Carton bottom folder

A method for forming a sealed bottom of a carton on a packaging machine, the sealed carton bottom being formed from a plurality of carton bottom panels, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a bottom forming apparatus for a packaging machine, the bottom forming apparatus configured to form and seal a bottom of a carton of a series of cartons being processed on the packaging machine, each carton including a plurality of carton bottom panels configured for infolding and sealing to form a sealed carton bottom;
• providing a mandrel turret having a plurality of mandrels projecting outwardly therefrom, the mandrel turret rotating about a fixed axis;
• placing an erected carton on one of the mandrels;
• providing a sealing station disposed at a fixed position relative to the rotation of the mandrel turret, the sealing station adapted to receive each of the mandrels having a carton thereon, the sealing station including a guide plate and first and second rotatable spindles, each spindle having a pre-folding member and a final folding member extending therefrom, each final folding member being an elongated rod, or final folding assembly, having a straight portion and an arcuate portion, the straight portion being adjacent the spindle and the arcuate portion extending from the straight portion, each of the pre-folding members and final folding members defining a rotational path, the rotational paths being parallel to and spaced from one another;
• pre-folding the plurality of bottom panels at a sealing station to form a plurality of pre-folded bottom panels;
• contacting the bottom panels with a pair of final folding assemblies, to final fold the plurality of pre-folded bottom panels subsequent to the pre-folding step at the sealing station, to form a plurality of final folded carton bottom panels, the arcuate portion of the final folding assembly configured for first contacting the bottom panels;
• guiding the final folded carton bottom panels to a sealing plate at the sealing station;
• and
• sealing the folded bottom panels to form the sealed carton bottom.

A method for forming a sealed bottom of a carton on a packaging machine, the sealed carton bottom being formed from a plurality of carton bottom panels, the method comprising the steps of:

• placing an erected carton on a mandrel of a mandrel turret, the mandrel turret rotating about a fixed axis;
• heating the bottom panels at a heating station;
• pre-folding the plurality of bottom panels at a sealing station to form a plurality of pre-folded bottom panels, including rotating a pair of spindles each spindle moving a pre-folding member into engagement with the carton bottom panels;
• contacting the bottom panels with a pair of final folding assemblies, to final fold the plurality of pre-folded bottom panels subsequent to the pre-folding step at the sealing station, including rotating the pair of spindles, each spindle also moving a final folding member thereon, into engagement with the carton bottom panels, to form a plurality of final folded carton bottom panels, each final folding assembling having a straight portion and an arcuate portion extending from the straight portion, the arcuate portion configured for first contacting the bottom panels, the pre-folding members and final folding members each defining a rotational path, the rotational paths being parallel to and spaced from one another;
• guiding the final folded carton bottom panels to a sealing plate at the sealing station;
• and
• sealing the folded bottom panels to form the sealed carton bottom.

A packaging machine for forming, filling and sealing a series of cartons, each carton including a plurality of carton bottom panels configured for infolding and sealing to form a sealed carton bottom, the packaging machine comprising:

• a mandrel turret having a plurality of mandrels projecting outward therefrom, the mandrel turret rotating about a fixed axis and configured to receive and advance the series of carton from a station to a next subsequent station;
• and
• a bottom forming station for forming the sealed carton bottom on the series of carton, the bottom forming station including a sealing station disposed about the rotation of the mandrel turret, the sealing station configured to receive each of the mandrels having a carton thereon and infolding the carton bottom panels, the sealing station having a guide plate and first and second rotating spindles, each spindle having a pre-folding member and a final folding member extending therefrom, each final folding member having a straight portion adjacent the spindle and an arcuate portion extending from the straight portion, each pre-folding member and final folding member defining a rotational path, the rotational paths being parallel to and spaced from one another;
• a filling station disposed subsequent to the bottom forming station;
• and
• a top sealing station disposed subsequent to the filling station.