An apparatus for forming the bottom end wall of a carton from a rectangular carton
blank having oppositely disposed scored end panels and oppositely disposed unscored
end panels includes a rotating mandrel assembly adapted to receive an open-ended
carton blank through an open top end of the carton blank, a heating station, a
folding station and a sealing station. The folding station has a pair of oppositely
disposed reciprocating break fingers to contact and fold inwardly the scored bottom
end panels and biasing means for folding inwardly down the unscored bottom end
panels. The folding station is rotatable 90 between two functional orientations,
a first orientation wherein the break fingers are aligned in the direction of mandrel
movement, and a second orientation in which the break fingers are perpendicular
to the direction of mandrel movement.
