Abstract: The present invention comprises a device and method for feeding a cut loose-leaf material such as, for example tobacco, from a weight scale; dropping the tobacco into a hopper; compressing the tobacco into the desired size, shape, and density; and packaging the loose-leaf tobacco product. Packaging is accomplished by wrapping an inner foil and overwrap label around an arbor on a rotating arbor wheel. The package is constructed in various stages as the arbor wheel rotates to various positions. The inner foil is fed and wrapped around the arbor without extending the foil below the body of the package so that the foil does not form a bottom end. The foil extends above the body of the package and is folded to form a top end. An outer label having a sufficient length to extend past the top and bottom of the arbor is overwrapped about the foil innerwrap. The overwrap label extending past the bottom of the arbor is folded and glued over the foil innerwrap to form a top end to the package.

Abstract: A substantially L-shaped grasping bar is hingedly attached to the hinge stile and the latch stile of a door. An upper surface of the latch stile attachment is placed adjacent the underside of the latch handle so that upon lifting the grasping bar, the latch is activated and the door can be easily manipulated by a wheelchair-bound person.

Abstract: A mobile apparatus detachably connected to a source of pressurized fluid for wrapping palletized load with a film and which includes a rotating arm rotatably mounted to a movable support frame, a carriage rail attached to the rotating arm, a film carriage in slidable engagement with the carriage rail for dispensing the film to the load, a pneumatic carriage lift cylinder for selectively actuating the movement of the film carriage along the carriage rail, a pneumatic drive assembly for selectively actuating rotational movement of the rotating arm, and a control panel attached to the frame and detachably connected to the pressurized fluid source for selectively controlling the carriage lift cylinder and the drive assembly.

Abstract: A stretch wrapping machine includes a web dispenser and a rotatable support for providing relative rotation between the web dispenser and load to wrap a web of packaging material around the load. Cooperating bearing members engage each other for supporting the rotatable support and permitting the rotation of the rotatable support. One of the bearing members is mounted on the rotatable support and the other bearing member is mounted on the fixed support. One of the bearing members includes a track of resilient material and the other bearing member includes a roller surface which rolls along the track of resilient material.

Abstract: In a device for compacting stacks of die-cuts and correcting their position on a conveyor-feeder with at least one belt, the single stacks are supported and elevated by a structure operating directly adjacent to the belt and affording a surface which ensures stable support to the stack while offering minimal resistance to the movements occasioned in positioning; the compacting action is produced by pairs of moving plates which flank the supporting and elevating station on all sides and impinge on the vertical faces of the stack in directions coinciding with the transverse and longitudinal axes of the belt.

Abstract: A crop bagging machine is provided with a movable chassis having adjustable brakes and a grain container having a rear tunnel defining a rear opening. A pliable plastic bag is fit to the tunnel with the bag bottom closing the opening. A bin on the chassis receives grain, e.g., from a truck and an auger transports the grain from the bin to an elevated position in the container that is above the height of the filled bag. The adjustable brakes are set to establish the level of grain pile in the container to cover the opening and thereby fill the bag. The brakes are independently controlled to provide limited steering. An additional embodiment of the invention shows downsizing for reduction in cost and in dimension for compatibility with conventional shipping containers while further providing adjustability in tunnel size to accommodate variation in bag diameter. A further additional embodiment provides for a modified conveyor system for the grain that utilizes air flow.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for securing a sheet of material about a flower pot for providing a decorative cover to the flower pot, using a band applicator with an object opening. The sheet of material is held in place on the flower pot and the flower pot with the sheet of material held there about is inserted into the object opening of the band applicator. The band applicator applies a band about the sheet of material and the flower pot whereby the sheet of material is secured to the flower pot via the band.

Abstract: A packing apparatus capable of permitting drawing-out of a band from a band guide arch structure to be regularly accomplished in order, to thereby improve durability of the apparatus and prevent damage to the band. Flaps each are formed of a lightweight metal material into an L-shape in section, and are provided at one edge thereof with a flange and formed at a portion thereof in proximity to the other edge thereof with a pair of threaded holes. The flaps are arranged in a manner to be contiguous to each other in order in such a manner that a forward end of each of the flaps defined in a direction of delivery of the band is positioned under a rearward end of the flap forwardly adjacent thereto while aligning threaded holes of the adjacent flaps with each other. Also, the flaps which are arranged at each of corner sections of a band way are curvedly connected to each other while forming an overlapped portion of an acute fan shape between each adjacent two flaps.

Abstract: Documents printed by high speed laser printers are automatically handled to verify, track, handle, and deposit them in appropriate shipping containers. The system is modular so that it can be configured to suit the needs of a wide variety of users, and includes document transport conveyors, transfer conveyors, and container transport conveyors. A paper sheet having bar coding is associated with each group of documents and the bar coding is sensed to determine where to route the document (what shipping container it should be placed in), and also optionally other document handling procedures, such as plastic shrink wrapping and/or banding. Documents are conveyed to a number of different filling stations with containers passing underneath the filling stations. When the destination bar coding on a group of documents at a filling station matches the bar coding on the container underneath that filling station, dump paddles are activated to drop the group of documents into the container.

Abstract: A stretch wrapping apparatus includes a dispenser for dispensing stretch wrap packaging material. The dispenser includes upstream and downstream prestretch rollers for engaging and stretching stretch wrap packaging material. The dispenser also includes an intermediate orienting roller positioned between the upstream and downstream prestretch rollers. The intermediate orienting roller abuts one of the upstream and downstream prestretch rollers, and is spaced from the other of the upstream and downstream prestretch rollers. Relative rotation is provided between the dispenser and the load to wrap the stretch wrap packaging material around the load.

Abstract: An envelope stuffing device in which no moving parts are required for opening the mouth of an envelope for the insertion of inserts therein. The stuffing device has a plurality of leaf springs, two of which are adjacent the ends of an envelope and are located directly above openings within a floor of the device. Other leaf springs are located intermediate the ends of an envelope, so that when the flap of the envelope is in registration with the leaf springs, the outer leaf springs push down on the end of the envelope and the intermediate leaf springs hold the flap on the floor, thereby causing the mouth of the envelope to open. The device includes a conveying mechanism for placing inserts into to envelope when the mouth of the envelope is open.

Abstract: A process and an apparatus for rejecting defective packages in the region of a packaging machine are disclosed. In the production of bundles formed from several individual packages, especially from a group (11) of cigarette packages (10), it is required to inspect the cigarette packages (10) as regards completeness of the group. Packages (13) which are thus found to be defective are marked in an exteriorly visible manner and are rejected at a later stage, especially in the region of a discharge track (26). The defective package (13) is marked by way of folding over a folding tab of an outer wrapping (12), especially a lower tab (33) in the region of a rearward side wall with respect to the conveying direction. The lower tab (33) forms a gusset (36) which is folded over to the outside.

Abstract: A method to form and package stacked article groups utilizing cardboard trays. The method provides first and second streams of article groups which are initially formed in first and second cardboard tray structures and subsequently stacked and united into packaged stacked units.

Abstract: A device for sealing wrappers around products comprising an infeed mechanism for conveying products enveloped by sealable wrappers and a first drive mechanism for driving the infeed mechanism to convey the products with a first predetermined velocity. A sealing channel into which the products are directed by the infeed mechanism includes a feed mechanism for moving the products along the sealing channel and a sealing mechanism for compressively sealing at least one face of the sealable wrappers. A second drive mechanism drives the feed mechanism to move the products along the sealing channel with a second predetermined velocity corresponding to at least one physical characteristic of the sealable wrappers, the second drive mechanism being independent from the first drive mechanism so that the second predetermined velocity and the first predetermined velocity can be independently determined.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for banding groups of elongated items, including a conveyor for propelling trough-like carriers of groups of items to be banded. Each group of items passes through two sets of rotating spoked wheels positioned two above the conveyor and two below the conveyor with the two upper spoked wheels positioned in spaced relationship to one another so as to position one over each of the two oppositely disposed ends of the groups of items and over the lower spoked wheels. The spoked wheels are timed so that spoke tips of the upper wheels will contact spoke tips of the lower wheels as the ends of the grouped items pass between the spokes. Each of the spoked wheels carries a continuous strip of banding material spanning across the tips of the spokes.

Abstract: A device for promoting gravity flow of zirconium tetrachloride and other non-free-flowing solids has a rotatable shaft. At least two flexible lengths have first ends attached to and axially spaced on the shaft and also distal second ends. A collar is slidably mounted on the shaft between the spaced first ends of the flexible lengths for slidable axial and circumferential movement on the shaft. At least one sweep arm has a first end pivotally attached to the collar and a second distal end attached to the second distal ends of the flexible lengths. The collar slides relative to the shaft as the sweep arm encounters resistance from bridged solids. The relative movement of the collar and shaft causes the flexible lengths to wrap around the shaft and the arms to collapse toward the shaft. A device with collapsible arms will have a minimal torque requirement. When the solids dislodge from the collapsed sweep arms, the arms extend to sweep outwardly to a maximum extent.

Abstract: A packing machine for spherical vegetables includes a machine body, a film-cutting part, a film-gripping part, a clamp device and a heat sealing mechanism. The film-cutting part is installed on the rear part of the machine body and can be moved upwardly and downwardly. The clamp device is situated behind the film-cutting part for clamping the packing film. Furthermore, the film-gripping part is installed opposite to the clamping device and can slide forwardly and backwardly upon two guide rails by means of a motor driven transmission chain. When starting the packing machine, the film-gripping part moves forwardly to the clamping device to grip the packing film and then returns to its original position. Meanwhile, the film-cutting part is lowered to cut off the packing film. Then a spherical vegetable is placed on the packing film from a loading holder which is automatically lowered to an appropriate position while the heat sealing mechanism clamps and seals an upper part of the packing film.

Abstract: An automatic stretch-wrapping apparatus for wrapping a load, including empty PET bottles, with a stretchable film. The apparatus includes a turntable for placing the load thereon, and the stretchable film is supplied from a roll of stretchable film in a vertical position via film tensioning rollers to a gripper device. The gripper device is mounted on the turntable for gripping the leading end of the film and can rotate not only with the turntable but also relative to the turntable. Also, a swing arm device is arranged for movement toward and away from the gripper device to cooperate with the gripper device and includes pusher blades for pushing the film toward the gripping fingers of the gripper device, a heatsealer, and a cutter. It is possible to automatically wrap the load by the film in only one turn thereof.

Abstract: A cable guide for the trolley traveling winch on gantry cranes for container, general-cargo, and grab operation, with a land-side support and a water-side jib that can be tilted up, the necessary deflection rollers, tensioning devices, and at least one cable drum for the trolley traveling winch. In the cable guide for moving the trolley (8), all the cables (3a, 3b) and (6a, 6b) are led from the drive drum (13) to the land-side support end and are deflected there in the deflection rollers (7a, 7b, 7c, 7d) of the tensioning device (12a, 12b). One cable pair (3a, 3b) extends to the land-side cable connection (8a, 8b) of the trolley, and the second cable pair (6a, 6b) is led to the water-side jib end (5a, 5b), and is led to the water-side cable connection (8c, 8d) of the trolley after deflection by 180.degree. .

Abstract: A grass hopper cart is provided, which consists of a cabinet and a structure within the cabinet for holding a standard paper bag in an opened stationary position. A hopper is placed into the cabinet above the holding structure, so that grass cuttings dumped into the hopper will enter the paper bag for proper disposal.