Abstract: Adjustable tables for use in packaging forming systems and related methods are provided. An adjustable table for use in a packaging forming system can include outer side panels and moveable inner side panels moveably connected to the outer side panels with the outer side panels held stationary relative to the moveable inner side panels. The adjustable table can also include a table top secured to the moveable inner side panels. The table top and the inner side panels are configured to move upwardly or downwardly relative to the outer side panels.

Abstract: Systems and processes for packing complementary articles of footwear into a container are disclosed. The processes can include utilizing a reusable packing sheet positioned underneath complementary articles of footwear to transfer the complementary articles of footwear into a container. The processes can also include removing the reusable packing sheet from underneath the complementary articles of footwear while the complementary articles of footwear remain positioned in the container. Additional processes can include aligning and sizing complementary articles of footwear for packing in a container.

Abstract: Adjustable tables for use in a packaging forming system and related methods are provided. An adjustable table for use in a packaging forming system can include outer side panels and moveable inner side panels moveably connected to the outer side panels with the outer side panels held stationary relative to the moveable inner side panels. The adjustable table can also include a table top secured to the moveable inner side panels. The table top and the inner side panels are configured to move upwardly or downwardly relative to the outer side panels.

Abstract: The invention is a packaging machine using heat sealable film, of the type suitable for packaging the product (P) with a heat sealable film or net (S), through the use of heat sealing rollers that make the longitudinal edge of the wrap, of cut-and-sew blades that make the two transverse edges of said wrap and of a forming tunnel that shapes said film unwound from a reel. This machine is characterized in that the above-mentioned devices and their operating accessories are all applied to and supported by a single structure, in such a way as to form a working unit in a single piece which is connected with the pin to a support, integral with a fixed base and capable of rotating angularly on a vertical plane.

Abstract: For the purpose of wrapping articles, in particular groups (19) of packs, in a blank (10), use is made of a folding turret (21) having a single pocket (23) passing through its diameter. Lateral boundaries of the pocket (23) comprise belts (30, 31) which, upon introduction of a group (19) of packs with blank (10), can be moved in the pushing-in direction and which butt in a friction-free manner against legs (27, 28) of the blank (10), which is folded in a U-shaped manner. A block-form stop component (37) can be moved within the pocket (23) from one end position to the other.

Abstract: A process for covering a rigid, penetrable core article with covering material and automatically tucking the material into a surface of the article with an automatically reciprocating plunger.

Abstract: A covering machine for applying a covering sheet on packing boxes, includes a covering cavity for receiving a box joined to a respective covering sheet, and presser elements which can be associated with the box and are able to move between a first, active position in which they apply the respective sheet to the box and a second, extracted position away from the box.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for automatically covering an article with covering material and automatically tucking the material into a surface of the article.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for wrapping a napkin around one or more utensils, wherein the utensils each have first end and a second ends defining a longitudinal axis. The utensil wrapping apparatus includes a utensil manipulator for placing the a utensil adjacent a surface of the napkin. First and second utensil engaging devices are provided for releasably engaging the first and second ends of the utensil and the portions of said napkin respectively adjacent the first and second ends of said utensil, such that said napkin and said utensil are held in a fixed relative position. A napkin guide for wrapping the napkin around the utensil, wherein the napkin guide is manipulable to orbit the longitudinal axis such that the napkin guide contacts the napkin and thereby wraps the napkin around said utensil.

Abstract: Grouped individual packages of prepackaged foodstuffs like butter, margarine, cheese and the like are packed in boxes by disposing a box blank at a receiving station aligned with a chamber and a turntable and mounting the layers of individual packages upon grouping on the blank. A hold-down and folding unit then displaces the layers and the blank into the chamber through a folding frame. The turntable and the folding frame can be displaced stepwise to accommodate two or more layers.

Abstract: Grouped individual packages of prepackaged foodstuffs like butter, margarine, cheese and the like are packed in boxes by disposing a box blank at a receiving station aligned with a chamber and a turntable and mounting the layers of individual packages upon grouping on the blank. A hold-down and folding unit then displaces the layers and the blank into the chamber through a folding frame. The turntable and the folding frame can be displaced stepwise to accommodate two or more layers.

Abstract: A weighing-packaging-pricing apparatus has a roll supporting device to rotatably support a film roll, a film transporting device to pull a stretch film from this film roll and to transport a stretched film sheet to a packaging station, a weighing device for weighing and measuring the dimensions of an object on a tray to be packed while it travels to a lifter which lifts the object to the packaging station and pushes it against the stretched film sheet, and a folding device for folding edge sections of the film sheet to form a package. The folding device includes transversely moving plates for folding side edge sections of the film sheet, and the motion of these plates is controlled according to the size of the tray to be packaged.

Abstract: An elevator-type package wrapping machine which determines as by premeasurement the length of packages fed at a first level thereto, comprises a film gripper for initially drawing a fixed length of stretch film horizontally from a supply roll to a fixed stop position in the machine. While the film is held by the film gripper, a package which has one edge thereof at a predetermined distance from the fixed stop position is elevated to a second level above the level of the gripper into the film such that the package draws a first addition to the length of film drawn by the gripper, according to the height of the package. A vertically-moving horizontal bar is moved into contact with the film remote from the fixed stop position to pull a second additional length of film from the film source in accordance with the measured package length, if required.

Abstract: A wrapping machine of the present invention comprises a wrapping portion for wrapping a material, a film feeder for feeding a wrapping material (film) to the wrapping portion from a film roller, a material feeder for feeding the material to the wrapping portion, a film folding device for wrapping the material with the film at the wrapping portion, and a material transfer device for transferring the wrapped material. When a material is placed on a conveyer of the material feeder, the material abuts on a stopper to temporarily stop, and then is transferred to a lift of the material feeder. The width and length of the material are detected during the transfer. The lift then moves upward to supply the material to the wrapping portion. The film drawn from the film roller by the film feeder is supplied to the wrapping portion where the material abuts on the film from below so that the upper portion of the material is covered with the film. The film is then folded under the material by the film folding device.

Abstract: There is disclosed an improved form of ejection and transport mechanism in a tray wrapping machine with an elevator that elevates a tray of meat or other product causing it to be wrapped on top and sides by a sheet of stretchable PVC film from a storage roll after which arms fold the edges of the film underneath the tray; the mechanism includes a pusher bar which pushes the fully wrapped tray off of the side of the tray elevating platform while the tray is constrained by a freely rotating endless hold-down belt serving to restrain and guide the tray; the tray is received from the pusher bar action onto a powered roller conveyor with rolls arranged radially along an arc of 90.degree.; the motion of the finished tray upon exiting the roller conveyor is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tray wrapping machine defined by the direction of travel of the PVC film from the storage roll to the elevator position.

Abstract: An automatic bag system for supermarket check-out counters is disclosed. An open top loading compartment is provided adjacent to the check-out clerk and a roll of plastic material is mounted to feed sheet plastic over the open top of the loading compartment. The loading compartment is provided with transversely opposed vertical slots and guide rollers rotatively secured at the top of the slots. Upon loading purchased items into the loading compartment above the plastic material, the plastic material will be urged interiorly of the loading compartment and will assume the shape of the compartment interior configuration. The guide rollers and the vertical slots cooperate to form left and right vertical seams in the plastic material as the compartment is loaded. The left and right seams are heat sealed upon completion of the loading operations to form a finished plastic package with the purchased items contained therewithin.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a machine for wrapping filled trays in thermoplastic film, said machine having a film folding device in which the side folding arms and back folding bar move along linear paths in synchronized motion so that the points of coincidence between the back folding bar and the side folding arms define a curve which approximates a diagonal to the tray being wrapped. This film folding device provides uniquely smooth folds on the bottom of a tray which can be readily heat sealed to produce a relatively leakproof package.

Abstract: A wrapping machine comprises: front and rear folding members movable relative to each other in the longitudinal direction of the machine; a pair of lateral folding members respectively positioned at both lateral sides of the rear folding member, the lateral folding members being opened and closed with respect to each other in response to the longitudinal movement of the rear folding member; a folding area defined between the front and rear folding members and the pair of lateral folding members, in which folding area the edge portions of a piece of wrapping film are gathered together tightly underneath an object to be wrapped; and a pair of mounting members positioned above the pair of lateral folding members, respectively, and entering the space underneath the object so as to mount the same thereon before all of the folding members enter the space underneath the object so as to fold the piece of wrapping film.

Abstract: A food wrapping apparatus (10) includes a conveyor (12) for passing unwrapped food product (24) to an elevator platform (14). The elevator platform (14) has a plurality of tucking fingers (16) disposed thereon to provide a yieldable platform. When the food product (24) is disposed on the top of the tucking fingers (16), the elevator platform (14) raises the food product (24) upwards into a layer of wrapping material (18). Tucking arms (36) and (38) are operable to pass under the food product (24) disposed on the top of the tucking fingers (16) and pull the wrapping material (18) therearound. The tucking fingers (16) rotate on longitudinal rods (28) to allow the tucking arms (36) and (38) to pass thereover without disturbing the food product (24). Each of the tucking fingers (16) has a tapered leading end (66) and a tapered trailing end (64). The tapered leading end (66) is designed to mesh with the tapered trailing end (64) of an adjacent one of the fingers (16).

Abstract: Large, paper mill reels of product are protectively wrapped for shipment by capping the reel ends with a header sheet of larger area than that reel end face circle to pleat a flange portion of the header sheet onto the cylindrical surface of reel with a resilient planar element having a freely suspended, circumferentially expansible aperture drawn coaxially over the header sheet and reel to wipe the header sheet flange onto the reel cylindrical surface.

Abstract: The disclosure concerns an apparatus and method for wrapping products in stretch film by placing each product on a product support table having collapsible fingers. A pivotable frame is loaded with successive lengths of stretch film and pivoted down over each product placed on the support table. Tucking blades mounted on the frame tuck the side edges of the film under the product, while infeed and outfeed rollers tuck the front and back edges under the product. Pusher means then advance the product onto the outfeed conveyor to complete the front tuck and seal the film beneath the product.

Abstract: A cigarette pack 10 is pushed against a transversely held blank 11 of cellophane or polyethylene whereby the blank forms a U-shaped wrapping around the pack with outwardly extending end flaps 12, 13, 14 and side flaps 15, 16, and is thereafter inserted into a radial pocket 19 of an indexing turret 20. When the bottom side flap 16 is folded against the side of the pack by finger 23, it is held in position by its end flaps 14 engaging the end faces 27, 28 of folding cams 25, 26 through which vacuum pressure is applied. The suction is maintained until the top side flap 15 is subsequently folded over the pack by a guide member 24 and sealed to the flap 16 along a joint 17. The cams also serve to fold the flaps 12 against the ends of the pack as it is being inserted into the pocket.

Abstract: A product wrapping and discharge apparatus for receiving and wrapping a product such as an ice cream sandwich delivered by a machine of the type which includes a conveyor for carrying the ice cream sandwich to a wrapping station where a wrapper is disposed above the sandwich; an elevator which moves the sandwich upwardly through a wrapping mechanism which folds the wrapper downwardly over the front and rear sides and ends of the sandwich; a pair of end fold tuckers operative to provide end folds; a rear fold paddle operative to provide a rear fold; and a pusher operative to move the sandwich off the elevator and at the same time provide a front fold. The various actuating arms and linkages for the end fold tuckers, rear fold paddle and pusher are mounted just above the wrapping mechanism, thereby minimizing the number and length of actuating arms and linkages required, and consequently achieving a relatively high sandwich wrapping rate.

Abstract: A wrapping machine for wrapping articles in stretchable material utilizes a lifting platform to lift articles into a sheet of the material. While holding the edges of the sheet, the wrapping operation takes place to stretch the sheet around the article and fold the edges under the article. During the wrapping operation, the article is held in place by arms gripping the sides of the article and, after wrapping, the article is discharged by movement of the article gripper. In addition the lifting platform is of special three part construction for maximum support to the article during wrapping, and the sheets are fed from a roll of material resting on a driven roller.

Abstract: An apparatus for wrapping goods in a sheet of a stretchable film material comprises a resiliently deformable pad above a wrapping station, a gripping device for holding fast edge portions of the sheet so that the sheet extends horizontally beneath the pad, a mechanism for upwardly stretching a central portion of the sheet to form a bubble until the top of the bubble reaches the pad, a mechanism for lifting goods to be wrapped into the bubble until the top of the goods is urged against the inner surface of the top of the bubble and two pairs of tucking plates disposed to form a rectangle around the lower part of the bubble and movable inwardly to tuck the marginal portions of the bubbled sheet against the bottom of the goods. The goods are not brought into frictional engagement with the sheet during the stretching whereby the sheet is stretched uniformly throughout the bubbled central portion thereof.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for automatically packing goods which are fed continuously in series spaced a predetermined distance from each other by means of a continuously fed strip of a stretch film having self-adhering and resiliently stretchable natures. The strip is fed by conveyor clamping opposite sides edges of the strip along the direction of feeding of the goods from above the same obliquely downwardly to intersect the path of feeding of the goods so that the upper side and lateral sides of the respective goods are wrapped by the strip as the strip is being fed. After the upper and lateral sides of the respective goods are wrapped by the strip, the opposite longitudinal side edges are introduced into converging guide slots so that they are folded back upon the bottom side of the respective goods where they are joined adhered with each other to form a cylindrically shaped strip onto the bottom side of which the joined longitudinal edges are adhered.