METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR POSITIONING CARTON FLAPS

摘要

A method and assembly (10) for folding carton flaps is disclosed. The assembly includes a modular housing (12) positioned on a framework (22), and a drive gear (26) which moves a drive pulley (28) and a star wheel (29) in a timed relationship with a group of conveyed bottles. Lugs (33) are spaced along an endless lug belt (32). The teeth (86) of a top star wheel disc (84) and a bottom star wheel disc (85) are moved into prescored flap areas of a carton blank to break the flaps open, whereupon lugs (33) of endless lug belt (32) are moved through the prescored flap areas and move the flaps thereof into tangential engagement with the exterior surface of the bottles in the group. The side wall of the carton blank is simultaneously moved toward the bottles by a top guide (90) and a bottom guide (91).