Abstract: An automated de-banding machine which can perform by scanning the surface of the pallet to determine the number and position of bands to be removed. The machine also is capable of analyzing to determine the overlay bands from underlay bands. The overlay bands are removed first and typically fed individually to a chopper which chops the bands into pieces for recycling. The band information may be recorded and used to facilitate handling of a similar type of pallet in future operations to eliminate any stoppage for determination of retooling or adjustment.

Abstract: An automated de-banding machine which can perform by scanning the surface of the pallet to determine the number and position of bands to be removed. The machine also is capable of analyzing to determine the overlay bands from underlay bands. The overlay bands are removed first and typically fed individually to a chopper which chops the bands into pieces for recycling. The band information may be recorded and used to facilitate handling of a similar type of pallet in future operations to eliminate any stoppage for determination of retooling or adjustment.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for inserting flexible bags and other liners into open packaging containers. One or more engagement heads engage and position the flexible liners in preparation for their insertion into open containers using an insertion assembly. One or more of the engagement heads are preferably made with vacuum heads that are movable to open the liner for the insertion assembly. A cuffing assembly can be included for cuffing the open end of the liners over the top edges of the open containers. Clamping assemblies can be included on the cuffing assembly to facilitate holding the liners during insertion and cuffing. The use of an engagement assembly, insertion assembly, and cuffing assembly which are independently driven helps to provide greater speed and operational flexibility.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for vacuum engagement of flexible bags and other liners, such as for insertion into and cuffing upon packaging containers. The vacuum engagement heads are preferably made with vacuum relief ports and slotted apertures having a reticulated material therein to prevent the flexible film liners from filling the heads. The heads may be presented in opposing pairs that are misaligned to facilitate separation of opposing leaves. Also disclosed are grippers that may bear upon the liners to help in separating the liners from a dispenser. Further disclosed are inserting, cuffing, and clamping assemblies used in an insertion and cuffing apparatus that uses independent operation for greater operational flexibility and speed.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for inserting flexible bags and other liners into open packaging containers. One or more engagement heads engage and position the flexible liners in preparation for their insertion into open containers using an insertion assembly. One or more of the engagement heads are preferably made with vacuum heads that are movable to open the liner for the insertion assembly. A cuffing assembly can be included for cuffing the open end of the liners over the top edges of the open containers. Clamping assemblies can be included on the cuffing assembly to facilitate holding the liners during insertion and cuffing. The use of an engagement assembly, insertion assembly, and cuffing assembly which are independently driven helps to provide greater speed and operational flexibility.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system which includes a method and apparatus for the removal of carton bundles from where they are stacked, such as on pallets, re-positions the carton bundles relative to a carton holding structure such as a hopper, removes the restraining strap(s) from each bundle and feeds the bundle or cartons onto a hopper.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the feeding and accumulation of bottles in an air conveyance system, which has a swing-arm air conveyor with a flexible guide joint which allows the efficient conveyance of bottles from a single-lane source of bottles to a plurality of recipient air conveyors for accumulation and handling. The swing-arm air conveyor also includes a second flexible guide joint which provides for the delivery of the bottles to the recipient air conveyors in a direction parallel to the direction of the single-line source of bottles. The apparatus and method is also used for the conveyance of bottles from a plurality of feed air conveyors to a single-lane recipient air conveyor. The flexible guide joint allows the swing-arm air conveyor to be pivoted while still maintaining a continuous chamber through which bottles are conveyed.

Abstract: A cuffing assembly for flexible bags inserted into a receiving open carton includes cuffing fingers at each carton corner. The fingers are movable between a retracted position for insertion into a bag and an extended position in which they can overlap the carton corners. Air is discharged through air outlets adjacent the outer ends of the cuffing fingers to minimize frictional forces between the bag and cuffing fingers to prevent tearing of the bag as the cuff is being formed and during subsequent retraction of the cuffing fingers.

Abstract: A staging hopper for supplying packaging blanks includes a first conveyor positioned downstream of a second conveyor. The first conveyor supports and periodically transfers packaging blanks in a primary group of blanks to a blank delivery position. A second conveyor supports and intermittently transfers packaging blanks in a secondary group of blanks onto the first conveyor. The top edges of the secondary group of blanks rest at an angle against the primary group of blanks to define a longitudinal gap between the lower edges of the blanks in the primary and secondary groups. Photosensors are provided to detect the presence and absence of packaging blanks within the longitudinal gap. In addition to advancing the primary group of blanks, the first conveyor advances the forward blanks in the secondary group across the gap toward the primary group. The photosensors detect the presence of these blanks as their lower edges move across the gap.

Abstract: A cuffing assembly for flexible bags inserted into a receiving open carton includes paired cuffing fingers that span each carton corner. The fingers are movable between a retracted position for insertion into a bag and an extended position in which they can overlap the outer surfaces adjacent to each carton corner. Diagonal clamp forces can be applied to the cuffed bag between the fingers of each pair as required.

Abstract: A machine for feeding individual flexible trays from an inclined nested stack to a conveyor or other appropriate surface below the stack. Vacuum heads are mounted to arms that pivot about a horizontal axis spaced from an upper transverse edge of an inclined hopper holding the nested stack. The lower end of the inclined hopper is open for engagement by vacuum heads at the ends of the pivoted arms. The vacuum heads are pivoted by the arms to engage successive trays adjacent a lower transverse edge of the hopper. The arms are then pivoted back with the vacuum heads adhered to a tray, stripping the tray from the stack and pivoting it to a substantially horizontal position where it is released to fall to a surface below. A guide may be employed to direct movement of the tray downwardly.

Abstract: A holder assembly is described for releasably receiving and supporting successive groups of containers in a case packing machine. The machine is operable to move successive groups vertically downward from a first station to the holder assembly at a second station. Subsequently the containers are forced downwardly again from the holder assembly to a case packing station below. The holder assembly functions to group received containers into defined rectangular clusters. The holder assembly also permits vertical movement of the containers while holding them in the rectangular array. Rotary mechanisms enable selective inversion of the holders and containers supported within.

Abstract: A case packing machine is described for bottles having enlarged neck flanges. The machine first arranges bottles received from a conveyor into a group on an escapement mechanism. The grouped bottles are suspended from their enlarged neck flanges by an escapement mechanism at a first station. The group is released as a ram engages the bottle finishes and shifts them downwardly to a second station. An actuator on the ram functions to operate the escapement mechanism and a bottle stop mechanism is also operated directly from the ram to halt further progress of bottles toward the escapement mechanism during release and movement of the previous group of bottles to the second station. Bottles may be received by an invertible holder at the second station. The holder forms the bottles into a prescribed rectangular array and supports the bottles until a subsequent group is received. The subsequent received group engages and moves the first group downwardly into a case waiting at a packing station below.

Abstract: A tray for receiving and supporting a group of bottles, particularly plastic bottles of a lightweight nature. The tray, made from precut paperboard or corrugated paperboard or other relatively stiff sheet material, has parallel top and bottom surfaces spaced vertically. The top surface has an opening complementary to the border configuration about the cylindrical sides of bottles within a rectangular group. This is presented in the form of scallops, each scallop being semi-circular to frictionally engage the barrel of a bottle about the border of the group. The heels of the bottles rest upon the bottom surface of the tray for vertical support. The bottles are frictionally engaged about their barrels to maintain the group of bottles within the tray by slight compressive tangential engagement of the bottles with one another.

Abstract: A case packer for placement of loads through the bottom of a carton so as to accommodate loads of a type which cannot be dropped or placed into a carton from above or from the side. The apparatus includes a support plate mechanism mounted for elevational movement and supplied with individual case loads by a case conveyor. The cases themselves are delivered sequentially to a case packing station by a case conveyor. The plate mechanism is movable upwardly to locate the load within the downwardly open case. Flap engaging elements then fold opposed flaps beneath the plate mechanism and provide elevational support to the case and load within it. Plate shift means spreads the plate mechanism laterally from a position located between the load and the folded flaps to a position clear of the flaps. The plate mechanism can then be sequentially moved downward to clear the case before it moves outward from the case packing station.

Abstract: An improvement in a carton forming mechanism of the type wherein a mandrel is reciprocated through a die assembly to fold the side walls and tabs of an upwardly open carton assembly having perpendicular pairs of side walls. It is designed specifically for carton blanks having protruding tabs at the ends of both pairs of side walls, so that each side wall is overlapped by a bent tab when the carton is completed. The folding mechanism includes two opposed pairs of folding irons mounted about parallel spaced pivot axes. Each folding iron has an arcuate surface to fold a first carton wall relative to the bottom carton wall. It also includes a radial extension at the outermost edge of the arcuate surface for folding a first tab relative to the first wall. Radial spacing is provided on each folding iron between the arcuate surface and the shaft mounting it.

Abstract: A mechanism for folding end tabs over and against the end walls of a partially completed carton. The mechanism is designed to handle cartons of two different lengths fed at random through the machine. It includes kicker elements to inwardly compress the carton and its contents so as to assure proper final carton formation when the end tabs are sealed. The end tabs are folded and sealed while the carton moves continuously along a longitudinal path. They are folded by transverse folding elements mounted across the working flight of an upper conveyor assembly along the carton path. Each tab is folded and sealed against the respective carton end walls as the carton progresses between the infeed and discharge ends of the conveyor assembly. Selected folding elements are activated dependent upon the length of a particular carton being handled.

Abstract: An apparatus for inserting a plug pad into a recess formed between opposed bottom flaps of a semirigid folded carton. The pad inserting apparatus is designed to be utilized in conjunction with a carton forming machine. It can be integral with the forming machine or separate from it. It includes a magazine for receiving and supporting a horizontal stack of plug pads. A biasing assembly is utilized to force the stack toward a magazine discharge end. Adjacent the discharge end is a pad stripping mechanism. It operates to take pads one at a time from the magazine and move them to a remote mandrel loading station to be received by a movable mandrel. The pads toward the inside end of the stack are elevationally offset by an inclined surface as they are indexed toward the pad stripping mechanism. The stripping mechanism further includes a positioning feature whereby the end pad is first moved laterally of the remainder of the stack to a preselected position before being shifted to the loading station.

Abstract: An escapement mechanism for successively releasing rectangular groups of articles from an upright stack. The articles are of the type having reduced top ends and enlarged bottom ends. The articles are held within an upright hopper that guides the stack gravitationally toward the escapement mechanism. Successive groups of articles are engaged by a first stop mechanism at a first elevation and are lowered thereby to a second elevation. A retractable support is located at the second elevation to receive and support the successive groups of articles. While articles are resting upon the retractable support, the stop means is moved upwardly again to engage the bottom sides of the next successive group of articles and lift them upwardly from engagement with the top ends of the article group presently supported on the retractable support. Once to successive groups become disengaged from one another, the support is retracted to allow one group to fall gravitationally to a transfer mechanism.