Carrier sleeve erecting apparatus and method
First Claim
1. Apparatus for opening a collapsed article carrier sleeve of the type having upper and lower layers foldably connected together when in collapsed form and being rectilinear in shape when open, the upper layer comprising an upper panel connected to a trailing panel along a first fold line, the lower layer comprising a lower panel connected to a leading panel along a second fold line, the upper panel connected to the leading panel along a third fold line and the lower panel connected to the trailing panel along a fourth fold line, the apparatus comprising:
- means for moving the collapsed carrier sleeve in a downstream direction with the third fold line facing downstream and the fourth fold line facing upstream;
means for causing the leading panel to pivot up about the second fold line to an interim position to partially open the collapsed carrier sleeve; and
means for contacting and pushing up against the leading panel of the partially open sleeve to cause the leading panel to further pivot up about the second fold line until the sleeve is fully open.
11 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and means for opening a collapsed rectilinear carrier sleeve. As the collapsed sleeve is moved through a packaging machine it is partially opened so that the leading panel extends at an angle to the horizontal. A continuous upward force is then delivered to the leading panel to cause the leading panel to pivot up about its upstream fold line until it reaches the vertical. The collapsed sleeve is partially opened by elevating side flaps connected to an upper panel to cause the upper panel to be elevated. One way of accomplishing this is to cause the upper flaps to ride up over a fixed cam surface while lower flaps connected to a lower panel move under the cam to prevent the lower panel from moving in an upward direction.
66 Citations
23 Claims
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1. Apparatus for opening a collapsed article carrier sleeve of the type having upper and lower layers foldably connected together when in collapsed form and being rectilinear in shape when open, the upper layer comprising an upper panel connected to a trailing panel along a first fold line, the lower layer comprising a lower panel connected to a leading panel along a second fold line, the upper panel connected to the leading panel along a third fold line and the lower panel connected to the trailing panel along a fourth fold line, the apparatus comprising:
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means for moving the collapsed carrier sleeve in a downstream direction with the third fold line facing downstream and the fourth fold line facing upstream; means for causing the leading panel to pivot up about the second fold line to an interim position to partially open the collapsed carrier sleeve; and means for contacting and pushing up against the leading panel of the partially open sleeve to cause the leading panel to further pivot up about the second fold line until the sleeve is fully open. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of opening a collapsed article carrier sleeve of the type having upper and lower layers foldably connected together when in collapsed form and being rectilinear in shape when open, the upper layer comprising an upper panel connected to a trailing panel along a first fold line, the lower layer comprising a lower panel connected to a leading panel along a second fold line, the upper panel connected to the leading panel along a third fold line and the lower panel connected to the trailing panel along a fourth fold line, the method comprising:
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moving the collapsed carrier sleeve in a downstream direction with the third fold line facing downstream and the fourth fold line facing upstream; causing the leading panel to pivot up about the second fold line to an interim position to partially open the collapsed carrier sleeve; and contacting and pushing up against the leading panel of the partially open sleeve to cause the leading panel to further pivot up about the second fold line until the sleeve is fully open. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification