Abstract: A carton activating mechanism (26) for opening the gatefold seats of a paperboard carton blank (13) is disclosed. A rotatable disc (30) carries a spaced series of activators (34), each of which includes a plate (35) having a pair of pivotally-connected fingers (37). The plate is reciprocably mounted on the disc by a pin (36) received in a groove (32) defined on a stationary plate (31) positioned with respect to the disc. Each of the fingers has a projection (40) and a cooperating abutment (41 ) so that the respective fingers are moved outwardly into an extended position, and then spread apart into an open position to fold the gatefold seats of the carton blank before closing and being retracted from the gatefold seats of the carton blank.

Abstract: A decorative material comprising a sheet of material having a colored sticky element disposed upon a portion of a surface of the sheet of material, the colored sticky element comprising at least a portion of a decoration on the sheet of material. The sheet of material is disposed on a surface or wrapped about an item.

Abstract: A straight line capping machine is provided that wherein the cap tightening discs and the container grasping mechanism are synchronized to a predetermined relationship so as to prevent cocked caps, loose caps and/or scuffed caps. In particular, the mechanisms are synchronized to ensure that the tangential velocity of the rear cap tightening disc minus the tangential velocity of the front cap tightening disc is about twice the predetermined velocity of the container passing through the capping machine.

Abstract: An apparatus for packaging compact disc into respective cases along feed line having one station for opening the cases, a first work station in which an informational leaflet and informational booklet are respectively inserted in a housing portion and a lid portion of the case, a second work station in which a compact disc is engaged with a tray, if present, and a cover are respectively inserted in the housing portion and lid portion, and a final station for closing the case. The lid portion of the case is rotated by means of air blowing nozzles positioned at the opening and closing stations, respectively, to direct an air flow against the lid portion.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for providing a zippered bag in an open configuration to allow its filling with packages or other like items. The apparatus includes an automatic bag zipping feature, and is resettable by depression of a foot pedal by an operator. The bag is maintained in its "open" position by a pair of flaps, which when open tend to hold the bag mouth open, but when closed no longer interfere with the bag mouth, such that a pull arm can pull the bag mouth into a closed position, and a zip arm can zip the mouth closed. The zip and pull arms are transported by a weight falling under the influence of gravity, which can be reset manually by an operator.

Abstract: A method for wrapping a wrapper about a floral grouping wherein the wrapper is a sleeve or sheet of material having a cinching tab or strip of bonding material or both. The floral grouping is placed on the sheet of material which is wrapped thereabout, or the floral grouping is disposed in the interior space of the sleeve. The cinching tab is attached near one end of the sheet or sleeve. The cinching tab has a bonding material disposed thereon which, when the cinching tab is pulled tightly about the wrapper, causes the wrapper to be crimped and tightly bound about the stems of the floral grouping. When a sheet or sleeve having a strip of bonding material is used, the portion of the wrapper having the strip of bonding material is crimped manually or automatically about a portion of the stems of the floral grouping causing portions of the wrapper to overlap and bond to each other causing the wrapper to be held firmly about the stems of the floral grouping.

Abstract: A feeding and loading mechanism for use in pulling carton side-seam-sealed blanks from a magazine, opening same into tubes, and loading the latter onto mandrels of an indexing turret on a liquid-carrying container forming, filling, and sealing machine. The feeding and loading mechanism includes a slidably mounted carrier having at least one vacuum cup mounted at each end thereof aligned with oppositely disposed magazines, a forming shoe fixedly secured between each magazine and adjacent mandrel for opening each tubular flat side-seam-sealed blank into a tube as the blank moves therepast, a loading finger for loading each tube onto the respective mandrel, and a drive assembly operatively connected to the carrier for reciprocally moving same to alternately remove blanks from the oppositely disposed magazines to alternately process same.

Abstract: A device for packaging liquids, particularly animal semen, in pre-scaled and pre-cut pouches provided in a roll and designed for artificial insemination. The device includes a tiltable table with a base enabling adjustment of the tilt angle of the table to facilitate gravitational filling of pouches, a pouch filling station and a sealing station. The device also includes a movable filling needle inserted into a removable needle guide and mounted on a block that includes an inductive proximity sensor for generating an alternating magnetic field which is automatically stopped when a metal liner is inserted into the needle guide following needle insertion into the pouch. Cessation of the alternating magnetic field triggers the sealing of the pouch.

Abstract: A low-cost capsule filler has a capsule holder with a medication tray, and cavities in the tray for receiving capsule bodies and capsule covers for filling with powdered or granulated medication. A wall around the medication tray contains loose medication, and the tray surface slopes toward each cavity to facilitate filling. Medication is tamped into the capsules with posts on an extractor; the extractor after tamping is inserted from beneath into the base of the capsule filler so the extractor posts push the filled capsules upward from their cavities where they can be gripped and removed.

Abstract: Apparatus for placing covers (5, 8) on a cassette (1) and taking covers (5, 8) off a cassette (1) comprises an upper cover removal structure (100U), a lower cover removal structure (100L), and means for holding the cassette in place (170-176). The upper cover removal structure (100U) includes a central body portion (102), a pair of arms (104, 106) rotatably mounted at the end of the central body portion, and fingers (112, 114) located at the end of the arms (104, 106). The fingers (112, 114) can be moved up and down in a direction parallel to the main axis of the arms. The upper cover removal structure (100U) includes means for moving the upper cover removal structure (100U) toward or away from the cassette (1). The lower cover removal structure (100L) includes a central body portion and a pair of arms 156, 158 having fingers (190, 192) at the ends thereof. The arms can move inwardly or outwardly to grasp the bottom cover (8).

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 wrapped.

Abstract: A carton packaging apparatus for use in wrapping open-ended sleeve type carton blanks around a pre-formed group of articles being moved along a path of travel through a packaging machine as disclosed. The apparatus includes a series of spaced guide members (30) which move along the path of travel and are adapted to engage one of the side panels (12, 13) of a successive series of carton blanks (10) being moved along the path of travel. The guide members are spaced so as to engage the leading edge and trailing edge of each one of the paperboard blanks as they are advanced along the path of the travel. Each guide member has an engagement element (35) which has an elongated link (36) with a foot (37) formed at one end, the other end of the link being pivotally fastened to the guide member.

Abstract: The present invention is intended to effect proper sealing of a film by automatically adjusting the gripping pressure exerted by seal bars on the basis of a change in unsteady current flowing through the seal bars which grip the film. When the main shaft of a servomotor mounted on a frame is rotated forward and backward, the pair of seal bars opens and closes. When the seal bars press each other, the film is gripped under pressure by these seal bars and heat-sealed. Cushion means for elastically pressing the seal bars increases the gripping pressure of the pair of seal bars in proportion to an increase in the angle of rotation of the motor main shaft after the opposed surfaces of the seal bars have contacted each other.

Abstract: In a system of packaging of foodstuffs in containers (12), each container (12) has a closure of aluminium/LDPE laminate formed with a central tear panel (322) which either has a pull-tab (402) rivetted thereto or is connected to a pull-tab (321) at an, edge of the closure (1) by a narrow tear strip (323) extending up, over and down the rim of the container (12). The closures (1) are conveyed in horizontal positions pneumatically from a closure-manufacturing machine towards a downwardly inclined, vibrating, tranpsort box (110) and tilted pneumatically into vertical positions as they approached the box (110) for stacking in the box (110).

Abstract: An envelope inserting machine is disclosed which includes means for ensuring that very thin collations, down to a single sheet folded sheet, are consistently accurately inserted into envelopes held at an inserting position with the throats of the envelopes held open. The inserting machine includes an inserting means which feeds successive envelopes to an inserting position and holds the envelopes thereat with the throats open, and a feeding means for the collations feeds the collations into the envelopes while maintain a grip thereon until the insertions are fully inserted into the envelopes, so that the feed means maintains control over the collations until they are fully inserted into the envelopes.

Abstract: A gusseted envelope or box making apparatus and method including the use of a tractor feed unit (11) which perforates the web stock (5) prior to a subsequent printing step capable of printing on either side of the web (5). At least one thermal print head (61) precisely activates thermal ribbon (57) which is accurately registered with the web (5) by means of pin feed holes (16,17). A product conveyor (74) manipulates the product (75) so as to automatically load the box or envelope (69) thus manufactured and printed. A multipart form (141) is disclosed including a continuous envelope (167), return reply envelope (173) and enclosed coupon (166) which may all be imprinted with unique customer information (161). The complete form (141) is folded and inserted into a parent envelope (167) by a series of vacuum plates (376) and insertion rams (392).

Abstract: A plurality of interconnected envelope blanks are formed from an envelope web of paper. Die cut windows are also formed in each envelope blank of the interconnected web and transparent window patches are adhesively secured over the die cut window. A plurality of inserts from insert webs of paper are formed and may be variably imaged. The inserts are collected and disposed on the interconnected envelope blanks with address information registering through the window. The interconnected blanks and web form with inserts applied are severed to form discrete envelope blanks and later folded and glued to form complete mailers.

Abstract: A method and a packaging system for packaging a sterilizable item for aseptic presentation onto a sterile field are disclosed. The packaging system for the sterilizable item includes a sterilizable flexible elongate tubular member having an outside, a closed end and an open end having a circumference. The item is placeable in the tubular member proximate the closed end. The tubular member includes a border portion having a width, an attached edge and an opposing edge spaced apart from the attached edge by the width. The attached edge is attached to the tubular member proximate the open end along the circumference of the open end and the opposing edge is located proximate the outside of the tubular member. The opposing edge receives thereunder the attached edge of the border portion to enclose the item in the tubular member. The packaging system also includes a sterilizable container for receiving therein the tubular member and the item.

Abstract: A multilayer film comprises: a first layer comprising a first homogeneous ethylene/.alpha.-olefin copolymer; a second layer comprising a polyolefin; and a third layer comprising a second homogeneous ethylene/.alpha.-olefin copolymer. The second layer is between the first layer and the third layer, the second layer is chemically different from the first layer and the third layer, and the multilayer film has an oxygen transmission rate of from about 500 to 50,000 cc/m.sup.2 / 24 hr STP. Also disclosed are a process for making the film, a packaging process using the film, and a product packaged in the film. The film is especially suitable for the packaging of oxygen-sensitive products, such as lettuce, and exhibits exceptional hot tack seal strength.

Abstract: A wrapping material for wrapping a floral arrangement, comprising a sheet of material having an angle cut, the sheet of material having tick marks to indicate where to dispose a floral arrangement thereupon. The sheet of material has a bonding material disposed thereupon. A floral arrangement is utilized, the floral arrangement being disposed on the sheet of material generally in the area designated by the tick mark, the floral arrangement being wrapped in the sheet of material and being substantially surrounded and encompassed therein. Methods of using the wrapping material to wrap a floral arrangement.