Abstract: A packaging machine includes moveable spaced metering bars and guide means for supplying groups of articles from an infeed conveyor to a packaging station and is arranged to tighten a carrier blank about a group of articles while the blank and articles are moved by the metering bars and includes tightening means movable along the group of articles on each side thereof and which engage portions of the blank on each side of the group near the bottom portions of the articles by means which moves at substantially the same velocity as the velocity of movement of the group of articles and blank and which imparts a downward tightening force thereto without causing any substantial frictional dragback and which need not move in precisely timed sequence with a blank and an associated group of articles.

Abstract: A packaging machine includes moveable spaced metering bars and guide means for supplying groups of articles from an infeed conveyor to a packaging station and is arranged to tighten a carrier blank about a group of articles while the blank and articles are moved by the metering bars and includes tightening means movable along the group of articles on each side thereof and which engage portions of the blank on each side of the group near the bottom portions of the articles by means which moves at substantially the same velocity as the velocity of movement of the group of articles and blank and which imparts a downward tightening force thereto without causing any substantial frictional dragback and which need not move in precisely timed sequence with a blank and an associated group of articles.

Abstract: Apparatus for dividing a single row of articles into two rows comprises a pair of complementary closely spaced parallel screws arranged to receive a single row of articles from an infeed conveyor so that alternate articles are engaged by the thread of each screw and moved laterally into the groove of the other screw to form two rows of articles, the thread of one screw being cut away at the outfeed end thereof, an outfeed conveyor arranged to receive articles from the outfeed end of the screws and to move the articles at a velocity approximately one-half the velocity of movement of the articles longitudinally between the screws so that the two rows of articles are automatically aligned transversely, and a dead plate interposed between the infeed and outfeed conveyors.

Abstract: Collating apparatus for inserting cubes (C) into a moving row of cylindrical articles (A) for subsequent packaging of groups of the collated articles comprises a screw conveyor (1) having a thread pitch arranged to increase the spacing of cylindrical articles in the direction of movement, an auxiliary conveyor (5) arranged to feed a continuous supply of cubes to the screw conveyor so as to insert the cubes sequentially into the spaces (S) formed between predetermined cylindrical articles together with a rotatable cam (8) having a clearance passage (15) through which cubes from the auxiliary conveyor (5) may move into the line of cylindrical articles, the cam (8) being constructed with a holding portion (12) for preventing movement of a succeeding cube along the auxiliary conveyor during passage of a preceding article through the clearance passage (15) in the cam together with a guide portion (13) for guiding an article from the auxiliary conveyor into a space (S) formed between articles on the screw conveyor