Abstract: A modular case system and method of use provide for a case former having a base, interchangeable case gages and forming heads. Contained within the interior of the base are slide blocks mounted on slide rails and assemblies in such a manner as to allow the slide blocks to be slidingly reconfigured to form a case forming cavity of varicose sizes and shapes. The size and shape of the case forming cavity is established and maintained by a template opening, defined by, and potentially unique to, each case gage. The size and shape of the forming head corresponds to the size and shape of the template opening. The slide blocks are secured to the case gage by removable locking pins.

Abstract: A method of providing a convertible packaging having a storage configuration and a display configuration is described herein. The package is made from a package blank having panels adhesively engaged together to form the package. The assembled package having an interior defined by a plurality of walls. The bottom and/or two opposing walls of the package have a pattern of discrete material depositions adhesively deposited thereon. The depositions each have a height as measured from the wall that they are mounted upon. The presence and height of the opposing depositions providing a mechanical engagement surface against which an adjacent product container is biased or held against, to prevent the product container from falling forward or out of the package when the package is in the display configuration, even as individual product containers are removed from the package by customers.

Abstract: A continuous case blank delivery system, its function and use are provided. The main components of the system include a staging area, an elevator area, a safety door positioned therebetween, and a carriage movable therebetween when the safety door is in the open position. The elevator has a right side wall a left side wall and an elevator platform. The platform is vertically moveable between a lowered position and a predetermined height. In the lowered position the elevator platform is below the height of the carriage. The walls each define a plurality of support finger housings, each of which contain an extendable support finger. When the elevator platform is in the lowered position each support finger is retracted and contained entirely within its housing. When the elevator reaches a predetermined height each support finger is extended.

Abstract: A customizable case former and it system and method of use provide for a case former having a base, interchangeable case gages and forming heads. Contained within the interior of the base are slide blocks mounted on slide rails and assemblies in such a manner as to allow the slide blocks to be slidingly reconfigured to form a case forming cavity of varicose sizes and shapes. The size and shape of the case forming cavity is established and maintained by a template opening, defined by, and potentially unique to, each case gage. The size and shape of the forming head corresponds to the size and shape of the template opening. The slide blocks are secured to the case gage by removable locking pins.

Abstract: A pouch conditioner having a roller frame positioned over a bottom conditioning belt is disclosed. The roller frame includes a housing that has a pair of opposed guide plates, between which are positioned a plurality of conditioning rollers, a top conditioning belt, and a top conditioning belt drive. The top conditioning belt is disposed about the conditioning rollers. Each of the conditioning rollers is coupled to the guide plates by a pair of actuators that provide each roller with independent articulation and individual compressive force. The distance between the bottom conditioning belt and the top conditioning belt defines a conditioning gap through which product containers are advanced. The height of the conditioning rollers relative to the bottom conditioning belt may be varied to provide a graduated conditioning gap.

Abstract: A customizable case former and it system and method of use provide for a case former having a base, interchangeable case gages and forming heads. Contained within the interior of the base are slide blocks mounted on slide rails and assemblies in such a manner as to allow the slide blocks to be slidingly reconfigured to form a case forming cavity of varicose sizes and shapes. The size and shape of the case forming cavity is established and maintained by a template opening, defined by, and potentially unique to, each case gage. The size and shape of the forming head corresponds to the size and shape of the template opening. The slide blocks are secured to the case gage by removable locking pins.

Abstract: A customizable case former and it system and method of use provide for a case former having a base, interchangeable case gages and forming heads. Contained within the interior of the base are slide blocks mounted on slide rails and assemblies in such a manner as to allow the slide blocks to be slidingly reconfigured to form a case forming cavity of varicose sizes and shapes. The size and shape of the case forming cavity is established and maintained by a template opening, defined by, and potentially unique to, each case gage. The size and shape of the forming head corresponds to the size and shape of the template opening. The slide blocks are secured to the case gage by removable locking pins.

Abstract: A pouch conditioner having a roller frame positioned over a bottom condition belt is disclosed. The roller frame includes a housing that has a pair of opposed guide plates, between which are positioned a plurality of conditioning rollers, a top conditioning belt, and a top conditioning belt drive. The top conditioning belt is disposed about the conditioning rollers. Each of the conditioning rollers is coupled to the guide plates by a pair of actuators that provide each roller with independent articulation and individual compressive force. The distance between the bottom conditioning belt and the top conditioning belt defines a conditioning gap through which product containers are advanced. The height of the conditioning rollers relative to the bottom conditioning belt may be varied to provide a graduated conditioning gap.

Abstract: A compact collator for sorting and collating product containers includes a laner, a pattern conveyor, a cross-pusher assembly and a plurality of interchangeable inserts. The laner has a first movable conveyor for conveying product containers through the laner, and defines an infeed area. The pattern conveyor has a second movable conveyor positioned down-stream from the infeed area and off-set 90 degrees from the first moveable conveyor. The cross-pusher assembly includes a cross-pusher arm that the interchangeable inserts are configured to be engaged to. Each insert defines a unique face contour that corresponds to the profile shape of at least one type of product container.

Abstract: A customizable case former and it system and method of use provide for a case former having a base, interchangeable case gages and forming heads. Contained within the interior of the base are slide blocks mounted on slide rails and assemblies in such a manner as to allow the slide blocks to be slidingly reconfigured to form a case forming cavity of varicose sizes and shapes. The size and shape of the case forming cavity is established and maintained by a template opening, defined by, and potentially unique to, each case gage. The size and shape of the forming head corresponds to the size and shape of the template opening. The slide blocks are secured to the case gage by removable locking pins.

Abstract: A compact collator for sorting and collating product containers includes a laner, a pattern conveyor, a cross-pusher assembly and a plurality of interchangeable inserts. The laner has a first movable conveyor for conveying product containers through the laner, and defines an infeed area. The pattern conveyor has a second movable conveyor positioned down-stream from the infeed area and off-set 90 degrees from the first moveable conveyor. The cross-pusher assembly includes a cross-pusher arm that the interchangeable inserts are configured to be engaged to. Each insert defines a unique face contour that corresponds to the profile shape of at least one type of product container.

Abstract: A system, apparatus and method are presented for loading product containers into a crate wherein the crate is a reusable crate having four sides, which may be distorted bowed or bent relative to a nominal position. The system has a conveyer to convey the crate to an actuation assembly. The actuation assembly then actuates the crate into contact with a bracing assembly. The bracing assembly has four bracing members, each of which has at least one bracing block engaged thereto. Each bracing block has a grasping portion which contacts and bias against one of the four sides of the crate when the crate is actuated into engagement with the bracing assembly so as to reposition the sides of the crate to be in the nominal position.

Abstract: A compact collator for collating and preparing product containers for packaging and its method of operation and use is provided herein. The collator includes a laner having a conveyor and defining an infeed area. Infeed sensors detect the passage of containers in and out of the infeed area. A gate retains containers in the infeed area until a set number of product containers (a slug) is detected. A slug of containers passing out of the infeed area is conveyed to a cross-pusher, which has an arm. The arm is actuated between a position adjacent to the conveyor to a position across the conveyer and over a pattern conveyor. When the slug is in a centered position relative to the arm, the arm pushes the containers 90 degrees from the laner's conveyor and onto the patterning conveyor.

Abstract: A method of providing a convertible packaging having a storage configuration and a display configuration is described herein. The package is made from a package blank having panels adhesively engaged together to form the package. The assembled package having an interior defined by a plurality of walls within which a plurality of product containers may be stored and eventually displayed. The bottom and/or two opposing walls of the package have a pattern of discrete material depositions adhesively deposited thereon. The depositions each have a height as measured from the wall that they are mounted upon. The presence and height of the opposing depositions providing a mechanical engagement surface against which an adjacent product container is biased or held against, to prevent the product container from falling forward or out of the package when the package is in the display configuration, even as individual product containers are removed from the package by customers.

Abstract: A package assembly suitable for use in storing and shipping a plurality of product containers includes a shipping configuration and a display configuration. In the shipping configuration the package assembly is constructed from a single blank of packaging material and formed into a case into which a plurality of product containers are inserted. In the display configuration a top portion of the case is removed from a bottom portion of the case along one or more tear lines on the blank.

Abstract: A packaging system having a storage configuration and a display configuration is described herein. The package is made from a package blank having panels adhesively engaged together to form the package. The assembled package having an interior defined by a plurality of walls within which a plurality of product containers may be stored and eventually displayed. The bottom and/or two opposing walls of the package have a pattern of discrete material depositions adhesively deposited thereon. The depositions each have a height as measured from the wall that they are mounted upon. The presence and height of the opposing depositions providing a mechanical engagement surface against which an adjacent product container is biased or held against, to prevent the product container from falling forward or out of the package when the package is in the display configuration, even as individual product containers are removed from the package by customers.

Abstract: A package assembly suitable for use in storing and shipping a plurality of product containers includes a shipping configuration and a display configuration. In the shipping configuration the package assembly is constructed from a single blank of packaging material and formed into a case into which a plurality of product containers are inserted. In the display configuration a top portion of the case is removed from a bottom portion of the case along one or more tear lines on the blank.

Abstract: A manually actuated end-of-arm tool (EOAT) changer is described. EOAT changer includes an external housing within which an inner cam ring is fixed in place and a rotatable cam ring surrounds the inner cam ring. The inner cam ring defines ball bearing retaining cavities that extend from an exterior of the inner cam ring to an interior; a single ball bearing is at least partially contained in each cavity. The rotatable cam has interior surface which defines bearing engagement teeth. Each tooth is positioned adjacent to one of the ball bearings so as to engage the ball bearing and bias the ball bearing toward the interior of the inner cam ring when the rotatable cam ring is rotated from an open stat to a closed state. A swing arm is engaged to the rotatable cam ring. A yolk is engaged to the external housing and positioned adjacent to the swing arm. When the swing arm is engaged to the yolk the changer is in the closed position.

Abstract: A tray formed of a single piece blank and which has reinforced corners to enable superior stacking capabilities and capacities is presented. The tray includes a base and four panels extending therefrom. Each panel has a major component extending from the base and a minor component extending from opposing sides of the major component. The minor components of the side panels consist of a tab and a freestanding portion. Only the tab is adhesively engaged to an interior surface of an immediately adjacent major component of and adjacent panel. The minor components of front and back panels being adhesively engaged to the major component of the side panels. The reinforced corners having a triangular shape defined by the major component and one minor component of the front panel or back panel and a hypotenuse consisting of one freestanding portion.

Abstract: A system, apparatus and method are presented for loading product containers into a crate wherein the crate is a reusable crate having four sides, which may be distorted bowed or bent relative to a nominal position. The system has a conveyer to convey the crate to an actuation assembly. The actuation assembly then actuates the crate from into contact with a bracing assembly. The bracing assembly has four bracing members, each of which has at least one bracing block engaged thereto. Each bracing block has a grasping portion which contacts and bias against one of the four sides of the crate when the crate is actuated into engagement with the bracing assembly so as to reposition the sides of the crate to be in the nominal position.