A machine for manufacturing disposable cups, including a side element, obtained from a blank of sheet material folded into a conical shape and sealed by a bottom element of circular shape, including a forming wheel rotatable with continuous motion. The forming wheel has a plurality of peripherally distributed forming assemblies including respectively a mandrel of tubular form carried by a support member swinging around an axis parallel to said axis of rotation of the forming wheel. First feeding means is adapted to orderly collect and insert single bottom elements into corresponding forming assemblies of the forming wheel. Second feeding means is adapted to collect single blanks in an orderly manner from a store in which the blanks are stacked and to transfer them in sequence, in an extended configuration, to the corresponding forming assemblies of said forming wheel.

A cup-forming machine includes having a male mandrel and a female receiver. The male mandrel uses a cup body blank and a floor blank to form a body of a cup. The female receive receives the body and forms a rolled brim on the body to establish a cup.

A packaging unit of articles in boxes includes a mandrel, a movement device, a feeding device, a folding device, and a first retaining device. The mandrel is configured to accommodate at least one of the articles therein. The movement device is configured to move the mandrel along a movement trajectory. The feeding device is configured to feed at least one blank towards the mandrel. The folding device is configured to cooperate with the mandrel to fold at least one panel of the blank being wound around the mandrel, and to form one of the boxes. The first retaining device is movably guided parallel to the movement trajectory and is configured to cooperate with the mandrel, along a section of the movement trajectory, retaining the at least one panel of the blank, wound on the mandrel, against an abutment surface of the mandrel extended parallel to the movement trajectory. A packaging method of articles into boxes by means of such a unit is also described.

An overwrap container includes a base container having a first side seam on a side wall that extends along a longitudinal axis to define an internal volume, and a bottom connected to the side wall. An overwrap is positioned over the side wall of the base container and has a second side seam aligned longitudinally with the first side seam. Connecting elements are positioned between the side wall of the base container and the overwrap, and join the side wall of the base container and the overwrap together except in an area along the aligned first and second seams to define an uniform spacing extending continuously between the side wall and the overwrap forming an air gap there between.

A machine for manufacturing disposable cups, including a side element, obtained from a blank of sheet material folded into a conical shape and sealed by a bottom element of circular shape, including a forming wheel rotatable with continuous motion. The forming wheel has a plurality of peripherally distributed forming assemblies including respectively a mandrel of tubular form carried by a support member swinging around an axis parallel to said axis of rotation of the forming wheel. First feeding means is adapted to orderly collect and insert single bottom elements into corresponding forming assemblies of the forming wheel. Second feeding means is adapted to collect single blanks in an orderly manner from a store in which the blanks are stacked and to transfer them in sequence, in an extended configuration, to the corresponding forming assemblies of said forming wheel.

A method for packaging articles in a box includes the steps of depositing at least one article in a mandrel, and folding a blank around the mandrel in correspondence with at least one folding line of the blank. The blank is folded along the folding line abutting the folding line and an edge of the mandrel only for a first part of the folding line, while a second part of the folding line remains not abutted by the mandrel.

An apparatus for shaping a box by wrapping-around includes a shaping device with a carousel, on which shaping supports are circulated along a closed circular trajectory. A portion of the trajectory constitutes a box shaping path. The carousel rotates around a vertical axis of rotation with a continuous motion. The shaping supports are adapted to receive products to be packaged. The apparatus also includes a dispenser device of blanks intended to be wrapped around to contain the products to be packaged. The apparatus includes a transfer device of blanks, apt to sequentially pick-up the blanks and insert them, one at a time, into the shaping path. A process for shaping boxes by wrapping-around is also described.

A method for packaging articles in boxes includes composing a mandrel from separate units, depositing at least one article inside the mandrel, wrapping a blank around the mandrel to form a box that is at least partially closed around the article deposited in the mandrel, decomposing the mandrel in the plurality of separate units, and leaving the article inside the box. The disclosure also includes a packaging device configured to operate according to such a method.