Abstract: A device for aligning an elliptical blank relative to a female die half comprising a drawpad having an elliptical opening supporting a blank in position on a female die half. Alignment pins are movable rearwardly of the minor diameter of the blank within slots formed in the drawpad for engaging the perimeter of the blank for rotating the blank to the aligned position, in preparation for press forming the blank into the desired shape.

Abstract: A press for forming sheet material into a shaped article comprising a frame, first and second complementary dies, a cam supported by the frame for reciprocally moving the first die along an axis between a first position axially spaced from the second die and a second position fully mated with the second die, the cam including a dwell period when the first die is in the second position. The press includes a bolster supporting the second die for axial movement between upper and lower limits, the bolster being axially spaced from the upper limit by movement of the first die to the second position. The press also includes a hydraulic power circuit responsive to the position of the cam for normally biasing the bolster toward its upper limit under a first hydraulic pressure and for biasing the bolster toward the upper limit under a second hydraulic pressure during the dwell period, the second hydraulic pressure being greater than the first hydraulic pressure.

Abstract: A counting slide, with a counting aperture formed therethrough to the configuration of the items to be counted and to a height corresponding to the height of a stack containing the desired number of such items, is disposed in a counting block for reciprocating movement between a receiving position, in alignment with an access aperture formed through a top plate of the block and disposed beneath a supply magazine, and a discharge position, removed therefrom to permit the items so counted to exit the counting block by an exit aperture formed through a bottom plate of such block. The access and exit apertures are not aligned and are formed to the same configuration as the items to be counted. A longitudinal recess in the surface of slide beneath said top plate coacts with a stop block that extends downwardly from beneath said top plate to inhibit the bottom-most item from being dragged from beneath the stack as the slide is returning to its receiving position.

Abstract: A web of flat polyethelene stock is drawn from a supply roll by a web feed mechanism, to be fed thereby up over a tube former then down, in tubular configuration, about a material fill pipe and then to and through pouch forming and weighing stations. A first spring biased nip roller, of the web feed mechanism, urges the flat polyethelene stock into engagement with one side of an appropriately powered drive roller, of the web feed mechanism, to effect the unreeling of the stock from the supply roll and to direct same up towards the tube former; while a second spring biased nip roller, of the web feed mechanism, urges the tubular stock into engagement with the other side of said drive roller to draw the stock down through said tube former and to and through said pouch forming and weighing stations.