Casing machine

Claim 1

IN AN OPENING DEVICE FOR A CASE PROVIDED WITH TWO PAIRS OF OPPOSED SIDEWALLS HINGEDLY SECURED TOGETHER ALONG FOUR FOLD LINES TO FORM A RECTANGULAR SLEEVE OPEN AT OPPOSITE ENDS AND PROVIDED WITH END FLAPS HINGEDLY SECURED TO THE CORRESPONDING ENDS OF SAID SIDEWALLS TO FORM UPPER AND LOWER LAYERS OF FLAPS AND ADAPTED TO BE FOLDED AT RIGHT ANGLES TO SAID SIDEWALLS TO CLOSE AN END OF SAID SLEEVE, CONVEYOR MEANS FOR MOVING SAID CASE IN FLAT CONDITION ALONG A HORIZONTAL PATH OF TRAVEL WITH SAID FOLD LINES AT RIGHT ANGLES TO SAID PATH AND WITH SAID FLAPS EXTENDING OUTWARDLY OF SAID ENDS AND IN CONTINUATION THEREOF, A FLAP DEPRESSING MEANS AT A POINT ALONG SAID PATH ENGAGEABLE WITH THE UPPER SIDE OF THE LEADING PORTION OF SAID FLAPS ADJACENT THE FREE ENDS THEREOF FOR BENDING BOTH OF SAID LAYERS OF SAID FLAPS DOWNWARDLY FROM THE PLANE OF SAID FLAT CASE, WHEREBY THE FLAPS AT THE TRAILING PORTION THEREOF TEND TO MOVE APART, SPREADING MEANS MOVABLE FROM A POSITION LATERALLY OFFSET FROM SAID CASE TO A POSITION BETWEEN SAID FLAPS AT SAID TRAILING PORTION FOR SPREADING THE SIDES OF SAID FLAT CASE FURTHER APART FOR PARTIALLY OPENING THE CASE, AND OPENING MEANS ENGAGEABLE WITH THE LEADING PORTION OF SAID CASE FOR SWINGING THE LOWER LEADING SIDEWALL UPWARDLY TO A VERTICAL POSITION FOR FULLY OPENING SAID CASE.