Abstract: A vacuum heater head is provided for sealing the valve of a bag after the bag has been filled through the valve. The head has a generally planar surface with a plurality of spaced recesses opening therethrough, passages being provided in the head to open to the recesses for applying a vacuum therethrough. In two of the embodiments shown, the valve in a bag filled condition has a first wall that at least in part has an exposed exterior wall portion of a relatively high porosity and a second wall having a wall portion in juxtaposed relationship to the exposed wall. The first wall portion may be of paper and the second wall portion of a thermoplastic material, for example polyethylene, or the second of paper or non-thermoplastic with, for example, hot melt adhesive between the wall portions.

Abstract: A case magazine and case stripper part of a case opening, loader sealer machine, including longitudinal case slide rails for supporting a vertical stack of unopened, horizontal, flat folded cases, pusher assemblies mounted on a carriage that is longitudinally reciprocated by an endless chain drive to remove the lowermost case from the stack and push the lowermost case forwardly along the slide rails as the carriage moves forwardly, vertical stack support brackets located adjacent the corners of the stack extending upwardly from adjacent the elevation of the slide rails, and being mounted to be selectively adjustably positioned longitudinally and transverse relative one another, and case lifter assemblies mounted on the stack support brackets for elevating that part of the stack that is located vertically above the slide rails more than a preselected distance, automatically allowing the elevated part of the stack to bear against that part of the stack still supported by the slide rails, and thereafter elevate