Abstract: An applicator (10a) affixes fitments (12) to paperboard cartons (20), each fitment (12) comprising a screw cap on a pour spout. An ultrasonic horn (18) reciprocates between a retracted position for receiving a fitment (12) and an advanced position for depositing the fitment (12) on an outer surface of a carton (20). A duct (26) extends and provides fluid communication between an air handler and a fitment-holding recess (30) formed in the horn (18). The air handler is actuable to evacuate the duct (26) to retain a fitment (12) in the recess (30) by suction while transporting the fitment (12) to be affixed to the container wall. The air handler also supplies pressurized gas to the duct (26) to blow the fitment (12) from the horn (18) before the horn returns to the retracted position.

Abstract: A sealed adjuster (24) has a first portion (34) fixed to a first structure, a second portion (36) fixed to a second structure (30), and a manually operable third portion (38) adjustable to change the position of the first portion (34) relative to the second portion (36) such that, as the position of the first portion (34) is changed relative to the second portion (36), the position of the first structure is changed relative to the position of the second structure (30). The adjuster (24) also has a sealing arrangement (88, 90, 92, 96 and 116) for providing sealing among the first portion (34), the second portion (36), and the third portion (38).

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: An ultrasonic sealing device for a top fin of a gable-topped carton includes two jaws consisting of a jaw (2) with a planar active face and constituting the outer end portion of an ultrasonic horn (A1) and a jaw (6) constituting an anvil and having an active surface (10) which is planar except for upper and lower linear ribs (12) and (14) each extending the length of the surface (10). The lower rib (14) is linear and horizontal except for an upwardly bowed middle portion (16). The two jaws (2) and (6) serve to render gas-and-liquid tight a top fin of a conventional, plastics-coated paperboard, gable-top carton. The ribs (12) and (14) produce, in the outer surface of one of the outer sealing panels of the fin, corresponding furrows which extend over the whole length of the fin at levels where the inner sealing panels are sandwiched between the outer sealing panels, so as to seal the top fin in a gas- and liquid-tight manner along its whole length.

Abstract: A carton blank (10) for forming a container, and comprising a row of body portion forming panels (P1-P5) arranged side-by-side, the boundaries between said panels (P1-P5) being defined by respective, substantially straight boundary lines of weakness (S1-S4) extending from top to bottom of said panels (P1-P5) substantially perpendicularly to said row, two adjacent boundary lines of weakness (S-S4) each having disposed at one side thereof a supplemental line of weakness (S11, S12, S21, S22, S31, S32, S31?, S32?, S41, S42), each supplemental line of weakness (S11, S12, S21, S22, S31, S32, S41, S42) being substantially the length of a panel (P1-P5).

Abstract: A method of producing a laminate structure comprises producing a multi-layer barrier film by producing a blown film of n-layers, by a blown extrusion process and subsequently collapsing the n-layer blown film to form the multi-layer barrier film, which consists of 2n-layers and which comprises a first polymer layer, a gas barrier layer and a second polymer layer, wherein at least one of the first and second polymer layers comprises a polyamide layer, providing the outside of a substrate with a polymer layer, and extrusion laminating the multi-layer barrier film to the inside of the substrate by an adhesive layer. In one embodiment, the first polymer layer, the gas barrier layer and the second polymer layer form a first barrier block, and the multi-layer barrier film further comprises a second barrier block, substantially identical to the first barrier block.

Abstract: A form-fill-seal packaging machine includes a tank (20) for storing fluid product to be dosed, nozzles (26) for receiving the product from the tank (20) and for dosing it, and a conveyor (22) for moving along a conveying path (30) that includes a position under each nozzle (26). An adjustable tubular connection (43) is located in the fluid flow path between the tank (20) and each nozzle (26) and conveys product from the tank (20) to the nozzle (26). The connection (43) has an inlet end portion with a vertical axis and has an outlet end portion with a vertical axis parallel to the axis of the inlet end portion that is movable such that the axis of the outlet end portion of the connection (43) remains parallel with the axis of the inlet end portion throughout its range of movement.

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: An ultrasonic sealing device for a top fin of a gable-topped carton includes two jaws consisting of a jaw (2) with a planar active face and constituting the outer end portion of an ultrasonic horn (A1) and a jaw (6) constituting an anvil and having an active surface (10) which is planar except for upper and lower linear ribs (12) and (14) each extending the length of the surface (10). The lower rib (14) is linear and horizontal except for an upwardly bowed middle portion (16). The two jaws (2) and (6) serve to render gas-and-liquid tight a top fin of a conventional, plastics-coated paperboard, gable-top carton. The ribs (12) and (14) produce, in the outer surface of one of the outer sealing panels of the fin, corresponding furrows which extend over the whole length of the fin at levels where the inner sealing panels are sandwiched between the outer sealing panels, so as to seal the top fin in a gas- and liquid-tight manner along its whole length.

Abstract: An orientating apparatus for a pour spout fitment (4) having an annular flange (4F) comprises a mounting device for supporting the fitment (4), a follower (22), a drive arrangement arranged to produce relative rotary motion, about an axis, between the mounting device and the follower (22), a biassing device arranged to urge the follower (22) towards the mounting device, and a detection device arranged to detect relative movement between the mounting device and the follower (22) under the action of the biassing device and allowed by a notch (4G) in the flange (4F) and thereby to cause the drive arrangement to stop the relative rotary motion and to orientate the fitment (4).

Abstract: A top closure obturating panel (2) of a carton is formed with a partial depth cut (4) in the form of an open loop of which one end (4a) is at a greater distance from a central zone of the loop (4) than is the other end (4b). Following filling and top-sealing of the carton, there is applied to the panel (2) a pour spout fitment consisting of a flanged pour spout, a screw cap on the pour spout, and a plunger co-operating with the screw cap and the pour spout in such manner that, upon unscrewing of the screw cap, the plunger screws inwards. At its inner end, the plunger is formed with arcuate pushing blades (6), which thereby cause the laminate material of the panel (2) to fracture along the partial depth cut (4) such that an encircling portion (2a) of the panel (2) and an encircled portion (2b) within the loop (4) separate from each other along the loop (4), but remain interconnected by way of an intermediate portion (2c) extending through between the ends (4a) and (4b) of the loop (4).

Abstract: A pour spout fitment (2) comprises a tubular spout body (4) insertable between a consumer's lips and for attachment by a flange (6) at an inner end thereof to a container, and a tear element (8) comprising a first portion (10; 32) of substantially flat cross-section throughout and closing the spout body (4) at an outer end of the body (4) and a second portion (12; 44) seizable by a consumer for pulling to tear a loop of weakness (14; 40) extending around the outer end of the spout body (4), the second portion (12; 44) iying beside an annular external surface of the body (4).

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.