Process and equipment for continuous manufacture of corrugated cardboard box

Claim 2

A process for continuously manufacturing flattened corrugated cardboard boxes from a single liner strip, said process comprising: passing a single liner strip of a selected width through a corrugating machine, and intermittently forming corrugations in said liner strip, transverse to the longitudinal direction thereof, at regular intervals therealong, thus forming a material strip having regularly alternating corrugated portions and non-corrugated portions; winding a selected length of said material strip circumferentially about a mandrel with at least one said corrugated portion overlapping at least one said non-corrugated portion, and joining said thus overlapped portions, thus forming a blank having a length equal to said width; thereafter performing known line ruling and slotting processing operations on said blank; and flattening the thus processed tubular blank to form a flattened corrugated cardboard box.

Claim 3

A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein said mandrel is cylindrical and said blank is thus formed tubular.

Claim 4

A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of winding comprises fixing an end of said material strip to said mandrel; rotating said mandrel, thereby wrapping said material strip around said mandrel; and severing said material strip to achieve selected length thereof.

Claim 5

A process as claimed in claim 3, wherein said known line ruling and slotting operations are performed while said blank is on said mandrel.

Claim 6

A process as claimed in claim 3, further comprising transferring said blank from said mandrel to a line ruling and slotting mechanism, said line ruling and slotting operations being performed on said mechanism.

Claim 7

A process as claimed in claim 3, further comprising circumferentially severing said blank while said blank is on said mandrel thus forming shortened separated blanks.

Claim 8

A process as claimed in claim 1, further comprising providing a plurality of said mandrels; circulating said plurality of mandrels with respect to said corrugating machine; and sequentially supplying selected lengths of said material strip from said corrugating machine to each of said mandrels.

Claim 9

A process as claimed in claim 1, further comprising reducing the outer dimension of a portion of the length of said mandrel, thus providing said mandrel with a tapered shape and facilitating the removal of said blank therefrom.

Claim 10

A process for continuously manufacturing flattened corrugated cardboard boxes from one non-corrugated liner strip and one corrugated strip, said process comprising: providing a first non-corrugated liner strip of a selected width; providing a second strip of said width having formed therein corrugations extending transverse to the longitudinal direction thereof, and severing said second strip into partial strips of selected length; fixing said partial strips to said first strip to thereby form a material strip having regularly alternating corrugated portions and non-corrugated portions; winding a selected length of said material strip circumferentially about a mandrel with at lesat one said corrugated portion overlapping at least one said non-corrugated portion, and joining said thus overlapped portions, thus forming a blank having a length equal to said width; thereafter performing known line ruling and slotting processing operations on said blank; and flattening the thus processed tubular blank to form a flattened corrugated cardboard box.

Claim 11

A process for continuously manufacturing flattened corrugated cardboard boxes from one non-corrugated liner strip and one corrugated strip, said process comprising: providing a first non-corrugated liner strip of a selected width; providing a second strip of said width having formed therein corrugations extending transverse to the longitudinal direction thereof, and severing said second strip into partial strips of selected length; fixing said partial strips to said first strip to thereby form a material strip having regularly alternating corrugated portions and non-corrugated portions; winding a selected length of said material strip circumferentially about a mandrel with at lesat one said corrugated portion overlapping at least one said non-corrugated portion, and joining said thus overlapped portions, thus forming a blank having a length equal to said width; thereafter performing known line ruling and slotting processing operations on said blank; and flattening the thus processed tubular blank to form a flattened corrugated cardboard box.

Claim 12

A process as claimed in claim 9, wherein said mandrel is cylindrical and said blank is thus formed tubular.

Claim 13

A process as claimed in claim 9, wherein said step of winding comprises fixing an end of said material strip to said mandrel; rotating said mandrel, thereby wrapping said material strip around said mandrel; and severing said material strip to achieve said selected length thereof.

Claim 14

A process as claimed in claim 11, wherein said known line ruling and slotting operations are performed while said blank is on said mandrel.

Claim 15

A process as claimed in claim 11, further comprising transferring said blank from said mandrel to a line ruling and slotting mechanism, said line ruling and slotting operations being performed on said mechanism.

Claim 16

A process as claimed in claim 11, further comprising circumferentially severing said blank while said blank is on said mandrel thus forming shortened separated blanks.

Claim 17

A process as claimed in claim 9, further comprising providing a plurality of said mandrels; circulating said plurality of mandrels and sequentially supplying selected lengths of said material strip to each of said mandrels.

Claim 18

A process as claimed in claim 9, further comprising reducing the outer dimension of a portion of the length of said mandrel, thus providing said mandrel with a tapered shape and facilitating the removal of said blank therefrom.

Claim 19

A process as claimed in claim 9, wherein said step of providing said second strip comprises passing a liner strip through a corrugating machine and forming said corrugations therein.

Claim 20

A process as claimed in claim 9, wherein said corrugated portions are each formed with a length less than that of each of said non-corrugated portions.

Claim 21

A process as claimed in claim 9, wherein said corrugated portions are each formed with a length approximately twice that of each of said non-corrugated portions.

Claim 24

An apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein said material strip forming means comprises a corrugating machine including means for receiving a single liner strip of said width; and means for intermittently corrugating said liner strip at regular intervals therealong.

Claim 25

An apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein said material strip forming means comprises means for supplying a first non-corrugated liner strip of said width; means for corrugating a second strip of said width; means for severing said second strip into partial strips of selected length; and means to fix said partial strips to said first liner strip at regular intervals therealong.

Claim 26

An apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein said mandrel is cylindrical and said blank thus formed is tubular.

Claim 27

An apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein said winding means comprises gripping means on said mandrel for gripping an end of said material strip, means for rotating said mandrel, and for thereby wrapping said material strip around said mandrel; and means for severing said material strip to achieve said selected length thereof.

Claim 28

An apparatus as claimed in claim 24, wherein said line ruling and slotting means are mounted on said mandrel.

Claim 29

An apparatus as claimed in claim 24, wherein said line ruling and slotting means comprises a separate apparatus positioned to axially receive said blank from said mandrel.

Claim 30

An apparatus as claimed in claim 24, further comprising means, mounted on said mandrel, for circumferentially severing said blank upon rotation of said mandrel, thus forming shortened separated blanks.

Claim 31

An apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein said at least one mandrel comprises a plurality of mandrels; and further comprising means for circulating said plurality of mandrels with respect to said material strip forming means, such that each of said mandrels is sequentially supplied with a selected length of said material strip.

Claim 32

An apparatus as claimed in claim 28, wherein said circulating means comprises an endless track, said mandrels being spacedly mounted about said endless track; and means for intermittently moving said mandrels around said track.

Claim 33

An apparatus as claimed in claim 20, further comprising a first bearing mount pivotable about a vertical axis; a first end of said mandrel being fixedly mounted in said first bearing mount; a second bearing mount; a second end of said mandrel being releasably mounted in said second bearing mount; and means connected to said mandrel for swinging said mandrel in a horizontal plane about said vertical axis.

Claim 34

An apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein said mandrel includes means for reducing the outer dimension of a portion of the length thereof and thereby tapering the outer configuration thereof.

Claim 35

An apparatus as claimed in claim 31, wherein said reducing means comprises a plurality of individual dividing frames mounted to form the outer surface of said mandrel; and means attached to first ends of said dividing frames for selectively moving said first ends from a first outer position to a second inner position at which the outer mandrel surface tapers inwardly from second ends of said dividing frames to said first ends thereof.

Claim 36

An apparatus as claimed in claim 32, further comprising ring-shaped means normally positioned adjacent said second ends for contacting an end of said blank and pushing said blank from said mandrel in a direction toward said first ends.