Carton closing apparatus

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR SECURING AN ADHESIVELY COATED CLOSURE FLAP TO THE EXTERIOR OF A SIDE OF A CARTON, COMPRISING A CARTON CONVEYOR OPERABLE TO MOVE CARTONS IN SPACED RELATION, SEALING MEANS OPERABLE TO ENGAGE AND PRESS THE CLOSURE FLAPS OF CARTONS CARRIED BY THE CARTON CONVEYOR AGAINST THE EXTERIOR SIDES OF THE CARTONS, AN AUXILIARY CONVEYOR MOVABLE IN TIMED RELATION WITH SAID CARTON CONVEYOR AND IN A PATH PARALLEL WITH THAT ALONG WHICH CARTONS ARE MOVED BY THE CARTON CONVEYOR, A PLURALITY OF SUCTION MEANS EACH CONNECTABLE WITH A SOURCE OF SUCTION AND SUPPORTED BY THE AUXILIARY CONVEYOR FOR MOVEMENT THEREWITH AT THE LINEAR SPEED OF CARTONS CARRIED BY THE CARTON CONVEYOR AND FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH EXTERIOR SIDES OF SUCCESSIVE CARTONS CARRIED BY THE CARTON CONVEYOR AT POSITIONS IN CLOSE PROXIMITY WITH THE POSITIONS OF ENGAGEMENT OF THE CLOSURE FLAPS WITH SAID SIDES THEREBY TO CONSTRAIN THE CARTON SIDES AGAINST INWARD MOVEMENT WHILE THE FLAPS ARE ENGAGED BY SAID SEALING MEANS, A CARRIAGE FOR EACH OF SAID SUCTION MEANS, SAID CARRIAGE BEING MOUNTED ON THE AUXILIARY CONVEYOR, A STATIONARY GUIDE ELEMENT EXTENDING LENGTHWISE OF THE PATH OF THE AUXILIARY CONVEYOR, AND ELEMENTS CARRIED BY EACH SAID CARRIAGE AND ARRANGED TO CO-OPERATE WITH SAID GUIDE ELEMENT TO CONSTRAIN THE CARRIAGE AGAINST MOVEMENT TOWARDS THE CARTON CONVEYOR.