Patent ID: 8671654

Claim:
A method of forming and loading a case, said case made from a corrugated material and comprising: i. a generally flat transversely extending base panel; ii. first and second transversely extending, generally parallel, side wall panels upstanding from, and being oriented generally orthogonal to, said base panel, each of said first and second side wall panels having respective first transverse edges extending along and joined with respective opposite transverse edges of said base panel; iii. first and second upstanding end panels positioned at opposed ends of said first side wall panel and oriented generally orthogonal to both said first side wall panel and said base panel, each said first and second ends panel having edges joined with and extending from opposed end edges of said first side wall panel; iv. third and fourth upstanding end panels positioned at opposed ends of second side wall panel and oriented generally orthogonal to said second side wall panel and said base panel, each of said third and fourth end panels joined with and extending from opposed end edges of said second side wall panel; and v. fifth and sixth upstanding end panels, said fifth and sixth upstanding end panels positioned at opposed ends of said base panel, said fifth and sixth end panels oriented generally orthogonal to both said first and second side wall panels and said base panel, each said fifth and sixth ends panel having edges joined with opposed end edges of said base panel; wherein said first and third end wall panels meet at a first vertically extending seam extending upwards from one end of said base panel and said second and fourth end wall panels meet at a second vertically extending seam extending upwards from an opposite end of said base panel; and wherein said fifth end panel is attached to first and third end wall panels and said sixth end panel is attached to said second and fourth end wall panel, to thereby form completed first and second end walls; said method comprising: i. forming a sheet of corrugated fiberboard; ii. operating a die cutting apparatus to form a generally flat case blank from said sheet of corrugated fiberboard at a first location; iii. transporting said flat case blank to a second location; iv. operating a case forming apparatus at said second location to fold said case blank to form said case, including forming said completed first and second end walls, v. after the case has been formed by the case forming apparatus, operating a loading apparatus to load at least one item into said case; vi. sealing the opposed top panels of said case with the at least one item held in said case.