Abstract: A machine and method for making folded strips, which machine and method are characterized by features that enable a reduction in the size, weight and cost of the machine. The machine and method comprises a housing having first and second housing sections, a longitudinal severing assembly for longitudinally severing the sheet stock material into a plurality of strips, and a folding device downstream of the longitudinal severing assembly and operative to cause back and forth folding of the strips to produce accordion-folded strips having substantially uniform adjacent opposite folds. The longitudinal severing assembly includes first and second slitting members respectively carried in the first and second housing sections, and the first and second housing sections are separable whereby the housing is openable to maintain and repair the machine. The slitting members include a shaft and an array of slitting discs carried on the shaft for rotation therewith.

Abstract: A blank gumming method for cigarette packing machines, whereby a blank, presenting a central portion defining the front, rear and end walls of a respective packet, and two lateral portions located on either side of the central portion and defining, by superimposition, the lateral walls of the packet, is gummed in two successive steps, one preceding and the other following mating of the blank with a respective group of cigarettes; one of the two steps being performed by spraying adhesive material.

Abstract: Bags, (1) produced at generic machines (2), are removed by means (3) toward grippers (5) associated to a conveyor line consisting of endless chain sections (4)-(10), including means (8) for weighing the bags (1), and bar-code and bag dimension verifying means (48) and (28). The sections (4) and (10) are related by transfer means (9) which may or may not connect the same, depending on an order received from means (8), (48) and (28), rejecting in the latter event faulty bags or grippers without a bag, or directing them toward a fitting station (12) at which the grippers and bags are released from the chain (10), suspended at different heights and grouped in the projection of a box (16) that is lifted toward the group by a lift (17).

Abstract: A process and apparatus for forming three-dimensional containers from a continuous flat web of paper, coated paper, paper board, or laminated paper board ("paper") in which the paper is first scored to define the shape of the container and, thereafter, the scored stock is simultaneously cut and formed into a container. Containers so produced have improved uniformity. The apparatus is less expensive and easier to operate than conventional equipment, and it is easier to change from one style of tray to another. The apparatus also makes possible tray styles which could not be made with machines which cut and transfer paper blanks to a separate forming station.

Abstract: A flowpacking machine comprising a conveyor for bringing a row of products wrapped in a string casing into a closing station, in which an upper and a lower jaw (18,20) are reciprocated in counterphase to close and cut the string casing between the products. The jaws should meet at a level corresponding to half the height (h) of the products, whereby some adjustment is required for each new product height. The disclosed machine is characteristic in that one of the jaws (20) is height adjustable mounted on the vertical rod member (34) which moves it up and down, whereby the adjustments are particularly easy to carry out. They can even be controlled automatically by a reading in of the new product height. When the rod member is a tooth rod a very safe holding of the adjustable jaw is achieved.

Abstract: A process for manufacturing a cylindrical metal can having, on its side walls, projected portions and recessed portions. The projected portions are formed by forcing the side walls radially outwardly, and the recessed portions are formed by urging unprojected portions radially inwardly while the projected portions are being forced radially outwardly.

Abstract: A sleeve used to wrap items such as potted plants. The sleeve may have an open or closed bottom. When closed, the bottom may have a gusset for allowing expansion upon the depositing of the pot into the sleeve. The sleeve has a detachable upper portion. The sleeve may have a bonding material disposed upon an inner or outer portion of the sleeve for attaching the sleeve to the pot or item.

Abstract: A cushioning conversion machine, and method of using such a machine, in which stock material is converted into a cushioning product. The machine and method are characterized by providing stock material having information encoded thereon and then retrieving the encoded information from the stock material for machine control, diagnostic, inventory, and other purposes.

Abstract: Machine for continuously making cellular packaging from a paper-like web material wound around at least one roll (2, 3) freely rotatable located at the input of the machine, each web travelling thereafter through a station (C) creating a transversal crease, then between two rolls (14, 34), at least one of which being driven by a drive means, allowing on the one hand the continuous driving of the web and on the other hand the moulding of the cells, one of said rolls (14) having over its peripheral surface male prints (15) of the cells whereas the other roll (34) has over its peripheral surface female prints (35) of the cells, the engagement of both male and female prints providing the driving of the web, which travels finally through an output station (E) having a cutting system connected to a drive means, cutting at regular intervals the cellular packaging web obtained at the output, characterised in that both driving rolls (14, 34) including said male prints (15) and female prints (35) are each disposed in a

Abstract: Device for subjecting a container containing products in bulk form to a movement, in which a set of movement means is provided for said movement, said movement means consisting of toss-up means which are formed by a set of bellows which are controllable in a predetermined way, which is such that the container for placing on a frame of the device with which the bellows interact is subjected to a toss-up movement in a particular sequence at various sides thereof, in order to rearrange the products in said container and method therefor.

Abstract: This invention involves a tapered vacuum bag sealer that can be used to seal conventional plastic bags and to vacuum canning jars or other food containers. The rear of the sealer housing has a connection for a PVC tube or other flexible tube that will extend to the jar or container being vacuumed to remove air therefrom. This rear connection avoids the necessity of the housing lid being opened before this vacuum procedure could be accomplished.

Abstract: A method of producing a string of multiple cleansing net packages for cleaning and massaging the back of a person taking a bath includes the steps of mounting looped net packages of even or odd numbers onto a U-shaped bracket; and tying a pull loop to the middle of the front portions of the top and the bottom looped net packages; turning the top or/and the bottom looped net packages half turn around clockwisely, depending on the net packages being of an even or odd number; and then binding the middles of the front portions of every two consecutive looped net packages together exclusively and so on so forth, starting from the top or the second looped net packages; and then binding the middles of the rear portions of every two consecutive looped net packages exclusively together and so on so forth, starting from the top or the second looped net package, depending on the looped net packages being of an even or odd number; and then turning clockwisely all the looped net packages on the bracket 1/4 turn around; af

Abstract: A method of forming a container including the steps of: providing a sheet material defining a peripheral wall structure bounding a receptacle with an open end, and a closure portion having gable panels and a plurality of fins for closing the open end of the receptacle; reconfiguring the closure portion to place the closure portion in a closed state wherein the plurality of fins are in overlying relationship and the gable panels reside between the fins and the peripheral wall structure; effecting a seal between a plurality of the fins using a first sealing pattern; and after effecting the seal using the first sealing pattern effecting a seal between a plurality of the fins using a second sealing pattern.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for the automatic closing of transport bags, especially bags made of paper for meal, fodders and the like, with a mass of more than 5 kg. The filled bags are first spread and are aligned in their height, subsequently clamped and provided with a double fold. An adhesive is applied between the folding steps and the double fold formed is pressed together with the adhesive joint in press rollers.

Abstract: Apparatus for reducing the mean weight of articles of a soft material, for example cheese, in a flow (1), including a first weighing device (2) for weighing the articles; a flow splitter for splitting the flow (1) into a first flow (3) of articles with individual weights less than an acceptable minimum, a second flow (5) each with a weight greater than the acceptable minimum but less than a predetermined amount in excess, and a third flow (4) each with a weight above the acceptable minimum plus the predetermined amount in excess; a cutter (6) for removing the predetermined amount of material from each of the articles in the third flow (4); a second weighing device (8) for weighing individual articles in the second flow (5) and those in the flow (7) leaving the cutter (6); and a controller for controlling the splitting of the original flow leaving the first weighing device (2) into the respective first, second and third flows.

Abstract: A bar soap including an embedded premium item. A translucent, glycerin soap is cast in a plastic blister package which is pre-loaded with a selected, premium item. During container filling, the soap is cast to embed the premium item within the soap. A backing card containing text and graphics peculiar to the premium item and soap is bonded to the container under heat and pressure with a suitable adhesive. Multiple packages are mounted to a merchandising strip for display and sale.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for assembling a blister package. The apparatus includes a packaging jig having a plurality of perimeter locating pins that are arranged to extend around the perimeter of the package when assembled on the jig. In a first aspect, the jig also includes an interior locating pin positioned inwardly from the perimeter locating pins to register a blister and possibly an article during assembly. In a second aspect of the invention, the jig further includes a plurality of exterior locating pins positioned outwardly from the perimeter locating pins to register an article to be packaged during assembly. The blister package is assembled by sequentially positioning the display cards, blister, and article on the jig such that the locating pins register the various components.

Abstract: An improved agricultural feed bagging machine for loading feedstock into expandable storage bags. The bagging machine has a double-tapered tunnel for deploying a folded bag, stretching the bag and then releasing the stretched bag about feed that is simultaneously being compacted and extruded within the tunnel towards and out an open end of the tunnel. The machine also includes a hopper disposed adjacent the tunnel forward end and communicating with the tunnel through a feed opening oriented in a wall defining the forward end of the tunnel. The machine also includes a rotor element for propelling feed stock from the hopper though the feed opening into the tunnel and a secured bag, the rotor element having a rotor rotatable about a horizontal axis.

Abstract: An apparatus (100) for making flexible packaging containers (20, 70, 84) and inserting and sealing discs (22) within the containers in one continuous operation includes a nip roll indexer (116) which intermittently advances free ends of a first web (108) and a second web (110) a distance defining at least a width of a container, a die cut press (112) for forming partially separable flaps in the first web, first and second ultrasonic welders (220, 226) which concurrently seal together the first and second webs along a first longitudinal seal line (258) and at least one transverse seal line (252) so as to create in the webs a series of disc-receiving areas (40) each defined by the first longitudinal seal lines together with two of the transverse seal lines and having an open edge adjacent second longitudinal edges (256) of the webs, a disc inserting apparatus (120) adapted to insert a disc into a disc-receiving area, a third ultrasonic welder (380) which seals the webs together along a second longitudinal seal

Abstract: A method of packaging a resiliently compressible article comprises the steps of inserting the article into a tube of deformable material such that excess material is provided at the ends of the tube. A first end of the tube is then sealed closed. Air is then evacuated from the tube through the second end thereby deforming the tube around the article and causing the article to compress. While a vacuum is maintained in the tube, the second end of the tube is sealed closed. A containment sleeve is fitted over the sealed tube to maintain the article in a compressed state. When the article is unpackaged, the containment sleeve is severed and the tube is allowed to expand in a gradual controlled fashion by the bleeding of air back into the tube.