Apparatus and methods for assembling thermally insulated containers are disclosed. In one example, an apparatus for inserting a first insulating liner panel and a second insulating liner panel into a rectangular box to form a thermally insulated container includes a first station with a flap opening assembly, a second station with a first liner panel insertion assembly for inserting a first liner panel within the box, and a third station with a second liner panel insertion assembly for inserting a second liner panel within the box. A box transfer system is configured to transfer the box between the first station, the second station, and the third station. A flap guide system maintains the at least two of the lid flaps of the box in the open configuration as the box is transferred from the first station to the third station.

A carton forming machine includes a carton blank push up device that receives a substantially horizontal folded carton blank and reorients the folded carton blank from the substantially horizontal orientation to an upright orientation below and in a first direction alignment with a carton opening mechanism. A carton blank positioning apparatus shifts the upright folded carton blank in a second direction, transverse to the first direction, below the carton opening mechanism to define a second direction position of the upright carton blank below the carton opening mechanism before the carton opening mechanism engages the upright carton blank for opening of the upright carton blank.

A modular case system and method of use provide for a case former having a base, interchangeable case gages and forming heads. Contained within the interior of the base are slide blocks mounted on slide rails and assemblies in such a manner as to allow the slide blocks to be slidingly reconfigured to form a case forming cavity of varicose sizes and shapes. The size and shape of the case forming cavity is established and maintained by a template opening, defined by, and potentially unique to, each case gage. The size and shape of the forming head corresponds to the size and shape of the template opening. The slide blocks are secured to the case gage by removable locking pins.

A customizable case former and it system and method of use provide for a case former having a base, interchangeable case gages and forming heads. Contained within the interior of the base are slide blocks mounted on slide rails and assemblies in such a manner as to allow the slide blocks to be slidingly reconfigured to form a case forming cavity of varicose sizes and shapes. The size and shape of the case forming cavity is established and maintained by a template opening, defined by, and potentially unique to, each case gage. The size and shape of the forming head corresponds to the size and shape of the template opening. The slide blocks are secured to the case gage by removable locking pins.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a case former configured to receive a case in a blank configuration, open the case into a tubular configuration, fold the lower minor flaps to manipulate the case into a partially closed-bottom configuration, square the case while in the partially dosed-bottom configuration, and fold and tape the lower major flaps shut to manipulate the case into a closed-bottom configuration. The squaring step ensures that the case has a rectangular cross-section after taping rather than a rhomboid cross-section.

Techniques for corrugate and chipboard knocked-down case inspection and manufacturing are described. In an example, a piece of cardboard is cut according to a shape of a knocked-down case, and a first plurality of measurements are made. The piece of cut cardboard is scored to create a plurality of fold-lines, based at least in part on the first plurality of measurements, and a second plurality of measurements are made. A fold-line between a major panel and a minor panel is folded, based at least in part on the second plurality of measurements, and a third plurality of measurements are made. A fold-line of a tab of the piece of cut cardboard is folded, based at least in part on the third plurality of measured distances. The tab is glued to a panel of the piece of cardboard to form a knocked-down case.

A customizable case former and it system and method of use provide for a case former having a base, interchangeable case gages and forming heads. Contained within the interior of the base are slide blocks mounted on slide rails and assemblies in such a manner as to allow the slide blocks to be slidingly reconfigured to form a case forming cavity of varicose sizes and shapes. The size and shape of the case forming cavity is established and maintained by a template opening, defined by, and potentially unique to, each case gage. The size and shape of the forming head corresponds to the size and shape of the template opening. The slide blocks are secured to the case gage by removable locking pins.

Described and illustrated is a device for at least partially unfolding package sleeves, having a magazine comprising a stack formed from package sleeves, wherein the package sleeves of the stack are folded flat around at least two folding edges extending in the longitudinal direction of the package sleeves and wherein a gripper is provided for gripping a side of the package sleeves facing away from the stack and for moving, in particular pulling, the package sleeves along a withdrawal transport path with the folding edges into grooves of at least one receptacle of a moulding station and wherein the grooves are spaced so that the folding edges of the package sleeves are spaced apart further in the magazine than in the grooves. In order to further prevent operational malfunctions and allow a more reliable and largely malfunction-free production of packaging bodies which are open on one side from package sleeves which are open on both sides, it is provided that a drive is assigned to the gripper and/or the grooves for moving the package sleeve section gripped by the gripper first along the withdrawal transport path across a groove plane which connects the grooves, then back against the withdrawal transport path across the groove plane, and then again along the withdrawal transport path across the groove plane.

A customizable case former and it system and method of use provide for a case former having a base, interchangeable case gages and forming heads. Contained within the interior of the base are slide blocks mounted on slide rails and assemblies in such a manner as to allow the slide blocks to be slidingly reconfigured to form a case forming cavity of varicose sizes and shapes. The size and shape of the case forming cavity is established and maintained by a template opening, defined by, and potentially unique to, each case gage. The size and shape of the forming head corresponds to the size and shape of the template opening. The slide blocks are secured to the case gage by removable locking pins.

A bulk bin forming system configured as a container forming cell includes a multi-axis robot to which is attached a multifunction tool. One or more collapsed card board boxes are located at a first station of the container forming cell adjacent the robot. The robot and multifunction tool are configured to operate to grasp and move an individual box, orient and pre-form the box by folding flaps at a second station of the cell, and then move the box to a third station of the cell to mount the box to a support configured as a pallet to thereby form a bulk bin or bulk box container referred to as a gaylord container. The tool may include vacuum grippers for grasping the boxes and staplers for securing the formed box to the pallet, and may also be used to fold the bottom flaps prior to mounting the box to the pallet.