METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FOLDING BOTTOM PANELS OF A CARTON BLANK

摘要

An apparatus and method for folding the bottom panels(30, 32, 34, 36) of a carton blank (20) is disclosed. Theapparatus includes a frame (68), a rotatable supportingassembly (65), two rotatable folding fingers (60) mounted onthe frame (68) for inwardly folding the second and fourthbottom panels. A tuck folder (56) is mounted on the rotatablemounting assembly for inwardly folding the third bottom panel.A guide (64) is mounted on the frame (68) for contacting andinwardly folding the first bottom panel, and a bending member(72) is mounted on the rotatable supporting assembly (65) foroutwardly folding the bottom panel flap. One portion of thebending member (72) is curved to define a concave surface (78)that faces the tuck folder. The bending member can also beprovided with convex surfaces (76, 80) on each side of theconcave surface. The method involves folding the bottom panelflap (35) outwardly away from the first bottom panel (30)concurrently with the inward folding of the third bottom panel(34). The folding of the bottom panel flap (35) occurswithout prior prefolding of the bottom panel flap.