Patent ID: 6387028
Filing Date: 2002-05-14
Classification: B31B,B65B

Abstract:
A packaging machine comprising:a movable body having mandrels, and drive means to intermittently drive said body so as to stop each of the mandrels at a process station while carrying containers as fitted around the respective mandrels with a bottom forming portion of each container projecting outward from the mandrel, the bottom forming portion having first to fourth bottom panels facing toward the upstream side with respect to the direction of movement of the mandrel, rightward, downstream side with respect to the direction of movement of the mandrel and leftward, respectively, a bottom breaker for forming folds in a bottom forming end portion of the container fitted around the mandrel as halted at the process station so as to render the end portion foldable flat, and the bottom breaker having first folding means and second folding means, the first folding means being operable to fold the second and fourth bottom panels in two into triangles first, the second folding means being operable to fold first and third bottom panels subsequent to the second and fourth bottom panels, wherein the second folding means has an upstream arm and a downstream arm each being pivotally movable toward and away from the other about an axis extending transversely of the direction of movement of the mandrel, the upstream arm being movable into pressing contact with the first bottom panel for folding, the downstream arm being movable into pressing contact with the third bottom panel for folding, the downstream arm being provided at a portion thereof to be contacted with the third bottom panel with a pressure roller having an axis of rotation extending transversely of the direction of movement of the mandrel, and wherein the upstream arm is provided at a portion thereof to be contacted with the first bottom panel with a pressure roller having an axis of rotation extending transversely of the direction of movement of the mandrel.