A flap folding unit is provided, comprising at least one flap folding device having a disc-like member being configured to be arranged in a first position to urge passing front flaps of an associated cardboard case to fold, and in a second position to allow unfolded rear flaps of the associated cardboard case to pass the disc-like member.

A box forming apparatus includes first holders configured to hold a first side surface of a cardboard sheet, second holders configured to hold a second side surface of the cardboard sheet, an arm, a first mover, and a second mover. The arm has a support that supports the first and the second holders. The first mover changes a position of the first holders relative to the second holders while the arm is being rotated to open the cardboard sheet. The second mover moves the arm in association with opening of the cardboard sheet so that, when the cardboard sheet has been opened, the second mover will have moved the support a predetermined distance in a second direction opposite a first direction, which is a direction heading from a rotational center of the arm to a distal end of the arm.

According to one embodiment, a bagging device includes a commodity placing unit having an inclined surface and on which a commodity is placed, an openable and closable door provided at the lowermost portion of the inclined surface, determining the position of the commodity placed on the commodity placing unit in a closed state, and allowing the placed commodity to slide outward along the inclined surface in an open state, and a storage mechanism for dropping the slid commodity into a storage body set at a sliding movement destination of the commodity.

A system for automatic packaging of shoes can include a first subsystem that can determine shoe type information from a shoe or pair of shoes to be packaged, a second subsystem that can automatically package the shoe, or pair of shoes, in a packaging container, and a third subsystem that can dynamically control the automatic packaging based at least in part on the determined shoe type information.

A magazine for packs of blanks includes a vertical channel configured for inserting and extracting packs of blanks, a succession of groups of supporting parts movable between a retracted position to allow the packs of blanks to move along the channel towards a portion under the supporting part, and an at least partly extracted position, in which the supporting part intercepts a pack of blanks moving down the channel and provides a steady support for the pack of blanks, and transmission means configured to automatically move each supporting part from the retracted position to the at least partly extracted position when the supporting part immediately below it intercepts a respective pack of blanks, thereby defining the steady support.

A container feeding device, in particular a cup feeding device, for feeding containers, in particular cups, to a metering and/or filling device, includes at least one magazine unit for receiving a plurality of containers, in particular a plurality of container stacks, and includes at least one lift unit for a transport of the containers, in particular the container stacks, along a lifting direction of the lift unit, in particular to a plane that is situated higher than a transport surface of a transport element of the magazine unit. The container feeding device further includes at least one movement unit which supports the lift unit such that it is movable, in particular drivably movable, relative to the magazine unit, in particular relative to a frame of the magazine unit, along a movement axis of the lift unit that runs transversal, in particular at least substantially perpendicular, to the lifting direction.

A packaging machine hopper is provided for holding a stack of packaging articles with each article in a generally horizontal orientation. The hopper comprises a support for holding at least part of the stack at an angle to vertical.

A system and method are disclosed for forming a container from a generally flat re-configurable blank. A first portion of an outward facing surface of a blank support device is positioned proximate a first portion of a blank while the blank is in a first orientation. While the first portion of the blank is maintained in the first orientation, a second portion of said blank is rotated from the first orientation, around a second portion of the outward facing surface of the blank support device to form a blank that has a generally tubular configuration. The system and method may provide that during the rotating of said second portion of said blank, the blank is engaged on a surface side which forms an inner surface of the generally tubular configuration. Also disclosed is a system and method that includes retaining a reconfigurable blank in a holding apparatus; applying adhesive to a surface of the blank while said blank is retained in the holding apparatus.

The packaging machine comprises a supply unit for holding and providing a plurality of package goods or packaging materials. A display device assigned to the supply unit is configured to display at least one optical marking, which is indicative of a fill level of the supply unit and is different from an alphanumeric display. The at least one optical marking is variably adaptable as a result of at least one process parameter different from the fill level in a way that an assignment of the at least one optical marking to a certain degree of the fill level of the supply unit is changeable. A control unit, which communicates with the display device, is configured to adapt the at least one optical marking as a function of the at least one process parameter different from the fill level.

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.