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US 12,344,424 B2Granted
Case-handling device with folding guides
AssigneeSignode Industrial Group LLC
InventorBryce J. Fox
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a case-handling device including movable folding guides positionable relative to a case to facilitate folding the case's upper major flaps outwardly along their respective fold lines before the case's upper minor flaps are closed.
Claims20
A case-handling device comprising:
- a support;
- spaced-apart first and second folding guides, wherein the first and second folding guides are vertically and laterally movable relative to the support;
- one or more actuators operably connected to the first and second folding guides and configured to vertically and laterally move the first and second folding guides;
- a flap closer downstream of the first and second folding guides and comprising:
- one or more major flap closers configured to close the upper major flaps as the case moves past the one or more major flap closers;
- and
- one or more minor flap closers configured to close the upper minor flaps as the case moves past the one or more minor flap closers;
- and
- a controller operably connected to the one or more actuators and configured to, when a case having open first and second upper major flaps and first and second upper minor flaps is between the first and second folding guides:
- control the one or more actuators to move the first folding guide to a position adjacent a first fold line separating an outer surface of a first major side wall of the case and the first upper major flap;
- and
- control the one or more actuators to move the second folding guide to a position adjacent a second fold line separating an outer surface of a second major side wall of the case and the second upper major flap.
9 more elements
A case-handling device comprising:
- a support;
- spaced-apart first and second folding guides, wherein the first and second folding guides are vertically and laterally movable relative to the support;
- one or more actuators operably connected to the first and second folding guides and configured to vertically and laterally move the first and second folding guides;
- a flap closer downstream of the first and second folding guides and configured to close the upper major and upper minor flaps of the case as the case moves past the flap closer;
- and
- a controller operably connected to the one or more actuators and configured to, when a case having open first and second upper major flaps and first and second upper minor flaps is between the first and second folding guides:
- (a) control the one or more actuators to move the first folding guide to a position adjacent a first fold line separating an outer surface of a first major side wall of the case and the first upper major flap;
- (b) control the one or more actuators to move the second folding guide to a position adjacent a second fold line separating an outer surface of a second major side wall of the case and the second upper major flap;
- and
- (c) after (a) and (b), control one or more conveyors to move the case past the flap closer.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.