This invention relates generally to machines for erecting canons, and more particularly, relates Io a packaging machine having a mechanized hopper Thar is adjustable to accommodate canons having various dimensions.

A continuous-motion automatic packaging machine rapidly applies secondary packaging Io multiple individually-packaged products such as canned or ooUied consumables for greater ease of transportation, storage, sale, and consumer utilization. A typical packaging machine integrates several modular stations. Including a carton erector, case packer, carton sealing station, palleiiser. and interconnecting conveyor systems ihai convey the products through the venous modular stations and into each of a senes of canons it >s Known to provide a packaging machine with a hopper thai queues sleeve type cartons provided as blanks thai are partsaiiy assembled and collapsed IrUo tubular sleeves prior \o being fed into the øackaαino machine. The cartons, are removed from the oueue bv a modular or integral carton feeder mat is configured to erect the cartons.

When the packaging machine ss running, It is critical to supply lhe canon feeder with a steady siream of collapsed cartons. An operator rypscally loads ihe collapsed cartons into a hopper, which then conveys the collapsed cartons to the feeder on advancing belts that are continuously or intermittently driven, ideally, each collapsed carton ss centered atop the advancing belts. A human operator typscaily loads the collapsed cartons in the hopper, and frequently must reach over into lhe hopper ?o load collapsed canons, to adjust their alignment or to remove collapsed cartons thai misfeed.

FlG 1 is a partial perspective view of the infeed station of a packaging machine that includes a known hopper 182, which collapsed cartons C are loaded A fifst ssde edge of each of the collapsed cartons ss placed against a fixed guide 106, and the second side edge is Supported by a movable guide 108 The bottom edge of each collapsed carton C in the hopper ss supported on at least one advancing belt

110, although as many as three advancing bells may be needed to accommodate collapsed cartons having varying Widths For instance, to accommodate collapsed canons having a relatively narrow width, the movable guide 108 is manually moved along slots 112 toward giude 106 until DoIh Sides of each collapsed carton are <• supported, The mechanism for moving guide 108 entails loosening thumb screws and sliding ihe guide IDS along slots 112 machined in hopper table 114. When the hopper is in this narrow-width configuration, it is difficult for an operator to reach across the hopper table 114 to access the collapsed cartons This is because moving the movable guide 108 toward fixed guide 106 necessarily moves Ihe so second side edge of each collapsed carton C away from the side 118 of the hopper table 114. The human operator typically stands at the side 116 of the hopper table 114 to reach into the hopper 102, The operator may even have to lean across Ihe moving parts o? an unused advancing belt and its supporting mechanism. The operator-Side advancing belt may lie selectively movable to vary the spacing _;

?:• although the largest collapsed cartons must be loaded with the advancing belts off center - with the cartons overhanging the width-wise extent of the advancing belts. In any event the position of the movable guide 10S may be adjustable to support ihe second side edge of various sized collapsed cartons, and the width of the hopper table 114 is determined by the largest carton Io be conveyed in the hopper 102. y< Thus, the expansive width of the hopper creates an ergonomicaily-awkward and operator-unfriendly configuration.

Furthermore, operators commonly use she unused poruon of [he hopper table as a surface upon which to make notes ύunng downtime between runs or to stage additional collapsed canons to load while the packaging machine is operating. The

:^ ^idth of the unused portion vanes inversely With the extent to which ihe collapsed cartons extend across the hopper table, so the operator must adiust his practices accordingly by findsnq another workspace when iarαe cartons are run

There ss a need, therefore, for a packaging machine having an infeed station hopper that provides more ergonomic access to collapsed cartons and that v maintains a consistent workspace lor operators.

The various embodiments of the present invention overcome the shortcomings of the prior a?1 by providing systems and methods for operating an inteed station including an adjustable hopper that advantageously is more ergonomic and versatile in accommodating collapsed cartons having various dimensions.

? !n accordance with an exemplary embodiment of me present invention a hopper for a packaging machine has multiple elements thai are transversely, incrementally adjustable with respect to one another to modify the width of a channel through when substantially fiat articles, such as collapsed cartons, are queued. The elements that form the hopper channel include a conveyance mechanism, by which

■0 the hopper is mechanized, which includes al least one advancing beit. Other adjustable hopper-ehannei-forming elements include a table structure (or base) and a pair of opposing guides or guide structures. A first guide structure or guide ss disposed at an operator side of the hopper, while a second guide structure or gusde is disposed at a machine side of the hopper opposite the first guide.

^; > The terms ^" operator side ^" and "machine side" are used to distinguish opposing sides of a hopper when one side is the side from which cartons ate typically ioaded info the hopper, that side being the operator side. The machine ssde Is opposite what may be considered the operator side of the apparatus The hopper may be cantiievered with respect to the packaging machine, supported From the

:o machine Side. The adjustable elements of the hopper facilitate accommodation of collapsed cartons of different sizes. The mechanized hopper conveys the collapsed cartons to a feeder in which the Planks are queued for sequential removal by a carton feeder. In accordance with another aspect of the exemplary embodiment, the adjustable hopper elements are actuated automatically by one or more motor-driven

;? or hydraulic drive systems that are controlled manually or according to predefined program instructions in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present Invention a hopper for a packaging machine has a conveyance mechanism including at least one advancing belt, a first gusde structure and a table structure (or base) proximate

:<o one another that are transversely, incrementally adjustable in tandem ;n order Io modify the width of the channel The other elements of the hopper may include a second conveyance mechanism element including at least one advancing belt and a

second guide structure opposite the first guide structure, in a further aspect of the exemplary embodiment the elements that move sn tandem are disposed a? wha* may be considered an operator side of the hopper or as a pofnt of reference, a first side of the conveyance mechanism, in a stilt furrhe? aspect of the exemplary embodiment she conveyance mechanism element, *he first guide slructure and the table structure that move tn tandem are affixed to another, in an additional aspect of the exemplary embodiment the second conveyance mechanism element and she second guide structure are transversely, incrementally adjustable. In accordance with another aspect of the exemplary embodiment _: the adjustable hopper elements are actuated automatical by one or more motondπven or hydraulic drive systems that are controlled manually or according to predefined program instructions

One advantage of the invention ss that a mechanical hopper ss provided the Width of which is incrementally adjustable ?o accommodate numerous canon or other article Widths. In addition, the hopper can be adjusted to these various widths white the channel formed by hopper elements remains centered with respect to a magazine and other machine elements that follow the hopper. Furthermore, in accordance with the teachings of the invention a table structure associated with the hopper remains economically useful and accessible throughout the various adjustments.

A further advantage provided by the invention is that the extent to which the operator must reach to load certain cartons into the hopper is reduced. As another advantage, the width of the hopper table is constant for all carton configurations. As yet another advantage, the distance between the machine-side advancing belt and the operator-ssde advancing belt is selectively variable. In addition, the adjustable hopper can be reconfigured automatically according to the dimensions of the article to be conveyed, via one or more motor-driven or hydrauhc-drive systems that can be controlled manually or according to predefined program instructions.

T he foregofng has broadly outlined some of the aspects and features of the present Invent-on, which should be construed to be merely illustrative of various potential applications of the invention Other beneficial results can he obtained by applying the disclosed information m a different manner or by combining various aspects of the disclosed embodiments Accordingly, other aspects and a more

comprehensive understanding of the invention πiay be obtained by referring to the detailed description of the exemplary embodiments taken ;n conjunction with the accompanying drawings, sn addition to the scope o! the invention defined by the olasrns.

Rβ. 1 iS a partial perspective view of an infeed station of a packaging machine that incorporates a prior-art hopper,

RG. 2 is a partial perspective view of an infeed station incorporating an adjustable hopper according to an exemplary embodiment of me present invention

FiG, 3 is a second partial perspective view of ?he infeed station of FIG. 2 wish the adjustable hopper arranged in a configuration of narrower width than that shown in FIG, 2, according to an exernpiary embodiment of the invention.

RG. 4 ss another partial perspective view of the infeed station of RG. 2 with the adjustable hopper arranged in a configuration of narrower width as shown in FIG 3, accordino to an exemolary embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is top pian view of an adjustable hopper of the infeed sration of FIG, 2, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. β is a top plan view of an adjustable hopper of the infeed station of FIGS.. 3 and 4, with the adjustable hopper arranged in a configuration of narrower width than that shown in FIG, S, according to an exernpiary embodiment ot the present invention.

As required, detailed embodiments of me present invention are disclosed herein. It wϋi be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely examples to illustrate aspects of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily Io scale, and some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. In other instances, well-known materials or methods have not been described in detail to avosd obscuring the present invention. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be Interpreted as limiting, but as a basis for the

- <t - claims and lor teaching one sMlerj in the art to variously employ ?he present invention.

Referring now to the drawings in which like numeral indicate like elements throughout the several views, the drawings illustrate certain of the various aspects of > exemplary embodiments of a transversely-adjustable hopper of the infeed station of the present invention The invention teaches a width-wise adjustable, mechanized hopper including a table structure that aids sn use and operation of the hopper. The teachings of the invention are generally applicable to the queuing of substantially-flat or planar articles In a packaging machine, Substantially-flat or planar articles to

!<> which the teachings of ?he invention are applicable include, but are not limited to. collapsed cartons and inserts for cartons An exemplary snfeed stamen is shown and described in the context of one of venous types of packaging machines for erecting and loading paperboard cartons, article carriers, or other packages although the principles and features of the invention are useful m similar packaging machines, s 5 and with articles similar to the cartons descri bed As such, the exemplary cartons may be formed from materials othe? than paperboard, and indeed from any suitable sheet material that is substantially fiat or fokiable into a flattened condition, such as but not limited to, corrugated board, plastic, and the like.

In the description of the invention that follows, the terms ^" operator side ^" and

.^s ^' machine side ^" are used as pofnts of reference and onentation to distinguish a side of a hopper from which cartons are loaded in the hopper from an opposing side in an apparatus where cartons or other articles are loaded into the hopper from only one side. However, the invention contemplates that canons can be loaded into a hopper from either side

:> To explain the operation of the invention, an exemplary snfeed station 200 of a packaging machine is shown In RGs, 2, 3 and 4. FIGs, 2, 3 and 4 illustrate substantially the same elements of (he exemplary embodiment and may be referred to together However. R6. 2 is distinguished from FIGs. 3 and 4 In that m FlGs. 3 and 4, advancing belts A and B have been translated into closer proximity wιih

:«> respect lo one another to provide a hopper 202 (hopper chute) having a namower width than the spacing shown in RG. 2. The hopper table 214 and guide 208 have likewise been translated as will be explained In greater detail below. The infeed

station 200 includes a hopper 202 that holds a queue of collapsed ca tions C Qf similar planar articles thai are substantially vertically oriented, stand ing on bottom edges, and conveys the queue from the mfeed end of the infeed station 200 into a stack heid by a magazine 204 at the output end of the inleed station 200. The

:' hopper 202 terminates in a magazine 204 for receiving and holding ihe ancles in stacked condition for further engagement by elements of the packaging machine. The magazine 204 holds the collapsed cartons C in a substantially vertically-oriented dispo&iiion Suction cups S are disposed adjacent the magazine 204 on a rotary- suction-cup wheel mechanism W The exemplary hopper 202 includes guides 206.

!• ^■ 20S that provide vertical support to opposing side edges of the collapseα cartons C in the queue. Tne bottom edges of the collapsed cartons C rest transversely across a conveyance mechanism, or means for conveying 210. in the exemplary embodiments, the conveyance mechanism 210 includes a set of one or more advancing bei*s A, B. However, any suitable means for conveying can be s > substituted, including a single advancing belt conveying surface, and the like The advancing belts 210 shown are toolhed or serrated continuous (or endless) roller belts which are known for use m various conveying applications. Teeth or serrations promote oon-siippabie contact between the belt A, 8 arid the edges of cartons C or other articles ihat are queued Reciprocating belts that convey a bad of collapsed

:ι> cartons C to the magazine 204 and then reverse to be reloaded are contemplated and taught by the invention as well. In any event, the advancing belts 210 may be driven by a single motor (not shown) or a synchronized set of motors (not shown), the operation and drive speed cf which is controlled according to Signals from a programmable logic controller (PLC) (not shown) or other processing device

:> possessing the program logic and c-reυiiry necessary to control motors and other peripheral devices. The advancing belts 210 convey collapsed cartons C toward tne magazine 204, vyhere ihe collapsed cartons C are held prior to being removed one by one by vacuum cup stations S on the pickup wheel W of the carton feeder (partially obstructed}. In cenasn embodiments, the magazine 204 aiso includes a

^ vibration generator that shakes or otherwise vibrates Io aiign the collapsed cartons C with respect to one another in the proper position for removal from the magazine.

- S -

Guide 20CS is a vertscaily-oriented plate mounted on the machine side of the hopper 202 whtch substantially parallels ihe path of the advancing bests A, B of the conveyance mechanism 210, and is movable to adjust its distance from the advancing belts A, B. Adjustability of the guide 20S will be descnoed In more detas^ below. A second guide 208 ss also vertically onen'ed wdh respect to a hopper table 214 of the hopper 202, and is preferably fixedly mounted to the hopper table 214 by means such as a mounting plate 212 that may aiso elevate the lower edge of the guide 208 somewhat with respect to the hopper table 214 The conveyance mechaπssm 210 and the hopper table 214 Ue in either a common plane or parallel substantially planes The guides 206, 208 are subsiantsaily vertically oriented with respect to the plane or planes of the conveyance mechanism 210 and the hopper table 214 The conveyance mechansm 210 and opposing guides 206, 208 define a channel through which articles C are translated and queued, As shown m HG, 2. a portion of tne hopper table 214 may help form the channel

As illustrated, an exemplary embodiment of the hopper includes 202 an elongated hopper table 214 The hopper table 214 may aiso be considered a table surface. The hopper table 214 Is disposed at what ss considered the operator-side o? the hopper and serves multiple purposes related to the interaction of ihe operator with the hopper 202. As a further pofnt of reference, lite ssde of the hopper opposite the operator-Side may be considered the machine-side of the hopper in a first instance, the base serves aβ a mult: -purpose work surface for an individual to place articles into the hopper 202. Articles C are typically delivered to a hopper m boxes to be manually loaded into the hopper The hopper table 214 serves as a work surface from which ar^ individual may unload the articles C from me boxes and manually move the articles C onto a conveyance mechanism 210 that will be described in greater detasl below. The hopper table 214 also helps support the bottom edges of articles C as the articles C are transported by the conveyance mechanism 210 The hopper table 214 additionally serves as a table surface whsen an Individual (the hopper operator) may use as a wntsng surface or other surface from which a hopper operator or observer may perform tasks related to operation of the hopper 202,

in an exemplary embodiment ail of the channel-forming hopper elements are transversely translatable, including the belts A, B of the conveyance mechanssm 210, the guides {guide structures) 2GC>, 208 and the hopper tabie 214. in another exemplary embodiment the hopper table 214 the advancing belt B that ;s proximate

> the hopper tabie 214 and the guide 208 that is proximate the hopper table 214 are adapted for movement in tandem. For example, tandem movement can be accomplished by using a computer device Io dπve each Individual element in tandem with the other. The invention also contemplates and teaches tandem translation by substantially affixing the hopper tabie 214, the advancing belt B that is proximate me

!<) hopper table 214 and the guide 208 that Is proximate the hopper tabie 214 to one another such that they move in tandem.

As mentioned above, the present invention Includes systems and methods for adjusting the distance between various elements of a hopper 2112, thereby altering the width of the hopper 202 so as to accommodate collapsed cartons C having n ^; various dimensions. More specifically, it is desirable to vary me separation of the advancing beits A, B to convey and evenly support varying si?res of collapsed cartons C Moreover, It is desirable to center the set of advancing beits A. B With respect to the wheel W and/or with respect to the wsdth of the collapsed cartons C. In addition, it is desirable to alter the relative positions of the guides 206, 208 so that

2o the side edges of the collapsed cartons are also supported. These objectives are accomplished by providing a hopper tabie 214 that can translate laterally, being movable toward and away from the operator side of the hopper 202 such that the advancing belts A. B and the conveyance mechanism 210 can be centered or balanced regardless of the separation therebetween and such ihat the separation of

^ the guides 206, 208 can be made to equal to the width of the collapsed cartons C. The hopper tabie 214 is cantϋevered with respect to the packaging machine, and translates transversely via a translating apparatus and a dnve system. The exemplary translating apparatus Includes a first linear bearing rsrl 218 and a second linear beanng rail 3Q2 (shown in FIG. 3) and may include any number of elements,

30 such as one or more racks that are not shown, The elements of the translating apparatus cooperate with a drive system (not shown) which Includes elements such as psnlons, an axle, and a rotary motor The linear hearing rails 21 S, 302 are siidably

- ] 0 - engaged with linear bearings {not shown) such that the hopper table 214 can translate back and forth on the linear bearing rails 218, 302. in the exemplary embodiment, tne position of the operator-side advancing best B is fixed with respect to the hopper taple 214, but the position of the machine side advancing belt A may be variably translatable along the linear bearing rails 21S ₁ 3132 as well A separate set of linear bearings 304, 306 is provided for transverse translation of the guide 206,

Referring now to FIG. 5, a plan view of ihe adjustable hopper 202 m accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention, with elements disposed for accommodating a carton C as shown sn FlG. 2, illustrates the arrangement of the belts A ₁ B of the conveyance mechanism 210, the machine-side guide 2QS and the operator-side guide 208 Support members 220. 222 tha* help term a magazine at the end of the hopper 202 can be clearly seen in this view. Direction arrow 300 illustrates Ihe transverse direction of translators of the rnachine-side guide 206. Direction arrow 310a illustrates the transverse direction of translation of belt A of the conveyance mechanism 210, while direction arrow 310b illustrates the direction of translation me olher belt B Direction arrow 320 illustrates the transverse direction of translation of hopper table 214 and the operator-side guide 2OS affixed to the hopper table 214

Referring now ro RG. 6. the hopper 202, with elements disposed for accommodating a carton of a narrower width than the carton shown in B, as shown in RGS. 3 and 4, ss illustrated wherein the machine-side guide 206, both belts A arid B ₁ and the operator-side guide 288 (affixed to hopper table 214} have ail been moved to inwardly narrow the wsdth of the channel formed,

As mentioned above, translation of the hopper table 214, beϋs 21QA/B. and guide 206 can be accomplished automatically, such as by activating a toggle switch, or by entering desired parameters into a human machine interface (HMl) that runs a software program ύmi controls operation of the translating apparatus Accordingly, the Invention includes a method lor configuring the hopper 202 for various sized cartons. In certain embodiments, the method is performed according to one or more user-created logic programs stored on a computer readable medium and executed by a programmable logic controller (PLC) (not shown). The PLC may be programmed directly, or the logic programs may be downloaded or relayed from a

^■ n ^■ computer (not shown). The PLC has either modular or integral input/output Circuitry that can monitor the status at Held connected sensor inputs, such as sensors that detect the dimensions of a collapsed carton C. and, afler sensing, control attached output actuators _* including devices such as motor starters, solenofds, pilot lights/displays, drives, vacuum valves, and the iike {not shown) according to the programs stored in the random-access (RAM) portion of memory. A system bus couples the memory, sensor snpurs, and output actuators to the PLC. it the PlC receives programming from a computer, the computer typically further includes additional eomputer-readabie media, such as low-speed storage, a hard-rjssk onve or a magnetic-disk -drive, and the like, to read from or wrae to a removable disk, and an optical-disk drive for reading a CD-ROM disk or to read from or write to other optical media. The hard disk drive, magnetic disk drive, and optical disk drive include a hard-disk drive interface, a magnetsc-disk-drive interface, and an opticai-dhve interface, respectively (not shown), for couphng the drives to the system bus. The drives and their associated computer-readable roediB provide nonvolatile storage for the computer. Although the description of computer-readable medium above refers to s hard disk, a portable USB drive, a removable magnetic disk, a CD-ROM disk, or o^her types of media readable by a computer, such as magnetic cassettes, flash memory cards, digital video disks, Bernoulli cartridges, and the like, can also be used.

A number of program modules can be stored in the drives and m the RAM portion or the memory, including an operating system, one or more application programs, a shared code library, arsd a browser program module. A user may ems? commands and information into the computer through a HrVIl, such as but not limited to a keyboard and pofnting device, such as s mouse. The HMI may incorporate other input/output devices such as a microphone, joystick, scanner, pushbuttons, IEDs, and the like These and other Input/output devices may he connected to the PLC or me processing unit of the computer through a serial port interface coupled to the system bus. hut can be connected by other interfaces, such as a universal serial hue (USB) The input/output devices include a monster or other type of display device connected to the system bus via an interface, such as a video adapier. In

addstson to ihe monitor, computers typically include other peripheral output devices, such as speakers or printers.

According to an exemplary method, a user enters the dimensions of the article (carton) that Is Io be processed. The hopper 202 ss then automatically configured according \o these parameters. Sn other methods, i.he user enters coordinates that identify the desired positions for each of the elements, and she elements are automatically moved to those positions The software may include a dataPase with various standard dimensions for different types of cartons or other articles, which case _; the user need only select the appropriate one.

As used herein, directional references such as "top," "base," ^" bottom," "end," "Side," "inner," "outer," "upper," "middle," "lower," "front and "rear ^" ' do not limit the respective walls and edges of the cartons or collapsed cartons to such orientation, but merely serve to distinguish these walls from one another

The present invention has been illustrated m relation >o a particular embodiment which is intended in ail respects to be illustrative rather than restrictive Those skilled in the art Will recognize that rhe present sπvβnhoπ is capable of many modifications and variations without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, although the exemplary embodiment has been described sn the context of a packaging machine for processing and loading collapsed cartons C. the teachings of the present invention can be Implemented sn any conveying apparatus for processing any suitable article. Those skilled in the art will also appreciate thai, the packaging machine described represents only one example oi the various packaging machine types and configurations that will be suitable for implementation of the various embodiments of me invention

Accordingly, the scope of the present invention ss descri bed by the claims appended hereto and supported by the foregofng