Abstract: A machine and method for forming, filling and sealing closed individual pinch pouches includes a support for holding a continuous supply of material having a solid bleached sulfate board or paper board surface and a heat sealable plastic coating on one side. A folding apparatus folds the web material onto itself with the heat sealable surface facing itself with a gusset at the fold. Drive rollers pull the material from the source through the folding apparatus. Heating bars form a seal between selected portions of the material by sealing the heat sealable surfaces at intermittent portions. A cutter cuts the material through the seal and forms a blank having opposed sealed edges extending to the gusset and an open edge opposite the gusset. A hammer pushes the gusset of the blank inward to spread apart opposed surfaces of the blank. An injector forces a flowable substance into the blank through the open edge.

Abstract: The present invention describes a method and apparatus for closing a filled vacuum pack package. The open end of the package, which is made from a thin-wall, flexible foil, is folded above the height of the product in the package. The package is placed in a vacuum chamber, a vacuum is drawn on the contents of the package, and the open end of the packaged is closed airtightly by a closing mechanism. While in the vacuum chamber, the open end of the package, which is not yet completely folded, is folded by a flexible part of the vacuum chamber wall facing the open end of the package. The flexible part of the vacuum chamber is folded inwardly by applying a pressure on its exterior which is greater than the vacuum pressure therein.

Abstract: Method and installation for packaging a palletizable load (20), in which the constituent elements (21) of the load (20) are positioned on the pallet in several levels or layers of palletization by a palletization member, wherein :a sheet (9) of a material having non-slip properties is inserted between each level of palletization; andthe peripheral strapping of the load is carried out by a microcreped stretchable paper tape.

Abstract: An apparatus for supplying flat, disc-like articles, such as pharmaceutical compacts and similarly configured technical small parts, in particular tablets (1), and for sealing the articles in hot-sealing sheet (5, 105) comprises a conveyor for supplying the articles and two hot-sealing rollers (30, 130), one of which is arranged on either side of a conveying path (3). A hot-sealing sheet (5, 105), is supplied from each roller so that the rollers receive the articles in seal wells (32, 132) between the hot-sealing sheets and seal the articles between the sheets. A finger roller (10) for positioning the articles is arranged on the conveying path (3) in front of the hot-sealing rollers (30, 130). Between the finger roller (10) and the hot-sealing rollers (30, 130) on both sides of the conveying path (3) there is a respective polygonal roller (20, 120) for geometrical constrained guiding and separating of the articles.

Abstract: A compost bagging machine is described including a wheeled frame having a tunnel mounted thereon which is adapted to receive the opened mouth of a bag. The inside surface of the tunnel is provided with a plurality of spaced apart flutes which create air channels in the material within the bag. An elongated perforated pipe is also positioned within the material in the bag and the bagging machine moves relative to the bag during the bagging operation. The presence of air in the channels created by the flutes and the air present in the perforated pipe ensures that sufficient air will be present in the mass to achieve complete decomposition of the material.

Abstract: A method of unitizing a cargo of multiple substantially identical high density hay bales into multiple non-palletized units capable of being handled by a forklift truck or the like and fitted into shipping containers and utility vehicle cargo spaces comprises the steps of selecting a plurality of substantially identical high density bales of hay, arranging the plurality of bales of hay into selected size stacks of at least one layer of multiple horizontal rows, and wrapping multiple layers of an elongated continuous sheet of pre-stretched polymeric film having a memory horizontally around the plurality of bales of hay.

Abstract: A packaging apparatus for packaging rolled articles. The apparatus forms a pair of packaging materials for wrapping side portions of the rolled article. Edges of the pair of packaging materials are adhered to additional packaging material which wraps a circumferential portion of the rolled article. A splicer splices a trailing end of the second packaging material to a leading end of the rolled article and a winder winds the leading end of the rolled article and the second packaging material around the periphery of the rolled article. A gusseting device gussets the pair of packaging materials along the sides of the rolled article.

Abstract: Apparatus suitable for disposition in supermarkets and the like for dispensing, in open condition, plastic or otherwise flexible bags for receiving therein articles purchased on site. The apparatus includes a reel formed of a continuous web of bags serially attached together in end-to-end relation, and a device for unwinding the continuous web from the reel and for advancing the web so as to transport the leading bag to a bag opening and retaining device. At the opening device, the leading bag is detached from the continuous web, a pair of relatively movable grippers grasps the opposite faces of and opens the bag, and the opened bag is supported by a vertically-movable loading platform as articles are introduced into the bag through a hopper located immediately above the platform-supported open bag.

Abstract: In the enclosure inserting apparatus comprising structure for conveying an envelope along a flap unfolding path to an enclosure inserting location, structure for unfolding the flap of the envelope as the envelope is conveyed along the flap unfolding path to the enclosure inserting location, structure for holding the flap-unfolded envelope open at the enclosure inserting location, and structure for moving an enclosure along an enclosure feed path to the held-open envelope and inserting the enclosure into the held-open envelope, wherein the flap unfolding structure comprises structure for engaging the flap of an envelope moved therepast, and the flap unfolding path includes a gap having a width determined by a distance between the envelope conveying structure and the engaging structure, the improvement comprises a flapper blade adjustably mounted to the engaging structure for adjusting the width of the gap.

Abstract: In machine, optionally an attachment for a packing machine, for packing bales of straw fodder of a "rectangular" form, plastic sheeting is deposited in layers or overlapping around the straw fodder bale. The packing machine has two drive rollers which rotate the bale around a substantially horizontal axis. Each drive roller is connected operationally to two auxiliary rollers, both of which are able to engage with the fodder bale. The three rollers are mounted in a roller unit in such a way that each roller is in a predetermined spaced relationship to the others. The roller units are mounted on the center axis of the drive roller so as to be revolvable, and two such spaced apart roller units when in operation are able to turn a rectangular bale of straw fodder through 360.degree. around the horizontal axis.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to a process and a device for packing pressed bales with a film and by strapping, wherein the pressed bale is maintained under pressure between pressure rams while the packing is applied. The packing device 1 has an enveloping device 5 and a strapping device 6, which are arranged on separately movable transport carriages 8, 9. The packing film is pulled off from a single film roll 10 on the other transport carriage 9 by means of a movable film arm 5 located on one of the transport carriage 8, and is placed in a U-shaped pattern as a belly bandage around the pressed bale 2. After cutting off from the roll 10, the film ends are then placed loosely over each other with an overlap by means of a second gripping arm 20, and fixed by strap hoops.

Abstract: A stretch wrapping machine includes a web dispenser and a rotatable support for providing relative rotation between the web dispenser and load to wrap a web of packaging material around the load. Cooperating engagement members are selectively and positively engageable with each other throughout the rotation of the rotatable support for stopping the rotation of the rotatable support when the engagement members are positively engaged and for permitting rotation of the rotatable support when the engagement members are disengaged. One of the engagement members is mounted on a rotatable support and the other is mounted on a fixed support. An actuator selectively engages engagement members. One engagement member preferably includes at least two stop units spaced at a distance less than the distance between the engageable formations of the other engagement member.

Abstract: Agricultural Bagging Machine including a vertically disposed chain feeder positioned above the rotor thereof to move silage downwardly into contact with the rotor. The chain feeder comprises a pair of chain feeder conveyors positioned in a side-by-side relationship.

Abstract: A machine for and a step by step method of forming packages or containers from blanks, heat sealing the sides of the packages and depositing the packages in fixtures, retaining the packages in fixtures during dosing of the packages with product, heat sealing the tops of the packages and ejecting the packages from the fixtures. The sides of a newly formed package are heat sealed through apertures in the forming die before the package is placed in the fixture. Once placed in the fixture at the forming station, the package remains in the fixture during the filling or dosing of product at the filling station and as indexed into the top sealing station. At the top sealing station the filled package is partially elevated from the fixture to expose the entire top of the package for heat sealing.

Abstract: A method and device for simultaneously closing a first and adjacent second box having respective lateral openings, each closed by a pair of lateral tabs, which are folded one on top of the other by a first and second folding device on either side of the two boxes; the tabs being arranged, prior to folding, facing and parallel to one another, so as to define two inner tabs and two outer tabs; and each folding device moving along a respective path for folding the outer tab of the adjacent box and the inner tab of the other box.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved air extraction apparatus for continuous package making. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved air extraction apparatus that continuously packages a continuous succession of objects in a continuous length of heat-sealable packaging film. The apparatus extracts air from the packaging film that has been folded in a manner so that margins along opposite longitudinal edges of the film form a seam with two overlapping flaps for heat sealing, wherein just ahead of a heat sealing station, the improved apparatus of the invention extracts air from between the film flaps.

Abstract: A wire winding and tying machine useful in the winding of steel wire strands or the like includes a tie stock dispenser that delivers a pre cut length of tie stock to a platform. A hanking unit picks up the tie stock and delivers it to a position above pre wound strands. The hanking unit includes rockable arms that press the tie stock ends about the wound strands to a position to engage a twister that winds the tie stock about the strands.

Abstract: A method is provided for the two-stage pressurizing of a product in which a propellant gas may be immediately generated for use as a high-pressure propellant after the sealing of the container. A first reactant and the flowable or sprayable product which is desired to be dispensed is placed into the container until the container is substantially full. The container is then sealed. A second reactant, which may be dissolved in a further amount of product, is introduced in liquid form into the sealed container through a dispensing valve, another valve, or a sealable plug. The first and second reactants react to generate the propellant, which is then contained or dissolved with the product in the container until needed. As product is expelled, the propellant evolves out of the product to exert expulsive pressure. Thus, the invention involves the process of charging during the filling of product and allows the product to be dispensed promptly and continuously thereafter.

Abstract: A band application machine for transferring to containers heat-shrinkable bands. The band application machine includes a band feed system for feeding band supply material to a cutting system which cuts a band from the band supply. A transfer system transfers cut bands to containers conveyed past a banding point, and includes a band gripping mechanism and a plunger. Band gripping mechanism includes opposed suction cups that are movably mounted for gripping and positioning a cut band. The suction cups are laterally movable from a position where a closed band is gripped on opposing sides by the suction cups to a position where the band is open and aligned with the stroke of the plunger. The plunger is positioned over the opened band at an angle with respect to the band. The plunger presses and drives the band onto a container as the gripper apparatus releases the open band.

Abstract: Apparatus for encapsulating spring units (38-40) is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a device (13) for inserting a spring unit between a pair of webs (16), a device (26) for tightening or tensioning the webs about the spring unit, and a securing device for securing the webs together in close proximity to the compressed spring unit to encapsulate same. A method for encapsulating spring units is also disclosed.