A carton flap folding assembly (10) and a method of folding carton flaps is disclosed. The carton flap folding assembly includes a modular housing (12) positioned on the framework (22) of a packaging machine, and along the path of travel of articles of product moved along the packaging machine. The carton flap folding assembly includes a drive gear (26) which moves a drive pulley (28) and a star wheel assembly (29) in a timed relationship with respect to one another and with the groups of articles of product conveyed along a path of travel past the assembly. A spaced series of generally protruding lugs (33) are formed along the length of an endless lug belt (32), and a top star wheel disc (84) and a spaced bottom star wheel disc (85), each having a spaced series of generally protruding teeth (86) formed thereon are also provided as a part of the carton blank flap folding assembly. The teeth of the star wheel discs are moved into the prescored flap areas of a carton blank to break the flaps open, whereupon lugs from the lug belt are moved into the carton blank through the prescored flap areas, moving the flaps thereof into tangential engagement with the exterior surface of the bottles within the group of bottles, the side wall of the carton blank being simultaneously moved toward the bottles by a top guide (90) and a bottom guide (91).
A device is used in a machine for packaging articles in a wraparound carrier. The carrier is formed from a blank having a pair of foldable flaps struck therefrom. The packaging machine is arranged to advance the blank and articles associated therewith along a predetermined path. The device is positioned along the path to fold the flaps inwardly of the blank. The device includes a rotational disc defining an axis of rotation, a fixed cam plate disposed adjacent to the rotational disc and having an endless cam track disposed around the axis, drive means for rotating the rotational disc about the axis in synchronization with movement of the blank and the articles, a pair of blank-engaging fingers carried by the rotational disc for pivotal movement about respective pins so as to engage the flaps, and an actuating mechanism carried by the rotational disc to pivotally move the fingers away from each other and toward each other. The actuating mechanism includes a cam follower riding in the cam track so as to move radially inwardly and outwardly of the disc in response to rotation of the disc, and a converting mechanism for converting radial movement of the cam follower into pivotal movement of the fingers so that the fingers are simultaneously pivoted about the pins in response to radial movement of the cam follower.
A machine for intended use in feeding and completing partially formed cartons is disclosed. In one embodiment, the machine includes an overhead conveyor with selectively actuated, depending lugs that engage and convey the carton in a first direction while a first flap on a lid is folded and sealed. A takeaway conveyor includes selectively actuated, upstanding lugs that convey the carton in a second direction generally perpendicular to the first direction while second and third flaps are folded and sealed. The lugs on each conveyor may be closely spaced or overlapping to allow for selective actuation at a desired instant in time without the need for timing the corresponding chain or the carton feed. A diverter located at a transition between the forward and return runs of the overhead and takeaway conveyors actuates the lugs in a controlled fashion. Related methods of feeding and forming cartons are also disclosed.
