Method and Apparatus for Printing on the Side of Empty Boxes

This invention relates to printing apparatus and more particularly to printing apparatus for printing given information on empty boxes.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus, in association with a conveyor conveying in sequence a plurality of boxes to print predetermined information on a selected side panel of each of the boxes.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus, in association with a conveyor conveying in sequence a plurality of empty boxes to a filling position, for printing a unit price, date, total price and the like in a blank area on a selected side panel adjacent a leading side panel perpendicular to the selected side panel of each of the empty boxes.

A feature of the present invention is the provision of printing apparatus in association with a conveyor conveying in sequence a plurality of boxes to a printing position for printing on a selected side panel of each of the boxes, comprising: A rotatable anvil positioned to engage an interior portion of each of the boxes in sequence and to place the anvil and each of the boxes in the printing position; printing means disposed at the printing position and adjacent the exterior of the selected side panel; and control means coupled to the anvil and the printing means to control the rotation of the anvil into the printing position and to actuate the printing means when the anvil and each of the boxes are in the printing position to cause printing on the selected side panel.

Another feature of the present invention is the provision of a method of printing on each of a plurality of boxes being conveyed in sequence on a conveyor comprising the steps of: positioning a selected side panel of each of the boxes on said conveyor; engaging an interior portion of each of the boxes to place each of the boxes in a printing position; and actuating a printing means disposed at the printing position and adjacent the exterior of each of the selected side panels to print on each of the panels when each of the boxes is in said printing position.

Above-mentioned and other features and objects of this invention will become more apparent by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example of a box to be printed in accordance with the apparatus and method of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of the apparatus to carry out the method in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a simplified electrical circuit employed in the apparatus in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the apparatus in accordance with the principles of the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is a back view of the apparatus in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1 there is illustrated therein a typical box that is to be printed by the apparatus of the present invention with the printed material including a unit price, date, total price and the like being printed in blank area 1 on a selected side panel 2 adjacent the leading side panel 3 perpendicular to said panel 2 with the leading side panel 3 being that side panel that moves along a conveyor first in the direction of arrow 4. The other areas of selected side panel 2, flaps 5, 6, 7 and top 8, include advertising or other printed material and to avoid overprinting this printed material, blank area 1 is provided. The dash lines 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 represent score lines to enable folding the top 8 and the flaps 5- 7 along the score lines to form a cover for the box after the printing has taken place and the box has been filled. When the box is being printed in blank area 1, the top and flaps are in the position illustrated.

Referring to FIG. 2 there is illustrated schematically the apparatus for printing the unit price, date, total price and the like in blank area 1 of the box of FIG. 1. The boxes are moved in sequence to a filling position (not shown) by a chain lug conveyor 15. The apparatus in accordance with the principles of the present invention basically includes a rotatable anvil 16 which is shown in the printing position, the rest position of anvil 16 being 180.degree. from the position illustrated, a printing means 17 and a control means 18.

Printer 17 includes an interchangeable printing head 19, an air cylinder 20 which is actuated when the solenoid controlled valve 21 is actuated to release air from the air cylinder 20 to move printing head 19 in the direction of arrow 22. Printer 17, which has been employed in the apparatus of this invention, is the Norwood Model KS-7CB imprinter available from Norwood Marking and Equipment Company. Printer head 19 is interchangeable to enable changing the unit price, the date, the total price and/or the like to adjust the printed information to account for fluctuations in the price of the product to be placed in the boxes.

Control means 18 includes motor 23 rotating a large sprocket 24 and a small sprocket 25. Sprocket 24 is interconnected with sprocket 26 to shaft 27 by a chain 28. Shaft 27 has secured thereto electrically operated clutch 29, a sprocket 30 and a cam 31 to control the operation of microswitch 32. Sprocket 30 is interconnected with sprocket 33 by chain 34 with sprocket 33 being secured to the anvil shaft 35 to control the rotation of anvil 16. The small sprocket 25 driven by motor 23 is interconnected with sprocket 36 on shaft 37 by chain 38. Shaft 37 has an electrically operated clutch 39 secured thereto, an independently adjustable cam 40 to control microswitch 41 and an independently adjustable cam 40a to control microswitch 42. Photo-eye 43 including photo-eye projector 43a and photo-eye receiver 43b is also part of the control means 18 and is adjacent conveyor 15 to be actuated when the leading side panel 3 of the boxes being moved by conveyor 15 break the photo-eye beam.

The sequence of operation of the apparatus of FIG. 2 will now be described. Motor 23 runs continuously with the apparatus in the "on" condition. FIG. 2 illustrates the conditions that exist at the time of printing, however, it will be used to explain a complete printing cycle. The printing cycle starts with anvil 16 in the rest position which is 180.degree. opposite that shown in FIG. 2. When an empty box actuates photo-eye 43, clutch 29 is energized and starts shaft 27 to rotate, which, through sprocket 30, chain 34 and sprocket 33 starts anvil 16 to rotate from the rest position in a downward direction. The toe 44 enters the interior of the box and engages the inner surface of the leading side panel 3 of the box. Since anvil 16 travels faster than conveyor 15, the toe 44 pulls the box away from lug 45 of conveyor 15. Anvil 16 now stops in the position illustrated which is the printing position and the box is printed and released before lug 45 contacts the box again. To understand the other phases of the printing cycle, we must return to shaft 27. Shaft 27 has two revolutions per printing cycle compared to one revolution for anvil 16 and one revolution for shaft 37. After shaft 27 has rotated approximately 30.degree., cam 31 actuates microswitch 32 which energizes clutch 39. Shaft 27 completes the revolution and is stopped by clutch 29. When clutch 39 is energized shaft 37 rotates approximately 140.degree. and cam 40 actuates microswitch 41. The actuation of microswitch 41 opens the solenoid controlled valve 21 to enable the air supply from cylinder 20 to operate printer head 19 just after anvil 16 and the box have stopped. While printing cam 40 rotates approximately 70.degree.. As mentioned above, shaft 27 has completed one revolution and is in a rest position. Shaft 37 is still rotating and after the printing operation, which required approximately a 70.degree. rotation of shaft 37, shaft 37 rotates approximately another 70.degree. and through cam 40a microswitch 42 is actuated and shaft 37 rotates to its rest position. When microswitch 42 is actuated, clutch 29 is energized which starts shaft 27 to rotate again to bring anvil 16 to the rest position. This completes a full printing cycle and leaves the box just printed free to be moved on by the conveyor 15 when lug 45 catches up to the box just printed.

Referring to FIG. 3 there is a schematic diagram of the electrical circuit which controls the apparatus of FIG. 2. This electrical circuit has applied between leads 46 and 47 120 volts alternating current, three phase, 60 cycles. The switches 48 and 49 mechanically interconnected are the main power switches. When switches 48 and 49 are closed, the 120 volts are applied through fuses 50 and 51 to heater 52 and hence to thermostat 52a. Heater 52 has 75- 100 watts capability and is employed to heat the type block employed in printer 17. The 120 volts is also applied to a red pilot light 54. Preheater 53 with its associated red pilot light 54a and its associated thermostat 53a and switch 53b enables preheating and therefore availability immediately of a second type block with the next day code or different price and the like. Motor switch 55 when closed enables the operation of the control means. When switch 55 is closed, motor 23 has power supplied thereto and also to a red pilot light 56. In the circuit of motor 23 there is provided a reset 57 to enable reset of the circuit of motor 23 should this circuit become open. The remainder of the electrical circuit shows the relationship between the various microswitches 32, 41 and 42 and photo-eye 43, the clutches 29 and 39 and the printer solenoid 58. It should be noted that in the circuit of clutch 29 there is provided a control relay 59 which is energized when photo-eye 43 is activated. When control relay 59 is energized, the contacts controlled thereby are placed in a closed position so as to energize clutch 29. Clutch 29 is also controlled by microswitch 42 which when energized causes shaft 27 to rotate from its rest position so that anvil 16 can be rotated to its rest position. Thyrector 59a, available from automation products, is also in the circuit of clutch 29 and is employed as an arc suppressor to block current surges of the relay contacts as they open and close. Manually operated half cycle switch 32a is provided to ensure that anvil 16 is in its rest position at the start of a printing cycle. A hang up of anvil 16 and a printed box, a pile up of boxes at the printing position or a deformed box may cause anvil 16 to remain in the printing position rather return to the rest position and thus the control means would be out of sync. Switch 32a enables correcting this condition.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, there is illustrated a side view and back view of the apparatus of the present invention. The apparatus includes a base 60 to which is secured uprights 61 which is supported by support members 62. To the back surface of uprights 61 is secured a platform 63 to support printer 17 and to the front surface of uprights 61 is attached register member 64 so that the apparatus is in a proper relationship with respect to conveyor 15 so that printer 17 can print in blank area 1 of the empty box. Uprights 61 also supports adjacent the top edge thereof motor 23 and a housing 65 containing the control means 18 with the exception of photo-eye 44 which as mentioned above is adjacent conveyor 15 and before the printing position.

Base 60 has threaded apertures therethrough to receive the threaded legs 66- 68. Rollers or castors 69- 71 are connected to the lower end of legs 66- 68 which enables the apparatus to be mobile and to be capable of being moved from one conveyor to another conveyor. The threaded legs 66- 68 in conjunction with nuts 72- 74 enable raising and lowering the apparatus relative to conveyor 15 and also to level the apparatus.

While we have described above the principles of our invention in connection with specific apparatus it is to be clearly understood that this description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation to the scope of our invention as set forth in the objects thereof and in the accompanying claims.