Abstract: A convertible shipping/display carton, having a receptacle portion defined by a bottom, a front wall, a rear wall, a pair of opposed side walls, and a display panel extending vertically from the rear wall includes an extension section joined to the display panel. The extension section includes an extension section fold line adjacent and parallel to its juncture with the display panel, whereby the extension section is foldable along the extension section fold line between a first position in which it extends substantially vertically from the display panel, and a second position in which it extends substantially horizontally to overly the receptacle portion.

Abstract: A packaging machine comprises a device for forming incomplete containers by forming a web into a tube, filling contents into the tube, thereafter transporting the tube by a length corresponding to one container at a time, and sealing and cutting the tube transversely thereof every time the tube is transported; a container conveyor for receiving the incomplete containers from the device and transporting the containers; and a complete container forming device for making each incomplete container into a complete rectangular parallelepipedal container during transport on the conveyor. A drive device for use in the machine comprises a main shaft coupled to the incomplete container forming device so as to transmit power thereto, and a transmission shaft having one end connected to the main shaft by a main clutch and the other end coupled to a motor by a secondary clutch, the transmission shaft being coupled to the conveyor so as to transmit power.

Abstract: An ear bonding device for use in packaging machines comprises a container transport conveyor having a plurality of holders for holding a container having upper and lower ears as supported on each pair of adjacent holders, the conveyor being intermittently drivable so as to halt containers held by the holders one after another at a pressure-bonding station; an upper ear pressing member disposed above a path of transport of containers at the pressure-bonding station and movable upward and downward; a pair of lower ear pressing members arranged at opposite sides of the transport path respectively and movable toward and away from each other; and a support member for receiving the pressure of the upper ear pressing member and the lower ear pressing members acting on the holder for pressure bonding.

Abstract: Sheets and rolls of sheets with detachable labels and having a closure bonding material for securing the sheets around items to be wrapped. Spots of closure bonding material may be placed on the detachable labels to hold the detachable labels in a wrapped position. The detachable labels may contain graphical, narrative and bar code information related to pricing, inventory, sales display, product description and care instructions. The sheets may also include detachable sleeves for protecting wrapped items during shipping and handle areas which may be punched out of the sheets for grasping the wrapped items. The handle areas may also contain information similar to that on the detachable labels. Sheets having detachable labels may also be used for forming flower pots or flower pot covers. By providing such labels on the unformed sheets, it is not necessary to add tags or labels after the sheets are formed into flower pots or flower pot covers.

Abstract: A conveyor system for transporting a plurality of liquid-filled containers each having an open top is set forth. The conveyor system comprises a conveyor for supporting the plurality of liquid-filled containers. The conveyor is driven by a servomotor. A programmable servomotor control system is connected to control movement of the servomotor in indexed steps in accordance with a programmed motion profile. The programmed motion profile includes a move portion and a dwell portion, the move portion being substantially non-jerk limited. The non-jerk limited motion profile may take on many different characteristics.

Abstract: For the production of particles from castings (10) of metals from the group of the lanthanides, aluminum, boron, chromium, iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese, nickel, niobium, cobalt, titanium, vanadium, zirconium, and their alloys, which have solidified in an oriented manner, especially for the production of materials from the group of magnetic materials, hydrogen storage elements (hydride storage elements), and battery electrodes, a melt of the metal is applied in a nonreactive atmosphere to the inside of an at least essentially cylindrical cooling surface (9) according to the principle of centrifugal casting. The cylinder rotates at high speed around a rotational axis, and the melt is cooled proceeding from the outside toward the inside with an essentially radial direction of solidification. The hollow casting (10) is then reduced to particles.

Abstract: System and method for packing loose fill materials in bags to form cushions for use in protecting articles in shipping cartons. The bags are produced from a length of flexible plastic tubing which is folded and gathered to form a coil which is disposed about the outlet of a loose fill dispenser. A section of the tubing is pulled from the coil, and its lower end is closed to form a bag which is then filled with loose fill material dispensed through the outlet. Another section of tubing is then pulled from the coil, and the tubing is drawn together to close the upper end of the first section and the lower end of the second section. The closed ends are secured with tape, and the tubing is severed to separate the first section from the second. The cushions thus formed are placed in the shipping cartons with the articles, and in some embodiments are compressed and reexpanded in conformance with the contour of the articles.

Abstract: A temperature measurement and control apparatus (7) and a packaging film loading apparatus (9) for use in a horizontal packaging machine (5). The packaging machine includes a pair of counter-rotating sealing and crimping head assemblies (22, 23), each of which includes a plurality of sealing and crimping heads (32, 36), respectively, which are rotated past a first infrared sensor assembly (57) or a second infrared sensor assembly (61), respectively, for measuring the temperature thereof Each sealing and crimping head includes a generally arcuate sensing arc (80) mounted at the first end (77) thereof, the sensing arcs being rotated past either an upper infrared sensor (59) or a lower infrared sensor (63).

Abstract: A method of opening a bag includes the steps of providing a bag including a first panel, a second panel, a first bag edge, a second bag edge, a bag bottom, and a bag mouth; holding the bag mouth between a first means for vacuumizing and a second means for vacuumizing; moving the first and second means for vacuumizing such that the bag mouth disengages from the tape; activating the first and second means for vacuumizing to draw a vacuum through said means; and further moving the first means for vacuumizing such that the bag mouth opens. In an alternative method, instead of holding the bag mouth with the vacuumizing means, the vacuumizing means can be brought into close proximity to the bag mouth, and activated to draw each panel of the bag mouth to a respective vacuumizing means. Thereafter, both vacuumizing means can be moved upward, and the bag mouth opened. An apparatus for opening a bag is also disclosed.

Abstract: The disclosure is of a method and apparatus for packaging articles, and cushioning the packages with biodegradable, starch based materials. The materials, packed as loose nuggets within the package, are converted to a single, unitary cushion in-situ to protect the article.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of forming a pre-wrapped gift package which appears to have been hand wrapped. The method includes forming a sheet of box construction material with decorative paper affixed thereto into a flattened box tube by joining ends thereof. The box construction material is properly creased and provided with flaps so that a consumer may erect the flattened box tube into an open box so that the end flaps form ends of the box and the decorative paper forms a pair of paper flaps which may be overlapped and secured. A volume sizer is provided in the form of creased box construction material which, when erected, provides an illustration of the volume made available when the pre-wrapped gift box is erected. Box loading devices, particularly useful for shirt box sized packages, are provided in the form of inner sleeves and mechanical devices into which the gift is placed before insertion into the pre-wrapped gift box.

Abstract: A packaging machine for the working and processing of at least one length of foil has a chamber consisting essentially of an upper part (1) and a lower part (2). The chamber parts (1,2) are moveable relative to one another on guides (6) on both sides of the foil (24) by means of at least one cylinder-piston arrangement (3) which drives a toggle lever arrangement (4,5). The cylinder-piston arrangement (3) is arranged in the median plane (7) between the guides (6) and drives the toggle lever arrangement (4,5) in the same way under the ends (8) of the guides (6), the toggle lever arrangement (4,5) driving the lower part (2). The toggle lever arrangement (4,5) is operably connected to a liftable and lowerable yolk (11) such that during lifting movement of the lower part (2) the yolk (11) descends, and vice versa, and the yolk (11) is rigidly connected to the upper part (1).

Abstract: Device for pulling out or twisting off caps from vessels, wherein the vessel is held, and the cap is removed by means of a cap-holding device; the cap-holding device executes both a linear movement in direction of the vessel axis as well as a rotating movement around the vessel axis. The cap-holding device advantageously has several clamping jaws that are pressed against the circumference of the cap.

Abstract: A process and device move at least one filled sack from a suspended position at an individual filling nozzle into an upright position on a moving conveyor belt for introduction into a sack closure device, where the travel speed of the conveyor belt corresponds to the closure speed of the sack closure device, in which the at least one sack is initially transported horizontally out of an area beneath the filling nozzle before it is then deposited on the conveyor belt, and the horizontal conveying speed of the sack is greater than the travel speed of the conveyor belt.

Abstract: A wrapper for a floral grouping comprising a first and a second sheet of material. The first sheet of material is constructed of a polymer film, metal foil, fabric, denim, cellophane or burlap. The second sheet of material is constructed of a paper. At least one of the first and the second sheets of material includes a closure bonding material on at least one of the upper and lower surfaces of such sheet of material. The second sheet of material is disposed adjacent the first sheet of material and the two sheets of material then are wrapped about the floral grouping with the closure bonding material bondingly engaging a portion of at least one of the first and the second sheets of material for cooperating to secure the first and the second sheets of material in a wrapped condition about the floral grouping to form the wrapper.

Abstract: A device and method of preventing rotation of a plastic container of the type having a generally cylindrical body, a circular flange below a threaded neck and a pedaloid base with pads separated by diverging recesses as a capping head screws a cap onto the neck while the capping head and container are moving in unison along a preselected path, which device method comprises a support member with an upwardly extending, fixed rib extending along the path whereby the container slides along the rib as it is moved with the capping head so the rib extends into a recess of the pedaloid base to prevent rotation of the container with the capping head.

Abstract: A packaging and disposal system for sealing waste and related materials within flexible plastic tubing for odorless and sanitary disposal. Improvements in the latch, including the addition of a transverse mounted latch spring, and improvements in the support retention springs serve to increase the ability of the device to operate efficiently and effectively and reduce the potential of accidental spills or other exposure of the waste package. The latch requires two independent motions to actuate and incorporates a transversely mounted latch spring. The reduced cross-sectional area of the retention spring design concentrates force applied to the package to increase the effective holding ability of the system.

Abstract: A method wherein a strip of flat plastic carriers having openings therein for application to groups of containers is moved from a source to a feed drum for delivering a strip of carriers to an applicator apparatus, a trough interposed between the source and the feed drum. Electrical heaters are provided beneath the trough. A strip of carriers is moved through the trough such as to heat the carriers from the underside thereof. The temperature of the heaters is controlled such that the strip of carriers is conditioned to compensate for ambient temperature.

Abstract: A capping apparatus includes a capping head 3 which is provided with a rotatable spindle. A plurality of permanent magnets 51 are embedded around the entire outer periphery at the upper end of the spindle, with adjacent permanent magnets 51 presenting magnetic poles of different polarities. An arcuate rotation imparting member 53 is fixedly mounted and includes a plurality of permanent magnets 55 which are disposed along a locus of travel of the permanent magnets 51 on the capping head 3, with adjacent permanent magnets 55 presenting magnetic poles of different polarities. As the capping head 3 moves through a threadable engaging zone C in a direction indicated by an arrow, coaction between the permanent magnets 51 and 55 causes the capping head 3 to rotate clockwise, thereby causing a cap 12 to be threadably engaged with a container 4.

Abstract: An overhead flight conveyor assembly for use with a continuous motion packaging machine to erect four-sided tapered paperboard cartons is disclosed. The packaging machine has an elongate carton transport conveyor supported on a framework of the packaging machine, and moving along a path of travel. The overhead flight conveyor assembly has a housing supported on the framework of the packaging machine spaced above, and in alignment with the carton transport conveyor. A trailing lug assembly is supported on the housing and extends at least partially along the length thereof, the trailing lug assembly having at least one elongate conveyor chain with a series of spaced trailing lugs affixed thereto and being moved in the direction of the path of travel in timed relationship with the carton transport conveyor.