Apparatus for constructing multi-piece cartons

An apparatus for constructing multi-piece cartons, comprising a hopper to supply a first blank tray member, means to convey tray members from said tray hopper, means to deposit glue trails at predetermined locations on said tray member, a reciprocating placer to place and affix at least one second blank web member on said first blank, said placer comprising a frame, a web member magazine attached to said frame, a reciprocating arm assembly attached to said frame and disposed above said second end of said tray conveyor, and at least two vacuum actuated pick and release contacts coupled to said arm assembly, whereby said pick and release contacts grasp said web members from said web magazine and move said web members into position on a tray disposed on said means to convey tray members, place said web members on said tray, in contact with said glue trails, compress said web members for a predetermined glue curing time period to yield a substantially flat preform, and release said web members, said apparatus further comprising a forming station having at least two vertically aligned mandrels, and means to convey said blanks from said means to place and affix to said forming station.

An apparatus for constructing multi-piece cartons, comprising a hopper to supply a first blank tray member, a tray conveyor for conveying tray members from said tray hopper and having a rectilinear, forward travel path extending from a first end proximate said tray hopper to a second end, means to place and affix at least one second blank web member on said first blank to form substantially flat preforms comprising a tray member and at least one affixed web member, a forming station having at least two vertically aligned mandrels, and a preform conveyor with a rectilinear forward travel path disposed at a ninety degree angle with respect to said forward travel path of said tray conveyor for conveying said blanks from said means to place and affix to said forming station.

An apparatus for constructing multi-piece cartons, comprising a hopper to supply a first blank tray member, means to place and affix at least one second blank web member on said first blank to form substantially flat preforms comprising a tray member and at least one affixed web member, a forming station having at least two vertically aligned mandrels, and a preform conveyor for conveying said blanks from said means to place and affix to said forming station, said forming station being disposed along and intersecting said preform conveyor, and comprising first, second and third vertically aligned mandrels, means to support and drive said mandrels, a pair of parallel, spaced fall-away preform support bars disposed in-line with said preform conveyor, and a plurality of locking fingers disposed adjacent and laterally with respect to said second mandrel to lock said preform and yield a completed carton.

An apparatus for constructing multi-piece cartons, comprising a hopper to supply a first blank tray member, means to place and affix at least one second blank web member on said first blank to form substantially flat preforms comprising a tray member and at least one affixed web member, a forming station having at least two vertically aligned mandrels, a preform conveyor with a rectilinear forward travel path for conveying said blanks from said means to place and affix to said forming station, and a carton conveyor disposed below and in-line with respect to said preform conveyor, said carton conveyor comprising a revolving endless member having a forward travel path extending from a first end intersecting said forming station to a second end disposed beyond said forming station, and at least one flight which engages said carton, whereby said apparatus is operable in a cartoning mode and in a preform mode, in said cartoning mode said forming station is active, forms said cartons by removing said preforms from said preform conveyor and outputs said cartons onto said carton conveyor, and in said preform mode said forming station is inactive and said preforms travel to said second end on said preform conveyor for output.