System and method for producing an articulating board product having a facing with score lines in register to fluting

Abstract

A system and method for producing a board product made from paper products that have a pre-scored facing in addition to a medium (sometimes called fluting). Conventional corrugated board may feature a cross-corrugated medium and one or more facing that have no score lines that are imprinted (at least prior to assembly with the corrugated medium). Such a conventional board product may be inferior because any score lines that are imprinted will damage the underlying corrugated medium in some manner. A breakdown in the strength of the underlying medium leads to poor precision when the eventual board product is scored, cut, and bent. A lack of precision in folding a board product is known as fishtailing as any articulated portion of the board product may not maintain a precise plane of articulation when bent. Hence, the articulated portion “fishtails” out of alignment. Having precisely located impression lines in register to underlying flutes of a medium ensures correct and precise articulation.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A board-making machine, comprising:
 an impression forming stage configured to impress a first impression line and a second impression line in a paper facing;   a medium forming stage configured to form a medium to include a plurality of flutes; and   a combining stage configured to couple the paper facing to the medium to form an articulation point such that the first impression line is aligned with a first flute and the second impression line is aligned with a second flute.   
     
     
         2 . The board-making machine of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of feed rolls configured to feed paper to the impression forming stage and to the medium forming stage. 
     
     
         3 . The board-making machine of  claim 1 , further comprising an articulation stage configured to articulate the articulation point to form a first 90 degree fold at a first impression line and a second 90 degree fold at a second impression line.