Abstract: Apparatus for cyclically printing information on a moving web utilizes a stationary printing head at a printing station along the path traversed by the moving web and a roller which guides the web and sweeps the web across the printing head in the direction opposite to web advancement so that there is substantially no relative movement between the web and head as printing occurs. The roller is supported for sweeping movement back and forth over the printing head by means of a pivotal linkage driven by a crank which causes the guided web to engage the head during a sweep in one direction only. A cyclic drive for the linkage includes an eccentric gear set to modulate the speeds of the roller and web.

Abstract: A bag making machine for making bags from a sealable film is disclosed wherein the film is fed over a forming shoulder and around a forming tube. Sealer jaws form a transverse seal to provide a top for one bag and the bottom of the next adjacent bag, and move with the film as it is advanced intermittently along the tube. Separate and independent means are provided to advance the film simultaneously with movement of the sealer jaws, and means are also provided for forming a substantially flat bottom on each bag including a novel arrangement of folding plates for the bottom, tuckers for forming gussets, and creasers for forming creases in the film at the corners of each bag.

Abstract: A machine for wrapping articles of substantially rectangular parallelepiped form comprises a first tumble box which partially forms a wrapper to a generally U-shaped configuration about an article, a long seam heater which cooperates with the first tumble box to complete the initial wrapping operation and seals the long seam of the wrapper, and second, third, and fourth tumble boxes which tuck and fold the ends of the wrapper inwardly against opposite end of the article and complete the wrapping operation. Each tumble box has an ejector mechanism operated by a rack and gear segment. The long seam heater has means for dumping articles therefrom when the machine stops for any reason. Package ends folds are made while the partially wrapped article is held substantially square by a tumble box. Another machine for wrapping a product which comprises individual pieces standing on edge and arranged in end-to-end relation utilizes three tumble boxes and a long seam heater.

Abstract: A single gum stick wrapping machine includes a gum breaking mechanism for separating prescored slabs of gum into individual sticks. A transport mechanism, which receives the gum from the breaking mechanism and intermittently advances it along a horizontal path through a plurality of folding stations, includes a walking beam transport, which reaches into the breaking mechanism and extracts each successive stick as it is separated from a slab. Long seam folding operations are completed by a pocket wheel and an associated transport which delivers the sticks in stacked relation at a collection point at the discharge end of the machine.

Abstract: The charge forming barrel has a screw slidably and rotatably received therein, and the screw is specially suited for successively forming a mottle charge, a valve stud being mounted on the forward end of the screw, and this stud cooperating with a ring shaped non-return valve to close off rearward flow of the plasticized ingredients comprising the charge. The valve closes in a sliding or shearing action which avoids the propensity for such pellets to prevent the full closure of the non-return valve during the period of the cycle where a charge is injected into the mold cavities, and prior to forming of the next succeeding charge.

Abstract: A self-locking support for tubular members embodying two annular supporting members eccentrically mounted on a shaft and rotatable relative to each other.

Abstract: Sticks of gum are fed individually to the bottom of a stack where each stick is raised by an elevator wheel to form the stack between side guides pivotally mounted, and biased toward one another. Each side guide has an abutment to keep the stack aligned vertically, and a presser foot resiliently holds the stack from above so that a pusher can move the stack out of the stacking station, into a wrapper, and thence into a tumble box for further handling.

Abstract: A high speed stacker for grouping small tablets or similar products utilizes a vertically oriented tumble wheel having peripheral pockets for carrying the products serially between a receiving point and a discharge point. At the discharge point, the products are unloaded onto a stacking tray by means of a pair of stacking wheels on opposite axial sides of the tumble wheel. The stacking wheels are driven rotatably in opposite directions about axes lying in a plane generally tangent to the tumble wheel at the discharge point. The stacking tray immediately below the wheels receives the discharged products in series from the stacking wheels and holds them in a stack on a support surface of the tray.

Abstract: A package making machine of the vertical form, fill and seal type has a tube former for receiving packaging material in thin flat strip form and for juxtaposing opposite side edges thereof in parallel vertically extending and overlapped relationship to provide a depending tube open at the top. A product dispenser discharges measured quantities of product to the tube interior space, a lower end portion thereof being sealed transversely by an end sealing apparatus. Tube advancing means may comprise intermittently operable vertically extending vacuum belts or, alternatively, the end sealer may be reciprocated vertically to draw the strip material downwardly through the former. At a longitudinal seam sealing station beneath the former a vertically elongated sealing bar moves to engage and to seal the overlapped longitudinal edges of the tube.

Abstract: A mechanism for forming heat seals or the like in adjacent layers of web material as part of a package making process carried out by a machine comprises two sealing jaws and a means for slidably supporting and driving the two jaws for movement between relatively opened and closed positions. One jaw is fixed to a slide slidably supported for movement relative to a base along a given slide axis and the other jaw is slidably supported on the slide for slidable movement along the same slide axis. A crank mechanism simultaneously moves both the slide and the other jaw to drive the two jaws in opposite directions toward their open or closed condition, depending on the direction of rotation of the crank. In the jaw closing direction the crank mechanism has a toggle action making available a high clamping force between the jaws and causing the jaws to close smoothly with little or no bouncing or impact.

Abstract: A package making machine of the vertical form, fill and seal variety has an electrical control system allowing the length of the package or bag made during each machine cycle to be controlled easily by manual adjustment of a control knob. In particular, the folded web tube from which packages are made is moved through the machine by a tube feeder driven during only a portion of each bag making cycle, the length of time during which the tube feeder is operated during each such cycle being varied to vary the package length. In addition to this control of package length via control of the tube feed time per bag making cycle, the electrical control circuitry may also include circuitry for controlling the package length in response to photoelectric detection of registration marks printed at regularly spaced points along the length of the web from which the tube is made.

Abstract: In an injection blow molding machine, parisons are stretched and twisted as they are moved between the parison mold and the blow mold by extending and rotating the parison pins. The stretching and twisting of the parison prior to the blowing operation permits larger containers with smaller finishes to be produced and also permits the finished article to be stronger by regulating the molecular arrangement in the plastic material forming the article.

Abstract: A single gum stick wrapping machine has a rotary transfer mechanism for successively conveying single sticks of gum from breaker wheels to a folding wheel where each stick picks up a wrapper and is conveyed through folding and creasing sections where the wrapper is partially folded around the stick and the ends of the wrapper are folded, creased and tucked. The wrapping operation is completed while the partially wrapped stick is conveyed from the folding wheel to a stacker at the discharge end of the machine by another rotary transfer mechanism. Rotary label wrapping mechanism may be provided for applying a label or outer wrapper to each stick.

Abstract: Slabs of gum stacked in a top-loaded magazine and successively fed from the bottom of the magazine by a reciprocable pusher mechanism are advanced by line pressure along a generally predetermined first path to a rotary trimming and scoring mechanism which trims, scores and further advances each successive slab. Another pusher mechanism receives each slab advanced by the trimming and scoring mechanism and transfers it to a conveyor which carries it along another path generally normal to the first path and to a breaker and an associated wrapping machine. Each mechanism which advances the slab is driven in timed relation with the wrapping machine. The magazine is supported to pivot to a inactive position to facilitate access to the trimming and scoring mechanism.

Abstract: A system for supplying moving web to a web-consuming utilization device, from successively used rolls of web, includes a splicer for splicing the expiring end of a dispensing roll to the beginning end of a ready roll. Between the splicer and the utilization device is a festooner or other web storage device which pays out web before and during operation of the splicer to momentarily stop movement of web through the splicer during splicer operation without effecting the rate of web feed to the utilization device.

Abstract: A mechanism for forming seals at spaced points along the length of a body of web material moved through the mechanism is comprised of two sealing jaws and a simple device for opening and closing the jaws whereby the mechanism consists of a small number of parts and may be made at a relatively low cost and to have a relatively light weight. The jaws are slidably supported relative to a base for pure linear motion and are moved between their open and closed conditions by an air cylinder or other fluid actuator which is unfixed to and floats relative to the base.

Abstract: A continuously moving web passes over a fixed female die, which die is slotted to define a U-shaped cutting edge. A cylindrical punch rotates on an axis above the path of the web so that a cutting edge defined at the free end of the punch moves into the slot defined in the fixed die to cut a tab in the web. The length of the tab so cut can be varied by changing the relative speed of movement between the punch and that of the web, and the punch is mounted at an offset to its rotational axis. If such offset is positive, that is in the direction of rotation, the tab can be formed to "lead" the web. Providing the offset in the opposite or negative direction, the tab "trails" the web.

Abstract: A fixed platen is supported in the machine frame, and a movable platen is connected to two parallel rods which project rearwardly through the fixed platen. Each rod carries a first piston and each piston is slidably received in a first cylinder. These cylinders are slidably received on the rods and each cylinder has a forward end defining a second larger piston slidably received in a fixed second cylinder. The front and rear faces of the smaller pistons are selectively connected to fluid from a first pump through a synchronizing valve, and a paralleling pump supplements the flow from the first pump during synchronization, that is during the major part of the mold opening and closing movement. Slower movement is provided for just prior to the platen reaching the mold open and closed positions.

Abstract: A plastic injection blow molding manifold has progressively smaller passageways defined at the mating surfaces between its two primary members. The circular cross sectional inlet area is reduced by one-half in a first cross passageway, and then further reduced in two additional cross passageways in an eight nozzle version. All of these cross passageways are defined at said mating surfaces, and the respective ends of such additional cross passageways communicate with paired outlets, each of which outlets has an associated nozzle and coaxially arranged heating element.

Abstract: A rotating feed screw in the barrel of an injection molding machine is fitted with a collar with peripheral grooves through which the plasticized material is fed into a charge forming chamber. The collar is held onto the end of the feed screw by an elongated torpedo body, which body has a first portion for receiving the annular collar, a second portion which defines a plurality of helically oriented crisscrossing grooves in its cylindrical surface, and a third axial portion which defines a raceway for a plurality of spherical roller elements. A nonreturn valve in the form of an annular shuttle is slidably received on the second axial portion, and also slidably received in the bore which rotatably receives the screw, so that the plasticized material is required to pass through the above mentioned grooves and around the ball elements. Thus, the ingredients are mixed in several stages prior to being injected through a nozzle provided in the head of the barrel, into the mold cavity.