Packing carton and related machine and method

A machine for assembling a packing carton comprising two halves, each half comprising a bottom surface, an inner longitudinal side, an outer longitudinal side, and two transverse sides, the two bottom surfaces connected by a common longitudinal side which is bent in the middle when the packing carton is in an open state to form the inner longitudinal side of each half, each longitudinal side comprising two flaps which are extensions of the longitudinal side and configured to be fixed to adjacent transverse sides, and each transverse side comprising a stiffening flap which is an extension of the transverse side and comprises an inner side and an outer side, the machine comprising:

• a feeding device configured to convey the packing carton through the machine;
• at least one first folding device configured to fold the stiffening flaps positioned in the front of the packing carton with respect to a direction of movement of the packing carton towards the interior of the packing carton during conveyance of the packing carton so that the inner sides face the bottom surface of the corresponding half, wherein the first folding device comprises two wedges which are tapered in the front, so that the folding of the stiffening flaps is carried out gradually, and wherein the wedges are configured to keep the stiffening flaps positioned in front with respect to the direction of movement pressed down at the positions where the wedges lie on the stiffening flaps while the packing carton is conveyed further;
• at least one rotatably mounted, driven plate or bow, which is configured to pivot to fold the stiffening flaps positioned in the rear of the packing carton with respect to the direction of movement of the packing carton towards the interior of the packing carton, and is further configured to rotate underneath the tapered portion of the wedges, so that the stiffening flaps positioned in the rear with respect to the direction of movement are first bent and stabilized by the plate or bow, and are then kept down by the wedges;
• at least one folding aid configured to fold the halves of the packing carton into a position in which the bottom surfaces of the halves of the packing carton enclose an angle between 450 and 135°;
• at least one second folding device configured to press at least a portion of the packing carton against a flat side of the wedges so that the stiffening flaps are positioned substantially parallel to the bottom surfaces of the packing carton;
• and
• at least one movable nozzle configured to apply a closing agent to the outer sides of at least two stiffening flaps positioned on different transverse sides.