Abstract: Methods are proposed for automatically framing slides in a framing apparatus, wherein the slides are subjected at a framing station at the leading end of the slide film passing through the framing apparatus to a framing cycle which comprises individual severing together with introduction in a ready-positioned frame and subsequent transmission of the framed slide to a storage box. One of the disclosed methods is conducted with the aid of marginal notches applied to the slide film by a preceding automatic notcher as a positional criterion for the slides and the other is conducted without regard to such notches. Both methods provide for scanning the spacer strips between slides by means of a scanning apparatus and special evaluation of the information thus obtained, possibly having regard to the notch spacing, in a manner such that a destruction of slides by wrong cuts is avoided.

Abstract: An apparatus and method is provided for packaging a fibrous, preferably compressible material; such as mineral fiber insulation shapes, in which the method and apparatus provides for delivering one or more such shapes (which are preferably rolls) through a staging area to a compression chamber in which they are compressed from a generally cylindrical shape or roll (or rolls) of a first diametral size, to a roll (or rolls) of a second, reduced diametral size, with the roll then being discharged from the compression chamber and being secured to substantially retain the cylindrical configuration of reduced diametral size, preferably by means of a sleeve or the like placed thereover. The operation occurs with a minimum of operator assistance, and may optionally be effected to occur automatically. The package formed may be of various roll lengths, and to this end, in the staging area prior to the compression chamber, the number of rolls that will be simultaneously compressed may be determined.

Abstract: An inexpensive, portable device for filleting fish is provided which has a pair of flexible, side-by-side rollers that bow outwardly in opposite directions to engage the sides of a fish therebetween. The rollers have a plurality of spaced protuberances that firmly grip the fish, yet the rollers have sufficient resiliency to maintain the vertebral column or "backbone" of the fish in perfect alignment with an elongated opening between a pair of downstream, side-by-side, elongated blades. As the rollers are turned to advance the fish, two opposite fillet portions are cut by the blades as well as a narrow, bony, vertebral portion, and the blades are closely adjacent the rollers such that guide means or manual positioning is unnecessary. Preferably, the blades either reciprocate as the rollers turn or, in another embodiment, are mounted on an endless belt similar in nature to a band saw.

Abstract: An automatic mail banding apparatus is disclosed in which mail is positioned in a stack in a mail receiving tray and is clamped to a movable portion of the tray. A rubber band applying assembly receives a rubber band at a position along the side of the tray, expands the band while axially aligning the expanded band with the stack of mail, moves the band axially toward the stack to surround the stack with the expanded band, and then releases the band around the stack. The movable portion of the tray pivots to move the stack to a new orientation while the stack of mail remains clamped to the movable portion of the tray, and a second band is applied to the stack by the band applying assembly in a transverse orientation to the first band.

Abstract: A casing ring device is mounted on the end of a stuffing horn of a stuffing machine and is positioned so that the shirred casing passes over the ring during the stuffing operation. The casing ring device includes a ring member formed of a metallic material with means thereon for releasable attachment to the stuffing horn. A sleeve formed of yieldable material embraces the ring member and includes a tapered forward portion which projects into the conventional brake ring and cooperates therewith to retard movement of the casing during the stuffing operation.

Abstract: A skin packaging machine having a vacuum box and an oven spaced above the vacuum box, a film frame movable between the vacuum box and the oven, and a probe mounted on the film frame, the probe being movable into and out of a position contacting the underside of a film supported on the film frame.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are disclosed for transporting, weighing, and roll wrapping articles with a stretchable web-type material. The apparatus includes horizontal conveyor means and article support rollers supported on a rotatable table. The support rollers being quickly adjustably movable equidistantly toward and away from each other to accommodate articles of numerous sizes and weights while maintaining the center of gravity of the article generally centrally positioned with respect to the support rollers and the rotatable table.

Abstract: A system for boxing printed forms uses half-slotted (hsc) containers and apparatus for assembling the containers, filling them with forms, compressing the forms, applying a lid, and strapping the lid on the container. Two parallel conveyor systems are used in the apparatus. A forms infeed accumulator conveyor infeeds stacks of forms to a form-dropping mechanism aligned above a parallel box-receiving conveyor. A folded box infeed tray, a box opening mechanism, and bottom flap folding members assemble boxes one at a time. A box pusher transfers the formed box onto the receiving conveyor and lateral guides and sensor controls precisely position the box beneath the form-dropping mechanism. The dropping mechanism has two rows of live roller-fingers abutting end to end and are movable laterally apart to drop the forms into a box below.

Abstract: A web of plastic bags is made from rollstock of a strong heat sealable plastic material for the bulk storage and dispensing of liquids by passing two aseptic sheets of the material into a press that heat bonds the longitudinal edges and laterally across the sheets to form a web of sealed bags. The longitudinally bonded strips are perforated to engage sprocket wheels which draw the web of bags to a position at which a dispensing fitment is bonded to the outer surface of one sheet, and then to a station which cuts a short lateral slit across only one sheet. The web then passes over and hangs from the sprocket so that the slit slightly opens to permit filling of the bag from the bottom up with a long pointed diving fill tube that isolates the bag contents from the slit. The area around the slit is then heat sealed against the opposite side of the bag to prevent leakage of the bag contents and the admission of contaminants into the bag.

Abstract: A patty making machine is provided having a feed mechanism using an auger which is reciprocally driven to push the product into the molding chamber, and is rotated during the retraction stroke to unscrew the auger back through the product. The auger is disposed along one side of a conical hopper and the hopper is rotated about its axis.

Abstract: A method of packaging an article involves drawing two elongated strips of plastic from a supply, placing an article between them, then drawing two broader sheets above and below the first two sheets. The various sheets are adjusted and sealed in such a manner that two envelopes are formed, one inside the other, the outer envelope being larger in all directions than the inner envelope. The outer envelope is then inflated under conditions such that air is expelled from the inner envelope, collapsing it tightly about the article. By omitting certain steps, an empty container can be formed, suitable for later loading and inflation. The apparatus disclosed automatically carries out the method.

Abstract: Apparatus for providing resiliently compressible articles, which by being compressed have been lended a considerably reduced volume, with a casing formed of heat sealable pliable sheet material preventing the articles from regaining their original volume. The articles are first precompressed to a volume which is smaller than said reduced volume. The precompressed articles are thereafter introduced into a tube which is formed of a lengthy web of pliable sheet material by heat sealing overlapping longitudinal margin portions of the web so as to unite them. The articles introduced into the tube are prevented from expanding to said reduced volume, in which they fill out the tube, until the heat sealing seam of the tube has attained sufficient strength. The tube can be closed between the introduced articles by transverse heat sealing seams.

Abstract: An apparatus for closing and sealing telescoping boxes includes a ram for pressing the top of the box downwardly over the bottom of the box and a vertically movable box support plate which lowers during the box closing process. Four tape heads seal the four sides of the box while it is in the lowered position. The plate then moves to its upward position for removal of the closed and sealed box and for receiving the next box to be closed and sealed.

Abstract: A sterilization apparatus and method for sterilizing the interiors of paperboard containers, wherein such apparatus and method are operative prior to the container being mounted on a mandrel assembly on which the container bottom closures are formed, closed and sealed. This is accomplished by providing nebulizing means for communicating a suitable sterilant fog through and onto the inside surfaces of the carton blank immediately after it has been removed from a magazine and opened into a four-sided tubular shape, thereby greatly increasing the total interior sterilizing time available prior to the container being filled, as compared to conventional sterilization processes which are operative after the bottom panels of the carton have been closed and sealed.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for roll wrapping articles with stretchable netting material and simultaneously weighing the articles. The apparatus includes horizontal article support rollers supported on a rotatable table, the support rollers being quickly adjustably movable equidistantly toward and away from each other to accomodate articles of numerous sizes and weights while maintaining the center of gravity of the article generally centrally positioned with respect to the support rollers and the rotatable table.

Abstract: A carton closing machine including a longitudinal chain with lugs that carry the carton along a longitudinal path, folding down the carton top and passing the front flap thereof over a glue wheel to a cross-feed which carries the cartons laterally with the side flaps passing over a pair of glue wheels and into a rectangular stack defined by four vertical plates. An elevator raises each carton up into the stack to fold down the front and side flaps and then retracts to receive the next carton. Two pairs of belts at the upstream end of the machine carry the cartons to the conveyor chain and a backup chain with small lugs moves along with and between the second pair of belts to boost any carton that may slip on the surface of the belt. The first pair of belts is at a slightly higher elevation so that the backup lugs pass freely beneath cartons supported thereon to engage behind cartons on the second pair of belts.

Abstract: A package comprises an elongate member having a connected row of article receptacle parts and receptacle enclosing parts. The length of each elongate member is a multiple of the width of a finished pack equal to the number of receptacle parts. Each elongate member is positioned for filling with articles with the opening of the receptacle parts facing upwards and each member is filled with articles simultaneously, or in one operation. The elongate member is closed in one operation for all receptacle parts by folding over the connected row of closing parts to a position covering the openings of the receptacle parts. Each elongate member is finally divided into separate packs by separating the elongate member along predetermined locations.

Abstract: Apparatus for removing strips of X-ray film from elongated flat envelopes, wherein the film is flanked by two foils of lead, has a table supporting two blade-like tools whose tips can be introduced into the open front end of an envelope so that each tool enters between a panel of the envelope and the outer side of the respective foil. The envelope is then advanced lengthwise so that the tools penetrate deeper into its interior whereby the envelope is severed along opposite marginal portions of the film by knives which are mounted on one of the tools. One of the panels is introduced into the nip of two advancing rolls downstream of the knives so that the one panel then pulls the envelope forwardly and the envelope is automatically opened by the knives. The leader of the exposed film is connected to the core of a reel which is driven in synchronism with the advancing rolls so that the film is convoluted onto the core of the reel.

Abstract: The apparatus for automatically inserting transparencies into one-piece frames, comprises:a feeder for the open frames (10), which are withdrawn one by one from a store (33) and fed along a sliding surface (7) towards a gripper (26),a feeder for the film (20), which is fed along a sliding surface (19) aligned with the sliding surface (7) for the frames (10), but in the opposite feed direction to these latter,a cutter (18) positioned at the front end of the sliding surface (19) for the film (20) in order to cut transparencies,a gripper (26) interposed between the sliding surface (7) for the open frames (10) and the sliding surface (19) for the film (20) and which is provided with a fixed jaw (27) and a mobile jaw (27'), and is movable orthogonally to the feed direction of the frames and film between a waiting position, in which it is open in order to receive the frame and transparency, and a working position in which, after being closed, it retains the lower half frame of the frame (10) and the transparency an

Abstract: A machine and method for automatically cartoning fruit in the cells of a protective honeycomb, in which the method includes the steps of positioning a foldable carton blank at a first station, disposing an expanded honeycomb defining a plurality of open cells over the blank, depositing articles such as fruit in the cells to form a fruit-filled honeycomb on the blank, and forming the carton blank into a base portion and side and end portions closely embracing the periphery of the fruit filled honeycomb, thereby to form a self-supporting fruit containing carbon.