The invention concerns a carton loading device (1) comprising a gripper assembly (20), which comprises at least one gripper (21) arranged to grip a product item (P) from above and to lower the product item (P) into a carton (10). The carton (10) comprises along first parallel sides (11) thereof comprises bottom side flaps (13) and top side flaps (14) and along second parallel sides (12) thereof comprises bottom end flaps (15) and top end flaps (16) and is presented to the gripper assembly (20) in a sleeve state with all flaps (13-16) unfolded. The gripper assembly (20) comprises a pinching means (22) arranged to pinch and hold the top side flaps (14) of the carton (10) and to hold and move the carton (10) and said product item (P) jointly to a carton closing station of the carton loading device (1), where the gripper assembly (20) finally releases said product item (P) and the carton (10) once the bottom side flaps (13) and the bottom end flaps (15) have been folded in and secured.

A device, system, and method for loading empty and formed six-pack bottle carriers into a larger case (i.e. a multi-pack) is provided. The packaging device includes an upper portion and a lower portion. The six-pack carriers are formed by unfolding them in the upper portion. Various components are associated with the upper portion of the packaging device. The case receives a plurality of six-pack carriers therein. The larger cases is formed by unfolding them in the lower portion of the packaging device. Various components are associated with the lower portion of the packaging device. The upper portion and lower portion operate simultaneously to efficiently produce a case have empty six-pack carriers placed therein for later filling with bottles at a downstream destination. The system includes the machine, the cases, the six-pack carriers, and the bottles, operating collectively.

A packaging machine includes a main conveyor configured to convey cartons and containers in a conveyance direction from a first end of the main conveyor where partially erected cartons and containers enter the conveyor to a second end where containers inside the cartons exit the conveyor. A plunger is operatively connected to the main conveyor to follow the main conveyor in the conveyance direction and to plunge in a plunge direction lateral to the conveyance direction to position a group of containers within a carton. A carton maintaining tool is operatively connected to the main conveyor to follow the main conveyor in the conveyance direction and to engage the carton to maintain position of the carton along the plunge direction in opposition to the plunger as the plunger positions the group of containers within the carton.

An article packaging machine and method or turning article packs, the article packaging machine having a turner station for turning article packs moving though the packaging machine. The packaging machine includes a main conveyor extending longitudinally from an upstream end to a downstream end and through the turning station. Article packs are carried by the main conveyor spaced and sequentially in the downstream direction through the turner station. The turner station includes flight drive assembly having multiple flight assemblies. The flight assemblies are driven above upper cam plates in the upstream direction, and below lower cam plates in the downstream direction. The flight assemblies include turner rods that are moved toward the main conveyor to contact the article pack in at least two points. The turner rods progressively move toward the main conveyor center line until the distal ends of the turner rods are moved past the article pack side walls and the pack is turned 90 degrees.

A cyclic packaging system for packaging product groups in folded boxes includes a supply device for supplying the product groups, a store for providing a plurality of folded box blanks, and a packing device for packaging the product groups in associated folded boxes, the packing device being arranged on the side of the supply device facing the store. The packaging system further comprises an additional packing device for packing product groups in folded boxes, the additional packing device being arranged on the side of the supply device facing away from the one packing device. Irrespective of whether the two packing devices are loaded with product groups from the same supply device, the two stores of the packing devices can be arranged on the same side of the packaging systems.

Disclosed is a method for packaging articles (2). Hereby, outer packages (3) are moved by a first conveying device (10). Temporally following this, the outer packages (3) are moved by a second conveying device (20), which second conveying device (20) is located next to the first conveying device (10). Furthermore, articles (2) are inserted into a respective outer package (3), while the respective outer package (3) is located on the first conveyor (10) and/or while the respective outer package (3) is located on the second conveyor (20).

It is intended, that the outer packages (3) are received on the first conveyor (10) by format parts (5) and, together with their respective format part (5), are transferred to the second conveyor (20) located next to the first conveyor (10).

Furthermore, it is provided that the outer packages (3), which will be continuously arranged on the format parts until then, will be removed from the format parts (5) together with the inserted articles (2) and the format parts (5) will then be returned to the first conveyor (10) for renewed seizure of outer packages (3).

A carton for containing a plurality of containers includes a bottom panel, at least one top panel, at least one side panel, at least one top end flap foldably connected to the at least one top panel, at least one bottom end flap foldably connected to the bottom panel, and at least one side end flap foldably connected to the at least one side panel. The carton further includes a handle including a handle strap separable from the at least one top panel and foldably connected to a relief portion, the relief portion being defined by spaced apart cuts in the at least one top end flap, the relief portion for being positioned in a container gap defined by a nested arrangement of the plurality of containers when the handle is activated.

A machine that forms groups of containers by wrapping containers in a film blank includes an adhesive applicator that is arranged along a film-transporter for applying adhesive onto an inner side of the film blank and along longitudinal side edges of the film blank before the containers are wrapped. The placement of the adhesive avoids distortion of images or text that are printed on the film blank due to shrinkage.

A packaging machine includes a series of stations or assemblies for packaging a series of products. A carton feeding system and a product conveyor that receives a series of articles or products are provided at a first, upstream or intake end of the packaging machine. The carton feeding system feeds carton blanks into registration with products, which generally can be grouped to form 4, 6, 8 packs, etc. Thereafter, the product groups, with the carton blanks applied thereto, will be moved through one or more downstream folding and wrapping or packaging assemblies or stations of the packaging machine.

An article packaging machine and method or turning article packs, the article packaging machine having a turner station for turning article packs moving though the packaging machine. The packaging machine includes a main conveyor extending longitudinally from an upstream end to a downstream end and through the turning station. Article packs are carried by the main conveyor spaced and sequentially in the downstream direction through the turner station. The turner station includes flight drive assembly having multiple flight assemblies. The flight assemblies are driven above upper cam plates in the upstream direction, and below lower cam plates in the downstream direction. The flight assemblies include turner rods that are moved toward the main conveyor to contact the article pack in at least two points. The turner rods progressively move toward the main conveyor center line until the distal ends of the turner rods are moved past the article pack side walls and the pack is turned 90 degrees.