Abstract: Method for providing a decorative cover for a flower pot comprising a collar wherein the collar clamps a sheet of material to the flower pot or wherein the sheet of material is connected to the collar and the collar is connectable to the flower pot.

Abstract: A method for forming a disposable non-latex tourniquet from a thermoplastic elastomer and an additive comprising slip and anti-block components.

Abstract: The present invention relates to packages for stacked can lids, a method of producing such packages, devices for implementing said method, devices for automated unpacking of the above nature and a system for packing and unpacking can lids. The packages are formed with an open end, which is closed in that the bag end, when in unfolded condition, is compressed and is provided with fastening means retaining said closed condition. In addition, the closing device closes the open package end by compressing the bag end in the unfolding condition and in that fastening means are applied retaining said closed condition, and the unpacking device causes relative movement of the packages and the can lids contained therein in such a manner that the can lids are pressed against the package end closed by means of said fastening means.

Abstract: A process for manufacturing a container and a container which can be readily opened without a tool wherein after sterilization of the sealed container a wall of the container is weakened to permit the top to be twisted off without the use of a tool.

Abstract: A method is provided in which two or more products are packaged together by wrapping a wrapper of, preferably, a heat-shrinkable plastic sheet material around them. The wrapper is applied so that its opposite edges either overlap and bond together by a contact adhesive, or both bond to one of the products. Optionally, the wrapper is of a heat-shrinkable plastic material, in which case heat may then be applied so as to shrink the wrapper so that the contained products are more firmly held together. It is then an easy matter for the consumer to remove the wrapper, by peeling apart the areas which are held by the contact adhesive. Instead of being positioned side-by-side, the products may be stacked one-on-top-of-the-other, and the wrapper applied around the two products where they meet.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for banding a wrapped silverware arrangement with a two-sided segment of banding material bearing a treatable adhesive on one side thereof utilizes a pair of jaw members which are movable between open and closed conditions for capturing a wrapped silverware arrangement and a clamp assembly for releasably holding an end of a banding material segment. With an end of the banding material segment held by the clamp assembly and the jaw members being disposed in an open condition, the jaw members are lowered onto a wrapped silverware arrangement so that the banding material segment is draped across the wrapped silverware arrangement and so that subsequent movement of the jaw members to the closed condition captures the silverware arrangement between the jaw members and positions the banding material segment in an inverted U-shaped orientation about the wrapped silverware arrangement.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for manufacturing a food product having a plurality of sections having different characteristics, such as different colors and/or flavors. The method and apparatus has a first nozzle extruding a first stream of a liquid food product having a first characteristic onto a moving platform. The first stream has a height and a width with respect to the platform. A second nozzle extrudes a second stream of a liquid food product having a second characteristic onto the platform. The second stream has a height and a width with respect to the platform. The second nozzle is adjacent to the first nozzle providing adjacent first and second streams on the moving platform. The first stream and second stream spread out such that their heights decrease and their widths increase.

Abstract: A method for wrapping a wrapper about a floral grouping wherein the wrapper is a sleeve or sheet or material having a cinching tab or strip of bonding material or both and a detaching means such as perforations for detaching a portion of the sleeve or sheet of material. 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.

Abstract: The present invention concerns an apparatus for wrapping a load with a flexible wrapping material which prevents the flexible material from unwrapping itself after the load has been wrapped. The apparatus includes a supply of flexible wrapping material which can be delivered as a rope or as a full web. The apparatus includes a first finger and a gripper for positioning a portion of a first rope supplied by the supplying means at a predetermined location. The load and the supply are relatively moved to wrap the load with the flexible material. Once the load has been wrapped, a second finger and a guide wheel are provided to position a portion of a second rope supplied by the supply at the predetermined position. The first and second ropes are fastened together at the predetermined position, and the portion of the second rope is cut downstream of the predetermined position.

Abstract: A circular track (11) constructed to open and close supports a truck (4) riding on the track (11). A packaging material feeder (7) is mounted on the truck (4) to feed packaging material (6) from a packaging material coil (5). Part of the item for packaging (8) is placed in the closed circular track (11) and is supported by means of a support (9). A drive mechanism for moving the truck (12) is set along the circular track (11) and is engaged with the truck (4). The drive mechanism is operated with a motor stationarily mounted to the track to move the truck along the circular track (11). There is no need to mount the motor to the truck. Accordingly, it is possible to make the truck compact and decrease the curvature radius of each corner of the circular track. This results in the possibility of wrapping a relatively large item for packaging and at the same time make a packaging device simple and compact in its entirety.

Abstract: The blade (12) which is to make the transverse cut of the film in the product packaging station is fixed in the lower part of the grooved section (11) which forms part of the front folder (9) of the packaging machine and has its cutting edge facing downwards. The film to be cut (102) is raised against this blade by a parallel grooved bar (13) with rounded and preferably staggered edges, which in an intermediate phase before its own working travel is also used to raise the section of the film which will have to be cut subsequently, to dispose the film in the correct position for gripping by the lateral grippers (6) of the packaging machine. The said film raising bar is preferably driven by means of a link block, by and electric motor (22) with electronic rotation speed and phase control, controlled by the processor of the packaging machine.

Abstract: A case 6 is intermittently conveyed on a box transfer conveyor 8, and contains vessels 4 disposed in an array of four vessels in a longitudinal row and three vessels in a transverse row. A magazine introduction conveyor 18 is disposed to extend in a direction orthogonal to the conveyor 8, and a robot 24 is disposed adjacent to a crossing between the both conveyors. The robot has four grips 36 mounted thereon, each having suckers 66 and a retaining plate 68 which maintains a leaflet 12 declined downward. The leaflet includes a fixture 12b with an opening 12a therein and a display piece 12c which extends from the fixture. The grips hold attracted a leaflet around the opening in the fixture to remove it from a magazine 16.

Abstract: A device to manipulate hosiery comprises a swift-tack apparatus joined to a j-hook magazine which selectively attaches a swift tack to a hosiery stack with or without a j-hook. The hosiery stack is then selectively inverted by a pair of rotatable clamps. The hosiery stack is then selectively rotated to a desired orientation by a turntable. The hosiery stack is then stacked with other hosiery stacks by means of a drop arrangement onto a lift plate. The combined stacks are then selectively attached one to the other by a second swift-tack apparatus. The above manipulations are effectuated preferably by pneumatic power and a plurality of pusher plates and lift plates.

Abstract: The present invention is a modular system for packaging articles for shipment. In particular, a potted plant is sorted according to a grade, placed in a decorative cover, then automatically deposited into a protective sleeve. The potted plant thus packaged is ready for containment within a shipping carton. Various components of the system may be adapted for various packaging needs and circumstances.

Abstract: Each of side grippers that function as a film gripper includes upper and lower openable clampers. These clampers are designed to hold an edge portion of a film, and are opened after film packaging is completed. At least one film contact member, out of two film contact members that are attached individually to the upper and lower clampers, is formed of a cowhide, a material having a property such that a frictional force between the contact member and the film increases to and stays at a certain level as the humidity around the film rises. With use of the film contact member made of the hide, the film gripping force can be restrained from decreasing and the film-releasability can be improved despite the increase of the humidity.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for packaging whole or partially processed bulk, fresh products under modified atmosphere including placing such produce into bags or other containers for the produce, attaching to the opening at the top of each of the bags or containers a tube having an openable and closable lid, placing the bags or other containers with the tubes attached thereto inside a vacuum chamber, withdrawing air from the vacuum chamber from the bags or other containers until the oxygen concentration in the bags or other containers has reached a desired level, refilling the bags or other containers with one or more gases other than air while restoring the pressure inside the vacuum chamber and outside the bags or other containers at rates sufficient to minimize crushing or bruising of produce in the bags or other containers as the pressure in the vacuum chamber rises from the reduced level to a desired, ambient level.

Abstract: A pre-stretch wrapping device consisting of a base, a pre-stretch station, a vertical drive, and a rotatable load causes a pre-stretched web to become wrapped around the load under controlled tension. The pre-stretch station comprises a pair of pre-stretch rollers located on a pivotal frame, a spring which opposes the pivotal movement of the frame relative to the base, a roller motor, and a sensor located between the frame and the base. The sensor monitors relative movement of the frame from the base and a controller in response to signals from the sensor controls the operation of the roller motor.

Abstract: A method for packaging a web roll, where a packaging sheet is wrapped in a helical line around the web roll, in order to create a body packaging, and where the packaging sheet is wrapped in the circumferential direction around the web roll at the beginning and/or end of the web roll, to form a substantially uniformly shaped axial projection during creation of end packaging.

Abstract: A packaging machine which carries out the conventional packaging of products with a stretchable and gas-tight film is housed in a main chamber (1) which is seable and contains a modified and controlled atmosphere suitable for the conservation of the product to be packaged. The product enters and leaves the main chamber by passing through corresponding sealable airlock chambers (7, 8) provided with corresponding automatic doors (107, 207, 108, 208) and in any case designed to provide a seal with respect to the external environment and to the main chamber to which these chambers are attached. When the outer sides of the airlock chambers are opened, their inner sides are closed, so that the modified and controlled atmosphere cannot issue from the main chamber.

Abstract: In a method for making a permeable film, a physical force is applied to a film of a first material containing particles of a second material which is different from the first material. The second material has a higher susceptibility to the physical force than does the first material. Applying the physical force to the film affects the particles which in turn affect the first material of the film, thereby increasing permeability of the film.