Abstract: Method and apparatus for automatically bagging material, such as ice, characterized by a carrier that is reciprocal between a rearward position where a measuring cavity is filled and a forward discharge position for discharging into an opened bag; a supply of flattened plastic bags below the carrier; means for pulling forwardly and upwardly simultaneously adjacent both edges of the forwardmost bag to facilitate filling; and appropriate drives and a plurality of cam and cam followers to effect reciprocation of the carrier and filling of the bags. After the bag is full it is released into a filled bag compartment; for example, responsive to a coin operated device. Desirably, after the bag has been filled, it is sealed so as to prevent spilling of the material. The forwardmost bag is separated completely. Difficulties with the prior art obviated.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing packing containers from a thin flexible plastic material intended to be enclosed within an outer shell of stiffer material for reinforcing purposes in which a plastic tube is extended from an annular extrusion die into which a filling pipe extends. The filling pipe is divided into a number of branch pipes arranged in a row and each of these branch pipes is entered into a corresponding longitudinally extending section of the interior of the extruded tube established between parallel spaced sealing zones formed between the front and back walls of the extruded tube which is expanded and thereafter somewhat flattened for this purpose. Longitudinally spaced transverse sealing zones are then formed across the flattened and filled tube sections and cuts are then made through the longitudinally and transversely extending seaing zones thus dividing them into individual filled containers.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming, filling and closing bags has a hollow mandrel on which a hose is continuously formed from a sheet; two vertically reciprocating and horizontally oppositely movable shoes underneath the mandrel for cyclically pressing together a first hose portion and providing a transverse seam thereacross as the hose and the shoes move downwardly in unison; a folding device cyclically forming bottom flaps from a second hose portion at opposite sides of the hose at the lower end of the mandrel above the first hose portion; a clamping device for firmly grasping the hose at the second hose portion and backing the bottom flaps along the entire hose cross section as it pulls the hose downwardly from the mandrel while moving simultaneously downwardly with the shoes and while the hose part that terminates at the bottom flaps is being filled with goods by gravity; and a cutting device for cutting through the transverse seam when the shoes and the clamping device have pulled the hose to a predetermined low p

Abstract: Method and apparatus for producing dual compartmented tubular containers which includes a system for pumping a high viscosity fluid at a constant flow rate and includes an air driven pump for pumping the fluid from a storage location to an output point. The pump is of the type which produces a substantially constant output per pump cycle. The pump is driven by an air supply communicating with the pump. A timer is attached to the output pump shaft and measures the cycle speed of the pump. The air pressure driving the pump is varied in response to the cycle speed of the pump to maintain the speed of the pump constant. Whenever the material being driven by the pump increases in viscosity, a slow down in the pump speed is prevented by increasing the air pressure used to drive the pump. Where the viscosity decreases and the pump speed begins to increase, the air pressure used to drive the pump is decreased to maintain a constant pump speed.

Abstract: An automatic wicketted bag loader is suited to load one bag while simultaneously closing and sealing a preceding bag, each bag to contain a predetermined amount of a commodity. A hopper feeds the commodity when desired into a wicket bag which has been opened via mechanism connected to a retractable hopper-closing plate. A bag clamping mechanism simultaneously moves into position adjacent the sides of the opened bag and clamps the sides at about the midpoint thereof such that when the plate returns to its hopper-closing position the bag sides are drawn apart at the opening to bring the bag faces close together. The bag opening changes its configuration from generally square to a long rectangle. Clamping mechanism then moves laterally to encompass the bag opening and to clamp the two faces together and to then withdraw the clamped bag from below the hopper. The clamped bag may be heat sealed as it is withdrawn and then fed to an output conveyor. During withdrawal another bag may be loaded.

Abstract: A method for making fluid release bags having a particular use to disperse reagents into a reaction chamber during centrifugation and as burst bags for manually dispersing reagents. The bags are made by scoring a flexible film material with a laser to form a uniform and predetermined linear depression along approximately the entire length of the film. The film is folded along the linear depression such that there are two sides of approximately equal dimensions and such that the bottom edge of the folded film is the laser scored linear depression. Portions of the two sides of the film are sealed together at predetermined intervals to form a continuous film of attached bags having one open end. A substance is injected into each bag through the open end. The open end edges are sealed together, and the bags are separated from one another into individual bags or groups of bags by suitable cutting means.

Abstract: Apparatus and a method for filling and sealing a medicinal dispensing device with a flowable material, such as a liquid, and for sealing the liquid therein. The medicinal dispensing device includes a base having plural chambers each surrounded by a flange. A closure is adhesively secured to the base by contacting the flanges to seal the material within the chambers. The apparatus for filling and sealing the medicinal dispensing device comprises a base support block having an extending channel in the top face and a plurality of spaced recesses within the channel. The recesses are so dimensioned and spaced from each other to receive respective chambers of the base, with portions of the channel between the recesses supporting the flanges of the base. Removable guide means in the form of an elongated block is disposed within the channel over the flanges of the device base.

Abstract: An apparatus and method according to which articles such as pickles are packed into open top containers such as jars and concurrently with operation of a compacting device filled with a desired liquid. By way of example while pickles are pressed into jars brine is filled into the jars, thereby avoiding the necessity of brining means separare from the pickle packing apparatus.

Abstract: Apparatus for and method of filling flexible containers, each having a spout adapted to be closed by a separable cap, characterized in that the containers are connected together seriatim in a continuous row and are fed automatically one after another to a filling and capping station, rather than being hand fed one at a time to the station. This results in increased speed of operation and decreased labor costs. In one embodiment the containers are moved seriatim to the filling station by an intermittently operated conveyor. In another embodiment the weight of the filled containers pulls succeeding empty containers to the filling and capping station. At the station, between the filling and capping steps, the container is manipulated so as to seal off the spout and prevent entry of foreign matter to the container during the time between removal of the filling nozzle from the spout and application of the cap to the filled container.

Abstract: An automatic machine is provided for partially filling a cylindrical vial having one open end with a liquid, inserting a plug into the open end and fitting a cap onto the open end. The machine includes two turrets. Each of the turrets has a plurality of notches in the periphery thereof, the notches each being sized and shaped for receiving a respective one of the vials in an orientation with the open end of the vial directed upwardly. A filling station for partially filling the vials with a liquid is associated with the first turret. The vials automatically transfer from the first turret to the second turret. Respective stations for plugging and capping the vials are associated with the second turret.

Abstract: A package making machine of the vertical form, fill and seal type has a tube former for receiving flexible packaging material in thin flat strip form and for juxtaposing opposite side edges thereof in parallel vertically extending relationship to provide a depending tube open at the top. Side and end sealers respectively seal the vertical edge portions and provide vertically spaced horizontally extending end seals across the tube. A product dispenser associated with the former discharges measured quantities of product to the tube interior space through its open upper end, a bottom seal having first been provided across the tube by the end sealer. An improved tube advancing or feed means occupies a minimum space vertically beneath the former and provides for a short product drop. The feed means comprises a pair of vacuum feed rolls on spaced horizontal axes and in parallel relationship to peripherally engage opposite sides of the tube.

Abstract: In a system including a bag forming apparatus for forming a succession of bags, bag filling and closing apparatus, and a conveying apparatus for conveying each bag, after it is formed, along a conveying path from the bag forming apparatus to the filling and closing apparatus, the system production speed is increased by disposing the bag forming apparatus laterally to one side of the conveying path and associating the bag forming apparatus with a bag transporting member arranged to transport each bag, after it has been formed, into the conveying path, whereby the conveying apparatus can convey bags which were previously formed along the conveying path during at least a portion of the bag forming operating cycle of the bag forming apparatus.

Abstract: This invention relates to a new and useful apparatus for efficiently collating flanged packages at a high speed and then positioning them in a packing carton. The apparatus comprises a collator head assmbly having a plurality of collator heads adjacent one another in a preset configuration. A plurality of air cylinders coupled to the collator heads move the heads in an inward-outward relationship relative to each other enabling collation of the packages attached to the collator heads. Means are provided to enable the collator heads to pick up packages in a preset configuration, transport them to a packaging carton and place them therein.

Abstract: A device for stepwise feeding a hose for packaging products, in particular fruit and vegetable products comprises a frame, pincer gripping jaws swivel supported by the frame, a first jack for moving the gripping jaws between a raised position and a lowered position and a second jack for operating the gripping jaws to grip the lower closed end of a packaging sleeve when the gripping jaws are in the raised position and drag that end downwards and then release it when the gripping jaws are moved to the lowered position.

Abstract: An apparatus for feeding tubes into receptacles comprising conveyor means for intermittently shifting a receptacle, a chute for feeding rows of tubes, a frame for moving rows of the tubes onto the upper side of the receptacle and a stuffing plate for stuffing the tubes into the receptacle.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to a spade drill blade and more particularly to a spade drill blade which is adapted to be clamped in the clamp slit of a holder and which has side surfaces that bear against the wall of the bore to be of a raised shape in such a way that during drilling it bears in extremely narrow lateral surface region in a diagonal plane against the inner surface of the bore, and the improvement, therefore, relates to the configuration of the blade with a very narrow contact area between the lateral surfaces of the cutting blade and the wall of the workpiece bore which reduces high surface friction and the risk of jamming or seizure and premature wear which prevents indexing to present the second cutting edge of the blade in the workpiece bore. The raised portion may be shaped in cross section, for example, as a ridge, trapezium, beading, lips or of other forms.

Abstract: In apparatus for producing two-piece foil wrappers for wrapping bundles of cigarettes, a web of foil is cut alternately by two cylindrical cutters operating against fixed blades. A suction roller receives each successive newly cut end of the foil before the next cutter operates. Each resulting pair of foil wrapper pieces is then transferred to a suction drum having a sector arcuately movable thereon to produce an overlap in the wrapper pieces.

Abstract: The encasing apparatus of this invention comprises a feed mechanism, a turnabout mechanism, and a slide mechanism, and may be additionally provided with a partition sheet feeder depending upon the type of articles to be packed. The turnabout mechanism receives articles delivered from the feed mechanism with a tray, allows each prescribed number of such articles to line up successively in a first direction of the tray so that the articles lie in the same direction, and, after turning the tray around a vertical shaft through a fixed angle, inclines the tray to move the articles in a second direction at an angle of 90.degree. to the first direction, thereby delivering the articles to the slide mechanism. Subsequently, the slide mechanism lines up the articles so as to true up the ends of the articles in the second direction, and then introduces them regularly into the packing box.

Abstract: Beverage containers are commonly made with a ring at the top of the can for pulling a knock-out from the can top to provide a discharge opening through which a person can conveniently drink the contents of the can, or pour them into a glass or cup. The can top gathers dust and other contaminants that are a health hazard. This invention locates the discharge outlet at the bottom of the can and in a recessed compartment, and prevents contamination by closing off access to the can bottom by a shelf or other surface on which the can rests, so that the can itself acts as a shield to protect the discharge outlet area from contaminants.

Abstract: A roll of flattened tubular synthetic plastic stock is unwound by the pulling force of clamping devices mounted on a vertically movable frame and engaging the opposite faces of still flattened portions of the tubular stock. The unwound flattened tubular stock is preferably advanced downwardly between bag slitting, wall separating and bag sealing devices also carried by the framework. A lower pair of clamping members forms a temporary seal along the entire width of the tubular stock at a point adjacent to but above the bottom margin of a bag-forming portion thereof until a permanent seal is formed beneath the same and above another pair of lower clamping members which engage the upper margin of a previously filled bag-forming portion of the same. A lower slitting device slits the bag between the latter pairs of clamping members while the clamping members are in operative position.