Abstract: An apparatus and method for supplying web material to an indexing advancement mechanism, such as may be associated with a packaging machine which forms the web into a component of a package. The web is supplied from a supply roll to an unwind mechanism, which continuously unwinds the web during indexing advancement of the web by the advancement mechanism of the packaging machine. The unwind mechanism includes an unwind motor which is operable to vary the rate at which the web is unwound from the supply roll. Tension is maintained in the web upstream of the advancement mechanism by a take-up mechanism interposed between the unwind mechanism and the advancement mechanism. The unwind motor speed is controlled by the position of a movable arm associated with the take-up mechanism.

Abstract: A clamping arrangement is disclosed for gripping and carrying web material about a die turret of a packaging machine for molding the web and for carrying the web through and off the packing machine as product is loaded and the package is sealed. The clamping arrangement includes a pair of aligned drive chains and a plurality of facing clamps mounted on each chain. Each clamp includes a lower jaw and an upper jaw pivotally mounted to the lower jaw and actuable between an opened and a closed position. A spring is connected between the upper and lower jaws which biases the upper jaw to the closed position. The lower and upper jaws each define complemental gripping teeth along an edge thereof, the respective teeth being disposed intermediate and adjacent one another when the upper jaw is in the closed position. The teeth of the lower jaw are horizontally aligned with the pitch line of the drive chain when assembled to the chain.

Abstract: A continuous motion packaging machine which forms packages from overlying webs advanced along a path at a constant speed. A tooling carriage traverses a repetitive path which includes an "on-line" increment during which the tooling carriage matches web movement and package operations are performed. The tooling carriage is driven by linkage including a power input shaft operated at varying speeds throughout each cycle to maintain carriage position relative to the webs. Two brushless servo motors are used. One drives the webs, the other drives the tooling carriage. A computer program compares relative motor positions at points throughout each cycle to a pre-established position pattern and adjusts motor controller output to maintain one motor position relative to the sensed position of the other motor.

Abstract: A method for forming gear teeth of a high performance gear is accomplished by shaping the carburized gear tooth surface while the gear blank is held at a uniform temperature in the metastable austenitic condition above the start of the martensitic transformation temperature of the carburized case and then allowed to air cool so that the gear tooth surface will be transformed into very fine grain martensite.