) means for advancing said carton to said counter-rotating shears in spaced relation to the frontal faces of said shears; d) ploughs adapted to engage and pivot said flaps to a vertically upstanding position to be severed by said shears; and e) means for disposing of said severed flaps.

6. A carton flap removing machine comprising: a) a main frame; b) a conveyor for feeding cartons to said machine and away from said machine; c) a plurality of sets of counter-rotating overlapping rotary shears, each shear being positively driven and being rotatable about a vertical axis; d) means for advancing said carton to said counter-rotating shears in spaced relation to the frontal faces of said shears; e) ploughs adapted to engage and pivot said flaps to a vertically upstanding position to be severed by an associated set of said shears; and f) means for disposing of said severed flaps.

7. A carton flap removing machine comprising: a) a main frame; b) a plurality of sets of counter-rotating overlapping rotary shears. Each shear being positively driven and being rotatable about a vertical axis; c) a conveyor for feeding cartons to said machine and away from said machine, said conveyor being in spaced relation to the frontal faces of said shears; d) ploughs for elevating and directing said flaps to a position to be severed by an associated set of said shears; and e) means for disposing of said severed flaps.



CLAIMS SUPPORTED BY THE SUPPLEMENTARY DISCLOSURE
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8. A carton flap removing machine comprising: a) at least, one set of counter-rotating overlapping rotary shears at least one shear of said set being positively driven; b) means for advancing said carton to said counter-rotating shears in spaced relation to the frontal faces of said shears; and c) ploughs adapted to engage and pivot said flaps to a position to be severed by said shears.

9. A carton flap removing machine comprising: a) at least one set of counter-rotating overlapping rotary shears, at least one shear of said set being positively driven and said shears being rotatable about horizontal axis; b) means for advancing said carton to said counter-rotating shears in spaced relation to the frontal faces of said shears; and c) ploughs adapted to engage and pivot said flaps to a position to be severed by said shears.


10. A carton flap removing machine comprising: a) at least one set of counter-rotating overlapping rotary shears. one shear of said set being positively driven, and said shears being rotatable about a horizontal axis; b) means for advancing said carton to said counter-rotating shears in spaced relation to the frontal faces of said shears; and c) ploughs adapted to engage and pivot said flaps to a horizontally outward position to be severed by said shears.


11. A carton flap removing machine comprising: a) at least one set of counter-rotating overlapping rotary shears, at least one shear of said set being positively driven and said shears being rotatable about a horizontal axis. b) means for advancing said carton to said counter-rotating shears in spaced relation to the frontal faces of said shears; c) a plurality of rollers, the circumferential faces of each being adapted to engage a respective side wall of a pair of mutually opposed side walls, thereby to pivot the flaps attached to said walls to a vertically upstanding position; and d) ploughs adapted to engage and pivot said flaps to a position to be severed by said shears.


12. A carton flap removing machine comprising: a) at least one set of counter- rotating overlapping rotary shears, one shear of said set being positively driven, and said shears being rotatable about a horizontal axis; b) means for advancing said carton to said counter-rotating shears in spaced relation to the frontal faces of said shears; c) a plurality of rollers, the circumferential faces of each being adapted to engage a respective side wall of a pair of mutually opposed side walls, thereby to pivot the flaps attached to said walls to a vertically upstanding position, and d) ploughs adapted to engage and pivot said flaps to a horizontally outward position to be severed by said shears.

13. A fully automated carton flap removing machine comprising: a) means for feeding a plurality of cartons to said machine, b) a first flap cutter including at least one set of counter rotating rotary shears, one shear of said set being positively driven and being rotatable about a horizontal axis; c) means for advancing one carton at a time to said first flap cutter in spaced relation to the frontal faces of said shears; d) ploughs adapted to engage and pivot a first selected pair of mutually opposed flaps to a horizontally outward position to be severed by said shears; e) means for conveying one carton at a time from said first flap cutter to a second flap cutter disposed at about ninety degrees to said means (a) said second flap cutter including at least one set of counter-rotating overlapping rotary shears, one shear of said set being positively driven and said shears being rotatable about a horizontal axis; f) means for advancing one carton at a time to said second flap cutter in spaced relation to the frontal faces of said shears; and g) ploughs adapted to engage and pivot the remaining pair of mutually opposed flaps to a horizontally outward position to be severed by said shears.

14. A fully automated carton flap removing machine comprising: a) means for feeding a plurality of cartons to said machine, b) a first flap cutter including at least one set of counter-rotating rotary shears, one shear of said set being positively driven and being rotatable about a horizontal axis; c) means for advancing one carton at a time to said first flap cutter in spaced relation to the frontal faces of said shears, d) a plurality of rollers, the circumferential faces of each being adapted to engage a respective side wall of a first selected pair of mutually opposed side walls, thereby to pivot a first selected pair of mutually opposed flaps to a vertically upstanding position, e) ploughs adapted to engage and pivot said first selected pair of mutually opposed flaps to a horizontally outward position to be severed by said shears; f) means for conveying one carton at a time from said first flap cutter to a second flap cutter disposed at about ninety degrees to said means (a) said second flap cutter including at least one set of counter-rotating overlapping rotary shears, one shear of said set being positively driven and said shears being rotatable about a horizontal axis; g) means for advancing one carton at a time to said second flap cutter in spaced relation to the frontal faces of said shears; and h) ploughs adapted to engage and pivot the remaining pair of mutually opposed flaps to a horizontally outward position to be severed by said shears.

15. A fully automated carton flap removing machine comprising: a) means for feeding a plurality of cartons to said machine, b) a first flap cutter including at least one set of counter-rotating rotary shears, one shear of said set being positively driven and being rotatable about a horizontal axis; c) means for advancing one carton at a time to said first flap cutter in spaced relation to the frontal faces of said shears; d) ploughs adapted to engage and pivot a first selected pair of mutually opposed flaps to a horizontally outward position to be severed by said shears; e) means for conveying one carton at a time from said first flap cutter to a second flap cutter disposed at about ninety degrees to said means (a) said second flap cutter including at least one set of counter-rotating overlapping rotary shears, one shear of said set being positively driven and said shears being rotatable about a horizontal axis; f) means for advancing one carton at a time to said second flap cutter in spaced relation to the frontal faces of said shears; g) a pair of counter- rotating brushes adapted to engage and lift the remaining pair of mutually opposed flaps to a height above the height of the top wall of said carton, and h) ploughs adapted to engage and pivot said remaining pair of mutually opposed flaps to a horizontally outward position to be severed by said shears.


16. A fully automated carton flap removing machine comprising a) means for feeding a plurality of cartons to said machine, b) a first flap cutter including at least one set of counter-rotating rotary shears, one shear of said set being positively driven and being rotatable about a horizontal axis; c) means for advancing one carton at a time to said first flap cutter in spaced relation to the frontal faces of said shears, d) a plurality of rollers, the circumferential faces of each being adapted to engage a respective side wall of a first selected pair of mutually opposed side walls, thereby to pivot a first selected pair of mutually opposed flaps to a vertically upstanding position, e) ploughs adapted to engage and pivot said first selected pair of mutually opposed flaps to a horizontally outward position to be severed by said shears; f) means for conveying one carton at a time from said first flap cutter to a second flap cutter disposed at about ninety degrees to said means (a) said second flap cutter including at least one set of counter-rotating overlapping rotary shears, one shear of said set being positively driven and said shears being rotatable about a horizontal axis; g) means for advancing one carton at a time to said second flap cutter in spaced relation to the frontal faces of said shears; h) a pair of counter- rotating brushes adapted to engage and lift the remaining pair of mutually opposed flaps to a height above the height of the top wall of said carton, and i) ploughs adapted to engage and pivot said remaining pair of mutually opposed flaps to a horizontally outward position to be severed by said shears.


17. The fully automated machine as claimed in claims 14, 15 or 16, wherein said means for conveying one carton at a time from said first flap cutter to said second flap cutter comprises the combination of a) a gate, adapted to permit timed sequential movement of a carton therepast; b) a microswitch, actuated by a carton for actuating feeding means to move from a first position to a second position thereby to feed a carton to said second flap cutter; c) a second microswitch, actuated by said feeding means to operate said gate to restrict movement of a carton therepast; and d) a third microswitch, actuated by said feeding means when said feeding means is at said second position to (I) limit the movement of said feeding means, (II) initiate return of said feeding means to said first position, and (III) initiate operation of said gate to permit movement of a carton therepast.

18. A fully automated carton flap removing machine comprising: a) a conveyor b) means for feeding a plurality of cartons to said machine, c) a first flap cutter including at least one set of counter-rotating rotary shears, one shear of said set being positively driven and being rotatable about a horizontal axis; d) means for advancing one carton at a time to said first flap cutter in spaced relation to the frontal faces of said shears, e) a plurality of rollers, the circumferential faces of each being adapted to engage a respective side wall of a first selected pair of mutually opposed side walls, thereby to pivot a first selected pair of mutually opposed flaps to a vertically upstanding position, f) ploughs adapted to engage and pivot said first selected pair of mutually opposed flaps to a horizontally outward position to be severed by said shears, g) means for conveying one carton at a time from said first flap cutter to a second flap cutter disposed at about ninety degrees to said means (a) said second flap cutter including at least one set of counter-rotating overlapping rotary shears, one shear of said set being positively driven and said shears being rotatable about a horizontal axis, h) means for advancing one carton at a time to said second flap cutter in spaced relation to the frontal faces of said shears, i) a pair of counter-rotating brushes adapted to engage and lift the remaining pair of mutually opposed flaps to a height above the height of the top wall of said carton, and j) ploughs adapted to engage and pivot said remaining pair of mutually opposed flaps to a horizontally outward position to be severed by said shears.

19. The fully automated machine of claim 18 wherein the means (g) comprises the combination of a) a gate, adapted to permit timed sequential movement of a carton therepast, b) a microswitch, actuated by a carton for actuating feeding means to move from a first position to a second position thereby to feed a carton to said second flap cutter, c) a second microswitch, actuated by said feeding means to operate said gate to restrict movement of a carton therepast, and d) a third microswitch, actuated by said feeding means when said feeding means is at said second position to (I) limit the movement of said feeding means, (II) initiate return of said feeding means to said first position, and (III) initiate operation of said gate to permit movement of a carton therepast.

20. A method for removing the flaps from a carton said method comprising: a) feeding a plurality of cartons having flaps desired to be removed to said machine, b) feeding said cartons to a primary flap raising station and pivoting a first selected pair of mutually opposed flaps to a vertically upstanding position, c) advancing one carton at a time from said primary flap raising station to a flap opening station and engaging and pivoting said first selected pair of mutually opposed flaps to a horizontally outward position, d) conveying one carton at a time to a flap cut-off station and shearing off said horizontally extended flaps and disposing of said flaps, e) conveying one carton at a time from said flap cut-off station through a carton speed-up station and to a carton feed-in station. f) advancing one carton at a time from said carton feed-in station in a direction ninety degrees to its original movement to a secondary flap raising station and engaging and pivoting the remaining pair of mutually opposed flaps to a height above the height of the top wall of said carton, g) engaging and pivoting said remaining pair of mutually opposed flaps to a horizontally outward position. h) conveying one carton at a time to a further flap cut-off station and shearing off said horizontally extended flaps and disposing of said flaps and i) feeding a plurality of cartons having their flaps removed away from said machine.