Carton folding machine

Claim 1

AN AUTOMATIC CARTON FOLDING AND SEALING MACHINE COMPRISING A SUPPORT FRAME, A SUPPORT BED AFFIXED TO SAID FRAME FOR SUPPORTING THE LOWER SIDE OF AN OPEN CARTON FOR MOVEMENT FROM THE UPPER TO THE LOWER END OF SAID BED AS THE CARTON IS FILLED, FOLDED CLOSED AND SEALED, MEANS FOR DRAWING A FLAT, COLLASPED CARTON WITH FLAPS PROJECTING FROM ITS TOP AND BOTTOM ENDS DOWNWARDLY FROM A STACK OF COLLAPSED CARTONS TO A FULLY OPENED POSITION RESTING ON SAID BED AT A FIRST STATION AT THE UPPER END OF SAID BED, A CARRIAGE MOVABLY SUPPORTED BY SAID BED FOR RECIPROCATING MOTION BETWEEN A FORWARD AND A REAR POSITION LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID SUPPORT BED A FRACTION OF ITS LENGTH, SAID CARRIAGE COMPRISING, TWO PAIRS OF LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING RAILS OF WHICH EACH PAIR IS DISPOSED IN JUXTAPOSITION ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID BED WITH EACH OF THE RAILS OF A PAIR CONNECTED FOR LIMITED MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID BED BETWEEN A PROPELLING POSITION AND A RETRACTING POSITION AND ONE OF EACH OF SAID PAIRS OF RAILS MOVABLEY SUPPORTED BY SAID BED FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID FORWARD AND REAR POSITIONS, A PLURALITY OF CARTON PROPELLING MEANS HAVING CARTON CONTACTING SURFACES ENGAGEABLE WITH THE TRAILING SIDE OF THE OPEN CARTONS ON SAID BED AND SUPPORTED BY SAID RAILS AT INTERVALS SPACED ALONG THEIR LENGTH, MEANS FOR MOVING AT LEAST SOME OF SAID CARTON CONTACTING SURFACES BETWEEN AN EXTENDED POSITION IN WHICH SAID SURFACES PROJECT ABOVE THE LEVEL OF SAID SUPPORT BED WHEN SAID RAILS OF EACH PAIR ARE IN SAID PROPELLING POSITION AND A RETRACTED POSITION IN WHICH SAID SURFACES ARE BELOW SAID SUPPORT BED WHEN SAID RAILS TO EACH SAID PAIR ARE IN SAID RETRACTING POSITION, SAID CARTON PROPELLING MEANS BEING OPPOSITELY SPACED IN PARIS ALONG AND RAILS WITH SAID PAIRS SEPARATED BY A DISTANCE LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID BED THAT A CARTON IS PROPELLED BETWEEN SUCCESSIVE STATIONS LOCATED ALONG SAID BED BETWEEN SAID FIRST STATION AND A SEALING STATION AT THE LOWER END OF SAID BED BY SUCCESSIVE MOVEMENTS OF SAID RAILS BETWEEN SAID FORWARD AND REAR POSITIONS,