Filing Information

Inventor(s)	Christopher J. Griffin · Bernard H. Oxborrow ·
Assignee(s)	Metal Box, P.L.C. ·  View assignee updates
Attorney/Agent(s)	Burns, Doane, Swecker & Mathis ·
Primary Examiner	John Sipos ·
Assistant Examiner	Steven P. Weihrouch ·
Application Number	US6416491
Filing date	09/10/1982
Issue date	02/26/1985
Predicted expiration date	09/10/2002
U.S. Classifications	53/48.4  · 53/374.5  · 53/176  · 206/150  · 53/389.1  · 53/398  · 53/48.1  ·
International Classifications	B65B 2704  ·
Kind Code	A
International Classifications	5348;176;388;398;477;556;580;585 ·

Patent Family

Abstract

An apparatus for sealing cover attachments to the plastics couplers of multipacks of containers, comprising conveyor means for transporting a succession of the multipacks along a generally horizontal path, a reservoir for a plurality of the blanks, an applicator device operating in timed relation to the conveyor means to place blanks for the cover attachments individually upon the multipacks moving along the conveyor means so that tabs, which extend out from the plain portion of each blank, are disposed laterally in relation to the conveyor path and, along each side of the conveyor path, heating means for directing hot gas onto the tabs and onto the lateral surfaces of the coupler so as to render them heat-sealable together. The apparatus further comprises folding means for folding the tabs downwardly and pressure means for holding the tabs against the coupler to heat-seal the coupler and cover attachment together. The conveyor means comprises a locating side conveyor disposed to receive the multipacks with the blanks thereon downstream of the applicator means and having dog members arranged to engage individual multipacks between adjacent containers thereof, so as to locate the multipacks as they are carried in succession through the heating means, folding means and pressure means, each dog of the locating side conveyor being arranged to engage both a multipack and the respective blank thereon so as to locate the blank in relation to the multipack until the heat-seals have been made.

Independent Claims | See all claims (7)

1. 1. Apparatus for attaching blanks of a heat-sealable sheet material to multipacks each comprising a plurality of containers in an array and a sheet plastics coupler having apertures through which end closures of the containers project and which are dimensioned so that the containers are tightly held by tension in the coupler material, each blank having a plane portion by which it overlies and substantially covers the end closures of a said multipack and a plurality of tabs integrally joined to the plane portion along two opposed sides thereof and foldable downwardly in relation to the plane portion to heat sealed connection with the coupler along opposed sides of the multipack, the apparatus comprising conveyor means for transporting a succession of said multipacks along a generally horizontal path, a reservoir for plurality of said blanks, applicator means operating in timed relation to said conveyor means to place blanks individually upon said multipacks moving along said conveyor means with the tabs of said blanks disposed laterally in relation to the conveyor path and, along each side of the conveyor path, heating means for directing hot gas onto said tabs and onto the lateral surfaces of said coupler whereby to render them heat-sealable together, folding means for folding the tabs downwardly adjacent said lateral surfaces of the coupler, and pressure means for holding the tabs against the coupler to heat-seal the same together, said conveyor means comprising a locating side conveyor disposed to receive the multipacks wit the blanks thereon downstream of the applicator means and having dog members arranged to engage individual multipacks between adjacent containers within said individual multipacks, so as to locate the multipacks as they are carried in substantially continuous succession through the heating means, folding means and pressure means, each dog of the locating side conveyor being arranged to engage both a multipack and the respective blank thereon so as to locate the blank in relation to the multipack until the heat-seals have been made.