Carton flap closing mechanism

Abstract

Abstract THE SPECIFICATION DISCLOSES AND APPARATUS FOR CLOSING AND STAPLING CARTONS OF VARYING SIZES OF THE TYPE HAVING A PAIR OF END FLAPS AND A PAIR OF SIDE FLAPS, WHICH WHEN OPENED ARE DISPOSED IN A COPLANAR RELATIONSHIP WITH RESPECT TO THE SIDE WALLS OF THE CARTON, THE DIMENSIONS OF THE FLAPS MEASURED IN THE DIRECTION OF THE OUTWARD EXTEND THEREOF BEING GENERALLY EQUAL TO ONE-HALF THE WIDTH OF THE CARTON. THE APPARATUS INCLUDES MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY FEEDING SUCCESSIVE OPEN-TOPPED CARTONS OF VARYING SIZE THROUGH THE APPARATUS, DURING WHICH A FLAP CLOSING MECHANISM IS OPERABLE TO CLOSE THE OPEN TOP FLAPS AND A STAPLE DRIVING MEANS IS OPERABLE TO DRIVE STAPLES INTO THE CLOSED TOP FLAPS TO SECURE THEM IN A CLOSED RELATION. THE STAPLE DRIVING MEANS COOPERATES WITH THE CONVEYING MEANS FOR MOVING SUCCESSIVE CARTONS THROUGH THE APPARATUS AND WITH A CARRTON WITH SENSING MEANS TO AUTOMATICALLY POSITION THE CARTON IN STOPPED RELATION WITH RESPECT TO THE STAPLE DRIVING MEANS IN A PLURALITY OF DIFFERENT POSITIONS AT WHICH STAPLES ARE DRIVEN, THE ARRANGEMENT BEING OPERABLE TO AUTOMATICALLY DRIVE STAPLES INTO THE SIDE FLAPS AND THE UNDERLYING END FLAPS ONLY OF EACH SUCCESSIVE CARTON AT POSITIONS SPACED LONGITUDINALLY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE WIDTH OF THE CARTON, THE STAPLES ASSOCIATED WITH EACH END FLAP BEING SPACED APART A DISTANCE NOT EXCEEDING A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE AND AT LEAST ONE OF WHICH IS WITHIN APPROXIMATELY ONE INCH FROM THE ADJACENT END OF THE CARTON.

Inventors

• 👤 Henri A Boulay
• 👤 Joseph Silva Cranston

Bibliographic Details