Abstract: An improved leaflet inserter includes a series of adjacent leaflet trays carried by a conveyor along side of a cartoner and each tray includes a leaflet pusher movable in a slot transverse to the direction of the conveyor to push a leaflet placed in the tray out the side of the tray and into a synchronized carton or into a product bucket which is moving along side of the tray. In an embodiment of a leaflet tray, the leaflet pusher includes a downwardly extending cam pin which engages an adjustable cam positioned beneath the trays which urges the cam pin to slide the leaflet pusher transversely across the tray. In another aspect of the present invention, an integrated product bucket loader includes a plurality of product load receiving buckets mounted on a conveyor and each bucket has an integral, movable end wall which is slidably mounted on the bucket for movement across the width of the bucket.

Abstract: A conveyor mechanism conveys flat, tubular cartons having a central divider past an erecting station. During the conveying, two knives enter the carton from both ends and engage a bottom wall adjacent the divider and trailing side wall, respectively. The erecting mechanism engages the trailing side wall to swing it and the divider upwardly about the respective knives.

Abstract: A collator having an upper receiver for receiving a layer of articles, a lower receiver for accumulating multiple layers of articles and trap doors for the receivers. A swinging conveyor is pivoted at its upper end and means are provided to swing its lower end to any of a plurality of discharge points adjacent said upper receiver. Control means including counters are provided to count articles as they pass from the swinging conveyor to the upper receiver and when a preselected number is received by the upper conveyor, its trap door is operated to drop that group into the lower receiver. Several such drops are made until the desired total is accumulated, whereupon the trap door for the lower receiver is opened to drop the accumulated group into a receptacle.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for fan folding a web including a folding section and a guiding section upstream of the folding section. The folding and guiding sections are formed from a flat sheet of metal. The guiding section merges into the folding section on a line which is a portion of a polygon whose sides are the bases of triangles forming a plurality of sections which constitute the folding section. The guiding section is defined by portions of polygons of the same perimeter dimension as the portion of the first polygon and each of which has fewer sides than the adjacent downstream polygon.

Abstract: Continuous motion apparatus for forming, filling and sealing pouches in which a web of material is folded longitudinally upon itself, transversely sealed at spaced locations, cut into individual pouches and carried by vacuum carriers through opening, filling, sealing and depositing into product buckets of a cartoner. The opening of the pouches is performed by vacuum carriers on opposite sides of a pouch, the vacuum carriers being mounted on conveyors which diverge slightly to effect the opening of the pouches.

Abstract: An apparatus for packaging articles received as a strip having individually filled pouches which are separated by transverse seals at opposite ends of the pouches characterized by severing the pouches and then depositing the pouches on a conveying device which transports the pouches to the receptacle in which they are stacked. Preferably, the apparatus utilizes a cutting device which comprises an index wheel and a cutting wheel with the index wheel being provided with suction heads to grip the severed pouches to transport them to a position above the conveying device where they are positively ejected onto the conveying device in two rows which are preferably overlapping to reduce the width of the two rows on the conveying device.