Patent ID: 6629403
Filing Date: 2003-10-07
Classification: B65B

Abstract:
In an automatic packaging machine, a mandrel comprising a support plate having at least two pairs of elongated tracks, said pairs of elongated tracks being oppositely disposed, said elongated tracks of each pair being vertically aligned, a finger mounted to travel on each of said elongated tracks of said support plate, a cam follower means for traveling in a cam track extending along a conveyor in said automatic packaging means, said cam track having contours which guide and direct said cam follower as a function of an instantaneous position of said mandrel as it travels along said conveyor, means responsive to said cam follower for moving said fingers on said tracks, and spring means for pulling said fingers to grip an object between said fingers, movement of said cam follower means along said contours opening said grip and said spring means closing said grip, wherein said object is a box and each of said fingers has a circumferential groove located to grip and squeeze opposite edges of a blank for forming said box, said blank expanding to form an oddly non-parallelepiped shaped box responsive to said squeeze.