Abstract:
Methods of selectively packaging clips of tissues in flat or boutique cartons include depositing clips on carriers and turning and dropping clips into transverse channels in the carrier floors from where fat clips can be pushed into flat cartons, or selectively depressing the mid-portion of clips spanning the channels into the channels to form U-shaped clips which can be pushed into boutique cartons.

Description:
This application is a divisional of U.S. Ser. No. 09/394,594, filed Sep. 13, 1999, entitled “FLEXIBLE TISSUE HANDLING APPARATUS”, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,202,392. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to handling items such as stacks or clips of facial tissues and more particularly to configuring such clips for cartoning such as for placement into particular cartons. 
     In the past, such tissues are produced in select count stacks or “clips” comprising one flat tissue lying atop another in an elongated flat shaped stack being generally longer than it is wide. This configuration is okay for flat shaped carton packaging; the clip is simply pushed endwise from a cartoner bucket into the box. Typically, the box has at least one major panel generally parallel with the tissues and an opening in the panel provides access for tissue removal for use. On the other hand, upright, cubic or boutique cartons are more confining. The clip must be bent into a U-shape and thusly configured, pushed sideways into the boutique carton which appears more like a cube than the rectangular shape of the flat carton. In these boutique cartons, a major panel adjacent the bend in the confined clip is provided with an opening for accessing the tissues for withdrawal and use. 
     In the past, when changing a product line or output from a flat carton to a boutique carton, there were two options. A first option was for the manufacturer to simply purchase two cartoning machines. One would handle a flat pack or cartoning process and another would handle a boutique or upright cartoning process. Of course, this involved the cost of an extra machine. 
     Alternately, if a single machine was used to produce filled flat cartons and boutique cartons, the machine would be stopped and many changeover parts added to reconfigure the machine to render it operable for properly configuring the clip for the new carton. This resulted in production downtime and significant expense for changeover parts. 
     More particularly, it will be appreciated that when filling flat cartons, flat clips are simply pushed longwise into the carton through an open end of the carton. End flaps are then closed to produce a finished carton or tissue box. When boutique or upright cartons are used, however, the clips are bent into a U-shape which is then pushed sideways into an open-sided boutique carton, which is then closed to produce a finished boutique carton or tissue box. 
     Generally, the clips in either case are received in individual buckets of a bucket conveyor, and, in appropriate configuration, are loaded into cartons moving along a machine direction, in phased relation to the buckets. A transfer guide bucket conveyor is typically interposed between the first mentioned buckets and the cartons for receiving and guiding the configured clip as it is pushed transversely from the bucket into the carton. 
     It will be appreciated from this description that the respective clips must be oriented in the buckets for transfer into the cartons in two different directions. For elongated flat clips, their elongated dimension should lie transversely across the buckets, perpendicular to the machine direction of the bucket conveyor, for endwise motion transversely across the bucket, toward and into the flat cartons. For boutique configured, U-shape clips, which are moved sideways transversely off the buckets into the boutique cartons, their elongated dimension should lie parallel to the machine direction of the bucket conveyor as they are moved into the cartoner. Thus, the clips for flat cartons are oriented longitudinally at 90 degrees to the longitudinal position of the clips configured for boutique cartons. 
     Accordingly, any machine which is changed over to handle both type clips or cartons must be provided with a variety of parts to produce proper clip orientation and handling, essentially for conveying boutique configured clips with their elongated dimension parallel to the machine direction or flat configured clips at 90 degrees or perpendicular to the machine direction. 
     Accordingly, it has been one objective of the invention to provide a single, improved tissue handling apparatus and methods for tissue clips of varied configuration. 
     It has been a further objective of the invention to produce an improved handling apparatus and methods for tissue cartoning which handles both flat and boutique configured clips, but without extensive downtime and with a minimum number of change parts. 
     It has been a further objective of the invention to provide improved apparatus and methods for turning tissue clips for proper orientation for insertion into flat cartons and for selectively transporting tissue clips for loading into boutique cartons. 
     It has been a further objective of the invention to provide improved methods and apparatus for handling differently configured tissue clips on the same handling apparatus with only minimal changeover parts. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     To these ends, a preferred embodiment of the invention contemplates use of a bucket conveyor wherein the buckets have a floor and a transverse channel disposed in the floor. The channel has a length which extends in a direction across the floor and a width which is wider than the side-to-side width of the clips, but shorter than the length of the clips. According to the invention, all clips of whatever final configuration they may assume, are fed into the buckets with their elongated length oriented in a downstream direction parallel to the machine direction of the buckets. In this position, the clips span over the transverse channels in the respective buckets. 
     When it is desired to fill flat cartons with a flat clip, the clip is turned so that it extends across the bucket parallel to the transverse channel. This turning causes the flat clip to fall into the channel. From there, it can then be pushed transversely and endwise into a flat carton. 
     When it is desired to fill a boutique or upright carton, the clip is maintained in its original position spanning the channel, its length being longer than the channel is wide. A tamp or confiner is moved in over the clip and pushes an intermediate portion of the clip down into the channel into a U-shaped configuration with a central portion of the clip at least partially down in the channels and outer ends contacted by the bucket floor or the channel walls and being directed upwardly. From this position, the U-shaped clip may now be pushed transversely and sideways out of the bucket and into a boutique or upright carton. 
     In both cases, a preferred embodiment of the invention provides a transfer guide bucket conveyor between the transport bucket and the carton to confine or guide the traversing clip into a carton in appropriate configuration. 
     One difficultly in accomplishing the turning process of the flat clip so it falls into the channel is potential loss of control, allowing the clip to scramble, twist or otherwise diverge from its uniform stacked configuration. In order to turn and drop the clip and maintain it in appropriate alignment at the same time, the preferred embodiment of the invention contemplates two offset opposed pushers engaging side edges of the flat clip at offset longitudinal positions to carefully turn it and allow it to drop. The pushers may comprise plates extendable transversely into the buckets from opposite sides, and into and above the transverse channels. Ends of the pushers engage and twist or turn the clip. Once in alignment with the channel, the clips are aligned with internal facing sides of the pushers which configure and guide the clip through its fall into the channel. 
     Thereafter, the pushers are retracted and the clips are conveyed downstream to a cartoner where they can be pushed endwise transversely across the buckets, along the channels and into a flat carton. The channels are slightly wider than the side-to-side width of the clip so there is room for each pusher between a respective side of the clip and the adjacent channel wall. 
     The pushers thus control the flat clip edges, maintaining alignment of the tissues in the clip as they are turned into final position and drop into the channel for end loading. After turning and aligning the clip, the pushers are retracted and the buckets continue downstream in a machine direction, maintaining the position or condition of the clips for loading into cartons. 
     The pushers are preferably independently carried on barrel loader-like apparatus disposed on opposite sides of the bucket conveyor and are, of course, either stopped or disabled when it is desired to configure the clips for loading boutique cartons where the clips are not turned. No change parts are required for selectively turning or not turning the clips. 
     When the clips are conveyed downstream to the loading station of a cartoner, the clips are pushed transversely and endways into flat cartons from the buckets and through the transfer guide buckets, flat confiners or tamps descend over the clips to compress and hold them. When the clips are configured in U-shape for loading into boutique cartons, these flat confiners are changed out for narrow elongated tamps or confiners descending into the U-shaped clip&#39;s center to configure confine and hold it while it is pushed transversely out of the bucket through the transfer guide bucket and into the boutique carton by, for example, a synchronized barrel loader. This constitutes only minimal changeover parts which can be fitted and released, as desired, by quick coupling mechanisms, thus reducing or eliminating any significant downtime. 
     In a further aspect of the invention, its particular application to tissue cartons as described, the pitch of the flat cartons may vary from that of the boutique cartons. This is accommodated by using independent servo drives for the bucket conveyors and transfer guide conveyors on the one hand and the carton conveyor on the other. Where both of the diverse pitches are accommodated in a standard cartoner machine pitch of, for example, 12 inches, it is only necessary to use one independent servo drive to appropriately phase the relative position of the carton conveyor and the bucket conveyor and associated barrel loader. 
     Accordingly, the invention provides a flexible, dual function improved tissue handling apparatus for easily configuring tissue clips for flat or boutique cartoning. 
    
    
     These and other objectives and results will be readily appreciated from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention and from the drawings in which: 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an expanded view of the load configuration of a tissue clip for a boutique carton: 
     FIG. 2 is an expanded view of the load configuration of a tissue clip for a fl at carton: 
     FIG. 3 is a plan view of a tissue handling apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the invention and shown together with upstream and downstream components of an entire system for loading clips into cartons; 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged plan view in more detail of that portion of a tissue handling apparatus shown at the right hand area of FIG.  3 . 
     FIG. 4A is an illustrative end view taken along lines  4 A— 4 A of FIG.  4 : 
     FIG. 5 is a side view of a clip receiving and turning bucket according to the invention and showing in phantom a clip before turning; 
     FIG. 5A is a view similar to FIG. 5, but showing a turned flat clip; 
     FIG. 6 is a plan view taken along lines  6 — 6  of FIG.  5 . 
     FIG. 7 is an end view taken along lines  7 — 7  of FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 8 is an illustrative operational view of the turning and dropping of a clip into a bucket channel according to the invention; 
     FIG. 9 is an illustrative plan view of loading flat configured clips from buckets, through transfer buckets, into flat cartons; 
     FIG. 9A is an illustrative side view taken along lines  9 A— 9 A of FIG. 9; 
     FIG. 9B is an illustrative side view taken along lines  9 B— 9 B of FIG. 9; 
     FIG. 10 is an illustrative plan view of loading boutique configured clips from buckets through transfer guide buckets into boutique cartons; 
     FIG. 10A is an illustrative side view taken along lines  10 A— 10 A of FIG. 10; 
     FIG. 10B is an illustrative side view taken along lines  10 B— 10 B of FIG. 10; 
     FIG. 11 is a load end view of a transfer bucket: 
     FIG. 11A is a top plan view of the transfer bucket of FIG. 11 shown in place between a carton and a bucket: and 
     FIG. 11B is a side view of the transfer bucket and adjacent components of FIG.  11 B. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Turning now to the drawings, there is illustrated therein methods and apparatus for handling both a flat tissue clip configuration and an upright, cubic or boutique tissue clip configuration. Typically, tissues such as facial tissues are packed in flat or conventional shaped cartons. Alternately, tissue clips are bent or formed into a U-shape and these are packed in upright, cubic or boutique shaped cartons. 
     It will be appreciated that, while the invention described herein is particularly useful for handling clips in these alternate configurations, the invention and its principles can be found useful in handling or transporting other products or items having varying shapes or configurations. 
     Turning now to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is illustrated therein the orientation of clips of facial tissues both in a respective boutique clip configuration and in a flat clip configuration. 
     FIG. 1 illustrates the load orientation for a boutique clip configuration. In FIG. 1, an upright cubic or boutique carton  10  is illustrated, having a tissue opening  11  in a major panel which is situated in this view on the bottom of the carton  10 . A boutique clip  12  is illustrated in its boutique configuration, such that the clip itself takes on a bent or U-shaped configuration for loading into the carton  10 . 
     It will be appreciated that the clip has a width  13  and a foreshortened length from end-to-end due to the bending of the tissues in the clip, but generally running from the narrow edge of one tissue through the clip to its narrow opposed and parallel edge. Such a clip  12  is inserted into the carton  10  by means of a longitudinal U-shaped pusher  14  moving in a load direction  15  as will be described. The clips are preferably loaded on the move while they are being transported in a downstream or machine direction MD with the cartons  10  and the pusher  14  moving in the same downstream direction at the same time such that the pusher  14  is also moving transversely in the load direction to push the clips into the carton  10 . 
     Illustrated in FIG. 2 is a carton of flat shaped or configuration  18 . Carton  18  is also provided with a tissue opening  19  disposed in what is shown in FIG. 2 as a major bottom panel of the carton. A flat clip  20  comprising a plurality of facial tissues has narrow ends  21 ,  22 , each defining across them a width  23 , and the clip is elongated between ends  21 ,  22 , defining a length  24 . A U-shaped pusher  14  is moved in a load direction  15  to push the flat clip  20  endwise and transversely into the carton  18 . This is accomplished while the clip  20 , the carton  18  and the pusher  14  are also moving in a downstream direction. 
     It will be appreciated with respect to both FIGS. 1 and 2 that the cartons are conveyed in a downstream direction by a carton conveyor, such as a lug type conveyor, while the pushers  14  are conveyed sequentially in a downstream direction, one after the other, by means of a well known barrel loader which is useful to convey the pushers in a downstream or machine direction while, at the same time, causing the pushers to extend transversely to load the clips into the cartons respectively. 
     At the same time, the clips are carried in the separate buckets of a bucket conveyor (not shown in these figures) in the machine direction. As will be described, the clips are pushed from these buckets transversely through transfer guide buckets (not shown in FIGS. 1,  2 ) and into the cartons  10  and  18  respectively. 
     For illustration purposes, a complete system for loading individual clips which are discharged in any conventional manner, such as from a log saw  28 , is illustrated in FIG.  3 . The system shown in FIG. 3 includes a log saw discharging clips onto a clip conveyor  29  from where the clips are introduced into a spacing apparatus including a turnwheel  30  having depending clip pushing pins  31  for engaging the rear end of the clips and moving the clips in a curved path, as shown in this embodiment as a 90 degree turn, into a clip handling apparatus  35 , as will be described in more particular detail herein. 
     When the clips are discharged from the wheel  30 , they are deposited into buckets on a bucket conveyor  36 , as also will be described in more detail. The clips can be deposited on the bucket conveyor  36  in any known fashion and by any apparatus which does not comprise a part of this particular invention. The clips may be fed onto the ends of the buckets or pushed onto them in that manner, or may be fed from an overhead position and dropped into the buckets. In any event, it will be appreciated that, at this point, all of the clips, whether to be formed in a boutique configuration or in a flat configuration are, in fact, flat and elongated in a machine direction MD as they reside on the buckets of the bucket conveyor  36  at this position. 
     From the clip handling apparatus  35 , the clips are conveyed in the buckets to a cartoning apparatus for moving the clips from the full bucket conveyors into respective cartons. This cartoner is illustrated at  38  and includes carton feeding and erecting apparatus  39 , a carton conveyor  40 , a transfer guide bucket conveyor  41  and downstream carton handling apparatus including dust flap closing, gluing, flap closing, compression and other conveying apparatus for finishing the carton and feeding it to a product discharge end  43  of the cartoner, where the respective cartons either of the boutique style  10  or the flat style  18  are discharged for packaging and shipment. The cartoner  38  includes a barrel loader  32  of typical configuration including a cam track  34  for moving pushers to load cartons as will be described. Also, at the cartoner, a carousel  33  is disposed above bucket conveyor  36  and transfer guide conveyor  41  as will be described. 
     The handling apparatus  35  of the invention is best seen in the right hand area of FIG. 3 which appears in enlarged format in FIG.  4 . In FIG. 4, it will be appreciated that a plurality of clips are sequentially transported by the bucket conveyor  36  into the clip handling apparatus  35 . At this point, it will be instructive to note that the clips C are all elongated and in flat configuration, having a longitudinal dimension moving in the same direction and in parallel with the machine direction MD of the bucket conveyor  36 . In this configuration, the clips all span transverse channels (described below) in the buckets. 
     Turning now momentarily to FIGS. 5-7, the individual buckets of the bucket conveyor  36  will be described. The individual buckets  46 , as perhaps best seen in FIG. 5, include a bucket floor comprising a rearward transverse floor surface  47  and a forward transverse floor surface  48 . A channel  49  is disposed in the floor defined by surfaces  47 ,  48  and comprises channel walls  50 ,  51  and channel floor  52 . As shown in FIG. 5, channel floor  52  is depressed or lower than the floor surface  47 ,  48  of the bucket  46 . 
     Each bucket is provided with a clip pusher  53  extending above the floor surface  47  at the trailing edge of the bucket. The bucket is mounted on two carrying brackets  54 ,  55  which are provided with provisions for securing the buckets to parallel conveyor chains which comprise the bucket conveyor  36 . Each of the buckets is centered on the chains at a desired pitch of, for example, twelve inches. 
     Further, it will be appreciated that the bucket channel  49  has a predetermined width illustrated at  57  and a predetermined transverse length indicated at  58 . The length  58  of the channel  49  is somewhat longer than the length  24  of the flat clips C. At the same time, it will be appreciated that the width  57  of channel  49  between the walls  50 ,  51  is somewhat wider or greater than the width  23  of the clips C and, as well, the widths  13  and  23  of the flat clips, as shown in the various figures. Moreover, the width  57  of channel  49  is significantly shorter than the length  24  of any flat clip as deposited on the bucket in the machine direction MD. 
     Accordingly, when a flat clip C is placed onto the bucket  46 , such a clip C being shown in phantom in FIGS. 5 and 6, it will be appreciated that the clip spans the channel  49  with the forward and trailing ends of the longitudinal dimension of the clip being supported respectively on the floor surfaces  48  and  47  of the bucket  46 . 
     It will be appreciated that in this configuration, the longitudinal dimension extending between the short ends  21 ,  22  of the clip is arranged parallel to the machine direction and motion of the buckets in the bucket conveyor  36  as they move through the apparatus. Thus, as initially introduced to the buckets  46  on bucket conveyor  36 , the clips are moving downstream in machine direction but in an orientation which is 90 degrees off from that desired for eventual loading of flat clips onto flat cartons. 
     Specifically and as noted above, it is most desirable to insert the clips endwise into flat cartons  18 . Since the clips are initially moved lengthwise in a downstream direction, however, it is necessary to turn them 90 degrees so that they can be pushed transversely out of the buckets in an endwise direction at the cartoner to load flat cartons  18 . 
     In order to accommodate this reorientation of the clips C, or clip  20  in this case, where a flat configuration is desired for filling a flat carton  18 , the buckets  46  according to the invention are provided with the channels  49 . When the clips are turned 90 degrees, they drop into the channel  49  from where they can now be moved transversely in an endwise direction into an appropriate downstream carton  18  as will be further described. 
     In order to turn the clips, apparatus such as that illustrated in FIGS. 4,  4 A and  8  is provided according to the invention. In particular, the handling apparatus  35  as shown in FIG. 4 is provided with a plurality of transversely movable and offset pushers, such as pushers  60 - 60 D on one side of the bucket conveyor  36  and pushers  62 - 62 D on the other side of bucket conveyor  36 . 
     Each of the pushers  60 ,  62  and their similar pushers, are mounted on respective barrel loader-like apparatus  64 ,  66 , including cams  68 ,  70  operationally disposed on opposite sides of bucket conveyor  36 . Each of the pushers is carried on a carriage, such as that illustrated in FIG. 4, mounted on slides and a cam follower is disposed on each of the carriages and is operable to move the slides in a perpendicular direction with respect to the machine direction MD to carry the pushers across the bucket conveyor  36  as will be described. 
     It will be further appreciated that the pushers  60 ,  62  and their downstream similar elements are offset in the machine direction MD, one from the other. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that pusher  60  leads pusher  62 , pusher  60 A leads pusher  62 A, pusher  60 B leads pusher  62 B, pusher  60 C leads pusher  62 C and pusher  60 D leads pusher  62 D. Thus, it will be appreciated that the pushers  60  are offset in a downstream direction from the pushers  62 . 
     As seen in FIG. 4, it will be appreciated that as the pushers are extended by the respective cams  68 ,  70 , they engage the clips C ( 20 ) at positions which are offset with respect to the direction machine direction. The offset forces on longitudinally displaced locations on opposite sides of the clips C serve to twist or turn the clips so that the clips slide across the floor surfaces  47 ,  48  respectively of the buckets  46  until the clips are reoriented 90 degrees, such as that position shown between pushers  60 B and  62 B in FIG.  4 . 
     In this condition, the clips fall freely from bucket floor surfaces  47 ,  48  into the channels  49  and channel floors  52  of each of the individual buckets on which the clips are being carried. At the same time, it will be appreciated from FIG. 4A that the respective pushers  60 ,  62  are of such a height and shape that the pushers extend down into the channel  49 , but also above the channels. 
     As noted above, the channel is sufficiently wide, front to back, that it can accommodate not only the clip lying therein, but the relatively thin width of each of the extended pushers  60 ,  62 , one lying on each side of the clip between the clip and the respective adjacent channel wall,  50 ,  51  respectively. 
     This orientation of the pushers  60 ,  62  is shown in phantom in FIGS. 5 and 5A and also in FIG. 6 where the pushers are withdrawn. This orientation is also illustrated in FIG. 8 as will be appreciated. 
     After the clips have been turned and dropped into the respective channels  49 , continued downstream motion causes the barrel loader-like apparatus  64 ,  66  to withdraw the respective pushers as illustrated in FIG.  4 . The clips thereafter are conveyed in a downstream direction in an aligned fashion, centered in the channels  49  of the buckets  46 . 
     It will be appreciated that the pushers  60 ,  62  serve, not only to turn the clips, but to control the clips during this turning and during their dropping into the channel  49  so that the clips are maintained in an aligned and uniform condition. The flat sided pushers engage and control the sides of the clip as it drops and lands on the channel floor  52 . 
     It should also be appreciated that it is not necessary for the pushers to move into the channels  49 . For example, in an alternate embodiment, the pushers  60 ,  62  may extend across the buckets  46  generally at the level of floor surfaces  47 ,  48  but not below into the channels. In such a case, the front-to-back channel width between walls  50 ,  51  is selected more closely to the width of clips  20 . In this case, the clip sides are first engaged by the pusher ends, then their respective internal opposed surfaces, then the channel walls  50 ,  51  to maintain their alignment in the channels. 
     Moreover, it will be appreciated that as the pushers engage the opposite sides of the clips C or  20 , they have a centering effect on the clips so that the end result is that the clips are positioned within the bucket channels  49  so that their ends do not overhang either of the edges of the buckets  46 . 
     Of course, it is not desirable to turn the clips C when those clips will be eventually configured into a U-shaped boutique configuration for packaging in a boutique carton  10 . Accordingly, when the machine is selectively set up to handle clips in a boutique configuration, the barrel loader-like apparatus on either side of the bucket conveyor  36  is switched so that the cam followers of the carriages for the pushers  60 ,  62  are directed into a straight direction (MD) track which does not taper toward the bucket conveyor  36 . Thus, the pushers are rendered inactive and do not turn the clips on the buckets. Instead, the clips are simply conveyed downstream, with their longitudinal dimension moving along with and parallel to the machine direction MD. 
     Alternately, or in addition, the bucket loader-like pusher apparatus  64 ,  66  can simply be stopped, this being accommodated, for example, by an independent drive, and it will be appreciated that the bucket loader-like pushers are independently mounted and driven with respect to the bucket conveyor  36 . 
     It will also be appreciated that the respective clips C may be one height when it is desired to eventually configure those clips into a boutique configuration, such as boutique clip  12  and another height when they are to be configured into a flat clip configuration, such as flat clip  20 . 
     Accordingly, it will be appreciated that as used herein, the letter C is used to refer to clips generically, however those clips will be later configured, while the number  20  refers to the flat clips which will be configured and packaged in that manner and the number  12  is used to referred to clips which are or will be configured in a bent or boutique clip configuration for packaging in a boutique carton  10 . 
     The sequence of operation described above in terms of turning a clip  20  is further seen in the illustrative plan view of FIG.  8 . In that figure, it will be appreciated that a clip  20  is carried on the floor surfaces  47 ,  48  of a bucket  46  spanning the channel  49 . When the clips are carried by the buckets, they are pushed by the dogs or pushers  53  as illustrated at the bucket  46 A in FIG.  8 . Floor surfaces  47 ,  48  are in a plan disposed above that of channel floor  52 . 
     The downstream bucket has moved to a position where the barrel loader-like apparatus has engaged the pushers  60 ,  62  to move inwardly into the channel  49  across the buckets  46 , and engage the clip  20 , thereby turning or rotating it in the direction of the arrow  71 . As shown with respect to the bucket  46 C in FIG. 8, the pushers  60 ,  62  have been fully extended into the channel  49  and across the bucket  46 C, allowing positioning and fully turning the clip  20  a rotation of 90 degrees from its position as shown in bucket  46 A where the clip  20  is dropped into the channel. The clip  20  is dropped into the channel  49  of the bucket  46 C onto floor  52 . 
     Thereafter in a further downstream position with respect to bucket  46 D, the pushers  60 ,  62  have been withdrawn, leaving the clip centered and aligned in the channel  49  for further handling and packaging. 
     As noted above, this turning operation would be omitted in the case of clips C which are to be configured in a boutique or bent configuration. Those clips simply remain in position as does the clip  20  as shown in bucket  46 A, the pushers  60 ,  62  having been disabled. 
     Turning now to FIGS. 9 and 10, there is illustrated therein a further packaging of the clips into the respective cartons at the cartoner  38 . Cartoner  38  includes a carton feeder  39 , such as flat carton feeder FCF, for feeding cartons onto a carton conveyor  40 , the lugs of which are illustrated respectively in FIGS. 9 and 10 as lug sets  44 ,  45 . 
     As shown in FIG. 9, lug sets  44  engage erected flat cartons  18  and moves them in the downstream direction or machine direction. FIG. 9 will be described in this connection as illustrating the loading of the flat cartons  18  with flat clips  20 . 
     It will be appreciated that the cartoner  38  also includes a transfer bucket conveyor  41  having a plurality of transfer buckets  75 . This transfer bucket conveyor  41  is elongated in the machine direction and is interposed between bucket conveyor  36  and carton conveyor  40 . The construction of these buckets  75  is perhaps best seen in FIGS. 11,  11 A and  11 B. Each transfer bucket has two opposed sidewalls  76 ,  77  which converge toward a discharge end  78  from a wider receiving end  79 . Each of the buckets  75  are mounted on two brackets  80 ,  81  comprising the guide of the transfer guide bucket conveyor  41 . 
     It will be appreciated that the guide bucket conveyor  41  as disposed in the cartoner apparatus  38  has only a limited operational run, as diagrammatically indicated in FIG.  3 . This transfer guide bucket conveyor is disposed between the carton conveyor  40  on the one side and the guide bucket conveyor  36  on the other, so that clips which are pushed from the guide bucket conveyor  36  are moved transversely through the guide buckets  75  and into the cartons  18 . 
     In this regard, it will be appreciated that the bucket channels  49  are indexed and aligned with the transfer guide buckets  75  and that the floors  52  of the buckets  46  are in preferably the same plane as the floors  82  of the transfer guide bucket  75 . 
     It will also be appreciated that the carton conveyor  40  is provided in a standard or other desirable pitch such as twelve inches, however, it will be appreciated that that pitch is defined by, for example, the lug sets  44 , with the lug sets  45  being disposed within that pitch. In any event, the bottom panel of the carton is disposed in about the same plan and level as the floors  82  of the transfer bucket  75  and  52  of channel  49  of buckets  46 , and in any event significantly lower than bucket floor surfaces  47 ,  48 . 
     It will also be appreciated that the lug sets  45  are on a similar pitch with respect to each other, but that the distances between the lug sets  44  and  45  respectively may vary, one to accommodate one particular width of a flat carton  18 , for example, and the other to accommodate the particular leading to trailing edge width of a boutique carton  10 , for example, as will be described in connection with FIG.  10 . 
     Accordingly, it will be appreciated that the bucket conveyor  36  and the transfer bucket conveyor  41  are driven by drives which are controlled by independent servo drives with respect to the carton conveyor  40  so that the appropriate phase alignment can be made when the machine is selectively switched from handling flat clips, such as clips  20  for example, to boutique configured clips, such as clips  12 . 
     Also, it will be appreciated that the loading of the clips  20  into the cartons  18  as shown in FIG. 9 is accomplished by a conventional barrel loader  32  (not shown in detail) having disposed on the ends of its pushers a U-shaped pusher  14 . This pusher moves in a load direction  15  to push the clips  20  from the floors  52  of the channels  49  through the transfer guide buckets  75 , across their floors  82  and into the cartons  18  as illustrated in FIG.  9 . 
     Thereafter, the barrel loader  32  withdraws the pushers  14  and the filled cartons  18  are moved downstream for flap gluing, closing, and other finishing steps and discharge. 
     It will be appreciated that the clips  20  are preferably compressed as they enter the cartoner  38  and are prepped for transport into the cartons. Flat confiners or tampers  85  are shown in this regard. For example, in FIG. 9A, a confiner or tamp  85  which may be mounted on an overhead carousel  33 , for example, descends via means of a cam driven track, for example, onto the clip  20 , confining and compressing it in the channel  49 . 
     This confiner  85  may be elongated so that it extends along the full length of the clip lying transversely across the bucket  46 . This confiner may also extend into or over the guide bucket  75  as illustrated in FIG. 9B, however, the confiner  85  stops short in a transverse direction from the cartons  18 . Thereafter, the confiners  85  are lifted upwardly and away, where they are moved through a return run and back toward an entry end of the cartoner  38 . 
     Accordingly, FIG. 9A illustrates a confiner which is moved downwardly and which also continues to move in machine direction MD to compress and confine the flat clip  20  before and while it is being pushed with the U-shaped pusher  14  which does not interfere with the confiner  85  transversely through the transfer bucket conveyor  75  and into the carton  18 . 
     FIG. 9B illustrates the continuing influence of the confiner  85  on the clip  20  as it is pushed through the guide bucket  75  and into the carton  18 . 
     Turning now to FIG. 10, it will be appreciated that this figure illustrates the packaging of a clip  10  in a boutique carton or container  10  by first configuring the clip into a boutique shaped clip  12 . In FIG. 10 it will be appreciated that a boutique carton feeder (BCF) has fed cartons  10  onto the carton conveyor  40 , the cartons  10  being driven by the sets of carton conveying lugs  45  at an appropriate pitch, and that the transfer guide bucket conveyor  41  and the bucket conveyor  36  has been phased by means of an appropriate servo drive into appropriate registry with the cartons  10 , all of which move downstream and in a machine direction. 
     Of course, it would be possible to provide a line drive machine, where the various phases are mechanically adjusted, however, the servo drive mechanisms for the various conveyors have been found to easily produce the phase registries that are required between the components. 
     As shown in FIG. 10, the clip  12  lies or spans across and overthe channel  49  and is supported by the surfaces  47 ,  48  of the buckets  46 . An elongated confiner or tamp  86 , which has been substituted for tamp  85 , is utilized to initiate and hold the clip  12  in a U-shaped configuration partially at least down into channel  49 . Confiner  86  is not as wide in the machine direction as confiner  85  and, when moved downwardly as illustrated in FIG. 10A, pushes the clip downwardly into the channel  49  of the bucket  46 , so that the clip takes on a U-shaped configuration. This shape may be more steeply inclined than as shown in FIG. 10A when tamp  86  compresses the bight of the clip  12 . 
     As the side of clip  12  is engaged by the U-shaped pusher  14 , the clip is pushed transversely out of the channel in a load direction  15  into the transfer guide buckets  75 , the floors of which are preferably co-planar with the floors  52  of the bucket channels  49 . 
     The confiners or tamps  86  are elongated so they extend over the transfer guide bucket  75  and the confiners are carried on the horizontally moving carousel  33  described above, for example, with the confiners being raised and lowered by an appropriate cam track, just as the confiners  85  with respect to FIG.  9 . The confiners extend laterally or transversely in a load direction  15  into the area of the transfer guide buckets  75  and thus hold and maintain the clips  12  in a U-shaped configuration, somewhat pressing the bight or intermediate portion of the clip into the channel  49  and into the respective guide buckets  75  as the clip is pushed. 
     The inwardly tapered walls  77 ,  76  of the transfer guide buckets serve to further confine and shape the boutique clips  12  into the appropriate final configuration for loading into the cartons  10  as illustrated in FIG. 10 as the buckets  46 , the containers  10  and the guide buckets  75  move from right to left as shown in this figure. 
     The pushers  14  are mounted on and actuated by a barrel loader of any conventional design, such that the pushers  14  are moved in a load direction  15  as shown in FIG. 10, transversely of the buckets  46  and the transfer guide buckets  75  to push the clips into the boutique cartons  10  in a bent or U-shaped configuration. 
     Accordingly, it will be appreciated that the clips  12  are urged downwardly and at least partially into the channels  49  to provide and accommodate their boutique configuration for loading into the cartons  10 . Thereafter, the barrel loader withdraws the pusher  14  and the confiners  86  are raised, both to operate through return runs for further engagement, as the machine continues in operation. 
     In an alternative embodiment for boutique clip handling and loading, it will be appreciated that a manufacturer might desire to load the clips upside down from the configuration described above. In other words, the curved intermediate portion or the bight is up, while the clip ends are directed down. 
     In such a case, the apparatus described above is modified with a device placed in the channel floor  52  of buckets  46  to selectively raise the bight portion of the clip. Instead of tamp  86 , a C-shaped tamp is used to press the ends of the clip downwardly toward the bucket  46  as it is compressed and pushed sideways through transfer buckets and into a boutique carton. 
     Accordingly, it will be appreciated that the clip handling apparatus  35 , as particularly illustrated in FIG. 4, for example, renders the entire tissue cartoning process viable for handling both flat carton tissue clips and boutique carton clip configurations with minimal equipment changeover such as, for example, the changeover between the confiners  85  and  86  by means of any quick releasable interconnecting means. 
     Moreover, it will be appreciated that the tissue handling apparatus as illustrated in FIG. 4 provides positive control over the tissue clips which are to be turned, centering them in the bucket channels and dropping them into the channels while maintaining them in an aligned format. 
     The clips cannot be over-rotated by virtue of the speed of the turning operation, since they are held and confined by the pushers  60 ,  62  during the turning operation and as the clips are dropped into the channels. 
     Moreover, it will be appreciated that the pushers  60 ,  62  are easily deactivated when it is desired to leave the clips moving with longitudinal dimensions headed downstream when, for example, the clips are to be configured in a boutique configuration: 
     Accordingly, it is not necessary for the packager to purchase two machines, one for flat carton clip handling and one for boutique carton clip handling, nor is it necessary for the packager to acquire a machine which requires numerous and expensive changeover parts and significant downtime, when it is desired to selectively change from one clip configuration to the other. 
     These and other objectives and advantages will become readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the scope of the invention, and applicant intends to be bound only by the claims appended hereto.