Abstract: The articles to be wrapped are located over the mouth of a forming device with the interposition of a sheet of wrapping material. Extending from this mouth is a cavity in which, as a result of the advancement of the article caused by a pusher element, the wrapper material is wrapped around the front face of the article relative to its direction of the advance. Subsequently the cavity contracts around behind the article to be wrapped and this contraction completes the wrapping of the wrapper material around the article itself. The preferred application is in the packaging of food products such as, for example, confectionery products.

Abstract: This invention pertains to a method and apparatus for wrapping an article, wherein a metal foil is pleated and then formed in to a dished shape such that the pleats unfold, and then an article is placed within this dished shape.

Abstract: A food product package comprises two half shells having respective mouths in face-to-face relation. One of the half shells defines an edible part of the package. The other half shell defines a receptacle for play elements.

Abstract: Product to be supplied in an ordered manner is supplied to the upstream end of an apparatus according to the invention, the bottom of which is substantially closed by a base plate that leaves only the extreme, downstream end of the apparatus open. The apparatus includes a belt-like structure composed of plates that are alternatingly apertured and non-apertured. Transverse partitions define compartments for receiving product at the upstream portion of the apparatus, the bottom portions of the compartments being bounded by the lower portion of the belt structure which, in turn, moves across the base plate. Product falls into the apertures in the apertured plates by means of gravity and pressure exerted by flexible lips located at the lower edges of the transverse partitions. The configuration ensures complete filling of the apertures in the apertured plates.

Abstract: The articles which move towards the equipment in a disorganised two-dimensional flow are conveyed to a channelling unit including a plurality of vertical blades, the upstream ends of which are preferably given a vibratory movement so as to assist the formation of lines of articles side by side in the channels between adjacent blades. The downstream end of the channelling unit is formed as a chute and a rotary distributor is arranged at its output end. The articles coming from the output end of the channelling unit form ordered groups along the faces of the distributor. The stepwise rotation of the distributor causes the ordered groups of articles to drop into an underlying channel. This channel has movable walls which enable it to deposit the groups of articles on an underlying conveyor and which also follows the movement of the conveyor during the deposition of the groups of articles.

Abstract: A container for, for example, food products such as confectionery, is formed from a casing and one or more auxiliary bodies associated with and affixed to the casing to give the container an animal-like or human-like appearance. The auxiliary body or bodies affixed to the casing can take the form of human-like or animal-like features and can be moved relative to the casing both by rotation about the longitudinal axis of the body and by variation of the position of the longitudinal axis of the body relative to the case by sliding the body along a circular path. This provides a container which also may be used as a toy.

Abstract: A coating of creamy material, for example chocolate, is applied by spraying by making the chocolate mass flow to a main nozzle surrounded by an auxiliary nozzle to which air is supplied under pressure. During the spraying, the chocolate mass cools and hardens.

Abstract: A close-fitting wrapper for a product is produced from two sheets, the first of which is made dish-shaped so as to surround the greater part of the product. The other sheet is laid on the rest of the product so as to assume a shape complementary to that of the product itself. After the two sheets have been joined peripherally to give the wrapper sealing characteristics and the edges which project beyond the region of the join have been trimmed, the wrapper formed is subjected to a shaping step which causes the first sheet to cover practically the entire product, hiding the second sheet from view.

Abstract: A breath mint tablet with improved breath freshening efficacy has a tablet body with oblong front and back face portions having opposing ends connected by substantially parallel sides. The tablet is substantially elliptical when viewed end on, and has a thickness dimension front-to-back, a width dimension side-to-side, and a length dimension end-to-end. The length and width dimensions have a ratio in the range of about 1.28:1 to about 1.93:1 and the width and thickness dimensions have a ratio in the range of about 1.08:1 to about 2.25:1.

Abstract: A process and device for conveying articles, such as boxes of confectionery products. The articles, which initially advance on a plurality of parallel paths, are firstly ordered into rows such that they slide on a surface of a plate under the action of motor-driven entrainment strips or blades. When they pass onto a conveyor which acts transversely relative to the general direction of advance of the articles on the plate, the rows are made compact and the articles are urged against a side restraint plate. The articles can then be withdrawn from the compact rows in a predetermined number when the rows themselves pass in correspondence with further motor-driven conveyors which act transverse the general entrainment line of the articles. The withdrawal operation can be repeated several times, the rows having been made compact in the interim urging the articles against the side plate again.

Abstract: A coating of creamy material, for example chocolate, is applied by spraying by making the chocolate mass flow to a main nozzle surrounded by an auxiliary nozzle to which air is supplied under pressure. During the spraying, the chocolate mass cools and hardens.

Abstract: The product to be poured, which is typically constituted by an aerated product such as meringue mixture or the like, is admitted to a tank which is kept closed and only partially filled with the product to be poured. A continuous, static, relative aeriform pressure, typically of the order of 0.2-0.3 atmospheres, is maintained in the portion of the tank which is not occupied by the product. Precise small quantities of the product are poured through openings in the lower portion of the tank which are associated with delivery nozzles controlled by obturators, preferably of the cylindrical, male type.