Abstract: A system comprising transmitting apparatus for transmitting messages to receiving apparatus which have a closed casing for collecting printed sheets into a bundle and also enclosing enveloping material for automatically enveloping the collected bundles of printed sheets. Receiving apparatus (M1, M2, . . . Mn), each having a closed casing (h1, h2, . . . hn) and enveloping material (F1) in said casing, and are intended for installation at stations (UP1, UP2, UPn) intended for the central collection of enveloped bundles or dispatches (FF1) addressed to addressees located in the neighborhood of respective collecting stations. The transmitting apparatus (S1, S2, . . . Sm) are equipped with payment means (b1, b2, bm) through which payment can be made for a transmission service on each transmission occasion, this service including transmission of a message, enveloping the message received and delivering the message or dispatch to the receiving addressee.

Abstract: Copies (22) of preferably folded or stitched printed matter are transferred by means of a loading device (20) from a preceding station to a stacking device (30). The copies (22) are stacked in the stacking means (30) into stacks (120), positioned on a bottom (96). The bottom (96) can be lowered together with the stack (120) lying thereon. During this movement, the bottom is lowered simultaneously into a banding means (106) which applies itself to the bottom and the side walls of the stack. Thereafter the banding means (106) is closed tightly on top of the lowered stack (120), by means of sealing rams (118). The stack (120), with the loop wrapped around it, is then carried off, and the lowered bottom (96) or its partial bottoms (98, 100) return to their upper position.

Abstract: A machine and method for forming, filling and sealing closed individual pinch pouches includes a support for holding a continuous supply of material having a solid bleached sulfate board or paper board surface and a heat sealable plastic coating on one side. A folding apparatus folds the web material onto itself with the heat sealable surface facing itself with a gusset at the fold. Drive rollers pull the material from the source through the folding apparatus. Heating bars form a seal between selected portions of the material by sealing the heat sealable surfaces at intermittent portions. A cutter cuts the material through the seal and forms a blank having opposed sealed edges extending to the gusset and an open edge opposite the gusset. A hammer pushes the gusset of the blank inward to spread apart opposed surfaces of the blank. An injector forces a flowable substance into the blank through the open edge.

Abstract: The total heating energy to be given to the folded parts of packages (i.e. box-like items) is changed within a short period of time in response to a variation of transferring speed of the box-like items. As the heater moving mechanisms are operated, each of the heater blocks is moved towards or away from the inside parts of each of the package conveying annular belts in synchronization with the transferring speed of the box-like items. The number of heated blocks abutting against the inside parts of each of the annular belts is varied in response to the transferring speed of the box-like items.

Abstract: The present invention describes a method and apparatus for closing a filled vacuum pack package. The open end of the package, which is made from a thin-wall, flexible foil, is folded above the height of the product in the package. The package is placed in a vacuum chamber, a vacuum is drawn on the contents of the package, and the open end of the packaged is closed airtightly by a closing mechanism. While in the vacuum chamber, the open end of the package, which is not yet completely folded, is folded by a flexible part of the vacuum chamber wall facing the open end of the package. The flexible part of the vacuum chamber is folded inwardly by applying a pressure on its exterior which is greater than the vacuum pressure therein.

Abstract: Method and installation for packaging a palletizable load (20), in which the constituent elements (21) of the load (20) are positioned on the pallet in several levels or layers of palletization by a palletization member, wherein :a sheet (9) of a material having non-slip properties is inserted between each level of palletization; andthe peripheral strapping of the load is carried out by a microcreped stretchable paper tape.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an arrangement for a load hoist comprising a load device supported by a lifting cable and a driver for driving the load device in a horizontal direction. The driver is arranged to be actuated by the movement of the lifting cable in the lateral direction in order to displace a supported load device, together with an associated load, in an appropriate direction. The displacement may be controlled by load personnel who maneuver the load device, causing the load to move in a desired direction. The invention results in simple and efficient actuation of a load hoist.

Abstract: An improved bridge crane electric motor control system is disclosed, wherein a computer, a programmable controller, is employed to not only control the application of electrical energy to the motors of a bridge crane but also to count and store the instances of overload and of use. The controller is operated in accordance with a computer program which is disclosed and information relating to use is accessible by maintenance workers who may read out the amount of use and abuse of the crane and its motors and take corrective steps. The system provides greater security against unauthorized modification in the field by the operators and employs fewer and more reliable parts than previous such systems.

Abstract: An apparatus for loading cartons (11, 12) which arrive on feed conveyors (13, 14) onto pallets (10) is disclosed. A palletizer (15 ) is used for loading the catons (11, 12) arriving on feed conveyors (13, 14 ) onto the pallet (10). This palletizer (15) lifts the cartons (11, 12) off the feed conveyor (13, 14 ) with a suction head (27) and conducts upward and downward movements as well as pivoting movements in order to deposit the cartons (11, 12) on the pallet (10). To increase the capacity of the palletizer (15), it is equipped with two independently operating articulated arms (16, 17 ) which both load cartons (11, 12) onto a pallet (10). As a result, the capacity of the palletizer (15 ) is increased while the operating velocity of the articulated arms (16, 17) remains invariable.

Abstract: A compost bagging machine is described including a wheeled frame having a tunnel mounted thereon which is adapted to receive the opened mouth of a bag. The inside surface of the tunnel is provided with a plurality of spaced apart flutes which create air channels in the material within the bag. An elongated perforated pipe is also positioned within the material in the bag and the bagging machine moves relative to the bag during the bagging operation. The presence of air in the channels created by the flutes and the air present in the perforated pipe ensures that sufficient air will be present in the mass to achieve complete decomposition of the material.

Abstract: An apparatus for supplying flat, disc-like articles, such as pharmaceutical compacts and similarly configured technical small parts, in particular tablets (1), and for sealing the articles in hot-sealing sheet (5, 105) comprises a conveyor for supplying the articles and two hot-sealing rollers (30, 130), one of which is arranged on either side of a conveying path (3). A hot-sealing sheet (5, 105), is supplied from each roller so that the rollers receive the articles in seal wells (32, 132) between the hot-sealing sheets and seal the articles between the sheets. A finger roller (10) for positioning the articles is arranged on the conveying path (3) in front of the hot-sealing rollers (30, 130). Between the finger roller (10) and the hot-sealing rollers (30, 130) on both sides of the conveying path (3) there is a respective polygonal roller (20, 120) for geometrical constrained guiding and separating of the articles.

Abstract: A method of unitizing a cargo of multiple substantially identical high density hay bales into multiple non-palletized units capable of being handled by a forklift truck or the like and fitted into shipping containers and utility vehicle cargo spaces comprises the steps of selecting a plurality of substantially identical high density bales of hay, arranging the plurality of bales of hay into selected size stacks of at least one layer of multiple horizontal rows, and wrapping multiple layers of an elongated continuous sheet of pre-stretched polymeric film having a memory horizontally around the plurality of bales of hay.

Abstract: A packaging apparatus for packaging rolled articles. The apparatus forms a pair of packaging materials for wrapping side portions of the rolled article. Edges of the pair of packaging materials are adhered to additional packaging material which wraps a circumferential portion of the rolled article. A splicer splices a trailing end of the second packaging material to a leading end of the rolled article and a winder winds the leading end of the rolled article and the second packaging material around the periphery of the rolled article. A gusseting device gussets the pair of packaging materials along the sides of the rolled article.

Abstract: Apparatus suitable for disposition in supermarkets and the like for dispensing, in open condition, plastic or otherwise flexible bags for receiving therein articles purchased on site. The apparatus includes a reel formed of a continuous web of bags serially attached together in end-to-end relation, and a device for unwinding the continuous web from the reel and for advancing the web so as to transport the leading bag to a bag opening and retaining device. At the opening device, the leading bag is detached from the continuous web, a pair of relatively movable grippers grasps the opposite faces of and opens the bag, and the opened bag is supported by a vertically-movable loading platform as articles are introduced into the bag through a hopper located immediately above the platform-supported open bag.

Abstract: Weighed, rod-like product is deposited into a receptacle having a bottom wall formed by an iris plate assembly, which may be vibrated and which opens on command to drop the product into one of two cylindrical holding canisters with clamshell doors on their sides. The canisters are mounted in an "L" configuration which toggles back and forth through a 90 degree rotation presenting each canister first in a vertical position to receive product from the receptacle and then in a horizontal position to release product via the clamshell doors into a pocket such as a timing hopper, or a paperboard tray carried by a conveyor to a packaging machine. Interlocks are provided to preclude release of the product or movement of the conveyor when synchronization is lost with respect to either the weighing or packaging machine.

Abstract: In the enclosure inserting apparatus comprising structure for conveying an envelope along a flap unfolding path to an enclosure inserting location, structure for unfolding the flap of the envelope as the envelope is conveyed along the flap unfolding path to the enclosure inserting location, structure for holding the flap-unfolded envelope open at the enclosure inserting location, and structure for moving an enclosure along an enclosure feed path to the held-open envelope and inserting the enclosure into the held-open envelope, wherein the flap unfolding structure comprises structure for engaging the flap of an envelope moved therepast, and the flap unfolding path includes a gap having a width determined by a distance between the envelope conveying structure and the engaging structure, the improvement comprises a flapper blade adjustably mounted to the engaging structure for adjusting the width of the gap.

Abstract: In machine, optionally an attachment for a packing machine, for packing bales of straw fodder of a "rectangular" form, plastic sheeting is deposited in layers or overlapping around the straw fodder bale. The packing machine has two drive rollers which rotate the bale around a substantially horizontal axis. Each drive roller is connected operationally to two auxiliary rollers, both of which are able to engage with the fodder bale. The three rollers are mounted in a roller unit in such a way that each roller is in a predetermined spaced relationship to the others. The roller units are mounted on the center axis of the drive roller so as to be revolvable, and two such spaced apart roller units when in operation are able to turn a rectangular bale of straw fodder through 360.degree. around the horizontal axis.

Abstract: A stick feeder comprising a stick for carrying a plurality of semiconductor devices housed therein, a holding block for receiving and holding semiconductor devices discharged sequentially from the stick; and a plurality stop members selectively detachably mounted to the holder for stopping semiconductor devices discharged from the said stick to the holding block, the width of the holding block being adjustable in a direction perpendicular to the workpiece feeding direction, and the mounting position of the stop member being adjustable with respect to the holder so that the stop position of a semiconductor device can be adjusted in the workpiece holding portion by varying the mounting position of the stop member.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to a process and a device for packing pressed bales with a film and by strapping, wherein the pressed bale is maintained under pressure between pressure rams while the packing is applied. The packing device 1 has an enveloping device 5 and a strapping device 6, which are arranged on separately movable transport carriages 8, 9. The packing film is pulled off from a single film roll 10 on the other transport carriage 9 by means of a movable film arm 5 located on one of the transport carriage 8, and is placed in a U-shaped pattern as a belly bandage around the pressed bale 2. After cutting off from the roll 10, the film ends are then placed loosely over each other with an overlap by means of a second gripping arm 20, and fixed by strap hoops.

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 engagement members are selectively and positively engageable with each other throughout the rotation of the rotatable support for stopping the rotation of the rotatable support when the engagement members are positively engaged and for permitting rotation of the rotatable support when the engagement members are disengaged. One of the engagement members is mounted on a rotatable support and the other is mounted on a fixed support. An actuator selectively engages engagement members. One engagement member preferably includes at least two stop units spaced at a distance less than the distance between the engageable formations of the other engagement member.