Abstract: This invention concerns an infusion bag, especially for tea, which has a top part with folded down corners and a middle part folded over it, to which a string with two free ends is attached that goes from one side of the top part through a hole in the folded down parts forming a loop on the other side of the top part and comes back, whereby the two free ends are drawn up through the loop laid over the top edge of the infusion bag and pulled to form a knot. The solution in the invention is characterized by the fact that two holes are made in the top part at a lateral distance next to one another, on the left and right of the longitudinal axis of the bag; each hole goes through a folded down corner and the middle of the top part; by the fact that the string forms a loop and one end goes through one hole and the other end through the second hole; by the fact that the loop is laid over the top edge of the infusion bag, and both ends of the string go up through the loop to form a double knot.

Abstract: A card package production system (100) for producing card packages (115) composed of cards (128) attached to carriers (113) has an adhesive label attachment station (358, FIG. 34) with a heating platen (361) having a width for heating at least two labels (148) simultaneously that are passed over the platen (361) and a labeler downstream from the heating platen (361) with a pressing member (372) for pressing the heated adhesive label (128) against a card (128) at an attachment position. The heating platen (361) heats only an intermediate section of the adhesive to activate the adhesive and leaves end portions of the label relatively unheated and unactivated to facilitate subsequent removal of the label (148) from the card (128).

Abstract: A tabber apparatus includes a frame, a friction drive roller rotatably and operatively connected to the frame, and a take-up spool rotatably and operatively connected to the frame and operatively connected to the friction drive roller to allow backing paper which is wrapped about a portion of the friction drive roller to be taken up into the take-up spool. The tabber further includes a slick tab drive roller to provide proper placement of the tab on the media, a tab brake including a roller positionable between a first and second position to rotate a tab reel spindle, and a tab and media sensor operatively connected to a microcontroller to activate and deactivate a tab dispensing motor. Moreover, the tabber apparatus further includes removable upper shafts which are retained by spring-loaded retaining members which fit into grooves on the shafts.

Abstract: Apparatus for automatically attaching tags to articles employs a simplified tag feed mechanism in the form of a pivotally mounted spring-loaded tag feed plate. The plate receives the printed tag from the tag dispenser. The plate, with its tag, and the article to be tagged, are moved together, either manually or by action of a pneumatic cylinder, toward an attaching device such that the needle penetrates the article and the tag at the same time. The attacher is actuated to dispense a fastener through the needle. The spring-loading of the plate then urges the plate away from the needle, allowing the article with its anchored tag to be removed, once the plate clears the needle. The tag dispenser is then actuated to dispense the next printed tag.

Abstract: Apparatus for automatically attaching tags to articles employs a simplified tag feed mechanism in the form of a pivotally mounted spring-loaded tag feed plate. The plate receives the printed tag from the tag dispenser. The plate, with its tag, and the article to be tagged, are moved together, either manually or by action of a pneumatic cylinder, toward an attaching device such that the needle penetrates the article and the tag at the same time. The attacher is actuated to dispense a fastener through the needle. The spring-loading of the plate then urges the plate away from the needle, allowing the article with its anchored tag to be removed, once the plate clears the needle. The tag dispenser is then actuated to dispense the next printed tag.

Abstract: A machine which makes filter bags from flat tubular envelopes for products to be infused includes a thread applying station having a first drum rotating in a defined direction and a plurality of seats to position and pick up of seals, continuous thread and pick-up tabs fed from feed units located downstream of one another relative to the rotation direction of the first drum. The seal and pick-up tab feed units are supplied with continuous webs fed towards relative cutting elements, which cut the webs into individual seals and individual pick-up tabs. Two feed units each include a corresponding transfer element operating between a corresponding cutting element and the first drum and pick up individual seals and pick-up tabs in a first zone at the cutting elements and transfer them to a second zone separated from the first zone by a given angle and at a seat on the drum.

Abstract: A tabber apparatus includes a frame, a friction drive roller rotatably and operatively connected to the frame, and a take-up spool rotatably and operatively connected to the frame and operatively connected to the friction drive roller to allow backing paper which is wrapped about a portion of the friction drive roller to be taken up into the take-up spool. The tabber further includes a slick tab drive roller to provide proper placement of the tab on the media, a tab brake including a roller positionable between a first and second position to rotate a tab reel spindle, and a tab and media sensor operatively connected to a microcontroller to activate and deactivate a tab dispensing motor. Moreover, the tabber apparatus further includes removable upper shafts which are retained by spring-loaded retaining members which fit into grooves on the shafts.

Abstract: Tags are removed from a hopper one at a time and transported by a moveable carriage, carrying a rotatable vacuum arm with a suction cup, onto a tag support platform. The arm moves the tag through an arcuate path section to a plane parallel to the plane of the support platform and then through a linear path section into alignment with the support platform. The tag is clamped to the top surface of the tag support platform. The article to be tagged is placed between the undersurface of the tag support platform and an anvil. The anvil moves up to hold the article against the underside of the tag support platform. The fastener dispensing device is moved toward the tag support platform such that the needle passes through an opening in the tag and penetrates the article. The fastener is ejected to attach the tag to the article. The hopper is independently position adjustable horizontally and vertically. A laser facilitates positioning of the hopper.

Abstract: An apparatus for attaching a tag and a thread length to a web of filter material with one end of the thread length secured to the tag and the other end being secured to the web adjacent one side edge of the web and the tag being attached to the web adjacent the opposite side edge. The apparatus has a gripper for drawing the tag, with the thread secured thereto, across the web from that one edge to an extended position beyond the opposite side edge before returning the tag to a final extended position over the web. The apparatus also has a mechanism for attaching the tag to the web in the final position, a displacement mechanism for the gripper means that has a first linear guide on which the gripper is slidable, and a second inner guide that is transverse to the first guide and fixedly located in the apparatus.

Abstract: An improved machine (1) for making filter bags (2) containing a product for infusion, with a pick-up tag (3) connected to the top (12) of the filter bag (2) by an intermediate thread (5), comprises a wheel (6) which rotates with a stepping motion about its own axis of rotation (16) and is equipped with grippers (7) which are brought into contact with a series of operating stations, comprising at least one station (9) for folding a tubular semi-finished product (20) containing the product for infusion, and at least one station (15) for knotting the thread (5). The machine (1) has thread (5) feed means (33, 34, 35) which operate on the thread (5) fed between consecutive pairs of the grippers (7) along the edge of the wheel (6) so as to prevent it from sliding backwards. The thread (5) knotting station (15) is equipped with needles (45) which have a first and second eye (51, 52) positioned at different distances from the point.

Abstract: A machine for making filter bags for products for infusion comprises a first wheel forming a station for winding a thread with pick-up tab around the filter bag, means for positioning and guiding the thread with pick-up tab relative to the filter bag operating along an arced path covered by the filter bag to allow the thread to be wound around the filter bag; the positioning and guiding means comprising a chute having a central channel to keep the thread with pick-up tab in a substantially stable and well-defined position relative to the filter bag traveling along the arced path.

Abstract: Apparatus for cutting a tab from a strip of material and fixing the tab to a fixing surface. The apparatus has a housing and a driving head associated with the housing which is operable to drive a penetrating fastener into a fixing surface. A strip of material is fed by a feed mechanism to a cutter such that a portion of the strip can be cut by the cutter to form a tab. The portion of the strip to form the tab is presented to a position where it can be brought into contact with the fixing surface and fixed thereto by impact delivery of the penetrating fastener. Fixing of the portion of the strip can take place prior to or in conjunction with the portion being cut from the strip by the cutter. The apparatus can include a printer to apply indicia to the strip.

Abstract: A knife assembly for punching slots on cardboard sheets to allow the subsequent forming of boxes and containers. The knife assembly is substantially a flat arc section with an outer and an inner edge. The outer edge is substantially flat to permit sharp punched edges of the slot. The arc section has two ends and adjacent to one of the ends there is a sharpened section intended to produce a slit termination on the slots punched. The slit can have any desired dimensions including the entire outer edge.

Abstract: The apparatus includes at least one support unit and at least one tag supplying unit. The tag supplying unit includes a tag hopper and a tag conveyor and is mounted for multidirectional adjustive movement upon the support unit and relative to the needle of a fastener dispenser mounted at a fixed location upon the support unit. The apparatus may include a second tag supplying unit that is similarly mounted upon the support unit and is usable in association with the first tag supplying unit when a plurality of tags are to be secured to an article. When both tag supplying units are not needed, one may be removed from the support unit and mounted upon a second support unit to provide two separate tagging stations.

Abstract: A device for attaching to an article a tag pin for use in affixing a price tag or the like thereto. This device consists of a side-slitted hollow needle provided at a front portion of an enclosure thereof, and a push rod provided at the rear side, and movable in the direction of the axis, of the hollow needle, the push rod being moved by a lever means so as to force a lateral rod of a tag pin into the hollow needle. A resilient member is provided between the push rod and the lever means adapted to drive the push rod.

Abstract: A conventional fastener attacher is vertically mounted to a support in a fixed position relative thereto in a manner which permits pneumatic actuation thereof. A carriage, which is movable along an upstanding guide mounted on the support, has mounted thereon a pneumatically actuated tag feed mechanism. When actuated, the mechanism feeds a tag from a position out of alignment with the axis of the needle of the attacher to a position in alignment with the axis of the needle. Thereafter, the carriage is moved toward the attacher, in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of the needle, to place the fed tag on the needle. In one embodiment, a second carriage, movable along a second upstanding guide, carries a hook feed mechanism which, when actuated, feeds a hook to a position spaced from, but in alignment with the needle. The article to which the tag and hook are to be attached is held between the needle and the hook.