A carton. The carton may include a floor panel; a plurality of side panels extending about a periphery of the floor panel, a front tab formed at an upper edge of a front side panel, upper side flaps extending from upper edges of a first end side panel and a second end side panel, and wherein each flap includes a side receiving slot; foldable corner gussets extending between adjacent side panels, wherein the floor panel, side panels, and foldable corner gussets are configurable to form a compartment region; a hingeable lid, including: a lid panel, a front edge flap, a side tab formed on each opposing side edge of the lid panel, and a front receiving slot formed in the front edge flap, wherein the lid panel is configured to cover the compartment region when in a closed position; and wherein the front tab of the front side panel is configured such that when the hingeable lid is in the closed position, the front tab aligns with the front receiving slot and is receivable therein and each side tab aligns with its respective side receiving slot and are receivable therein.

A folding station includes an inlet and an outlet and is predisposed to receive at the inlet a cardboard blank having two transversal edges, two longitudinal edges, two longitudinal score lines, and four transverse score lines. The two longitudinal score lines define therebetween a central sector and also define two lateral sectors externally of the two longitudinal score lines. Cuts in the two lateral sectors define a series of flaps. The folding station further comprises a conveyor for transporting the cardboard blank in an advancement direction to a position, a first folding bar located by a flank of a first side of the conveyor at the position, and a second folding bar located by a flank of a second side of the conveyor at the position. The first folding bar and the second folding bar rotate to fold the flaps in the two lateral sectors onto respective portions of the central sector of the cardboard blank.

A conveyor of a cardboard-folding station receives a cardboard blank having a first portion, first and second lateral closing walls hinged thereto and facing upstream and downstream, respectively, an upper closing wall hinged to the second lateral closing wall and facing downstream, a third and a fourth lateral closing wall hinged and partly raised with respect to the first portion and projecting from sides of the conveyor. An article rests on the first portion, with four flanks or the article respectively facing the four lateral closing walls of the blank. At a first folding zone the third and fourth lateral closing walls are folded to cover the third and the fourth flanks of the article, and at a second folding zone the second lateral closing wall and the upper closing wall are folded to cover the article's second flank and its upper face.

A blank for constructing a crush-tolerant container includes a first side panel, a bottom panel, a second side panel, and a top panel coupled together in series. At least one cutout and at least one bridge portion are defined along a first fold line between the top panel and the first side panel. The at least one bridge portion and the at least one cutout are configured to maintain the top panel in a plane spaced above a top edge of the first side panel when the container is formed and the top panel is not under a stacking load, and to allow the top panel to move downwardly such that at least a portion of the top panel is substantially co-planar with the top edge of the first side panel when the container is formed and the top panel is under the stacking load.

A conveyor receives a cardboard box formed about an article, with a first lateral flank uncovered. An inlet receives the cardboard box with the first lateral closing wall coplanar with a base wall, a second lateral closing box wall folded to cover a second lateral article flank, a third lateral closing box wall folded to cover a third lateral article flank, a fourth lateral closing box wall folded to cover a fourth lateral article flank, and an upper closing box wall folded to cover an upper article face. An arrest stops the box, a first folding component rotates and folds the first lateral closing box wall to cover the first lateral article flank, and second folding component rotates a closing tab (AC), hinged to the upper closing wall to fold and bring a closing tab against the first lateral closing wall for closing the cardboard box.

A multi-sided container has more than four sides and foldable panels integrally arranged with respect to each other. A first panel and a second panel form a contiguity with a first fold line disposed therebetween. The first panel and a third panel form a contiguity with a second fold line disposed therebetween. The third panel is not parallel with and not orthogonal to the first panel. A first strength reinforcement feature includes a first slot having a first planar edge oriented orthogonal to the first panel and orthogonal to a z-axis, and a second planar edge oriented orthogonal to the second panel and parallel to the z-axis. The third panel includes a cut edge proximate the first fold line having a third planar edge oriented orthogonal to the third panel and orthogonal to the z-axis. The third planar edge is disposed in a same plane as the first planar edge.

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 conveyor of a cardboard-folding station receives a cardboard blank having a first portion, first and second lateral closing walls hinged thereto and facing upstream and downstream, respectively, an upper closing wall hinged to the second lateral closing wall and facing downstream, a third and a fourth lateral closing wall hinged and partly raised with respect to the first portion and projecting from sides of the conveyor. An article rests on the first portion, with four flanks or the article respectively facing the four lateral closing walls of the blank. At a first folding zone the third and fourth lateral closing walls are folded to cover the third and the fourth flanks of the article, and at a second folding zone the second lateral closing wall and the upper closing wall are folded to cover the article's second flank and its upper face.

A conveyor receives a cardboard box formed about an article, with a first lateral flank uncovered. An inlet receives the cardboard box with the first lateral closing wall coplanar with a base wall, a second lateral closing box wall folded to cover a second lateral article flank, a third lateral closing box wall folded to cover a third lateral article flank, a fourth lateral closing box wall folded to cover a fourth lateral article flank, and an upper closing box wall folded to cover an upper article face. An arrest stops the box, a first folding component rotates and folds the first lateral closing box wall to cover the first lateral article flank, and second folding component rotates a closing tab (AC), hinged to the upper closing wall to fold and bring a closing tab against the first lateral closing wall for closing the cardboard box.

An apparatus for forming a container from a blank is provided. The apparatus includes a blank feeder assembly, and a compression assembly including a mandrel assembly, an upper folding arm assembly including a plurality of folding arms moveable between a first position and a second position, a compression plate, and a rollover arm assembly.