Patent ID: 8109062

Claim:
An apparatus for closing and sealing cases of different sizes, comprising: an input stage having an input gate, the input gate having a first position to prevent passage of an open case and a second position to allow passage of the open case; a case measuring stage, to receive the open case from the input stage and to measure a height and a width of the open case, wherein a calculated closed case height is derived from the measuring of the height and width of the open case; a case closing stage, having a height set according the calculated closed case height, to receive the measured open case from the case measuring stage and to close flaps on the open case and to thereby produce a closed case, wherein the case closing stage comprises a dynamic closing mechanism comprising: left and right contact bars, moved by left and right swing arms, respectively, the left swing arm and right swing arm pivoting about a left arm pivot axis and a right arm pivot axis, respectively, wherein the left arm pivot axis is on a right side of a centerline of the open case and the right arm pivot axis is on a left side of the centerline, and wherein the left and right swing arms are in a crossed relationship; left and right gear sets, extending from the left and right swing arms, respectively, the left and right gear sets meshing together to result in synchronous movement of the left and right swing arms; and a lever arm, extending from one of the left and right swing arms, the lever arm driven by a power source; a case sealing stage, vertically movable to an initial height set according to the calculated closed case height before the closed case arrives from the case closing stage, to seal the closed case, and to thereby produce a sealed case; a secondary height detection system, within the case sealing stage, to measure a height of the closed case and to direct the case sealing stage to move from the initial height to a subsequent height, the subsequent height determined according to the measured height of the closed case; and an output stage to accelerate the sealed case upon departure from the case sealing stage.