US 9,908,304 B2Granted

Machine and method for forming reinforced polygonal containers

AssigneeWestRock Shared Services, LLC

InventorsAmer Aganovic, Thomas Dean Graham, Kenneth Charles Smith, John Hershcel Conley, Robert Bradley Teany, Gregory Scott Gulik, Paul Andrew Spurlock, Maureen Ann Armstrong

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Abstract

A machine for forming a container from a blank of sheet material includes a forming station and a compression station. The forming station is configured to form a reinforcing corner assembly from first and second reinforcing panels extending from an end panel of the blank. The compression station is configured to rotate side panels and end panels of the blank to be substantially perpendicular to a bottom panel of the blank. The compression station includes a plurality of plows at least partially defining a plunger opening, and a plunger vertically movable through the plunger opening. The plurality of plows are configured to rotate the side panels and the end panels towards the interior surface of the bottom panel.

Claims27

Dependent claims

A machine for forming a container from a blank of sheet material, the blank including a bottom panel having opposing side edges and opposing end edges, a side panel extending from each side edge of the bottom panel, an end panel extending from each end edge of the bottom panel, and at least a pair of reinforcing panels extending from a side edge of one of the end panels for forming a reinforcing corner assembly of the container, said machine comprising:

a forming station configured to rotate a first reinforcing panel of the pair of reinforcing panels into face-to-face relationship with a second reinforcing panel of the pair of reinforcing panels to form the reinforcing corner assembly;
and
a compression station configured to rotate the side panels and the end panels of the blank to be substantially perpendicular to the bottom panel of the blank, the compression station comprising:
a plurality of plows at least partially defining a plunger opening, the plurality of plows including a pair of opposing end panel plows and a pair of opposing side panel plows;
and
a plunger vertically movable through the plunger opening, the plunger configured to contact an interior surface of the bottom panel and push the blank through the plunger opening;
and
wherein the side panel plows are configured to rotate the side panels towards the interior surface of the bottom panel and the end plows are configured to rotate the end panels towards the interior surface of the bottom panel, and
wherein the reinforcing corner assembly is positioned into face-to-face relationship with an exterior surface of one of the side panels, said exterior surface of one of the side panels comprising an exterior surface of a side wall in a set-up container.

6 more elements

A method of forming a container from a blank of sheet material using a machine, the blank including a bottom panel having opposing side edges and opposing end edges, a side panel extending from each side edge of the bottom panel, an end panel extending from each end edge of the bottom panel, and at least a pair of reinforcing panels extending from a side edge of one of the end panels, the machine including a forming station and a compression station including a plurality of plows and a plunger, the plurality of plows including a pair of opposing end panel plows and a pair of opposing side panel plows, the plurality of plows at least partially defining a plunger opening, said method comprising:

forming a reinforcing corner assembly by folding a first reinforcing panel of the pair of reinforcing panels into face-to-face relationship with a second reinforcing panel of the pair of reinforcing panels using the forming station;
positioning the blank in the compression station between the plunger opening and the plunger;
rotating the side panels of the blank towards an interior surface of the bottom panel by directing the blank through the plunger opening with the plunger and contacting the side panels with the side panel plows;
rotating the end panels of the blank towards the interior surface of the bottom panel by directing the blank through the plunger opening with the plunger and contacting the end panels with the end panel plows;
and
positioning the reinforcing corner assembly into face-to-face relationship with an exterior surface of one of the side panels, said exterior surface of one of the side panels comprising an exterior surface of a side wall in a set-up container.

3 more elements

a forming station comprising a male forming member having a shape corresponding to an interior shape of the reinforcing corner assembly and a female forming member having a shape corresponding to an exterior shape of the reinforcing corner assembly, the male forming member and the female forming member configured to form the reinforcing corner assembly by pressing a first reinforcing panel of the pair of reinforcing panels into face-to-face relationship with a second reinforcing panel of the pair of reinforcing panels;
a compression station configured to rotate the side panels and the end panels of the blank towards an interior surface of the bottom panel of the blank and couple the reinforcing corner assembly to an exterior surface of an adjacent side panel, said exterior surface of the adjacent side panel comprising an exterior surface of a side wall in a set-up container;
and
a transport system configured to transport the blank from the forming station to the compression station.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/274,335Filed 9 May 2014 · continuation in part
Priority: 7 May 2008
Published: US 2014/0141951 A14 Sep 2014
Granted: 6 Mar 2018
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification22 codes

B65D 5/443
Reinforcements: integral reinforcements, e.g. folds, flaps
B31B 50/26
Making rigid or semi-rigid containers, e.g. boxes or cartons: folding sheets, blanks or webs
B31B 50/28
Folding sheets, blanks or webs: around mandrels, e.g. for forming bottoms
B65D 5/0015
Stackable: the container being formed by folding up portions connected to a central panel

Family

Application61/051,302Us provisional application · filed 7 May 2008
Application12/256,051Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 22 Oct 2008
Application12/780,544Parent of this continuation · filed 14 May 2010
Application12/780,509Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 14 May 2010
Application61/822,094Us provisional application · filed 10 May 2013
Application14/062,711Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 24 Oct 2013
US 2014/0249008 A1Pre-grant publication · published 4 Sep 2014
US 9,764,526 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 8,579,778 B2Parent of this continuation
Application14/062,711Parent of this continuation
US 8,827,142 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 8,820,618 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 2009/0277952 A1Published application
US 2010/0219232 A1Published application
US 2011/0281705 A1Published application
US 2014/0141951 A1Published application
US 2015/0051058 A9Published application
US 9,908,304 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.