Abstract: An intermittently cycled packaging machine for erecting, filling, closing and sealing cartons with hot meal adhesive. A reciprocation carton transfer mechanism is cycled in response to filling of a carton at the filling station and is operative to advance cartons in step fashion from a carton erecting station past a lower carton closing station, the filling station and an upper carton closing station with the last flap to be folded at the lead side of the carton, and the adhesive applying nozzles and the lead flap folding apparatus are located in relation to each other and to the stroke of the transfer mechanism such that adhesive is applied to the end flaps on the carton and the lead flap is infolded as the carton is advanced in a continuous forward step. Lead flap guides are provided for deflecting the lead end flap forwardly of the lead panel during erecting of the carton.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for making bag-type packages from strip web material in which a lead end portion of strip web material is formed around a forward end portion of a mandrel and the sleeve is advanced with the mandrel during at least a portion of the forward stroke of the mandrel. A sleeve opening device on the lead end of the mandrel is extended through the end of the sleeve to open the sleeve and the mandrel is retracted and transversely sealed and severed at a location inwardly of its open end to form a bag. A turret is provided for gripping the open end of the bag at a bag loading station and transferring the bag with its open end up sequentially to a bag filling station and to a top closing and sealing station.

Abstract: An apparatus for feeding web material from a supply roll to processing equipment of the type that exerts an intermittent pulley force on the web during intermittent advance through the processing equipment. The web feed apparatus includes a brake for controlling unwinding rotation of the web supply roll which is operated under the control of a dancer to decrease the braking action when the web is fed at a rate faster than the rate at which it unwinds from the supply roll. The web feed apparatus also includes web feed rollers arranged to drive both sides of a folded web while both sides of the web are under the same tension.

Abstract: A filling machine for filling containers as they are advanced by a conveyor. Valved dispenser assemblies are moved in an upright closed loop course above the conveyor and move in the direction of advance of the conveyor during the lower half of the closed loop course and in the opposite direction during the upper half of the closed loop course. Fluid pressure operated valve actuators are provided for operating the valves on the dispensers between their open and closed positions and control mechanism is provided to control application of fluid pressure to the valve actuators in timed relation to the movement of the dispenser assemblies in their closed loop course. Provision is also made for no container-no fill operation.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for filling open-top containers with a flowable semi-solid material in which the material is discharged in substantially continuous fashion to a downwardly opening nozzle. An empty container is elevated into partial telescoping relative with the nozzle and moves downwardly as it is filled. The filled container is moved crosswise of the nozzle and the vertical position of the container relative to the nozzle is controlled during movement crosswise of the nozzle to initially maintain the upper edge of the filled container below the lowre edge of the nozzle at its discharge side to shear off material at a level above the top of the container and to thereafter move the filled container upwardly sufficient to cause the trailing upper edge of the filled container to substantially wipe across the lower edge of the nozzle at the discharge side thereof.

Abstract: An apparatus for dispensing material into containers as they are advanced by a conveyor. The dispensing apparatus includes a nozzle having a product outlet at its lower end, a crank connected to the nozzle for moving the nozzle in an upright closed loop course, a dispenser control mounted for oscillation about a swing axis above the crank axis, and mechanism connecting the nozzle to the dispenser control for relative sliding movement so that the nozzle oscillates about the swing axis and also reciprocates relative to the dispenser control as the nozzle is moved in its closed loop course. Valve mechanism on the nozzle is operated between its open and closed positions in response to reciprocation of the nozzle toward and away from the dispenser outlet.

Abstract: A packaging apparatus for erecting, filling and closing generally rectangular cartons which are supplied in an initially flattened condition. The packaging apparatus has a filling station, lateral carton guides for guiding cartons from a carton infeed station past the filling station to a delivery station. An elongated carrier member extends along the path and has rigid pusher fingers at spaced locations therealong extending crosswise of the path, and the carrier members are driven by spaced carrier drives each including four sprockets and a chain entrained around the sprockets and connected to the carrier members to move them in a generally rectangular closed loop course.

Abstract: A packaging apparatus having a filling station, a downwardly opening nozzle at the filling station for dispensing a stream of semi-fluid material, means for advancing containers past the filling station, and container elevator means at the filling station for lifting a container into a position in which the upper portion of the container extends around the nozzle. Continuously driven container feed rollers are mounted at opposite sides of the nozzle and are operated in timed relation with the container elevator, first toward the nozzle to feed the container upwardly along the nozzle and then away from the nozzle to allow the container to move down as it is filled.

Abstract: A packaging apparatus for erecting, filling and closing paperboard cartons of a type that are initially supplied in a flattened condition and have four body panels, lower closure flaps; and an open top, and a separate plastic cover. The packaging apparatus opens and erects the paperboard cartons in an inverted position and advances the cartons while inverted along a path past a filling station. Covers are fed to a position below the cartons and are pressed into the open ends of the cartons as they are advanced along the path and before they reach the filling station. The lower closure flaps are thereafter folded to close the cartons.

Abstract: A tension controlled apparatus for feeding web material from a supply source to processing equipment of the type that exerts a pulling force on the web, the apparatus including a drive wheel and a driven wheel mounted for rotation about an axis parallel to the drive wheel and for shifting movement toward and away from the drive wheel, a web feed roller connected coaxially to the driven wheel for rotation thereby and means for guiding the web material to cause it to wrap part way around the web feed roller as it passes from the supply source to the processing equipment and exits from the web feed roller in an exiting direction having a substantial component in a direction to shift the driven wheel into driving engagement with the drive wheel in response to tension applied by the processing machine on the web of material exiting from the feed roller.

Abstract: A machine for wrapping elongated articles of the type in which the machine advances a strip of wrapping material past a loading station, folds the strip into a tube around the articles and longitudinally seals the strip as it is advanced past a longitudinal sealing station, and thereafter transversely seals the tube between the articles and severs the tube to form separate packages.

Abstract: An apparatus for applying covers to containers as they are advanced by a conveyor in spaced succession past a cover applying station, the cover applying apparatus including a cover magazine that supports the bottom cover in the magazine in an inclined plane that converges toward and intersects the path of travel of the tops of the containers, with a shuttle driven in timed relation with the conveyor to move the bottom cover along the inclined plane across the magazine and onto the containers as they are advanced, the drive for the cover shuttle being so constructed and arranged that the forward velocity and displacement of the cover is approximately equal to the forward velocity and displacement of the container while the lead edges of the cover and container move past the point at which their paths intersect.

Abstract: Apparatus for folding and sealing upper and lower end portions of a wrapper of heat sealable plastic film which has previously been positioned about the top, bottom and sides of the article. The wrapper end folding and sealing apparatus includes an endless type article conveyor arranged to advance the articles and wrapper along a path with the end portions of the wrapper extending laterally from opposite sides of the article conveyor; endless type upper and lower finger conveyors disposed at each side of the article conveyor and having film folding fingers arranged to engage the laterally extending end portions of the wrapper to fold the end portions of the wrapper into overlapping relation at the ends of the article as they are advanced by the article conveyor, and heat sealing members for sealing the overlapping portions of the wrapper at the ends of the articles as they are advanced.

Abstract: Sleeve wrapping apparatus, particularly for wrapping units each consisting of a plurality of products, such as cans, of relatively low stability, which enables orderly wrapping of a unit without the use of a tray or other receptacle for holding the products in the unit against disorientation, comprising a conveyor for conveying units to be wrapped through a sealing station, means for supplying webs of heat-sealable wrapping material to lie under and over a unit, means for sealing the webs together at the sealing station, and means for separating a number of rows of product from an infeed of products to constitute units each comprising said number of rows for delivery to said conveyor.

Abstract: Apparatus for packing articles, particularly bottles, in units each consisting of a plurality of parallel rows of articles, each row comprising a plurality of articles, in side-by-side contact, and with the rows in contact, comprising means for collating articles into said units and sleeve-wrapping the units. Each unit of articles, as formed, is deposited on a conveyor and conveyed thereby through a sealing station, means being provided for supplying webs of heat-sealable wrapping material to lie under and over each unit, and for sealing the webs together at the sealing station to form a sleeve of the material around each unit. In collating cylindrical bottles (or other cylindrical articles), the rows are staggered for nesting of the bottles to reduce the voids in the units.

Abstract: Packaging apparatus in which units to be wrapped and flexible packaging material for wrapping the units are fed forward with the units spaced apart in the direction of feed, with a dwell interval between successive feed cycles, and having means for forming a seal across the width of the material between two successive units during each dwell interval. The units are fed forward by conveyor means intermittently driven via a chain and sprocket drive including a crank rotatable about a predetermined axis, means for continuously rotating the crank in one direction about its said axis, a first sprocket secured to the crank with the axis of the first sprocket offset from the crank axis for rotation of the first sprocket about the crank axis without rotation of said first sprocket about its own axis, a second sprocket and a chain trained around said first and second sprockets. The sealing means is operated during the dwell intervals by a similar chain and sprocket drive mechanism.