Packaging machine and method of forming a carton

1. An apparatus for sequentially manipulating out of a hopper and initiating set up of collapsed cartons having oppositely disposed side and end panels and a first base panel and a second base panel, said apparatus comprising a carton pick up device for sequentially engaging one of said opposed panels and for withdrawing from the hopper a collapsed carton oriented in a substantially vertical plane, a feeder for translating the carton from the substantially vertical plane to a substantially horizontal plane and transferring said carton from said hopper to an in-feed end of a packaging machine, a separator to misalign the first base panel from the carton to a substantially vertical plane to separate the base panels so that the second base panel is engaged by a conveyor and held in a substantially horizontal plane and the first base panel remains unengaged by a conveyor, a guide to manipulate or to guide the side and end panels from said substantially horizontal plane into a substantially vertical plane and said first base panel from said vertical plane to a substantially horizontal plane while said second base panel is held by said conveyor, and a carton erecting device to pull the opposing side and end panels away from the base panel held in the conveyor to erect the carton.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the feeder is a rotary feeder having the carton pick up device mounted thereon.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the separator comprises a fixed guide that engages one of said base panels and folds it out of the plane of the carton.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the guide is a second fixed guide.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the carton erecting device comprises a vacuum suction cup rotatably mounted on a drive shaft such that the suction cup may move under guided linear motion towards and away from the carton during one complete rotation of the drive shaft.

6. A packaging machine including an apparatus for sequentially manipulating out of a hopper and initiating set up of collapsed cartons having oppositely disposed side and end panels and a first base panel and a second base panel, said apparatus comprising a carton pick up device for sequentially engaging one of said opposed panels and for withdrawing from the hopper a collapsed carton oriented in a substantially vertical plane, a feeder for translating the carton from the substantially vertical plane to a substantially horizontal plane and transferring said carton from said hopper to an in-feed end of a packaging machine, a separator to misalign the first base panel from the carton to a substantially vertical plane to separate the base panels so that the second base panel is engaged by a conveyor and held in a substantially horizontal plane and the first base panel remains unengaged by a conveyor, a guide to manipulate or to guide the side and end panels from said substantially horizontal plane into a substantially vertical plane and said first base panel from said vertical plane to a substantially horizontal plane while said second base panel is held by said conveyor, and a carton erecting device to pull the opposing side and end panels away from the base panel held in the conveyor to erect the carton.

7. A packaging machine according to claim 6 wherein the cartons are held in a hopper with a side edge thereof orientated downwardly and wherein the carton pick-up device is arranged to translate said cartons from a substantially vertical position in the hopper to a substantially horizontal position in the paper feed chain.

8. A packaging machine according to claim 7 wherein said carton pick up device is rotatable about a fixed axis in an orbital path.

9. A packaging machine according to claim 6 which further comprises an article loading mechanism and a base panel locking mechanism.

10. The packaging machine according to claim 6 , further comprising a programmable controller, the controller comprising a central processor, manual input means, and separate means controlled by the central processor for synchronizing the loading of an article grouping into a carton.

11. The packaging machine according to claim 10 , wherein the controller sets the relative position of three rows of articles at the in-feed end of the packaging machine.

12. The packaging machine according to claim 10 wherein the controller controls a motor which drives the carton-erecting device.

13. The packaging machine according to claim 10 wherein the controller controls the motors which drive the carton feed, thereby synchronizing the unerected carton flow rate with the erected carton flow rate.

14. A method of continuously feeding and setting up a carton having oppositely disposed side and end panels and a pair of base panels from a flat collapsed to a position of use, which method comprises the steps of:

(a) sequentially withdrawing a carton stored in a hopper in a substantially vertical position;

(b) transferring the carton to a horizontal plane;

(c) separating the base panels to cause one of the base panels to be engaged by a conveyor and the other panel to remain free for rotation;

(d) manipulating the aide and end panels into a substantially vertical plane;

(e) separating the opposing side and end panels to erect the carton as said engaged panel remains engaged by said conveyor.

15. A method according to claim 14 additionally comprising the steps of:

(f) lowering the cartons onto an article grouping;

(g) locking the base panels of the carton together.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the other of said base panels remains unengaged by said conveyor when separating said base panels from one another.