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.

Abstract: On a cigarette packing machine, portions of wrapping material are formed from a strip travelling at a first constant speed, are accelerated on suction belts to a second speed, and are transferred by a suction roller into a position astride respective seats on a conveyor drum designed to step feed, to an unloading station, groups of cigarettes housed inside respective seats; the surface speed of the suction roller being so varied as to be maintained, at all times, greater than the travelling speed of the belts, and equal, for a given time period, to the surface speed of the conveyor drum.

Abstract: A sterile product packaging system includes a bottle filling/stoppering machine housed within a sterile environment and a bottle capping machine housed within a non-sterile environment separated by a partition wall from the sterile room. Each of the filling/stoppering machine and capping machine has a belt conveyor associated therewith for moving bottles to and from the machines, each belt conveyor residing entirely within the respective sterile and non-sterile rooms. A transfer conveyor system is provided to transfer bottles from the filling/stoppering machine belt conveyor, through the opening in the partition wall, to the capping machine belt conveyor. The transfer conveyor system includes a lead screw formed of an elongated shank having a continuous spiral thread along its length. A transfer plate overlaps the ends of the two belt conveyors, and is situated beneath and substantially contiguous with the lead screw.

Abstract: A barrel grasping device with upper and lower jaws pivoted to a double yoke surrounding the pole of a barrel trolley. An auxiliary yoke imprisoning a clamping plate is slidingly mounted on the pole above a double yoke and is connected to the latter by a compression spring. A connecting rod is pivoted at one end to the double yoke and at its intermediate portion to a lever having one extremity pivoted to the auxiliary yoke around an off-set axis and engaging a clamping plate. The weight of the barrel transmitted by the jaws to the double yoke automatically pulls the connecting rod, causing the lever to pivot and push the clamping plate against the pole, thus clamping the device along the pole of the barrel trolley.

Abstract: In a wrapping machine comprising a ring rotatable on a frame, a ledge to support a package being wrapped, and a carriage supporting a roll of plastic film and movable with the ring to wrap the film around the ledge and around a package supported thereby, a severing arm, pivotable between a horizontal position underlying the ledge and a vertical position, carries a heated severing wire. Also, a spacing arm, pivotably movable between a horizontal position underlying the ledge and a vertical position, spaces an outer film layer from the ledge. In one embodiment, the severing arm carries heated welding elements, and the spacing arm applies a partial vacuum to cause a severed film portion to adhere to the spacing arm. In another embodiment, the severed film portion is clamped between the spacing and severing arms.

Abstract: A process is provided for packaging a product, particularly one with sharp protrusions or discrete fragile regions. The process includes the steps of applying a polymeric material to an exterior surface of an outer packaging container, in the region covering sharp protrusions, thereby providing a protective cushion against rupture or tearing of the container surrounding the product during shipping and storage. The liquified polymeric composition containing a microcrystalline wax is applied at a point-of-contact temperature between about 75.degree. F. and about 160.degree. F.; the applied material is then allowed to solidify in the form of a flexible resilient coating. The polymeric material used in the process consists essentially of a polymer, a synthetic or naturally occurring tackifying resin, a microcrystalline wax, and an antioxidant stabilizer.

Abstract: A device is described for closing and laterally sealing plastic film wrapped bundles containing sheets or the like, by wrapping them in a thermally shrinkable plastic film, which comprises two sealing plates (25,26) suitable to be moved against lateral opposite sides of a bundle (29) for sealing them. These plates (25,26) are preferably hinged on two slides (2,3 ) suitable to be contemporaneously either approached or moved apart from each other as a function of the width of the bundle (29) to be laterally sealed. Two nozzles (31,32) are moreover provided, which form air jets against laterally protruding portions (30) of the plastic film, so that said protruding portions are easily folded by said plates (25,26). A so closed and sealed bundle is then carried inside an oven for thermally shrinking the wrapped film.

Abstract: A truck mounted crane assembly includes a turntable lock, a boom rest which interacts with the piston and cylinder device, and a swing away hoist mount. The turntable lock includes a pin which is manually retractable upon rotation of a handle from a position preventing relative rotation between a turntable and a pedestal to a position allowing such relative rotation and which can be secured in the first and second positions. The boom rest is mounted on the boom and rests on the cylinder of the piston and cylinder device when the boom is lowered to a predetermined position, thus taking much of the pressure off the piston. The boom rest is movable from a position in which it is capable of supporting the boom to a position in which it is incapable of supporting the boom and in which the boom is thus lowerable below the predetermined position. The provision of the turntable lock and boom rest obviates the need for a cradle rest for the boom.

Abstract: A process and device for the cleaning of closing heads in a device for closing vessels with crown caps, the closing head having a die guided in a guide bore for pressing a crown cap against the opening of a vessel to be closed, the die being movable relative to the closing head against the force of a spring disposed in an inner space of the closing head and a gap space being provided between the die and the wall of the guide bore. A flushing agent can then be guided through a flow opening connected with the inner space, so that the agent flows through the inner space with the spring means and the gap space between the die and the wall of the guide bore, whereby a complete cleaning of all parts of the closing head is achieved.

Abstract: A method and machine for producing cartons of cigarettes, each consisting of a number of packets of cigarettes housed inside a box formed from a flat blank divided by yield lines into a number of panels; the carton being formed by feeding the blank along a first path to a prefolding station where the blank is folded substantially in a U, and by transferring the prefolded blank to a loading station where a respective group of packets is fed inside the prefolded blank, and is pushed further, along a further path, so as to feed the blank and respective group of packets into a folding channel for closing the box.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a coil (1) of a continuous flexible object (2), such as cable and line, and enveloping the coil to form a parcel (27) for delivery to a user, said object (2) being coiled onto an axially open, cylindrical sleeve (28) to produce said coil. According to the invention the sleeve (28) is provided with two protective rings (29, 30) and is brought to be fixed by a first tool (9) so that the sleeve (28) is firmly clamped between two parallel side supports (10, 11) and centered by centering elements (24) of the side supports, whereby a first rotatable unit (36) is formed. The cable or line (2) is attached to said first unit (36) and the unit (36) is brought to rotate in a coiling machine (3) so that the cable or line is formed to said coil (1).

Abstract: This invention relates to a snap zipper, a bag with a snap zipper, manufacture method and apparatus for a bag with a snap zipper, and bagging method and apparatus for a bag with a snap zipper. A hot-welded portion of the snap zipper comprising a male member and a female member is formed of ionomer resin or random copolymer resin of ethylene-acrylic acid. At least one tape with a pair of snap zipper half-members and a base film are supplied and passed through guide rollers for being placed one above the other, followed by hot-welding the tapes with snap zipper half-members and the base film to each other to form a film with a snap zipper. The film with a snap zipper is guided by a guide member such that the pair of snap zipper half-member are intermeshed to form a tubular film. The tubular film is sealed off with intervals of a predetermined distance perpendicularly to the lengthwise direction thereof.

Abstract: An apparatus for heat shrinking an envelope of heat shrinkable film into close conformity to a product enclosed within the film envelope includes a housing; a first assembly disposed within the housing for directed heated air to at least a first portion of the film envelope; a second assembly disposed with the housing and operable subsequent to the first assembly for directing heated water onto at least a second portion of the envelope, both causing the envelope to shrink into conformity with the product; an arrangement for drying the product after water has been applied thereto; and an arrangement for circulating the hot water into heat transfer relation with a moving stream of the hot air for enhanced water heating prior to its application to the product.

Abstract: An agricultural bagging machine is disclosed comprising a vertically disposed feeder positioned above the rotor thereof to move silage downwardly into contact with the rotor. A substantially horizontally disposed feeder is positioned forwardly of the rotor to move silage rearwardly into contact with the rotor. Each of the feeders comprises a plurality of spaced-apart augers which are mounted to permit the separation of the same should the operator inadvertently come into contact with the rotating augers.

Abstract: A container 1 has a support member 3 which ascends and descends freely and is provided at back of a container body 2, a top connecting member 11 which is fixed at front of the container body 2 and can couple and decouple with a carrier 45, a bottom connecting member 16 which is provided at the front of the container body 2 so as to be able to move and which couples and decouples with the carrier 45, and transmitting members 21, 40 which transmit the movement of the bottom connecting member 16 to the support member 3 and raise and lower the support member 3.

Abstract: A TAB (tape automated bonding) tape is disclosed which includes one or more openings, each adapted to receive a semiconductor chip, and electrical leads extending into each such opening. Significantly, this TAB tape also includes means for preventing a semiconductor chip, positioned within a tape opening, from being lifted toward a bonding tool as a result of electrical leads adhering to the bonding tool, when the bonding tool is used to bond contact pads on the semiconductor chip to the leads extending into the opening.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system for handling large area, in-process, circuit panel layers. The circuit panel layers are thin and flimsy, and require rigid support for certain processing steps. The system includes a peripheral frame fixture for surrounding and supporting the in process circuit panel layer, and a a loading chuck for mounting the in-process circuit panel layer in the peripheral frame fixture. The peripheral frame fixture includes a bottom plate having a central opening to expose the circuit panel layer, a top frame having a corresponding central opening to expose the opposite surface of the circuit panel layer, and a compressive apparatus, as screws, bolts, or the like, for applying a z axis compressive force to the bottom plate, the top frame, and a panel layer therebetween. Optionally, the fixture may include alignment pins or fiducials for aligning the bottom plate, a panel layer, and the top frame, and a robotic interface for a robotic arm to grasp and transfer the peripheral frame fixture.

Abstract: An apparatus has an article sending-side first rotary wheel and an article receiving-side second rotary wheel. These rotary wheels are disposed adjacent to each other and are rotated in opposite directions at the same peripheral velocity. A plurality of heads are disposed on each of the rotary wheels. These heads are rotatably provided to the rotary wheels. The heads of the first rotary wheel and the heads of the second rotary wheel are maintained to oppose each other while they pass a transfer section as a portion in which the rotary heads are adjacent to each other. Plates for holding an article are provided to these heads. When the heads of the second rotary wheel move through the transfer section, the plates of these heads are open to transfer the article from the heads of the first rotary wheel to the heads of the second rotary wheel.