An apparatus and method for expanding a box blank into a box, the apparatus comprising an arm assembly, a controller, a camera and a box blank conveyor. The arm assembly includes a folding arm having a position in a first direction and a rotational angle controlled by the controller based on a position of a feature of the box blank in the field of view of the camera. The camera captures images of the box blank which are used to position the arm assembly and to evaluate the need to reject a box blank.

Packaging containers suitable for the transport, storage and retail display of individually packaged products are provided. The packaging container comprises a base having or being provided with an upper surface sloped from a back end to a front end thereof. The upper surface of the base is provided with one or more discrete areas of a slippery material. Packaging units are also provided comprising the packaging container and a plurality of individually packaged products. The containers and units are readily and easily manufactured and so methods for manufacturing both the container and packaging unit are also provided.

Methods for securing a shrinkable film to a paperboard substrate and methods for making paperboard containers therefrom. In one or more embodiments, a band of adhesive may be applied about a perimeter of a paperboard substrate having a first edge and a second edge opposed to one another and a third edge and a fourth edge opposed to one another. The band of adhesive may surround a first area that is substantially free from the adhesive. A second area that may be substantially free from the adhesive may be located along a portion of the third edge, between the first and second edges. The first area and the second area may be separated by the band of adhesive. A shrinkable film may be secured to the paperboard substrate with the adhesive to produce a paperboard blank. The third edge and the fourth edge may be overlapped to form a sidewall. A bottom panel may be secured to the sidewall at or adjacent the second edge. The first edge may be curled to form a brim.

Various embodiments of flanged containers that can be stacked in a nested relationship are disclosed so as to provide uniform spacing between the containers to facilitate reliable denesting thereof. The flanges and/or sidewalls of the containers may be provided with features that facilitate alignment and uniform spacing of the nested containers so that a denesting apparatus can reliably denest the containers. Other containers include sidewalls divided into two sections that serve to stabilize stacked container.

A vacuum belt conveyor sequentially delivers sheet articles to a digital printer. The sheets are held in position by vacuum on the underside of the sheets through apertures in the belts and covered by the sheets. A plurality of independent plenums on the underside of the belt have chambers respectively communicating with rows of apertures extending along the belt. Vacuum is selectively applied from a manifold only to the plenum chambers that supply apertures that are covered by the sheets so that the ink from the printer will not be directed from its intended position on the sheet by vacuum from adjacent uncovered belt apertures. The sheets are fed to the conveyor in synchronism with the conveyor speed by a timed feeder so that the sheets are carried by the conveyor with a predetermined gap between the sheets and no belt apertures in the gap. A sensor counts the apertures in the belt and activates the feeder at predetermined time intervals.

An unwinding unit (400) for unwinding a strip (S) of heat sealing material for quadrangular machines (1) comprises a casing (401) adapted to be mounted on a quadrangular machine (1) and a puller (402) operatively associated with the casing (401) and configured to pull the strip (S) relative to the casing (401) along a feed path (P) and in a feed direction (V). A diverter (407) is configured to divert the strip (S) between an initial, preferably horizontal, stretch (P1) of the feed path and a final, substantially vertical stretch (P2) of the feed path, defining a curved, connecting stretch (P3) between the initial stretch and the final stretch. A deformer (413) operatively associated with the casing (401) are configured to make on the strip (5) an extended crease line (414) running along the strip itself starting from the curved stretch (P3) or downstream of the curved stretch (P3), in the feed direction (V) of the strip (S).

Systems, methods, and apparatus for converting a sheet material into packaging templates can include a converting machine that performs conversion functions, such as cutting, creasing, and scoring, on the sheet material. Items to be packed into boxes formed of the packaging templates can be used as the pattern for determining the location of performance of the conversion functions on the sheet material. Accordingly, no intermediate measuring of the items may be required prior to performance of the conversion functions. Instead, longheads can be positioned adjacent to opposing sides of the items and cross heads can be advanced inward to the positioned longheads.

An apparatus to display packaged products that includes a base that includes a bottom segment, at least two supporting segments, and a top segment, the top segment provided with a plurality of apertures and supported at least in part by the at least two supporting segments such that the bottom segment and the top segment are generally parallel; and at least two side portions, at least one of said side portions comprising a support column, the at least two side portions being generally perpendicular to the bottom segment and the top segment. Methods of assembling the apparatus are also provided.

A method for converting a flat substrate (W) in a station (3) for converting a flat substrate (W) that includes a rotary cutting unit (9) and at least one rotary deformation unit (7, 8) positioned upstream of the rotary cutting unit (9) in the direction of movement (L) of the flat substrate (W), the method including: determining the conversion parameters of the flat substrate (W), such as the deformation layout and cutting layout; choosing a sleeve (13) carrying a form for carrying out the deformation depending on the deformation layout; mounting the sleeve (13) on a mandrel (12) in the rotary deformation unit (7, 8); choosing the cutting tools (91, 92) depending on the cutting layout; mounting the cutting tools (91, 92) in the rotary cutting unit (9); and starting the conversion of the flat substrate (W).

The composite structure includes a fiber-containing layer, such as a fiberboard layer or other layer having fibers from natural and/or synthetic sources, and a mineral-containing layer covering the fiber-containing layer. The fiber-containing layer and mineral-containing layer can be shaped, sized and manufactured such that the composite structure formed therefrom is capable of being machined to form a storage article. The composite structure has advantages in that it can improve whiteness, opacity, ink adhesion, materials reduction, barrier properties, recyclability, and printability. The composite can reduce polymer mass requirements for heat seal, barrier, and fiber adhesion. Further improvements include economics, pliability, and flexibility that is increased over the pliability of the fiber-containing layer alone.