Apparatus for forming container structures

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for fabricating a container structure such as a flower pot cover. The invention comprises a frame supporting a reciprocating mandrel and a feed bed, said feed bed having an aperture positioned such that said reciprocating mandrel reciprocates into and out of said aperture; a roller for feeding a substrate across said feed bed and aperture; a die fixed to said frame in proximity to said aperture, said die cutting a form from said substrate, said form having a central section and a plurality of surrounding sections created by a plurality of radial slits cut by said die, said radial slits extending outward from said central section, each of said surrounding sections folding to form a sidewall of said container structure when said reciprocating mandrel pushes said cut form through said aperture; and ultrasonic weld heads for sealing said sidewalls so as to form a container a flower pot cover.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.