Abstract: The product transfer mechanisms of this invention increases the performance of automatic packaging machines by deflecting product as it falls from a transfer container into a box with a slide, thus reducing damaging effects of free-falling product collisions and enabling simple, efficient maintenance and sanitizing of surfaces contacting the deflected product. The improved product transfer mechanism has a transfer container composed of a lightweight, transparent material enabling a visual inspection of the product as it travels through the product transfer mechanism while reducing the weight of component parts of the product transfer mechanism.

Abstract: An automatic packaging machine for forming and filling a latching flip-top box uses a two part mandrel which are joined by a hinge. One of the two hinged parts has a roller thereon for following a cam track having a quarter turn spiral therein. As the roller follows the spiral causing one hinged part to move through a quarter turn causing the flip-top to fold over and be formed. A somewhat loose tab on the top edge of the bottom of the box is a latch tab which is caught when the flip-top folds over.

Abstract: An automatic packaging machine for forming and filling a latching flip-top box uses a two part mandrel which are joined by a hinge. One of the two hinged parts has a roller thereon for following a cam track having a quarter turn spiral therein. As the roller follows the spiral causing one hinged part to move through a quarter turn causing the flip-top to fold over and be formed. A somewhat loose tab on the top edge of the bottom of the box is a latch tab which is caught when the flip-top folds over.

Abstract: An automatic packaging machine for forming and filling a latching flip-top box uses a two part mandrel which are joined by a hinge. One of the two hinged parts has a roller thereon for following a cam track having a quarter turn spiral therein. As the roller follows the spiral causing one hinged part to move through a quarter turn causing the flip-top to fold over and be formed. A somewhat loose tab on the top edge of the bottom of the box is a latch tab which is caught when the flip-top folds over.

Abstract: An automatic packaging machine inserts small items, such as candy coated chewing gum, into a box with the small items arranged in a desired orientation. First, the small items are swept into a grid of individual pockets in plates on a conveyor. Then, the grid is inverted over an insertion tray having grooves which receive the small items without disturbing the desired orientation. The entire tray is inserted into a box and then withdrawn from the box. A ridge is formed adjacent said grooves for lifting a side of the box confronting the small items while the tray is inserted into the box so that there is almost no friction between the small item and the box, which might otherwise disturb the desired orientation. The small items are blocked during a withdrawal of the tray so that they are laid down in the desired orientation on the bottom of the box.

Abstract: An automatic packaging machine is adapted to insert a plurality of layers of product into a carton. In a preferred embodiment, the product is carried in an X-Y tray which is able to expand or to contract in width and to raise or lower, thereby giving two dimensional geometrical adjustments. A first layer of product is loaded into the X-Y tray. Then the tray is lowered and a second layer is placed over the first layer. The process is repeated for any number of layers. Thereafter, the stack of layers is pushed into a carton.

Abstract: An automatic packaging system closes and seals a hybrid box having end flaps with a narrow paper strip sealed to and around an inside perimeter of the box. A projecting edge of the narrow strip extends out of the box approximately as far as the outer edges of the end flaps. First, the end flaps are folded away from the narrow paper strip. A pair of spreading fingers move in synchronism with boxes while they are being carried by a conveyor. The spreading fingers are moved toward the boxes and inserted into a "bag" opening formed by narrow strip. The spreading fingers move apart for closing the projecting edges of the narrow strip and bringing the sides of the strip into face-to-face confrontation. There the sides are gripped and stretched to prevent puckers or pleats. While the projecting edges are so gripped in a face-to-face confrontation, they are sealed in order to close the "bag" opening formed by the paper strip.

Abstract: A loader for an automatic packaging machine has a plurality of input conveyor belts that run at successively slower speeds in order to bring products into a predetermined product density. A metering wheel picks up the products one at a time and delivers them to a metering conveyor belt having upstanding fences defining batch areas. The profile of the metering wheel may be changed, by substitution, in order to pick up another product. A product counter moves the metering conveyor belt a distance equal to one batch area responsive to a batch count indicating that the metering wheel has delivered a selected number of products to one of the batch areas. In one embodiment, the product is a tube of soda crackers. Down stream, the soda crackers are slid into position without abrading one tube of crackers against another tube of crackers. For horizontal layers, abrasion is avoided by using a variable width mandrel.

Abstract: A link chain conveyor has rollers on opposite sides of the chain, a track has a groove in which the rollers travel, in both the vertical or the horizontal orientation. The link chain has a U-shaped bracket which is pivotally connected at each of its ends to a conventional link chain adapted to receive a tooth of a sprocket wheel. The U-shaped bracket has conventional link chain connector means so that almost any existing link claim carried equipment may be connected thereto. This way, the inventive claim is compatible with existing link chain conveyor equipment.

Abstract: A loader for an automatic packaging machine received an inflow of product subject to a randomly variable product delivery. The loader delivers an outflow of product at a defined rate and in a predetermined pattern despite the variations of the inflow. A buffer storage device stores an adjustable amount of product between the inflow and the defined outflow in order to compensate for the random variables. The buffer storage device is a link chain trained over three principal sprocket wheels arranged in a triangular pattern with the wheel at an apex of the triangle being in a fixed position. The portion of the link chain which forms the base of the triangle provides the buffer storage. The product output is taken from approximately a midpoint on the base of the triangle.

Abstract: An automatic packaging machine comprises a spaced parallel pair of conveyor chains for transporting a plurality of pallets around an endless path. A pair of guide rails are connected between the conveyor chains for slidingly carrying each pallet. A plurality of control bars are slidably mounted on the guide rails. Two or more cam slots are provided at selected locations along the path followed by the conveyor chains in order to independently control the position of each of the control bars as a function of their instantaneous locations in the packaging machine. A stabilization support system built into the control bars provides enough play to dissipate centrifugal force and thereby enable the machine to operate at a higher speed. An X-Y mounting system may be provided in order to enable the pallets to undertake two dimensional motion. The control bars enable specific points in the surface area of the pallet to undertake specific motions which are independent of the motion of the pallet.

Abstract: A portable loader may be brought up to and selectively positioned to deliver product into mandrels carried by an automatic packaging machine. The loader may receive product on an asynchronous and on-demand basis and delivers product on a time basis coordinated with operation of the automatic packaging machine. The loader has two bins which are opened and closed in sequence to receive and deliver product with a buffer time storage in a second of the two bins in order to accommodate the timing of the packaging machine. The loader handles pouches and similarly irregularly shaped product, having a geometry which may vary at random. The pouches are gently shaped to fit into a box as they are transferred from a source of product into a loading position of the packaging machine.

Abstract: The invention provides a mount for attachment to a link chain conveyor, especially--but not exclusively--for use in an automatic packaging machine. The mount has two pivot points of attachment to prevent unwanted motion caused by centrifugal forces as the mount circles a sprocket wheel. One of the two pivot points is a pair of tracks having wear resistant nylon blocks mounted on them to provide lost motion. Responsive to each lost motion extension, the block rubs the tracks to clean them of debris.

Abstract: An automatic packaging machine comprises a spaced parallel pair of conveyor chains for transporting a plurality of mandrels. A pair of guide rails connected between the conveyor chains for slidably carrying each mandrel, so that a mandrel may be moved in a product transport position to a loading station. At the loading station, the mandrel is thrust forward to confront a box so that the product may be pushed into a box. The mandrel may be made wider to accept product without a precise alignment between mandrel and product or more narrow to fit the product into a box at the loading station. Two cam slots are provided to independently control the thrust position and the width of the mandrel. A stabilization support provides enough play to dissipate centrifugal force and thereby enable the machine to operate at a higher speed.

Abstract: A high speed automatic packaging machine is constructed from standardized modules in order to reduce cost and standardize operational and maintenance procedures. The standardized modules include conveyor chains trained over sprocket wheels to form modules which may be ganged to maintain synchronization of operations. Various types of mandrels may be attached to the conveyor chain in order to adapt the machine to load different types of products. The mandrels experience significant centrifugal forces as they go around the path defined by the sprocket wheels. To prevent the mandrels from slapping the conveyor chain when it is traveling at high speed, a leading end of the mandrel is pivotly connected to the chain while a trailing end of the mandrel is captured within a slot which allows the mandrel to go around the sprocket wheel without departing therefrom.