Patents Examined by Daniel B. Moon
  • Patent number: 5136824
    Abstract: In processes and apparatuses for closing packaging sheaths made of flexible material, particularly tubular bags, by means of a U-shaped closing clip 4, the end portion 5 of the packaging sheath which is to be closed is gathered and is introduced into a receiving space 7 between the guideways 2 for the two legs of the closing clip 4 and for a closing punch 3 and by means of said punch is closed on a female die 9 at the end of the clip-guiding guideway 2, the problem arises that particularly with bags having a highly fluid content it is complicated to feed the gathered end portion 5 of the packaging sheath to be closed laterally to the clip-guiding guideway 2 and is particularly difficult to remove the closed bag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1992
    Inventor: Herbert Niedecker
  • Patent number: 5133173
    Abstract: Packets of cigarettes are directly singly and in succession along a conveyor into a cellophane wrapping machine, and thereafter to a packaging machine which is driven, together with the wrapping machine, by one main motor and incorporates a feed unit supplying wrapper blanks, and a wrapping unit by which each blank is folded about a corresponding group of packets. In the event of an interruption in the supply of packets to the conveyor, the feed unit is decoupled automatically from the main motor and the wrapping unit then allowed to complete a further cycle in which a blank already gummed and positioned by the feed unit can be fashioned as usual into an outer wrapper around a relative group of packets before the main motor is finally shut off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1991
    Date of Patent: July 28, 1992
    Assignee: G.D. Societa per Azioni
    Inventors: Fiorenzo Draghetti, Silvano Boriani
  • Patent number: 5131213
    Abstract: A sealing jaw apparatus for a plastic film wrapping machine has essentially spaced heated sealing jaws with a reciprocal knife located therebetween. The jaws operate against a heated elastomeric bed that has a longitudinal slot to receive the knife during the cutting operation. The arrangement provides a sealing of thermoplastic film and a severing thereof at a considerably lower temperature then the melting point of the film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 1991
    Date of Patent: July 21, 1992
    Assignee: Shanklin Corporation
    Inventors: Frank G. Shanklin, Robin G. Thurgood, Francis X. King, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5129214
    Abstract: A device for placing chocolates inserted into paper cups with upright, pleated edges into the bottom portion of candy boxes, with cartridges moved by a conveyor belt and having recesses or the like to accomodate the paper cups; a device for inserting the paper cups into the recesses in the cartridges; a device for inserting the chocolates into the paper cups and a device for transferring the paper cups filled with chocolates to the bottom portion of a candy box, wherein said cartridges have grooves extending from one side to the other side, with bridges disposed therebetween, with lateral indentations disposed facing one another at the locations of said paper cups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1990
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1992
    Assignee: Gerhard Schubert GmbH
    Inventor: Gerhard Schubert
  • Patent number: 5127212
    Abstract: The invention provides a high speed baling machine having a multi part chute which can be adjusted horizontally in both width and depth to accommodate packages of various lengths and widths with the packages falling sidways in the chute.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 1991
    Date of Patent: July 7, 1992
    Assignee: Johnsen Machine Company Ltd.
    Inventors: Hugo Johnsen, Ole Johnsen
  • Patent number: 5125216
    Abstract: A packaging machine comprises a strip feeder (13) and tube former (14) for heat-welding plastic film strip into a tube. First welding apparatus (15) weld between them the side edges of the strip while a feed line (11) inputs into the tube thus formed products (12) that are to be packaged. Second weld apparatus (16) welds transversely of the tube at intervals to isolate each product in a section of the tube, thus realizing the packaging. Characteristically the first (15) and second (16) welding apparatus are pressed against the strip parts to be welded by an actuator (33, 34, 36, 37, 44, 43) controlled by a control device (46) to exert a pressure which is a function of the speed of travel of the strip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 30, 1992
    Assignee: Eurosicma S.r.l.
    Inventor: Marco Redaelli
  • Patent number: 5123232
    Abstract: An upright immersion tube (92) is movable back and forth in its longitudinal direction between a takeover position in which a bushy plant (10) can be introduced into the immersion tube (92) and an immersed position in which the immersion tube is plunged through a spreader tube (40) into the vicinity of the bottom of a bag (12) which is being held open. The immersion tube (92) has a rear semi-tubular portion (96) with a hinged flap which is open in the takeover position but adapted to be moved into a closing position as the immersion tube (92) moves into the immersed position and, in said closing position, supplements the rear portion (96) so as to form a closed tube section. The spreader tube (40) has the profile contour of a ship's hull and engages between projecting bag edge zones (16) of a film web forming the bags (12) and being movable stepwise in the longitudinal direction of this contour.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1990
    Date of Patent: June 23, 1992
    Assignee: W. Kordes' Sohne Rosenschulen GmbH & Co KG
    Inventors: Bernd Helms, Reiner Peters, Peter Hoppe
  • Patent number: 5121591
    Abstract: A packing device for cut products is used for packing a number of products such as pickles, cucumbers, and the like into a cylindrical holder such as a glass jar. The device includes at least one cutting member for cutting each product into portions, a member for receiving the portions, a member for transporting the holders, and a member for guiding the portions into the holders in a predetermined pattern. The guiding member includes a number of prism-shaped carriers disposed in a circle so that each receives a portion, wherein each carrier is pivotable about an axis from a first position to a second position. Pivoting of the carriers allows for guiding of the portions into the holders according to the predetermined pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1992
    Assignee: Backus Beheer B.V.
    Inventors: Steven M. M. Backus, Paul J. McKee
  • Patent number: 5119616
    Abstract: An adsorbent packet including a casing of permeable material, adsorbent in the casing, and a sleeve of metal foil fused to a central portion of the casing by ultrasonic welding and having a layer of nylon on the outside thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1992
    Assignee: Multiform Desiccants, Inc.
    Inventors: John S. Cullen, Samuel A. Incorvia
  • Patent number: 5117614
    Abstract: The invention provides a baling machine for baling groups of packages containing product into a bale bag. Packages are transported to fall down a chute individually where they are stacked in a group until the group is allowed to fall into a bale bag and into engagement with a moving platform which decelerates the group to minimize impact and resulting bruising. The filled bale bag is then ejected and closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1992
    Assignee: Johnsen Machine Company Ltd.
    Inventor: Hugo Johnsen
  • Patent number: 5115618
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for packaging books. The book(s) to be packaged are placed upon a rectangular flat cardboard sheet (11), followed by pulling over the book/books a separate plastic film or paper (17), which is transverse relative to the cardboard sheet and whose ends are fastened to the cardboard sheet to its top surfaces (14) adjacent the long edges thereof, and the ends of said cardboard sheet are folded around an article to be packaged for producing a tubular protective wrapping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 1990
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1992
    Assignee: Pussikeskus Oy
    Inventor: Veikko I. Janhonen
  • Patent number: 5115617
    Abstract: An apparatus to cap in succession containers transported in serial order on a conveyor belt. The apparatus comprises a cap dispensing station operating in a timed-relationship with the container feed rate to loosely apply on each container a screw-type cap in thread alignment with the threads on the container neck. The cap dispensing station includes a cap relase passage at least partially closed by a resilient lip preventing a cap to travel through the passage under the effect of gravity. A selectively actuatable cap ejector drives the cap out of the passage against the resiliency of the lip, freeing the cap which is deposited on a container underneath. During the cap movement through the passage, the resilient lip frictionally engages the cap, guiding same, to allow precise positioning of the cap on the container. A cap tightening station is provided downstream of the cap dispensing station to rotatably engage the caps loosely applied to the containers to tighten same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 1990
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1992
    Assignee: H. G. Kalish Inc.
    Inventors: Graham Lewis, Milos Prchal, Siegfried H. Weidner, Max Yablonovitch
  • Patent number: 5111642
    Abstract: The machine comprises a central vertical tube and an outer tube guided on the central tube, these tubes being movable according to constant strokes which are appropriately in step with respect to one another. A casing is fixed to the outer tube and has a lower pipe which is parallel to the tube. A lever is pivoted to a ring positionable longitudinally on the outer tube and a rod is guided in the casing and is provided, in a downward position, with a plunger guided inside the pipe. An adjustable-height loading cell is supported on the central tube, and the lever has an end which is operatively associated with the top of the rod. The opposite end of the lever is free and acts on the loading cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1992
    Assignee: Macofar S.p.A.
    Inventor: Franco Chiari
  • Patent number: 5109654
    Abstract: A gas feed arrangement for supplying gas into bags in a packaging machine is disclosed. A belt-like film is tubulated by a tube former and, as articles to be packaged are supplied into the tubulated film, both the tubulated film and the articles are transported while being held between a pair of tension conveyors. Double pipes, each consisting of an outer evacuation pipe and an inner gas jet pipe, are inserted into the tubulated film. The locations for evacuation and gas blow by the inner and outer pipes within the film are spaced from each other a distance corresponding to a length of more than one article. Cushion blocks provided in multiplicities on a pair of tension belts exert pressure against the film from opposite sides thereby to eliminate any superfluous space within the film and, at same time, to isolate adjacent articles from each other. Thus, the oxygen present in each bag is efficiently displaced by inert gas fed into the bag, and the required inert gas consumption can be minimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1992
    Assignee: Ibaraki Precision Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tadoru Suga
  • Patent number: 5105602
    Abstract: An automatic wrapping apparatus of cylindrical articles, particularly plastic bobbins. The apparatus includes feed rollers for feeding two wrapping sheets therebetween in opposed manner to form a bottom portion for a wrapping bag. A loading device is provided for loading bobbins onto the bottom portion by holding each unit of regularly arranged bobbins and dropping it in an orderly state. A support member is provided for supporting the bobbins unit by unit from underneath and causing the bobbin unit whenever dropped to descend by the bobin height, thus stacking bobbin units one upon another. A basket-like retainer is provided for receiving the bobbin units descending with stacking to retain them in the place so as to keep the orderly state. A heat sealer is provided for uniting the bottom portion and a top margin of the wrapping bag. A side heat sealer is provided for uniting both sides of the bag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 21, 1992
    Assignee: Osaka Bobbin Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Nobutaka Ono
  • Patent number: 5097649
    Abstract: A packaging machine comprising a rotary body having blank bottom forming radial mandrels so arranged as to be successively stoppable at a plurality of process stations including a blank feed station, a feeder for fitting a tubular blank having a square or rectangular cross section around the mandrel stopping at the blank feed station to feed the blank to the mandrel, and a collector for collecting paper particles adhering to the blank to be fed by the feeder. The feeder has a pair of guide rails positioned on opposite sides of and extending in parallel to a phantom line extending outward from the mandrel stopping at the blank feed station. The collector has a tubular collecting cover enclosing the guide rails. The cover is formed with an air outlet covered with a filter. A suction device applies suction to the air outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1992
    Assignee: Shikoku Kakoki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuo Ueda, Shigeru Wakabayashi, Yasuji Fujikawa
  • Patent number: 5092104
    Abstract: This invention is a universal bag spreader apparatus utilized to prepare a container member having a baked product therein in a proper condition prior to a bag closing operation. The universal bag spreader apparatus includes 1) a basic support assembly having a main blower and filter assembly connected thereto; 2) an adjustable air discharge assembly connected to the main blower and filter assembly; and 3) a main control assembly to control blower motor operation and air flow volume. The main flower and filter assembly include a power blower assembly operable to receive inlet air through an inlet air filter assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 3, 1992
    Inventor: Stanley R. Zelenka
  • Patent number: 5085029
    Abstract: A carton top sealing mechanism for use in processing thermoplastic coated paperboard cartons on a forming, filling and sealing machine. The top sealing mechanism includes oppositely disposed fixed and movable sealing jaws, between which heated adjacent sealing fins of a gable top carton are positioned. A pneumatic bladder or membrane is operatively connected to the movable sealing jaw to move same upon being inflated to thereby squeeze the sealing fins between the jaws and seal same together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 1990
    Date of Patent: February 4, 1992
    Assignee: Elopak Systems A.G.
    Inventor: Leo J. Esper
  • Patent number: 5083411
    Abstract: A stacking station for receiving empty containers stacked in superposed relationship and a stacking station for receiving full containers which are also stacked in superposed relationship are disposed side-by-side while arranged at a right angle relative thereto and adjacent the empty container stacking station is a station for filling the containers. When viewed from above the apparatus forms an angle with the empty container stacking station as the angle corner. In normal use that permits the apparatus to be used in a space-saving fashion in such a way that the two stacking stations can be set up at the end of a production machine from which articles are to be taken while the filling station extends on the discharge side of a machine of that kind for component ejection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 28, 1992
    Assignee: Firma Axmann-Fordertechnik GmbH
    Inventor: Norbert Axmann
  • Patent number: 5081823
    Abstract: A device for stacking and packaging a series of articles includes a rotating wheel having a multiple number of dividers thereon. The dividers being selectably projected from the periphery of the wheel in various space relationships for defining the size of a stack. The size of the stack is adjusted by varying the distance between adjacent dividers. The stacking wheel moves a stack to a packaging device that includes elements to align the stack for positioning into a package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 21, 1992
    Inventor: Hans van der Ent