Manually operated tray forming machine and method of using same

Abstract

A machine for forming a container from a blank of sheet material includes a base, a frame coupled for rotation about the base, and a plurality of box-forming stations coupled to the frame. Each box-forming station includes a mandrel coupled to the frame. The mandrel includes a bottom face having two pairs of opposing edges, a pair of opposing side faces, and a pair of opposing end faces. Each box-forming station also includes a first pair of opposing presses each configured to be moved into close proximity to a respective end face, and a second pair of opposing presses each configured to be moved into close proximity to a respective side face. Each box-forming station additionally includes at least one manually operable mechanism configured to control a position of a first press from among the first pair of opposing presses and the second pair of opposing presses.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A machine for forming a container from a blank of sheet material, said machine comprising:
 a base;   a frame coupled for rotation about said base; and   a plurality of box-forming stations coupled to said frame, each box-forming station comprising:   a mandrel coupled to said frame, said mandrel comprising:
 a bottom face having two pairs of opposing edges; 
 a pair of opposing side faces and a pair of opposing end faces, each said side face and end face extends generally from a corresponding edge of said bottom face and is perpendicular to said bottom face; 
   a first pair of opposing presses each configured to be moved into close proximity to a respective end face of said pair of opposing end faces;   a second pair of opposing presses each configured to be moved into close proximity to a respective side face of said pair of opposing side faces; and   at least one manually operable mechanism configured to control a position of a first press from among the first pair of opposing presses and the second pair of opposing presses.   
     
     
         2 . A machine in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said first pair of opposing presses comprises a first end wall press and a second end wall press each movably coupled to said frame. 
     
     
         3 . A machine in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein said first end wall press and said second end wall press each are movable between a receiving position, wherein a face of said respective end wall press is positioned away from a corresponding end face of said pair of opposing end faces of said mandrel, and a pressure position, wherein said face of said respective end wall press is positioned in close proximity to said respective end face of said mandrel. 
     
     
         4 . A machine in accordance with  claim 3 , wherein said at least one manually operable mechanism comprises a lever, said second end wall press is operably coupled to said lever such that:
 said second end wall press is in the receiving position when said lever is in a first position; and   said second end wall press is in the pressure position when said lever is in a second position.   
     
     
         5 . A machine in accordance with  claim 3 , wherein said at least one manually operable mechanism comprises an interface plate, said first end wall press is operably coupled to said lever such that:
 said first end wall press is movable to the receiving position when a first cross bar of said first end wall press is received in a catch slot defined in said interface plate; and   said first end wall press is movable to the pressure position when the first cross bar is received in a release slot defined in said interface plate.   
     
     
         6 . A machine in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said frame is configured to rotate about a generally vertical axis, said base comprises at least one leg, said at least one leg is extended to a distance from the axis that is greater than a distance of a fulcrum of said lever from the axis. 
     
     
         7 . A machine in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said second pair of opposing presses comprises a first side wall press and a second side wall press each movably coupled to said frame, said first side wall press and said second side wall press each are movable between a receiving position, wherein a side face of said respective side wall press is positioned away from a corresponding side face of said pair of opposing side faces of said mandrel, and a pressure position, wherein said side face of said respective end wall press is positioned in close proximity to said respective side face of said mandrel. 
     
     
         8 . A machine in accordance with  claim 7 , wherein each said box-forming station further comprises a locking mechanism configured to releasably maintain each of said first side wall press and said second side wall press in the pressure position. 
     
     
         9 . A machine in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said bottom face has a shape that substantially corresponds to a shape of a bottom panel of the blank, said pair of opposing side faces each have a shape that substantially corresponds to a shape of each of a pair of side panels of the blank, and said pair of opposing end faces each have a shape that substantially corresponds to a shape of each of a pair of end panels of the blank. 
     
     
         10 . A machine in accordance with  claim 9 , wherein each of said first end wall press and said second end wall press is configured to rotate a respective end panel of the blank about a respective end edge of the blank into a position perpendicular to the bottom panel to at least partially form a respective end wall of the container when said respective end wall press is moved from the receiving position to the pressure position. 
     
     
         11 . A machine in accordance with  claim 9 , wherein each of said first side wall press and said second side wall press is configured to rotate a respective side panel of the blank about a respective side edge of the blank into a position perpendicular to the bottom panel to at least partially form a respective side wall of the container when said respective side wall press is moved from the receiving position to the pressure position. 
     
     
         12 . A machine in accordance with  claim 9 , wherein said mandrel bottom face further comprises two pairs of opposing corner edges, said mandrel further comprises a plurality of corner faces, each said corner face extends generally from a corresponding corner edge of said bottom face and is perpendicular to said bottom face, and wherein each end panel of the pair of end panels includes a pair of reinforcing panel assemblies extending from opposing edges of the end panel, each reinforcing panel assembly includes at least one corner panel, each said mandrel corner face has a shape that substantially corresponds to a shape of the at least one corner panel. 
     
     
         13 . A machine in accordance with  claim 12 , wherein each of said first side wall press and said second side wall press includes at least one mitered face configured to rotate the at least one corner panel extending from at least one of the end panels about a respective edge of the respective end panel to at least partially form a respective corner wall of the container when said respective side wall press is moved from the receiving position to the pressure position. 
     
     
         14 . A method for forming a container from a blank of sheet material using a machine that includes a mandrel, the blank including a bottom panel, a first and second side panel each extending from a respective side edge of the bottom panel, a first and second end panel each extending from a respective end edge of the bottom panel, a first and fourth reinforcing panel assembly each extending from a respective side edge of the first end panel, and a second and third reinforcing panel assembly each extending from a respective side edge of the second end panel, said method comprising:
 positioning each of a first end wall press, a second end wall press, a first side wall press, and a second side wall press in a receiving position, wherein each of the first end wall press, the second end wall press, the first side wall press, and the second side wall press are movable between the receiving position and a pressure position;   aligning the bottom panel with a bottom face of the mandrel;   moving the first end wall press from the receiving position to the pressure position such that the first end panel is pressed between the first end wall press and a first end face of the mandrel to at least partially form a first end wall of the container;   moving the second end wall press from the receiving position to the pressure position such that the second end panel is pressed between the second end wall press and a second end face of the mandrel to at least partially form a second end wall of the container;   moving the first side wall press from the receiving position to the pressure position such that the first side panel, at least a portion of the first reinforcing panel assembly, and at least a portion of the second reinforcing panel assembly are pressed between the first side wall press and a first side face of the mandrel to at least partially form a first side wall of the container; and   moving the second side wall press from the receiving position to the pressure position such that the second side panel, at least a portion of the third reinforcing panel assembly, and at least a portion of the fourth reinforcing panel assembly are pressed between the second side wall press and a second side face of the mandrel to at least partially form a second side wall of the container.   
     
     
         15 . A method in accordance with  claim 14 , wherein said moving the first end wall press from the receiving position to the pressure position comprises operating a first manually operable mechanism of the machine. 
     
     
         16 . A method in accordance with  claim 15 , wherein said operating the first manually operable mechanism comprises receiving a first cross bar of the first end wall press in a release slot defined in an interface plate of the first manually operable mechanism. 
     
     
         17 . A method in accordance with  claim 14 , further comprising releasably locking the first side wall press and the second side wall press in the pressure position. 
     
     
         18 . A method in accordance with  claim 14 , wherein the first and second reinforcing panel assemblies each include at least one corner panel, and wherein moving the first side wall press from the receiving position to the pressure position comprises:
 pressing the first side panel, at least a portion of the first reinforcing panel assembly, and at least a portion of the second reinforcing panel assembly between a side face of the first side wall press and a first side face of the mandrel to at least partially form the first side wall of the container;   pressing the at least one corner panel of the first reinforcing panel assembly between a first mitered face of the first side wall press and a second corner face of the mandrel to at least partially form a first corner wall of the container; and   pressing the at least one corner panel of the second reinforcing panel assembly between a second mitered face of the first side wall press and a third corner face of the mandrel to at least partially form a second corner wall of the container.   
     
     
         19 . A method in accordance with  claim 18 , wherein the third and fourth reinforcing panel assemblies each include at least one corner panel, and wherein moving the second side wall press from the receiving position to the pressure position comprises:
 pressing the second side panel, at least a portion of the third reinforcing panel assembly, and at least a portion of the fourth reinforcing panel assembly between a side face of the second side wall press and a second side face of the mandrel to at least partially form the second side wall of the container;   pressing the at least one corner panel of the third reinforcing panel assembly between a second mitered face of the second side wall press and a fourth corner face of the mandrel to at least partially form a third corner wall of the container; and   pressing the at least one corner panel of the fourth reinforcing panel assembly between a first mitered face of the second side wall press and a first corner face of the mandrel at least partially form a fourth corner wall of the container.   
     
     
         20 . A method in accordance with  claim 14 , wherein each of the first, second, third, and fourth reinforcing panel assemblies includes, extending in series extending from the respective side edge of the respective end panel, an outer reinforcing panel assembly and an inner reinforcing panel assembly, and wherein the outer reinforcing panel assembly includes a corner panel and a first reinforcing side panel, and the inner reinforcing panel assembly includes a second reinforcing side panel and an inner reinforcing corner panel, said method further comprises rotating each inner reinforcing panel assembly towards an interior surface of the corresponding outer reinforcing panel assembly such that the corner panel and inner reinforcing corner panel are substantially aligned in an at least partially overlying relationship, and the first and second reinforcing side panels are substantially aligned in an at least partially overlying relationship, and said moving the first side wall press from the receiving position to the pressure position comprises:
 pressing the first side panel, the aligned first and second reinforcing side panels of the first reinforcing panel assembly, and the aligned first and second reinforcing side panels of the second reinforcing panel assembly between a side face of the first side wall press and a first side face of the mandrel to form the first side wall of the container;   pressing the aligned corner panel and inner reinforcing corner panel of the first reinforcing panel assembly between a first mitered face of the first side wall press and a second corner face of the mandrel to form a first corner wall of the container; and   pressing the aligned corner panel and inner reinforcing corner panel of the second reinforcing panel assembly between a second mitered face of the first side wall press and a third corner face of the mandrel to form a second corner wall of the container.   
     
     
         21 . A method in accordance with  claim 20 , wherein said moving the second side wall press from the receiving position to the pressure position comprises:
 pressing the second side panel, the aligned first and second reinforcing side panels of the third reinforcing panel assembly, and the aligned first and second reinforcing side panels of the fourth reinforcing panel assembly between a side face of the second side wall press and a second side face of the mandrel to form the second side wall of the container;   pressing the aligned corner panel and inner reinforcing corner panel of the third reinforcing panel assembly between a second mitered face of the second side wall press and a fourth corner face of the mandrel to form a third corner wall of the container; and   pressing the aligned corner panel and inner reinforcing corner panel of the fourth reinforcing panel assembly between a first mitered face of the second side wall press and a first corner face of the mandrel to form a fourth corner wall of the container.   
     
     
         22 . A method in accordance with  claim 20 , wherein each of the first, second, third, and fourth inner reinforcing panel assemblies further includes an inner reinforcing end panel, said rotating each inner reinforcing panel assembly towards an interior surface of the corresponding outer reinforcing panel assembly further includes rotating each inner reinforcing panel assembly such the inner end panel and at least a portion of the respective end panel are substantially aligned in an at least partially overlying relationship, wherein:
 said moving the first side wall press from the receiving position to the pressure position comprises pressing the inner end panel of the first reinforcing panel assembly, the inner end panel of the fourth reinforcing panel assembly, and the first end panel between the first end wall press and the mandrel first end face to form the first end wall of the container; and   said moving the second side wall press from the receiving position to the pressure position comprises pressing the inner end panel of the second reinforcing panel assembly, the inner end panel of the third reinforcing panel assembly, and the second end panel between the second end wall press and the mandrel second end face to form the second end wall of the container.   
     
     
         23 . A method in accordance with  claim 14 , wherein said moving the second end wall press from the receiving position to the pressure position comprises operating a second manually operable mechanism of the machine. 
     
     
         24 . A method in accordance with  claim 23 , wherein said operating the second manually operable mechanism comprises moving a lever of the second manually operable mechanism from a first position to a second position. 
     
     
         25 . A method for forming a plurality of containers from blanks of sheet material by an operator using a machine that includes a plurality of box-forming stations coupled to a frame, said method comprising:
 wrapping a first blank about a mandrel of a first box-forming station that is proximate to the operator;   rotating the frame about a base of the machine such that a second box-forming station arrives proximate to the operator;   wrapping a second blank about a mandrel of the second box-forming station;   rotating the frame about the base of the machine such that the first box-forming station arrives proximate to the operator; and   removing the wrapped first blank from the mandrel of the first box-forming station after an adhesive on the first blank substantially sets to form a first container.   
     
     
         26 . A method in accordance with  claim 25 , further comprising locking a locking mechanism configured to maintain the first blank in the wrapped configuration about the mandrel while the adhesive on the first blank sets. 
     
     
         27 . A method in accordance with  claim 25 , wherein said wrapping a first blank about a mandrel of a first box-forming station comprises setting each of a first end wall press, a second end wall press, a first side wall press, and a second side wall press to a pressure position. 
     
     
         28 . A method in accordance with  claim 27 , wherein said setting the first end wall press to the pressure position comprises receiving a first cross bar of the first end wall press in a release slot defined in an interface plate, and said setting the second end wall press to the pressure position comprises moving a lever from a first position to a second position. 
     
     
         29 . A method in accordance with  claim 25 , wherein said rotating the frame about a base of the machine such that a second box-forming station arrives proximate to the operator comprises pushing the first box-forming station to a side, allowing the frame to rotate until the second box-forming station arrives proximate to the operator, and halting the rotation by placing a hand on the second box-forming station. 
     
     
         30 . A method in accordance with  claim 25 , further comprising wrapping a third blank about the mandrel of the first box-forming station after the first blank is removed to form the first container.