Abstract: A method of packaging goods within a packaging casing in which a substantially gas impermeable cup-shaped first casing part is provided having a depression and a peripheral lip. A web of gas permeable skin packaging material is placed over the depression and spaced from the bottom of the depression to form a space therebetween. A gas is then provided in the space. The web is sealed to the peripheral lip providing at least atmospheric pressure above to create a pressure differential above and below the web resulting in the web being stretched down inwardly of the depression. Goods are placed over the web, and an outer casing member is placed over the goods and the lip so that the permeable web is further stretched. The outer casing member is then sealed to the lip so that gas in the depression is allowed to permeate over an extended period of time through the web to the goods to enhance the keeping qualities of the goods.

Abstract: A packaging machine and a method for continuous forming of filled packages from relatively unstretchable roll stock of crinkled heat sealable filter paper. A series of pouch forming drum sockets are provided in an outer surface of a revolving drum and the paper is trained on the drum over the sockets. Another mechanism is provided for slitting the sheet of the filter paper along its length creating a pair of side-by-side heat sealable filter paper strips before the paper reaches the drum. A driven endless flexible before the paper reaches the drum. A driven endless flexible belt is operatively engaged with the outer drum surface. A suction device is provided for drawing overlapped belt areas of the belt into the drum sockets along with the relatively unstretchable crinkled filter paper strips sandwiched between the overlapped belt area and the pouch forming drum sockets thereby forming side-by-side continuous strips of crinkled filter paper pockets.

Abstract: A process for producing a tightly sealed bag that can be easily opened by tearing at an edge thereof. According to the process a multiplicity of through cuts are formed along a line in a laminate film having at least one substrate layer and at least one heat seal layer. The laminate film is formed into an open bag with the line of through cuts provided along an edge to be sealed of the bag and edges of the open bag are heat sealed to form a sealed bag. In an alternative embodiment of the process, a multiplicity of through cuts are formed along a line in a substrate film and a heat seal film is laminated to the substrate film provided with the through cuts to form a laminate film prior to forming the sealed bag.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for filling an open top carton with a liquid product and liquidating the foam generated during the filling of the carton. A plurality of dispensers sequentially fill the carton with the liquid product. A defoamer introduces a spray of high velocity particles into the foam in the container to break down and liquidate the foam. After the foam is dissipated, the top of the carton is sealed.

Abstract: An improved form, fill, seal and separate packaging machine for reclosable containers is accomplished by a plurality of stations disposed along a path of travel of a thermoplastic web including means to attach a pair of mated, resealable closure strips to the base web. The machine is intermittent in its operation, with movement of the web through the machine controlled so that the various steps of applying the closure strips, forming, filling, sealing and separating the reclosable containers are performed during periodic stops of the machine. The machine is further characterized by its use of two pairs of web belts to move the web through the machine. A first pair of web belts initially receive the folded web stock and partially form and completely fill the containers. The second pair of web belts overlap with the downstream end of the first pair of belts, but are disposed lower than the first belts.

Abstract: A flexible recloseable package wherein the enclosed product is supported on a rigid backing board and the package includes a recloseable seal strip mounted on an access edge of the backing board. Two sheets of packaging film surround the backing board and the packaged product. The film is sealed to opposite surfaces of the recloseable seal strip and is further sealed hermetically around the periphery of the backing board.

Abstract: This invention pertains to a reclosable package having a body member, a base, a hermetic seal between the body member and base and snap locking projections in the side walls of the body member and base.

Abstract: Bags having a spout opening defined by a spout edge surface affixed within the bags are sealed with a spout closure membrane first by pressing the closure membrane against the spout edge surface with a cooled plate. A heating unit which includes a heating element, which has a surface which corresponds in size and shape with the spout edge surface, then is moved adjacent the cooled plate to heat a portion of the cooled plate for sealing the closure membrane to the spout edge surface. After heating the closure membrane for sealing the spout edge surface to the closure membrane, the heating element is moved away from the plate whereby the heated portion of the plate then cools and cools the seal. After the seal is cooled, the plate then is moved away from the sealed spout and bag.

Abstract: A method and a mechanism for making plastic film bags having a reclosable zipper including wrapping a continuous supply of film over a forming tube to form a seam joining the edges of the film and cross-seaming the film, supporting the supply roll of film with the film doubled and a zipper at the doubled edge; guiding the location of the zipper in the film so that the film is properly positioned as it is fed forwardly to be wrapped over the forming tube and means unfolding the film as it is fed forwardly to open the doubled film to be fed to the forming tube as a flat sheet.

Abstract: A device for filling a tubular casing with a pasty product comprising a stuffing horn, a brake which encircles the outside of the stuffing horn in the vicinity of the orifice thereof, and a coaxial, cylindrical support tube accommodating a tubular net, which support tube is arranged at a distance from the outside of the stuffing horn and extends over the length of the stuffing horn to an end in the vicinity of the orifice of the stuffing horn, the brake being located at said end of the support tube. The invention enables the tubular net to continuously applied to the tubular casing during the stuffing operation.

Abstract: A first web having an ionomer, or ionomer/ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) sealant layer, heat sealed to a second web having an EVA/ethytlene butene copolymer (EBC)/polypropylene (PP) sealant layer, forms an easily opened package. A layer adjacent the sealant layer of the second web optionally includes PP or ethylene propylene copolymer. With this optional layer, the sealant layer of the first web may comprise a polymeric material which forms strong interweb adhesion upon heat sealing.

Abstract: An apparatus for closing lidded cartons has a turning station including a flightless horizontal conveyor, and a chain conveyor which extends along one side of the flightless conveyor and has light restraint members pivotally mounted on its links. The chain conveyor is moved in the same direction as the horizontal conveyor, but at a slower speed. Part way along the chain conveyor an upwardly directed air jet moves the restraint members individually but in succession to temporary raised positions in which they are available for engagement by a carton which is moving along the flightless conveyor in overlapping relation to the chain conveyor. A restraint member engaged by a carton in this way thereafter serves as a fulcrum about which the carton pivots through a substantial angle. Plough bars later complete the rotation of the carton through 90.degree. in total.

Abstract: An improved packaging device designed for the filling of flexible, tubular casing and for the sealing of the casing in discrete lengths which may then be further processed or packaged. The device includes a mounting assembly having a floor mounted frame with a rotatable platform supported by the frame. Adjacent the frame and platform is a device for feeding product through a product horn into casing which is shirred on the horn. The platform includes a plurality of specially designed clippers arranged in a circular array. As filled casing is discharged from the feeding mechanism it is directed tangentially into the circular array of rotating clippers which are equally spaced from each other. The clippers sequentially operate to gather the casing, apply spaced, double clips to the casing, sever the connection between adjacent clips, and to then discharge the packaged link from the device.

Abstract: A biased seal for a form, fill and seal packaging machine includes an elongated seal bar which is attached to a support element via a plurality of connectors/retainers which are fixed to the seal bear, but movable with respect to the support element. A plurality of compression springs are positioned between the seal bar and the support element. The seal bar is movable on the connectors from a position wherein the seal bar is juxtapositioned against the sealing element and the compression springs are under compression and an extended position wherein the seal bar is displaced outward from the sealing elements by the bias in the compression springs. The support element is fixed to a slide assembly which is connected to an activator rod via an adjustment bracket.

Abstract: The first object of the invention is a process for closing or sealing a flexible tube filled with a liquid, creamy or semi-pasty product (7), in which its skirt (2) is nipped below its open end so as to bring about a closure (10) allowing the escape of the air contained in the tube when the latter is transversely compressed and then after compression the closure (10) is transformed into a tight closure and the open end (17) of the tube is sealed. According to the invention, skirt (2) is nipped with elastically tightened parallel surfaces (10) and the skirt (2) is compressed to the right of the product contained (7), in such a way that the upper level of said product (7) remains below or at the lower limit of closure (10) and the end portion (17) of the tube (1) passing beyond said closure (10) is sealed, so as to avoid any pollution by the product deteriorating the seal. The second object of the invention is an apparatus for performing this process.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for making and filling bags from plastic film, wrapping an endless supply about a forming and filling tube where the supply has a plastic zipper profile extending intermediate the edges of the film material, controlling the feed of film over a sharp edge of a former so that a tension free slack is maintained in the film to eliminate the possibility of distortion or damage to the small rib and groove interlocking zipper profiles on the film.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for producing infusion coffee filter packs in which a first strip of filter paper is placed adjacent to a mold having a cylindrical mold pocket, and the strip of filter paper is caused, either mechanically or by a vacuum, to conform to the cylindrical mold pocket. The conforming step causes the surface area of the first strip of filter paper to stretch and increase by at least three percent relative to its area prior to the conforming step. A measured quantity of ground coffee is then deposited into the mold pocket over the filter paper conformed thereto. A second strip of filter paper is placed over the first strip of filter paper and the ground coffee in the mold pocket. The first and second strips of filter paper are then sealed together around the coffee filled mold pocket, as by a heat sealing press pressing and sealing the strips together. The filter paper is then trimmed as by die cutting to produce a half inch wide flange area extending around the mold pocket.

Abstract: A vacuum packaging apparatus suitable for use in packing fluid foodstuffs or the like into bags. In a chamber are disposed a pair of support members having surfaces opposite relative to each other which are individually formed with suction holes. When a bag is fed between the pair of support members, vacuum is applied through the suction holes so that opposite surfaces of the bag are sucked into the opposite surfaces of the support members. Subsequently, the support members are moved away from each other, whereupon the mouth of the bag is opened. An object is fed into the mouth-opened bag for being vacuum packed therein. The resulting vacuum packaged product is supported in position between the pair of support members, being thereby flatly shaped.

Abstract: A method of making a mailing receptacle from a coconut, comprising the steps of, making a hole in the coconut so that access to the inner compartment of the coconut can be obtained, draining out the milk of the coconut by way of the hole so that the inner compartment of the coconut becomes dry, filling the coconut with a preserving solution by way of the hole so that the coconut will be preserved, waiting a predetermined period of time so that the preserving solution has preserved the coconut, emptying the coconut of the preserving solution by way of the hole so that the preserving operation is completed, letting the coconut dry so that items can be put into it by way of the hole, inserting items to be mailed into the hole until times drop into the inner compartment of the coconut, and, sealing the hole in the coconut so that the mailing receptacle is ready for transit.

Abstract: The invention provides an apparatus and method of inserting a lightweight, oversized, inside head to the end of a partially wrapped roll. An inside head is attached to multiple articulated arms extending from a spider assembly. The spider is moved toward the end of the roll until the articulated arms engage the end of the roll. The spider assembly opens the articulated arms radially outwardly until adjacent a wrapper tube extension. A heating clamp then welds the outer edge of the inside head to the wrapper tube extension.