Case presenter apparatus and method

Apparatus for presenting a plurality of flat corrugated cases individually and successively to the operator station of a case packer with the leading major and minor flaps overfolded rearwardly ready for gripping and erection into a tube by the operator, sald apparatus comprising:

• a frame having a bottom feed magazine, an upper flap folding zone and a lower flap folding zone arranged in serial order, said bottom feed magazine having means for advancing each successive bottom-most flat case, of a stack of flat cases in the magazine, individually and successively along a substantially horizontal path through said upper flap folding zone and said lower flap folding zone to said operator station;
• upper folding means, in said upper flap folding zone for overfolding the leading upper major and minor flaps of each case into over folded condition;
• lower folding means in said lower flap folding zone for underfolding the leading lower major and minor flaps of each case into over folded condition;
• hold down means along said path for holding said flaps in over folded condition;
• and
• sensing means at the end of said path proximate said operator station for halting each successive case arriving at said station, until removed therefrom and then actuating said magazine means to advance the next successive case along said path.

The method of presenting a plurality of flat, tubular, corrugated cases to the operator station of a case packer with the leading flaps overfolded ready for erection and insertion into a case gripper, by means of a bottom feed magazine, upper folding means, and lower folding means which comprises the steps of:

• feeding a plurality of flat, tubular corrugated cases, individually and successively from said magazine along a path up to said operator station;
• overfolding the leading upper major and minor closure flaps of each case advancing along said path, downstream of said 12 magazine, without overfolding the leading lower major and minor closure flaps thereof;
• then under folding the leading lower major and minor closure flaps of each said case further downstream of said path;
• holding down all of said overfolded flaps along said path;
• and halting the feed of said flats while a flat is present ready for removal by an operator, but actuating said feed to deliver the next successive flat in said magazine, each time such removal occurs.