Abstract: Successive panels of a running web with panels in zig-zag formation are deflected into a duct wherein the panels gather into a growing pile on a vertically movable bottom wall. A severing tool is moved across the pile at a selected level above the bottom wall to sever the web along the fold line between two neighboring panels when the pile beneath the level of the severing tool reaches a preselected height. A spreading device is used to spread apart the panels immediately above and below the level of the severing tool to establish a clearance for entry of the tool. The panels above and below the clearance are clamped to prevent the tool from displacing and/or otherwise affecting such panels during penetration into the clearance and during severing of the web along the fold line between the panels immediately adjacent the clearance.

Abstract: A continuous running web with panels in zig-zag formation is delivered by a conveyor in the form of a scalloped stream and successive panels are deflected into a duct wherein the panels descend and gather on a bottom wall between two upright sidewalls which contact alternate fold lines between the panels of the growing stack. When the stack on the bottom wall, which descends at the rate at which the stack thereon grows, contains a predetermined number of panels, a spreading device is caused to enter between the topmost panel of the fully grown stack on the bottom wall and the panel above such stack to establish a gap for entry of the dull leading edge of a reciprocable flat tool which moves across the duct in a horizontal plane and breaks the fold line which is then located in the path of movement of the leading edge. The sidewalls have confronting vertical surfaces which are inclined relative to the leading edge of the tool.

Abstract: A wrap-around packing machine wherein the packing station and the station which supplied prefabricated blanks are separated from each other by a treating unit having a pair of tools serving to provide successive prefabricated blanks with additional fold lines in positions depending on the dimensions of commodities to be wrapped. To this end, the tools are movable toward and away from each other by a reversible motor which receives signals from photocells monitoring the height of commodities to be packed while such commodities advance toward the packing station. The photocells are mounted on a carrier which is movable up and down by the reversible motor so that the photocells come to a halt when they assume certain predetermined positions with reference to the commodities whose height deviates from the height of previously supplied commodities.

Abstract: The gluing device includes a glue storage and heating unit, a valve unit, a pump unit, a pressure-equalizing unit and a nozzle head. A support is provided which has two parts which are thermally insulated from one another, one of the parts supporting the glue storage and heating unit, and the other part supporting and including the other units and the nozzle head. Two separately energized heating rods are provided, each of which heats one of the parts of the support. An actuating arrangement is provided for the pump unit and includes an actuating piston reciprocating in a cylinder bore and actuated by a pressurized medium introduced into the cylinder bore and connected to the pump unit.