Apparatus for adhesively bonding a carton

Improved apparatus for adhesively bonding a carton formed from a paperboard blank or the like, the carton including at least a base panel, wall panels attached to the base panel, and corner panels formed at the corners of the wall panels, the apparatus including a carton-forming die for receiving the paperboard blank and a reciprocating plunger mounted above the die for forcing the carton blank into the die to fold and erect the carton, the improvement comprising:

• means for sequentially feeding a carton blank from a stack into registration over said carton forming die said feeding means including:
• vacuum assisted carton blank transfer means;
• and
• at least one adhesive applicator means, mounted on said transfer means and connected to a pressurized source of adhesive, for applying adhesive to a selected portion of said carton blank while held on said feeding means and when said carton blank is placed in registration and pressed into contact with said die;
• means disposed beneath said carton forming die, for receiving and retaining said errected and folded carton in a vertically stacked arrangement, a plurality of said cartons being nested within one another, whereby said adhesive coated portions of said carton are retained in contact with adjacent wall panels for a time sufficient to allow an adhesive bond to form therebetween.

Improved apparatus for adhesively bonding a carton formed from a paperboard blank or the like, the carton including at least a base panel, wall panels attached to the base panel, and corners panel formed on the corners of the wall panels, the apparatus including a carton forming die for receiving the paperboard blank and reciprocating plunger mounted above the die for forcing the carton blank into the die to fold and erect the carton, the improvement comprising:

• a movable frame;
• at least one vacuum assisted suction cup mounted to said frame for lifting a carton blank from a stack;
• means for moving said frame to transfer said carton blank held by said suction cup from said stack into registration over said forming die and for pressing said carton blank into contact with said die;
• at least one spring-loaded adhesive applicator, connected to a pressurized source of liquid adhesive, for applying said adhesive to a selected portion of said carton blank while held substantially without relative lateral movement and when pressed into contacting registration with said die;
• and
• a stacking cage disposed beneath said carton forming die for receiving and retaining said erected and folded carton in a vertically stacked arrangement, a plurality of said cartons being nested within one another, whereby said adhesive coated portions of said carton are retained in contact with adjacent wall panels for a time sufficient to allow an adhesive bond to form therebetween.