Abstract: A rotary carton feeder includes a planetary drive having two sun rings with angular phase, cam surfaces on each ring about a common axis. Planetary members rotate about the common axis with a number of said planet members in operative engagement with one of the cams and another number of planet members in operative engagement with a second one of said sun rings. Spindles are selectively combined with selected planet members to selectively accommodate handling variably sized cartons of 1, 2, 3 or 4 count. Suction cups on spindle ends traverse an enclosed path having four cusps. Variations are disclosed.

Abstract: A pouch machine vertical sealer capable of fusing a pouch film web to form a plurality of spaced vertical seals along a length of the film web to form pouches. The pouch machine vertical sealer includes a sealer wheel rotatable about a vertical axis of rotation and defines a film web path about a periphery of the sealer wheel. The vertical sealer further includes a plurality of vertical sealer land assemblies spaced apart about the periphery of the sealer wheel. Each vertical sealer land assembly includes an impulse heater such that contact between the film web and each impulse heater of the plurality of vertical sealer land assemblies forms the spaced apart vertical seals along the length of the film web.

Abstract: Packaging apparatus and methods include a plurality of article grippers driven by independently controlled motors in an end-of-arm tooling (EOAT), for picking articles, grouping articles, adjusting group pitch and placing article groups in packages where incoming articles and packages are continuously or intermittently moving and without motion of the entire EOAT in the direction in which articles and packages are picked and moved. Hole healing and incoming product registration apparatus and methods are disclosed.

Abstract: Packaging apparatus and methods include a plurality of article grippers driven by independently controlled motors in an end-of-arm tooling (EOAT), for picking articles, grouping articles, adjusting group pitch and placing article groups in packages where incoming articles and packages are continuously or intermittently moving and without motion of the entire EOAT in the direction in which articles and packages are picked and moved. Hole healing and incoming product registration apparatus and methods are disclosed.

Abstract: Packaging apparatus and methods include a plurality of article grippers driven by independently controlled motors in an end-of-arm tooling (EOAT), for picking articles, grouping articles, adjusting group pitch and placing article groups in packages where incoming articles and packages are continuously or intermittently moving and without motion of the entire EOAT in the direction in which articles and packages are picked and moved. Hole healing and incoming product registration apparatus and methods are disclosed.

Abstract: Articles are transferred from an article supply conveyor to an article receiving conveyor while the transferring articles are selectively reoriented. When the conveyors are in parallel, a travelling article reorienting turret seeks articles following an article absence or hole on the supply conveyor and transfers the following article to a next-in-line position on the receiving conveyor to cure or avoid holes of articles on the receiving conveyor.

Abstract: Articles are transferred from an article supply conveyor to an article receiving conveyor while the transferring articles are selectively reoriented. When the conveyors are in parallel, a travelling article reorienting turret seeks articles following an article absence or hole on the supply conveyor and transfers the following article to a next-in-line position on the receiving conveyor to cure or avoid holes of articles on the receiving conveyor.

Abstract: Articles are transferred from an article supply conveyor to an article receiving conveyor while the transferring articles are selectively reoriented. When the conveyors are in parallel, a travelling article reorienting turret seeks articles following an article absence or hole on the supply conveyor and transfers the following article to a next-in-line position on the receiving conveyor to cure or avoid holes of articles on the receiving conveyor.

Abstract: Packaging apparatus and methods include a plurality of article grippers driven by independently controlled motors in an end-of-arm tooling (EOAT), for picking articles, grouping articles, adjusting group pitch and placing article groups in packages where incoming articles and packages are continuously or intermittently moving and without motion of the entire EOAT in the direction in which articles and packages are picked and moved. Hole healing and incoming product registration apparatus and methods are disclosed.

Abstract: Packaging apparatus includes, in combination, a product receiving or loading station requiring individual product buckets oriented at one pitch for loading with products and a cartoning station requiring groups of buckets oriented at another different pitch for packaging articles into cartons. The apparatus accommodates the packaging of varying numbers of buckets or product stacks in varied width cartons, independent of the orientation of buckets in the product receiving station. Buckets are conveyed in a path through the packaging apparatus under the influence of a linear motor conveyor independently of, and separate from, other buckets in the path and without regard to pitch between other buckets in the path. Apparatus and methods are disclosed.

Abstract: System and methods for providing a transfer of products with the ability to match speed and position, and to change the incoming products from a narrow-edge-leading orientation to broad-edge-leading orientation, and to convey the products to a location to be grouped and transferred.

Abstract: An improved orbital carton feeder comprises at least one carton gripping suction cup rotatably mounted to a rotatable wheel and moving in a hypocycloidal path having cusps, one of which defines a curved path portion coordinated with a blank placement station. Multiple cusps, cups and operational stations are disclosed, as well as a preferred cusp angular relationship responding to an angle of a carton blank at a discharge or pickoff station and an angle of disposition of a blank received conveyor.

Abstract: An improved carton feed drive includes feed dog drives for delivering carton blanks to transport lugs of a carton. Components of the feed dog drives are inclined to the vertical, providing ability to handle very short depth cartons by operating feed dogs in an operative run closely adjacent the transport lugs while the feed dog drives are inclined away from the transport lug drives so the respective drives to not interfere in any way to unduly limit the ability to handle short depth cartons. Feed dogs are selectively pivoted on their drives to positions for operative engagement of cartons, and are releasable to retracted positions to avoid carton damage as the dogs move to a return run.

Abstract: A packaging system includes a transport defined by a linear motor driving independent elements in a path to carry out a packaging function. The elements are driven independently of other elements in the path and are driven by the linear motor in a section of the path under the influence of an external axis signal from an operably adjoining packaging function to register and synchronize the elements in position and time with a moving component or event of the adjoining function in a downstream direction. Method and apparatus are disclosed.

Abstract: A packaging system includes a transport defined by a linear motor driving independent elements in a path to carry out a packaging function. The elements are driven independently of other elements in the path and are driven by the linear motor in a section of the path under the influence of an external axis signal from an operably adjoining packaging function to register and synchronize the elements in position and time with a moving component or event of the adjoining function in a downstream direction. Method and apparatus are disclosed.

Abstract: A case packer includes a mass flow conveyor moving containers in defined lanes and lane deflectors for urging containers laterally across the conveyor into a selectively actuable metering station. Containers are selectively metered into row groups of select count and segregated by transfer guides on an underlying transfer conveyor. The row groups are directed to move rearwardly or upstream on the forward moving transfer conveyor into alignment with an open case mouth. A rotary loader has extensible can pushers maintained in parallel with open case mouth during a substantial portion of movement of the cases past the rotary loader. This maintains the rows of cans in proper alignment for final case loading and prevents undesirable "A" pattern lock up. The transfer guides and rotary loader can be adjusted and/or modified to handle varied row counts of cans.

Abstract: Partitions are fed from a single magazine by a feeder and are transported in timed mode to two sets of rotary blades which open the partition flaps. The open partitions are carried in a guide work to a nip point between a set of belts which are supported in such a manner that allows their discharge. The motion of the discharge end of the belts is in the direction of the machine direction of the moving bottle pitches and this motion is utilized to follow an insertion point for a time period long enough to insert the partition. The discharge end can then be returned and follow the next gap for insertion of the following partition. A subsequent final seating device insures the partitions are fully engaged with the group of bottles.

Abstract: A quick-disconnect lug for transporting cartons along the conveyor of a cartoning machine. The lug includes a base member for attachment to studs extending from the endless chain of the conveyor. The base member preferably has a pair of slots or recesses extending upwardly from its bottom edge for receiving the studs. A latch member is pivotally attached to the base member and includes a hooked end that acts to firmly engage one of the studs in a slot to lock the lug onto the conveyor chain. A spring member on the latch arm keeps the hooked end in a normally closed position to retain the hooked stud in a locked position. The pivot point of the latch member is positioned between the lever end and the hooked end of the spring member. The lever end may be moved downwardly to pivot the hooked end of the spring member out of the recess to allow a stud to be engaged or disengaged from the recess during machine set-up or changeover. Lugs are reset quickly and without tools.

Abstract: A web of pouches is fed past a detector. Inflating mechanism inflates individual pouches to create individual profiles. The detector responds to the appearance of a preselected distance between the surface of the pouch and the detector as each pouch passes the detector.

Abstract: A web is folded upon itself and transversely sealed. The web is cut into individual pouches which are fed into gripper units, on an endless conveyor, each having a fixed leading jaw and a movable trailing jaw which grip the leading and trailing edges of the pouches. To open a pouch, the trailing jaw is moved toward the fixed jaw by a cam and held in position by friction. Each opened pouch is carried around a filler unit where it is filled. Thereafter, a cam causes said jaws to spread apart, stretching the mouth of the pouch, where it is sealed in a heat sealer.