Abstract: A carton blank for forming a carton, and comprising a row of first, second, third and fourth substantially four-edged panels, each panel having substantially the same width and comprising a side wall part, a top closure obturating part and a top sealing fin part, one of said panels from an outermost boundary of the side wall part to an outermost boundary of the top closure obturating part being substantially free from any lateral line of weakness, the obturating part of said one of said panels including a loop of weakness.

Abstract: The invention relates to a dosing device having an inlet for a liquid to be delivered to a container as a dose, in particular a beverage. The device comprises a valve seat, a sealing element interacting with the valve seat and an outlet for the dose of the liquid. In order to reduce foam build-up upon delivering the liquid into the container, according to the invention the sealing element can be moved to a first and a second opening position, wherein, in the second opening position, the flow cross-section area between the valve seat and the sealing element is larger than in the first opening position. In addition, the invention relates to a dosing method comprising the supplying of a liquid to a valve which is moved to a first and second opening position.

Abstract: A filling machine for filling packaging containers made of cardboard composite material with products, in particular liquid foods, includes a gripper that removes a packaging jacket from a magazine only partially erected in the manner of a parallelogram by a guide and at least one of two retaining elements for accommodating an outer fold edge of the partially erected packaging jacket can be move back and forth between an initial position and an end position. The cross-section of the packaging jacket accommodated by the two retaining elements is rectangular in the end position of the movable retaining element.

Abstract: A method for reducing restoring forces of package sleeves in a filling machine, where flat-folded package sleeves are removed from a magazine of the filling machine, erected to form a package sleeve forming a parallelogram in cross-section and then transferred to a transport device for transporting the upright package sleeve along a transport path. In order to enable a reduction in the restoring force adapted to the particular material of the package sleeve without increasing the cycle time for the removal and unfolding of the flat-folded package sleeve, the restoring force is reduced by temporarily increasing the internal angle between the package walls at the outer fold edges to more than 90° while the upright package sleeve is located on the transport path of the transport device. The reduction of the restoring force can be accomplished during the movement or during a standstill of the package sleeve on the transport path.

Abstract: A container formed of a blank (2) consisting of first, second, third, fourth and fifth panels (4, 6, 8, 10, 12), respectively. The first, second, third, fourth and fifth panels (4, 6, 8, 10, 12) include respective top sealing sub-panels (14, 16, 18, 20, 22), of an outwardly bowed form bounded inwardly by respective score lines (15, 17, 19, 21, 23). The first, second, third, fourth and fifth panels (4, 6, 8, 10, 12) also include respective bottom sealing sub-panels (24, 26, 28, 32, 34) of a per se known form. The first and third panels (4, 8) also include respective intermediate panels (34,38) which are each uninterrupted by score lines, except that one intermediate sub-panel (38) is formed with a through hole (40) for receiving a pour spout fitment. The second and fourth panels (6, 10) include respective intermediate sub-panels (36, 40) which are divided by score lines into respective sub-sub-panels (42, 44), identically as between the sub-panels (36, 40).

Abstract: A filling machine includes a plurality of parallel-running conveyor lines, to which packaging jackets are supplied for producing the packaging containers and along which the packaging jackets or the packaging containers produced therefrom are conveyed in a conveying direction. The conveyor lines include a first section and a second section therebehind in the conveying direction the distance between at least two of the conveyor lines in the first and second section transverse to the course of the conveyor lines is different so that at least one of the two conveyor lines in the second section runs with a lateral offset to the first section. A handling apparatus is disposed in the conveying direction upstream of the second section, which apparatus takes the packaging jackets or packaging containers from the conveyor lines in the first section and transfers them to the conveyor lines in the second section.

Abstract: A carton and carton blank for forming a carton, and comprising first, second, third and fourth substantially four-edged panels, each comprising a side wall part (4,6,8,10), a top closure obturating part (24,26,28,30) and a top sealing fin part, one of the panels being substantially free from any line of weakness extending inwardly from lateral edge zones of the one of the panels from an outermost boundary of the side wall part (8) to an outermost boundary of the top sealing fin part. Alternatively, the one of the panels is substantially free from any line of weakness extending inwardly from lateral edge zones of the one of the panels from an innermost boundary of the top closure obturating part (28) to an outermost boundary of the top sealing fin part.

Abstract: A package comprises a top-sealed gable-top carton, a flowable substance contained in the carton, and a pour spout fitment (72) openable to pour the substance from the carton, the carton including a top closure including a front roof sub-panel (130) carrying and sealed to the fitment (72), the carton also including a front body sub-panel (140), the boundary zone between the roof sub-panel (130) and the front sub-panel (140) comprising an edge protruding into the front sub-panel 140, and the fitment (72) extending to adjacent to that edge. It is thereby possible to provide on a gable-top carton a pour spout fitment having a greater through-flow cross-sectional area than would be the case if the above-mentioned boundary zone were not to protrude into the front sub-panel.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device and a method for filling or packing contents, particularly beverages, food, medications, or the like, into containers. As the containers pass through the device from an inlet to an outlet side, the containers passing through the working chamber have a sterile fluid, particularly sterile air, applied thereto for preventing germ growth. In order to reduce the cleaning effort for lines for the sterile fluid, the invention proposes that a cleaning medium having an internal line is inserted into the line for applying the sterile fluid. The line no longer needs to be disassembled in order to load the sterile fluid. In order to distribute the sterile fluid uniformly throughout the containers in a working chamber, the sterile fluid is distributed in two stages, first by means of the pipe extending into the working chamber, as described above and then through a profile extending over the containers and below the pipe, having openings for passing the sterile fluid.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for checking the depth of a crease line in a material comprising a stamping device (4) having stamping portions (8) arranged at a plurality of levels with respect to a surface of said material, the arrangement being such that those portions (8) which contact the material mark the material with an indicator indicative of the depth of the crease line.

Abstract: A blank (2) comprising a row of body panels (P1-P4), and a row of end closure panels (P6-P9) extending substantially parallelly to the row of body panels (P1-P4), whereof each end closure panel (P6-P9) has an edge (E1-E4), and whereof each of the second (P7) and fourth (P9) end closure panels has oblique lines of weakness (S1, S11, S2, S12) which divide its panel into a central sub-panel (P7a, P9a) adjacent the corresponding second or fourth body panel (P2, P4) and two end sub-panels (P7b, P7c, P9b, P9c) adjacent the corresponding edges (E2, E4), wherein the end sub-panels (P7b, P7c, P9b, P9c) bulge away from its corresponding edge (E2, E4). A container formed from the sheet material blank and a method of forming the container is also described.

Abstract: A filling machine for filling packaging containers made of cardboard composite material with products, in particular liquid foods, includes a gripper that removes a packaging jacket from a magazine only partially erected in the manner of a parallelogram by a guide and at least one of two retaining elements for accommodating an outer fold edge of the partially erected packaging jacket can be move back and forth between an initial position and an end position. The cross-section of the packaging jacket accommodated by the two retaining elements is rectangular in the end position of the movable retaining element.

Abstract: A filling machine includes a plurality of parallel-running conveyor lines, to which packaging jackets are supplied for producing the packaging containers and along which the packaging jackets or the packaging containers produced therefrom are conveyed in a conveying direction. The conveyor lines include a first section and a second section therebehind in the conveying direction the distance between at least two of the conveyor lines in the first and second section transverse to the course of the conveyor lines is different so that at least one of the two conveyor lines in the second section runs with a lateral offset to the first section. A handling apparatus is disposed in the conveying direction upstream of the second section, which apparatus takes the packaging jackets or packaging containers from the conveyor lines in the first section and transfers them to the conveyor lines in the second section.

Abstract: The invention relates to a dosing device having an inlet for a liquid to be delivered to a container as a dose, in particular a beverage. The device comprises a valve seat, a sealing element interacting with the valve seat and an outlet for the dose of the liquid. In order to reduce foam build-up upon delivering the liquid into the container, according to the invention the sealing element can be moved to a first and a second opening position, wherein, in the second opening position, the flow cross-section area between the valve seat and the sealing element is larger than in the first opening position. In addition, the invention relates to a dosing method comprising the supplying of a liquid to a valve which is moved to a first and second opening position.

Abstract: A machine (2) for handling partially formed containers (6) comprising an indexing conveying device (8), a feeder (4) arranged to supply to the conveying device (8), per index, a plurality of partially formed containers (6), one or more stations (18, 20) comprising a plurality of devices arranged to perform substantially identical operations on a group of containers constituted by the plurality of partially formed containers (6), the indexing conveying device (8) being arranged to advance the group through the stations (18, 20), and a controlling device arranged to cause the feeder (4) to reduce to an integer the number of partially formed containers (6) supplied, per index, to the conveying device (8). The machine (2) is operated by the controlling device via a number of servomechanisms associated with each of the operations carried out by the machine.

Abstract: A plastics-coated paperboard carton blank comprises an end part for forming a bottom end closure of the carton; the end part comprises first, second, third and fourth end panels (6-9) whereof the first and third end panels (6,8) are for forming outside panels (6,8) of the end closure and the second and fourth panels (7,9) are for forming inside panels (7,9) of the end closure; the free end portion (12) of the third end panel (8) is cut out at both sides in a laterally symmetrical manner with respect to its middle, so as to leave a central tongue (17), and the free end portions (11,13) of the second and fourth panels (7,9), respectively, are cut out at their sides adjacent to the third end panel (8), so as to form respective cut-outs (36,40); and the cut-outs (36,40) have respective edges (32,34) thereof which are further from the tongue (17) disposed obliquely relative to adjacent edges (42,44) of the respective cut-outs (36,40) and diverging outwardly relative to each other.

Abstract: A laminate structure comprises, from the outside to the inside, a substrate, a polypropylene layer comprising a blend of polypropylene and a plastomer, an oxygen barrier layer, and a polymer layer. The oxygen barrier layer can comprise a blend of 70-90% by weight high-barrier resin and 10-30% by weight an aliphatic nylon. The polymer layer can comprise a blend of 50-89% by weight polyolefm, 10-50% by weight plastomer and 1-10% by weight anti-blocking agent.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device and a method for filling or packing contents, particularly beverages, food, medications, or the like, into containers. As the containers pass through the device from an inlet to an outlet side, the containers passing through the working chamber have a sterile fluid, particularly sterile air, applied thereto for preventing germ growth. In order to reduce the cleaning effort for lines for the sterile fluid, the invention proposes that a cleaning medium having an internal line is inserted into the line for applying the sterile fluid. The line no longer needs to be disassembled in order to load the sterile fluid. In order to distribute the sterile fluid uniformly throughout the containers in a working chamber, the sterile fluid is distributed in two stages, first by means of the pipe extending into the working chamber, as described above and then through a profile extending over the containers and below the pipe, having openings for passing the sterile fluid.