System and method for making custom boxes for objects of random size or shape

Custom carton-making apparatus, comprising:

• a conveyor for moving at least one object to be packaged;
• a plurality of light curtains through which the object passes for determining the dimensions of the object, including a vertically oriented light curtain to determine the height of the object and a horizontally oriented light curtain to determine the width of the object;
• a carton-making system;
• and
• a computerized interface between the light curtains and the carton-making system, the computer interface being operative to control the carton-making system to produce a carton with a height and width just large enough to accommodate the height and width the object or group of objects to be packaged;
• and
• wherein the computerized interface includes an algorithm for virtually rotating the object or group of objects to produce a carton just large enough to fit the object or group of objects.

Custom carton-making apparatus, comprising:

• a conveyor for moving an object or a group of objects to be packaged;
• a vertically oriented light curtain through which the object or group passes to determine the height of the object or group;
• and
• a horizontally oriented light curtain through which the object or group passes to determine the width of the object,
• a tachometer synchronized to the conveyor enabling one of the light curtains to determine the length of the object or group,
• a carton-making system;
• and
• a computerized interface between the light curtains and the carton-making system, the computer interface being operative to control the carton-making system to produce a carton with a height, width and length just large enough to accommodate the height, width and length of the object or group of objects to be packaged;
• and
• wherein the computerized interface includes an algorithm for virtually rotating the object or group of objects to produce a carton just large enough to fit the object or group of objects.