Abstract: The invention comprises a DC motor and a mechanism for converting a rotational motion of the DC motor to a linear motion in a vertical direction; a jig driven by the DC motor for performing sealing of a sample container; a DC power source; a section for controlling power supplied from the DC power source to the DC motor; a circuit for detecting a value of current flowing from the DC power source to the DC motor; a section for setting a predetermined load to be applied to the jig when the sample container is sealed by the jig; and a comparator connected to the load setting section and the current value detecting circuit.

Abstract: A form-fill-seal machine in which any of a selection of change parts assemblies can be slid into and out of mounting slots and secured in proper alignment by a hand operated toggle lock mechanism. A pair of stops are provide on the forming shoulder of the change part that correspond to the diameter of the forming tube. An articulated floating vacuum pull belt arrangement, having stops that engage the stops on the forming shoulder, automatically aligns itself with the change parts assembly. The film cage is adjustable for film tracking and can be tilted to a position that permits the film roll to be loaded without the need of a power hoist. The film tracking and film cage tilting are on a common axis, which simplifies the design and reduces the parts. The tiltable film cage has the added advantage of improving the access to the inside area of the machine when the film cage is tilted to the load position. This feature of the invention also reduces the overall size of the machine.

Abstract: A wrapping material for wrapping a floral arrangement, a flower pot, or for forming a flower pot, comprising a sheet of material, an extension of the sheet of material attached to the sheet of material, the extension having design indicia thereon, wherein the sheet of material is sized to wrap about and substantially surround and encompass a floral arrangement, a flower pot, or contain a floral arrangement or potted plant. Methods of using the wrapping material to wrap a floral arrangement, a flower pot, and to form a flower pot.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sturdy display package which, in an embodiment, is made of first and second peripherally sealed transparent PVC sheets approximately 7.5 mils thick each. The package is particularly useful for displaying and protecting small items such as pain reliever packets or condoms. The invention includes a method and apparatus for making such a package. The first sheet is positioned over a nesting plate having a plurality of nesting modules, each corresponding to one package and being independently height-adjustable by a shim at a selected location to correct sealing flaws. The second sheet is then positioned over the first sheet so that the items are between the sheets. An RF-sealing die is provided having package-shaped sealing dies, each defining a pocket. The sealing die and nesting plate are pressed together so that each pocket receives a bulge formed by from one of the items.

Abstract: A sticky element, comprising a sticky element having an insect-attracting color and an insect-attracting scent, the sticky element comprising sufficient sticky qualities to cause an insect to become permanently attached to the sticky element when any portion of the insect contacts with the sticky element, the sticky element adaptable to being disposed upon a surface. The surface may comprise a wrapping material, a flower pot cover, a flower pot, a floral arrangement, or other surface. When the sticky element is disposed on a wrapping material, the wrapping material is used to wrap a floral arrangement or decoratively cover a flower pot.

Abstract: A boxing apparatus having a substantially horizontal conveyor feeds overlapping folded boxes into a upright gravity fed hopper with a bottom gate portion. The boxes are generally aligned axially in the hopper on the gate portion to be individually removed by a suction gripper positioned below the gate portion and which reciprocatingly moves up and down to grab and pull the bottommost folded box in the hopper through the gate portion. The box is opened and articles are fed into said box and said box is closed. The suction gripper having a reciprocating arm which reciprocates up and down to accomplish the reciprocating motion of the suction gripper. A tamper device comprised of a elongate member having a reciprocating stack tamper linked to the reciprocating arm and positioned such that the engagement portion of the tamper device follows the reciprocating motion of the reciprocating arm and translates said motion to the tamper for jogging the stack into alignment preventing hopper jams.

Abstract: A sticky element, comprising a sticky element having an insect-attracting color and an insect-attracting scent, the sticky element comprising sufficient sticky qualities to cause an insect to become permanently attached to the sticky element when any portion of the insect contacts with the sticky element, the sticky element adaptable to being disposed upon a surface. The surface may comprise a wrapping material, a flower pot cover, a flower pot, a floral arrangement, or other surface. When the sticky element is disposed on a wrapping material, the wrapping material is used to wrap a floral arrangement or decoratively cover a flower pot.

Abstract: A packing assist apparatus is provided which assures that articles to be packed can continuously be packed without close contact of the surface of a packing film with the surface of the articles and each packing operation can be performed at improved efficiency. A rotary member is disposed on a support column standing upright from a base board, an arm is fitted to the rotary member, and a holding frame having an opening portion through which the articles can pass is fitted to the arm. Putting means for putting a packing bag on the holding frame is arranged below the rotary member.

Abstract: A system for packaging thin products such as compact discs in plastic bags is disclosed. A CD dispenser is used in combination with a known but modified bagging machine. The modifications include an improved guide arrangement for guiding a gravity fed disc toward an open bag and a load station which includes a tunnel housing the open bag and of only slightly greater thickness dimension than the bag including the product to be packaged. As an end bag of a web of interconnected, preopened bags is fed into the tunnel, a flow of air is established behind the web to create a film of air spacing the back of the end bag from a wall of the tunnel. The flow of air also has the unexpected property of creating a venturi like effect to draw the end bag away from a front wall of the tunnel. A method of packaging thin objects such as compact discs is also disclosed.

Abstract: A narrow profile forming collar for forming thermoplastic tubes from a continuous web has a soldered and welded sheet metal construction which provides a compact, rigid forming collar particularly adapted to replace wide profile forming collars. A small unobtrusive mounting bracket is contained fully within the envelope of the forming collar, except for mounting surfaces on the opposite ends which are utilized to support the fill tube and, if needed, an auxiliary web feed roll.

Abstract: A packaging machine under control of an electronic control system is set forth. The packaging machine includes a plurality of servo driven packaging stations that execute the processes required to fill and seal a carton. Each of the packaging stations is driven by one or more servomotors associated therewith. A plurality of servo amplifiers are connected to the servomotors to control the rotational movement of the servomotors thereby to effect control of the motion of the various components associated with each if the packaging stations. The packaging machine further includes at least two programmable devices connected for communication over a common bus. A programmable axis manager (PAM) is connected to control the plurality of servo amplifiers and, thus, the motion profiles of the servomotors and components of the respective processing station. A programmable logic controller (PLC) is connected to receive and transmit input/output signals associated with the plurality of packaging stations.

Abstract: A container and corresponding blank from which such container is formed is particularly suitable for packaging liquid products and aseptically packaging liquid foods. The rectangular shaped blank may be formed of a laminated sheet material that preferably includes a composite of paperboard web, aluminum foil and intermediate layers of heat sealable polymer. All blank fold lines are scored and an induction sealing flange area is provided around the entire blank perimeter. A unit of several sheet linked blanks is symmetrically folded about a central axis for juxtaposed alignment of sealing flange area around the perimeter of the unfolded blank. After induction sealing, the package side flange at the bottom of the unit, the resulting tube pocket is open and charged with a material quantity of liquid. After charging, the series of edge flanges above the first sealed edge flange are also induction sealed and severed from the unit remainder to complete a pillow shaped package.

Abstract: Bag pick up and feed assembles pick up a flat folded bag from a magazine and direct the picked up bag to a bag positioner assembly, the feed assembly including a first set of rollers moved away from a second set before the bag is moved therebetween and thence together to feed the bag. The positioner assembly moves the bag to extend vertically for top edge portions being clampingly engaged by a carriage assembly and thereby forwardly conveyed to beneath a hopper spout. Bag top side wall portions of the clamped bags are spread by vacuum cups of the carriage assembly. Power operated linkage mechanism moves closed spout jaws downwardly between the spread side wall portions and thence open the jaws to spread the bag side walls as product is discharged through opening jaws to open the clamped bag.

Abstract: A guide mechanism (3) for positioning a continuously flexible packaging web (20) which has two opposite walls (21a, b) defining packaging blanks (26) disposed, in succession, in the longitudinal direction of the web. The packaging blanks have closed bottoms at the lower edge and opposing edge portions (24a, b) at the upper edge (23). The guide mechanism includes mechanical guide members (33a, b) provided with at least one channel (31a, b) for guiding the edge portions (24a, b) during displacement of the web in an apparatus for the supply of material into the packaging blanks (26). The mechanical guide members (33a, b) are formed from a number of links (30). In the region of the apparatus where the edge portions (24a, b) of the web are to be spaced transversely apart, the links are disposed in mutual spaced-apart relationship.

Abstract: A bottle opening device includes a flat base member which is adapted to be secured to a counter top or the like by suction cups on an under surface of the base member. A support member is secured to an upper surface of the base member and is provided with a horizontally disposed slot extending therethrough. An elongated strap is secured at one end to the support member adjacent the slot. The strap is adapted to extend about the periphery of the bottle and pass through the slot. Upon rotation of the lid and bottle in an opening direction, the bottle will clamp the strap between the bottle and the support member to immobilize the bottle so that upon continued application of turning force to the lid, the lid will be unscrewed from the bottle.

Abstract: An apparatus for compressing and containing a material in an elastomeric net(26). The apparatus comprises a compression chamber(12), a material compressor(16), a holding chamber(18), a net expansion and placement mechanism (42), and a bale advance mechanism (20). The material compressor is coupled to the compression chamber to compress a selected amount of the fibrous material in a direction transverse to the general lay of the material within the compression chamber to form a compacted bale (10). The holding chamber has an outlet and an inlet coupled to the compression chamber. The holding chamber also has an axis defined by a line extending between the center of the inlet to the center of the outlet. The net expansion and placement mechanism is for receiving the net, stretching the net to obtain a cross-sectional shape that is slightly larger than that of the holding chamber, and placing the net over the holding chamber with one end of the net slightly extending beyond the outlet.

Abstract: An optical effect material used for making shredded, flaked, die-cut and sheets of decorative materials. The optical effect material comprises an iridescent sheet and a light transmitting material connected together. Methods for using an optical effect material.

Abstract: A cover for use with a flower pot having a floral grouping disposed therein. The cover includes a sheet of material having a sheet extension connected to an outer peripheral surface thereof. The sheet of material is formed into a pot cover for covering the flower pot and the sheet extension extends over the floral grouping.

Abstract: A product wrapping method and machine whereby a continuous tubular wrapping, formed gradually about an orderly succession of equally spaced products with a first given spacing, is fed through an operating station and divided into segments, each enclosing a respective product; and the segments and respective products, rotated 90.degree. about an axis crosswise to a transfer plane, are transferred with a second given spacing along a substantially straight path to an output conveyor by a transfer device, which grips each product and the respective segment before the product leaves the operating station.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for the packaging of single use quantities of product such as dental retraction cords comprising sheet materials laminated about the product interposed between the sheet materials in a continuous length and severed at the locus of transverse lamination to a single use quantity length.