Folding method and apparatus for making a carton
AssigneeMSK-Verpackungs-System Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung
InventorFrank MICHELS
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for making a box from a foldable blank having a central polygonal floor panel and a plurality of outwardly projecting side panels has a frame, a supply on the frame holding the blank, a folder on the frame above the supply, and a feeder having a grab engageable with the blank in the supply and movable to a position above the folder. The feeder picks up the blank with the grab, moves the picked-up blank and grab up to above the folder, and deposits the picked-up blank in the folder that folds the deposited blank into a box.
Claims16
An apparatus for making a box from a foldable blank having a central polygonal floor panel and a plurality of outwardly projecting side panels, the apparatus comprising:
- a frame;
- a supply on the frame holding the blank;
- a folder on the frame above the supply;
- a feeder having a grab engageable with the blank in the supply and movable to a position above the folder;
- and
- control means connected to the feeder and to the folder for picking up the blank in the supply with the grab, moving the picked-up blank and grab up to above the folder, depositing the picked-up blank in the folder, and folding it with the folder into a box.
A method of making boxes from flat blanks having a central polygonal floor panel from which extend a plurality of side panels, the method comprising the steps of sequentially:
- a) holding a stack of the blanks in a supply station below a folding station;
- b) engaging a grab downward with the blank uppermost in the stack and picking it up off the stack;
- c) shifting the grab and the picked-up blank horizontally in one direction to a position offset from the stack and out from underneath the folding station;
- d) shifting the grab and the picked-up blank vertically to a position above the folding station;
- e) shifting the grab and the picked-up blank horizontally opposite to the one direction until the blank is above the folding station;
- f) releasing the picked-up blank from the grab and thereby depositing the blank in the folding station;
- g) folding the side panels relative to the floor panel of the deposited blank in the folding station and generally simultaneously shifting the grab vertically and horizontally back to a position above the stack;
- and
- h) repeating steps a) through g) with the blank uppermost in the stack.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.