Abstract: A dispensing arrangement for dispensing advertising coupons in their folded state into containers having upstanding reinforcing ribs adjoined by respective depressions on those portions thereof onto which the coupons are to be dispensed includes a chute that bounds a downwardly sloping channel for accomodating a stack of the coupons in substantially vertical orientations, a pusher element which presses the stack against a transverse wall delimiting the channel at its dispensing end, a withdrawing roller which withdraws the foremost of the folded coupons in the stack, and a pair of advancing rollers which advance the withdrawn coupon and discharge the same into the depression of the respective container next to the upstanding reinforcing rib. The chute is advantageously a removable separate component of the arrangement, which is clipped on the body of the dispensing arrangement and whose walls can be moved relative to one another to adjust the width of the channel.

Abstract: A device for feeding sheets of paper to be interleaved with a stack of meat patties includes a vertical push rod within a tube which is slidable in a hole in one end of a feed arm. The feed arm is connected at the other end to a vertically oscillating shaft which moves up and down in conjunction with a meat patty ejection arm. The upper surface of the feed arm also supports a pivoting lock plate having one end mounted on a vertical post. The other end of the lock plate includes a hole accommodating the slidable tube. The lower end of the push rod includes a pressure foot which rests on top of a stack of paper sheets. A spring is positioned around the push rod between the pressure foot and the lower end of the slidable tube. When the oscillating shaft moves down, the lock plate pivots to an angular position which causes the slidable tube to be gripped within the hole in the lock plate.

Abstract: Packing apparatus for packing layers of cylindrical articles in a container. The apparatus includes means for accumulating a layer of alternately staggered lines of cylindrical articles arranged end-to-end at a pickup position. The apparatus also includes means for making vacuum contact with each article and transferring the entire layer to the container where it is released and forms a tightly packed flat layer. The packing apparatus also includes means for folding back the top flaps of each empty container as it is conveyed to the loading station.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for assembling battery cell elements having a plurality of electrode plates of alternating polarity separated by a continuous interleaved insulating sheet.

Abstract: Apparatus for positioning inserts relative to a product on a product chain prior to packaging the product in a product container, the apparatus includes insert transport belts for conveying the inserts to an insert pincer chain adapted to position the inserts relative to the product prior to release of the inserts from the insert pincer chain. The insert pincer chain is positioned below the product chain. The insert pincer chain is directed along the side of the product chain in a transfer zone at which the inserts are transferred from the insert pincer chain to the product chain.

Abstract: A separator sheet feeder for use with an automatic newspaper bundle palletizer is disclosed. An elevator mechanism maintains the top of a stack of nested separator sheets at a constant level. Suction means lifts the top sheet upward and a reciprocating carriage moves between the top of the remaining stack and the lifted sheet. The lifted sheet is deposited onto a carriage which moves the sheet to a location over a layer of newspaper bundles. As the carriage returns to get the next sheet, a stripper mechanism engages the sheet to hold it so that it drops onto the layer of newspaper bundles.

Abstract: An apparatus for handling palletized goods stacked in tiers consists of a pivoted cradle having two substantially perpendicular supports for the goods, one of said supports normally constituting a horizontal loading plane and the other a vertical supporting plane, said planes being adapted alternatingly to support the goods due to the pivoting movement of the cradle. According to the invention the supporting plane is composed of a plurality of carriages which are movable towards and away from the loading plane in such a way that the various tiers are separable from each other when supported by the supporting plane formed of the carriages.

Abstract: A molding apparatus and method for molding patties of ground raw meat and the like that has a hopper for holding a supply of the meat, a mold having a patty shaped mold cavity, a ram equipped pressure chamber into which the meat is moved from the hopper and from which it is forced into a patty shaped mold cavity in the mold, means for moving the mold between a filling position for the cavity and an ejecting position for removal of the patty from the cavity and a lever system for moving the mold, meat transfer means in the hopper and the pressure ram all without substantial lost motion in order to avoid noise pollution that is an unwelcome side effect of machines such as patty molding machines that use such lost motion connections to provide pauses between relatively operating parts.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for packaging tape cassettes, one at a time, from a conveyor. The apparatus includes a loading device for moving the cassettes along a straight line path of travel from one end of said apparatus to the other end thereof, a vacuum suction head for removing inserts (one at a time) from a magazine and moving the inserts into the path of travel of the cassettes in a partially folded condition so that each cassette enters an insert. The apparatus also includes a further suction head for removing boxes (one at a time) from a second magazine and for positioning the boxes in the path of travel of the cassettes and inserts, arms for retaining the boxes in the open position for receiving the cassettes and inserts, and a closing device biased towards the path of travel for closing each box with a cassette and insert therein.

Abstract: A box packing machine and process for packing a shipping box such as a carton with a group of containers such as bottles and cans smoothly without interference between separators and containers. Separators are placed at predetermined positions inside an intermediate box, and a group of containers transported in a matrix form with certain raws and columns and lying on a conveyor are loaded into the intermediate box. Then the containers and separators thus loaded in the intermediate box are transferred into a shipping box such as a carton as a unit and without changing their relative positional relationship. Containers are originally transported upright and in a single line, and they are laid down onto another conveyor every predetermined number whereby containers being laid down are supported on both sides.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided for packing articles, for example apples and other readily damaged fruits, in expanded slices of honeycomb using a conveyor on which the honeycomb is fitted, and carried through a filling station to an unloading station.Means are provided for expanding the slices of honeycomb and applying them to the conveyor in turn. A preferred arrangement is to supply the unexpanded slices one by one from a magazine and accelerate each slice so that it is projected into position for engagement by vacuum cups of an expansion device. Having been expanded, the slices are fitted to the conveyor where they are held in the expanded state by attachment devices provided thereon.At the unloading station, the packages of articles are removed from the conveyor for stacking in a confining carton while confining them in the horizontal direction to retain the position of articles packaged in incomplete cells.

Abstract: A plurality of flat, similar articles, such as, by way of example, individual slices of sausage which have been severed from an elongate substantially cylindrical sausage-stuffed casing, are randomly deposited onto a conveyor and then advanced in coplanar relationship to an accumulator station where predetermined numbers of articles are divided into individual groups, and each group of articles is advanced onto a carrier member for and which is unique to a particular group of articles, the carrier-member supported groups are advanced one-at-a-time to a stacking station where the articles of each succeeding group are deposited onto the articles of each preceding group until a predetermined number of groups of articles have been vertically stacked, after which the entire stack is released onto a conveyor for further processing.

Abstract: A device for aligning a plurality of rows of articles, such as tea bags, on a receiving tray for subsequent packaging in a container, comprises, means for feeding a sheet of the material along a feed path. A first row of the articles is then aligned over the top of the sheet and a loop is formed directly adjacent the trailing edge of the row of articles using a first loop-forming arm which moves upwardly through the feed path to deflect the sheet upwardly into a loop behind the first row of articles and a second arm which moves downwardly behind the upwardly deflected sheet so as to form the other side of the loop. The tray thus formed includes a plurality of substantially parallel, spaced apart loops which are formed upwardly in the bottom of the sheet material.

Abstract: An apparatus for indexing groups of identical containers into patterns in which the component containers are spaced from one another for the purpose of receiving container separating partitions. The containers include bottom edges that define open spaces when the containers are held in a closed group with adjacent containers touching one another. Tapered lugs of the apparatus are urged inwardly between the containers to separate and index them into partition receiving patterns. This is accomplished by longitudinal conveyor assemblies as the partitions are moved to a partition receiving station. The containers are held in the partition receiving pattern by the tapered lugs which remain in position between the containers until after a partition is placed between the containers of the pattern. The tapered lugs are slotted to receive portions of the partitions.

Abstract: A combination processing machine and stacker for papered food patties and like layered objects comprising an endless belt conveyor for transporting the previously assembled layered objects through a processing station; for hamburger patties the processing station may be a cuber, a garnish or seasoning applicator, or a cheese applicator. The discharge end of the conveyor belt is a stacking station at which the belt engages a nose sprocket and an idler sprocket both mounted on a shuttle reciprocably movable parallel to the conveyor path; when each layered object reaches an alignment stop at the end of the stacking station, the shuttle is shifted rapidly toward the input end of the conveyor, abruptly shortening the discharge end of the conveyor and dropping the object onto a stack accumulator below the shuttle with no change in orientation.

Abstract: The encasing apparatus of this invention comprises a feed mechanism, a turnabout mechanism, and a slide mechanism, and may be additionally provided with a partition sheet feeder depending upon the type of articles to be packed. The turnabout mechanism receives articles delivered from the feed mechanism with a tray, allows each prescribed number of such articles to line up successively in a first direction of the tray so that the articles lie in the same direction, and, after turning the tray around a vertical shaft through a fixed angle, inclines the tray to move the articles in a second direction at an angle of 90.degree. to the first direction, thereby delivering the articles to the slide mechanism. Subsequently, the slide mechanism lines up the articles so as to true up the ends of the articles in the second direction, and then introduces them regularly into the packing box.

Abstract: Packing spacer sheets are automatically fed one at a time to a pick-up station from a stack, with selected sheets arranged to arrive in inverted condition so that all packing sheets are properly oriented into packing position. Sheets can be pulled from stack by a transfer carrier having gripping jaws with teeth that dig into rib structures on sheet and jaws can open to engage other portions of sheet and thus hold the sheet to assure all teeth are pulled out of sheet. Stack can be a horizontal nesting of generally vertically disposed sheets carried by narrow spaced belts stepped along on a low friction surface with fixed retainer to stop forward face of stack and permit front sheet to be pulled off.

Abstract: Reciprocally displaceable window gripping means such as a suction device grips windows successively at a first position and deposits them in a stack at a second position. Nipper means reciprocally displaceable with the gripping means grips the free end of a strip of separator material, such as paper or the like, at the second position and pulls the strip over a stacked window during the return to the first position. Severing means severs the portion of the strip over the stack from a strip supply and the nipper means releases to deposit the severed portion on the stacked window. Preferably the gripping means and nipper means are mounted on a carriage. Windows may be successively delivered by a conveyor and centering and arresting means are provided. Roll supply driving and path lengthening means are described.

Abstract: Apparatus for forming, interleaving and dispensing meat patties has a chopped meat feeding unit which supplies meat to a continuously cycling molding apparatus to form meat patties. An interleaving paper dispensing apparatus positions individual sheets of paper on support means beneath the output point of the meat patty molding mechanism so that each meat patty formed will be interleaved between separate sheets of paper. The support means for the interleaved patty are actuated by the weight of the patty to rapidly withdraw, causing the patty and interleaving sheet to fall and form a stable stack.

Abstract: The method and apparatus in a packaging machine for transferring leaflets to spaced clamps on a first conveyor from a second conveyor in which leaflets are deposited on the second conveyor in synchronism with clamps on the second conveyor so that a leaflet is deposited on the first conveyor, arrives at a point of convergence between the first and second conveyors just behind its respective clamp which is in an open position and then travels along the same path as the clamp at a greater speed than the clamp until the leaflet is positioned within the jaws of the clamp after which time the jaws are closed to clamp the leaflet.

Abstract: Apparatus for inserting a panel spacer between two articles in which a housing carrying cam fingers moves from an upper position to a lower position so as to engage the tops of the articles with the cam fingers to tilt and separate them whereupon a panel insert held in the housing is released and drops between the articles with there also being provided a plunger blade to fully insert the panel spacer and also to prevent the dropping from the housing of a spacer member next above.

Abstract: An apparatus for packaging yarn packages in plural layers in a cardboard box or a like container is disclosed. A plurality of yarn packages carried to a packaging station by a transporting carrier are grouped in several groups and, then, a group of yarn packages is received by a supporting means with sufficient intervening space between two adjacent yarn packages for easy mechanical handling. Then, the above-mentioned space between two adjacent yarn packages is contracted automatically while the group of yarn packages is carried to a station for transferring them into a cardboard box or a like container, so as to fix the disposition of the yarn packages in the arrangement of a square lattice on a partition plate disposed in the container.

Abstract: A stacking and interleafing device for rolls of pressure sensitive adhesive tape has an inclined table adapted to hold a row of the rolls carried in a spaced relationship on a mandrel. The table supports a plurality of upright, parallel plates that separate the adjacent rolls. The plates maintain the rolls in a spaced apart relationship as the mandrel is drawn clear of the rolls and as they advance down the incline. An escapement mechanism mounted over the table successively transfers one row of stripped rolls from a storage portion of the table to a feeder portion of the table subtended by a movable drop-off mechanism. Translation of the drop-off mechanism gravity feeds the rolls, one at a time, and without contact between the rolls, to a conveyor system. A reciprocating shuttle plate receives the rolls from the conveyor system and successively carries each roll to a mandrel mounted on a rotatable stack forming arm. As the shuttle returns to receive another roll, the preceding roll drops onto the mandrel.

Abstract: A packaging machine includes means for withdrawing insert blanks from a hopper and for prebreaking the parts which are detachably held in the planes of the blank and for subsequently manipulating each blank into partially set-up condition and for moving the partially set-up blank downwardly and around the necks of a group of bottles in such manner as to fold end tabs foldably joined to the partition tabs into flat face contacting relationship with the associated partition tabs by engagement of the end tabs with the necks of the associated bottles.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for interleaving frozen food patties with sheets of protective material (e.g., paper), in which at least a spot of an edible "adhesive" material adheres each protective sheet to a patty. In one embodiment, a spot of a true adhesive (e.g., honey, sugar solution, etc.) is applied to a protective sheet that is subsequently moved into engagement with a frozen food patty. In another embodiment, at least a spot of an edible heat-activated adhesive material at the interface between a protective sheet and a frozen patty is activated by heat applied through the protective sheet. In this instance, the adhesive may be a separate material which is applied to either the protective sheet or the food patty; on the other hand, the adhesive may comprise moisture in the surface portion of the patty.

Abstract: The liners are formed from flat corrugated paper sheets that are stored on edge in a magazine. A vacuum picker transfers single sheets to a conveyor and they are creased on the upper surface by disc blades. The creased sheets are fed between narrow upper and lower conveyor belts and drawn through plow elements which fold the sheets to form liners. The formed liners are carried by gripping heads of an overhead chain conveyor to a constantly moving bucket conveyor. The axis of the chain conveyor is set at an acute angle to the axis of the bucket conveyor and the gripping heads are rotated by cam elements to align the liners with the conveyor buckets.

Abstract: A sheet applicator for applying individual thin, flexible sheets of paper or similar material to a series of relatively thick, flat articles (e.g., hamburger patties) as those articles fall along a defined discharge path terminating at a stacking position, comprising a shuttle with vacuum grippers for transferring each flexible sheet from a transfer position to an application position on the article discharge path, where one of the articles engages the sheet and carries it to the end of the discharge path. The grippers engage at least three peripheral points around the edges of the sheet; the falling article pulls the sheet from the gripper, falling through a central opening in the shuttle. The carriage then returns for the next sheet. A single-sheet feeder applies the sheets to the shuttle in registry with the vacuum grippers.

Abstract: An apparatus is described for inserting separator plates into cans and tamping them into place within the can body. A plurality of insertion heads are provided each with a vacuum supply for holding one of the separator plates on its free end. The can bodies are guided in succession to the apparatus and a positioning device such as a star wheel is provided for engaging each of the can bodies and aligning each can body with the longitudinal axis of the insertion head. Relative motion is then established between the can body and the insertion head along its longitudinal axis in the proper direction to transfer the separator plate into the can body. The vacuum is then released and the can is dropped away from the insertion head.