Methods and machine for forming a container from a blank using a pre-fold mandrel section

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9701087-B2
Application number	US-201314020403-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 6, 2013
Priority date	Sep 6, 2013
Publication date	Jul 11, 2017
Grant date	Jul 11, 2017

Abstract

A machine for forming a container from a blank of sheet material includes a frame, a mandrel assembly mounted to the frame, a pre-folding assembly, and a transfer assembly. The mandrel assembly includes a first mandrel and a second mandrel. The first mandrel has an external shape complementary to an internal shape of at least a first portion of the container. The second mandrel is positioned downstream from the first mandrel, and has an external shape complementary to an internal shape of at least a second portion of the container. The pre-folding assembly is configured to fold a first portion of the blank around the first mandrel to form a partially formed container. The first portion of the blank corresponds to the first portion of the container. The transfer assembly is for transferring the partially formed container from the first mandrel to the second mandrel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A machine for forming a container from a blank of sheet material, the machine having an upstream end at which the blank is loaded and a downstream end at which the container is discharged, said machine comprising:
a frame;
a mandrel assembly mounted to the frame, the mandrel assembly comprising:
a first mandrel having an external shape similar to an internal shape of at least a first portion of the container; and
a second mandrel positioned downstream from the first mandrel, the second mandrel having an external shape similar to an internal shape of at least a second portion of the container;
a pre-folding assembly configured to fold a first portion of the blank around the first mandrel to form a partially formed container, the first portion of the blank corresponding to the first portion of the container, the first portion of the blank comprising a first planar panel and a plurality of additional planar panels, wherein the first mandrel is configured to contact the first panel before the second mandrel contacts the first panel, the pre-folding assembly being configured so that, during folding of the first portion of the blank around the first mandrel, the first panel is maintained unrotated and none of the plurality of additional planar panels rotates more than 90 degrees relative to the first panel of the blank; and
a transfer assembly for transferring the partially formed container from the first mandrel to the second mandrel.

2. A machine in accordance with claim 1 wherein the mandrel assembly further comprises: mandrel guide rails extending between the first mandrel and the second mandrel, the mandrel guide rails configured to facilitate transporting the partially formed container from the first mandrel to the second mandrel.

3. A machine in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the transfer assembly comprises: a pusher foot operatively coupled to a linear actuator, the pusher foot configured to engage the partially formed container and push the partially formed container along the mandrel guide rails to transfer the partially formed container from the first mandrel to the second mandrel.

4. A machine in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the second mandrel comprises: a plurality of faces, each face corresponding to at least one panel of a second portion of the blank corresponding to the second portion of the container, at least two of the faces of the second mandrel at least partially aligned with the mandrel guide rails.

5. A machine in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the blank is in a first plane when initially placed on the first mandrel, and wherein the pre-folding assembly comprises: folding rods adapted to rotate the plurality of additional planar panels from the first portion of the blank around the first mandrel, wherein a top surface of the first mandrel is coplanar with a top surface of the mandrel guide rails such that the partially formed container is transported along the mandrel guide rails in the first plane, the folding rods further adapted to maintain alignment of the partially formed container as the partially formed container is transferred from the first mandrel to the second mandrel.

6. A machine in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising: a wrapping assembly configured to wrap a second portion of the blank around the second mandrel, the second portion of the blank corresponding to the second portion of the container.

7. A machine in accordance with claim 6 , wherein the wrapping assembly comprises: a folding arm rotatably coupled to the frame, the folding arm configured to rotate upwardly towards a bottom face of the second mandrel.

8. A machine in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising: an ejection assembly coupled to the second mandrel, the ejection assembly configured to eject the container from the second mandrel.

9. A machine in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the first mandrel comprises: adjustable plates configured to move relative to one another in a transverse direction for receiving blanks of different sizes and shapes.

10. A machine in accordance with claim 9 , wherein the first mandrel further comprises: miter plates detachably mounted to the adjustable plates, the miter plates at least partially providing a plurality of faces of the first mandrel, each face corresponding to at least one panel of the first portion of the blank.

11. A machine in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising: a pick-and-place assembly configured to place the blank on top of the first mandrel in a horizontal position.

12. A machine in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising: an adhesive applicator assembly mounted to the frame between the first mandrel and the second mandrel, the adhesive applicator assembly including an adhesive dispenser positioned in a horizontal orientation, the adhesive applicator assembly configured to apply adhesive to at least one of a corner panel and a glue panel of the blank.

13. A machine for forming a container from a blank of sheet material, the machine having an upstream end at which the blank is loaded and a downstream end at which the container is discharged, said machine comprising:
a frame;
a mandrel assembly mounted to the frame, the mandrel assembly comprising:
a first mandrel having an external shape similar to an internal shape of at least a first portion of the container;
a second mandrel positioned downstream from the first mandrel, the second mandrel having an external shape similar to an internal shape of at least a second portion of the container; and
mandrel guide rails extending between the first mandrel and the second mandrel;
a pre-folding assembly configured to fold a first portion of the blank around the first mandrel to form a partially formed container, the first portion of the blank corresponding to the first portion of the container, the first portion of the blank comprising a first planar panel and a plurality of additional planar panels, wherein the first mandrel is configured to contact the first panel before the second mandrel contacts the first panel, the pre-folding assembly being configured so that, during folding of the first portion of the blank around the first mandrel, the first panel is maintained unrotated and none of the plurality of additional planar panels rotates more than 90 degrees relative to the first panel of the blank;
a transfer assembly configured to transfer the partially formed container from the first mandrel to the second mandrel along the mandrel guide rails; and
a wrapping assembly configured to wrap a second portion of the blank around the second mandrel, the second portion of the blank corresponding to the second portion of the container.

14. A machine in accordance with claim 13 , wherein the second mandrel comprises: a plurality of faces, each face corresponding to at least one side panel of the container, at least two of the faces of the second mandrel aligned with the mandrel guide rails.

15. A machine in accordance with claim 13 , wherein the first mandrel comprises: adjustable plates operatively coupled to an adjustment device configured to adjust a lateral distance between the adjustable plates.

16. A machine in accordance with claim 15 , wherein the first mandrel further comprises: miter plates removably mounted to the adjustable plates, the miter plates providing a plurality of faces of the first mandrel, each of the miter plates corresponding to at least one panel of the first portion of the blank.

Assignees

• Westrock Shared Services Llc

Inventors

• Graham Thomas D
• Aganovic Amer
• D'Alesio Claudio

Classifications

• B31B2100/002

  characterised by the shape of the blank from which they are formed · CPC title

• B31B2100/00

  Rigid or semi-rigid containers made by folding single-piece sheets, blanks or webs · CPC title

• B31B50/28

  around mandrels, e.g. for forming bottoms · CPC title

• B31B2110/35

  rectangular, e.g. square · CPC title

• B31B50/00 Primary

  Making rigid or semi-rigid containers, e.g. boxes or cartons · CPC title