Folding method and apparatus for basket-style article carriers

A method of forming a basket-style carrier in which a securing strip (16d) provided at a free end portion of a base panel (16) of the carrier is inserted into a space (42) created between a side wall (14a) and partition panels (14d) associated therewith so that the securing strip is secured to an inner face of that side wall internally of the carrier.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for folding an article 
carrier of the so-called basket type by which an edge portion of the base 
panel of such a carrier is secured to an internal face of a side wall of 
the carrier. 
Normally a basket-type article carrier has a base panel which includes an 
edge portion comprising a securing strip of material hinged to an adjacent 
part of the base panel and to which glue is applied. During folding of the 
carrier blank to form the article carrier in collapsed condition the base 
panel is folded about a central fold line and the securing strip brought 
into overlapping relationship and secured to the external surface of a 
side wall of the carrier. Thus, the securing strip is exposed to view, 
interrupts the continuous external surface of the side wall and therefore 
can detract from the printed appearance of the carrier side wall. Such an 
article carrier is disclosed in European Pat. No. 0,016,514 the disclosure 
of which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
The present invention seeks to improve the appearance of a basket-style 
article carrier by a modified folding and gluing process in which the 
securing strip is secured to an internal face of a carrier side wall and 
hidden from view. 
The invention provides a method of forming a basket-style article carrier 
from a partially formed carrier in collapsed condition which includes a 
first carrier part comprising one side wall of the carrier and internal 
partition panels associated therewith and a second carrier part comprising 
an opposite side wall of the carrier and internal partition panels, 
associated therewith, the carrier further inclduing a base panel and a 
securing strip provided by the base panel associated with the first 
carrier part which method comprises moving the partially formed carrier 
along a feed path in which the first and second carrier parts intitially 
are disposed substantially in the plane of the feed path, characterised by 
folding said second carrier part across said feed path towards said first 
carrier part and folding said base panel together with said securing strip 
in an opposite direction across said feed path towards said second carrier 
part and manipulating said second carrier to move into superposed 
relationship with said first carrier part and so that a space is created 
between said opposite side wall and the internal partition panels 
associated therewith, causing the securing strip to be inserted into said 
space while said securing strip and said second carrier part are in a 
raised attitude and thereafter causing the securing strip to be adhered to 
an inner face of said opposite wall while the completed carrier is in flat 
collapsed condition.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, a partially formed carton blank `B` for forming a carton 
of the basket-type is conveyed along a feed path `F` and subjected to 
sequential operations in a continuous folding and gluing process. For the 
purpose of this description only those parts of the carton relevant to the 
fabricating process of this invention are identified and described but the 
reader's attention is directed to the aformentioned European Pat. No. 
0,016,514. 
In FIG. 1, the partially formed carton blank is shown already formed into a 
condition in which is comprises a pair of similar parts relative to a 
central fold line 10 of the blank. For simplicity, these parts will be 
referred to as lower part 12 and upper part 14. The lower part carries a 
base panel 16 of the carrier which constitutes the major difference 
between the upper and lower parts. 
Lower part 12 comprises a side wall panel 12a to which is hinged an end 
wall panel 12b of one end of the carton about fold line 12c. Likewise, 
upper part 14 comprises the opposite side wall panel 14a of the carton to 
which is hinged an end wall panel 14b of the same one end of the carton 
about fold line 14c. Superimposed upon the side and end wall panels of the 
lower part 12 are a number of further carton panels which include 
transverse and medial partition panels generally depicted by reference 
numeral 12d, handle structure 12e and an end wall panel 12f of the 
opposite end of the carton. Similarly, superimposed upon the side and end 
wall panels of the upper part 14 are a number of carton panels which 
include transverse and medial partition panels generally depicted by 
reference numeral 14d, handle structure 14e and an end wall panel 14f of 
the said opposite end of the carton. 
The base panel 16 comprises panel portions 16a and 16b integrally hinged 
about an intermediate fold line 16c and a securing strip panel 16d hinged 
integrally to base panel portion 16b about fold line 16e. 
Referring now specifically to FIG. 1, the part-formed carton blank `B` is 
shown schematically in position 1 at which all the panels are lying 
substantially flat in a horizontal panee, the blank being conveyed in the 
direction of feed path `F`. Within the feed path between positions 1 and 
2, a flat elongate guide strip 18 is disposed such that it overrides the 
base panel portion 16b but is clear of the securing strip 16d of the 
carton. A folding bar 20 is provided alongside guide strip 18 so that the 
securing strip of the base panel is directed between guide strip 18 and 
folding bar 20. The folding bar 20 is shaped so as to fold the securing 
strip upwardly about fold line 16e out of the plane of the remainder of 
the base panel during forward movement of the blank. This initial folding 
step raises the securing strip to an extent such that an obtuse angle is 
subtended between the securing strip 16d and base panel portion 16b which 
facilitates a subsequent folding operation described later. The blank has 
now moved through positions 1 and 2 of FIG. 1. 
Referring now specifically to FIG. 2, path feed "F" is flanked by a pair of 
movable parallel endless belts 22, 24 respectively, which move in 
synchronism with a carton in the feed path. Intermediate the parallel 
belts are a flat elongate guide strip 18a (which can be an extension of 
strip 18) adjacent belt 22 and a pair of fixed folding bars 26, 28 
respectively, adjacent belt 24. Immediately prior to position 3 
illustrated, the upper part 14 of the carton enters the space between the 
folding bars while in a horizontal plane. The folding bars are shaped so 
that by the time the carton reaches position 3, the upper part 14 
progressively has been raised by folding about central fold line 10 into 
an upright attitude relative to lower part 12. 
Guide strip 18a is positioned so as to bear against base panel portion 16a 
while base panel portion 16b is disposed between strip 18a and belt 22. At 
each of the upstream and downstream ends of position 3 a roller 30 and 32, 
respectively is located which bear against belt 22. Roller 30 is set with 
its axis of rotation horizontal whereas the axis of rotation of roller 32 
is vertical thereby to maintain a twist in the belt from a horizontal to a 
vertical plane between positions 3 and 4. Thus, as the base panel portion 
16b moves along the space between guide strip 18a and belt 22 it is folded 
upwardly about fold line 16c into an upright attitude at position 4. 
The opposing belt 24 however is in an upright attitude through position 3 
and located against upper part 14 of the carton adjacent fold line 10. 
Also between positions 3 and 4, folding bars 26 and 28 extend downwardly 
and transversely of the feed path while also gradually becoming more 
closely spaced together. At position 3 an application of glue is made to 
specific areas of the panels 12d, 12e, and 12f, as is well known in the 
art. 
The orientation of the folding bars causes the upper part 14 of the carton 
to fold downwardly about fold line 10 towards the horizontally disposed 
lower part 12 as the carton moves from position 3 to position 4. Belt 24 
is twisted out of a vertical plane at position 3 into a horizontal plane 
at positions 4 and 5, the twist being maintained by a set of in-line 
rollers 34 at position 5. The rollers of set 34 all have their axes of 
rotation in a horizontal plane with the rollers bearing downwardly onto 
belt 24. As a result of the twist, induced by roller set 34, belt 24 
remains in a similar position in relation to the upper portion 14 of the 
carton even though the upper portion is folded downwardly during transfer 
from position 3 to position 4 because the belt 24 is caused to adopt a 
more horizontal position between positions 3 and 4. Thus belt 24 applies 
pressure in a direction towards the feed path onto the fold line 10 which 
tends to move apart the side wall 14a and end wall 14b from the adjacent 
internal partition panels 14d provided that the upper carrier part 14 is 
supported by folding bar 28 at a location spaced from the free end of the 
carton part 14 so that a space 42 is created between side wall 14a and the 
adjacent internal partition panels 14d. If necessary, an appropriate 
folding element (now shown) may be introduced between side wall 14a and 
the adjacent internal partition panels 14d to prise those panels apart and 
encourage the creation of space 42. 
Belt 22 is maintained vertical throughout position 4 by the cooperation of 
roller 32 and a further roller 36 disposed at the downstream end of 
position 4 at which location the guide strip 18a terminates. Thereafter, 
belt 22 again is twisted progressively into a horizontal plane through 
position 5 by spaced rollers 38 and 40 the former having its axis of 
rotation inclined to the horizontal while the latter has its axis of 
rotation disposed in a horizontal plane. This second twist in belt 22 
causes base panel portion 16b together with integral securing strip 16d 
to be folded downwardly and inwardly relative to the feed path between 
positions 4 and 5. The downward and inward folding of base panel portion 
16b is accompanied by like folding of the upper part 14 of the carton. 
This is achieved by the continuous convergence and transverse deflection 
of the folding bars 26, 28 until the folding bars are almost in superposed 
relationship centrally of the feed path at position 5. Here fold bar 28 
extends beneath the folded over upper part 14 of the carton while fold bar 
28 extends above upper carton part 14. Fold bar 28 terminates at the 
downstream end of position 5. An application of glue is made to the outer 
exposed face of the securing strip during its passage through position 4. 
Thereafter, as the upper part 14 and the securing strip are folded 
downwardly towards one aother their folding paths interfere such that 
securing strip 16b is inserted into the space 42 present between the 
adjacent edge of side wall 14a and the underlying transverse and medial 
partition panels 14d. This occurs during transference of the carton from 
position 4 to position 5. Insertion of the securing strip 16b is 
facilitated first in that the pre-folding earlier referred to puts the 
securing strip into substantially co-planar relationship with side wall 
14a immediately prior to insertion of the strip into space 42 and secondly 
in that the leading edge of the securing strip is backwardly raked to 
avoid snaring of the panels. It will be seen that throughout position 5, 
fold line 10 at the handle area of the carton and fold line 16c at the 
base panel of the carton run beneath roller sets 34 and 38/40. These 
rollers momentarily hold upper part 14 and base panel 16b in a mutually 
elevated attitude by virtue of a piercer-like effect which is created by 
the downward force of the roller sets. As the carton passes through 
position 5, upper part 14 and base panel 16b are lowered together and in 
so doing move towards one another so that securing strip is fully and 
smoothly inserted into the space 42. The carton subsequently passes 
through compression rollers so that all the glued areas are firmly adhered 
including the adhesion of the securing strip 16d to the inner face of side 
wall 14a.