Abstract: A filling apparatus for serially filling multiple lanes of containers includes a plurality of piston pumps which receive flowable product from an associated source. Each pump includes a reciprocably movable pump piston, which can “float” upwardly during a filling stroke, as each pump is filled with product delivered thereto under pressure. The pump pistons can move upwardly independently, until each reaches a predetermined position, corresponding to the quantity of product with which each container is to be filled. After all of the pistons reach their respective predetermined positions, valves of the pumps are simultaneously operated, and the pistons simultaneously stroked so that respective containers are filled with the flowable product. The multiple lanes of containers are thereafter indexed, and the filling cycle repeated.

Abstract: A filling apparatus for serially filling multiple lanes of containers includes a plurality of piston pumps which receive flowable product from an associated source. Each pump includes a reciprocably movable pump piston, which can “float” upwardly during a filling stroke, as each pump is filled with product delivered thereto under pressure. The pump pistons can move upwardly independently, until each reaches a predetermined position, corresponding to the quantity of product with which each container is to be filled. After all of the pistons reach their respective predetermined positions, valves of the pumps are simultaneously operated, and the pistons simultaneously stroked so that respective containers are filled with the flowable product. The multiple lanes of containers are thereafter indexed, and the filling cycle repeated.

Abstract: An apparatus for making and wrapping ice cream sandwiches includes a dispensing nozzle associated with a pair of wafer magazines for sequentially making ice cream sandwiches, with a transfer rotor provided for sequentially transferring each sandwich to an associated conveyor. The apparatus includes a sandwich wrapper which sequentially receives and individually wraps each sandwich. Notably, the wrapper includes a wrapper feed mechanism for advancing wrapping material independently of a cutting mechanism of the wrapper, thereby greatly facilitating versatile operation of the machine for wrapping sandwiches of varying sizes.

Abstract: A filling system of a container filling apparatus is configured for selectively, vertically moving an associated container positioned on a conveyor. The apparatus includes a food pump, and a container support platform operatively associated with the conveyor. The support platform is adapted to engage and support the container. A servo-controlled drive motor is configured to move each container positioned on the conveyor, in a controlled, generally vertical direction, perpendicular to the conveying path, toward and away from the food pump. A control system is operatively connected to the motor for providing controlled, programmable movement of the drive motor. Upon commencement of filling of the container with food product, the control means generates and transmits a signal to the motor to selectively position the container in proximity to the food pump and to move the container away from the food pump during filling, in a controlled manner, perpendicular to the conveying path.

Abstract: An apparatus for filling containers includes a food product fill pump having a valve member and pump piston operated by respective cam drives. A servo-controlled drive motor drives the cams, whereby the speed of the pump operation can be controlled independently of an associated container conveyor. Significantly, the servo-control of the apparatus permits the pump piston of the food pump to be operated during its container-filling advancing stroke at a substantially constant speed, while the pumping cycle time is selectively varied by selectively varying the speed of the piston retraction stroke.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for forming a package of alternately inverted containers, wherein an array of the containers is formed with adjacent containers relatively inverted. In accordance with the invention, a supply of containers is formed into first and second product streams, with each of the containers in the second product stream inverted. The containers are presented by an indexing mechanism to a reciprocating diverting gate mechanism, wherein the forward-most container of each product stream is diverted. In this manner, a pair of further product streams are formed, wherein the containers of each stream are alternately inverted. The containers are subsequently collated for heat-shrink packaging.