Abstract: Packages which may drop from an elevator or other package supporting/conveying apparatus in a package elevating wrapping machine are caught by a package catcher comprising a pan having upwardly extending edges which is coupled to the elevator and reciprocated therewith. The pan is supported in a generally horizontal attitude to receive dropped packages. A package guide is positioned adjacent to a package feed-in tray to direct packages which may drop to the pan. The edge of the pan which extends toward the package guide is preferably angularly oriented and lengthened to be substantially aligned with the package guide when the elevator is in its lowered position. The distal end of the lengthened pan edge is maintained in close proximity to the package guide throughout the reciprocating motion of the elevator and package catcher to facilitate passage of a dropped package to the pan.

Abstract: An apparatus for closing and transporting tobacco pouches includes a turret type feed conveyor, a reciprocating preconveyor and a pocket-chain type discharge conveyor. Closing apparatus are associated with the pre-conveyor. A tobacco pouch is transported from the feed conveyor to one of a plurality of movable pack receptacle regions at a feed station, and then transported, by reciprocating fingers, to a discharge station where closing apparatus seals the pouch. The sealed pouch is thereafter discharged to a pocket of the discharge conveyor. Each discharge station is provided with a pair of spaced, movable walls which receive a pouch therebetween, retain the pouch during sealing and are thereafter moved to carry the sealed pouch to the discharge conveyor. Finger retraction and extension apparatus are provided to move the fingers into engagement with a pouch at the feed station and to disengage the fingers from a pouch at the discharge station.

Abstract: Apparatus for cutting poultry breasts into segments and for distributing the segments to independent collection sites has a separator plate 60 extending from a breast cutting station 42 through a back cutting station 43 to a dump station 69 along an upright cutting plane straddled by a pair of endless conveyors 12.

Abstract: An automatic portion-cutting machine measures the shape of a fish fillet, calculates its corresponding volume and weight, and cuts the fillet to create portions of a predetermined size. In the preferred embodiment disclosed herein, fish fillets are advanced along a conveyor to allow these operations to take place. An optical monitoring station along the conveyor sends data relating to the shape of the fillet to a processing unit which calculates the weight of the fillet and actuates a cutting unit to cut the fillet at locations corresponding to the portion size desired.

Abstract: This invention relates to a machine (10) for packaging products in heat-shrinkable film, of the so-called bundling machine type, in which the film (65) fed from opposing reels (67) and (68) is made to pass over a product support platform (17) which is lowered into a vertically extending chamber (13) comprising at its top an aperture (16) which can be closed alternately by said support platform (17) and by a lateral panel (18) which is mobile horizontally when said platform (17) is in its lowered position.Within said chamber (13) there are positioned film welding means (51) and (52) and means (19) and (20) for heating the film when wrapped and welded about the product (66) in order to cause its heat-shrinkage. Furthermore, in a position corresponding with said aperture (16) of the chamber (13), means (80) are provided for lifting the film into a position above said support platform (17) when this latter has been raised in order to close the chamber (13) and carries the finished package (102).

Abstract: The high density packaging of generally conical articles is effected by mechanism which feeds two rows of the suspended articles onto a conveyor so that the articles lie on their sides in a single horizontal row arrangement aligned in spaced relation along the path of travel imparted by the conveyor. This arrangement is such that the articles lie in head-to-toe relation. At a downstream region, the progress of the articles is arrested so that they sequentially crowd into touching relation define a contiguous sequence. Transfer mechanism transfer a group of articles from the sequence as a layer and deposits the layer in a receptacle. The transfer mechanism then transfers a second group in the receptacle as a layer nested with the first layer. To achieve high density, the second group of articles has an orientation relative to the sequence which is different from that of the first group.

Abstract: A method for vacuum shrink packaging a product is provided that includes the steps of placing the product in a heat shrinkable thermoplastic bag; then shrinking the bag in a heated gaseous medium, while partially constricting the mouth of the bag to cause ballooning of the bag, further provided that the constricting is selected such that shrinkage of the bag overcomes the ballooning to collapse the bag onto the product; and then placing the bag in a vacuum chamber followed by vacuumizing and in-chamber sealing, further provided that the rate of vacuumizing is limited to substantially prevent reballooning of the bag. Associated apparatus for carrying out the method is also provided.

Abstract: Movement of the case conveyor is terminated with the leading flap aligned with a flap engaging element mounted above the case on the end shaft. The shaft is rotated to cause the element to engage and partially open the leading flap. The shaft is supported by a carriage which is movable along a track extending in the direction of conveyor movement. As the element reaches its final rotational position, movement of the carriage along the track is initiated, causing the element to pivot the leading flap to the open position. Movement of the conveyor is then resumed as the carriage returns to its initial position. The rotational and translational movements of the element are independently actuatable and adjustable.

Abstract: A machine for orienting, accumulating and positioning packages received from two sources for loading into containers has an oscillating member which oscillates between the two sources during which time it both receives packages from one source while participating in loading packages into a container from the other source. Associated with the oscillating member and with each source is an orienting mechanism which rotates packages received from its associated source so that they rest on a common one of their sides, an accumulating mechanism which collects the packages rotated by the orienting mechanism into a group of a predetermined number, a positioning mechanism which positions the grouped packages onto the oscillating member, and a loading mechanism which advances the positioned and grouped packages from the oscillating member into the container.

Abstract: A bag placer which automatically takes a bag from a stack, opens and shapes the bag and places such bag on a spout so that compressed material, such as insulation, glass wool and the like, can be rammed into the bag through the spout. The bag placer is particularly suited for plastic bags which are difficult to handle and open and place on a spout.

Abstract: A rotary type capping apparatus for screwing caps onto the mouths of containers includes a turn table provided with a plurality of container holders fixedly mounted along the periphery thereof, a main motor for rotating the turn table in a predetermined direction and a capping head assembly including a plurality of cap holders, each of which is disposed above the corresponding one of the plurality of container holders, so as to be movable closer to or away from the turn table. In one aspect of the present invention, the capping apparatus includes at least one motor exclusively used for rotating the cap holders for causing the caps held by the cap holders to be screwed onto the mouths of containers. In another aspect of the present invention, the capping apparatus is so structured to increase the torque applied to a cap until it has reached a predetermined level during the cap screwing operation thereby insuring that all caps may be screwed on as tightly as desired.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for packaging paper rolls (2), wherein a wrapper sheet (1) of such a size as to exceed the axial length of the roll is wrapped around the roll and the width of the wrapper sheet is reduced to a size corresponding to the length of the roll by removing the part (5, 6) of the wrapper sheet which extends over the ends of the roll. The header sheet (14, 15) which is bigger than the end surface of the roll, is placed on the ends of the roll and reduced to a size corresponding to the diameter of the roll or smaller by removing at least the part of the header sheet extending over the end surface. Thereafter the header (14, 15) and the wrapper (25) are secured to each other so that a tight joint is formed.

Abstract: A system for the handling of lightweight plastic containers into and through a case-packing operation wherein the containers are moved in a single line onto a conveyor where a diverting guide will move the containers into a multiple lane receiver. The multiple lane receiver is rotatable about its longitudinal axis through a 90.degree. angle, either with the container bottoms facing to the left or facing to the right. On the left side of the receiver, a carton-handling arrangement tips a carton toward the containers which are held in the receiver. A pusher mechanism moves the containers, as a group, from the receiver into the carton, and the carton is then returned to its original position.

Abstract: A dispensing arrangement for dispensing advertising coupons in their folded state into containers having upstanding reinforcing ribs adjoined by respective depressions on those portions thereof onto which the coupons are to be dispensed includes a chute that bounds a downwardly sloping channel for accomodating a stack of the coupons in substantially vertical orientations, a pusher element which presses the stack against a transverse wall delimiting the channel at its dispensing end, a withdrawing roller which withdraws the foremost of the folded coupons in the stack, and a pair of advancing rollers which advance the withdrawn coupon and discharge the same into the depression of the respective container next to the upstanding reinforcing rib. The chute is advantageously a removable separate component of the arrangement, which is clipped on the body of the dispensing arrangement and whose walls can be moved relative to one another to adjust the width of the channel.

Abstract: This invention relates to an arrangement for continuous automatic filling and closing of successive encased groups of containers wherein use is made of a dispensing unit connected to a closing unit which is pivotally rotated so as to be substituted for the dispensing unit after the filling of the group of containers.

Abstract: An improved sterilizing system for filled and sealed articles which are treated by way of the steps of filling a content into packing means and sealing the filled articles in a filling and sealing station, loading a tray with the filled and sealed articles, building up a tray stack including a predetermined number of loaded trays stacked thereon, sterilizing the tray stacks in a sterilizer and then conveying them to a packing station, wherein the improvement consists in an arrangement of a combination of a tray stack building station for building up a tray stack including a predetermined number of empty trays recovered after the filled and sealed articles are released toward the packing station, a tray stack holding conveyor for holding a plurality of tray stacks built up in said tray stack building station and a tray extracting station in which the empty trays are extracted from the tray stack conveyed from said tray stack holding conveyor one by one and then they are delivered toward the filling and sealing

Abstract: In a cartoning machine, a conveyor conveys flat folded cartons with their end flaps projecting laterally. A rotating disk having a horizontally-projecting pin engages the flaps in timed relation to their longitudinal movement to press a lower major flap downwardly. When in a downward attitude, the major flap is engaged by a plow or hold-down guide which holds the flap during erection of the carton and loading of the carton.

Abstract: A packing case flap opener apparatus for use on a packing case moved through a fixed course and wherein a control or travel cylinder is positioned to move parallel to the carton axis; the cylinder controls the position of a shaft operatively secured thereto and extending out to position a flap opening device which, in turn, engages an associated control member so that as the control cylinder is moved along on its axis of movement, the flap opening device is brought into engagement with both the leading and then later the trailing flap of a case for opening same by controlled flap opening action.

Abstract: Air in the space above the fill level in the neck of a bottle or similar container is displaced before the closure is applied, by injection of a liquid or gaseous medium that causes the product to foam. The system consists of a filling station, a closure station, a star wheel to transfer bottles between the two stations, and a jetting device. The jetting device is mounted to a horizontal holding arm above the transfer star and pivots concentrically around the axis of the transfer star. The conveyor speed is automatically monitored by a tach generator. Its signal activates a servo motor which engages the holding arm and moves it together with the jetting nozzle along the bottle path according to the operating speed. The jetting device is moved closer to the closure station at lower operating speeds while its distance to the closure station is increased during higher speeds.

Abstract: The method of forming a pouch in a horizontal form/fill/seal machine and applying a dispensing fitment to a folded edge of the pouch.