Patent ID: 6732489
Filing Date: 2004-05-11
Classification: B65B

Abstract:
In a continuous motion article packaging machine having a transport conveyor for moving a preconfigured bottle group through a carton folding section of the machine for packaging the bottle group into a paperboard carton, said carton including a top panel, carton flaps disposed adjacent the top panel, and first and second side panels disposed adjacent the top panel, and wherein the carton flaps each include a center panel and foldable gussets for maintaining peripheral portions of the center panel in contact with peripheral edges of the side panels when the carton is in a wrapped position around the preconfigured bottle group, the improvement comprising a method for folding a carton flap comprising the steps of:disposing a carton tucker wheel of a carton flap folding assembly adjacent to said transport conveyor, said carton tucker wheel including a first engaging surface and a second engaging surface; conveying carton blanks to the carton flap folding assembly; engaging the carton with an overhead flap folding assembly and orienting the carton flaps from a horizontal orientation into a substantially perpendicular orientation with respect to a horizontal axis of the carton, as the bottle group moves through the carton folding section; engaging first gussets of the paperboard carton by said first engaging surface to fold said first gusset of the carton away from said first engaging surface; engaging second gussets of the carton by said second engaging surface to fold said second gussets of said carton away from said second engaging surface, thereby contacting and folding the gussets beneath the carton with the tucker wheel to maintain contact between the center panel peripheral edges with the side panel peripheral edges when the carton side panels are folded around the bottle group.