An apparatus for forming a shipping and display box of the type having diverter tabs that extend outwardly from the box walls is provided that has a guide plate for supporting a blank used for forming the shipping and display box, a catcher plate used for holding the blank on the forming apparatus, a diverter tab lever for extending the diverter tabs outwardly from the box walls, and an actuator for urging the diverter tab lever against the diverter tabs, the actuator allows the catcher plate to be released after the diverter tabs have been extended from the box walls so that the blank can be removed from the forming apparatus. A method of forming the blank into the shipping and display box is also described.

An apparatus is used to form a container from a blank which has innermost fold lines that confine a closed bottom of the container, and outer fold lines that extend outwardly from four corners of the bottom. The apparatus includes a blank forming device which defines a forming passage of polygonal cross-section and having four corners. A blank feeding device is adapted to feed the blank towards the blank forming device in a first direction substantially parallel to the cross-section of the forming passage. A punching mechanism has a punch head of polygonal cross-section and capable of passing through the forming passage in a second direction transverse to the first direction. The punch head has a forward end formed with a polygonal push pad for pushing the blank through the forming passage. The blank forming device has a pair of first folding parts and a pair of second folding parts which confine the forming passage and which are adapted to fold the blank about the innermost fold lines when the punch head pushes the blank through the forming passage in the second direction. The first and second folding parts are spaced apart from each other adjacent to the corners of the forming passage.

A token, such as a coin for making change in a cigarette package dispensing machine, is inserted into a "hard pack" or box of the type having a hinged lid by placing the token on the front face of the box, pressing down on the front face to form a slit-like opening under the edge of the lid, and then shoving the token under the lid through the opening. One or more recesses can be formed in a box insert under the lid to accept the token or tokens. An apparatus for accomplishing this is disclosed.

Disclosed is a new machine for forming containers of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,497,939 without the use of glue or nails. The machine utilizes a mandrel movably mounted on a path for oscillation between retracted and extended positions. As the mandrel cycles forward, it first receives two synthetic sidewalls and then a deformable body panel of the container to be formed. Then a set of moveable upper and lower rockers containing unique pressure mechanisms press tabs on the horizontally oriented portion of the wrap into corresponding locking slots on the ends of the sidewalls. When the mandrel is fully extended, pressure is applied to the tabs on the vertically oriented middle section of the wrap using a pair of hinge-mounted pressure plates fitted with unique biased brackets. The resulting container is removed from the machine, which is then ready to begin another cycle.

An apparatus (10) is provided for erecting boxes from blanks (11) having sides panels (13) with three score lines (20, 22 and 24). The apparatus has a base plate (40), two side folding mechanisms (44) and two end folding mechanisms (45). The side folding mechanisms have a proximal plate (51) pivotally mounted to the base plate, an intermediary plate (53) pivotally mounted to the proximal plate, and a distal plate (55) pivotally mounted to the intermediary plate. Linkage (68) coupled to a handle (76) actuates the movement of the proximal, intermediary and distal plates.