Abstract: In an apparatus for packaging piece goods, a piece-goods article of a first type (A) and a plurality of piece goods of a second type (B) are introduced into a common pack. The apparatus has a first conveyor (1), for feeding piece goods of the first type (A), a second conveyor (3), for feeding piece goods of a second type (B), and a packing station (7), for forming a flexible tube (72). It also has at least one feed station (2), from which the piece goods of the second type (B) are deposited by means of the second conveyor (3) such that the piece goods of the second type (B) are located one above the other at least in part and form first groups. In each case one of these first groups is deposited on a piece-goods article of the first type (A) from the second conveyor (3) by conveying means (4, 10), this resulting in the formation of a second group, which is introduced into the flexible tube (72).

Abstract: A packaging foil is continuously withdrawn from a supply. The foil is folded around the products to be packaged. Cut-off lengths of closing profile sections are inserted with a feed unit between the two longitudinal edges of the foil. In a sealing station, the two longitudinal edges of the foil are sealed together and the foil is then sealed onto the closing profile sections. In another sealing station, transverse sealing seams are formed between the free ends of successive closing profile sections and the tube is cut approximately in the center of the transverse seams. A high packaging output is achieved as a result of the continuous withdrawal of the foil.

Abstract: An apparatus for advancing and uniting first and second components into respective single items, includes a first conveyor for supplying the first components in a series; a feeding device for supplying the second components in a series; a second conveyor adjoining the discharge end of the first conveyor; a plurality of first carriers mounted on the second conveyor for receiving a respective first component from the first conveyor at the discharge end thereof; and a plurality of second carriers mounted on the second conveyor for receiving a respective second component from the feeding device. The second carriers are in alignment with the respective first carriers for advancing the respective first components and the respective second components together and in alignment with one another; and a device for uniting a first component with a respective second component during advancement of the first and second components by the second conveyor.

Abstract: In an apparatus for packaging piece goods, a piece-goods article of a first type (A) and a plurality of piece goods of a second type (B) are introduced into a common pack. The apparatus has a first conveyor (1), for feeding piece goods of the first type (A), a second conveyor (3), for feeding piece goods of a second type (B), and a packing station (7), for forming a flexible tube (72). It also has at least one feed station (2), from which the piece goods of the second type (B) are deposited by means of the second conveyor (3) such that the piece goods of the second type (B) are located one above the other at least in part and form first groups. In each case one of these first groups is deposited on a piece-goods article of the first type (A) from the second conveyor (3) by conveying means (4, 10), this resulting in the formation of a second group, which is introduced into the flexible tube (72).

Abstract: A packaging foil is continuously withdrawn from a supply. The foil is folded around the products to be packaged. Cut-off lengths of closing profile sections are inserted with a feed unit between the two longitudinal edges of the foil. In a sealing station, the two longitudinal edges of the foil are sealed together and the foil is then sealed onto the closing profile sections. In another sealing station, transverse sealing seams are formed between the free ends of successive closing profile sections and the tube is cut approximately in the center of the transverse seams. A high packaging output is achieved as a result of the continuous withdrawal of the foil.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming groups of superposed, flat items, includes a conveyor having a transporting device traveling in a conveying direction along a generally horizontal working flight; and a plurality of upstanding pusher fingers secured to the transporting device. A plurality of storage chutes are serially positioned above the working flight for holding items in a superposed stack therein. An item-retaining device is situated at a lower, item-discharging end of each chute. The item-retaining device includes a component defining an item-retaining surface for retaining the items in the chute by supporting a lowermost item of the stack. Each pusher finger is arranged for travel through the item-discharging end for pushing all items forming part of the stack in the chute and being situated in a path of travel of the pusher finger, off the item-retaining device and for advancing the items in the conveying direction along the working flight.

Abstract: Two holders (27-30) arranged on both sides of the mid-plane (4) of a conveyed tubular bag (1) are rotated in parallel directions by crank mechanisms (15-18). A sealing jaw (37) or matching jaw (38) is vertically guided in the holders (27-30) and prestressed by a spring (41) against a stop (44). Stopping rollers (62) project sideways from the jaws (37, 38) and bump against supporting strips (48, 49) before the jaws (37, 38) touch each other. The supporting strips (48, 49) are moved against each other by a controller (54) in such a way that the vertical components of motion of the jaws are delayed in a controlled manner. On the contrary, before the jaws (37, 38) are moved away from each other, they are accelerated up to the required vertical speed to bump softly against the stop (44). This device works without noise, is gentle to the material and may be adapted to various working conditions.

Abstract: A cutting apparatus for separating a series of an indeterminate number of end-to-end connected bag packages into groups of a predetermined number of end-to-end connected bag packages includes a first rotary member including a knife; a second rotary member including a countersupport having an outer surface contacting the knife upon each revolution thereof, whereby a transverse seam connecting two adjoining bag packages and momentarily situated between the knife edge and the outer surface is cut. The outer surface is provided with a depression. The apparatus further has a shifting mechanism for shifting the rotary knife and the countersupport relative to one another into first and second positions. In the first position the knife passes across the depression for leaving a length portion of the knife out of contact with the outer surface, whereby the transverse seam remains uncut along the length portion to preserve a connecting web between the two adjoining bag packages.

Abstract: An apparatus for separating, conveying and grouping flat items includes a supply chute for advancing the items in a face-to-face orientation in a series of indeterminate length; a conveying track adjoining the supply chute for receiving items therefrom; a grouping device disposed on the conveying track for forming a group of vertically stacked items of predetermined number; and a conveyor for advancing the items on the conveying track. The conveyor has sequentially spaced item pushers each advancing the items to the grouping device from the supply chute. Some of the item pushers are placed in an inoperative state at the grouping device to allow items to remain therein and be stacked to attain an item group having the predetermined number of items.

Abstract: A splicing apparatus for joining a trailing end of a first sheet to a leading end of a second sheet comprises a first servomechanism including a first drive for engaging and advancing the first sheet in a direction of advance; a second servomechanism including a second drive for engaging the first sheet upstream of the first drive; a splicing device for joining the trailing and leading ends to one another upstream of the second drive; a sensor for generating a signal when the trailing end of the first sheet passes a predetermined location upstream of the splicing device; and a computer connected to the first and second servomechanisms, the splicing device and the sensor for reducing the speed of the advancing first sheet and for subsequently effecting a joining operation of the splicing device upon receiving the signal from the sensor; and a sheet length compensating device engaging the first sheet at a location between the first and second drive for reducing or increasing the length of the first sheet betwee

Abstract: A conveyor includes a conveyor track; a throughgoing slot provided in the conveyor track; an endless sprocket chain composed of chain links articulated to one another by link pins; support pins mounted on the chain and constituting an axial extension of at least some of the link pins; a plurality of article carrier units inserted on the support pins; and an article carrier lug forming an integral part of each article carrier unit and projecting through the slot for engaging an article supported on the conveyor track. The carrier body has a centering bore centered on a first one of the support pins; and a control slot receiving and being guided by a second one of the support pins. The first and second support pins are at least two consecutive chain links apart from one another. The carrier body is further provided with an aperture between the centering bore and the control slot. The aperture receives a third support pin situated between the first and second support pins.

Abstract: Apparatus for forming objects into groups and inserting successive groups into containers, which includes a grouping station, an individual item conveyor for guiding the objects individually to the grouping station, a group conveyor for conveying the objects in groups away from the grouping station, a container conveyor for conveying successive containers relative to the group conveyor, and a mechanism for inserting groups of objects conveyed by the group conveyor into successive containers, and in which the item conveyor and the group conveyor convey the objects at least approximately in the same direction into the inserting mechanism, and the inserting mechanism includes a vertically movable holding device movable between an upper position in which it holds a group of objects and a lowered position at which it can release such group of objects within an open container which has been brought into position by the container conveyor.

Abstract: An apparatus for inserting finned packages into a container, in successive groups of laterally juxtaposed packages, by clamping at least one fin of each package in a group in a common clamping device composed of a movable clamping jaw and a counter jaw, introducing the clamped-in packages into a container, and releasing the clamping device to deposit the group of packages in the container.

Abstract: A conveyor system for advancing groups of edgewise positioned flat articles includes a first conveyor having an outlet end; a second conveyor disposed at the outlet end of the first conveyor and being oriented transversely thereto; and a transfer apparatus including a transfer pusher for sequentially moving the article groups from the outlet end of the first conveyor onto the second conveyor; and an article group accelerator engaging and accelerating the article groups on the second conveyor along the conveying direction thereof prior to engagement and conveyance of the respective article groups by carriers of the second conveyor.

Abstract: A conveyor system includes a first conveyor for advancing serially arranged, contacting articles; a second conveyor adjoining the first conveyor and including article pusher members for advancing the articles individually or groupwise spaced from one another; a circulating article advancing device for separating individual articles or article groups from the article series on the first conveyor and transferring them from the first conveyor to the second conveyor. The motion of the circulating article advancing device is synchronized with the motion of the article pusher members of the second conveyor for effecting a take-over of the conveyance of the transferred articles by the article pusher members from the circulating article advancing device. The circulating article advancing device has article abutting members and article accelerating members arranged to engage simultaneously into a gap between a first article to be transferred and a second adjoining article contacting the first article.

Abstract: An apparatus for the sorting, counting and grouping of successively conveyed items includes a conveyor arrangement defining a conveying path; at least one sorting device disposed along the conveying path for removing defective items; a counting device disposed along the conveying path downstream of the sorting device for counting the items unaffected by the sorting device; at least two branch conveyors forming the conveying path downstream of the counting device; a routing device arranged along the conveying path upstream of the branch conveyors and actuated by the counting device for directing a predetermined number of items into selected branch conveyors; a stacking device disposed at the downstream end of the branch conveyors for stacking the items to form item groups each consisting of the predetermined number of items; and a collecting conveyor forming the conveying path downstream of the stacking device for further advancing the item groups.

Abstract: In a conveying device including an endless chain guided around sprockets to follow a conveying path and to present a loop which is located out of the conveying path and which creates a gap in the conveying path, the length of the loop being adjustable to vary the length of the conveying path and the chain being arranged to convey a plurality of carriers along the conveying path with the carriers spaced at uniform intervals therealong, there are provided an auxiliary conveyor to convey the carriers across the gap and guide members for transferring the carriers to the auxiliary conveyor ahead of the gap and back to the chain beyond the gap.