Machine and method for forming reinforced polygonal containers from blanks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10913569-B2
Application number	US-201715725822-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 5, 2017
Priority date	May 7, 2008
Publication date	Feb 9, 2021
Grant date	Feb 9, 2021

Abstract

A method of forming a container from a blank of sheet material using a machine is provided. The blank includes a bottom panel, two side panels, two end panels, and a reinforcing panel assembly extending from a first side panel. The machine includes a hopper station, a corner post forming station, and a plunger station. The method includes rotating the reinforcing panel assembly upwardly toward the first side panel as the blank is transported from the hopper station to the corner post forming station, forming a corner wall and a reinforcing end tab by folding reinforcing panels about fold lines as the blank is transported through the corner post forming station, rotating the side panels and the end panels to be substantially perpendicular to the bottom panel by directing the blank through the plunger station, and coupling the reinforcing end tab to an end panel to form the container.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A machine for forming a polygonal container from a blank of sheet material, the blank including a bottom panel having opposing side edges and opposing end edges, two opposing side panels each extending from one of the side edges of the bottom panel, two opposing end panels each extending from one of the end edges of the bottom panel, and a reinforcing panel assembly extending from a first side edge of a first side panel of the two side panels, the reinforcing panel assembly including a corner panel extending from the first side edge of the first side panel, a first reinforcing end panel extending from a side edge of the corner panel, a second reinforcing end panel extending from a side edge of the first reinforcing end panel, an inner reinforcing corner panel extending from a side edge of the second reinforcing end panel, and an inner side panel extending from a side edge of the inner reinforcing corner panel, said machine comprising:
a hopper that supports the blank substantially horizontally with an exterior surface of the blank facing downward;
a feed mechanism that pulls the blank downward from said hopper to remove the blank from said hopper;
at least one hopper plow that folds the reinforcing panel assembly with respect to the first side panel;
a transport system that transports the blank from said feed mechanism through a corner post forming station to a plunger, the corner post forming station comprising a first upper rail, a first lower rail, a second lower rail, a stop plate, a second upper rail, and a third lower rail,
wherein said first upper rail rotates an interior surface of the inner reinforcing panel into face-to-face contact with an interior surface of the outer reinforcing panel by contacting an exterior surface of at least one of the inner reinforcing panel and the inner side panel while the blank is transported through said container post forming station;
wherein said first lower rail maintains a position of the outer reinforcing panel with respect to the first side panel by contacting an interior surface of the outer reinforcing panel while the blank is transported through said corner post forming station;
wherein said second lower rail maintains the position of the outer reinforcing panel with respect to the first side panel by contacting an exterior surface of the outer reinforcing panel while the blank is transported through said corner post forming station;
wherein said stop plate is positioned adjacent to said first upper rail, and, while the blank is transported through said corner post forming station, said upper rail rotates the inner side panel toward said stop plate, and said stop plate applies a force to an interior surface of the inner side panel to rotate the inner side panel toward the exterior surface of the inner reinforcing panel;
wherein said second upper rail rotates the first reinforcing end panel and the second reinforcing end panel toward an exterior surface of the reinforcing corner panel by contacting an exterior surface of the first reinforcing end panel, wherein the first reinforcing end panel and the second reinforcing end panel are in face-to-face contact, while the blank is transported through said corner post forming station; and
wherein said third lower rail maintains a position of the corner panel and the reinforcing corner panel with respect the first side panel by contacting an exterior surface of the corner panel while the blank is transported through said corner post forming station, the corner panel and the reinforcing corner panel in face-to-face contact, wherein a partially formed container is formed by said first and second upper rails and said first, second, and third lower rails, the partially formed container including a corner wall and a reinforcing end tab;

a plurality of plunger plows that rotate the side panels and the end panels toward an interior surface of the bottom panel to form side walls and end walls of the container and to secure the reinforcing end tab to one of the end panels, said plurality of plows at least partially defining a plunger opening; and
a plunger having a cross-sectional shape corresponding to a cross-sectional shape of the container and being vertically movable through the plunger opening, wherein said plunger contacts an interior surface of the bottom panel and pushes the partially formed container downward through said plunger opening and past said plurality of plunger plows to transform the partially formed container into the container.

Assignees

• Westrock Shared Services Llc

Inventors

• Graham Thomas Dean
• Anderson Ricki D
• Guillermo Rojas
• Smith Kenneth Charles

Classifications

• B31B50/36

  by continuously feeding the sheets, blanks or webs to stationary members, e.g. plates, ploughs or cores · CPC title

• B31B50/46

  and interconnecting side walls · CPC title

• B31B50/54

  operating on moving material · CPC title

• B31B50/003

  Straightening the side walls of boxes; Squaring collapsed folded box blanks; Deforming boxes · CPC title

• B65D5/28

  with extensions of sides permanently secured to adjacent sides, with sides permanently secured together by adhesive strips, or with sides held in place solely by rigidity of material · CPC title