Patent ID: 7040479
Filing Date: 2006-05-09
Classification: B31B,B65B

Abstract:
1. An apparatus comprising: a supply holding a flattened box blank; a conveyor passing in a transport direction adjacent the supply and having a succession of box seats spaced apart in the direction; a planet carrier rotatable about a sun axis between the supply and the conveyor; a single planetary element on the carrier offset from the sun axis, having axially spaced inner and outer ends, and rotatable about a planet axis parallel to and offset from the sun axis; a grab on the planetary-element outer end engageable with the blank in the supply and engageable in the conveyor seats; a planet drive wheel fixed to the planetary-element inner end and rotatable with the planetary element about the planet axis; a sun wheel rotatable about the sun axis; means coupling the wheels together for joint synchronous rotation; carrier drive means connected to the carrier for rotating the carrier about the sun axis such that the planetary element orbits about the sun axis; and planetary drive means separate from the carrier drive means and connected to the sun wheel for rotating the planetary element about the planet axis independently of the carrier such that the grab moves while orbiting about the sun axis through a closed asymmetric path having only two outer points, the grab engaging the blank in the supply in one of the outer points and pressing the blank into one of the seats in the other of the outer points.