Abstract: A magazine pressure control is provided with pressure control wheels that are designed to regulate pressure on carton blanks being fed to a folder/gluer in a carton forming operation. These wheels are disposed around the periphery of the carton blank to urge the edges of the cartons forward and to straighten misaligned cartons. A separately controlled motor operates each half of the magazine pressure control. Each motor is controlled by a pressure sensor assembly and regulates the progression of the carton blanks through the magazine pressure control to equalize the pressure around the periphery of the carton blanks as they are presented to the pick face of the folder/gluer.

Abstract: A magazine pressure control is provided with pressure control wheels that are designed to regulate pressure on carton blanks being fed to a folder/gluer in a carton forming operation. These wheels are disposed around the periphery of the carton blank to urge the edges of the cartons forward and to straighten misaligned cartons. A separately controlled motor operates each half of the magazine pressure control. Each motor is controlled by a pressure sensor assembly and regulates the progression of the carton blanks through the magazine pressure control to equalize the pressure around the periphery of the carton blanks as they are presented to the pick face of the folder/gluer.

Abstract: A system for automatically forming stacks of cartons for feeding a magazine for supplying cartons to a packaging machine includes a primary support on which the stacks of cartons are formed, and a secondary support for temporarily receiving a series of the cartons thereon as a previously formed stack of cartons is removed from the primary support. The stack of cartons collected on the primary support is moved onto a transport conveyor for transport to a loader for the magazine for feeding into the packaging machine.

Abstract: A magazine loader for automatically loading stacks of cartons onto a magazine of a mass feeder for supplying cartons to a packaging machine, includes a loader in which stacks of cartons are received and held, and a carriage on which the loader is pivotally mounted. The cartons are received loaded in the loader, after which the loader is pivoted from a loading position to a stacking position. The loader is then moved along a feeder conveyor for the packaging machine toward a magazine or supply of previously stacked cartons, until the stack of cartons is received and stacked against the previously loaded cartons to maintain a supply of cartons for feeding into the packaging machine.

Abstract: A system for automatically forming stacks of cartons for feeding a magazine for supplying cartons to a packaging machine includes a primary support on which the stacks of cartons are formed, and a secondary support for temporarily receiving a series of the cartons thereon as a previously formed stack of cartons is removed from the primary support. The stack of cartons collected on the primary support is moved onto a transport conveyor for transport to a loader for the magazine for feeding into the packaging machine.

Abstract: An improved segment wheel assembly for an article packaging machine is provided for picking individual carton blanks from a magazine and delivering the carton blanks to a conveyor to be carried to a packaging station of the machine. The segment wheel assembly has a pair of generally cylindrical segment wheels spaced apart from each other in end-to-end relationship. An unobstructed space is defined between the spaced segment wheels and each segment wheel has a generally rectangular cutout with the cutouts being aligned. A pick arm assembly including suction cups is disposed within the unobstructed space. A drive train rotates the segment wheels in unison and, simultaneously, oscillates the suction cup back and forth within the unobstructed space. The suction cup repeatedly grabs single carton blanks from the magazine and pulls them toward the rotating segment wheels, whose cutouts engage each carton blank and urges it toward and into the conveyor.

Abstract: A magazine pressure control is provided with pressure control wheels that are designed to regulate pressure on carton blanks being fed to a folder/gluer in a carton forming operation. These wheels are disposed around the periphery of the carton blank to urge the edges of the cartons forward and to straighten misaligned cartons. A separately controlled motor operates each half of the magazine pressure control. Each motor is controlled by a pressure sensor assembly and regulates the progression of the carton blanks through the magazine pressure control to equalize the pressure around the periphery of the carton blanks as they are presented to the pick face of the folder/gluer.

Abstract: A flap folding assembly for engaging a work piece, such as a paperboard carton flap, and moving that flap into a desired position. The flap folding apparatus can be used in a continuous motion packaging machine to engage a sleeve type carton flap as the carton is transported downstream through the package machine. The apparatus is operated in timed relationship with the machine's carton conveyor either by mechanically interlinking the apparatus to the main machine drive, or by the use of a servo drive operated from and controlled by the packaging machine's main controller. The flap folding apparatus includes a vacuum cup driven in a circular path by a drive mechanism comprised of two spaced gears which are driven in the same direction of rotation.

Abstract: A carton opening assembly for a continuous motion packaging machine directs opposed carton engaging plates perpendicular to opposite side walls of a collapsed carton moving through the opening assembly. A vacuum is applied to the opposed carton side walls when the assemblies engage the carton. One or both of the opposed carton engaging assemblies are retracted to filly open the carton, which is then transferred to a conveyor that transports the carton to the next workstation of the packaging machine. The carton opening operation is accomplished while tracking the carton movement through the carton opening assembly.

Abstract: A carton opening method and assembly for a continuous motion packaging machine directs opposed carton engaging plates perpendicular to opposite side walls of a collapsed carton moving through the opening assembly. A vacuum is applied to the opposed carton side walls when the assemblies engage the carton. One or more of the opposed carton engaging assemblies are retracted to fully open the carton, which is then transferred to a conveyor that transports the carton to the next workstation of the packaging machine. The carton opening operation is accomplished while tracking the carton movement through the carton opening assembly.

Abstract: An article packaging machine comprises a frame, a carton conveyor mounted to the frame for conveying cartons along a carton path, and an infeed conveyor assembly for grouping articles such as beverage cans into groups of predetermined size and moving them toward and into open cartons moving along the carton path. When the cartons are packed with articles, adhesive is applied to the flaps of their open ends and the flaps are folded over onto themselves. A spring biased free floating compression section has a pair of opposed compression belt assemblies that are yieldably spring biased toward each other to apply pressure to the ends of the containers to set the adhesive, thus sealing the ends of the packaged cartons shut. When the cartons are sealed, they are ejected from the packaging machine by a pair of opposed ejector belt assemblies.

Abstract: A dual pocket loader wheel assembly for use on a continuous motion packaging machine is disclosed. The dual pocket loader wheel assembly has an elongate tubular member supported for rotation on a framework positioned on the packaging machine with respect to a carton transport conveyor on the packaging machine. A drive frame is positioned at one end of the tubular member and rotatably supports a spaced pair of pocket loader wheels thereon. A drive motor assembly is positioned on the framework at the other end of the tubular member and is operably connected to a drive shaft extending through the tubular member and into the drive frame for rotating the dual pocket loader wheels about their axes. The loader wheel assembly includes a rotary actuator mounted on the framework and operably engaged with the tubular member for rotating the tubular member to reverse the position of the dual pocket loader wheels with respect to the carton transport conveyor.

Abstract: A dual pocket loader wheel assembly for use on a continuous motion packaging machine is disclosed. The dual pocket loader wheel assembly has an elongate tubular member supported for rotation on a framework positioned on the packaging machine with respect to a carton transport conveyor on the packaging machine. A drive frame is positioned at one end of the tubular member and rotatably supports a spaced pair of pocket loader wheels thereon. A drive motor assembly is positioned on the framework at the other end of the tubular member and is operably connected to a drive shaft extending through the tubular member and into the drive frame for rotating the dual pocket loader wheels about their axes. The loader wheel assembly includes a rotary actuator mounted on the framework and operably engaged with the tubular member for rotating the tubular member to reverse the position of the dual pocket loader wheels with respect to the carton transport conveyor.

Abstract: A dual pocket loader wheel assembly for use on a continuous motion packaging machine is disclosed. The dual pocket loader wheel assembly has an elongate tubular member supported for rotation on a framework positioned on the packaging machine with respect to a carton transport conveyor on the packaging machine. A drive frame is positioned at one end of the tubular member and rotatably supports a spaced pair of pocket loader wheels thereon. A drive motor assembly is positioned on the framework at the other end of the tubular member and is operably connected to a drive shaft extending through the tubular member and into the drive frame for rotating the dual pocket loader wheels about their axes. The loader wheel assembly includes a rotary actuator mounted on the framework and operably engaged with the tubular member for rotating the tubular member to reverse the position of the dual pocket loader wheels with respect to the carton transport conveyor.

Abstract: An overhead pusher lug assembly for stabilizing the top portions of cartons in a carton packaging machine comprises an endless chain conveyor having an array of pusher lugs rotatably mounted thereto at spaced intervals. The lugs are rotatable between a first position wherein the lugs extend upwardly from the lower flight of the conveyor and a second position wherein the lugs extend downwardly from the lower flight of the conveyor for insertion between adjacent cartons on a carton conveyor. As the pusher lugs move onto the lower flight of the conveyor, they engage the end of an elongated bar, which rotates or flips the pusher lugs into place between underlying cartons so that the lugs do not impact and disfigure trailing cartons on the carton path.