WO2010015950A1

WO2010015950A1 - Packaging apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO2010015950A1
Application number: PCT/IB2009/053045
Authority: WO
Inventors: Fiorenzo Draghetti; Mauro Cattani; Bruno File'; Fabio Sassi
Original assignee: Gima S.P.A. Con Unico Socio
Priority date: 2008-08-07
Filing date: 2009-07-14
Publication date: 2010-02-11
Also published as: ITBO20080512A1

Abstract

An apparatus (10) for producing a packet, the packet comprising a container body (11) in the form of a box-shaped body, made from a blank (11'), comprises a rotary element which feeds with continuous motion and which supports a plurality of holders (12) for supporting a respective container body (11), and means (16) for dispensing a respective product (13) to the container body (11) on the supporting holders (12). In the apparatus, the means, or holders (12) supporting the container body (13) receive the container body in the open and extended condition.

Description

Packaging apparatus

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a packaging apparatus.

Background Art

There are prior art apparatuses for making box-shaped packets for cigarettes, in which the box-shaped body, made of paperboard, is formed on a feed wheel, which moves with continuous feed motion and which has holders for supporting a respective container body, the holders being able to move relative to the rotary supporting wheel in order to collect the product to be packaged, or another item, which is fed close to a fixed position, at the forming wheel. In said prior art apparatuses, the box-shaped body is at least partly shaped while it is on the rotary wheel means.

The prior art machines have the disadvantage of a complex, expensive construction, requiring complicated mechanisms to connect the container body supporting holder to the rotary supporting wheel.

Moreover, in said prior art machines, the product is fed to the respective supporting holder on the wheel with a movement that is substantially radial to the wheel, not really suited to the passage, onto the container to be formed, of a product consisting of a group of items and/or having a plurality of layers.

There are also prior art apparatuses for making box-shaped packets for products, in a single piece, in which the pre-formed box-shaped body, open at one of its longitudinal ends, is simply fed forwards, carried on a fixed holder of a rotary wheel, the product being inserted in the box-shaped body with a movement transversal to the latter, after it has been conveyed over a predetermined stretch parallel with the box-shaped body already formed on a corresponding holder which is supported on the same rotary wheel that bears the holder for the box- shaped body.

In that case, the box-shaped body feed wheel only forms feed means for the container, without having any function involving shaping of the container while the container is on the feed wheel.

However, with said apparatus configuration it is not possible to have containers which have a complex shape, since the containers which are fed to the machine must be in a flattened tubular condition, their production cost excessive, at least compared with the cost of a similar flat, non-tubular blank, for obtaining the same packet.

Moreover, using an assembly wheel for the product and the pre-formed tubular container means that the product must be inserted according to the long side of the packet, with excessive insertion times.

Disclosure of the Invention

It is therefore provided an apparatus for producing a packet, the packet comprising a container body designed to hold a product, the container body, in particular, being in the form of a box-shaped body, made from a flat blank, particularly of paperboard or the like, the apparatus comprising a rotary element which feeds with continuous motion and supports a plurality of holders for supporting a respective container body, and means for dispensing a respective product to the container body on the supporting holders, characterised in that the means, or holders, supporting the container body receive the container body in the open and extended condition.

In this way, a packaging apparatus is obtained which has a simple structure, low cost and particularly flexible use, being suitable for making a packet having any shape.

Brief description of the drawings

These and other features of the apparatus are clearly described in the claims below and its advantages are more apparent from the detailed description which follows, with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention provided merely by way of example without restricting the scope of the inventive concept, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective schematic view of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a schematic side view of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus according to the present invention;

Figure 3 is a schematic top plan view of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus according to the present invention;

Figure 4A is a perspective schematic view of a packet obtained with the preferred embodiment of the apparatus according to the present invention;

Figure 4B is a schematic top plan view of a flat blank for obtaining the packet of Figure 4A;

Figures 5A to 5F are perspective schematic views of the various steps of product passage on the blank on the supporting means and container body feed and steps of shaping the container body; and

Figures 6A to 6F are schematic side views of the various steps of inserting the product on the supporting means and container body feed.

Detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention

Figures 1 to 3 show a preferred embodiment 10 of an apparatus for making corresponding packets.

In particular, as illustrated in Figures 4A and 4B, the packet comprises a body 11 for holding a product 13, the container body 11 in particular in the form of a box-shaped body, made from a flat blank, illustrated in Figure 4B, which is advantageously supplied to the apparatus in the open or substantially extended condition, that is to say, with the mutually connectable ends in the detached condition and appropriately spaced from each other.

The present apparatus folds the blank 11' to form corresponding walls of the container body 11 illustrated in Figure 4A.

In particular, the blank is preferably made of material which can be folded, in particular paperboard or the like. However, it shall be understood that the blank 11' could be made of any suitable material.

As illustrated, the product 13 contained in the body is preferably in the form of a product in pieces, particularly in pieces which are grouped together.

In particular, the product 13 could be sticks 13' of a food product, such as chewing gum, or the like, which are aligned and placed alongside each other.

The sticks may also be grouped in a plurality of superposed layers, in particular arranged in two layers 13a, 13b, one on top of the other, as shown in Figure 4A.

However, any product could be packaged, whether it is a food product or a non-food product, or a product comprising a plurality of pieces or a single piece.

As shown in Figure 4A, the container body 11 comprises a large longitudinal front wall 15 and a large longitudinal rear wall 17, which are parallel with each other and perpendicularly spaced from each other.

The front and rear walls 15 and 17 are connected by transversally opposite longitudinal lateral walls 19, 21, also parallel with each other and transversally spaced from each other.

Moreover, the container body 13 has a transversal trailing end wall 23 and a transversal leading end wall 25, which is part of a front panel 27 that can be opened and resealed - allowing easy access to and pick up of the product 13 — thanks to a tab 29 engaging with a corresponding slit 29' at the trailing end wall 23 of the packet.

As illustrated in Figure 4B, the flat blank 11' therefore comprises a large quadrangular, in particular rectangular panel 17, forming the rear wall of the container body, from whose lateral edges 17a, 17b there extend laterally, forming corresponding longitudinal fold or creasing lines, opposite portions comprising corresponding panels 19, 21, forming the lateral walls of the container body, and end panels 15a, 15b, forming means, or tabs, for retaining the front wall 15 of the container body 13.

As illustrated, the end panels 15a, 15b extend from the longitudinal lateral edges 19a, 21a of the panels 19, 21 which form longitudinal fold or creasing lines with the lateral walls 19 and 21.

Moreover, as illustrated, extending longitudinally from the opposite transversal edges 17c, 17d of the main panel 17 there are corresponding portions with respective panels 23, 25 respectively forming the trailing end wall and the leading end wall of the container, which are connected to the wall 17 by the transversal fold and creasing lines 17c, 17d.

Extending from the trailing end wall of the container, across a transversal fold line 23a, there is a panel 15c forming the main part of the front wall 15 of the box-shaped body 11.

Moreover, at the sides of the panel 23 there are tabs 23b, 23c which are folded according to fold and creasing lines 23 'b, 23¹C to make means for retaining the lateral panels 19, 21 of the box-shaped body.

From a transversal fold or creasing edge 25a of the opposite panel 25, in turn, a corresponding mobile panel 27 is folded, forming the lid which closes the packet. Extending from the lid, across a fold line 29 'a, there is a central tab 29 designed to engage with the trailing end panel 23 of the box-shaped body.

In particular, the tab 29 is inserted in an intermediate slot 29a, made on the fold line 23 a for the front panel 15 c, oblique slots 29b, 29c extending from the transversal slot 29a.

The apparatus 10 comprises supporting means in the form of a frame 10', resting on supporting feet 10b.

The frame 10' has a longitudinal front wall 10a, separating the actuators from the apparatus operating elements.

The apparatus comprises means, or holders, 12 for supporting the respective packet container body 11, which are supported and fed by corresponding means, or a feeder, 14, along a respective path or travel.

The apparatus also comprises means for dispensing the product 13 to the container body supporting means 12, labelled 16 as a whole in the accompanying drawings.

Advantageously, the means, or holders, 12 support the container bodies 11 in the open, substantially extended condition.

Moreover, advantageously, the means 16 for dispensing the product to the container body 11 holders 12 are supported and fed along a respective path which is at least partly parallel with the container body 11 supporting means 12 feed path.

As illustrated, the means 16 for dispensing the product are positioned alongside the container body 11 supporting means 12 and are fed on shared feed means 14, advantageously in the form of a rotary element or wheel which moves forward with a continuous feed motion, rotating about a respective horizontal or substantially horizontal axis of rotation.

Advantageously, the container supporting means comprise holders 12 distributed around the circumference and integrally connected to the supporting and feed means 14, having a container supporting surface facing radially outwards.

In practice, the holder 12 has a container body supporting surface 12a which is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the respective virtual radius joining it to the centre of rotation of the feed wheel 14.

As illustrated, the holders 12 also extend transversally to the machine, or parallel with the axis of rotation of the feed wheel 14.

As illustrated, the respective holder 12 has a corresponding container body 11 supporting surface 12a and means, not illustrated in detail in the accompanying drawings, for retaining the container body 11 on the supporting surface 12a. The retaining means are in the form of suction means comprising holes, or the like, in the surface 12a, the holes being connected to the corresponding vacuum or suction source, not illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

As illustrated, the respective container body holder 12 is longer in the circumferential direction and, as may also be inferred with reference to Figures 5 A to 5F, it has a supporting surface 12a which, as shown, is substantially flat and positioned circumferentially relative to the supporting and rotating feed means 14.

As illustrated, the container body is supported with the rear panel 17 on the supporting surface 12a of the respective supporting holder 12.

The holder 12 also has at least one surface, in particular a first lateral surface and a second lateral surface 12b, 12c for engaging with and folding a corresponding panel 19, 21 of the container body 11.

The respective engaging and folding surface 12b, 12c for the container body 11 panel extends radially relative to the feed wheel 14 from a corresponding lateral or circumferential end of the product supporting surface 12a.

In practice, the surfaces 12b, 12c are supported on lateral blocks 12'b, 12'c projecting from a central block or portion 12'a forming the outer supporting surface 12a for the product, projecting radially or perpendicularly beyond the surface 12a.

As may be inferred in particular from Figure 1, the holders 12 are connected in a fixed or stable fashion to the rotary wheel 14, which supports them by means of a corresponding radial rod.

Advantageously, the means 16 for dispensing the product are moved parallel with the container body supporting means 12, at least for the stretch or travel in which the container body 11 is in the open or extended condition.

As illustrated, the means 16 for dispensing the product 13 to the container body 11 supporting means 12 have product 13 supporting means 18 and feed means for the supporting means 18.

In particular, the product supporting means comprise holders 18 which are integrally connected to the respective feed means 14.

As illustrated, the holder 18 has a product 13 supporting surface 18a which, in the position in which it receives the products is facing upwards, so that it can appropriately receive the product 13.

As illustrated, the holder 18 has a product supporting surface 18a which is substantially flat and positioned circumferentially relative to the rotary feed means 14.

The product supporting surface 18a is also facing radially outwards.

In practice, the holder 18 has a product supporting surface 18a which is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the respective virtual radius joining it to the centre of rotation of the feed wheel 14.

As illustrated, the holders 18 also extend transversally to the machine, or parallel with the axis of rotation of the feed wheel 14.

Moreover, the holder 18 has at least one surface 18b, 18c, in particular a first and a second opposite surface for laterally engaging with a corresponding end of the product 13.

Said surfaces 18b, 18c are made at portions 18'b, 18'c projecting from the portion 18'a forming the flat supporting surface 18a.

The respective surface 18b, 18c for laterally engaging with the product 13 extends radially relative to the rotary feed means 14.

As illustrated, the product holder 18 is longer in the circumferential direction.

In the outer radial position the product holder 18 is integral with or firmly connected to the rotary feed wheel 14 for the container supporting holders 16.

There are also means 20 for retaining the product 13 on the supporting surface 18a of the product supporting holder. Said retaining means are mobile means which engage with the product 13 on the outer radial side opposite the supporting surface 18a. The retaining means can move between a transversally retracted position, allowing free passage and support for the product on the holder 18, and a forward position in which they engage with the upper or radially outer face of the product 13.

In particular, in the retracted position, the product 13 retaining means extend on the supporting holder 18 side which is opposite the side of the supporting holder facing towards the container body 11 supporting means 12.

As illustrated, the product retaining means 20 are in the form of an engagement element or blade 22, formed by a plate, in particular a metal plate, but which could be made of any suitable material, for example even plastic, and which is supported at the end of a rod 24 of a pneumatic actuator cylinder 26.

As shown, the plate or blade 22 has a generally quadrangular profile, and perpendicular stiffening ribs 28 at the connection to the mobile supporting rod 24.

The product retaining means 22 are in the form of means which retain the product 13 in a radial direction.

The retaining blade 22 also forms product retaining means during the transfer between the supporting surface 18a and the container body holder 12, that is to say, onto the container body, and forms radial product retaining means on the container body holder 12, that is to say, on the container body, as explained in more detail below. hi practice, there are advantageous means for dispensing the product 13, comprising means 20 for transferring the product from the product supporting means 18 to the container body 11 supporting means 12.

The transfer means comprise means for moving the product 13 in a direction transversal to the container body 11 feed direction, or in a direction transversal to the direction of feed of the holders 18 which receive the product and the holders 12 which support the container body 11, or in a direction transversal to the longitudinal direction of extension of the apparatus. hi practice, there are transfer means comprising means for moving the product 13 in a horizontal or substantially horizontal direction, or in a direction parallel or substantially parallel with the axis of rotation of the feed means 14.

The means for moving the product 13 comprise a respective pusher 30 for engaging with the product, which can move between a retracted position allowing product 13 passage towards and onto the respective supporting means 18 and a forward position for product transfer or passage to the container body 13 supporting means 12.

As illustrated, a product 13 is positioned on the holder 12, on top of the container body 11, that is to say, in an outer radial position relative to the container body 11. The means 20 for transferring the product from the product 13 supporting means 18 to the container body 11 supporting means 12 also comprise product 13 sliding and supporting means 32.

During product transversal movement, the product 13 sliding means 32 can move between a retracted position and a forward position allowing passage of the product, in which the sliding means 32 extend between the product 13 supporting means 18 and the container body 11 supporting means 12. hi particular, as illustrated, in the retracted position, the product 13 sliding means 32 are positioned below, or radially inside, the product 13 supporting means 18.

The product 13 sliding means comprise a chute or channel 32, having a flat product 13 supporting and sliding surface 32a which, in the condition for receiving the product 13, is positioned circumferentially relative to the rotary feed means 14, that is to say, facing radially outwards, hi practice, the chute or channel 32 has a product supporting and sliding surface 32a which, in the condition for receiving the product 13, is positioned so that it is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the virtual radius joining it to the centre of rotation of the feed wheel 14.

The chute 32 also has at least one, in particular a first and a second surface 32b, 32c for laterally engaging with the product 13, said surfaces extending from the respective end of the product 13 supporting and sliding surface 32a. hi the product transfer position they extend radially relative to the rotary feed means.

Advantageously, the lateral surfaces 32b, 32c extend obliquely relative to the transversal direction, that is to say, they have a front or upstream stretch which is angled at the product 13 supporting means, diverging towards the product supporting holder 18. hi practice, the lateral surfaces 32b, 32c of the chute 32 converge, or narrow, towards the container body supporting means 12.

For that purpose, each lateral surface 32b, 32c has a diverging or oblique rear portion 32T), 32'c positioned circumferentially outside the portions 18b, 18c of the product 13 supporting holder 18 and a front portion 32"b, 32"c which is substantially aligned with the corresponding lateral surface 12b, 12c of the product and container body 11 supporting holders 12.

As illustrated, the means 22 for engaging with the product 13 can move from the position in which they engage with the product 13 to an extended forward position for transferring the product onto the respective container body 11 supporting means 12.

There are means for forming the container body.

Advantageously, the means for forming the container body are designed to form the container body on the container body supporting means 12.

Advantageously, the means for forming the container body comprise means for engaging with the container body which are positioned at the feed means 14, for forming the container body on the supporting means 12.

Advantageously, the means for forming the container body 11 comprise folding means not illustrated in detail in the accompanying drawings, which are in any event positioned circumferentially around the container body 11 supporting and feed means, radially outside the holders 12, and in suitable circumferential positions. Said folding means are designed to fold corresponding tabs, or panels, of the body 11, as may be inferred from the accompanying drawings.

Moreover, advantageously, the means for forming the container body comprise the blade 22 for engaging with the product 13, which forms the means for engaging with the lateral edges 19a, 21a of the container body and a corresponding container body trailing end edge 23a, as well as a perpendicular contact or supporting surface for the lateral tabs 15a and 15b and front tab 15c for forming the container front wall 15, as illustrated in particular in Figure 5E.

The blade 22 forming condition is provided with the retaining blade in the extended forward condition, as illustrated in Figure 5E.

After the panels 15a, 15b, 15c have been folded and adhered to each other to form the front wall 15, the blade 22 returns to the retracted position illustrated in Figure 5F. The mobile sliding channel 32 in turn returns to the respective retracted position below the corresponding holder 18, in a step before the return of the blade 32, as illustrated in Figure 5D, that is to say, while the panels are being folded to form the container front wall 15.

In practice, as illustrated, the blade 22 has a large front edge 22a and corresponding lateral edges 22b, 22c, at right angles to the front edge 22a, which engage with corresponding trailing end 23 and lateral panels 19, 21 of the body 11 and facilitate the formation of the container body wall 15, the respective panels 15a, 15b and 15c being folded over the outer face 22' of the blade 22. hi this way, by folding the container body 11 around the product 13 and over the blade 22 profile, a packet or box-shaped body is obtained which has walls which are perfectly square and extremely well made. hi practice, the container body forming means comprise means for folding the lateral walls of the container body and means for folding the trailing end wall of the container body, as well as means for folding the panels to form the front wall.

The forming means also comprise means for applying an adhesive at various angular positions of the container feed means 14.

The means for applying the adhesive on corresponding faces of the container body operate with the container body 11 supported on the respective holder 12.

Advantageously, the forming means also comprise means for detecting the presence of adhesive on the container body at the predetermined zones.

The container body forming means also comprise means for drying the adhesive which are positioned at the feed means 14 and act on the container bodies located on the supporting holders 12.

There are also means for pre-folding container body 11 panels, which weaken the connecting or creasing lines between lateral panels, allowing improved panel folding during formation of the box-shaped body and consequently a packet that is better made and more attractive.

The pre-folding means operate on the container body 11 before the product 13 is positioned on the body 11.

As illustrated, there are also means 34 for feeding the container body in the extended condition which are in the form of a longitudinal conveyor belt extending substantially horizontally.

The numeral 36 denotes means for the passage of the container body 11 in the flat or extended condition to the forming means 12, 14.

The passage means 36 are in the form of a rotary wheel supporting respective holders 38 which pick up the container bodies 11 in the extended condition. The holders can move relative to the rotary supporting wheel 40, being supported on radial arms 42 relative to which they are suitably articulated, hi particular, there are four pick and place holders 38.

Also, as illustrated, the rotary wheel 40 moves, or rotates, according to a horizontal axis parallel with the axis of rotation of the main wheel 14, anticlockwise, that is to say, hi the opposite angular direction to the clockwise direction of feed of the forming wheel 14.

There are also means 42 for feeding the product 13, in the form of a product 13 feed belt, the products being spaced out longitudinally. The feed belt 42 extends longitudinally and substantially horizontally.

The numeral 44 denotes a star- wheel forming means for the passage of the product from the feed means 42 to the dispensing means 16, in particular to the product supporting holders 18.

As illustrated, the passage means 44 comprise circumferentially distributed projecting prongs 46 for engaging with and feeding the product.

As illustrated, the passage means 44 rotate hi an anti-clockwise direction opposite to the clockwise direction of rotation of the forming wheel 14.

The numeral 50 denotes means for picking up the packet from the forming means 12, 14 which are below the forming means 14, whilst the means 34 and 42 for the passage of the container bodies 11 and the products 13 are located in front of, or to the side of, the dispensing means 14, in particular being in a lower lateral position relative to the latter and an upper lateral position relative to the forming means 14.

The means for picking up the packet are in the form of a wheel 50 comprising respective packet pick up holders 54. The packet pick up wheel rotates anti-clockwise and passes the packets to a conveyor belt 56, which forms the packet final closing means and which receives the packets at a respective end 56a.

The packet pick up holders are supported on respective fixed arms 52. hi particular, there are six holders 54 projecting radially and distributed circumferentially relative to the corresponding rotary supporting wheel 50.

The finished packets are then unloaded by the machine at the end 56b of the conveyor belt 56.

As may be inferred in particular with reference to Figure 2, operation of the present apparatus briefly involves, one after another, in step or position A, placing the container body 11, in the open or extended condition, on the respective holder 12 of the assembly means for the packet components 11 and 13. In step or position B, a weakening pre-folding action is applied to the lateral tabs of the blank. In step or position C, the product is placed on the respective holder 18, as inferred from Figures 5A, 5B and 6A, 6B, whilst hi step or position D glue is spread on the respective panels of the container body.

Then, in step or position E, the product 13 is placed on the respective holder 12 bearing the container body 11, as inferred from Figures 5C, 5D and 6C, 6D, and in step or position F more glue is spread on other container body panels. hi step or position G, the container body lateral panels are folded, as may be inferred from Figure 5D and, hi step or position H, more glue is spread on other container body panels.

Then, in step or position I, the trailing end panel of the container body is folded, as may be inferred from Figure 5E and, in step or position L, the presence of glue on the other container body is checked.

Finally, in steps or positions M, N and O, the glue is dried and in step or position P, the packet is unloaded from the assembly and folding means 14.

Figures 5F, 6E and 6F in particular illustrate the chute 32, pusher 30 and retaining blade 22 return backwards steps.

The invention described above is susceptible of industrial application and may be modified and adapted in several ways without thereby departing from the scope of the inventive concept. Moreover, all the details of the invention may be substituted by technically equivalent elements.

Claims

1. An apparatus (10) for producing a packet, the packet comprising a container body (11) for holding a product (13), the container body (11) being, in particular, in the form of a box-shaped body, made from a flat blank (H'), particularly made of paperboard or the like, the apparatus comprising a rotary element which feeds, in particular with continuous motion, and which supports a plurality of holders (12) for supporting a respective container body (11), and means (16) for dispensing a respective product (13) to the container body (11) on the supporting holders (12), the apparatus being characterised in that the means, or holders (12) supporting the container body (11) receive the container body in the open condition.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 or according to the preamble to claim 1, characterised in that the means (16) for dispensing the product (13) are positioned alongside the means (12) for supporting the container (11).

3. The apparatus according to any of the foregoing claims, characterised in that the respective holder (12) has at least one surface (12b, 12c) for engaging with and folding a corresponding container body (11) panel.

4. The apparatus according to any of the foregoing claims, or according to the preamble to claim 1, characterised in that the means for dispensing the product (13) comprise means (20) for transferring the product from corresponding product supporting holders (18) to the container body (11) supporting holders (12).

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, characterised in that the means for transferring the product (13) comprise a respective pusher able to move between a retracted position allowing the passage of the product (13) onto respective supporting holders (18) and a forward position at container body (11) supporting means (12).

6. The apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, characterised in that the means (20) for transferring the product from the product (13) supporting means (18) to the container body (11) supporting means (12) comprise product (13) sliding and supporting means (32).

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, characterised in that the product (13) sliding support means (32) can move between a retracted position and an extended forward position between the product (13) supporting means (18) and the container body (11) supporting means (12).

8. The apparatus according to any of the foregoing claims, or according to the preamble to claim 1, characterised in that it comprises means (22) for retaining product (13) during product transfer to the holder (12) supporting the container body and for retaining the product (13) at the container body supporting holder (12).

9. The apparatus according to any of the foregoing claims, or according to the preamble to claim 1, characterised in that it comprises means for forming the container body around the product, said means being designed to form the container body on the supporting means (12).

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, characterised in that the container body forming means comprise a product (13) retaining blade (22).

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, characterised in that the blade (22) has a front edge (22a) and corresponding lateral edges (22b, 22c) which correspond to the shape of the corresponding wall (15) of the container body (11).

12. The apparatus according to any of the foregoing claims from 9 to 11, characterised in that the container body forming means comprise means for folding the lateral walls of the container body.

13. The apparatus according to any of the foregoing claims from 9 to 12, characterised in that the container body forming means comprise means for folding the trailing end wall of the container body.

14. The apparatus according to any of the foregoing claims from 9 to 13, characterised in that the container body forming means comprise means for folding the container body panels to form the container body front wall.

15. The apparatus according to any of the foregoing claims from 9 to 14, characterised in that the container body forming means (22) are also product transfer means.