Container forming method and apparatus
First Claim
1. An apparatus for forming containers of a type having two sidewalls, each sidewall having a plurality of peripheral engagement slots, each slot having a raised button therein, and a panel wrap having a plurality of tabs corresponding to said engagement slots, each tab having an opening therein corresponding to each of said buttons, said apparatus comprising:
- a. a mandrel movably mounted on a path;
b. a pair of sidewall delivery units, located on opposite sides of said path;
c. a panel wrap feed located adjacent said path;
d. a plurality of container forming guides located around said path; and
e. a plurality of pressure imparting devices located adjacent said path downstream of said delivery units, each such device including at least one extension for pushing a tab on said panel wrap into a corresponding slot on one of said sidewalls, each such device also including at least one slidably mounted pressure imparting member adjacent to said extension, each such member having an outwardly extending annular flange for engaging the opening of said panel wrap tab and fastening said tab over the corresponding button on said sidewall.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed is a new machine for forming strong, durable and recyclable containers of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,497,939 without the use of glue or nails which are ready to be loaded, closed, stacked and shipped. The machine utilizes a mandrel movably mounted on a path between retracted and extended positions. As the mandrel cycles forward, it first receives two synthetic sidewalls of the container to be formed, which are firmly compressed against the sides of the mandrel as it moves forward. The mandrel next encounters the body panel or wrap of the container to be formed, said wrap including a plurality of tabs along the edges of its two longer sides which correspond to locking slots on the sidewalls. As the mandrel moves forward, it pushes into the middle of the wrap whereupon a set of plows and shoes bend the upper and lower portions of the wrap into a more horizontal orientation, leaving the middle of the wrap in a vertical position. As the mandrel pushes the wrap through the machine, a set of moveable upper and lower rockers containing unique pressure mechanisms press the tabs on the horizontally oriented portion of the wrap into the locking slots on the ends of the sidewalls. When the mandrel is fully extended, pressure is applied to the tabs on the vertically oriented middle section of the wrap to form the bottom of the container using a pair of hinge-mounted pressure plates fitted with unique biased brackets.
31 Citations
18 Claims
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1. An apparatus for forming containers of a type having two sidewalls, each sidewall having a plurality of peripheral engagement slots, each slot having a raised button therein, and a panel wrap having a plurality of tabs corresponding to said engagement slots, each tab having an opening therein corresponding to each of said buttons, said apparatus comprising:
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a. a mandrel movably mounted on a path;
b. a pair of sidewall delivery units, located on opposite sides of said path;
c. a panel wrap feed located adjacent said path;
d. a plurality of container forming guides located around said path; and
e. a plurality of pressure imparting devices located adjacent said path downstream of said delivery units, each such device including at least one extension for pushing a tab on said panel wrap into a corresponding slot on one of said sidewalls, each such device also including at least one slidably mounted pressure imparting member adjacent to said extension, each such member having an outwardly extending annular flange for engaging the opening of said panel wrap tab and fastening said tab over the corresponding button on said sidewall. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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- 10. An improvement to a machine having a mandrel movably mounted on a path for forming containers of a type having two sidewalls attached to a panel wrap using peripheral locking tabs and corresponding slots in which said tabs include openings designed to be engaged over corresponding buttons in said slots, said improvement comprising a plurality of pivotally mounted pressure imparting devices located adjacent said path, each such pressure device including at least one extension for pushing a tab on said panel wrap into a corresponding slot on one of said sidewalls, each extension also having at least one slidably mounted pressure imparting member mounted thereon, each such slidable member having an outwardly extending annular flange for engaging an opening of a panel wrap tab and fastening said tab opening over the button in the corresponding slot in said sidewall.
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18. A method for forming containers of a type having two synthetic sidewalls attached via locking tabs and slots to a deformable central panel wrap using a machine having a mandrel movably mounted on a generally horizontal path between retracted and extended positions comprising the steps of:
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a. retracting said mandrel to one end of said path;
b. moving said mandrel forward along said path;
c. delivering two synthetic sidewalls to the sides of said forwardly moving mandrel from hoppers located on opposite sides of said path;
d. delivering a central panel wrap in front of said forwardly moving mandrel from a feed above the path of said mandrel;
e. deforming said panel wrap around said sidewalls as said mandrel moves forward through a plurality of plows and shoes located along the path of said mandrel;
f. pressing tabs in said panel wrap into corresponding slots on said sidewalls to connect them together to form a container; and
g. ejecting said newly formed container from the machine.
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Specification