Abstract: An apparatus for unscrambling and erecting a plurality of non-vertical bottles includes a rotatable toothed cam wheel onto which bottles are dropped in an untimed sequence from a first conveyor table. The bottles are then conveyed by the rotatable toothed cam wheel in an erected condition to a second conveying table, with the alternate teeth of the toothed cam wheel simultaneously and directly urging the erected bottles from their stalls.

Abstract: A case packer for placement of loads through the bottom of a carton so as to accommodate loads of a type which cannot be dropped or placed into a carton from above or from the side. The apparatus includes a support plate mechanism mounted for elevational movement and supplied with individual case loads by a case conveyor. The cases themselves are delivered sequentially to a case packing station by a case conveyor. The plate mechanism is movable upwardly to locate the load within the downwardly open case. Flap engaging elements then fold opposed flaps beneath the plate mechanism and provide elevational support to the case and load within it. Plate shift means spreads the plate mechanism laterally from a position located between the load and the folded flaps to a position clear of the flaps. The plate mechanism can then be sequentially moved downward to clear the case before it moves outward from the case packing station.

Abstract: An improvement in a carton forming mechanism of the type wherein a mandrel is reciprocated through a die assembly to fold the side walls and tabs of an upwardly open carton assembly having perpendicular pairs of side walls. It is designed specifically for carton blanks having protruding tabs at the ends of both pairs of side walls, so that each side wall is overlapped by a bent tab when the carton is completed. The folding mechanism includes two opposed pairs of folding irons mounted about parallel spaced pivot axes. Each folding iron has an arcuate surface to fold a first carton wall relative to the bottom carton wall. It also includes a radial extension at the outermost edge of the arcuate surface for folding a first tab relative to the first wall. Radial spacing is provided on each folding iron between the arcuate surface and the shaft mounting it.

Abstract: An apparatus for indexing groups of identical containers into patterns in which the component containers are spaced from one another for the purpose of receiving container separating partitions. The containers include bottom edges that define open spaces when the containers are held in a closed group with adjacent containers touching one another. Tapered lugs of the apparatus are urged inwardly between the containers to separate and index them into partition receiving patterns. This is accomplished by longitudinal conveyor assemblies as the partitions are moved to a partition receiving station. The containers are held in the partition receiving pattern by the tapered lugs which remain in position between the containers until after a partition is placed between the containers of the pattern. The tapered lugs are slotted to receive portions of the partitions.

Abstract: A mechanism for folding end tabs over and against the end walls of a partially completed carton. The mechanism is designed to handle cartons of two different lengths fed at random through the machine. It includes kicker elements to inwardly compress the carton and its contents so as to assure proper final carton formation when the end tabs are sealed. The end tabs are folded and sealed while the carton moves continuously along a longitudinal path. They are folded by transverse folding elements mounted across the working flight of an upper conveyor assembly along the carton path. Each tab is folded and sealed against the respective carton end walls as the carton progresses between the infeed and discharge ends of the conveyor assembly. Selected folding elements are activated dependent upon the length of a particular carton being handled.

Abstract: A mechanism for automatically forming and laminating flaps of individual carton blanks as the blanks are moved along a prescribed longitudinal path. The mechanism includes a hopper for supplying individual carton blanks to a conveyor that leads along the prescribed path away from the hopper. A vacuum head is movably located below the hopper to remove successive blanks therefrom. The suction head moves the individual blanks downwardly into engagement with the conveyor. Lugs on the conveyor move the successive carton blanks along the path toward a flap folding mechanism. The flaps are folded over onto the carton blank in two separate steps. Firstly, the flaps are folded upwardly to a substantially 90 degree orientation with the remainder of the blank. This is done by a pair of pivoted arms on opposite sides of the conveyor. As the carton blank continues to move along the conveyor, the upwardly folded flaps are engaged and folded on downwardly into engagement with the remainder of the blank.

Abstract: An apparatus for inserting a plug pad into a recess formed between opposed bottom flaps of a semirigid folded carton. The pad inserting apparatus is designed to be utilized in conjunction with a carton forming machine. It can be integral with the forming machine or separate from it. It includes a magazine for receiving and supporting a horizontal stack of plug pads. A biasing assembly is utilized to force the stack toward a magazine discharge end. Adjacent the discharge end is a pad stripping mechanism. It operates to take pads one at a time from the magazine and move them to a remote mandrel loading station to be received by a movable mandrel. The pads toward the inside end of the stack are elevationally offset by an inclined surface as they are indexed toward the pad stripping mechanism. The stripping mechanism further includes a positioning feature whereby the end pad is first moved laterally of the remainder of the stack to a preselected position before being shifted to the loading station.

Abstract: The method utilizes a carton for a group of capped bottles each having a sloping upper neck and a cylindrical lower portion. The carton is formed from a single molded blank. It includes a rectangular top panel having an inner area slightly less than the composite area of the grouped bottles across their caps. Sloping side and end walls lead downwardly from the top panel to engage shoulders of the bottles at intermediate locations along their height. The carton area across this intermediate plane is slightly less than the composite area of the lower portions of the grouped bottles. As the carton is applied over the grouped bottles, the lower ends of the bottles are initially spread because of the restricted area within which the caps are confined at the top of the carton. As the carton is wrapped about the lower portions of the bottles, they are pressed tightly toward one another and returned to parallel upright positions.

Abstract: A carton for a group of capped bottles having sloping upper necks and cylindrical lower portions. The carton is formed from a single molded blank. It includes a rectangular top panel having an inner area slightly less than the composite area of the grouped bottles across their caps. Sloping side and end walls lead downwardly from the top panel to engage shoulders of the bottles at intermediate locations along their height in a horizontal plane. The carton area across this intermediate plane is slightly less than the composite area of the lower portions of the grouped bottles. The carton is applied over the grouped bottles, initially spreading the lower bottle ends because of the restricted area within which the caps are confined. As the carton is closed, the lower bottle portions are pressed slightly toward one another. The yieldability of the carton material at its corner area assures production of a tight package without interior partitions for safe shipping of bottles.

Abstract: An escapement mechanism for successively releasing rectangular groups of articles from an upright stack. The articles are of the type having reduced top ends and enlarged bottom ends. The articles are held within an upright hopper that guides the stack gravitationally toward the escapement mechanism. Successive groups of articles are engaged by a first stop mechanism at a first elevation and are lowered thereby to a second elevation. A retractable support is located at the second elevation to receive and support the successive groups of articles. While articles are resting upon the retractable support, the stop means is moved upwardly again to engage the bottom sides of the next successive group of articles and lift them upwardly from engagement with the top ends of the article group presently supported on the retractable support. Once to successive groups become disengaged from one another, the support is retracted to allow one group to fall gravitationally to a transfer mechanism.