Production of composite containers

Apparatus for making a composite container from a planar blank of sheet material which includes an end panel and side panels each of which is foldable relative to the end panel from the planar condition to that position which it will occupy in forming the container, the apparatus comprising a core tool and a cavity tool which are movable relative to one another along a tool path between an open condition in which a blank in planar form can be positioned in a first location between the tools with the end panel intersecting said path and a closed condition in which the core tool is received by the cavity tool and in which the tools define a blank cavity in which they will clamp a blank between them with the panels folded to their relative final positions for forming the container and a mould cavity defining the shape of at least seam means for uniting edges of the blank juxtaposed by the folding of the panels,

• injection means to inject mouldable material into the mould cavity,
• blank guide means for positioning a blank in said first position and,
• blank positioning means relative to which the tools are movable during relative movement toward the closed condition and which define a blank edge guide engageable by a blank edge during the folding and insertion of the blank into the cavity tool, to set that edge at a predetermined position relative to the mould cavity and positioned outside the path of the finished container during ejection of the finished container from the apparatus.