Method and machine for packaging articles

Claim 1

IN AN AUTOMATIC PACKAGING MACHINE, THE METHOD OF PACKAGING CANS CONSISTING OF THE STEPS OF DELIVERING TO SAID MACHINES THE SAID CANS TO BE PACKAGED, THEN CAUSING SAID CANS TO TRAVEL ALONG A PREDETERMINED PATH WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY DELIVERING PAPERBOARD BLANKS WITH ONE FACE COATED, COATED FACES DOWNWARD, FROM A HOPPER TO AN ENDLESS CONVEYOR BELT, THEN CAUSING SAID BLANKS TO TRAVEL THROUGH SEMI-CIRCULAR GUIDE SLOTS TO INVERT SAID BLANKS, THEN CAUSING SAID BLANKS TO LIE ONE AT A TIME, COATED FACE UPWARD, UPON A SELECTED GROUP OF CANS TO BE PACKAGED IN SAID BLANK, THEN CAUSING SAID BLANK TO BE FOLDED ABOUT SAID CANS, THEN SECURING THE FREE ENDS OF SAID BLANK TO COMPLETE SAID PACKAGE.

Claim 3

THE METHOD OF PACKAGING CANS AND THE LIKE WHICH CONSISTS OF APPLYING A PAPERBOARD BLANK TO ONE END PORTION OF A GROUP OF CANS TO BE CONTAINED THEREIN, SAID ONE END PORTION BEING FORMED BY THE ENDS OF THE CANS, APPLYING A MOTIVE FORCE TOGETHER DIRECTLY TO THE REAR EDGE OF THE BLANKS AND TO THE REAR PORTION OF THE REAR CANS IN THE GROUP, ADJACENT THE END PORTION OF THE GROUP TO WHICH THE BLANK IS APPLIED, SAID MOTIVE FORCE INSURING THE ALIGNMENT OF THE BLANK WITH THE GROUP, AND SIMULTANEOUSLY APPLYING A SEPARATE BUT SIMILAR MOTIVE FORCE DIRECTLY TO THE REAR PORTION OF THE REAR CANS IN THE GROUP ADJACENT TO THE END PORTION OF THE GROUP OPPOSITE THAT END THEREOF TO WHICH THE BLANK IS APPLIED, THE SPACED MOTIVE FORCES MAINTAINING THE UPRIGHT POSITION OF THE CANS AS THEY ARE MOVED, AND MAINTAINING SAID MOTIVE FORCES CONTINUOUSLY WHILE FOLDING AND SECURING THE BLANK ABOUT THE GROUP IN A MANNER SUCH AS TO CAUSE THE ARTICLES TO BE RELATIVELY IMMOVABLE WITHIN THE FOLDED AND SECURED PAPERBOARD BLANK.

Claim 4

THE METHOD OF PACKAGING CANS AND THE LIKE WHICH CONSISTS OF APPLYING A PAPERBOARD BLANK TO ONE END PORTION OF A GROUP OF CANS TO BE CONTAINED THEREIN, SAID ONE END PORTION BEING FORMED BY THE ENDS OF THE CANS, APPLYING A MOTIVE FORCE TOGETHER DIRECTLY TO THE REAR EDGE OF THE BLANKS AND TO THE REAR PORTION OF THE REAR CANS IN THE GROUP, ADJACENT THE END PORTION OF THE GROUP TO WHICH THE BLANK IS APPLIED, SAID MOTIVE FORCE INSURING THE ALIGNMENT OF THE BLANK WITH THE GROUP, AND SIMULTANEOUSLY APPLYING A SEPARATE BUT SIMILAR MOTIVE FORCE DIRECTLY TO THE REAR PORTION OF THE REAR CANS IN THE GROUP ADJACENT TO THE END PORTION OF THE GROUP OPPOSITE THAT END THEREOF TO WHICH THE BLANK IS APPLIED, THE SPACED MOTIVE FORCES MAINTAINING THE UPRIGHT POSITION OF THE CANS AS THEY ARE MOVED, AND MAINTAINING SAID MOTIVE FORCES CONTINUOUSLY WHILE FOLDING AND SECURING THE BLANK ABOUT THE GROUP IN A MANNER SUCH AS TO CAUSE THE ARTICLES TO BE RELATIVELY IMMOVABLE WITHIN THE FOLDED AND SECURED PAPERBOARD BLANK.