Patent ID: 7140165

Claim:
A method for sealing a box having four top flaps initially disposed in an open position, said method comprising the steps of: determining a width of the box via a width sensor disposed at a first end of a box sealing apparatus; adjusting a pair of oppositely-disposed side conveyors disposed in the box sealing apparatus based on the width of the box determined by the width sensor; determining a height of the box via a height sensor disposed at the first end of the box sealing apparatus; adjusting a vertical position of a tape dispensing mechanism in the box sealing apparatus based on the height of the box determined by the height sensor; conveying the box from the first end of the box sealing apparatus to a second end of the apparatus using the pair of oppositely-disposed side conveyors; folding a fourth top flap of the box into a folded and horizontal position with a first flap folding member; folding a second top flap of the box into a folded and horizontal position with a second flap folding member; folding, via a pair of oppositely disposed side flap folding members, first and third top flaps of the box into a folded and horizontal position so as to abut each other, each of the pair of oppositely disposed side flap folding members being twisted to have a vertical first end and a horizontal second end; adjusting a vertical position of the horizontal second ends of the oppositely disposed flap folding members based on the height of the box without adjusting a vertical position of the vertical first ends; and dispensing tape from the tape dispensing mechanism across at least a portion of the first and third top flaps of the box in order to maintain the first and third top flaps in abutment with each other, thereby sealing the box.