Method And Apparatus For Producing Facsimile Hand-wrapped Cartons

Abstract

A method of producing hand-wrapped appearing cartons by feeding a pair of webs along a path in a predetermined direction, securing only longitudinal edge portions of the webs to each other, forming the webs in blanks, feeding the blanks with one of the secured edge portions leading, and folding the blanks to bring the secured edge portions into adhesive contact.

Parent Case Text

This application is a divisional of my copending commonly assigned application Ser. No. 624,031, filed Mar. 17, 1967 now Pat. No. 3,499,598 issued Mar. 10, 1970.

Description

It is conventional to form "prewrapped" cartons by laminating a decorative outer wrapping to an inner and generally stronger paperboard blank. Such prewrapped cartons are quite commonly used for packaging individual bottles of liquor, lotion, perfume, and similar items which are customarily packaged in attractive packages having high consumer appeal. Unfortunately, conventionally produced prewrapped packages to not look "hand-wrapped" because the outer wrapping is not loose as would be the case if the carton were hand-wrapped as opposed to machine-wrapped. For this reason alone packagers who might normally desire to use such prewrapped cartons are hesitant to do so and consumers likewise ofttimes hesitate to purchase products packaged in prewrapped cartons because of the "fake" appearance thereof as compared to loosely hand-wrapped packages.

In keeping with the above it is a primary object of this invention to provide a novel method of manufacturing prewrapped cartons whereby the outer wrapping of the carton is loose and imparts a hand-wrapped appearance thereto.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel method of forming a prewrapped blank adapted to be formed into a prewrapped carton by feeding a pair of generally superimposed webs along a predetermined path, securing only longitudinal ledge portions of the webs to each other, and forming the webs into generally polygonal blanks each of which has a pair of fold lines inboard of the secured edge portions whereby upon the folding of the blank into a carton and the securement of the outer plies of the unsecured edge portions to each other a body of the carton formed from the blank is provided with a loose hand-wrapped appearance.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a novel method of forming a blank in the manner heretofore described, and including the additional steps of feeding each blank with one of the secured edge portions leading and the other secured edge portion trailing whereby the lap extensions prevent air from entering between the plies of the blank, and folding each blank to bring one of the lap panels into adhesive contact with an adjacent body blank to present the outer ply thereof to its opposite unsecured edge portion during the folding of the blank to a tubular flattened configuration.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel apparatus for forming the blank by the method described immediately heretofore.

With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, the appended claimed subject matter, and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a highly schematic top perspective view of an apparatus for forming a multiply blank from which is formed a prewrapped carton, and illustrates the sequential steps in forming a tubular flattened blank from a pair of webs.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken generally along line 2-2 of FIG. 1, and clearly illustrates the pair of webs being secured to each other only along longitudinal edge portions thereof.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken generally along line 3-3 of FIG. 1, and illustrates the cross-sectional configuration of the blank after having been provided with a plurality of fold lines.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view with parts broken away for clarity of the planar blank of FIG. 1 prior to being folded, and illustrates lap panels having oppositely directed extensions at each of a pair of opposite unsecured edge portions of the blank.

FIG. 5 is a highly enlarged sectional view taken generally along line 5-5 of FIG. 1, and illustrates the manner in which the blank is folded to bring the outer ply into overlying adhesive contact at the lap panels.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken generally along line 6-6 of FIG. 1, and illustrates a longitudinal seam formed between the exterior plies of the lap panels and extensions.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a carton formed from the blank of FIG. 4, and illustrates the loose nature of the outer ply in the area of the carton body.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken generally along line 8-8 of FIG. 7, and more clearly illustrates the loose nature of the outer wrapping.

An apparatus for forming a blank 10 (FIGS. 1 and 4) which is adapted to be set up to form a prewrapped carton 15 (FIGS. 7 and 8) having a hand-wrapped appearance is fully illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings, and is generally designated by the reference character 20.

The apparatus 20 includes a pair of shafts 21, 22 which support respective rolls 23, 24 from which are drawn webs 25, 26, respectively. The web 25 is preferably a foil-paper laminate having an exterior decorated surface 27 which ultimately forms the exterior surface of the carton 15. The web 26 is preferably stronger, heavier paperboard or other similar foldable material. The webs 25, 26 are drawn from the respective rolls 23, 24 and moved from left to right by a pair of driven rolls 30, 31 which are rotated by conventional means 29.

As the web 25 is bed from left to right lines of adhesive 32, 33 are applied to respective longitudinal edges 34, 35 of an upper surface 36 of the web 25 by adhesive applying means, generally designated by the reference character 37. The adhesive applying means 37 are a pair of conventional roller applicators 38, 40 which are suspended from a suitable support 41 forming a portion of the framework (not shown) of the apparatus 20.

As the webs 25, 26 are drawn between the bight of the rolls 30, 31 longitudinal edge portions 42, 43 of the web 26 are forced into intimate contact with the respective longitudinal edge portions 34, 35 of the web 25 thereby uniting the webs 25, 26 into a multi-ply or laminated web 45.

The laminated web 45 is then cut into the individual blanks 10 by a conventional shearing and fold-line forming apparatus 46 having a reciprocal cutting head 47 and a backup plate 48.

Referring now to FIG. 4 of the drawings, the blank 10 as it leaves the apparatus 46 includes a pair of plies 50, 51. The ply of the blank 10 is formed from the material of the web 26 while the ply 50 is formed from the material of the web 25.

The blank 10 includes a pair of opposite edge portions 52, 53 at which the plies 50, 51 are secured to each other by the lines of adhesive 32, 33, respectively. At opposite longitudinal edge portions 54, 55 of the blank 10 the plies 50, 51 are completely free of each other between the lines of adhesive 32, 33.

A plurality of generally parallel fold lines 56 through 60 and pair of fold lines 61, 62 normal to the fold lines 56 through 60 and inboard of the lines of adhesive 32, 33 set off a plurality of body-forming panels 63 through 66 and lap or glue panels 67, 68 adjacent the respective fold lines 56, 60. Closure panels 70 through 73 are joined to the respective panels 63 through 66 along the fold line 61 while closure panels 74 through 77 along the edge portion 52 are joined to the respective panels 63 through 66 along the fold line 62. In addition to the closure panels 70 through 77 joined to the associated body panels 63 through 66, the blank 10 further includes panels 78, 80, 81 and 82. The panels 78, 80 define oppositely directed extensions of the lap panel 67 while the panels 81, 82 define oppositely directed extensions of the lap panel 68. It is to be noted that the portion of the plies 50, 51 at each of the lap panels 78, 80, 81 and 82 are adhesively joined to each other by the associated lines of adhesive 32, 33.

Referring again to FIG. 1 of the drawings, after the blank 10 leaves the apparatus 46 it is transferred by means (not shown) to another conveyor 85 which feeds the blank from left to right with the edge portion 52 leading the trailing portion 53. It is also possible to feed the blank 10 with the edge portion 53 leading the edge portion 52. In either case due to the presence of the lap extensions 78, 80, 81 and 82 and the closure panels or flaps 70 through 77 of the plies 50, 51 which are adhesively secured to each other air cannot enter between the plies 50, 51 as would occur if either of the unsecured edge portions 54, 55 formed a leading edge of the conveyed blank. The blank 10 with the edge portion 52 leading is conveyed past a glue applying mechanism 86 which applies a line of adhesive A (FIG. 5) to the inner ply 51 across the lap panel extension 82, the lap panel 68 and the lap panel extension 81. A conventional folder 87 then folds the lap panel 68 and the lap panel extensions 81, 82 about the fold line 61 into overlying adhesive contact with the panels 66, 77 and 73, respectively. This overfolding of the lap panel 68 disposes the overlying portion of the outer ply 50 in an upwardly facing direction.

Thereafter another conventional folder 88 folds the panel 63 about the fold line 57 into a generally overlying relationship with the panel 64. A strip of adhesive A' (FIG. 5) is then applied by a conventional adhesive-applying mechanism 90 to the outer ply 50 of the lap panel extensions 80, 78 and the lap panel 67. Thereafter the blank 10 proceeds through another folding mechanism 91 which folds the panel 66 about the fold line 59 to bring the outer ply 50 of the lap extensions 81, 82 and the lap panel 68 into contact with the adhesively coated outer surface of the outer ply 50 at the respective lap panel extensions 78, 80 and the lap panel 67.

The now folded, flattened tubular blank 10 can be unfolded as shown in FIG. 8, either end closed by the closure flaps 70 through 73 or 74 through 77, an article packaged therein and the opposite end closed to complete the packaged carton 15. Since the outer ply or wrapping 50 is not adhered in any manner to the inner ply 51 in the area between the fold lines 61, 62 the wrapping 50 is and appears loose about the entire body of the carton 15 defined by the panels 63 through 66. This is true also in the area of the longitudinal seam (unnumbered) defined by the lap panels 67, 68, the inner and outer plies of which are not secured to each other. In the area of this seam it is only the opposing portions of the outer ply 50 which are adhesively united by the strip of adhesive A'. Therefore, the exterior wrapper 50 is entirely free of the inner ply 51 at the body of the carton 15 and a true hand-wrapped appearance is imparted to the carton even though the same is automatically machine-made.

While preferred forms and arrangements of parts have been shown in illustrating the invention, it is to be clearly understood that various changes in details and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure.

Claims

We claim:

1. A method of forming a blank adapted to be formed into a carton comprising the steps of feeding a pair of generally superimposed webs along a predetermined path in a predetermined direction, securing only longitudinal edge portions of the webs to each other, forming the webs into generally polygonal blanks each of which has a pair of fold lines inboard of the secured edge portions, feeding each blank with one of the secured edge portions leading and the other secured edge portion trailing, folding each blank to bring opposite unsecured edge portions adjacent each other, and securing an outermost ply of the blank to itself at the unsecured edge portions.

2. A method of forming a blank adapted to be formed into a carton comprising the steps of feeding a pair of generally superimposed webs along a predetermined path in a predetermined direction, securing only longitudinal edge portions of the webs to each other, forming the webs into generally polygonal blanks each of which has a pair of fold lines inboard of the secured edge portions, feeding each blank with one of the secured edge portions leading and the other secured edge portion trailing, overfolding one of the unsecured edge portions upon itself, securing the overfolded unsecured edge portion in its overfolded position, and securing an outermost ply of the blank to itself at the unsecured edge portions.

3. The method as defined in claim 2 including the steps of providing each blank with a fold line disposed generally normal to the pair of fold lines adjacent the overfolded edge portion separating an adjacent body panel from a terminal lap panel, and performing the overfolding of the one unsecured edge portion by folding the lap panel about said fold line into overfolded relationship with the body panel.

4. The method as defined in claim 3 including the steps of providing each blank with a fold line disposed generally normal to the pair of fold lines adjacent the other unsecured edge portion separating another adjacent body panel from another terminal lap panel, and effecting the securement of the outermost ply to itself at an overlapped area of the lap panels.

5. An apparatus for forming a blank adapted to be formed into a carton comprising means for feeding a pair of generally superimposed webs along a predetermined path in a predetermined direction, means for securing only longitudinal edge portions of the webs to each other, means for forming the webs into generally polygonal blanks each of which has a pair of fold lines inboard of the secured edge portions, means for feeding each blank with one of the secured edge portions leading and the other secured edge portion trailing, means for folding each blank to bring opposite unsecured edge potions adjacent each other, and means for securing an outermost ply of each blank to itself at the unsecured edge portions.

6. An apparatus for forming a blank adapted to be formed into a carton comprising means for feeding a pair of generally superimposed webs along a predetermined path in a predetermined direction, means for securing only longitudinal edge portions of the webs to each other, means for forming the webs into generally polygonal blanks each of which has a pair of fold lines inboard of the secured edge portions, means for forming a fold line in each blank disposed generally normal to the pair of fold lines adjacent one of the unsecured edge portions separating an adjacent body panel from a lap panel having oppositely directed extensions outboard of said pair of fold lines whereby the plies of the extensions are secured to each other by said securing means, means for folding said lap panel upon said body panel about said fold line, and means for securing said lap panel to said body panel.

7. The apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein said securing means are adhesive applying means.

8. A method of forming a blank adapted to be formed into a carton comprising the steps of feeding a pair of generally superimposed webs along a predetermined path in a predetermined direction, securing longitudinal edge portions of the web to each other, forming the webs into generally polygonal blanks each of which has a pair of fold lines inboard of the secured edges, thereafter changing the direction of the feed of the secured blanks such that one of the secured edge portions is leading in the direction of travel and another of the secured edge portions is trailing, and subsequently securing the secured edge portions to each other.

9. The method as defined in claim 8 including the step of folding each blank to bring opposite unsecured edge portions adjacent each other, and securing an outermost ply of the blank to itself at the unsecured edge portions.

10. A method of forming a blank adapted to be formed into a carton comprising the steps of feeding a pair of generally superimposed webs along a predetermined path in a predetermined direction, securing only longitudinal edge portions of the webs to each other, forming the webs into generally polygonal blanks each of which has a pair of fold lines inboard of the secured edge portions, wherein said pair of fold lines are formed in the webs generally parallel to each other and parallel to the predetermined direction of web feed, folding each blank to bring opposite unsecured edge portions adjacent each other, and securing an outermost ply of the blank to itself at the unsecured edge portions.