Abstract: A bagging machine for automatically covering a loaded pallet with a bag formed from a tubing of resilient film. The tubing is fed by drive rollers down into the machine where vacuum heads grasp the sides of the tubing and spread it open. Fingers are then inserted and when an appropriate length of tubing is fed onto the fingers, a cut-and-seal mechanism cuts the tubing and seals the end of the bag. The fingers retract to further open and stretch the bag. The carriage in which the fingers are mounted is then lowered and the bag is fed onto the load.

Abstract: An automatic packaging system for coin rolls which includes a conveyor for receiving coin rolls from a plurality of wrapping machines and transporting the rolls in seriatim in the direction of the axes of the rolls. The conveyor comprises a driven continuous belt which is inclined transversely to its direction of movement, with a continuous guide rail cooperating with the lower portion of the belt to form a generally V-shaped track along which the coin rolls are conveyed by the driven belt, with the V shape of the track bringing the coin rolls into axial alignment with each other. The guide rail forms at least one coin slot for discharging any loose coins that fall onto the track. The conveyor includes a first belt which is driven at a fast speed, a second belt which is driven at a slow speed to accumulate the coin rolls in closely spaced relation to each other, and a third belt which is driven at a fast speed to space the rolls farther apart again at uniform intervals.

Abstract: Sets of objects such as cupped chocolates are deposited by templates on a table where each set is held by suction with the objects spaced apart from another. A frame with movable walls brings together each set of objects which are lifted by a suction head forming a bell with the closed frame, and the set of objects is then deposited in a box.

Abstract: A device for transporting sliced comestible product from a slicer and loading the product in packages includes a belt drive system, with a plurality of transfer carriages supported thereon, extending between the slicer and the loader. Each transfer carriage includes a grid of horizontal, parallel tines to support the product. The loader includes a loader carriage slidably depending from a track, and a plurality of hooked tines pivotably secured to the loading carriage. The hooked tines are adapted to rotate down between the transfer tines to remove the product therefrom as the loader carriage translates along the track toward the package to be filled. The loader carriage stops above the package, where side guides grasp the sides of the product as the loader tines swing away. A loader plunger then descends to urge the product into the package. The transfer carriages are slidably supported on the belt drive system, so that one or more transfer carriages may be temporarily stopped on the belts.

Abstract: The apparatus and method of this invention pertains to a web film advance in which a film advancing roll is carried on a frame moved by a reciprocating pitman arm. This arm is adjustable as to its stroke or travel so that a corresponding travel of the frame is also selectively adjustable. The film advancing roll is carried by a shaft mounted in bearings and is prevented from turning in one direction by a one-way clutch apparatus. This clutch allows the roll to be rotated only when the frame and roll are moved rearwardly. During this film feeding advance by the roller a rotation of the roller is achieved by a roller chain and a sprocket or a timing belt and toothed pulley. This chain or belt may be moved a small amount in response to an electrical signal to bring the web of film or paper into registration in accordance with mark indicia. Bags or simply formed, filled and sealed packages may be made by and on this simplified yet highly reliable film advancing apparatus.

Abstract: With the view to obviating or mitigating the disadvantages that in processes for the production of containers, for example, product-filled containers, in which processes a substantial proportion of scrap is produced and that the space occupied by a purality of the containers prior to the product-filling thereof is considerable even if the containers are disposed in stacked relationship, there is provided a process for manufacturing a rimmed container preparatory to the filling and closing thereof from a one piece homogeneous blank, composed entirely of heat formable material containing just the requisite amount of material for forming the rimmed container to be filled, filling rim and an apparatus for performing the process, wherein the process includes the steps of uniformly heating a substantially rigid planar preshaped homogeneous blank of thermo plastic material, out to at least immediately adjacent the portion thereof adapted to form the container rim to a formable state while leaving the outermost perip

Abstract: Apparatus is provided which moves a column of nested, uniformly shaped chips into a reservoir thereby forming a loop array. The loop array of snack chips is then transferring from the reservoir into a package.

Abstract: A method for the production of a pack in an enclosure containing a sterile liquid comprises a sterilization step and a pack forming and filling step. The sterilization step comprises sterilizing the enclosure by means of hot water under pressure, replacing the hot water by sterile cold water to cool the enclosure to ambient temperature, discharging the sterile water from the enclosure, drying the enclosure by continuously blowing warm compressed sterile air into the enclosure, and the pack forming and filling step comprises feeding a web of pack-forming material through the enclosure, forming the web into a longitudinally open tube as it is fed through the enclosure, sealing the open tube longitudinally and transversely and filling the sealed tube with the sterile liquid.

Abstract: Apparatus for conditioning sterile liquid products in a continuous tubular pack comprises an enclosure containing means for sterilizing a web of material intended to form the pack, means in the enclosure for forming the web into a tube and means for filling the tube with a sterile liquid product. The enclosure is capable of resisting an internal pressure of hot water at 120.degree. C of at least 3 kg/cm.sup.2 and is provided with means for temporarily sealing an inlet slot through which the web can be fed into the enclosure, and an outlet slot through which the tube can leave the enclosure.

Abstract: An apparatus for the sterile filling of products into cup-shaped containers, which comprises an endless conveyor passing containers in sterile condition in succession through treatment stations including a filling station, a lid-applying station, a sealing station and an ejection station. A large sterile chamber formed beneath an applied covering hood and enclosing all said treatment stations is provided; and before the treatment stations, as seen in the direction of travel of said conveyor, and in above the conveyor there are of a finished-container magazine and a short-path, quick-acting sterilization station including a sterilizing-agent sprayer and sterilizing-agent drier is above the conveyor and enclosed by the covering hood.

Abstract: Apparatus and method is disclosed for loading a plurality of bales or containers containing pouches filled with a liquid such as milk into a rectangular open-top case. An empty case is located on the apparatus and a rotatable divider is positioned on the case to create suitable bale-receiving compartments. The bales are fed to a diverter which moves each bale to a position overlying an empty compartment so that the bale falls into the compartment. The divider then rotates to rotate the case to bring another empty compartment into registry with the diverter. This repeats until the case is full, at which time the divider is withdrawn vertically from the case and the full case is fed to an outlet conveyor. An empty case is brought to a position below the raised divider, the divider is lowered into the empty case and the filling process is repeated. The case has been filled symmetrically and is easy to handle thereafter.

Abstract: An apparatus for packaging yarn packages in plural layers in a cardboard box or a like container is disclosed. A plurality of yarn packages carried to a packaging station by a transporting carrier are grouped in several groups and, then, a group of yarn packages is received by a supporting means with sufficient intervening space between two adjacent yarn packages for easy mechanical handling. Then, the above-mentioned space between two adjacent yarn packages is contracted automatically while the group of yarn packages is carried to a station for transferring them into a cardboard box or a like container, so as to fix the disposition of the yarn packages in the arrangement of a square lattice on a partition plate disposed in the container.

Abstract: Two separate groups of six articles are assembled in separate lines while a carrier is unfolded, the carrier having a partition joined with a hinge to a top panel thereof such that the partition drops under the force of gravity to a vertically extending position. Then the groups of articles are assembled into opposite ends of the carrier on opposite sides of the partition whereby the partition maintains the groups separated.

Abstract: A package making machine of the vertical form, fill and seal type has a tube former for receiving packaging material in thin flat strip form and for juxtaposing opposite side edges thereof in parallel vertically extending and overlapped relationship to provide a depending tube open at the top. A product dispenser discharges measured quantities of product to the tube interior space, a lower end portion thereof being sealed transversely by an end sealing apparatus. Tube advancing means may comprise intermittently operable vertically extending vacuum belts or, alternatively, the end sealer may be reciprocated vertically to draw the strip material downwardly through the former. At a longitudinal seam sealing station beneath the former a vertically elongated sealing bar moves to engage and to seal the overlapped longitudinal edges of the tube.

Abstract: Apparatus for inserting wires into terminals comprises a templet plate having wire-receiving slots extending therethrough from one surface to the opposite surface. The slots extend to one edge of the plate so that wires positioned on one surface adjacent to the edge will, when pressed progressively against the surface, move into the slots. Inserters move through the slots and insert the wires into a connector positioned under the other face of the templet. In accordance with a further aspect of the disclosure, a shuttle type wire feed is provided in combination with the templet plate and a second wire insertion apparatus is provided to produce electrical harnesses.

Abstract: Sleeve wrapping apparatus, particularly for wrapping units each consisting of a plurality of products, such as cans, of relatively low stability, which enables orderly wrapping of a unit without the use of a tray or other receptacle for holding the products in the unit against disorientation, comprising a conveyor for conveying units to be wrapped through a sealing station, means for supplying webs of heat-sealable wrapping material to lie under and over a unit, means for sealing the webs together at the sealing station, and means for separating a number of rows of product from an infeed of products to constitute units each comprising said number of rows for delivery to said conveyor.

Abstract: Apparatus for flattening and sealing the mouth of a filled pouch, comprising clamping jaws and coacting gripping rolls arranged to simultaneously grasp the leading and trailing ends at the mouth of a pouch moving along a predetermined path towards sealing rolls for pulling the leading and trailing ends in opposite directions so as to straighten the edges at the mouth and a jet heater situated between the gripping rolls and the sealing rolls for rendering the smoothly straightened edges adhesive while traveling therebetween. The sealing rolls simultaneously squeeze the adhesive edges and chill them to effect a seal. There are belts having spaced parallel runs extending from the coacting gripping rolls to the sealing rolls for gripping the sides of the pouch below the smoothly straightened edges to hold the latter flat as the pouch travels from the gripping rolls through the jet heater to the sealing rolls.

Abstract: A method of packing strips of material such as bacon by feeding film over a rotating stepped roll, feeding strips or slices of the material onto the film over the steps of this roll, picking up the slices from the roll in shingled relationship with film interleaved between the slices, and then compacting the shingled strips by passing them from a conveyor driven at one speed to a conveyor driven at a slower speed. A machine is disclosed having mechanical and automatic controls for timing the respective functions in accordance with the operation of the slicer and for synchronizing the elements of the machine.

Abstract: Apparatus for packing articles, particularly bottles, in units each consisting of a plurality of parallel rows of articles, each row comprising a plurality of articles, in side-by-side contact, and with the rows in contact, comprising means for collating articles into said units and sleeve-wrapping the units. Each unit of articles, as formed, is deposited on a conveyor and conveyed thereby through a sealing station, means being provided for supplying webs of heat-sealable wrapping material to lie under and over each unit, and for sealing the webs together at the sealing station to form a sleeve of the material around each unit. In collating cylindrical bottles (or other cylindrical articles), the rows are staggered for nesting of the bottles to reduce the voids in the units.

Abstract: A berry packaging apparatus including a denesting subassembly, a produce or berry dispenser, a cover pick-up and applicator subassembly, and a conveyor for transporting a plurality of corner-slotted containers. The denesting subassembly employs a plurality of opposed, shaped fingers to separate the lowermost container of a stack and deposit same onto the conveyor. The containers are filled with produce at the dispenser. The cover pick-up and applicator picks up a flexible film wrapper or cover and wipes the cover down around the container periphery.