Kliklok Corporation

Thomas R Baker

Peter C Collura

William H Hittenberger

Boris J Posen

An apparatus and method for forming a hinged or clamshell type carton from a paperboard blank includes a feed conveyor for transferring the blank to a forming die. A hinge erecting conveyor is provided in the feed conveyor guide path to erect the hinge. A pair of pusher fingers form a shuttle conveyor in the guide path cooperating to transfer the partially erected blank to the die. Side channel guides arranged along the conveyor guide path maintain the partially erected paperboard blank in alignment with the erecting conveyor. Side channel guide extensions converge to maintain contacting engagement with the blank as selected carton panels converge during hinge formation and to support the blank in contacting registration on the face of the die and in the forming head path. A hinge gathering guide with hold down rails positioned above the erecting conveyor accurately locates and positions the carton blank and hinge. A folding assist blade and opposing registration post support the hinge over the die via engagement with the hinge tabs and serve to fold the tabs into the carton interior during the first part of the forming stroke. Erecting projections provided on the channel guide extensions fold the carton corner tabs into the carton interior. A reciprocating forming head descends into engagement with the blank and through the die to completely erect the carton.

Apparatus and method for high speed forming a hinged carton

Method and apparatus for forming a stackable tray from a paperboard blank having a base panel, two pairs of wall panels attached to the base panel, adhesive coated gussets formed at the corners of the wall panels, and flanges formed along the outer edge of each wall panel. The tray forming apparatus includes a vertically reciprocating plunger having vacuum ports formed in its side walls, two pairs of flange folding fingers mounted on the plunger, a forming head including a cavity disposed beneath the plunger, and a stacking cage having flange retaining rails disposed beneath the cavity for receiving the trays after forming. The trays are formed as follows: A tray blank is first positioned over the forming cavity. The downwardly reciprocating plunger contacts the blank and urges it into the cavity causing the tray sidewalls to be erected and the adhesive coated gusset corners to be folded against adjacent side walls. The erected tray walls are retained on the plunger by the vacuum ports. The flange folding fingers are actuated by linear cams, with first one pair of flanges being folded and then the other with the flanges being folded outwardly and downwardly with respect to the tray walls into an overbroken position until the flanges lie at an acute angle to the tray walls. At the bottom limit of the travel of the plunger, the formed tray is ejected into the stacking cage which is dimensioned to retain the flanges of the trays in the overbroken position and the tray is nested in the stack of previously formed trays so as to hold the gusset corners securely against the tray walls for a time sufficient to allow the adhesive to set. The folded flanges lend stiffness to the upper edges of the tray walls and allows the trays to be nested in the stacking cage. The flanged tray can be later sealed with a lid.

Method and apparatus for forming a flanged tray

Apparatus for adhesively bonding a clam-shell type carton formed from a paperboard blank includes a carton forming die for receiving the paperboard blank, a movable frame for transferring the carton blank from a stack into registration over the die and a reciprocating plunger mounted above the die for forcing the carton blank into the die to fold and erect the carton. The movable frame includes a number of vacuum assisted suction cups for lifting the carton blank from the stack and a plurality of spring-loaded adhesive applicators, connected to a pressurized source of adhesive, for applying a spot of adhesive to selected portions of the carton blank when the blank, carried by the movable frame, is pressed into registration over the forming die. A stacking cage is disposed beneath the carton forming die to receive and retain the erected and folded cartons in a vertically stacked, nested arrangement, with adjacent cartons bearing against one another so that the adhesive coated portions of each nested carton are retained in contact with adjacent panels of the carton for a time sufficient to allow an adhesive bond to form therebetween.

Apparatus for adhesively bonding a carton

A method of forming a heat-sealable carton having a pair of mating surfaces to be sealed includes the steps of coating at least one of the carton surfaces with a heat-activated thermosetting adhesive, spraying a fine mist of a water-based adhesive which exhibits high contact tackiness when dry, to form a discontinuous film on the coated surface, heating the water-based adhesive coated surface to a temperature sufficient to dry the water-based adhesive and activate the thermosetting adhesive, placing the mating carton surfaces in contact with each other and applying pressure for a time sufficient to seal the contacting surfaces together. A carton formed by the method is provided with flaps sealed by the combination of thermosetting heat-activated adhesive and high tack water-based adhesive. This allows the mating surfaces to be rapidly sealed by automatic carton closing apparatus and results in a sealed carton which exhibits good seal integrity at high temperatures. A carton formed in this manner is useful, for example, as a food container which can be placed directly in an oven to heat the contents thereof, with the carton seal being unaffected by the oven heat.

Method of forming a heat resistant carton

An article transfer apparatus and method is provided wherein a plurality of article pickup heads mounted on a movable support means is operative to pick up a plurality of spaced articles at a transfer station and move the articles to an output area while the array of articles is being compacted or spread, as desired. The adjustment of the space between the articles is accomplished by making the pickup heads in the form of collapsible suction cups with anti-collapse stiffening means on one side of the cups to tilt the articles either inwardly or outwardly with respect to the original article pattern. The stiffening means in the suction cup includes wedge members mounted in annular folds of the cup and interconnecting beads between the wedge members. The bottom fold is normally not provided with a wedge member and the lip serves to seal the cup on the article. A bifurcated wedge member is provided on the top of the cup and serves to cooperate with index means on the movable support. A second support means with pickup heads to handle a second array may be provided with mechanical mechanism to shift the two supports toward or away from each other.

Growing community of inventors

Los Altos, CA, United States of America

Thomas R Baker