US2912908A

US2912908A - Box gluing machine

Info

Publication number: US2912908A
Application number: US672798A
Authority: US
Inventors: Walton B Crane; Edward R Slate
Original assignee: Allied Container Corp
Current assignee: Allied Container Corp
Priority date: 1957-07-18
Filing date: 1957-07-18
Publication date: 1959-11-17
Anticipated expiration: 1976-11-17

Description

2 Sheets-Sheet l W. B. CRANE ETAL BOX GLUING MACHINE Nov. 17, 1959 Filed July 18 1957 @lf/TWA 11i i Aki@ lutti Nov. 17, 1959 w. B. CRANE Erm.

BOX GLUING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 18, 1957 INVENTOR5 Y WnLToN B, Cen/v5 United States Patent i' Box GLUING MACHINE Walton B. Crane, South Pasadena, and Edward R. Slate,

San Jose, Calif., assignors to Allied Container Corporation, San Jose, Calif., a corporation of California Application July 18, 1957, Serial No. 672,798

6 Claims. (Cl. 93-52) This invention relates to a box forming machine, and more particularly to a machine for adhesively sealing end flaps of a partially folded, cardboard box structure to form a completed cardboard container.

The machine of this invention is designed for use in forming cardboard containers of the type having adhesively bonded end flaps which form the end'walls of the completed container. Briefly, the following sequential Y' operations are performed by the present machine during movement of the container structure therethrough: First, glue is applied to certain of the end flaps of the container structure; secondly, the end flaps are folded to the proper position wherein the end aps .bearing the glue contact -others of the end aps; and, nally, the end flaps are forceably retained in folded condition -for a length of time suicient to permit setting of the glue and rm adhesive bonding of the end iiaps together.

Box gluing and forming machines of this general type have, of course, been devised. Such prior machines, however, were excessively complex and costly due primarily to the fact that a completely unfolded blank was initially fed into the machine, the latter being operative to perform all the folding and gluing operations necessary to the completed container. intricate mechanisms were, therefore, required in these machines to assure accurate positioning of the container structure during the several folding operations and especially during passage of the container structure through the gluing apparatus.

The cost and complexity of these prior machines Vwere further increased owing to the necessary inclusion therein, of relatively complicated blank folding means and powered conveyer means for moving the container structure through the machines. Such powered conveyor means were, of course, required because all practical designs of such machines precluded manual feeding of the container being formed through the machine.

A broad object of the present invention is the provision of a box forming machine of the character described which avoids the above-noted and other deciencies of prior box forming machines.

A more specific object of the invention is the provision of a box forming machine of the character described which is designed to permit manual feeding therethrough of the container being formed so as to avoid the necessity of providing complex and costly powered conveyer means.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a box forming machine of the character described which is operative to complete the formation of a partially folded container structure which is manually fed through the machine so as to avoid the necessity of providing complicated and costly blank flowing means and mechanical aligning means for the container structure as are required in existing machines of this type.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a box forming machine of the character described which i's specially designed for forming a cardboard container of maximum strength and rigidity.

Yet a further object of the invention is the provision of a box forming machine of the Vcharacter described which is so constructed as to enable the operator to walk throng the forming section of the machine with the container being formed so as to feed and guide the latter through this section, with the resultant elimination of many of the intricate and costly mechanisms generally required in machines of this type.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a box forming machine of the character described which is extremely simple in construction, relatively infl expensive to manufacture, smallin size, and otherwise especially well suited to its intended function.

Other objects, advantages and features of the invention will becomeapparent 'as the description proceeds.

The invention may be best understood vby referring to the following detailed description thereof, taken in connection with the annexed drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a side elevation of the present box forming machine; I i i Figure 1A is a perspective view on reduced scale of the form of container structurewith'which the illus-v the sequential ap gluing and folding operations which are performed on the container structureof Figure 1A' during kmovement of the latter through the machine;

Figure 5A is a section? taken along line 5A-5A of Figure5;` n, l Y

Figure 6A is a section takenallong line'6A-6A of- Figure 6; and n l 7 Figure 7A is a section taken alongline 7A- 7A ofl Figure 7.` Referring first to Figure 1A of these drawings, the container structure Cv foruse with the villustrative machine will be seen tobe of'relativelyat, rectangular configuration. This container structure comprises a bottom panel 10, front and rear .

walls

12 and 14, respectively, along opposite edges of the bottom panel 10, and a top panel 16 which is hinged along one edge to the upper edge of the rear wall 14. l n

' Formed at each end of the container structure are an upper end flap 18 and "a lower end ap 20 which extend the entire width of the bottom'panel 10 and the pairV of short end aps 22 joined to the front and rear walls 12.

and 14. The bottom end flaps 20 are'jo'ined to the bot# tom panel 10 along a score line 24 so thatthe end flaps 20 may be hinged upwardly as indicated by the dotted line arrow at the left-hand end 'of Figure 1A. Thelupper end flapsjlS are hingedpadjcent opposite ends, to

corner portions 26 'of the container structure along a score line 28 to enable the end aps 18 to be hinged downwardly as indicated by the dotted line arrow at the righthand end of Figure 1A. i*

In the completed container, cover panel 16 is adapted'` to be hinged downwardlyY toclose the open `top of the` container as shown in Figure 1A and is formed at opposite sides with a pair of right angle 4flaps 30 (only one shown) engageable behind the short 'end' flaps 22.Y As previously mentioned, the'present boxforrnin'g machine is adapted to have apartiallyfoldedV container structure fed there'f Patented Nov. 17, V1959` 3 into. This partially folded condition of the container structure is illustrated in Figure 1A wherein the cover panel 16 occupies its closed position, mentioned above, with the cover flaps 30 engaging behind the short end liaps 22 to restrain the latter against inward bending about their score line junctures to the front and

rear walls

12 and 14, for reasons to be seen.

When the container structure is in the partially folded condition it occupies when fed into the present box forming machine, then, it will be observed that the upper and

lower end aps

18 and 20 occupy their unfolded positions of extension in the planes of the top and bottom panels of the container, the forward short end aps 22 occupy their folded positions in the planes of the ends of the container, andthe rear, short end flaps 22 occupy their unfolded positions. As will become clear as the description proceeds, the present box forming machine is operative to perform the following sequential operations on the containerstructure of Figure lA: Fold the rear, short end aps 22 into coplanar relationship with the front end flaps 22, apply stripes of adhesive to opposite sides of the upper end flaps 18, fold the upper end aps downwardly cator assemblies' S2 are freely rotatable.

against the front and rear end aps 22, fold the lower Y end aps upwardly against the outer surface of the now folded upper end flaps 18, and finally to apply pressure to opposite ends of the folded container to forceably retain the end aps in their folded positions sufficiently long to allow the adhesive to set.

Referring now to Figures 1 through 7A illustrating the present box forming machine, the latter will be seen to comprise a stationary framework including supporting legs 40 and an upper horizontal table portion generally indicated at 42, which is supported in an elevated position on the legs 40. As may be seen most clearly in Figures l through 4, this elevated table portion 42 comprises a pair of spaced parallel channels 44 which are Welded or otherwise rigidly secured to the upper ends of the supporting legs 40 and extend lengthwise of the machine. Fixed to and paralleling the angles 44 so as to also extend lengthwise of the machine are a pair of spaced, parallel rails 46.

As will be presently seen,these,rails 46 slideably support the container structure C for movement through the machine. Through this end, the rails 46 are mounted on the angles 44 for vertical adjustment to permit leveling of the rails and vertical positioning thereof' in the proper spaced relationship to the other hereinafter described components of the machine. Such vertical adjustment of the rails 46 may be accomplished in any suitable manner, such as by means of the adjusting screw and lock nut arrangement 48 illustrated in Figure 3.

Fixed to the angles 44 at the right-hand or entrance end of the machine are a pair of first flap-folding guides 50 for folding the rear end aps 22 of the container structure C into coplanar relationship with the forward end aps 22. As shown, guides 50 comprise fiat metal straps which are spaced a distance above the angles 44 and diverge toward the entrance end of the machine.

Generally indicated at 52 are a pair of glue applicators for applying stripes of glue to opposite sides of the upper end flaps 18 of the container structure C. These applicators S2 each comprise an upper applicator roller 54 and a lower applicator roller 56 between which the upper end aps 18 move when the container structure C is fedV The upper Y applicator rollers 54 are mounted for limited vertical` movement on the b ralsets. so` as, to normally rest in 4 peripheral contact with the lower rollers. The upper rollers are moved upwardly slightly when the end flaps 18 are fed between the upper and lower rollers.

The lower applicator rollers 56 turn in baths 60 of glue contained within rectangular glue pots 62. As shown most clearly in Figure 3, glue pots 62 are rigidly mounted on the roller supporting brackets 58 and have their bottom walls spaced a slight distance above the horizontal flanges of the angles 44 so as to accommodate movement of the unfolded, lower end flaps 20 of the container structure C between the glue pots and angle flanges.

The upperA applicator rollers 54 in each of the appli- The lower applicator rollers 56, on the other hand, are driven in a counterclockwise direction of rotation, as viewed in Figure l, from a common drive motor 64 through the chain drives 66. As shown most clearly in Figure 3, the several applicator rollers are formed with peripheral grooves 68, illustrated as being three in number. The grooves in the upper applicator rollers 54 are aligned with those in the lower applicator rollers 56.

During operation of the machine, the lower applicator rollers are driven from the motor 64 so as to continuouslyy turn in the glue baths 60. During periods when the upper end flaps of a container structure C are not passing between the upper and lower applicator rollers, glue is deposited on the raised portion of the lower rollers, as the latter turn in the glue baths and is transformed to the raised portions of the upper applicator rollers which turn with the lower rollers at this time due to the peripheral contact therebetween. Thus, the raised portion of both the upper and lower applicator rollers acquire a layer of glue in readiness for applying glue to the upper end flaps of. a following container structure as hereinafter described. The applicator rollers are proportioned to have a circumferential dimension approximately equal to the length of the end aps 18, measured in the direction of movement thereof between the rollers, so that the latter rotate approximately one revolution during movement of the end flaps therebetween. Spaced stripes of glue are thereby deposited on both the upper and lower surfaces of the upper end aps 18.

As may be observed most clearly in Figure 3, the inner side walls of the glue pots 62 are spaced a distance substantially equal to the spacing between the end flaps 22 when the latter are in their folded condition of Figure 1A. Also, as shown in Figure 2, the inner ends of the first flap folding guides terminate at the inner righthand corners of their adjacent glue pots 62.

Thus, when a container structure in its folded condition of Figure 1A is fed into the entrance end of the machine with the rear wall 14 of the container leading, the guides 50 engage the unfolded, rear end flaps 22 and gradually fold the latter to the aforesaid coplanar relationship with the forward end flaps 22. Upon movement of the container to a position between the glue pots 62, 4the inner walls of the latter retain the rear end flaps and subsequently the forward end aps 22, in their folded positions. The forward end aps 22 are initially retained in folded condition by the operator.

Fixed to the rear walls of the glue pots 62 are a pair of Hat, parallel guide extensions having their inner parallel surfaces flush with the inner walls of their adjacent glue pots 62. These guide extensions serve to hold the forward and rear end aps 22 in their folded positions until the container structure has been fed through the machine toa position whereat the leading edges of the yet unfolded upper end flaps i8 engage a pair of second Hap-folding guides 72. Guides 72, which serve to fold the upper end flaps 1S downwardly against the folded front and rear end flaps 22, are mounted on a pair of upstanding brackets "f4 fixed to the angles 44 at positions spaced somewhat toward the entrance end of the machine from the ends of the guide extensions '70. Each of the guides 72 comprises a cylindric rod, one

end of which is rigidly secured to its` respective bracket 74 at a point a distance above theaforementioned plane` of the `upper panel 16 of thecontainer structure C when the latter is supported on the rails v46. The free end portions of the guides" 72 comprise straight, substantially parallel sections 76 which extend parallel tothe length of the machine and are spaced transversely'of the latter, a distance approximately equal to the dimension of vthe container structure Cmeasured'between the end flaps 18 when the latter are in their' folded positions against' the forward and rear end aps 22. t Y

Intermediate the straight section 76 of each guide 72 and the end of the latter attached to its respective bracket 74 is an inclined section 78.k As will presently be more fully described, when the container C is fed through the machine, the unfolded end naps 18, upon emerging from

theA applicator rollers

54 and 56, engage lthe inclined sections 78 of the guides 72. Continued movement of the container through the machine after this initial engagement of the guides 72 with the endflaps 18 effects folding of the latter downwardly against the now folded front and rear end naps 22. The straight sections 76 of the guides 72 serve to hold the aps' 18 in these folded positions until the' container has been advanced, ytoa position wherein the yet unfolded lower end flaps 20 engage a third set of nap-folding guides 80.which serve to fold the latter flaps upwardly against the now folded upper end ap 18.

To enable the'straight sections 76 of the guides 72 to thus retain the upper end flaps 18 in their folded positions, the latter sections are located in a plane spacedv a distance below the aforementioned plane of the upper panel of the container C when the ylatter is supported on the rails 46, as may be observed most clearly in Figure l. The straight guided sections 76, therefore, engage the folded end aps -18 along lines intermediate the scored hinge lines of those end aps and the opposite edges of the flaps. v

As previously mentioned, the end flaps'18 have glue stripes applied to both sides thereof by the

applicator rollers

54 and 56. In order to avoid lcontaminating the straight sections 76 of the guides with the glue contained on the side of the aps 18 against which these sections bear, the latter are so vertically located as to engage the end flaps 18 intermediate a pair of adjacent glue stripes, as illustrated in Figure 6.k

This is accomplished by making the vertical spacing A in Figure 5, between the flap engaging sections 76 of the ap folding guides and the horizontal plane Pl, passing tangentially between the

applicator rollers

54, 56 approximately equal to the spacing B in Figure 5a, between the center lines of each center applicator roller groove 68 and the vertical plane P2 of the inner wall of the adjacent glue pot 62 and guide extension 70. Also, the width of the nap engaging sections 76 is less than the width of the roller groove 68, as may be readily observed in the drawings. The glue stripes G applied to the container flaps 18 are thereby spaced to straddle lthe guide sections 76 in the manner illustrated in Figure 6. It will be noted that the extensions 70 and inner Walls of the glue pots provide vertical guide surfaces for slideably guiding a container structure during movement of the latter past the applicator rollers.

Each of the pair of linal ap folding guides 80 cornprises a metal strap which extends generally lengthwise of the machine. The end of this strap proximate 'to the entrance, or right-hand end of the machine, parallels and is welded or otherwise rigidly lixed to the upper horizontal flange of its adjacent angle 44. The opposite end of the strap comprising each of the guides 80 is disposed in a vertical plane and is fxedly attached to the upper horizontal flange of the adjacentjangle 44 by a bracket 84. generally helically twisted so as .to provide a relatively Intermediate these opposite ends, each strap-82 is smooth, though curved, transitional surface from the l1c'5riv zontally disposed end of the'strap 82 and its leftfhand, vertically disposed end. l i j Upon feeding of a container C through the machine to a position just beyond the position of initial contact of the straight sections 76 of the guides v72 with the yfolded end flaps 18, the yet unfolded lower end naps 20 engage the guides S. 'Continued movement of the container through the machine after this initial engagement of the lower end aps 20 with the guides 80 effects folding of the latter flaps upwardly against the folded flaps 18. The horizontal spacing, measured transversely of the machine, between the inner'surfaces of the left-hand vertical ends of the straps 82 is substantially equal to the dimension of the container C measured between the folded flaps' 2t?. The vertical ends of the straps 82, therefore, retain the flaps 20 in their folded position against the glue vbearing flaps 18.

Overlying the rails 46y adjacent the guides 721 and 80l are a pair of pressure strips 86 which extendV a substantial distance lengthwise of the machine. These pressure strips 86 mount upstanding threaded shafts 88 which are slideably received in openingsin horizontal bracket arms 99 fixedly attached to the angles 44`in spaced overlying relationship to the rails 46. Springs 92, encircling the shafts 88 between the bracket arms 90 and the respective pressure strips86, serve'to bias the latter in a downward direction.' Lock nuts 94 orrthe upper ends of thev threaded shafts 88 limit such downward movement of the pressure strips. p j Y The lock nuts 94 are so'adjusted that in'the normal positions of the pressure strips 86,'their lower surfaces arespaced slightly below the aforementioned plane of the upper panel of the vcontainer C Vwhen the latter isA supported on the rails 46. During feeding k.of a container`` through the machinefit passes between the rails 46 and the pressure strips 86,"the latter being '.resiliently urged against the folded top panel 16 of the container to retain a pair of arms 98, which, in turn, are pivote'd atf-theirl upper ends to a bracket xed to the adjacent pairz of bracket arms 90, serves to apply additional conce11- trated pressure on the toppanel 16 during passage of the container between the vertically disposed ends of the guide straps 80. A spring 102`biases the roller .96 to the position shown in Figure l wherein its lower pe-l riphery is substantially coplanar with the lower surfaces of the guide strips 86in their normal positions.

This pressure roller 9.6 is relatively short as compared with dimension of the 'upper container panel'16 taken normal to the end aps thereof. Accordingly, when the container C is fed below the roller 96, `the latter swings upwardly slightly in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Figure l, so that the weight of the' rollerV is supported by the upper panel 16 of the container.Y The weight of this roller rends tokbow the upper panel 16 of the container slightly vin a downward direction to a position wherein opposite edges of the container are located between the folded end aps.

The pressure applied on the folded end flaps by the ver.A

by the vertical ends of the guide straps. 82, as well as inv a final pressure assembly 104. Also, the front overhang-f ing ap 16' (Figure 1A) of the container is'I tilted .up

slightly so that the back of the next box may slide under it to permit contact of the front and rear panels of ladf.v

7 jacent containers las thelatter are pushed through the machine. i i Y 4 This-latter pressure assemblylll comprises, as shown most clearly in Figure '4, -a pair of endless belts 106 which are trained around a series of vertical rollers 10S. Rollers 10S are journalled at opposite ends in a pair of angles 110'and.112, the latter angles being welded directly to thel previously mentioned angles 44 comprising a part of the supporting frame 42. The upper angles 110, which journal the upper ends of the rollers 19S, are rigidly attached to the angles 44 by means of upstanding braces 114 welded, as shown, to the angles 110 'and 44.

.The arrangement of the final pressure assembly 101il is Vsuchthat as the container feeds thereinto, it engages between the opposing runs of the endless belts 166. The spacing' between these opposing runs of the belts is such as to apply a given amount of pressure to opposite ends of thecontainer duringmovement of the latter to the left-hand or exit end of the machine. This pressure ou the ends of the container retains the folded, upper end flaps 18 in intimate contact with the folded, lower end flaps 20 and the folded forward and rear end naps 22 solas to assure efficient adhesive bonding` of these several Owing to the pressured contact between the ends of the container and the opposing runs of the belts106, the latter move with the container as it feeds through the machine, the rotatable mounting of the rollers 108, of course, accommodating such movement of the belts 106.

The length of the final pressure assembly 164 is made such that the average transit time of the container therethrough is suflicient to assure the proper degree of setting of the particular glue employed so that upon emergence of the now completed containerfrom lthe exit end of the machine, the end flaps of the container will not tend to return to their unfolded positions. During passage of the container through the final pressure assembly 104, the upper panell of the container will be frictionally retained in the aforementioned bowed condition, owing to the pressure applied to the ends of the container. The end aps of Ythel container are, therefore, reinforced against inward bending so as to assure Athe properdegree of pressure between the several end naps necessary to efficient adhesive bonding thereof.

Operation of the present box forming machine is believed to be apparent in the light of the foregoing description. Thus, the operator of the machine will be supplied either with a quantity of container structures in their partially folded condition of Figure 1A or with a quantity of unfolded blanks which he will grasp individually and fold to the condition of Figure 1A.

This partially folded container is then fed into the entrance 'end of the machine, with the rear wall 14 of the container leading, in such manner that the upper end flaps 18 pass between the applicator-rollers 5ft and S6 and the lowerend iiaps 20 pass below the initial flap folding guides S0 and the glue pots 62 of the applicator assemblies. During initial insertion of the container into the machine, of course, the first ap-flolding guides Sil engage the rear end flaps '22 and fold the latter into the plane of the forward end aps 22. These forward end aps will be retained in their folded position by nthe operator during this initial insertion of the container into the machine.

During passage of the upper end flaps 18 between the applicator rollers, stripes of glue are applied to both sides of the flaps inthe manner illustrated in Figure 6, wherein the letter G indicates the several glue'stripes. Just prior to emergence of the upper end flaps 18 from the applicator rollers, the leading side of the box engages below -the lelongate pressure strips S6, as illustrated` inV Figure 5, so that the upper panel 16 of the container' is firmly retained in its folded, closed position prior to engagement of the glue bearing, upper end flaps 1S with the' second set of nap-folding guides 72.

Movement of the container past the second guides 72 effects downwardflding Vof the glued, upper end flaps 1S against the: fron'tfaiid 'rear endflapis- 22 which are, at this time, retained `in their folded condition by the guide extensions '70;' `As previously'described, and as shown in Figure '6, the straight sections 76 of the guides 72` are so -vertically located as to engage the end flaps 18 between adjacent gluestripes. Thus, as the container moves vpast the guides 72, the glue on the flaps d oes not contaminate the straight sections of the guides.

Immediately after this downward folding of the upper end flaps, the lower, yet unfolded end flaps 26 engage the third set of guides and are folded upwardly thereby against the now folded end aps 18, as shown in Figures 7 and 7A. This action, of course, presses the lower end flaps against the folded upper end naps and the latter flaps against the forward and rear end flaps 22 so thatthe glued surfaces of the upper end flaps contact the lower end aps and the front and rear end flaps to permit adhesive bonding thereof together.

During passage of the container between the guides 80, the roller 96 bears on the upper panel 16 of the container and bows theV latter slightly to reinforce the end aps against inward bending, as previously mentioned. v

Upon emerging4 from the guides 80, the container passes into thenal pressure assembly 104 wherein the belts 106 apply pressure to opposite ends of the container to hold the flaps in intimate contact sufficientlyy long tol enable the glue to set. Upon emergence of the container from the exit end of the machine, therefore, the end naps are firmly bonded and the container completely formed.

The above feeding of the container through the machine is effected by the operator rather than by any powered conveyer means. This elimination of powered conveyer means, of course, substantially reduces the cost and complexity of the machine. Further, the operator manually positions the container flaps for proper entrance between the glue applicator rollers. Accordingly, no mechanical registry mechanism is required, as in existing machines of this character, with the result that the cost and complexity of the machine are further reduced.

These advantages are achieved in the present machine by virtue of the novel construction thereof, which enables the operator toy walk into the entrance end of the machine to effect the aforementioned feeding of the container Apast the applicator assemblies 52, the

guides

72 and 80 and finally to feed the container into the final pressure assembly 104. Thus, as may be observed most readily in Figure 2, an unrestricted aisle 116 is provided between oppositesides of the machine in the zone of the guides 50, the applicator assemblies S2, and the guide extensions 70. This aisle lopens vthrough the entrance end of the machine and enables the operator to walk into the machine to push the container therealong as just mentioned.

Upon reaching the forward end of the aisle, the operator continues to feed -the container throughthe ma*I chine by extending his arms. The operator then repeats this operation with successive, partially folded containers until the machine contains a series of the containers in end-to-end relationship.v Each container, therefore, pushes the container ahead of it alongzas a new container is inserted in the machine. A suitable table extension mounting guidev rails, not shown, is preferably attached to the exit end of the machine to receive the completed containers as they emerge from the linal pressure assembly 104. v

It will be apparent, therefore, that there has been described and illustrated. a box'forming machine which is fully capable of attaining the several objects and advantages preliminarily setforth. While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, it is purely illustrative in nature Isince numerous modifications in design, arrangement of parts and instrumentalities are possible within the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. In a box forming machine for applying adhesive t and fol-ding end flaps at opposite ends of a container structure of the character described including a hingeable top panel, the combination of an elongate frame including a horizontal table portion adapted to slideably support a container structure for movement in a given lengthwise direction of the frame, glue applicator means along said frame for applying glue to the end flaps of a container structure including two pairs of glue applicator rollers at opposite sides of the frame tangent to a common horizontal plane spaced a predetermined distance above said table portion, a pair of laterally spaced flap A folding guides on said frame spaced in said direction from said applicator means between which a container structure is adapted to be fed after emerging from said applicator means, said guides including leading portions for folding the end flaps of a container structure against the ends of the latter and terminal portions for exerting inward forces on the folded flaps to retain the latter in folded position, and vertically acting pressure applying means between said guides having undersurfaces located approximately in said plane and spaced above said table portion for engaging and exerting a downward pressure on the top panel of a container structure during movement of the latter between said guides to retain the panel in closed position wherein it reinforces the end flaps against inward deection by said terminal portions of the guides.

2. The subject matter of claim l wherein said pressure applying means comprises a pair of horizontal strips extending lengthwise of the frame, and yieldable means biasing said strips toward said table portion.

3. The subject matter of claim l wherein said pressure applying means comprises a weighted horizontal roller vertically movable on and extending laterally of said frame.

4. The subject matter of claim 1 wherein said pressure applying means comprises a weighted, horizontal roller extending laterally of said frame, and means hingeably supporting said weighted roller on said frame above said table portion for swinging of the latter roller about a horizontal axis spaced above and extending laterally of said table portion.

5. In a box gluing machine for applying glue to and folding an end flap of a container structure of the character described, the combination of an elongate frame including support means in a given plane of the frame for slidably supporting a container structure for movement along the frame, a pair of glue applicator rollers mounted on said frame for rotation on parallel axes located in a transverse plane of the frame perpendicular to said given plane, a guide surface on said frame at one end of the rollers, said' guide surface extending lengthwise of the frame in a third plane perpendicular to said transverse plane and given plane for positioning a container structure endwise of said rollers during movement of the structure past the rollers, said rollers being tangent to a common plane and adapted to have an end flap of the container structure fed therebetween to apply glue to the flap, one roller having a peripheral groove spaced a a given distance, measured axially of the rollers in said plane of tangency, from said third plane, a flap folding guide spaced along said frame from said rollers including a relatively straight terminal section located approximately in said third plane and extending parallel to said given plane and plane of tangency for engaging the end ap to fold the latter against the container structure, said terminal section being spaced said given distance in said third plane from said plane of tangency so as to be located to engage the portion of the end flap which is aligned with the roller groove during passage of the ap between the rollers, and the width of the flap engaging portion of said terminal section being less than the width of the roller groove.

6. In a box gluing machine for applying glue to and folding end iiaps at opposite ends of a container structure of the character described, the combination of an elongate frame including horizontal container support means for slidably supporting a container structure for movement along the frame, two pairs of glue applicator rollers mounted at opposite sides of the frame for rotation of each pair of rollers on horizontal axes located in a common vertical plane extending transversely of the frame, a pair of transversely spaced vertical guide surfaces on and extending lengthwise of the frame between said pairs of rollers for positioning a container structure endwise of the rollers during movement of the structure between the rollers, said pairs of rollers being tangent to a common horizontal plane and adapted to have end flaps of the container structure fed therebetween to apply glue to the flaps, two corresponding rollers of the pairs of rollers each having a peripheral groove spaced a given distance axially of the rollers from the vertical plane of the adjacent guide surface, a pair of flap folding guides at opposite sides of and spaced along the frame from said rollers, each folding guide including a horizontal, relatively straight terminal section located approximately in the vertical plane of the adjacent guide surface for engaging an end flap of the container structure to fold the flap against the end of the structure, said terminal sections being vertically spaced said given distance from said plane of tangency so as to be located to engage the portions of the respective end flaps which are aligned with the roller grooves during passage of the end flaps between the rollers, and the width of the ap engaging portions of said terminal sections being less than the width of said roller grooves.

Clarke May 9, 1911 Marcalus Feb. 20, 1934