US1434230A - Box pasting and sealing machine - Google Patents

Description

G. D. SHAWVER AND H. E. RICHARDSON. Box PASTING AND SEALING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED FEB. I2 1920.

IAB/A923@ Patend oet.. 31, 11922;

4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

1,/ r". l l lI l l BOX PASTING AND SEALING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.I2.1920.

Patented 0st. 3l, 1922;,

4 SHErTHSHEEI 2- www@ rtoimn) G. D. SHAWVER AND H. E. RICHARDSON.

BOX PASTING AND SEALING MACHINE.

` APPLICATION FILED FEB, I2. 1'920. IIAIBQLQSQO Pawn'ted Oct., SII, M22.

4 sHEETsHsHm 3 IwucnI'ow /f @IMM/w60@ i, l QQ 676 km2/wf I@ 1MM/KL @Umweg G. D. SHAWVER AND H. E. RICHARDSON.

BOX PASTING AND SEALING M'ACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I2. |920.

1,434.23@ Patented Oct. 311, 1922..

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

Patented @cti 3l, i922.

GEORGE DONALD entre@ stares been@ SHAWVER AND HOWARD E. RICHARDSON, OF GRIVIS, IOWA.

BOX PASTING AND SEALFLNG MACHINE.

Application filed February 12, 1920. Serial No. 358,174.

To all who/m, t may concer-n:

Be it known that we, GEORGE DONALD SHAwvnR and HOWARD E. RICHARDSON, citizens of the United States, residing at Grimes, in the county of Polk and State of iowa, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in .Box Fasting .and Sealing Machines; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear` and exact description of the invention such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a machine for sealing boxes, particularly of the type commonly lrnown as shipping cartons, comprised of foldable material, such as ber or box board and wherein each of the four sides of the box has an extension at each end, adapted to be folded inwardly to form inner and outer fiaps for closing the ends of the box` the practice being to first fold one pair of fla-ps and then the other to form a double closer for the ends, a sealing medium being applied to the outer flaps to cause them to adhere to the inner flaps and thereby seal, as well as close, the ends of the box.

The common practice of packaging merchandise in such boxes necessitates mechanical means for sealing the boxes in an efficient and expeditious manner and we hav provided means whereby the unsealed box may be introduced in the receiving end of the machine or mechanism and mechanically caused to tra-verse to the discharge end. the closure or closures being supplied with a sealing medium and closed in the. interim, so that the sealing of the box is effected when the sealing medium has set. i

The invention involves mechanism so constructed that a box provided with an open bottom, an open top, or both, may be received upon a table and passed thereatong to receive the adhesive or sealing material and then closed, the construction being such that the application of the adhesive material and the sealing may take place without danger of releasing any of the contents of the box and to this end we prefer to arrange t-he mechanism so that the top and bottom flaps will be simultaneously supplied with adhesive material and then folded over into closing position and sealed.

The adhesive-applying and sealingmechanisms for the top flaps are quite independent of the corresponding mechanisms for the lower flaps, so that one set of mecha` nisms can be caused to operate independently of the other, for example, if boxes partially sealed were introduced into the machine. However, since it will generally be more economical to introduce the boxes unsealed into the machine, we prefer to maintain a cooperative relation between the upper fla p mechanisms and the lower flap mechanisms so that the entire box can be sealed in. a single operation, thus materially reducing the aggregate cost of packaging the merchandise. The term sealing may be taken to mean the `partial sealing eected by` preu liminary adhesion of the flaps, as complete adhesion may notl take place in the shorttime during which the box is in the machine as hereafter explained.

lft is one of the principal objects of our invention to effect the pasting and sealing' of filled packing boxes mechanically without disturbing! the contents thereof and to this end means is provided for supporting the box and retaining the contents therein while the lower sealing aps are alternately opened to receive the paste or adhesive, then moved into sealing position, so that preliminary sealing is effected while the box is moving through the machine without liability of any of the contents gof the box' passing through the bottom thereof.

1We have also provided means whereby the machine may be adjusted for boxes of varying sizes so as to eliminate the necessity' for employing a. separate machine for every size box or carton` and provided side rails adapted to closely engage the sides of the box so that they, in conjunction with the cross bars of the conveyor, serve to square the box before the flaps arefolded, and thereby effect proper arrangement of the flaps and a symmetrical package.

Forthe purpose of conveying an adequate conception of the novel features embodied in our invention, we have shown a preferred form-thereof, the specific details of which, however, need not necessarily be followed throughout, the partcular details being merely illustrative of one embodiment thereof.

ln the drawings,

Fig. is a perspective view of a machine constructed in accordance with our invention.

Fig. II is a sectional view on the line II-II of Fig. I.

Fig. III is a sectional View on the line III-III of Fig. II.

Fig. IV is a detail view of one of the upper adhesive supplying mechanisms.

Fig. V is a fragmentary perspective View of the receiving end of the box supporting table.

'Fig VI is a fragmentary perspective view of the delivery end of the table.

Fig. VII is a sectional view on the line VII-VII of Fig. V.

Fig. VIII is an elevation of the delivery end of the machine.

Fig. IX is a perspective vieW of a box with the flaps distended, and

Fig. is a fragmentary perspective view of a box, showing all but one of the fia-ps in folded or sealed position.

The mechanism is supported upon a frame consisting of the side bars 1 and 2 mounted upon the end standards 3 at the receiving end of the frame and the corresponding standards 4 at the delivery end of the frame. Intermediate the ends of the bars 1 and 2 and connected thereto are sets of standards 5 and 6 Which support certain 'mechanism to be referred to hereinafter. The standards 3 are provided with complementary standards 3 adjacent thereto and in line therewith to receive angle brackets 7 provided With bearings 8, in which is mounted a shaft 9 carrying sprocket Wheels 10 and 11, Which engage the links of the chains 12 'and 13 respectively, connected by the slats or cross bars 14 so that a convveyor is provided, between the slats of Which the boxes are entrained as they pass from the receiving end of the machine to the delivery end thereof.

The conveyor is supported at the delivery end of the machine by sprockets 15 and 16 corresponding to those designated 10 and 11, and these are mounted upon a shaft 17 in bearings corresponding to the bearings for the shaft 9 and supported by the standards 4 and the standards 4 adjacent thereto. In other Words, the mechanism for supporting the conveyor at the delivery end, of the machine is substantialy an equivalent offthat described in connection` with the receiving end of the machine so that the conveyor or belt may have a continuous movement imparted thereto by driving one i of the shafts. In the present instance, We have shown the conveyor as being driven from the shaft 1-7 through the medium of a flexible connectionj-illustra'ted as achain 18, which passes varound the sprocket 19 l,mountedonithe outer end of the shaft 17 and engaging a sprocket 20 on the shaft 21 y*mounted o'n opposite standards 5, and said shaft 21 is provided With a Worm gear 22 :meshing with aworm 23, suspended from the table thereabove and receiving motion from a motor illustrated as an electric motor 25 on the base 24 and having a pulley 2'8 communicating motion to the Worm through the medium of the belt 27 and pulley 26. The pulley 26 is mfounted rigidly upon the Worm, as clearly shown 1n F ig. I. Therefore, When the motor is operating, motion will be communicated tothe shaft 17 through the gear connections just described and the functioning movement of the conveyor will be from the forward end of the machine to the rearward end of the machine.

Supported by opposite pairs of standards 5 and 6 are brackets consisting of the angles 29 and 30 having their laterally projecting flanges 31 and 32 forming tables or supports for the standards 33 and 34 respectively. The vstandards 33 and 34 are shown as consisting of pipes connected at their upper ends by the cross pipe 35, midway of which is a fourWay union 36, Which lconnects opposite pipe sections and which supports a threaded rod or bar 37 adjustable in bar or table will be guided vertically with respect to the frame formed by the standards 33 and 34 and the cross bar 35.

Supported at opposite ends of the cross bar or table are sets of adhesive material distributors, one` setl being designated 40 and the other 4l, and each consisting of a pan 42 constituting a receptacle or container for the adhesive material, preferably silicate of soda or Water glass. Mounted Within the receptacle or bearing against a transfer roller 44 between the rollers 43 and 45, the latter |being mounted in brackets 46 on the container or pan 42, the roller 45 beingmounted on a shaft 47 carrying a pulley 43 adapted to be driven from the shaft 21, as will be presently explained.

The distributing roller 45 is adapted to distribute the adhesive material upon the upper flaps of boxes as they pass between the lower portions of the rollers 45 and the supports or bracket blades 50, as Will be clearly apparent by reference to Fig. III, it being apparent that the adhesive material will be spread over the flaps as they pass by the founts or containers 4l and 42.

By reference to F ig. IV it will be observed that the inner end of the shaft 47 and the inner end of the shaft 51, which carries the'roller 43, are provided With sprockets 52 and 53 around' Which a sprocket chain 54 passes so that when the shaft- 47 turns,

the motion Will be commumicated to the pan 42 is a delivery roller 43,`

on tables 31 and 32 supply adhesive material to the under side of the lower flaps. rll`hese founts consist of reservoirs in which are mounted rollers 56 on the shaft 57, the shaft 57 being driven through the medium of the pulleys 58 so that adhesive material will be applied to the under side of the lower iaps as they pass between the rollers 56 and the bracket blades 59, mounted upon the standards 33 and 84, as shown.

rThe pulleys 48 and 58 are driven from the pulleys 60 on shaft 21 through the medium of the flexible connection or belt 61, which passes over the idler 62, around pulley 48, over pulley 58 and bac-k to pulley 60, as shown in Fig. ll.

ln order to present the boxes to the adhesive applying devices, it is desirable that they be continuously fed from the receiving end of the machine to the dischargingr end thereof and that they pass along a table in such manner that certain flaps may be manipulated to present themselves at the proper time and in the proper manner to the adhesive distributing mechanisms.

As the bottom flaps move away from the body of the box to receive the adhesive material, it is necessary that the contents be held in place and to this end we have provided means whereby rst one side flap may move into unsealing position while the other side Hap remains on'the table and supports the inner end flaps to retain the contents of the box, the construction of the table being such that the second side flap may be released after the box has moved along the table to a position where the table alone will hold up the end flaps. In other words, there is no time when there is any liability of both the end flaps moving out of position for supporting the contents of the box until such time as the side flaps are adequately supported by the table. The construction whereby this result is effected will be specifically referred to hereinafter.

An important part of our invention is illustrated in Figs. V, Vl and VH as consisting of the table 68, having an anterior portion 64 of substantially the width of the bottoms of the boxes to be passed thereover, and in. rear of the anterior portion 64 is acutaway portion or offset 65, slightly inV excess of the width of one of the two longitudinally hinged flaps or closure members 66 and 67 of the box 68. rllhe cutaway or oset portion is so disposed, that as the box moves along the table, one of the flaps, for example 67, will drop and swing outwardly as shown in lFig. VH. As the box progresses toward the discharge end of the machine, the progression being induced by its entrainment between the cross slats of the conveyor, it will pass over another offset or cutaway portion 69 on the opposite side of the table 62%, so that the flap 66 will drop and swing outwardly, as shown in Fig. V. During this time the upper longitudinally hinged flaps 7() and 71 are slightly raised so they will come in contact with the pointed end 72 of the spreader member, consisting of a triangular body rigid with the adjustable table or bar 39. The rearwardly and outwardly diverging sides 73 and 74 of the spreader will force the flaps and 71 outwardly, as shown in liig. V, the inner end flaps 75 and 76 being held inhorizontal planes by the. smoother bar 77, projecting from the spreader 72, as clearly seen in Fig. l. 'llhe box is conveyed beneath the spreader 72 to a relatively broad portion of the table 63, having forwardly extending, ch'amfered edges 78 and 79, which serve as spreaders for the flaps 66 and 67, so that when the box has reached the relatively broad portion constituting the adhesive applying station, the flaps 66, 67, '70 and 71 are all held in substantially horizontal planes, the flaps 66 and 67 passing over the delivery rollers 56 and the flaps 7() and 71 passing beneath but in contact with the delivery rollers 45 so that adhesive material, for example, water glass, is applied to the inner faces of the respective flaps during their continuous passage along the table 63.

After the box leaves the adhesive applying mechanism, the upper `flaps are bent in upon the inner flaps 75 and 76 by the inwardly inclined edges 80 and 81 of the rearwardly directed closing member 82, from which they pass under a smoothing blade 83, to a. vertically adjustable sealing frame carried by the main frame of the machine.

To the rear of the adhesive-applying mechanism. the table 63 is narrowed and provided with staggered recesses 84', 85', corresponding to the recesses 65, 69 at the front end, so that as the box leaves thefadhesive-applying mechanism, the side flaps drop to vertical position and are then turned in the recesses. Projecting outwardly and forwardly from the rear ends of the recesses 84', 85. and preferably formed integral with the table, are flap-folding arms 84 and 85, having chamfered edges engageable by the side Haps as the box moves along the table, to turn the side flaps back against the bottom of the box to which they are sealed on contact.

While thesideflap 67 is hanging in the recess 84. and the side flap 66 is hanging along the edge of the table (Fig. Vl), after leaving the adhesive-applying mechanism, the inner end flaps are held closed by, and the contents of the box supported from, the table. its the box moves along the table. the arm 84 engages the flap 67 and turns it against the bottom end flaps, sealing it thereto and moving the side of the box onto the portion; of the table opposite recess 85.

(Continued travel of the box carries the @ap c 66 to engage arm 85 and be turned thereby tosealing contact with the bottom end flaps. The box then moves onto thebroad portion 86 of the table and the flaps are pressed to place during further travel of the box to effect sealing.

By reference to the drawings it will be apparent that as the distributing rollers for either the top sealing devices or the lower sealing devices rotate in contact with the flaps, the adhesive will be distributed over a sufficiently wide area to insure ample material being deposited thereon so as to avoid. the liability of an imperfect adhesion or sealing` in the inal stages of the operation.

In order to insure the sealing of the box, we have provided a sealing frame consisting ot' a substantially rectangular member 87 havingA projections 88 and 89 on opposite sides thereof. and vertically guidable i in slots 90 and 91 in the guides 92 and 93, the pairs of guides 92 and the pairs of guides 93 being connected by cross bars 94 and 95 respectively, there being vertically adjustable screws 96 and 97 in the cross bars 94 and 95 so that when the screws are Iadjusted ver'- tcally, the roller carrying frame 87 will be raised or lowered in response to turning movement of the hand wheel 98 on screw 96 and since there are sprockets 99 and 100 on screws 96 and 97, the movement of the screw 96 will be imparted to the screw 97. 'The screw 97 carries a sprocket 101 aligning with a sprocket y102 on the screw 37, which is swiveled in the head 103 and in the socket 38; therefore, a turning movement of the hand wheel 98 will synchronously move the frame 87 and the table or bar 39 vertically toward or away from the table 463 to accommod ate the machine to boxes of different heights.

The socket 103 and the screw 37 connected to it, are braced by a brace 104 connected to the socket 103 and to the smoother 77 rigid on the spreader 72,'this being a detail of construction which may or may not be omitted, according to the strength of the parts of which the machine is made up.

In order to provide forboxesL of different widths, we have included supplemental side rails 105 and 106, projectable toward and retractable from the longitudinal center of the table 63 through the medium of the adjusting links 107 which are fastened to the bars 105l and 106 and the side bars 1 and 2 by the thumb nuts 108 and 109 respectively, it being obvious that the supplemental bars 105 and 106 will constitute adjustable guide rails which will constrict or increase the width of the passageway for the'boxes as they travel along the table 63 and hold the boxes closely. so that as they are pushed along the table by the conveyor cross bars, friction on the sides will sufiiciently retard the boxes to square them.

When the parts are assembled and the proper adjustments have been made for the particular boxes to pass through the machine, the boxes are placed upon the table 63, the flaps wiill bei successively spread apart, supplied with adhesive material, folded back into sealing position and discharged from the discharge end of the machine, it being unnecessary to manually manipulate the box from the time it is introduced into the receiving end of the machine until it is discharged as a finished product at the discharging end of the machine. Thus it will be apparent that considerable saving in time and labor as well as handling of the boxes will result from the use of the machine in a manner heretofore described. An additional conveyor (not shown) may be used in connection with the present machine for carrying the boxes away after the flaps have been closed and whereby the flaps may be held closed until the sealing medium has been set, but such conveyor forms no part of the present invention.

By reference l,to Figs. V, VI and VII, it will be observed that the offset portions or recesses 65 and 69 are substantially the same width as the flap 66 or 67 which it is to receive. The construction is such that when the boxes are first placed upon the anterior portion 64 of the table 63, the bottom end flaps and side iaps 66 and 67 will be folded into sealing position although the box will not be sealed because no paste has been applied to the inner faces thereof. As theboxes, entrained by the conveyor, move along the table 63, the Hap 67 will first meet the cutaway portion formed by the offset 65 and since the offset 65 does not exceed onehalf the width of the box, there will be no support for the flap 67. Therefore, the flap will drop as shown in F ig.. V. The Hap 66, however, still retains its horizontal position and supports the inner lower ffaps so that the contents of the package cannot drop through the bottom of the box. As the box moves toward the discharge end of the machine, it willnext meet the cutaway portion formed by the offset portion 69 so that the flap 66 will drop, as shown in Fig. V. Theend fiaps of the box, however, will be supported by the offset portion 69 so the contents of the package will still be retained therein. Then as the box moves forward, it will pass over the broad table portion 67 and the flaps will be pasted by the pasting mechanisms. At the same time, the flaps and 71 will be opened and pasted as indicated in Fig. V. As the box leaves the pasting mechanism, the top flaps will be folded into sealing position and the lower side flaps will drop into the position shown in Fig. VI, the end bottom flaps, however, being still supported by the table so that the contents will be held intact.

4 edges of the table inea The entraining conveyor will be effective in continuing the traversing movement of the boxes so that first the flap 67 will be folded into sealing position by the closing arm 84 and then the flap 66 Willbe moved into sealing position by the arm 85. the top has already been sealed, this last operation completes the preliminary sealing except thatI it is generally considered desirable to apply a slight pressure thereto to hold the flaps in place until the sealing medium has partly set, and to this end the pressure frame at the discharge end of the machine is provided. As the box passes under the rollers of the sealing frame, it is slightly squeezed between the rollers and the table portion 86, and preliminary setting assured, so that when the box is discharged from the machine, any danger of accidental unsealing will be eliminated.

1What we claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is: l v

1. A machine for pasting and sealing folded boxes having end `flaps, comprising a table over which the boxes are adapted to travel and having alternating recesses through which the flaps drop in sequence.

Q. machine for pasting and sealing folded boxeshaving end flaps, comprisinga table over which the boxes are adapted to travel and having alternating recesses, through whic-h the flaps drop in sequence, and means for pasting the flaps.

3. A machine for pasting and sealing folded boxes having end flaps,.comprising a table over which the boxes are adapted to travel and having alternating recesses through which the flaps drop' in sequence, means for pasting the flaps, and means for closin the flaps.

4f. l machine for pasting and sealing folded boxes having end flaps', comprising a table over. which the boxes are adapted to travel and having alternating recesses through which the aps drop in sequence, means for pasting the flaps. means for closing the flaps, and means for pressing the closed flaps to the box. Y

ln a machine for pasting and sealing folded boxes having end flaps, means sup,- porting a box and its contents alternately from opposite sides of its center while the flaps at the other sides are opened, means for applying paste to opened flaps, means for closing the flaps, and means for moving the box through the machine.

6. ln a. machine for pasting and sealing folded boxes` having top and bottom sealing flaps, a. table comprising a receiving portion, wher-een the boxes are supported with the bottom sealing flaps closed, opposite being recessed forwardly of the receiving portion to depths not less than the width of the flaps, whereby the ,aso

Since flaps may open downwardly automatically as the boxes are advanced along the table, means for applying paste to the flaps, means for returning the flaps to vclosing relation with the boxes, and means for advancing boxes along the table.

T. ln a machine for-pasting and sealing folded boxes, having top and bottom sealing flaps, a table comprising a receiving portion, whereon the boxes are supported with the bottom sealing flaps. closed, opposite edges of the table being recessed forwardly of the receiving portion to permit the flaps to drop, the table comprising a relatively wide pasting portion forwardly of said recessed portion, having outwardly angling approaches for raising the flaps onto the pasting portion with their inner faces downward, pasting members in co-operative relation with the pasting portion of the table, the table having its opposite edges recessed forwardly of the pasting portion to permit the flaps to drop, and comprising a relatively wide sealing portion forwardly of the second recessed portion, having inwardly angling approaches for raising the flaps through said second recessed portion into contact with the boxes and onto the sealing portion of the table, and means for advancing boxes along the table.

8. A 'machinewfor pasting and sealing folded boxeshaving top and bottom sealing flaps, comprising a box-receiving table, means for passing the boxes along the table, the table having stepped recesses at its opposite si-des through which the lower flaps of the boxes may drop to vertical positions, means for spreading the lower flaps to cause them to assume horizontal positions, pasteapplying devices on opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the table with which the flaps contact, and means for folding the pasted flaps into sealing position.

9. A machine for pasting and sealing folded boxes, having bottom sealing flaps, a box-receiving table extending longitudinally through the machine, entraining means for conveying boxes along the table, the table having flap-receiving portions for permitting alternate dropping of the lower flaps of the boxes, means for simultaneously spreading the aps to paste-receiving position, and means for moving the flaps to sealing position.

l0. A. machine for pasting and sealing folded boxes having bottom sealing flaps at their side vand end edges, comprising a table over which the boxes are adapted to travel, the construction of the table being such that first one side ap of the box and then another will drop from the table, means 2' paste to the aps, and means folded boxes having bottom sealing flaps at their side and end edges, comprising a table over which the boxes are adapted to travel, the construction of the table being such that first one side iiap will be unsupported to permit it to drop below the table and then the other side flap will be unsupported to permit it to drop, while the opposite half of' the bottom of the box is supported, means on. the table for spreading the bottom fiaps to pasting position, pasteapplying mechanism on opposite sides of the longitudinal center of' the table arranged to apply paste to the inner faces of the fiaps, and means for folding the sealing flaps against the end flaps to cause them to adhere thereto.

12. A machine for pasting and sealing folded boxes having bottom end flaps and bottom side flaps, comprising a table extending longitudinally of' the machine and having an offset portion of less width than one-half the width of the box and an oppositely disposed offset portion alternating wit i the first named offset portion and also of less width than one-halt' the width ot' the box, flap spreading means on the table, flap pasting means adjacent the flap spreading means, flap sealing means beyond the flap pasting means, and means for causing the boxes to traverse the length of' the table.

13. A machine for pasting and sealing folded boxes having bottom end flaps and bottom side flaps.y comprising a table running longitudinally of the machine and having alternating offset portions for permitting opposite side flaps to open separately while the box is supported at the side opposite the opening flaps, a flap spreading means beyond the offset portions, a flap pasting means beyond the flap spreading means, a flap sealing means beyond the flap pasting means, and means for traversing the boxes along the table.

14, A machine for pasting and sealing folded boxes having bottom end flaps and bottom side flaps, comprising a table running longitudinally of' the machine and hav-- ing alternating offset portions, each of' which is of less width than one-half' the width of the box, a flap spreading means beyond the offset portions, a flap pasting means beyond the flap spreading means, a Hap sealing means beyond the Hap pasting means, and an. entrainin conveyor for traversing the boxes along t e table.

15. In a box pasting and sealing machine. a support-ing table over which'a box may be conveyed and comprising a set of staggered, recessed portions into which the bottom side flaps of the box may open alternately, a second set of staggered, recessed portions through whichsaid flaps may close alternately, means intermediate the sets for applying adhesive to the flaps, and means for closing the flaps.

16. In a box pasting and sealing machine,

a supporting table over which a box may i be conveyed and comprising a set of staggered, recessed portions into which the bottom side flaps of' the box may open alternately, -a second set of' staggered, recessed portions through which said flaps may close alternately, means intermediate the sets for spreading and applying adhesive to the flaps, and means for closing the flaps;

17. In a box pasting and sealing machine, a supporting table over which a box may be conveyed and comprising a set of staggered, recessed portions into which the bottom'side flaps of the box may open alternately, a second set of staggered, recessed portions through which said flaps may close alternately, means intermediate the sets for applying adhesive to the aps, and arms extending forwardly and outwardly from the rear ends of said recessed portions of the table to turn said flaps back onto the box.

18. In a box pasting and sealing machine, a supporting table over which a box may be conveyed and comprising a set of staggered, recessed portions into which the bottom side flapsof the box may open alternately, a second set of staggered, recessed portions through which said flaps may close alternately. means intermediate the sets for applying adhesive to the flaps, and an arm extending forwardly and outwardly from the rear of each receed portion, having a chamfered edge engageable by a corresponding side Hap to turn the flap against the bottom of the box.

19. In a box pasting and sealing machine, a table over which boxes are entrained comprising a first set of' staggered, recessed portions into which box flaps may alternately open` a rearwardly widening spreading member at the rear of the last recessed portion in the set, an adhesive-applying mechanism receiving the flaps from the spreading member, the table comprising a second set of staggered, recessed portions to the rear of' said mechanism through which the flaps may alternately close, and individual closing members engageable by the flaps at the recessed portions of the second set to turn the flaps back against the boxes.

20. In a box pasting and sealing machine, a table over which boxes are entrained comprising a first set of staggered, recessed portions into which box flaps may alternately open, a rearwardly widening spreading member at the rear of the last recessed por- 'tion in the set, an adhesive-applying mechanism receiving the flaps from the spreading member, the table comprising a second s et of staggered, recessed portions to the rear of said mechanism through which the fiaps may alternatelyY close, individual closing members engageable by the flaps at the recessed portions of the second set to turn the flaps back against the boxes, a forwardly directed, \shaped, upper flap opener above the table at the rear of said irst set of recessed portions, and ay rearwurdly directed, V-shaped, upper Hap closer adjacent said second set of recessed portions.

n testlrnony whereof We affix our signa-

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