Box-closing apparatus

An apparatus for pressing an outer flap of a box blank against a glue flap of the blank, the apparatus comprising:

• a housing adapted to support the box blank in a closing station;
• a link having one end pivoted about a fixed link axis on the housing adjacent the station and another end defining a movable link axis;
• a two-arm main lever pivoted generally centrally at the movable link axis on the link and having a pusher arm extending from the movable link axis and carrying a pusher block engageable with the outer flap of the box blank in the station and an actuating arm extending from the movable link axis and having an outer end;
• a drive lever pivoted at a fixed drive axis on the housing and having an outer end pivoted at an outer drive axis on the outer end of the actuating arm of the main lever, the axes all being generally parallel;
• and
• drive means for oscillating the drive lever about the fixed drive axis and thereby moving the pusher block generally through a 0°–90° sinusoidal trajectory between an upper point above and spaced horizontally from the blank in the station and a lower point pressing the outer flap against the glue flap of the blank in the station.