Abstract: A method and roll-winding apparatus for automatically winding into rolls a sheet of material and automatically applying a leader tape to the trailing end of a length of sheet material wound into a roll. The trailing end section may likewise be automatically reversely folded outwardly over itself to form a tab on the wound roll for easy removal of the sheet material on a wound roll. The apparatus carries out the method automatically with a continuously driven winding drum to which elongated cores are presented sequentially parallel thereto for driving of the cores individually and transversely of a path of travel of the longitudinally travelling sheet material to be wound as corresponding lengths on the cores individually. The leading end sections of the succeeding lengths of sheet material are automatically wound on individual cores.

Abstract: An envelope-stuffing machine adapted to insert sheets of paper or the like into an envelope or a folder comprises a pair of opposite perforated surfaces connected to a suction chamber and between which the envelope or folder is introduced so as to draw the opposite sides of the envelope or folder apart to receive the sheets to be inserted. A pressure sensor is provided to respond to the suction in the chamber communicating with the perforations of the surfaces to trigger the insertion of the sheets upon the detection of a predetermined reduced pressure in the chamber. The pressure sensor is of the threshold type.

Abstract: A machine for loading bottles into cases having a bottle conveyor for continuously conveying upstanding bottles through a bottle retriever station, and a bottle grouper for grouping together into a preselected arrangement a plurality of upstanding bottles on the conveyor. A case conveyor is provided for continually conveying open cases through a case loading station. A bottle gripper is also provided for gripping and carrying a grouped plurality of upstanding bottles as they move through the bottle retrieving station off of the bottle conveyor, and for subsequently depositing the group of bottles into an open case as it passes through the case loading station upon the case conveyor. The gripper itself includes a finger suspension member and a plurality of bottle gripping fingers pivotably suspended from the finger suspension member about an open space for mutually convergent and divergent movement towards and away from the open space, respectively.

Abstract: A perishable product is enclosed within a flexible bag and the air is evacuated from the bag to a predetermined pressure below atmospheric pressure. A predetermined volume of a gas is then introduced into the bag.

Abstract: A single rotationally driven cam plate having cam follower grooves in its opposite faces generates and coordinates the movements of all apparatus components necessary to the product molding apparatus. The advancing and retracting of mold halves is coordinated through the rotating cam plate and directly associated mechanisms with the cutting off of pieces of moldable stock and the carrying of such pieces to a position for charging the mold. In conjunction with these operations and in properly timed relationship, the stock is advanced to a new cutting position. Certain of the cam driven mechanisms also act in proper sequence to advance molded product encapsulating films through a film guidance means and to operate film clamping and severing devices in such a way that the encapsulating film is always severed midway between molded product units.

Abstract: Apparatus for compressing stacks of flat superposed sheet articles such as bags and enveloping the stacks in packaging film comprises a pressure chamber through an inlet aperture of which each stack is lifted by a pressure ram, together with a packaging film that initially spans the inlet aperture and comes to lie along the top and sides of the stack after the latter has been inserted in the pressure chamber. Following compression of the stack between the ram and a removable backing member at the top of the chamber, a reciprocatable push member having one end disposed adjacent the inlet aperture executes a forward stroke to cover the underside of the stack while the ram is laterally retracted, whereby the enveloped stack is supported by the push member on termination of its forward stroke. Welding means for joining the ends of the enveloping film co-operate with the push member, which comprises a frame and a plurality of parallel rollers freely rotatably mounted in said frame.

Abstract: An apparatus for simultaneously packaging a series of elongate bodies or articles which are delivered to a packaging location while lying upon an at least approximately horizontal support. A longitudinally movable, endless toothed belt is arranged above the support. The teeth and the tooth gaps of the toothed belt confront the support. The tooth gaps are operatively connected through the agency of openings in the belt with a suction channel in order to suck-up the bodies lying upon the support into the tooth gaps. A stripper mechanism which can be raised and lowered is provided at the packaging location for lowering the series of bodies out of the tooth gaps of the toothed belt into a package located beneath the stripper.

Abstract: In a machine for filling bags, which bags are positioned one next to the other in a double web in which the bottom and sides are defined by joints between the two layers of the web, a diverging guiding means for guiding only one upper web edge and a means for pulling the other upper web edge away from the first edge are provided.

Abstract: In a cartoning machine, a series of L-shaped product buckets mounted on a chain conveyor and a series of inverted L-shaped tamper-confiner elements mounted on a conveyor chain overlying the product buckets, the tamper confiner elements being cammed to form, with the product buckets, a gradually closing, generally rectangular compartment whose inside dimensions are substantially the same as the carton into which the product is to be inserted. One leg of the tamper-confiner element is articulated to engage the bottom wall of the product bucket before the tamper-confiner is in its final position, thereby preventing pinching of the product.

Abstract: An apparatus for stacking food chips in a cylindrical container. Random chips are oriented into tandem alignment on an inclined conveyor traveling in an upward direction and are deposited into an upright cylindrical stacking tube above a station for the empty cylindrical containers. A valve comprising operatively associated upper and lower blades in the stacking tube load vertical stacks of chips into the cylindrical containers.

Abstract: Parallelepipedic packing containers are made and filled in succession by passing a continuous web of packaging material over a forming device which converts the web into tubular form with an overlapped longitudinal seam. The tube is then filled with the intended contents, e.g., a liquid and is then divided off into individual packing containers by first pressing the tube transversely at longitudinally spaced intervals along broad zones and the opposite sides of the flattened tube are heat-sealed to each other along two narrow sealing regions close to the opposite base lines of the flattened zone while the remaining portions of the flattened zone remain non-sealed.

Abstract: The present device comprises a bag filling apparatus which will clamp and hold a bag onto an output spout which forces in material such as pulverized or loose fill cellulose fiber used in insulation, and provides means for holding the bag in place, and providing a compressive force against the material as it is placed into the bag so that the material is forced into the bag and has substantial density when the bag is filled. The device includes means for automatically releasing the bag holder when the bag is filled a preselected amount.

Abstract: A single sheet of standard grade plastic laminate material is bent at two locations to form it into a side wall and two end walls corresponding to the side wall and two end walls of a bathtub recess. Following forming, one end wall portion of the wall covering is loosely folded over the opposite end wall portion. Then, the partially folded wall covering is pushed endwise into a rectangular cardboard box having a normal thickness which is substantially smaller than the initial depth of the partially folded wall covering. The box with the partially folded wall covering inside is moved through a rectangular opening provided in a rigid mandril, sized to be substantially equal to the normal outside dimension of the box. The mandril forces the outwardly bulging side walls of the box inwardly and reshapes both the side walls of the box and the side and end walls of the partially folded wall covering therein.

Abstract: A coin-packaging machine in which individual coins are stacked in a coin tube which tube and the coins are carried by means of a cam driven system from a stacking position, to a wrapping position where the coins are wrapped into a roll and from there to a discharge position where the finished coin roll is removed from the tube and from which position the empty stacking tube is subsequently returned to the initial stacking position. The stacking tube consists of a hollow cylinder open at both ends, the longitudinal wall of which is at least partially cut away for entering of the wrapper and for engagement there of an accelerating roller to effect wrapping.

Abstract: An apparatus for severing sections of a material web and for overlapping in each case two such sections, especially for a packaging machine for tobacco products, in particular products which can be smoked, comprising a supply roll, a withdrawal device for the material web, a cutter device and a conveyor device for the sections. Between the cutter device and the conveyor device there is arranged a holder device which is coupled with a control device. The holder device is arranged in such a manner that it fixedly holds a cut section which is to be overlapped until the continuously further traveling material web end has advanced over the fixedly held section by an amount corresponding to the overlapping width.

Abstract: The apparatus includes a continuously rotating member having groups of chutes located on the rotating member about the periphery and a plurality of conveyor discharge devices extend tangentially from the periphery of the rotatable member such that the discharge conveyors are adapted to drop a predetermined number of pouches into a group of chutes as the group passes underneath the discharge member.

Abstract: Apparatus and a method for filling packages with cooked or blanched foods in the form of sticky masses containing water wherein the foods are first placed in a hopper and caused to gravitate into pockets on the outer periphery of a drum rotatable about a generally horizontal axis above a conveyor carrying a number of open packages. As the drum rotates, a mass of the food product is received in each pocket as the pocket moves beneath the hopper. The food product mass in each pocket is retained therein until the pocket approaches the conveyor below the drum. At this point, the food product mass gravitates from the pocket into a package aligned with the pocket and carried by the conveyor. The gravitational movement is assisted by a shiftable piston at the radially inner end of the pocket.

Abstract: Apples are packaged by introducing them in a water bath in which they float upwardly into an open bottom porous cage. After the cage is filled with apples it is moved laterally in the water bath to an apple loading zone for packaging in a wooden bin. The wooden bin is initially placed at such zone below the apple filled cage. The bin and cage are then raised out of the water to an elevation between a bin feed conveyor and a bin discharge conveyor. When and as the bin is being raised upwardly through the water the apples from the cage fall into the bin and once such apple filled bin reaches the above mentioned elevation an empty bin on the feed conveyor is moved to dislodge the apple-filled bin onto the discharge conveyor with the empty bin then remaining on the elevator and being subsequently moved downwardly through the water to a position below expectant arrival of another apple-filled cage.

Abstract: Mattress constructions and apparatus for producing the constructions wherein a resilient filler is located in a hopper and a flexible mattress cover is positioned for communication with the open end of the hopper. Means are provided for driving the filler into the cover, and the apparatus provides adhesive dispensers which apply adhesive to the filler surfaces so that this adhesive forms a bond between these surfaces and the associated cover. The apparatus employs engaging members for driving the filler out of the hopper, the engaging members automatically accommodate to differences in filler widths and thicknesses so that proper pushing engagement with the filler is reliably achieved. The resulting mattress is provided with a secure adhesive bond between the cover and filler, avoiding movement between the cover and filler during handling and use.

Abstract: An article is packed with a heat shrinkable film having a width larger than that of the article. The film is moved in contact with a heating member and then immediately wrapped under tension about the article with the opposite side edges of the film protruded beyond the opposite ends of the article. At the same time, the film shrinks about the article to tightly pack it not only on the peripheral surface but also on the end surfaces of the article.