Methods and apparatus for forming a container
AssigneeSmurfit-Stone Container Enterprises, Inc.
InventorsThomas D. Graham, William Courteau, Amer Aganovic
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for forming a container includes a frame, and a forming station coupled to the frame. The forming apparatus includes a plurality of folding plows configured to fold portions of a blank to form a container. The apparatus also includes a transfer assembly including a plurality of containment bars for supporting the container in a formed state. The containment bars facilitate retaining the formed state of the container while the transfer assembly transfers the container to an operator.
Claims22
A container packing system for packing a container formed from a blank, wherein the blank includes a bottom panel defining a footprint of the container, a plurality of end panels having minor flaps extending therefrom, and a plurality of side panels, wherein the end panels and the side panels form walls of the container, said container packing system comprising:
- a frame comprising a plurality of frame members;
- a blank hopper coupled to said frame and configured to house at least one blank, wherein said blank is horizontally disposed within the blank hopper;
- a forming station substantially vertically aligned with said blank hopper and having a top end proximate said blank hopper and a bottom end opposite the top end, said forming station configured to receive a single blank from said blank hopper, said forming station comprising minor flap folding plows configured to fold the minor flaps, end panel folding plows configured to fold the end panels, and side panel folding plows attached to at least one of the plurality of frame members and configured to fold the side panels, said forming station configured to form the blank into a partially formed container without adhering any panel to any other panel or any flap, the partially formed container including at least a front wall, a rear wall, a first end wall, a second end wall, and at least one top panel in an at least partially open position, each wall extending substantially perpendicular to the bottom panel, at least one side panel folding plow attached to an actuation mechanism, and a first portion of the at least one side panel folding plow rotatable by the actuation mechanism from a first substantially vertical position to a second substantially horizontal position for enabling transfer of the partially formed container from said forming station after forming, and a second portion of the at least one side panel folding plow fixed in a stationary position with respect to the frame member that permits the first portion of the side panel folding plow to rotate around the fixed position;
- a blank pick mechanism configured to transfer the single blank vertically downward from said blank hopper through said forming station, wherein the minor flap folding plows are positioned to engage and fold the minor flaps, the end panel folding plows are positioned to engage and fold the end panels, and the side panel folding plows are positioned to engage and fold the side panels when said blank pick mechanism transfers the single blank;
- a transfer assembly comprising a container support assembly including a first containment bar and a second containment bar for supporting the partially formed container in a partially formed state at the bottom end of said forming station, said transfer assembly configured to extend the first containment bar into engagement with the partially formed container for transferring the partially formed container from said forming station after the at least one side panel folding plow rotates downward to the second substantially horizontal position;
- and
- an operator loading station for packing items into the partially formed container, said transfer assembly movable between the bottom end of said forming station and said operator loading station to transfer the partially formed container to an operator without any panel adhered to any other panel or flap.
A container packing system for packing a container formed from a blank, wherein the blank includes a bottom panel defining a footprint of the container, a plurality of end panels having minor flaps extending therefrom, and a plurality of side panels, wherein the end panels and the side panels form walls of the container, the container including at least a front wall, a rear wall, a first end wall, and a second end wall, each wall extending substantially perpendicular to the bottom panel, said container packing system comprising:
- a frame comprising a plurality of frame members;
- a blank hopper coupled to said frame and configured to house at least one blank;
- a forming station substantially vertically aligned with said blank hopper and having a top end proximate said blank hopper and a bottom end opposite the top end, said forming station configured to receive a single blank from said blank hopper and form the single blank into the container, said forming station comprising:
- minor flap folding plows configured to fold the minor flaps;
- end panel folding plows attached to at least one of the plurality of frame members and configured to fold the end panels;
- and
- side panel folding plows configured to fold the side panels to form the container, at least one side panel folding plow attached to an actuation mechanism, and a first portion of the at least one side panel folding plow rotatable by the actuation mechanism from a first substantially vertical position to a second substantially horizontal position for enabling transfer of the partially formed container from said forming station after forming, and a second portion of the at least one side panel folding plow fixed in a stationary position with respect to the frame member that permits the first portion of the side panel folding plow to rotate around the fixed position;
- a transfer assembly comprising a container support assembly including a first containment bar and a second containment bar for supporting the container in an at least partially formed state, said transfer assembly configured to extend the first containment bar into engagement with the container for transferring the container from said forming station after the at least one side panel folding plow rotates downward to the second substantially horizontal position;
- a blank pick mechanism configured to transfer the single blank vertically downward from said blank hopper through said forming station to said transfer assembly, wherein the minor flap folding plows are positioned to engage and fold the minor flaps, the end panel folding plows are positioned to engage and fold the end panels, and the side panel folding plows are positioned to engage and fold the side panels when said blank pick mechanism transfers the single blank through said forming station;
- and
- an operator loading station for packing items into the container, said transfer assembly movable between the bottom end of said forming station and said operator loading station to transfer the container to an operator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.