Carton blank folding, glueing and stapling apparatus

In an installation for the continuous production of folded, preassembled packing cartons from flexible sheets comprising, end to end along a flow path, means for forming carton blanks from the sheets, a glueing unit, a folding unit, a positioning station and a stapler;

• and means for moving the blanks from the blank forming means to the stapler along the flow path;
• the glueing unit and the stapler being means operable separately or simultaneously for preassembling the blanks in cooperation with the folding unit;
• the positioning station located therein being equipped with a first transfer device comprising means for driving the blanks without slippage at a specified speed before introduction of the blanks into the stapler, the improvement comprising:
• a second transfer device, located in said positioning station, comprising means for driving the blanks before introduction of the blanks into the stapler at a speed that is higher than said specified speed and that is equal to the speed of passage of the blanks through the glueing unit;
• means, coupled to said positioning station and said second transfer device, for selectively rendering said second transfer device operative or inoperative, and
• means, coupled to said positioning station and said first transfer device, for selectively rendering said first transfer device operative or inoperative.