Carton infeed mechanism

Claim 1

IN AN APPARATUS FOR ERECTING FLATTENED CARTONS OF THE TYPE HAVING A FIRST END PANEL AND A FIRST SIDE PANEL AT ONE SIDE OF THE FLATTENED CARTON AND A SECOND SIDE PANEL AND A SECOND END PANEL AT THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FLATTENED CARTON, SAID PANELS INCLUDING WALL PORTIONS AND END FLAPS AT THE ENDS OF AT LEAST SOME OF THE WALL PORTIONS, CONVEYOR MEANS INCLUDING A LATERAL CARTON GUIDE MEANS AND A TRANSFER MECHANISM MOUNTED FOR RECIPROCATION LENGTHWISE OF SAID GUIDE MEANS TO ADVANCE CONTAINERS THEREALONG IN STEP FASHION, A MAGAZINE FOR SUPPORTING A STACK OF FLATTENED CARTONS WITH THE CARTON AT THE END OF THE STACK HAVING SAID ONE SIDE OF THE CARTON SPACED FROM SAID LATERAL CARTON GUIDE MEANS, VACUUM OPERATED GRIPPER MEANS FOR GRIPPING THE FACE OF A PANEL ON THE END CARTON, MEANS OPERATED IN TIMED RELATION WITH THE MOVEMENT OF SAID TRANSFER MECHANISM FOR MOVING SAID GRIPPER MEANS FROM A FIRST POSITION ENGAGING SAID FIRST END PANEL ON THE END CARTON IN THE STACK TO A SECOND POSITION ADJACENT SAID GUIDE MEANS FOR PULLING THE FIRST END PANEL LATERALLY AWAY FROM THE STACK AND INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID LATERAL CARTON GUIDE MEANS, MEANS RESPONSIVE TO MOVEMENT OF THE END CARTON FROM THE STACK INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE GUIDE MEANS FOR OPENING THE CARTON, A CARTON ENGAGING MEMBER MOUNTED ON THE TRANSFER MEANS AND ENGAGEABLE WITH THE OPENED CARTON FOR ADVANCING THE CARTON ALONG THE GUIDE MEANS, SAID CARTON ENGAGING MEMBER HAVING LOWER FLAP FOLDING MEANS THEREON ENGAGEABLE WITH THE LOWER TRAILING FLAP ON THE SECOND SIDE PANEL TO FOLD THE SAME UPWARDLY AND INWARDLY TO AT LEAST PARTIALLY CLOSE THE LOWER END OF THE CARTON AND TO SUPPORT THE SAME WHEN THE VACUUM OPERATED GRIPPER MEANS IS RELEASED.