Patents Examined by Sameh Tawfik
  • Patent number: 11649128
    Abstract: A dunnage conversion system for making a coil of dunnage from a sheet stock includes a coiler, a movable dancer upstream of the coiler and interposed in a path of the sheet stock, and a controller communicatively coupled to each of the coiler and the movable dancer. The coiler is configured to wind the sheet stock, and the controller is configured to control the speed of the coiler based on the position of the movable dancer to control tension of the sheet stock upstream of the coiler. The sheet stock drawn about the movable dancer may be a slit-sheet stock having a plurality of slits configured to expand under tension applied in a feed direction. The controller may be configured to control expansion of the slit-sheet stock upstream of the coiler allowing conversion of the sheet stock into a coil of relatively less dense dunnage prior to or during winding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Ranpak Corp.
    Inventors: Peter L. C. Lemmens, Jordy van der Kaap
  • Patent number: 11648155
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods and apparatuses for assembling disposable pant diapers having contoured elastic belts. During the assembly process, opposing end regions of chassis are connected with the elastic belts in the form of first and second continuous elastic laminates. The chassis are then folded to place the elastic laminates into a facing relationship. The inner longitudinal edges of one or both the elastic laminates are then cut to define a contoured shape. Discrete pieces of trim material may be removed from one or both the elastic laminates, and the first and second continuous elastic laminates are cut in the cross direction to form discrete pant diapers. In some configurations, a single knife both removes the trim material and cuts the elastic laminates in cross direction. And in some configurations, a first knife removes the trim material and a second knife cuts the elastic laminates in cross direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Uwe Schneider, Michael Devin Long
  • Patent number: 11643241
    Abstract: A corrugated plastic box and a method for manufacturing a corrugated plastic box from a blank are provided. The method includes the steps of forming rounded edge seals on the perimeter edges of the blank, pre-sealing portions of the blank to form a plurality of areas in which major and minor flap slots and a glue tab are desired, ultrasonically scoring the blank to form a plurality of flap score lines, and cutting the blank through the plurality of pre-sealed flap slots and glue tab, leaving a sealed edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: ORBIS Corporation
    Inventors: William F. McMahon, Donald J. Balazs
  • Patent number: 11643242
    Abstract: A corrugated plastic box and a method for manufacturing a corrugated plastic box from a blank are provided. The method includes the steps of forming rounded edge seals on the perimeter edges of the blank, pre-sealing portions of the blank—including providing air vents to allow trapped air to escape during the pre-sealing process—to form a plurality of areas in which major and minor flap slots and a glue tab are desired, ultrasonically scoring the blank to form a plurality of flap score lines, and cutting the blank through the plurality of pre-sealed flap slots and glue tab, leaving a sealed edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: ORBIS Corporation
    Inventors: William F. McMahon, Donald J. Balazs, Gregory A. Peterson
  • Patent number: 11643243
    Abstract: A method of forming a container from a blank of sheet material using a machine is provided. The method includes forming a corner wall by folding a first pair of a plurality of reinforcing panels inwardly towards a respective side panel and into face-to-face contact with a second pair of the plurality of reinforcing panels, rotating the side panels and end panels to be substantially perpendicular to a bottom panel such that an interior surface of at least one reinforcing panel of the plurality of reinforcing panels is in contact with an interior surface of the first side panel, and coupling at least one other reinforcing panel of the plurality of reinforcing panels to one of the end panels to form the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: WestRock Shared Services, LLC
    Inventors: Thomas Dean Graham, Ricki D. Anderson, Guillermo Rojas, Kenneth Charles Smith
  • Patent number: 11643234
    Abstract: Apparatus and method of manufacturing open-mouth bags, comprising a storage device with a supply of bag film, a control device for controlling, a conveying device for conveying the bag film and/or the bag body along a conveying path, a welding device with welding means for making a bottom seam in the bag film and a cutting device with a cutting means for separating a predetermined film length of the bag film to form the bag body of an open-mouth bag. The control device controls the conveying device so as to cause a relative motion of the bag body and the bag film and a distance between the bag body and the bag film is generated prior to making the bottom seam. The control device controls the conveying device and the welding means so that while welding the bottom seam the welding means extend at least up to the bottom end of the bag body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: HAVER & BOECKER OHG
    Inventor: Willi Vollenkemper
  • Patent number: 11638496
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing flexible paper straws and flexible paper straws are revealed. The method includes the steps of preparing a paper tube which is a spiral tube by glue and paper, inserting a support shaft into the paper tube axially, placing the paper tube with the support shaft between a first roller and a second roller before curing of the glue while the first and second rollers are in parallel and having a plurality of circular grooves on a cylindrical surface thereof, rolling the paper tube by the first and second rollers to form a corrugated portion on a part of the paper tube, squeezing the corrugated portion to compress the corrugated portion for a period of time for curing the glue and holding shape of the corrugated portion, and removing the support shaft to get a flexible paper straw which is bendable at the corrugated portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: GRAND AI CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Chen-Yung Liao
  • Patent number: 11623773
    Abstract: A method of providing a plurality of filled product bags of sterile fluid includes positioning a bag assembly onto a filling machine. The bag assembly includes a tube, a filter assembly, bladders, and stems. A stem is attached to a bladder, forms a fluid passageway, fluidly connects to the tube, and provides fluid communication into the bladders. The method includes fluidly coupling an inlet of the filter assembly to a connection line in fluid communication with a fluid source, and filling the bag assembly with a fluid. Filling the bag assembly includes passing the fluid through the filter assembly, the fluid passageway, and into the bladder. The method includes sealing the fluid passageway at a location between the tube and the bladders. The method includes cutting the stem to form a partially filled product bag having the sealed passageway. The method includes performing an integrity test on the filter assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignees: BAXTER INTERNATIONAL INC., BAXTER HEALTHCARE SA
    Inventors: Grant Anthony Bomgaars, Joseph Vincent Ranalletta, Yuanpang Samuel Ding, Ying-Cheng Lo, Mark Edward Pasmore, Michael Joseph Sadowski, Anastasios Hristakos, Thomas Edward Dudar, Bernd Krause
  • Patent number: 11613092
    Abstract: Apparatus for making a cardboard strip for packaging includes a store for a stack of cardboard sheets, a gripping mechanism for picking up a sheet from the stack and positioning another sheet on a first support for the application of adhesive, and a transfer mechanism for transferring the first sheet to rest on the second support with an end portion having the adhesive projecting towards the store and towards a third support. The third support is disposable in a raised position to raise an end portion of a second sheet coming from the store and in a lowered position to lower the end portion of the second sheet and position it at the end portion of the first sheet. A pressor presses the two superposed end portions of the two sheets to fix the end portions to one another to form a cardboard strip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: C.M.C. S.P.A.
    Inventor: Giuseppe Ponti
  • Patent number: 11597175
    Abstract: A former provides an insert at the lip of the former to enable packaging material to travel smoothly over the former. The insert lays smoothly on the top surface of the former. The insert is sized approximately one half the width of the packaging material that travels over the insert. The former provides a raised textured surface that enables the packaging material to travel over the former into the aperture. The insert constructed with a smooth top surface is located adjacent at least a portion of the aperture. The insert provides a smooth surface for the packaging material to travel across when entering the aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Inventor: Joseph E. Terminella
  • Patent number: 11597554
    Abstract: A method, apparatus and program product monitor a wrap force during a wrap cycle to dynamically control the dispense rate of a packaging material dispenser to meet a desired containment force to be applied to a load. A conversion may be performed between wrap force and containment force for the monitored wrap force or a containment force parameter to facilitate the performance of a comparison between the monitored wrap force and a containment force parameter associated with the desired containment force to be applied to the load. A wrap force parameter may also be dynamically adjusted, and in some instances, the dynamic adjustment may be responsive to monitored wrap force, and may be used to meet a load containment force requirement for a load. In other instances, the dynamic adjustment may be responsive to monitored packaging material breaks to reduce the occurrence of packaging material breaks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Lantech.com, LLC
    Inventors: Patrick R. Lancaster, III, Michael P. Mitchell, Richard L. Johnson, Jeremy D. McCray
  • Patent number: 11577482
    Abstract: A conversion unit converting a first continuous web substrate into a second substrate in the form of converted blanks of predetermined length. On account of cutting tool rotation speed, the web moves at various speeds for cutting the web cut lengths and other aspects of cutting and transport process having a constant input speed. The unit includes a first motorized arrangement for producing a first run driving of the web, a sheeter having rotary tools for cutting the web into blanks, a second motorized arrangement for producing a second run driving of the substrate, the second arrangement being positioned in the immediate proximity of the sheeter, and at least one station having rotary tools for converting the blanks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Inventor: Lucio Giancaterino
  • Patent number: 11572212
    Abstract: A packing machine includes a guide configured to guide a sheet of packaging material formed in a tubular shape, a sealing device configured to fuse an overlapping portion of the packaging material, a detection element pivotally attached to the guide and arranged downstream of the sealing device along a welded portion of the packaging material, a biasing member configured to bias the detection element outwardly from the guide, and a detector configured to detect the detection element that is pushed out from the welded portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: SHIBUYA PACKAGING SYSTEM CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tomohiro Takemoto
  • Patent number: 11565866
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method of processing a plastic container having a longitudinal axis is disclosed. The method includes: blow-molding a plastic container having an upper portion including a finish, a sidewall, a lower portion including a base defining a standing surface, and a substantially transversely oriented pressure panel having an inner annular wall and a central push-up portion located in the base, wherein a base mold portion is displaced longitudinally with respect to first and second side mold portions to form the pressure panel set above the standing surface; introducing heated liquid contents into the plastic container with the pressure panel located in an outwardly-inclined position entirely between the standing surface and the upper portion; capping the plastic container; and, moving the pressure panel to an inwardly-inclined position entirely between the standing surface and the upper portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: C02PAC LIMITED
    Inventors: David Murray Melrose, John Denner, Paul Kelley, Gregory Trude
  • Patent number: 11559078
    Abstract: The invention relates to a filter manufacturing apparatus including: —a feed path adapted to continuously feed a filter material along a longitudinal transport direction; —a forming device connected to a terminating end of the feed path and adapted to form the filter material into a rod-shaped continuous filter body and deliver the formed continuous filter body, the forming device including: a tubular element adapted to allow the filter material to pass therethrough to form the filter material into the continuous filter body; a heat source adapted to heat the filter material passing in the tubular element; —a diameter measuring device positioned at the outlet of the forming device and adapted to measure a diameter of the continuous filter body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: Philip Morris Products S.A.
    Inventor: Gianni Caprini
  • Patent number: 11554569
    Abstract: A blank for being formed into a container. The blank has a marginal area that includes a plurality of score lines for facilitating forming of the blank into the container. The score lines are positioned to facilitate formation of the container. A forming tool has features to facilitate forming the blank into the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: Graphic Packaging International, LLC
    Inventor: Patrick H. Wnek
  • Patent number: 11554568
    Abstract: A machine for forming a container from a blank of sheet material includes an outer body frame, a mandrel mounted to the body frame, a lifting assembly coupled to the body frame, and a lateral presser assembly and a folding arm assembly coupled to the lifting assembly, wherein the lifting assembly moves the lateral presser assembly and the folding arm assembly in a first direction and an opposite, second direction. A folding arm servomechanism is operatively connected to a folding arm of the folding arm assembly and rotates the folding arm relative to the mandrel to wrap a first portion of the blank around the mandrel. A lateral presser servomechanism is operatively connected to an engaging bar of the lateral presser assembly and rotates the engaging bar relative to the mandrel to wrap a second portion of the blank around the mandrel to at least partially form the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: WestRock Shared Services, LLC
    Inventors: Benjamin Strong, Brian Lowe
  • Patent number: 11549753
    Abstract: Heat shrink wrap product packaging oven or tunnel apparatus and processing methods are provided which incorporate or utilize airfoils in conjunction with hot air-providing side walls to desirably control impact of hot air onto a product wrapped with a tube of heat shrink wrap film and being conveyed on a conveyor thereby. In such heat shrink wrap product packaging apparatus and methods, such airfoils can be movable, e.g., rotatably moveable, relative to the side walls to vertically alter an air impact point onto the product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Robert C. Beesley, Mark Davidson
  • Patent number: 11548255
    Abstract: Methods of making vents in containers made from flexible materials, including forming vent openings in a first flexible material, forming vent stand-offs on a second flexible material, and combining the flexible materials to form a vent passage for the flexible container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Mark Mason Hargett, Michael Paul Hausfeld, Marc Richard Bourgeois, Joseph Craig Lester, Benjamin Jacob Clare, Richard Matthew Giachetto, Tadayoshi Ishihara, Gavin John Broad
  • Patent number: 11535476
    Abstract: A sheet stacking device is provided with a hopper unit configured to stack a sheet, a feeding unit configured to feed out the sheet to the hopper unit, a distance detection unit configured to detect an inter-sheet distance, in the vertical direction, between a rear end portion of the sheet that is preceding and a tip end portion of the sheet that is subsequent, and an output unit configured to output a behavior stabilization command for the sheet based on the inter-sheet distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Hideaki Nagai, Hiroyuki Kanazawa, Koshi Tanimoto, Kenta Nakao