Abstract: An envelope stuffing device in which no moving parts are required for opening the mouth of an envelope for the insertion of inserts therein. The stuffing device has a plurality of leaf springs, two of which are adjacent the ends of an envelope and are located directly above openings within a floor of the device. Other leaf springs are located intermediate the ends of an envelope, so that when the flap of the envelope is in registration with the leaf springs, the outer leaf springs push down on the end of the envelope and the intermediate leaf springs hold the flap on the floor, thereby causing the mouth of the envelope to open. The device includes a conveying mechanism for placing inserts into to envelope when the mouth of the envelope is open.

Abstract: A process and an apparatus for rejecting defective packages in the region of a packaging machine are disclosed. In the production of bundles formed from several individual packages, especially from a group (11) of cigarette packages (10), it is required to inspect the cigarette packages (10) as regards completeness of the group. Packages (13) which are thus found to be defective are marked in an exteriorly visible manner and are rejected at a later stage, especially in the region of a discharge track (26). The defective package (13) is marked by way of folding over a folding tab of an outer wrapping (12), especially a lower tab (33) in the region of a rearward side wall with respect to the conveying direction. The lower tab (33) forms a gusset (36) which is folded over to the outside.

Abstract: A method to form and package stacked article groups utilizing cardboard trays. The method provides first and second streams of article groups which are initially formed in first and second cardboard tray structures and subsequently stacked and united into packaged stacked units.

Abstract: A device for sealing wrappers around products comprising an infeed mechanism for conveying products enveloped by sealable wrappers and a first drive mechanism for driving the infeed mechanism to convey the products with a first predetermined velocity. A sealing channel into which the products are directed by the infeed mechanism includes a feed mechanism for moving the products along the sealing channel and a sealing mechanism for compressively sealing at least one face of the sealable wrappers. A second drive mechanism drives the feed mechanism to move the products along the sealing channel with a second predetermined velocity corresponding to at least one physical characteristic of the sealable wrappers, the second drive mechanism being independent from the first drive mechanism so that the second predetermined velocity and the first predetermined velocity can be independently determined.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for banding groups of elongated items, including a conveyor for propelling trough-like carriers of groups of items to be banded. Each group of items passes through two sets of rotating spoked wheels positioned two above the conveyor and two below the conveyor with the two upper spoked wheels positioned in spaced relationship to one another so as to position one over each of the two oppositely disposed ends of the groups of items and over the lower spoked wheels. The spoked wheels are timed so that spoke tips of the upper wheels will contact spoke tips of the lower wheels as the ends of the grouped items pass between the spokes. Each of the spoked wheels carries a continuous strip of banding material spanning across the tips of the spokes.

Abstract: An automatic stretch-wrapping apparatus for wrapping a load, including empty PET bottles, with a stretchable film. The apparatus includes a turntable for placing the load thereon, and the stretchable film is supplied from a roll of stretchable film in a vertical position via film tensioning rollers to a gripper device. The gripper device is mounted on the turntable for gripping the leading end of the film and can rotate not only with the turntable but also relative to the turntable. Also, a swing arm device is arranged for movement toward and away from the gripper device to cooperate with the gripper device and includes pusher blades for pushing the film toward the gripping fingers of the gripper device, a heatsealer, and a cutter. It is possible to automatically wrap the load by the film in only one turn thereof.

Abstract: A packing machine for spherical vegetables includes a machine body, a film-cutting part, a film-gripping part, a clamp device and a heat sealing mechanism. The film-cutting part is installed on the rear part of the machine body and can be moved upwardly and downwardly. The clamp device is situated behind the film-cutting part for clamping the packing film. Furthermore, the film-gripping part is installed opposite to the clamping device and can slide forwardly and backwardly upon two guide rails by means of a motor driven transmission chain. When starting the packing machine, the film-gripping part moves forwardly to the clamping device to grip the packing film and then returns to its original position. Meanwhile, the film-cutting part is lowered to cut off the packing film. Then a spherical vegetable is placed on the packing film from a loading holder which is automatically lowered to an appropriate position while the heat sealing mechanism clamps and seals an upper part of the packing film.

Abstract: A sterile product packaging system includes a bottle filling/stoppering machine housed within a sterile environment and a bottle capping machine housed within a non-sterile environment separated by a partition wall from the sterile room. Each of the filling/stoppering machine and capping machine has a belt conveyor associated therewith for moving bottles to and from the machines, each belt conveyor residing entirely within the respective sterile and non-sterile rooms. A transfer conveyor system is provided to transfer bottles from the filling/stoppering machine belt conveyor, through the opening in the partition wall, to the capping machine belt conveyor. The transfer conveyor system includes a lead screw formed of an elongated shank having a continuous spiral thread along its length. A transfer plate overlaps the ends of the two belt conveyors, and is situated beneath and substantially contiguous with the lead screw.

Abstract: A grass hopper cart is provided, which consists of a cabinet and a structure within the cabinet for holding a standard paper bag in an opened stationary position. A hopper is placed into the cabinet above the holding structure, so that grass cuttings dumped into the hopper will enter the paper bag for proper disposal.

Abstract: On a cigarette packing machine, portions of wrapping material are formed from a strip travelling at a first constant speed, are accelerated on suction belts to a second speed, and are transferred by a suction roller into a position astride respective seats on a conveyor drum designed to step feed, to an unloading station, groups of cigarettes housed inside respective seats; the surface speed of the suction roller being so varied as to be maintained, at all times, greater than the travelling speed of the belts, and equal, for a given time period, to the surface speed of the conveyor drum.

Abstract: A process is provided for packaging a product, particularly one with sharp protrusions or discrete fragile regions. The process includes the steps of applying a polymeric material to an exterior surface of an outer packaging container, in the region covering sharp protrusions, thereby providing a protective cushion against rupture or tearing of the container surrounding the product during shipping and storage. The liquified polymeric composition containing a microcrystalline wax is applied at a point-of-contact temperature between about 75.degree. F. and about 160.degree. F.; the applied material is then allowed to solidify in the form of a flexible resilient coating. The polymeric material used in the process consists essentially of a polymer, a synthetic or naturally occurring tackifying resin, a microcrystalline wax, and an antioxidant stabilizer.

Abstract: In a wrapping machine comprising a ring rotatable on a frame, a ledge to support a package being wrapped, and a carriage supporting a roll of plastic film and movable with the ring to wrap the film around the ledge and around a package supported thereby, a severing arm, pivotable between a horizontal position underlying the ledge and a vertical position, carries a heated severing wire. Also, a spacing arm, pivotably movable between a horizontal position underlying the ledge and a vertical position, spaces an outer film layer from the ledge. In one embodiment, the severing arm carries heated welding elements, and the spacing arm applies a partial vacuum to cause a severed film portion to adhere to the spacing arm. In another embodiment, the severed film portion is clamped between the spacing and severing arms.

Abstract: A process and device for the cleaning of closing heads in a device for closing vessels with crown caps, the closing head having a die guided in a guide bore for pressing a crown cap against the opening of a vessel to be closed, the die being movable relative to the closing head against the force of a spring disposed in an inner space of the closing head and a gap space being provided between the die and the wall of the guide bore. A flushing agent can then be guided through a flow opening connected with the inner space, so that the agent flows through the inner space with the spring means and the gap space between the die and the wall of the guide bore, whereby a complete cleaning of all parts of the closing head is achieved.

Abstract: A device is described for closing and laterally sealing plastic film wrapped bundles containing sheets or the like, by wrapping them in a thermally shrinkable plastic film, which comprises two sealing plates (25,26) suitable to be moved against lateral opposite sides of a bundle (29) for sealing them. These plates (25,26) are preferably hinged on two slides (2,3 ) suitable to be contemporaneously either approached or moved apart from each other as a function of the width of the bundle (29) to be laterally sealed. Two nozzles (31,32) are moreover provided, which form air jets against laterally protruding portions (30) of the plastic film, so that said protruding portions are easily folded by said plates (25,26). A so closed and sealed bundle is then carried inside an oven for thermally shrinking the wrapped film.

Abstract: This invention relates to a snap zipper, a bag with a snap zipper, manufacture method and apparatus for a bag with a snap zipper, and bagging method and apparatus for a bag with a snap zipper. A hot-welded portion of the snap zipper comprising a male member and a female member is formed of ionomer resin or random copolymer resin of ethylene-acrylic acid. At least one tape with a pair of snap zipper half-members and a base film are supplied and passed through guide rollers for being placed one above the other, followed by hot-welding the tapes with snap zipper half-members and the base film to each other to form a film with a snap zipper. The film with a snap zipper is guided by a guide member such that the pair of snap zipper half-member are intermeshed to form a tubular film. The tubular film is sealed off with intervals of a predetermined distance perpendicularly to the lengthwise direction thereof.

Abstract: A method and machine for producing cartons of cigarettes, each consisting of a number of packets of cigarettes housed inside a box formed from a flat blank divided by yield lines into a number of panels; the carton being formed by feeding the blank along a first path to a prefolding station where the blank is folded substantially in a U, and by transferring the prefolded blank to a loading station where a respective group of packets is fed inside the prefolded blank, and is pushed further, along a further path, so as to feed the blank and respective group of packets into a folding channel for closing the box.

Abstract: An apparatus for heat shrinking an envelope of heat shrinkable film into close conformity to a product enclosed within the film envelope includes a housing; a first assembly disposed within the housing for directed heated air to at least a first portion of the film envelope; a second assembly disposed with the housing and operable subsequent to the first assembly for directing heated water onto at least a second portion of the envelope, both causing the envelope to shrink into conformity with the product; an arrangement for drying the product after water has been applied thereto; and an arrangement for circulating the hot water into heat transfer relation with a moving stream of the hot air for enhanced water heating prior to its application to the product.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a coil (1) of a continuous flexible object (2), such as cable and line, and enveloping the coil to form a parcel (27) for delivery to a user, said object (2) being coiled onto an axially open, cylindrical sleeve (28) to produce said coil. According to the invention the sleeve (28) is provided with two protective rings (29, 30) and is brought to be fixed by a first tool (9) so that the sleeve (28) is firmly clamped between two parallel side supports (10, 11) and centered by centering elements (24) of the side supports, whereby a first rotatable unit (36) is formed. The cable or line (2) is attached to said first unit (36) and the unit (36) is brought to rotate in a coiling machine (3) so that the cable or line is formed to said coil (1).

Abstract: An agricultural bagging machine is disclosed comprising a vertically disposed feeder positioned above the rotor thereof to move silage downwardly into contact with the rotor. A substantially horizontally disposed feeder is positioned forwardly of the rotor to move silage rearwardly into contact with the rotor. Each of the feeders comprises a plurality of spaced-apart augers which are mounted to permit the separation of the same should the operator inadvertently come into contact with the rotating augers.

Abstract: A TAB (tape automated bonding) tape is disclosed which includes one or more openings, each adapted to receive a semiconductor chip, and electrical leads extending into each such opening. Significantly, this TAB tape also includes means for preventing a semiconductor chip, positioned within a tape opening, from being lifted toward a bonding tool as a result of electrical leads adhering to the bonding tool, when the bonding tool is used to bond contact pads on the semiconductor chip to the leads extending into the opening.