초록 ▼

A machine for forming a container from a blank of sheet material is provided. The blank includes a reinforcing panel assembly for forming a reinforcing corner assembly. The machine includes a hopper station for storing the blank in a substantially flat configuration and a forming station for forming

A machine for forming a container from a blank of sheet material is provided. The blank includes a reinforcing panel assembly for forming a reinforcing corner assembly. The machine includes a hopper station for storing the blank in a substantially flat configuration and a forming station for forming the blank into the container. The forming station includes an initial forming station that rotates a first portion of the reinforcing panel assembly with respect to a second portion of the reinforcing panel assembly, and a secondary forming station having male and female forming members with shapes corresponding to an interior shape and an exterior shape of the reinforcing corner assembly, respectively. The male and the female forming members are configured to form the reinforcing corner assembly by compressing together the first and second portions of the reinforcing panel assembly.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A machine for forming a container from a blank of sheet material, the blank including at least one reinforcing panel assembly for forming a reinforcing corner assembly of the container, the reinforcing panel assembly including at least one reinforcing side panel, said machine comprising: a hopper

1. A machine for forming a container from a blank of sheet material, the blank including at least one reinforcing panel assembly for forming a reinforcing corner assembly of the container, the reinforcing panel assembly including at least one reinforcing side panel, said machine comprising: a hopper station for storing the blank in a substantially flat configuration;a forming station for forming the blank into the container, the forming station comprising: an initial forming station configured to rotate a first portion of the at least one reinforcing panel assembly with respect to a second portion of the at least one reinforcing panel assembly; anda secondary forming station comprising a male forming member having a shape corresponding to an interior shape of the reinforcing corner assembly and a female forming member having a shape corresponding to an exterior shape of the reinforcing corner assembly, the male forming member and the female forming member configured to form the reinforcing corner assembly by compressing together the first and second portions of the at least one reinforcing panel assembly; anda transport system for transporting the blank through the machine, the transport system comprising a servo-driven push lug configured to transport the blank from the initial forming station and through the secondary forming station. 2. A machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the secondary forming station further comprises a folder arm for rotating the first portion into face-to-face relationship with the second portion of the at least one reinforcing panel assembly. 3. A machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the forming station further comprises a first gluing station positioned between the initial forming station and the secondary forming station, the first gluing station configured to apply an adhesive to predetermined panels of the at least one reinforcing panel assembly. 4. A machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the at least one reinforcing panel assembly comprises a corner panel, a first reinforcing side panel, a second reinforcing side panel, an inner reinforcing corner panel, and an inner end panel connected in series along a plurality of fold lines, the first portion comprising the second reinforcing side panel, the inner reinforcing corner panel, and the inner end panel and the second portion comprising the corner panel and the first reinforcing side panel, andthe forming station comprises a breaking station positioned downstream from the secondary forming station, the breaking station configured to further rotate the reinforcing side panels with respect to the corner panels by using a miter plate and a guide bar extending partially over the miter plate. 5. A machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the forming station further comprises a compression station configured to rotate side panels and end panels of the blank to be substantially perpendicular to a bottom panel of the blank, rotation of the end panels rotating the reinforcing corner assembly to be substantially perpendicular to the bottom panel. 6. A machine in accordance with claim 5, wherein the compression station is further configured to couple the reinforcing corner assembly to an adjacent side panel by compressing the reinforcing corner assembly and the adjacent side panel. 7. A machine in accordance with claim 5, wherein the compression station comprises support bars for guiding the reinforcing corner assembly through the compression station and maintaining a position of the reinforcing corner assembly. 8. A machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the machine is fully automatically adjustable for forming a plurality of sizes of containers from a plurality of sizes of blanks. 9. A machine for forming a container from a blank of sheet material, the blank including at least one reinforcing panel assembly for forming a reinforcing corner assembly of the container, the at least one reinforcing panel assembly extending from a side edge of at least one end panel and including at least one corner panel, a first reinforcing side panel, and a second reinforcing side panel, said machine comprising: a hopper for storing the blank in a substantially flat configuration;a male forming member having a shape corresponding to an interior shape of the reinforcing corner assembly;a female forming member having a shape corresponding to an exterior shape of the reinforcing corner assembly, the male forming member and the female forming member configured to form the reinforcing corner assembly by compressing a first portion of the at least one reinforcing panel assembly to a second portion of the at least one reinforcing panel assembly;a transport system configured to transport the blank from the hopper to the male and female forming members; anda breaking station positioned downstream from the male and female forming members, the breaking station comprising a guide bar partially extending over a miter plate, the guide bar configured to further rotate the reinforcing side panels with respect to the corner panel by forcing the reinforcing side panels toward the miter plate. 10. A machine in accordance with claim 9, wherein the transport system comprises a servo-driven push lug for transporting the blank from the hopper through the male and female forming members. 11. A machine in accordance with claim 9, wherein the at least one reinforcing panel assembly comprises the corner panel, the first reinforcing side panel, the second reinforcing side panel, an inner reinforcing corner panel, and an inner end panel connected in series along a plurality of fold lines, the machine further comprising: a folder arm positioned adjacent the male and female forming members, the folder arm configured to rotate the inner end panel into face-to-face relationship with the at least one end panel, the reinforcing side panels into face-to-face relationship, and the corner panels into face-to-face relationship. 12. A machine in accordance with claim 11, wherein the male and female forming members are configured to rotate the corner panels with respect to the end panel and the inner end panel, and with respect to the reinforcing side panels to form the reinforcing corner assembly. 13. A machine in accordance with claim 9 further comprising a first gluing station positioned between the hopper and the male and female forming members, the first gluing station configured to apply an adhesive to predetermined panels of the at least one reinforcing panel assembly. 14. A machine in accordance with claim 9 further comprising an initial forming station positioned between the hopper and the male and female forming members, the initial forming station configured to rotate a first portion of the at least one reinforcing panel assembly with respect to a second portion of the at least one reinforcing panel assembly. 15. A machine in accordance with claim 9, wherein the at least one reinforcing panel assembly comprises the at least one corner panel, the first reinforcing side panel, the second reinforcing side panel, an inner reinforcing corner panel, and an inner end panel connected in series along a plurality of fold lines, the machine further comprising: a breaking station positioned downstream from the male and female forming members, the breaking station comprising a guide bar partially extending over a miter plate, the guide bar configured to further rotate the first reinforcing side panel with respect to a first corner panel and the second reinforcing side panel with respect to a second corner panel by forcing the first and second reinforcing side panels toward the miter plate. 16. A machine in accordance with claim 15 further comprising a glue station positioned adjacent the breaking station, the glue station applying an adhesive to predetermine panels of the reinforcing corner assembly as the reinforcing side panels are further rotated by the guide bar. 17. A machine in accordance with claim 9 further comprising a plurality of plows and a plunger, the plurality of plows defining a plunger opening, wherein the plurality of plows and the plunger are configured to rotate side panels and end panels of the blank to be substantially perpendicular to a bottom panel of the blank, rotation of the end panels rotating the reinforcing corner assembly to be substantially perpendicular to the bottom panel. 18. A machine in accordance with claim 17, wherein the plurality of plows and the plunger couple the reinforcing corner assembly to an adjacent side panel by compressing the reinforcing corner assembly and the adjacent side panel between at least one plow and the plunger. 19. A machine in accordance with claim 17 further comprising support bars adjacent to the plurality of plows, the support bars configured to guide the reinforcing corner assembly over the plunger opening and to maintain a position of the reinforcing corner assembly. 20. A method of forming a container from a blank of sheet material using a machine, the blank including a bottom panel having opposing side edges and opposing end edges, two opposing side panels each extending from one of the side edges of the bottom panel, two opposing end panels each extending from one of the end edges of the bottom panel, and a reinforcing panel assembly including a plurality of reinforcing panels separated by a plurality of fold lines, the reinforcing panel assembly extending from a first side edge of a first end panel of the two end panels, the machine including a hopper station and a forming station, said method comprising: rotating the reinforcing panel assembly upwardly about a first fold line of the plurality of fold lines toward the first end panel as the blank is transported from the hopper station to the forming station;forming a reinforcing corner assembly from the reinforcing panel assembly by folding the plurality of reinforcing panels about the plurality of fold lines by compressing the plurality of reinforcing panels into face-to-face relationship using a male forming member and a female forming member within the forming station;rotating a first portion of the reinforcing panel assembly with respect to a second portion of the reinforcing panel assembly by forcing the first portion towards a miter plate using a guide bar, wherein the miter plate and the guide bar are positioned downstream from the male and female forming members;rotating the side panels and the end panels to be substantially perpendicular to the bottom panel by directing the blank through a compression station within the forming station; andcoupling reinforcing side panels of the reinforcing panel assembly to one of the side panels to form the container. 21. A method in accordance with claim 20, wherein the machine includes a folder arm positioned adjacent to the male and female forming members, the method further comprising: rotating an inner end panel of the reinforcing panel assembly into face-to-face relationship with the first end panel, the reinforcing side panels into face-to-face relationship, and corner panels of the reinforcing panel assembly into face-to-face relationship by rotating the folder arm from a starting position to a folding position. 22. A method in accordance with claim 20, wherein the first portion of the reinforcing panel assembly comprises the reinforcing side panels and the second portion of the reinforcing panel assembly includes at least one corner panel of the reinforcing panel assembly. 23. A method in accordance with claim 22 further comprising applying adhesive to predetermined panels of the reinforcing corner assembly as reinforcing side panels are further rotated by the guide bar. 24. A method in accordance with claim 20, wherein forming a reinforcing corner assembly further comprises rotating corner panels of the reinforcing panel assembly with respect to the first end panel and an inner end panel of the reinforcing panel assembly and with respect to the reinforcing side panels to form the reinforcing corner assembly by compressing the male and female forming members together. 25. A method in accordance with claim 20 further comprising applying adhesive to predetermined panels of the plurality of reinforcing panels before forming the reinforcing corner assembly from the reinforcing panel assembly. 26. A method in accordance with claim 20 further comprising maintaining a position of the reinforcing corner assembly as the blank is transported through the compression station using support bars within the compression station. 27. A method in accordance with claim 20 further comprising automatically adjusting components of the machine based on a size of the blank.