Abstract: A machine is provided for continuously packing food or pharmaceutical products in thermoformed plastic material containers, comprising a station for receiving and unwinding reels of plastic material film, heating stations, a thermoforming station, a dosing station, a sealing station and a cutting station, and chains for moving the plastic material film step by step from one end of the machine to the other, which are driven without slipping over drive wheels having a smooth surface.

Abstract: A forming shoulder for a forming and filling tube of a form, fill and seal machine has a skirt provided with a guide channel for a longitudinal zipper area of a package making material sheet running over the forming shoulder, thereby retaining the zipper area and the sheet against lateral drifting.

Abstract: A high speed apparatus for cutting and wrapping soft chewing gum comprises a plurality of substantially parallel cutters having cutting heads to cut the gum into relatively thin rectangular-shaped pieces. The cutters are moved to a position where each individually shaped piece of gum is placed into a nest on a wrapping tray with a wrapper located therebetween. The cutters are moved in an eccentric ovoid path by a ring wheel and grooved cam wheel arrangement which causes the cutting heads to separate and move back together as they move through a cycle. During placement of the stick of gum in the nest, a flat side of the shaped piece of gum is urged against the flat bottom of the nest. The apparatus further comprises an apparatus to complete wrapping the wrapper around the piece of gum.

Abstract: A web of heat-sealable film is advanced in overlying relation with filled cups to a sealing station where both the web and the cups dwell momentarily. During the dwell period, sealing heads advance downwardly and seal the web to the upper end portions of the cups. The heads are advanced downwardly with a two-step stroke, the heads first advancing in unision with a carriage and then being individually advanced by individual pneumatic actuators which are mounted on the carriage. After being sealed, the cups are indexed to a cutting station where annular knives are advanced downwardly to cut through the web and leave each cup with a circular sealing membrane. The knives are advanced with a two-step stroke similar to that of the sealing head.

Abstract: A device is provided for packing in supple bags articles billed individually at a check-out desk of a self-service store. The device includes: two slightly inclined rods; a reserve of supple bags suspended vertically from said rods via handles; means for evacuating these bags once filled; wherein the terminal part of each of the suspension rods, towards the free end thereof, presents a surface state different from the preceding part of the rod and such that the coefficient of friction of this terminal part is greater than that of the preceding part of the rod, with the result that the resistance to slide of the handles on this terminal part of the rods becomes greater than the previous resistance to slide, thus allowing, by the force of retention thus employed, the rupture of the separable point of connection between the rear face of the evacuated filled bag and the front face of the following empty bag pulled towards its position for filling.

Abstract: A method for packaging electric wiring by using a grasping tool to assist in ensleeving the wiring in a plastic sleeve. Subsequent to ensleeving the grasping tool is disengaged. The sleeve with the enclosed wiring is folded over to form a neat compact package which is secured and ready for storage.

Abstract: Cups or lids for packaging foodstuffs and the like in a sterile environment are sterilized in the packaging machine by passing them through a sterilizing chamber to be contacted first by the hydrogen peroxide and then by hot air. The packaging elements are initially moved apart rapidly and are than brought toward one another without contact, periodically in the sterilizing chamber to improve the contact of the sterilizing and drying fluid with the surfaces.

Abstract: A crimper in which jaws are swung into crimping engagement with a bottle cap in response to downward movement of a plunger. Downward movement of the plunger is effected by a lever which is located below a handle joined to the body of the crimper. When the handle and the lever are squeezed, the lever is pulled upwardly toward the handle to actuate the crimper and, at the same time, the handle and the body are pressed downwardly to keep the crimper stable on the bottle. The length of the stroke of the lever may be changed by varying the setting of an adjusting screw which is carried by the lever.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for applying covers to seat cushions, including a frame cushion support which is rotatable between a portion in which the cushion covered thereby is compressed to facilitate placing the cover over the cushion and a position which provides access to the bottom of the cushion to facilitate fastening the cover to the cushion.

Abstract: Sheet materials and packages capable of holding hard-to-hold products such as methyl salicylate. The preferred embodiments include a foil layer 12 and a layer 14 of EVOH between foil layer 12 and the enclosed product. A carboxy modified adhesive layer 18 is disposed between the EVOH layer 14 and the product 52. Additional layers are used in the sheet material for purposes of adhesion, appearance, protection, body, and the like. One embodiment of the invention is a coextruded film comprising the EVOH layer 514, a surface layer 516, an intervening adhesive layer 518, and a fourth covering layer 519 for covering and protecting the EVOH layer 514, especially from physical abuse. A method is disclosed wherein the sheet materials of the invention may be made into packages using fin seals 54 and lap seals 50.

Abstract: A device for transferring objects, such as filled bags, from a conveyor to a collection device, such as a box, placed below the conveyor comprises two conveyor belts (1, 2) placed adjacent to each other. In the conveying position, the top parts of said conveyor belts together form one conveying face. Each of the conveyor belts (1, 2) is disposed on a tiltable frame (4). In order to make the drive of the conveyor belts (1, 2) extremely simple and to make it possible to adjust the conveyor belts at right angles to their direction of conveyance, the drive comprises a drive pulley (3) acting upon the top part of the belts (1, 2) in the conveying position thereof.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for the sealing of a container (10) by means of a wafer (20). The container comprises one or more joining means (14, 16) which are adapted so that by a joint (12), e.g. a welding joint, they are connected in a leakproof manner, to the wafer in an edge zone (21) of the same. The wafer is held against a contact surface (32) of a retaining means so as to be moved by the same until it rests in its edge zone (21) against anyone of the joining means (14, 16). While the contact with the retaining means is maintained, the wafer is connected by a fixing means (50) in its edge zone in a leakproof manner to anyone of the joining means through the fixing means supplying energy to the edge zone so that a joint (12) is formed. The invention makes it possible to fix in a leakproof manner a previously cut wafer to the opening part of a container.

Abstract: The plant comprises a conveyor (1) above which are disposed a device (3) for injecting liquefied gas into the containers and, on the downstream side of the device relative to the direction of travel of the conveyor, a device (4) for closing the containers, and a tunnel (5) for protecting the containers against the surrounding air and extending between the injecting device (3) and the closing device (4). Application in the packing of non-gaseous beverages and organic products in cans or bottles.

Abstract: A zipper guide and spreader device for form, fill and seal apparatus comprises a package material guiding and spreading mechanism wherein a pair of articulated members have zipper guideways. The members are hingedly connected together and one of the members is hingedly connected to a fixed support. An actuator operates the articulated members from a biased relaxed position into an articulated material-spreading position wherein the material is spread for eliminating wrinkles before edge sealing across the material below the discharge end of the forming and filling tube.

Abstract: The apparatus for closing containers with a sealing lamina comprises a framework for supporting a first conveyor belt for feeding containers to be closed, which is connected to a heat-welding unit and to a second conveyor belt for removing the closed containers. The apparatus has a pusher element which can engage a plurality of containers. First actuation means act on the pusher to move it from a position of engagement of the containers to a position of disengagement therefrom, and second means move it along an axis which is parallel to the direction of advancement of the containers.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for a tray arrangement for a series of continuously linked trays. The trays are adapted to be stacked by a twisting mechanism and by a series of curved side guards which twist and bend the links connecting the trays in order to arrange the trays into the proper configuration. The trays are then unstacked by another series of curved side guards and twisting mechanism and then each tray is in turn moved to a filling station where filling material is dispensed therein. The filled tray is then moved to a lid closing station where the attached flipped open lid of the tray is closed atop the tray. The tray is then pulled by a side grasping pull flange to a position where an overhead piston driven mechanism seals the lid and cuts the link, separating the tray from the nested of the trays.

Abstract: Indicia such as tax stamps are applied to objects such as cigarette packs by driving a heated ram against the back of an indicia supply tape to cause the indicium to transfer from the tape to the object. If the object is contained in outer packaging such as cigarette carton packaging, that outer packaging is opened prior to applying the indicia to the objects. Then the outer packaging is reclosed. The indicia supply tapes are contained in cartridges which are easily removed for reloading and storage in a secure place. The cartridges are mounted on heads in the machine which are movable to facilitate applying indicia with various spacings and in various arrangements.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for sealing a filled, flanged carton tray with a flat lid. The tray is advanced into a sealing machine while resting on a conveyor (3) and at random spacing between trays. At a predetermined position the tray has a lid (2) placed on it, the lid (2) engaging against a stop curtain (4) and awaiting the tray (1), this being the lid (2) which is to be sealed against the flanges of the tray. The tray with the lid on it is then advanced by rollers (5-8) into a first microwave applicator (11), which includes longitudinal rails (12, 13) with a C-shaped cross section, for sealing a pair of opposing lid edge portions against respective flanges of the tray (1), subsequent to which, compression or sealing rollers (14-17) situated in the advancing direction of the conveyor press against the lid (2), which was sealed immediately previously, and before the tray (1) is turned 90.degree.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for sealing and closing an end of a sleeve, more particularly an apparatus and method for bag making, filling, and packaging for intermittently delivering a packaging film of a predetermined length, while forming the film into a tubular shape by a bag making cylindrical body; filling the tubular packaging film with a material to be packaged; and clamping the tubular film by closing a pair of opposed sealing devices to heat seal the tubular film. Apparatus is provided for cooling the heat sealed end of the tubular film by a device which is independent of the sealing device. The heat sealed end of the tubular sleeve is positioned and directly engaged by the cooling members which serves to shorten the cooling time, yet provides an improved seal with an improved appearance.

Abstract: A packaging machine, in which the packaging is carried out of products fed by free-falling inside a cradle-shaped length of a packaging material, which is provided with a welding/cutting device for welding and cutting opposite edges of packaging material, is capable of accomplishing a continuous weld on three sides of the product-containing packaging material, and of removing ear-shaped scrap portions of said packaging material, generated by the weld.