Abstract: An apparatus for loading stacked article groups into cartons in a continuous motion cartoner assembly. The barrel cam loading apparatus or article group transport mechanism is particularly suited to loading article groups that are unstable or whose articles tend to spin and kick article out of the carton.

Abstract: A capping apparatus, in particular for applying PRESON.TM. style caps to glass jars, comprising a chute with grooved sidewalls to allow free passage of the caps irrespective of tab orientation. At the chute outlet, stops depend from a bridge bar in order to engage the leading cap above its tab, again allowing caps to be presented in random orientation.

Abstract: A flight bar frame which translates along a predetermined path is adapted for engaging and translating an article grouping of one or more articles while simultaneously engaging and translating a sheet of material above the article grouping. The sheet of material is urged downwardly into juxtaposition above the article grouping by means of a lowering guide assembly. The flight bar frame is adapted for passage therethrough of lowering guides of the lowering guide assembly.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for folding an inflatable cushion having an end portion and a main body portion and inserting the folded cushion into a cover. The apparatus comprises folding structure for creating folds in the main body portion to form a folded cushion. The folding structure including first folding apparatus adapted to create a first fold in the main body portion to form a partially folded cushion, and accordion folding apparatus adapted to create a plurality of accordion folds in the partially folded cushion which are generally transverse to the first fold to form the folded cushion. Further included is apparatus for supporting a cover into which the folded cushion is inserted. The folding structure further serves to insert the folded cushion into the cover.

Abstract: Apparatus (10) is disclosed including first and second forming rollers (18, 21) which rotatably abut with an anvil roller (20). The forming rollers (18, 21) each include a periphery forming a continuous forming surface including a plurality of axially and circumferentially spaced grooves (24) each formed as a continuous depression arranged in a serpentine and non-intersecting manner. Food (14) is simultaneously fed between a continuous strip of support material (16) and a continuous ribbon of film material (66) as they pass between a first abutment nip of the first forming roller (18) and the anvil roller (20). After extending partially around the periphery of the first forming roller (18), the materials (16, 66) and the food therebetween pass around an adjustable idler roller (70) to between a second abutment nip of the second forming roller (21) and the anvil roller (20).

Abstract: This invention relates to making paperboard and plastic composite package structures that combine an intricate thermoformed shell with a paperboard base or cover. Such structures of this type, generally, provide a lightweight package with a good printing surface on the outside of the package.

Abstract: Equipment which automatically manufactures cushioning material by filling air inside polyvinyl alcohol laminated paper and sealing the filled material into individual bags. The manufacturing equipment 1 is provided with a material roll 20 on which a sheet material of polyvinyl alcohol laminated paper is wound. The sheet material 10 is rolled out by a feeding roller 40 from the material roll 20, and the sheet material 10 in a known length, adjusted by a length adjusting device 50 having a roller 42 which goes up and down, is supplied intermittently to a bag forming device 100 located downstream thereof. The bag forming device 100 is provided with a pipe member 105 and a sailor 110, which is a guide plate to reverse the sheet material 10 and form it into a tubular shape, and the sheet material 10 is fed along the pipe member 105 after being formed into a tubular shape. Feed rollers 130 and auxiliary belt 120 are arranged at the periphery of the pipe member 105.

Abstract: Thin and lightweight baked products such as crackers and the like are dispensed from a stack and placed into a compartment of a packaging tray or the like. An escapement gate assembly supports the product as it falls into a accumulator opening and before it drops into the compartment of the packaging tray. This engagement need be for only a small fraction of a second, long enough to dissipate virtually all of the horizontal velocity components imparted to the products during handling of the products prior to dropping into the compartment. A preferred application moves a sub-stack of crackers from a larger stack and into the compartment.

Abstract: Apparatus (10) is disclosed including first and second forming rollers (18, 21) which rotatably abut with an anvil roller (20). The forming rollers (18, 21) each include a periphery forming a continuous forming surface including a plurality of axially and circumferentially spaced grooves (24) each formed as a continuous depression arranged in a serpentine and non-intersecting manner. Food (14) is simultaneously fed by a saddle (36, 36') between a continuous strip of support material (16) and a continuous ribbon of film material (66) as they pass between a first abutment nip of the first forming roller (18) and the anvil roller (20). In a preferred form, the saddle (36') is in the form of a block having first and second lower surfaces (118, 120) corresponding to the shape and located adjacent the first forming roller (18) and the anvil roller (20) in their mating side (32).

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling the operation of a packaging machine of the type which carries out the operations of causing a tube film placed around articles under transport to be cut and sealed between adjacent articles for being successively formed into bags, then causing individual bags, each with an article contained therein, to be conveyed forward by a delivery conveyor, causing the bags to be sequentially transferred from the delivery conveyor onto moving surface plates, causing each surface plate to be covered with a cover member, and then causing the interior of the cover member to be placed under a vacuum atmosphere while the open end of the bag is hermetically sealed. A bag sensor sequentially detects the passage of open ends of bags on the delivery conveyor, and a surface plate detecting sensor sequentially detects the passage of individual surface plates.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for applying travelers to a ring of a fiber processing machine. A traveler applicator includes a traveler rail on which travelers are urged by a pusher towards a reciprocating traveler tooth. Actuation of a trigger causes the traveler tooth to engage a traveler from the traveler rail and to advance it outwardly for attachment to a ring. Release of the trigger causes the tooth to retract and allows clearance between the tooth and the next traveler positioned on the traveler rail for dispensing. Upon full retraction of the tooth, the tooth advances inwardly to engage the next traveler on the traveler rail. A spring-biased engagement member contacts the traveler to secure it on the tooth. A cartridge having a plurality of traveler-holding rails about its periphery feeds travelers to the traveler rail. Once a cartridge rail is depleted of travelers, the cartridge is rotated such that the next rail having travelers is presented to the traveler rail for dispensing.

Abstract: A hand-held device for installing caps on vials having a housing with an outer housing member and an inner housing member. The housing is sized to enable the device to be held in a hand of a user and placed over a vial to be capped. A shuttle member is rotationally disposed within the inner housing for transporting one of a plurality of caps stored in the housing from a cap storage station to a cap installation station within the housing when said device is operated. At approximately the same time, a plunger extending from an inner surface of the outer housing is installs the cap transported to the cap installation station onto a vial. Also described is a cap to be used in the hand-held device. The cap has a substantially flat endwall defining a peripheral edge surface and a sidewall extending therefrom. The peripheral edge surface defines a radius which is substantially less than 0.040 inches.

Abstract: An apparatus for automatically fixing the self-piercing nuts has a striking punch (2) for causing the end face of each nut (N) to pierce a metallic panel (P) laid on a caulking die (1) and to be fixed to the panel, and also has a mechanism for intermittently feeding the nuts. The mechanism is composed of a rigid frame (6) to which a slide guide (3) is fixed and a movable chute (8) having a distal opening (8a) communicating with a feeding aperture (5) opened in the slide guide and a proximal opening (8b) communicating with a flexible chute (7). The movable chute (8) held in and connected to the rigid frame (6) is driven by an actuator (22) mounted on the frame so as to swing between an operative and inoperative positions.

Abstract: A method of wrapping a floral grouping, preferably an orchid, with a wrapper which may be a sheet of material, a sleeve or a preformed pot cover. The wrapper is preferably constructed from a laminated material made up of at least a waxy layer and a support layer which are superposed upon each other and connected or laminated to each other. A second waxy layer may be connected or laminated to the other surface of the support surface. The waxy layer is made from a waxy material such as waxed paper, waxed tissue or high density polyethylene. The wrapped floral grouping may also contain a shredded material for cushioning the blooms of the floral grouping.

Abstract: Banding apparatus in various embodiments include accelerator members for accelerating plastic bands downstream along a floating mandrel for propelling them at high speed with significant kinetic energy in being ejected off from an end of the mandrel toward and around articles to be banded. In one apparatus belts accelerate elongated label bands to more than 1,000 feet per minute. The peripheries of tear-off rollers turn continuously at a first speed for tearing successive bands off from perforated plastic tubing which may be pre-perforated label tubing. Alternatively, plastic tubing may be perforated during operation by continuously feeding flattened tubing between perforator and anvil rollers positioned upstream from the mandrel. Accelerator members shown as rollers or as revolving belts have repetitive first and second peripheral speeds alternating with each other in cycles.

Abstract: This invention provides utilizes a centering device located in the accumulation portion of mail production equipment to reduce jamming caused by the insertion of material into an open envelope. The apparatus of this invention is located in the accumulation area of production mail equipment before the inserter. The apparatus of this invention includes: two guides; a solenoid and a flexible wire cable. Two centering guides are actuated through a solenoid and move to a predetermined center position to align and deskew the accumulated enclosure contents (which may include printed and pre-printed folded sheets, business reply envelopes and other insert material). A flexible wire cable is used to provide highly efficient transfer of motion from the solenoid to the centering guides.

Abstract: The packaging of agricultural or horticultural produce requires much manual work, particularly when the stalks of fruits such as apples are all made to point in the same direction and/or when the most attractively colored side is properly presented. The invention relates to and provides a method which can be performed automatically wherein at least one camera recorded images of products are made and the products are packed subject to the recorded images.

Abstract: A newspaper recycling disposal system that stacks and bundles used newspapers while eliminating need for using ties to tie the used newspapers to form bundles wherein the bundles are compatible with pulping processes used for recycling the used newspapers at paper mills, by virtue of eliminating the ties that are incompatible, and thereby eliminating contaminates which require labor and time to remove which reduces the value of the used newspapers that have been bundled. The system includes a generally circular-cylindrically-shaped container, a replaceable and circular-cylindrically-shaped rigid sleeve, and a circular-cylindrically-shaped mesh bag. The replaceable and circular-cylindrically-shaped rigid sleeve sits replaceably in the generally circular-cylindrically-shaped container and has the used newspapers stackable therein and has an open and circular-shaped top that forms an open mouth that receives the used newspapers.

Abstract: A handling apparatus has a bundling apparatus, which stacks and bundles each predetermined number of securities from which information is detected by a discriminating section. The bundling apparatus includes a stacking plate for stacking the securities thereon and a rotatable sweeper for moving the stacked securities together with the stacking plate in a manner such that the securities are held between the sweeper and the plate. In a bundling position, a bunch of securities held on the stacking position is curved by a curving device, and is then wound and bundled with a band by of a bundling mechanism.

Abstract: A dual pocket loader wheel assembly for use on a continuous motion packaging machine is disclosed. The dual pocket loader wheel assembly has an elongate tubular member supported for rotation on a framework positioned on the packaging machine with respect to a carton transport conveyor on the packaging machine. A drive frame is positioned at one end of the tubular member and rotatably supports a spaced pair of pocket loader wheels thereon. A drive motor assembly is positioned on the framework at the other end of the tubular member and is operably connected to a drive shaft extending through the tubular member and into the drive frame for rotating the dual pocket loader wheels about their axes. The loader wheel assembly includes a rotary actuator mounted on the framework and operably engaged with the tubular member for rotating the tubular member to reverse the position of the dual pocket loader wheels with respect to the carton transport conveyor.