Method and apparatus for erecting cartons

Apparatus for use in erecting a carton, comprising:

• a shuttle having a bed with a horizontally extending base having a base grippers;
• a shuttle drive apparatus for driving said shuttle in a horizontal advancement direction;
• an end effector having an end effector grippers;
• an end effector movement device for moving said end effector;
• a controller operatively associated with said shuttle drive apparatus, said end effector movement device and said base grippers and said end effector gripper, and configured to:
• operate said movement device and end effector to grip a top side panel of a knock-down carton blank and place said knock-down carton blank on said horizontally extending base of said shuttle such that a bottom side panel of said knock-down carton blank abuts said horizontally extending base;
• activate said base grippers to grip said bottom side panel of said blank;
• operate said movement device to raise said top side panel of said knock-down carton blank with said end effector while horizontally advancing said shuttle in order to open said knock-down carton blank into a carton sleeve;
• wherein a side panel is hingedly connected to said top side panel and to said bottom side panel of said carton blank;
• wherein said controller is operable to operate said movement device to raise and open said knock-down blank so that said side panel is brought into abutment with a generally vertically extending back wall of said shuttle, and said controller is further operable such that a gripper of said back wall grips said side wall of said knock-down carton blank;
• wherein said controller is further operable such that with the gripper of said back wall gripping said side panel of said knock-down carton blank, the gripper of the end effector releases said top side panel of said knock-down carton blank.

A method of erecting a container, comprising:

• (a) placing a knock-down container blank on a base such that a bottom side panel of said blank abuts said base;
• (b) gripping said bottom side panel of said container blank with a gripper of said base;
• (c) raising a top side panel of said container blank while providing relative movement of said top side panel relative to said bottom side panel in a horizontal direction so as to open said blank into a container sleeve;
• wherein a side panel is pivotally connected to said top side panel and to said bottom side panel of said container blank;
• wherein said raising opens said container blank so that said side panel is brought into abutment with a generally vertically extending back member;
• and wherein said method further comprises:
• (d) after said raising, gripping said side panel of said knock-down carton blank with a gripper of said back member;
• (e) while gripping said side panel of said knock-down carton blank with said gripper of said back member, releasing said top side panel of said knock-down carton blank.

An apparatus for use in erecting a carton, comprising:

• a shuttle having a bed with a horizontally extending base having a base gripper;
• a shuttle drive apparatus for driving said shuttle in a horizontal advancement direction;
• an end effector having an end effector gripper;
• an end effector movement device for moving said end effector;
• a controller operatively associated with said shuttle drive apparatus, said end effector movement device and said base gripper and said end effector gripper, and configured to:
• operate said movement device and end effector to grip a top side panel of a knock-down carton blank and place said knock-down carton blank on said horizontally extending base of said shuttle such that a bottom side panel of said knock-down carton blank abuts said horizontally extending base;
• activate said base grippers to grip said bottom side panel of said blank;
• operate said movement device to raise said top side panel of said knock-down carton blank with said end effector while providing relative horizontal movement between said movement device and said shuttle in order to open said knock-down carton blank into a carton sleeve;
• wherein a side panel is pivotally connected to said top side panel and to said bottom side panel of said carton blank;
• wherein said controller is operable to operate said movement device to raise and open said knock-down blank so that said side panel is brought into abutment with a generally vertically extending back portion of said shuttle, and said controller is further operable such that after said raising, a gripper of said back portion grips said side wall of said knock-down carton blank;
• wherein said controller is further operable such that while the gripper of said back portion grips said side panel of said knock-down carton blank, the gripper of the end effector releases said top side panel of said knock-down carton blank.

A method for use in erecting a carton, comprising:

• (a) placing a knock-down carton blank on a base of a bed of a shuttle such that a bottom side panel of said knock-down carton blank abuts said base;
• (b) gripping said bottom side panel of said blank with a gripper of said base;
• (c) raising a top side panel of said knock-down carton blank with an end effector of a movement apparatus while advancing said shuttle in a horizontal direction so as to open said knock-down carton blank into a carton sleeve;
• wherein said horizontal direction of advancement of said shuttle is a first horizontal direction and wherein said movement apparatus has two degrees of freedom, a first degree of freedom providing movement of said end effector in a vertical direction and a second degree of freedom providing movement of said end effector in a second horizontal direction transverse to said first horizontal direction.

An apparatus for use in erecting a carton, comprising:

• a conveyor for conveying a knockdown carton to a pick-up location;
• a shuttle having a bed with a horizontally extending base having a base gripper;
• a shuttle drive apparatus for driving said shuttle in a horizontal advancement direction;
• an end effector having an end effector gripper;
• an end effector movement device for moving said end effector;
• a controller operatively associated with said shuttle drive apparatus, said end effector movement device and said base gripper and said end effector gripper, and configured to:
• operate said movement device and end effector to grip a top side panel of a knock-down carton blank and place said knock-down carton blank on said horizontally extending base of said shuttle such that a bottom side panel of said knock-down carton blank abuts said horizontally extending base;
• activate said base gripper to grip said bottom side panel of said blank;
• operate said movement device to raise said top side panel of said knock-down carton blank with said end effector while horizontally advancing said shuttle in order to open said knock-down carton blank into a carton sleeve;
• wherein said horizontal direction of advancement of said shuttle is a first horizontal direction and wherein said end effector movement device has two degrees of freedom, a first degree of freedom providing movement of said end effector in a vertical direction and a second degree of freedom providing movement of said end effector in a second horizontal direction transverse to said first horizontal direction.