Apparatus and method for lining, folding and gluing container blanks

An apparatus for folding and gluing container body blanks, comprising:

• frame means having a blank loading end and a blank discharge end;
• blank conveyor means mounted on said frame means for intermittently advancing a body blank along a straight-line horizontal work path relative to said frame means from said blank loading end to said blank discharge end, said blank conveyor means including at least two laterally spaced gripper means each having a gripper jaw mechanism adapted to receive and grip the leading edge of a body blank at said blank loading end for conveying said body blank along said work path;
• liner conveyor means mounted on said frame means for advancing a liner transversely of said blank conveyor means into a stopped position above said blank conveyor means;
• liner support means for supporting said liner above said work path, and for confining laterally opposite edge portions of said liner during advancement of said liner to said stopped position by said liner conveyor means, said support means comprising a pair of support rails positioned on respective opposite sides of said liner conveyor means for respective engagement with the opposite edge portions of said liner;
• means positioned in operative association with one of said blank conveyor means and said liner conveyor means for applying adhesive to one of said body blank and said liner to form a laminated body blank including said body blank and said liner superposed thereon;
• means positioned in operative association with said liner conveyor means for lowering said liner from said stopped position above said blank conveying means onto a said body blank when said body blank is moved to a position beneath said liner and said blank conveyor means is stopped to form said laminated body blank, and means operatively associated with said support means for releasing said opposite edge portions of said liner from said liner support means prior to lowering of said liner by said lowering means;
• means along said work path for applying adhesive to a flap portion of said laminated body blank during advancement thereof by said blank conveyor means;
• means downstream of said liner lowering means and upstream of said discharge end for folding said laminated body blank about parallel score lines thereof to bring said flap portion into juxaposition with another portion of said laminated body blank to form an adhesive joint for the folded and laminated body blank, said folding means being operated when advancement of said laminated body blank by said blank conveyor means is stopped;
• and
• means along said work path for applying pressure to said folded and laminated body blank prior to advancement thereof by said blank conveyor means to said blank discharge end of said frame means.

A method of folding and gluing a container body blank, comprising the steps:

• providing frame means having blank conveyor means mounted thereon for intermittently advancing a body blank along a straight-line horizontal work path from a blank loading end to a blank discharge end of said frame means;
• providing liner conveyor means on said frame means for advancing a liner transversely of and to a stopped position above said work path;
• providing support means for supporting and confining opposite edge portions of said liner during advancement thereof by said liner conveyor means;
• advancing a liner with said liner conveyor means to said stopped position, while supporting and confining opposite edge portions of said liner with said support means;
• advancing a body blank from said blank loading end to a position beneath said liner conveyor means and stopping advancement of said body blank;
• applying adhesive to the upper surface of said body blank during said body blank advancing step for forming a laminated body blank including said body blank and said liner superposed thereon;
• lowering said liner from said stopped position into superposition onto said body blank to further form said laminated body blank, including releasing the edge portions from said support means prior to lowering of said liner;
• applying adhesive to a flap portion of said laminated body blank;
• advancing said laminated body blank to a folding station;
• folding said laminated body blank at said folding station about a pair of parallel score lines of said body blank to bring said flap portion into juxtaposition with a side panel portion of said body blank to form an adhesive joint with the adhesive applied to said flap portion to thereby form a folded and laminated body blank;
• applying pressure to said folded and laminated body blank upstream of said blank discharge end;
• and
• advancing said folded and laminated body blank from said discharge end of said frame means.