Abstract: A printing machine, such as a flexographic printing machine has a plurality of inking units and a plurality of plate cylinders. A central gear drives an impression cylinder and during a printing operation meshes with plate cylinder gears. The plate cylinders are mounted on plate cylinder carriages on tracks included in the machine frame and which are movable towards the impression cylinder for a printing operation. Halftone ink roller gears are associated with halftone rollers of the inking units and mesh with the plate cylinder gears. The halftone rollers are movable on inking unit carriages on tracks on the plate cylinder carriages. The teeth of the central gear are to be aligned with the teeth of the plate cylinder gears when the latter teeth are moved to pushed-in positions. The plate cylinder gears are provided with datum marks with which sensors fixed to the inking carriage cooperate so that the plate cylinders can be aligned for printing in register.

Abstract: A process of severing and subsequently stacking web section is disclosed, which in their central portions are provided with locating holes and preferably consist of double bags which have been severed from a tubular or semitubular, continuous plastic film web and are closed by hot-wire welding and have opening-defining edges. The web sections are delivered by a delivering means preferably consisting of a so-called wicketer having pairs of inner and outer wicketer arms, which are arranged in a starlike array and rotate about a horizontal axis, the web sections are deposited by said delivering means in a stacking station into a stacking conveyor, which consists of endless tensile elements, which are trained around reversing pulleys or rollers and are intermittently driven and provided with upstanding stacking pins. The stacks formed by the web sections placed on the stacking pins are intermittently carried off by an intermittent advance of the tensile elements.

Abstract: An apparatus for filling and closing sacks has a pair of grippers for gripping the lateral portions of the sacks adjacent to their opening-defining edges, the grippers of each pair are movable toward and away from each other, also a pair of suction cups for pulling the side walls of the sacks apart adjacent to the opening-defining edges between the grippers, a filling pipe, which is adapted to be lowered into and to be lifted out of the opened sacks, and a welding device for forming a transverse seam weld to close the opening-defining edges when they have been pulled taut by a movement of the grippers away from each other.

Abstract: Apparatus for forming a flexible tubing (S) from a single-ply or multi-ply web (B) as it is continuously advanced includes two size-defining metal plates (9, 10) which define the width of the flattened tubing and are substantially parallel to each other and are movably mounted in the machine frame (1, 2, 3) and have receiving end portions about which the web is deflected to raise edge portions of the web which are to be infolded to overlap each other. The plates are adjustable by a screw (34) or the like to control the distance between their receiving end portions. The plates are provided at their delivery end portions with straps (17) or the like for controlling the distance between the plates.

Abstract: Apparatus for winding webs to form supply rolls under a substantially constant web tension comprises a winding shaft, which is rotatably mounted in a machine frame and driven by an electric motor, a rocker, which is pivoted to the machine frame and has mutually opposite, freely protruding arms, which are equal in length and at their ends carry freely rotatably mounted dancer rollers, and means for detecting a deflection of the rocker resulting in a displacement of said dancer rollers from a normal position, in which they are horizontally aligned. Two winding shafts are provided, the first of which is driven by a transmission from the electric motor and the second of which is driven via a differential, which has a first input member that is coupled to the first winding shaft, and via further power-transmitting means succeeding said differential.

Abstract: Apparatus for selectively forming a continuously moving web (5) with apertures or holes by means of a punching mechanism consisting of a rotating die (26) and a rotating punch (14) and with venting pinholes by means of a rotating needle bar (34) and a rotating abutment (13). The die (26) or punch (14) and the needle bar (34) are secured to a common shaft (28). The punch (14) or die (26) for cooperating with the die (26) or punch (14) on the common shaft (28) is secured to a first shaft (11) on the opposite side of the web (5). The abutment (13) for cooperating with the needle bar (34) is secured to a second shaft (12) disposed on the opposite side of the web (5). The first and second shafts (11, 12) are movably mounted in pivoted mounting arms (9, 10), which can be fixed in position. A rotation of the first and second shafts (11, 12) will either move the punch (14) or die (26) into engagement with the die (26) or punch (14) or will move the needle bar (31) into engagement with the abutment (13).

Abstract: Load resistors connected in parallel in a heating circuit having switches operable to connect and disconnect the resistors from a common supply line for heating a plurality of zones to maintain predetermined temperatures therein, are tested by disconnecting all of the load resistors from the supply line to begin a testing operation. Any current conducted when all load resistors are disconnected from the supply line is measured, after which the load resistors are then individually and successively reconnected to the supply line. The current then conducted from the supply line in succession to the load resistors is measured and compared with reference values of current through the load resistors when functioning properly.

Abstract: Apparatus for slitting a web (50) into narrower webs or strips comprises a plurality of cutters (45, 46), which are movable into engagement with the web to be slit and are carried by cutter holders (4), which are adjustable transversely to the web by positioning means (7). The cutter holders (4) are freely slidably mounted on a common track (2, 3) and are adapted to be fixed in position on said track by clamping or detent means (21, 22), which are adapted to be released by a control device (62). A feeder (7) is provided, which is parallel to the track (2, 3). The cutter holders (4) are adapted to be clamped or to be resiliently locked to said feeder under the control of a control device (62) so as to permit the cutter holders (4) to be displaced by the feeder to their desired positions.

Abstract: Apparatus for stacking flat articles which in an intermediate portion are formed with locating holes and preferably consist of double bags having opening-defining edges disposed adjacent to their center line. The bags are fed by a wicketer and deposited in a stacking station on an endless stack conveyor and meedled onto raised upstanding stacking pins to form stacks. The stacking pins are operated to be lowered to release the needled stack which then advances to a succeeding severing station provided with a heated knife, which severs the stacks along a center line extending in the direction of stack travel. Additional conveyor belts are provided for retaining the separated stacks on the stack conveyor.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed which serves to move a carriage in one direction over a predetermined distance at a substantially uniform velocity and to return the carriage at a varying velocity so that a film web delivered at a constant velocity is intermittently advanced relative to a welding device fixed to a frame. The apparatus comprises a lever, which is adapted to be pivotally oscillated by a drive and which by virtue of a first guide provided on the lever and a slider or roller cooperating with the guide imparts a motion to the carriage. The carriage is movable on track rods in a plane which is parallel to the plane in which the lever is pivotally movable. In order to provide an apparatus which is compact and space-saving, the lever is driven by a crank, which revolves in a plane parallel to the plane in which the lever is pivotally movable.

Abstract: In an apparatus for helically slitting a continuous tubular film of synthetic thermoplastic material, a pair of feed rollers for feeding flattened continuous tubular film to a mandrel are mounted at fixed locations in a main frame. A rotary support mounted in the main frame carries the mandrel which consists of spaced apart low-friction bars disposed in a circular array concentric to the axis of rotation of the rotary support. A cutter is adapted to slit the tubular film as it traverses the mandrel. The axis of rotation of the support is aligned with the nip between the feed rollers approximately at the center of their length. A reversing rod and a deflecting or guide roller are connected to the rotary support for guiding the slit film from the mandrel to a winder. The winder has a winding axis aligned with or intersecting the axis of rotation of the rotary support at a right angle. A spreader for opening out the film is disposed between the feed rollers and the mandrel.

Abstract: An apparatus for stacking and delivering double bags of plastic film receives the bags from a transfer device at a stacking station which includes vertical pins on which the bags are impaled to form a stack. A stack conveyor with built-in grippers moves a completed stack to a severing station where a heated knife separates the double bags lengthwise of their travel while they are still in the grip of the grippers. The severed bags are then transferred to a delivery station where the grippers are released. The conveyor has separate side-by-side runs and separate gripper jaws are carried on each run. The stacking pins and the severing knife are located between the conveyor runs.

Abstract: Apparatus for severing sections from a web by transverse severing cuts at locations related to printed marks on the web. The apparatus includes a rotary cutter and pair of feed rollers, a differential transmission by which the feed rollers are operatively connected to a common drive motor for driving the rotary cutter and the feed rolls. A servomotor is provided for imparting a correcting rotation to the transmission. A mark detector for detecting the printed marks, a sensor for detecting the position of the rotary cutter, and a controller for controlling the servomotor in dependence on the deviation of the spacing of the printed marks from the predetermined web section length are also provided. The servomotor is a stepping motor which receives stepping pulses in a number which represents the difference between the theoretical length of each web section and the actual distance between the printed marks.

Abstract: In apparatus for winding web material successively onto separate winding cores, the material is fed from a supply via a central guide roller to alternate winding assemblies carried by rotary frames. The apparatus has left- and right-hand rotary frames on opposite sides of the guide roller respectively and there are two winding assemblies on each frame. The winding assemblies can be moved along the frames in horizontal tracks, and the frames can be rotated so as to alternate the positions of the respective winding assemblies relative to the guide roller. The apparatus includes associated web cutters and slitters both for transverse cutting and lengthwise slitting of the web material so that full-width web rolls can be wound, or separate rolls can be wound from adjacent strips which have been slit longitudinally from the web.

Abstract: In a process of making T-shirt bags a flat tubular film that is provided on each side with at least one gusset is provided with top end seam welds, which close the gusset portions to form handle loops, and with cutouts, which are similar to the neckline of a T-shirt and extend through the inner creases of the side gussets, and the tubing is then folded on itself about its longitudinal center line and is thereafter formed at its bottom end with seam welds, which join all plies, and is formed between adjacent top end and bottom end seam welds with transverse perforation lines or with hot wire-welded joints to separate adjacent bags from each other. Before the folding of the tubular film on itself about its longitudinal center line those portions of the tubular film which are subsequently provided with the top end seam welds are provided with layers of a release agent which extend across the web and prevent a welding of the web.

Abstract: A process of manufacturing a roll of continuous synthetic thermoplastic film consisting of extruded flat film or of extruded blow-formed and flattened tubular film in which the thickness of the film is measured over the width of the film. Any striplike portion which deviates in thickness from a means thickness of the film is adjusted. The temperatures of juxtaposed temperature control sectors or the width of those portions of the slot die or of the annular die from which said striplike portions have been extruded are adjustable. When a striplike longitudinal portion having a relatively large thickness is detected in the film, the film is subsequently extruded to have a corresponding portion which has a relatively small thickness within specified thickness limits and for a length such that the two portions as superimposed in the roll have an average thickness approximately equal to the mean film thickness.

Abstract: Apparatus for closing filled sacks, which have been transferred from a filling station to a take-over station and a closing station by a conveyor comprising a gripper, which like pliers grips the flattened lips of the filled sacks. A pair of gripping rollers, which are rotatable about axes which are at right angles to the main axis of the sack, take-over the sacks at the take-over station with the lips protruding. The apparatus also comprises a welding or sewing machine to act on the protruding lips to form a seam for closing the filled sacks. At least one of the gripping rollers is rotated as the filled sacks are conveyed to the closing machine to force the lips to protrude sufficiently to facilitate making the closing seam.

Abstract: Apparatus for conveying stacked flat articles provided with two locating holes each, preferably bags made of plastic, including a stacking conveyor having a pair of juxtaposed endless belts, which are trained around pulleys that are intermittently driven. The conveyor is provided with pairs of upstanding stacking pins, which are secured to respective carrying plates and spaced a variable distance apart. Alternate carrying plates carrying respective stacking pins are connected to respective ones of the belts. The belts are adapted to be moved forwardly and rearwardly relative to each other and to be interconnected by the pulleys in a predetermined relative position. The pulleys are angularly shiftable relative to each other to vary the spacing between the stacking pins.

Abstract: Apparatus for aligning a sack disposed at the leading end of a series of shingled sacks, which have been unwound from a roll of shingled sacks and which have openings at their leading ends. The sack is aligned by transversely spaced gripping rollers that are operable to align the leading edge of a sack for proper orientation prior to transfer of the sack to a filling apparatus. An intermittently driven conveyor belt conveys the unwound series of shingled sacks as they are unwound from a roll. At least one pressure-applying roller is disposed above the conveyor belt and acts on the leading sack of the series of shingled sacks and cooperates with a backing roller, which is adapted to be driven, and optional pressure-applying elements, which are adapted to be lowered onto the next following sack.

Abstract: Apparatus for severing bags from a two-ply web of thermoplastic material. The apparatus includes web guide rollers defining a nip, and a plurality of peripheral grooves in the guide rollers in which upper and lower air directing tubes are positioned to guide a web as it passes downstream of the feed rollers. A continuously transversely moving severing knife is provided downstream of the feed rollers and below the plane defined by the moving web. A pair of welding jaws are provided adjacent the cutting knife to grip the web in a plane below the web movement plane to weld the plies of the web together and to deflect the web into position for providing a transverse cut therein by means of the severing knife. A pivot lever is provided to pivot downstream ends of the lower air directing tubes in a downward direction to prevent interference between the downwardly deflected web and the downstream ends of the air directing tubes.