Machine and method for forming reinforced polygonal containers from blanks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9815586-B2
Application number	US-201113339009-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2011
Priority date	May 7, 2008
Publication date	Nov 14, 2017
Grant date	Nov 14, 2017

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 method of forming a polygonal container from a blank of sheet material using a machine, 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 including a plurality of reinforcing panels separated by a plurality of fold lines, the reinforcing panel assembly extending from a first side edge of a first side panel of the two side panels, the machine including a hopper station, a corner post forming station, and a plunger station, said method comprising:
rotating the reinforcing panel assembly upwardly about a first fold line of the plurality of fold lines toward the first side panel as the blank is transported from the hopper station to the corner post forming station, an exterior surface of the blank facing downward within the hopper station;
forming a corner wall and a reinforcing end tab by folding the plurality of reinforcing panels about the plurality of fold lines as the blank is transported through the corner post forming station to the plunger station, the reinforcing end tab comprising two panels of the plurality of reinforcing panels with their respective interior surfaces in face-to-face contact;
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 one of the end panels to form the container;
wherein the reinforcing panel assembly includes an outer reinforcing panel extending from the first side edge of the first side panel, an inner reinforcing panel extending from a side edge of the outer reinforcing panel, and an inner side panel extending from a side edge of the inner reinforcing panel, said forming a corner wall and a reinforcing end tab further comprising:
maintaining an angle between the outer reinforcing panel and the first side panel using at least one lower rail of the corner post forming station;
rotating the inner reinforcing panel toward an interior surface of the outer reinforcing panel using a first upper rail of the corner post forming station; and
rotating the inner side panel toward an exterior surface of the inner reinforcing panel by causing the inner side panel to contact a stop plate of the corner post forming station as the blank is transported through the corner post forming station;
wherein the outer reinforcing panel includes a corner panel extending from the first side edge of the first side panel and a first reinforcing end panel extending from a side edge of the corner panel, and the inner reinforcing panel includes a second reinforcing end panel extending from a side edge of the first reinforcing end panel and an inner reinforcing corner panel extending from a side edge of the second reinforcing end panel, the inner side panel extending from a side edge of the inner reinforcing corner panel, said forming a corner wall and a reinforcing end tab further comprising:
rotating the interior surface of the inner reinforcing panel into face-to-face contact with the interior surface of the outer reinforcing panel;
rotating an interior surface of the inner side panel into contact with an interior surface of the first side panel as the blank is transported past the stop plate; and
rotating the first reinforcing end panel and the second reinforcing end panel toward the reinforcing corner panel by transporting the blank past a second upper rail of the corner post forming station.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising applying an adhesive to the interior surface of the first side panel by transporting the blank past a first adhesive applicator of the corner post forming station before rotating the interior surface of the inner side panel into contact with the interior surface of the first side panel.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein:
maintaining an angle between the outer reinforcing panel and the first side panel further comprises maintaining an angle of about 135° between the outer reinforcing panel and the first side panel; and
rotating the first reinforcing end panel and the second reinforcing end panel toward the reinforcing corner panel further comprises rotating the first reinforcing end panel and the second reinforcing end panel toward the reinforcing corner panel to define an angle of about 135° between the second reinforcing end panel and the reinforcing corner panel.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein rotating the side panels and the end panels to be substantially perpendicular to the bottom panel further comprises:
forcing the blank downward through a plunger opening by applying a force to the bottom panel using a plunger located at the plunger station;
applying a first force to an exterior surface of the two end panels using end panel plow assemblies located at the plunger station; and
applying a second force to an exterior surface of the two side panels using side panel plows located at the plunger station.

5. A method in accordance with claim 4 wherein applying a first force to an exterior surface of the two end panels using end panel plow assemblies further comprises:
rotating a frame of each end panel plow assembly toward the plunger opening as the plunger forces the blank downward; and
pressing an interior surface of a first end panel of the two end panels into contact with an exterior surface of the reinforcing end tab using at least one of a glue roller and a glue plate of a first end panel plow assembly.

6. A method in accordance with claim 4 wherein the blank includes at least one outer reinforcing corner panel extending from a first side edge of a first end panel of the two end panels and the reinforcing panel assembly includes a corner panel extending from the first side edge of the first side panel, said method further comprising:
applying adhesive to at least one of an interior surface of the at least one outer reinforcing corner panel and an exterior surface of the corner panel;
rotating the at least one outer reinforcing corner panel toward the exterior surface of the corner panel by applying a third force to the at least one outer reinforcing corner panel using a corner pusher located at the plunger station; and
pressing the at least one outer reinforcing panel into contact with the corner panel with the corner pusher to secure the at least one outer reinforcing panel to the corner panel using the adhesive.

7. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein rotating the reinforcing panel assembly further comprises:
grasping an exterior surface of the bottom panel with a feed mechanism of the hopper station;
pulling the blank from a hopper of the hopper station in a downward direction using the feed mechanism;
applying a restraining force to the reinforcing panel assembly at the hopper to rotate the reinforcing panel assembly toward an interior surface of the first side panel;
supporting the reinforcing panel assembly at a predetermined angle to the first side panel using a plow within the hopper station; and
transporting the blank into the corner post forming station using the feed mechanism in a substantially horizontal direction.

8. A method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the blank includes four reinforcing panel assemblies, each reinforcing panel assembly extending from a side edge of a respective side panel, said method further comprising:
rotating each reinforcing panel assembly upwardly about a respective fold line toward a respective side panel as the blank is transported from the hopper station to the corner post forming stat

Assignees

• Graham Thomas D
• Anderson Ricki D
• Rojas Guillermo
• Smith Kenneth C
• Westrock Shared Services Llc

Inventors

• Graham Thomas D
• Anderson Ricki D
• Rojas Guillermo
• Smith Kenneth C

Classifications

• B31B50/003

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

• B31B50/732

  by folding or tucking-in locking flaps · 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

• B31B50/44

  by plungers moving through folding dies · CPC title

• B31B50/262

  involving folding, leading, or trailing flaps of blanks · CPC title