Thomas H Graham

7374528, May 20, 2008

May 19, 2005

11/133124

Thomas D. Graham - Winter Garden FL, US

Smurfit-Stone Container Enterprises, Inc. - Chicago IL

B31B 7/78

493101, 493313

An air evacuation system is used for lining a container with a flexible liner. The container has a plurality of walls defining a cavity with an open top, and each wall has an interior surface and an exterior surface. The air evacuation system includes a platform for supporting the container in a formed state, wherein the container has the liner in an unseated position within the cavity. A vacuum assembly is coupled to the platform. The vacuum assembly includes a pump in airflow communication with at least one inlet positioned adjacent to the exterior surface of a first container wall. The vacuum assembly is configured to draw air using the at least one inlet from the cavity through the first container wall such that the liner is positioned substantially adjacent to the interior surface of the container in a seated position.

7381176, Jun 3, 2008

Sep 19, 2006

11/533244

Thomas D. Graham - Winter Garden FL, US
Amer Aganovic - Orlando FL, US
Tesfahun Y. Mengistu - Sioux City IA, US

Smurfit-Stone Container Enterprises, Inc. - Chicago IL

B31B 17/26

493 84, 493 89, 493123, 493128, 493183

A machine for making a reinforced, collapsible bulk bin assembly is provided. The machine includes a body blank feeding device for providing a body blank from a stack of body blanks, an erecting device for partially erecting the body blank, and a bottom insertion device for inserting a partially folded bottom blank into the partially erected body blank. The machine also includes first fingers for attaching major flaps of the body blank to the bottom blank, second fingers for attaching minor flaps of the body blank to major flaps of the body blank after the body blank has been collapsed, and a strapping device for simultaneously applying a plurality of straps to an exterior surface of the body blank.

7452317, Nov 18, 2008

Mar 1, 2007

11/681048

Thomas D. Graham - Winter Garden FL, US

Smurfit-Stone Container Enterprises, Inc. - Chicago IL

B31B 7/78

493101, 493313

An air evacuation system is used for lining a container with a flexible liner. The air evacuation system includes a platform for supporting the container in a formed state, the container including the liner in an unseated position within the cavity. The platform includes a base and a floor extending substantially parallel and spaced apart from the base such that a first air gap is formed between said base and said floor. The floor includes at least one opening therethrough and at least one spacer tab extending therefrom. The vacuum assembly is coupled to the platform and includes a pump in airflow communication with at least one inlet positioned in said base, said vacuum assembly is configured to draw air from the cavity such that the liner is positioned substantially adjacent to the interior surface of the container in a seated position.

7682300, Mar 23, 2010

Apr 14, 2008

12/102235

Thomas D. Graham - Winter Garden FL, US
Amer Aganovic - Orlando FL, US

Smurfit-Stone Container Enterprises, Inc. - Chicago IL

B31B 17/26

493 84, 493 89, 493123, 493128, 493183

A machine for making a reinforced, collapsible bulk bin assembly is provided. The machine includes a body blank feeding device for providing a body blank from a stack of body blanks, an erecting device for partially erecting the body blank, a folding device for partially folding a bottom blank, a bottom insertion device for inserting the partially folded bottom blank into the partially erected body blank, and first fingers for attaching major flaps of the body blank to the bottom blank. The machine also includes second fingers for attaching minor flaps of the body blank to major flaps of the body blank, wherein the erecting device collapses the partially erected body blank after the first fingers attach the major flaps to the bottom blank.

7935041, May 3, 2011

Aug 25, 2008

12/197937

Thomas D. Graham - Winter Garden FL, US
Amer Aganovic - Orlando FL, US
Claudio D'Alesio - Windemere FL, US

Smurfit-Stone Container Enterprises, Inc. - Chicago IL

B31B 7/00

493 98, 493 51, 493 68

A two-piece reinforced container is provided. The container includes an outer structure and an inner structure. The outer structure includes front and rear panels that are coupled to each of a first side panel and a second side panel via at least one corner panel. The corner panels extend from the front panel, the rear panel, the first side panel, and the second side panel at a substantially oblique angle. The inner structure includes front and rear panels that are coupled to each of a first side panel and a second side panel via at least one corner panel. The corner panels extend from the front panel, the rear panel, the first side panel, and the second side panel at a substantially oblique angle. The inner structure is positioned within the outer structure such that each of the first side panel, second side panel, front panel, and rear panel of the outer structure is positioned in an overlapping relationship with the corresponding first side panel, second side panel, front panel, and rear panel of the inner structure.

8024910, Sep 27, 2011

Nov 5, 2004

10/982601

Thomas D. Graham - Winter Garden FL, US
William Courteau - Hugo MN, US
Amer Aganovic - Orlando FL, US

Smurfit-Stone Container Enterprises, Inc. - Chicago IL

B65B 1/48
B31B 7/00

533763, 493 70

An apparatus for forming a container includes a frame, and a forming station coupled to the frame. The forming apparatus includes a plurality of folding plows configured to fold portions of a blank to form a container. The apparatus also includes a transfer assembly including a plurality of containment bars for supporting the container in a formed state. The containment bars facilitate retaining the formed state of the container while the transfer assembly transfers the container to an operator.

8105223, Jan 31, 2012

May 6, 2009

12/436712

Thomas D. Graham - Winter Garden FL, US
Ricki D. Anderson - Westerville OH, US
Guillermo Rojas - Miami FL, US
Kenneth C. Smith - Hiram GA, US

Smurfit-Stone Container Enterprises, Inc. - Chicago IL

B31B 1/10

493127, 493143, 493164, 493167

A method of forming a container from a blank of sheet material using a machine is provided. The blank includes a bottom panel, two side panels, two end panels, and a reinforcing panel assembly extending from a first side panel. The machine includes a hopper station, a corner post forming station, and a plunger station. The method includes rotating the reinforcing panel assembly upwardly toward the first side panel as the blank is transported from the hopper station to the corner post forming station, forming a corner wall and a reinforcing end tab by folding reinforcing panels about fold lines as the blank is transported through the corner post forming station, rotating the side panels and the end panels to be substantially perpendicular to the bottom panel by directing the blank through the plunger station, and coupling the reinforcing end tab to an end panel to form the container.

8128547, Mar 6, 2012

Sep 26, 2008

12/239396

Thomas Dean Graham - Winter Garden FL, US
Amer Aganovic - Orlando FL, US
Robert Bradley Teany - Clermont FL, US
Tuan Xuan Tran - Orlando FL, US
John Herschel Conley - Windermere FL, US

Smurfit-Stone Container Enterprises, Inc. - Chicago IL

B31B 1/80

493313, 493167, 493181, 493182, 493309, 493316, 533811, 53564

A machine for erecting a polygonal container from a knocked-down flat (KDF) container formed from a blank of sheet material is provided. The container includes four main side panels, at least one corner panel extending between two of the main side panels, and at least one bottom flap extending from one of the main side panels. The machine includes a body, a first erecting mechanism coupled to the body, and a second erecting mechanism coupled to the body. The first erecting mechanism receives the KDF container and erects the KDF container into a partially erected container having a substantially rectangular configuration, and the second erecting mechanism receives the partially erected container and erects the partially erected container from the substantially rectangular configuration into the polygonal container by applying a force to an exterior surface of the partially erected container to erect the polygonal container that has more than four sides.