Double box glue and tape machine with separable conveyors, semi-automatic alignment and feed system, and glue flushing system

An alignment and feed system for a double box glue and tape machine, comprising:

• a feed stand for supporting a pair of box blanks adjacent to the input end of the double box glue and tape machine;
• one or more gates for selectively blocking the entrance of the pair of the box blanks into the input end of the double box glue and tape machine and facilitating alignment of the box blanks prior to entry into the double box glue and tape machine;
• and
• a release mechanism for remotely releasing the gate to selectively unblock the entrance of the pair of box blanks into the input end of the double box glue and tape machine after alignment.

An alignment and feed system for a double box glue and tape machine having a seam conveyor, comprising:

• one or more remotely operable gates for selectively blocking the entrance of a pair of the box blanks into the seam conveyor and facilitating alignment of the box blanks prior to entry into the seam conveyor;
• one or more outboard rollers carried by the seam conveyor configured to provide lateral support to box blanks passing through the seam conveyor;
• one or more input guide rollers carried on an input end of the seam conveyor configured to facilitate feeding box blanks into the input end of the seam conveyor;
• and
• a seam separator carried on an input end of the seam conveyor configured to facilitate receipt of a glue head into a box seam as the seam passes through the input end of the seam conveyor.

A double box glue and tape machine, comprising:

• a cold glue head;
• a cold glue supply providing cold glue to the cold glue head;
• a water supply providing water to the cold glue head;
• and
• a valve for selectively connecting the cold glue supply and the water supply to the cold glue head to facilitate cleaning of the cold glue head.

A double box glue and tape machine, comprising:

• an upper seam conveyor comprising an upper seam gluing conveyor, a lateral positioning system for the upper seam gluing conveyor, an upper seam idler roller, and a lateral positioning system for the upper seam idler roller;
• a lower seam conveyor comprising a lower seam gluing conveyor, a lateral positioning system for the lower seam gluing conveyor, a lower seam idler roller, and a lateral positioning system for the lower seam idler roller;
• the upper seam gluing conveyor being selectively positionable opposite the upper seam idler roller to glue a first seam, and the lower seam gluing conveyor being selectively positionable opposite the lower seam idler roller to glue a second seam that is laterally separated from the first seam;
• the upper seam gluing conveyor being selectively positionable opposite the lower seam gluing conveyor, with the upper and lower seam idler placed in inoperative positions, to glue first and second seams that are laterally overlapping;
• and
• one or more remotely operable gates for selectively blocking the entrance of a pair of the box blanks into the seam conveyor and facilitating alignment of the box blanks prior to entry into the seam conveyor.