Patent ID: 8789348

Claim:
A method for securing a top for a cardboard carton where the carton has a bottom wall and integral sidewalls defining an initially open interior and a top which has been positioned on the open interior, the top having downwardly extending ears which have been brought to a position in contact with selected ones of the carton sidewalls, the method comprising the steps of: providing a carton closing station for the aforesaid cardboard carton for temporarily supporting the cardboard carton in a stationary position within the closing station; providing a punching mechanism including a set of rotatable punches at the carton closing station which are alignable with the downwardly extending ears of the carton top; aligning the rotatable punches with the top ears and rotating the punches to force a first layer of cardboard from a respective top ear through an associated second layer of an underlying sidewall of the carton, whereby the first layer of cardboard forms a retainer for the respective top ear to thereby secure the top ear to the respective sidewall of the carton; and wherein the punching mechanism includes a set of vertically extending platens which underlie the rotatable punches as the punches are actuated to puncture the carton, the platens having window openings for receiving operative portions of the rotatable punches while, at the same time, reinforcing the carton sidewalls.