The present invention provides a shaping tool for shaping a package formed of a foldable blank, the tool comprising: —an overhead conveyor comprising a plurality of downwardly protruding spaced apart counter-means; —a first conveyor extending between a receiving end towards an output end, and adapted to receive the foldable blank from an incoming conveying line at the receiving end and to position the foldable blank below one of the downwardly protruding counter-means; —a shaping station extending away from the receiving end, the shaping station comprising: a pair of parallel shaping tracks, each positioned on one side of the first conveyor, the pair of generally parallel shaping tracks comprising a plurality of pairs of independently movable shaping lugs, each pair of shaping lugs having a predetermined shape and adapted to receive one of the foldable blanks there-between; the pair of lugs movable towards each other to form a package having a desired shape.

An automation or robotics application to wrap objects that are cuboid-shaped and may have an arbitrary size. The machine includes a first module for advertising, dimensioning, and user interfacing. A second module is provided for wrapping paper handling. A third module provides a platform and object alignment assembly. A fourth module provides a gift wrapping chamber. A fifth module provides a taping and dispensing area. A sixth module provides a waste management area. The wrapping machine is configured to autonomously wrap the object and to deliver the fully wrapped object back to original position of the platform.

A plant for automated packaging of items in cardboard boxes includes a forming station of open sheet boxes starting from a cardboard web, an item introduction system, a box closing station, and a feeding system. A cutting and creasing system at the forming station produces a longitudinal elongate element defining the bottom and top walls and a first pair of side walls of the box, and transverse panels providing the second pair of side walls. A first gluing system bonds the transverse panels to the elongate element by applying hot-melt strips on the side edges of the elongate element, and a pair of suction-cup manipulators applies the transverse panels on the elongate element at the glue strips to obtain a cross-shaped blank. The closing station includes a folding and automatic gluing system that folds and bonds the side walls and the top wall of the box to produce finished packages.

A folding-diverter assembly is provided to: selectively divert a substrate-product combination advancing from a first direction in a predetermined path based upon the substrate-product combination weighing a predetermined weight; advance the substrate-product combination in a second direction, opposite from the first direction; and fold a flap of the substrate-product combination partially over a top surface of the substrate-product combination. A semi-circular conveyor assembly is configured to advance the substrate-product combination in the second direction at a first portion of the semi-circular conveyor assembly, and along a semi-circular advancing path such that the substrate-product combination is advanced in the first direction at a second portion of the semi-circular conveyor assembly.

A semi-automatic case handling machine includes a case holding and forming section with laterally movable spaced apart walls, bottom major flap kickers movable with the walls, and a bottom minor flap kicker movable axially. A case sealing section of the machine includes a bottom taper for taping bottom major flaps, an upper taper for taping upper major flaps, the upper taper movable vertically, and a pair of spaced apart conveyors for moving cases past the bottom taper and the upper taper for taping, wherein the spaced apart conveyors are movable laterally. An adjustment system includes a memory storing a plurality of machine set ups, wherein each machine set up includes data corresponding to (i) lateral positions for the spaced apart walls, the spaced apart bottom major flap kickers and the spaced apart conveyors, (ii) axial position for the bottom minor flap kicker and (iii) vertical position for the upper taper.

In an installation for the treatment of containers, comprising at least one filling station and a packing station for processing film or packaging material blanks and having work components acting upon the packaging material and forming packages, at least one measuring device for dimensional deviations of filled containers, and a control unit for automatically adjusting at least one installation station depending on a dimensional deviation detected, work components in the packing station (P) acting upon the packaging material when the filled containers are packed are automatically adjustable by way of the control unit. In a method for packing filled containers, work components of the packing station acting upon packaging material are adjusted automatically depending on dimensional deviations measured in order to form packages of different dimensions with at least substantially the same packing density.

A film-wrapping apparatus for the automatic film-wrapping of articles is provided that includes a conveying device for conveying an article through a film-wrapping channel of the film-wrapping apparatus. The film-wrapping apparatus has a film-supply device arranged above the film-wrapping channel. The film-wrapping apparatus also includes at least two movably arranged grippers and a sealing device. The at least two grippers are predefinably movably arranged between a supply position and a sealing position. The grippers, in the supply position, grip two opposite corners of the film material supplied by the film-supply device and pull the film material from the supply position into the sealing position and hold the material. In the sealing position, the grippers are arranged in a sealing plane and substantially level with an upper side of the conveying device. The sealing device seals the two side edges of the article that are arranged in the sealing plane.

A film-wrapping apparatus for the automatic film-wrapping of articles is provided that includes a conveying device for conveying an article through a film-wrapping channel of the film-wrapping apparatus. The film-wrapping apparatus has a film-supply device arranged above the film-wrapping channel. The film-wrapping apparatus also includes at least two movably arranged grippers and a sealing device. The at least two grippers are predefinably movably arranged between a supply position and a sealing position. The grippers, in the supply position, grip two opposite corners of the film material supplied by the film-supply device and pull the film material from the supply position into the sealing position and hold the material. In the sealing position, the grippers are arranged in a sealing plane and substantially level with an upper side of the conveying device. The sealing device seals the two side edges of the article that are arranged in the sealing plane.

A packaging machine for placing articles into a carton includes rotating flight assemblies that receive a carton or carton blank, and rotate the carton blank and carton with articles while the flight assemblies move downstream. The flight assemblies each include two fixed segments and one segment that includes a block and associated bracket that rotate as the flight assembly is pulled through the machine by a conveying system. A method includes carton blanks being fed by a carton feeder onto the flight assemblies. Articles are formed into an article group, which is then placed onto a carton blank. As the blank and article group move in a downstream direction, the side panels of the carton blank are wrapped around the article group and the carton and article group are rotated to assist in closing the carton end flaps.

A packaging machine for placing articles into a carton includes rotating flight assemblies that receive a carton or carton blank, and rotate the carton blank and carton with articles while the flight assemblies move downstream. The flight assemblies each include two fixed segments and one segment that includes a block and associated bracket that rotate as the flight assembly is pulled through the machine by a conveying system. A method includes carton blanks being fed by a carton feeder onto the flight assemblies. Articles are formed into an article group, which is then placed onto a carton blank. As the blank and article group move in a downstream direction, the side panels of the carton blank are wrapped around the article group and the carton and article group are rotated to assist in closing the carton end flaps.