Adhesive applying apparatus and method

Claim 1

A MACHINE FOR FORMING COLLAPSED TUBULAR BOXES FROM FLAT BOX BLANKS OF THE TYPE HAVING A FIRST, SECOND, THIRD AND FOURTH CREASE DEFINING A GLUE LAP AND A FIRST, SECOND, THIRD AND FOURTH WALL PANEL, SAID MACHINE COMPRISING MEANS FOR ADVANCING A PLURALITY OF SAID BLANKS INDIVIDUALLY AND SUCCESSIVELY ALONG A LONGITUDINAL PATH THROUGH A MAJOR FOLDING ZONE, AN ADHESIVE APPLYING ZONE AND A MINOR FOLDING ZONE; MAJOR FOLDING MEANS, IN SAID MAJOR FOLDING ZONE, FOR OVERFOLDING EACH SUCCESSIVE BLANK SUBSTANTIALLY INTO COLLAPSED TUBULAR FORM WITH THE GLUE LAP AND THE THIRD AND FOURTH PANELS SUBSTANTIALLY OVERFOLDED ON SAID FIRST AND THIRD CREASES RESPECTIVELY TO SUBSTANTIALLY OVERLIE THE FIRST AND SECOND PANELS THEREOF; PANEL SUPPORT MEANS IN SAID ADHESIVE APPLYING ZONE, IN THE ARCUATE FOLDING PATH OF THE OVERFOLDED FOURTH WALL PANEL OF EACH SUCCESSIVE BLANK FOR SUPPORTING SAID PANEL AT ASPACED DISTANCE FROM SAID OVERFOLDED GLUE LAP AND FROM THE FIRST PANEL THEREOF TO MAINTAIN A LONGITUDINAL SIDE EDGE OPENING BETWEEN THE OVERFOLDED GLUE LAP AND SAID OVERFOLDED FOURTH PANEL; ADHESIVE ROLLER APPLYING MEANS IN SAID ADHESIVE APPLYING ZONE, SAID MEANS INCLUDING A HEATED, AIR SEALED, ADHESIVE POT HAVING A DRIVEN ROTARY ADHESIVE APPLICATOR PROJECTING INTO SAID BLANK PATH AND INTO THE SAID LONGITUDINAL SIDE EDGE OPENING OF EACH SUCCESSIVE BLANK FOR ROLLER TRANSFERRING A COATING OF ADHESIVE TO THE OVERFOLDED GLUE LAP THEREOF AND FINAL FOLDING MEANS IN SAID MINOR FOLDING ZONE FOR FOLDING AND PRESSING SAID FOURTH PANEL ONTO SAID GLUE LAP FOR ADHESIVELY UNITING THE SAME AND FORMING A COMPLETED TUBULAR BOX.