Abstract: An induction sealing device for producing packaged pourable food products from heat-seal sheet packaging material. The sealing device has a signal source, an inductor, and an impedance matching circuit connected between the signal source and the inductor. The impedance matching circuit has: two input terminals; a first and second line connected to the input terminals; a variable-capacitance stage having capacitive modules each made up of a capacitive element and a controlled switch; and a control stage to control the controlled switches. Each controlled switch includes: input terminals receiving a respective control signal from the control stage, with one input terminal of each controlled switch connected to the second line; a single two-way controlled switching element having a control terminal connected to the other input terminal of the controlled switch; a first current-conducting terminal connected to the first line, and a second current-conducting terminal connected to the second line.

Abstract: A system is provided for filling and sealing bags and is especially useful with woven polybags formed of thermoplastic material. The system includes a plastic welder having a folding device for folding over a portion of the filled bag which is sealed by a welding tip and pinch rollers. The welding tip may be moved between welding and non-welding positions based on a bag sensor or timer. A contact prevention member prevents the welding tip from contacting and damaging a coating on a portion of the bag. The system is configured to form a substantial seam without using hot melt adhesive.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for making a foam-in-place cushion in which a foam-forming composition is dispensed between two plastic film portions in a predetermined fashion to selectively control the distribution of the foam in the cushion. A foam dispenser can be moved in a transverse direction as foam is dispensed. A dispersion device can be employed to apply pressure on predetermined areas of the film portions towards each other so as to cause the composition to be redistributed in position in a predetermined manner while the composition is in a less than fully expanded state. The plastic film can then be sealed closed to form an expanding foam cushion that can be placed into a shipping carton where the cushion expands to fill void space, or into a mold where the cushion expands and is molded into a desired shape.

Abstract: In a packaging machine, typically a cellophaner for overwrapping packets of cigarettes, each of the packets is enveloped by a wrapping unit in a heat shrinkable wrapper presenting at least two opposite faces disposed parallel one with another. The machine also comprises a unit by which heat is applied to the wrappers, equipped with a pair of belt conveyors that present two branches, facing one another and set in motion in such a way as to transport the packets by gripping the two opposite faces of each wrapper, and at least one heating head associated with each transport branch; the heating heads are faced with a leaf of lamellar graphite bonded to the head on one side and offered in direct contact on the other to the respective branch of the corresponding belt conveyor, so as to minimize friction between the belt and the head.

Abstract: A sealing jaw for producing sealed packages of a food product from a tube of packaging material includes a supporting body, and a first work surface which interacts, in use, with a second work surface on a further jaw to grip the material to be sealed and perform a sealing operation; one of the jaws defines an anvil, and the other of the jaws defines heating means; the jaw has connecting means for connecting the first surface to the supporting body; the connecting means define a curved third and a curved fourth surface made of rigid material and cooperating mutually to allow the first surface to oscillate with respect to the supporting body when gripping the packaging material prior to the sealing operation.

Abstract: Cigarette packs of the hinge-lid-box type with an outer wrapping of shrinkable film are transported through a shrinkage station (22) in two pack rows (26, 27), in each case comprising individual packs. In the region of said shrinkage station, shrinkage elements, namely heating plates (24, 25; 45, 46), subject the upper side and/or lower side of the packs (10), during a standstill phase of the same, to (contact) heat. The packs (10) are transported such that the lower side and the upper side are simultaneously or consecutively exposed for contact by the heating plates.

Abstract: A bagging conveyor quickly positions two-dimensional arrayed layers of objects inside a sealed, flexible bag prior to the layers of objects being delivered by the bagging conveyor to a palletizer. The bagging conveyor receives continuous films of packaging material from below and above the conveying surface of the bagging conveyor and positions the films of packaging material below and above the layer of objects being conveyed by the conveyor. The bagging conveyor then forms seams along the laterally opposite side edges of the packing material films at the sides of the conveyed layer of objects and forms seams laterally across the upper and lower films of packaging material in front of and behind the conveyed layer of objects, thereby quickly enclosing the conveyed layer of objects in a sealed bag as they are conveyed through the bagging conveyor.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for making a foam-in-place cushion in which a foam-forming composition is dispensed between two plastic film portions in a predetermined fashion to selectively control the distribution of the foam in the cushion. A foam dispenser can be moved in a transverse direction as foam is dispensed. A dispersion device can be employed to apply pressure on predetermined areas of the film portions towards each other so as to cause the composition to be redistributed in position in a predetermined manner while the composition is in a less than fully expanded state. The plastic film can then be sealed closed to form an expanding foam cushion that can be placed into a shipping carton where the cushion expands to fill void space, or into a mold where the cushion expands and is molded into a desired shape.

Abstract: A packaging machine utilizing side connected chains of open bags is disclosed. The machine has loading and closure sections which are moveable between operating and cleaning/service positions. A resistance heater subassembly is removeable to enable washdown.

Abstract: A heating element for a film-sealing apparatus comprises a heating wire segment formed of a first metal having a first reflectance to laser radiation of a predetermined wavelength. The heating element further comprises a first conductor lead comprising a wire having one end joined to a first end of the heating wire segment, and a second conductor lead comprising a wire having one end joined to a second end of the heating wire segment. The first and second conductor leads have a lower electrical resistance than the heating wire segment, and are formed of a second metal having a second reflectance to laser radiation of the predetermined wavelength, the second reflectance being higher than the first reflectance. Each of the first and second conductor leads is lap-welded to the respective end of the heating wire segment using laser radiation of the predetermined wavelength.

Abstract: A side sealing apparatus for a shrink packaging machine comprising closed loop temperature control of a heater for maintaining an optimum temperature for cutting and sealing two layers of thermoplastic film. The heater comprises a cable or cartridge heater with an internal thermocouple, and it is connected to an automatic temperature controller. The heater is mounted on the side sealer apparatus between two sets of top and bottom V-belts mounted around drive rolls and idler rolls. The V-belts provide nip pressure against the film in order to drive the film. Nip pressure is generated by nip rolls on the scrap side of the film, and by belt support plates on the package side of the film.

Abstract: A foam-in-bag assembly with a film feed mechanism which feeds film with a film driver and a bag forming assembly which includes an edge sealer that contacts film being fed by the film driver and which is supported on a moving member of the film feed mechanism and retains a fixed position relative to the moving member while in sealing engagement with the film being fed by the film driver. The edge seal assembly is preferably for use with a nip roller set and has a bearing through which a driving shaft of the nip roller extends and an edge wire is received on an edge wire support of the edge sealer. The support for the edge wire retains a fixed edge seal position while the driving member rotates within the sleeve.

Abstract: A packaging machine has a wrapping device for forming a tubular wrapping from a continuous web of heat-seal material, and for feeding products successively into the tubular wrapping; each product being located between two free tubular portions of the tubular wrapping, which are folded substantially onto the relative products, and are stabilized by at least one pair of sealing devices, each of which has a sealing surface heated electrically by a heating device, operation of which is controlled by a control device carried by the sealing device and for determining an actual temperature of the sealing surface.

Abstract: An automatic high speed packaging machine for wrapping packages in polymer film is disclosed wherein the film seal at the sides and ends of the packages is made at a high rate of speed as the packages travel through the machine. The packages travel continuously in a straight line through the machine. The packages are delivered at the input end of the machine by an in-feed conveyor into a film inverting head where the packages are surrounded by longitudinally half-folded polymer film. Thereafter, the packages are transported to a side sealing mechanism which forms a longitudinal seal in the film on the side opposite the fold. Finally, the packages are transported to a traveling end seal mechanism where a lateral seal is formed at each end of the package and the film web connecting succeeding packages is severed. The machine produces packages which have a sealed film wrap around the entire package.

Abstract: A packaging machine has a wrapping device for forming a tubular wrapping from a continuous web of heat-seal material, and for feeding products successively into the tubular wrapping; each product being located between two free tubular portions of the tubular wrapping, which are folded substantially onto the relative products, and are stabilized by means of at least two pairs of sealing devices fed along relative paths with independent laws of motion.

Abstract: Capsules, for example for the delivery of pharmaceuticals, are produced from two films (18) of a water-soluble polymeric material, by deforming the films to form a multiplicity of recesses, and filling the recesses with a flowable filling material. This is performed using two adjacent rotary dies (14, 15), with recesses (16) into which the films (18) are deformed. The dies (14, 15) also act as electrodes for welding the films together by dielectric welding to form filled capsules (30). The capsules (30) can readily be separated from the resulting web. The polymeric material may be gelatin, or a water-soluble cellulose derivative such as hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, and may also contain a plasticizer.

Abstract: An apparatus for filling foil bags which are open on one side, wherein the foil bags are individually conveyed to a filling station. The foil bags are conveyed into the filling station in an inclined position with the stepped filling opening facing upwardly. A device for opening the stepped filling opening by blowing air is provided at the stepped filling opening.

Abstract: A tube film grip-pressing time by a pair of seal bars is controlled to set longer. A crank mechanism allows a seal bar frame supported by a pair of rails to reciprocate along the rails. The crank mechanism includes an arm which supports one end support shaft and is capable of swinging, and a circular crank plate which is rotated by power of a center shaft. The crank mechanism is fixed to a crankshaft which rotatably supports a groove-like slide which is engaged with a slide guide formed along a longitudinal direction of a lower surface of the arm on an eccentric portion of the crank plate. A top dead center and a bottom dead center of the arm are formed respectively &thgr;1 and &thgr;2 beyond a 180° region connected across a center shaft that, is a. A servo motor which drives the center shaft controls speed in the point 55 to point 56 region having a radius of 180° to make the speed constant, and cause the frame to advance along rails and then move backward at a high speed.

Abstract: A method for hermetically sealing a bulk article wherein a strip of wrapping material is initially positioned onto an article such that extending ends of the wrapping material strip extend from away from an edge of the article, each end having a different length. The article is rotated to cause the ends of the strip to cover an uncovered side of the article with a fin-like section extending therefrom away from the article which can be sealed without contacting the article. The fin-like section is cooled and folded onto the top of the article so as to form an axial seam. Lateral ends of the wrapping material strip are then sealed to complete the hermetic sealing process.

Abstract: A packaging machine for packaging an article having a lateral side along which a sealing line is formed by heat sealing operation is disclosed. The packaging machine includes a machine frame having transversely-extending rails on which a conveyor for carrying the article and a package film for packaging the article is movably supported whereby the conveyor and thus the article and the package film are transversely position-adjustable. A side sealing device includes a film forwarding device for synchronously moving the package film with the article in a longitudinal direction. A position-adjusting device comprises a support structure attached to the conveyor to be transversely position-adjustable. A movable chassis is movably coupled to the support structure by means of a screw rod whereby rotation of the screw rod moves the chassis with respect to the support structure in a vertical direction.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for grasping and advancing adjacent layers of thermoplastic film through the side sealing mechanism of a packaging machine includes a plurality of belts which travel about two sets of cooperating pulleys. Each pulley has two circumferential belt grooves defined within it, each belt groove being functionally adapted to allow the travel of a belt along it. A first line of travel is defined along a path which is parallel with the line of travel for articles moving along the wrapping machine. The second line of travel diverges away at a slight angle. The belts are truncated V-belts, the “truncated V” portion of the belts being disposed outwardly of the pulleys. Each set of pulleys is offset such that the belts cooperate in tooth-meshing fashion. A tail pulley of each set is mounted in an offset cam fashion and is spring loaded to apply tension to the belts. Disposed between the belt paths is a hot wire assembly having a similarly longitudinally diverging hot wire.

Abstract: A packaging apparatus for forming a film about a foldable sheet material and an article immobilized on the base portion of the sheet material. The sheet material and article on a load board are moved sequentially by the apparatus through a load station, a film wrap station and a film seal and cut station.

Abstract: A lateral sealing mechanism for use in a bag-making and packaging machine includes movable rotary shafts. The movable rotary shafts are driven by a lateral drive mechanism so that the distance between the shafts is controllable. Support mechanisms are mounted on and rotatable about the shafts. The support mechanisms support sealing elements for forming lateral heat seals on a tubular packaging material from which the bags are formed. The support mechanisms are such that the sealing elements are tiltable with respect to the tubular packaging material, and so that two sealing elements can be maintained in directly opposed engagement to one another across the packaging material as the seal is formed. The machine includes a squeezing mechanism that operates to force the packaged material downward within the tubular material and out of a sealing region before the seal is formed.

Abstract: An integrated and compact bag filling machine comprising a material dispensing spout, a slip tube suspended in substantially vertical alignment with the spout, and a bag sealing apparatus comprising a pair of opposable forming bars and a pair of independently actuable and opposable sealing bars is herein disclosed. The bag filling machine is capable of bottom filling and sealing both paper and plastic bags having gusseted or flat sides with little or no modification.

Abstract: A side sealing apparatus for a shrink packaging machine comprising closed loop temperature control of a heater for maintaining an optimum temperature for cutting and sealing two layers of thermoplastic film. The heater comprises a cable or cartridge heater with an internal thermocouple, and it is connected to an automatic temperature controller. The heater is mounted on the side sealer apparatus between two sets of top and bottom V-belts mounted around drive rolls and idler rolls. The V-belts provide nip pressure against the film in order to drive the film. Nip pressure is generated by nip rolls on the scrap side of the film, and by belt support plates on the package side of the film.