Packaging machine

A packaging machine for setting up, loading, and closing the end flaps of collapsed sleeve type bottle containers having top walls which are more narrow than their bottom walls and having inwardly tapered sloping upper side wall panels, said machine comprising a hopper in which collapsed containers are disposed, means for withdrawing said containers in sequence from said hopper, means for initiating setting up of the containers, container advancing means including endless elements and spaced flight bars thereon for engaging the lower part of the trailing side wall of each of the containers in sequence and for moving the containers while disposed transversely along a preselected path in a rearwardly tilted condition and alongside loading and end flap closing stations, means for loading articles through at least one end of the containers, means for closing the container end flaps, and wherein the improvement comprises an upper endless element having a working reach movable above and along said preselected path, and a plurality of shaper blocks fixedly mounted in spaced relation on said upper endless element and respectively interposed between adjacent containers, each of said shaper blocks having a leading part which extends toward said upper endless element a greater distance than the trailing part thereof and each shaper block being engageable with at least a part of the sloping upper side wall panel of a preceding container in coordination with movement onto the working reach of said upper endless element to advance the rearwardly tilted upper part thereof relative to the lower part thereof and each shaper block also being engageable with at least a part of a succeeding container and being configured so as to cause the container side walls to define in cross section parts of a trapezoidal configuration.