Abstract: An article transfer station for transferring articles from a first conveyor to a second conveyor whereby the station can be selected to be either a station at which articles are carried through a predetermined angle about a substantially vertical axis while changing their orientations by the angle or a station at which articles are carried through the angle about the vertical axis without changing their orientations.

Abstract: A forming, filling, and sealing machine, whereon a carton transfer mechanism includes an indexing turret having a plurality of dual mandrels formed thereon, and two bottom-closed pivotally mounted carriers for alternately moving two cartons at a time from two respective indexed dual mandrels to a conveyor. The conveyor is adapted to receive two sets of two cartons each before indexing four cartons at a time to a filling station.

Abstract: A chain adjustment arrangement including a drive gear having a fixed axis, an idler gear having a movable axis, and a driven gear having a movable axis, a first rigid link mounted between the axes of the drive gear and the idler gear, and a second rigid link mounted between the axes of the idler gear and the driven gear. The first and second links serve to maintain the idler gear in engagement between the drive gear and the driven gear upon manual movement of the driven gear to take up stretch in the conveyor chain.

Abstract: The disclosure illustrates and describes a modular forming, sterilizing, filling and sealing machine for containers, including a front bottom forming and sealing section; an intermediate sterilizing section; and a rear filling, top forming and sealing section; and separate conveyor means in each section. The conveyor means in the sterilizing section is adapted to receive the containers from the conveyor means in the bottom forming and sealing section in an upright, open-topped condition and convey same transverse to the line of travel in the forming and sealing sections through a sterilant vapor atmosphere wherein the sterilant vapor condenses on all surfaces of each upright, open-topped container, and then rotates the containers from the upright position to an upside-down condition through a heated and air blown atmosphere, and back to an upright condition onto the conveyor means in the filling, top forming and sealing section.