Abstract: The invention relates to a synchronizing method and transfer arrangement for synchronizing the patterns of movement between two units included in a packaging line, where one unit is driven intermittently and the other continuously. The invention relates in particular to a transfer arrangement between an intermittently operating tube filler and a continuously operating cartoning machine. The transfer arrangement has a frame arrangement (13) intended to support tube pickers/placers (28) and arranged for a pivoting movement about a horizontal axis (16) and for a turning movement about a vertical axis (17). The turning movement about the axis (17) gives an acceleration course for the frame in a position in front of the tube release station, and this turning movement generating acceleration is obtained by an axially acting cam guide (32). The latter is designed so that the tube pickers/placers in the release position are given the same speed as the case conveyor of the cartoning machine.

Abstract: A blister packaging machine comprises a combination load/offload station having a blister magazine that is filled from the outside of the machine rather than the inside of the machine. The load mechanism includes a pick and place mechanism that is adapted to place individual blisters into nesting trays on a rotary carousel. The offload mechanism includes a pick and output mechanism that is adapted to pick formed blister packages from the nesting trays and output them into a collection bin. The load mechanism is arranged to cooperate with the offload mechanism without interference. The load and offload mechanism may be incorporated into a six station blister packaging machine.

Abstract: A capsule filling machine (1) for the production of hard gelatine capsules (C) of the type with a capsule lid and a capsule body and containing a product, preferably a pharmaceutical product, comprises at least a first station (2), rotating with a stepping motion, for supporting and moving at least one capsule body (3) to a second station (4) for feeding and dosing the product, the second station (4) rotating with a stepping motion synchrozised with that of the first station (2) and having at least one cylindrical hole (5) containing a dose (6) of the product; between the first station (2) and the second station (4) there being slide means (7) for supporting and moving the capsule body (3) between a first operating position, in which the capsule body (3) is distanced from a lower end (5a) of the cylindrical hole (5), and a second operating position, in which the capsule body (3) is exactly below the lower end (5a) of the cylindrical hole (5), allowing the dose of product (6) to be released into the capsule bo

Abstract: A packaging machine for filling and sealing receptacles, the machine having a plurality of stations at which packaging operations are performed by packaging devices (21-29), the stations having at least a filling station (21) and a sealing station (23, 24, 27). The packaging machine includes a conveyor (10) for causing the receptacles to travel along a path passing through the various stations, the packaging machine being characterized in that the stations are disposed in an enclosure (2) in which a vacuum prevails.

Abstract: A carousel bagger including a plurality of troughs each having sides fixed to a rotatable table with a pivotable bottom wall pivoted from a lower product-receiving position to a higher product-dumping position in response to actuation by a linkage running on a cam track as the table rotates. The bottom wall has two longitudinal sections with an obtuse angle therebetween which tends to cause the product to travel in a single file to thereby avoid bridging. The trough dumps product through combined chute and bag-clamping members having sides with outwardly flared upper portions which also tends to avoid bridging.

Abstract: The bagging machine has a rotary table with openings to receive a series of bags. Each bag is staked onto four pins two of which are stationary and two of which are laterally movable. After filling, the bag is heat sealed using a pair of heat seal bars and then severed by a fly knife above the heat seal. The bag is then removed manually or automatically.

Abstract: An apparatus for charging tubular canisters in a charging direction with a stack of face-to-face oriented flat items, includes a conveyor for supporting and positioning an item stack thereon; a canister holder for supporting and positioning a canister; an arrangement for advancing the item stack in an item feeding direction from the conveyor into the canister positioned by the canister holder; an elongated guide member movable parallel to the feeding direction for introduction into and withdrawal from the canister positioned by the canister holder; a holding plate supported at an end of the guide member and being pivotal into a first position in which it projects into a feed path of the item stack for engaging a leading item of the item stack and into a second position in which it is clear of the feed path; and a drive for moving the guide member parallel to the feeding direction and for rotating the holding plate into the first and second positions.

Abstract: A carousel bagger including a plurality of troughs each having sides fixed to a rotatable table with a pivotable bottom wall pivoted from a lower product-receiving position to a higher product-dumping position in response to actuation by a linkage running on a cam track as the table rotates. The bottom wall has two longitudinal sections with an obtuse angle therebetween which tends to cause the product to travel in a single file to thereby avoid bridging. The trough dumps product through combined chute and bag-clamping members having sides with outwardly flared upper portions which also tends to avoid bridging.

Abstract: A tamale loading apparatus (10) includes a converging mechanism (61) and diverter wheels (83, 84) to position tamales (200) on a belt (24). The belt is run at a speed to fly the tamales (200) into a can (300) wherein the tamales are automatically loaded and it is no longer necessary to load the tamales (200) by hand into the cans (300).

Abstract: A container filling apparatus for filling containers with discrete articles is disclosed. The apparatus has a container conveyor for transporting containers to and from the apparatus and a rotatable filling head adjacent the conveyor. The head has a plurality of circumferentially spaced metering stations for metering and dispensing a stream of a predetermined number of articles into a container. A container carousel with a plurality of container receiving zones is mounted for rotation with the head and the containers are filled as the head and the carousel rotate in synchronism.

Abstract: A tablet supplying and packaging apparatus comprises a controller, a cassette unit having a cassette rack and a plurality of tablet cassettes detachably mounted on the cassette rack in columns and rows, a turntable having a plurality of tablet containers, and a packaging unit disposed below the cassette unit and the turntable for packaging the tablets selectively released from said tablet cassettes and said tablet containers into a plurality of tablet paper bags by the controller.

Abstract: Holders (20) for articles such as newly-formed packets or groups of cigarettes are used to constrain and protect the articles while being conveyed by handling apparatus (22), e.g. in a packing machine (10). Holders (20) of similar external shape, adapted to interface with the handling apparatus, may be provided with differing internal features (28), adapted for receiving different articles, so that the articles may be readily conveyed by the same apparatus. The apparatus may be employed at the exit end of a cigarette packing machine to maintain the shape of newly-formed packets in a packet stabilising region. This region may comprise a reservoir including a series of compartmented drums (24,26) in which each compartment receives a line of abutting holders which is indexed in an axial direction during rotation of the drums.

Abstract: A tablet supplying and packaging apparatus comprises a turntable having a center and tablet containers disposed around the center, plates corresponding to the tablet containers, each plate hingedly engaged to a tablet container portion adjacent to the container bottom opening to releasably close the bottom opening, whereby one or more tablets are either maintained in each tablet container when the bottom opening is closed by said plate or downwardly discharged when the plate is released, and a support rail having a release opening and disposed beneath the bottom openings and upholding the plates, so when one selected from the tablet containers reaches over the release opening by an angular rotation of the turntable, the plate corresponding to the selected tablet container is lowered through the release opening and the tablets in the selected tablet container are downwardly released through the release opening.

Abstract: An apparatus for charging containers with a flat item stack, includes a supply conveyor; intermediate containers; and a transporting device carrying the intermediate containers into first and second stations. In the first station an item stack is loaded from the supply conveyor into the intermediate container, and in the second station an item stack is loaded from the intermediate container into a packaging container supported in the second station. A device rotates each intermediate container about an axis perpendicular to the advancing direction of the items on the supply conveyor from a first angular position into a second angular position and then back into the first angular position during travel of the intermediate container from the first station into the second station and back into the first station. A removing device in the second station carries away a filled packaging container.

Abstract: A setup table on a bottle handling machine which includes feed-end and delivery-end star wheels and associated guide tracks for the bottles as well as drive devices for the individual star wheels and handling stations, and a support plate that covers the drive devices. A plurality of handling machines are combined into a unit, and the axis of rotation of a rinser is located on a first line, and the axes of rotation of the feed-end and delivery-end star wheels of the rinser and of the filling machine are located on a second line that runs at some distance from the first. The axis of the delivery-end star wheel of the filling machine and the axis of rotation of a crown corker are located on an additional line that runs at an angle to the second line. The axis of an additional capping machine and the axis of the delivery-end star wheel of the crown corker and of the additional capping machine are located on an additional line that runs parallel to this third line.

Abstract: A bag-loading machine and a bag-filling machine and combination thereof, the bag-loading machine including bag-carrying frame, a first motor coupled to the bag-carrying frame for moving it between a lower and a higher position, a bag-opening frame, a second motor for moving the bag-opening frame between an away position an a toward position wherein it pulls the front side of a bag away from the rear side while the bag-carrying frame is in its lower position, a blower mounted on the bag-carrying frame for maintaining the front side of the bag away from the rear side, the bag-filling machine including a second blower for blowing the bag to a fully opened position preceding the movement of first and second closed pads on a conveyor trough over the fully opened bag, the first motor thereafter moving the bag-carrying frame to its upper position so that the first and second closed pads are received within the open mouth of the bag, a third motor on the conveyor trough thereafter moving the first pad to clamp the fr

Abstract: Disclosed is a capsule filling apparatus mainly including a capsule positioning mechanism, a powder filling mechanism, and an assembling mechanism. Both the capsule position and powder filling mechanisms include a capsule holding means formed form an upper and a lower part. The lower part of the capsule holding means is controlled to move by a motor and coupler, clutch, sensing plate mounted on the shaft of the motor. A suction hole is formed at the bottom of each capsule holding hole on the lower part of the capsule holding means to communicate with an external vacuum source. A locating means is provided below a seat of the lower part of the capsule holding means in the capsule positioning mechanism. The powder filling mechanism includes a powder tank. An air cylinder drives the powder tank to move to or away from the capsule holding means by eccentrically connecting a piston shaft to a lower outer side of the powder tank.

Abstract: A method and machine for continuously wrapping a product, whereby a sheet of wrapping material is transferred, from an output of a line for supply wrapping material, into a seat of a wrapping conveyor onto which the sheet of wrapping material, folded into a U, is released by a folding spindle about which the sheet is folded at least partly into a U before being transferred into the seat; the seat and the sheet are then fed through a loading station to receive the product.

Abstract: A bag-loading machine and a bag-filling machine and combination thereof, the bag-loading machine including bag-carrying frame, a first motor coupled to the bag-carrying frame for moving it between a lower and a higher position, a bag-opening frame, a second motor for moving the bag-opening frame between an away position an a toward position wherein it pulls the front side of a bag away from the rear side while the bag-carrying frame is in its lower position, a blower mounted on the bag-carrying frame for maintaining the front side of the bag away from the rear side, the bag-filling machine including a second blower for blowing the bag to a fully opened position preceding the movement of first and second closed pads on a conveyor trough over the fully opened bag, the first motor thereafter moving the bag-carrying frame to its upper position so that the first and second closed pads are received within the open mouth of the bag, a third motor on the conveyor trough thereafter moving the first pad to clamp the fr

Abstract: A packaging apparatus includes a film cartridge inserting mechanism has a case holder for holding case nonrotatably in an assembling position, a film cartridge holder for holding the film cartridge nonrotatably and inserting the film cartridge into the case, and a guide mechanism having a guide cylinder for guiding the film cartridge therethrough into the case, the guide cylinder being rotatable to hold a film leader of a rolled photographic film housed in the film cartridge, around an outer circumferential surface of the film cartridge. The film cartridge with the rolled photographic film housed therein can automatically be inserted smoothly into the case through the rotating guide cylinder. The packaging apparatus is relatively simple in structure because it has no mechanisms for rotating the film cartridge and the case.

Abstract: The plant for manufacturing and packing thermoplastic tubes of the present invention is an efficient arrangement of a plurality of single machines, each one producing the same finished thermoplastic tubes as from a conventional line. The machines are arranged into small groups or production cells. The manufacturing and packing plant of the present invention is at least one production cell associated with a common product transportation line. The method of operating the plant of the present invention involves marking each tube with an indicia and identifying, recording, and monitoring each tube with an indicia.

Abstract: Fill seal structures having an elastomeric seal element contained in a housing for use with a liquid filling machine for bottles having fill necks, wherein lifting mechanisms are employed to move the bottles upwardly toward sealing faces of fill ports on the fill bowl of the machine, and wherein the seal structures are designed to provide for fluid tight seals between the top open ends of the bottle necks and the sealing faces, wherein the seal element consists of a generally tubular wall providing a fluid flow passage having an outlet end section and a complex inlet end section, the outlet end section being formed to provide a first contact surface for engaging and sealing against the top open neck end of a bottle, the inlet end section having a generally radially inwardly directed flexible hinge segment integral with the wall at a hinge seam, an annular crest on a radially inner portion of the hinge segment and extending and facing generally axially outwardly therefrom, the crest being adapted to bear again

Abstract: In the production of large packs (10) each comprising a pack group (11), in particular comprising cigarette packs (12), different-wrapper versions have to be taken into account. For this purpose, two folding turrets (21, 22) for different packaging material are provided, namely a folding turret (21) for cardboard blanks (13) and a folding turret (22) for blanks (20) made of paper or film. The two folding turrets (21, 22) are arranged one beside the other in horizontal alignment. Each folding turret (21, 22) is provided with four pockets which each run through three operating stations.

Abstract: A filling machine includes a rotary table having a plurality of peripheral openings each of which is provided with upstanding posts for staking of a bag thereon for suspension through the opening. A blower is provided at a second station for blowing air into the bag to open the bag. A chute is provided for delivering material into the open bag. A gathering and severing unit is provided to close and staple the bag in a closed position.

Abstract: The machine includes groups of bushes (1) of dimensions suitable for the superposed and aligned containment of a base cover (14), of a tablet (52) and of a lid cover (14).

Abstract: An apparatus for filling and sealing intravenous solution bags in a sterile environment. Each bag has a weldably sealable opening for introducing intravenous solution into the bag. The apparatus includes a generally sealed enclosure defining an enclosed interior space sized and shaped for simultaneously containing a plurality of the intravenous solution bags to prevent contamination of the bags. Further, the apparatus includes an intravenous solution delivery system positioned at least partially inside the interior space of the enclosure for delivering intravenous solution through the openings of the bags to fill the bags while the bags are in the enclosure. In addition, the apparatus includes a welder positioned at least partially inside the interior space of the enclosure for hermetically sealing the openings of the bags after they have been filled with intravenous solution and while they are in the enclosure.

Abstract: An improved ledge support assembly for a filling machine for filling containers is provided. The ledge support assembly supports and retains the containers in the machine during movement through the machine. The ledge support assembly includes a pocket support portion for holding the neck portion of a bottle and a back support portion for supporting the container body portion of a bottle in a single position during rotation. A locking mechanism is provided on the pocket support and a second locking mechanism is provided on the back support for releasably attaching each of the pocket support and the back support to the ledge support assembly.

Abstract: A system for filling bottles with pills including a drive wheel formed with an upper generally circular plate and a vertically spaced lower generally circular plate with concentric peripheries and axially aligned central apertures extending therethrough supportable on a drive shaft for rotation therewith. The plates are formed with a plurality of symmetrically located recesses on the peripheries of the plates for receiving bottles therein. A depth spacer is positioned within each recess and is radially movable toward and away from the axis of rotation and the peripheries of the plates. A pair of width plates are positioned on opposite sides of each recess to vary the width of each recess. The depth spacers and width plates allow the recesses to accommodate various sizes of bottles so that the openings in the bottles will be properly positioned at all times for use in automated pill dispensing systems.

Abstract: An improved container guide for a bottling machine for filling or capping containers having a generally circular cross-section is provided. The container guide serves to retain the containers in the machine during conveyance through the bottling line. A rotatable star wheel is provided for moving the container through the machine and includes a pocket support for supporting the containers thereon. A rear guide is located radially outward from the star wheel and is used to retain the containers within the pocket support during rotation. The star wheel and rear guide each include a side wall or body guides to maintain the sidewall of the containers in position during rotation of the star wheel. An adjusting mechanism is provided on each guide to change the position of the guide to accommodate different size bottles.

Abstract: A system for transporting containers in serial order through container-processing stations, such as filling and capping stations. The transporting system comprises a revolving turret defining a plurality of container receiving pockets in a spaced apart relationship for serially advancing containers from one processing station to another along a generally arcuate path. Each pocket is configured to accept and release a container along predetermined ingress and egress directions respectively. An endless conveyor supplies unprocessed containers to the revolving turret and also removes the processed containers therefrom.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for forming an Easter grass bag from a sheet of material. The apparatus includes a mold having side walls and a bottom defining a mold opening. The side walls and bottom of the mold have vacuum holes connected to a vacuum source. A sheet of material is placed over the mold opening and the vacuum draws the sheet of material into the mold opening and against the side walls and bottom of the mold to form the sheet of material into an Easter grass bag. The mold may be a split mold to facilitate removal of the bag from the mold.

Abstract: A bottling machine for filling or capping containers having a generally circular cross section is provided. The bottling machine includes a rotatable star wheel having a plurality of peripheral individual removable neck support assemblies for receiving and moving the containers through the machine. Each of the individual neck support assemblies includes a pocket support for holding the containers and a snap locking mechanism including a piston on the neck support assembly cooperable with a clamp pin on the star wheel for releasably attaching each of the neck support assemblies to the star wheel.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for producing and bagging decorative grass, such as Easter grass. The apparatus includes an extruder, a godet, a slitter, a cutter, a bagging assembly and a programmable logic controller. The extruder produces a continuous sheet of material, which is fed by the godet into the slitter and cutter. A thickness gauge is provided between the extruder and slitter to measure the thickness of the sheet of material. The slitter has a row of blades which slit the sheet into a continuous length of slitted material. The cutter includes a rotatable blade which transversely cuts the slitted material into a number of individual filaments. The sheet of material is urged through the slitter and cutter by the godet and an air flow produced by a blower. The blower then forces the filaments to the bagging assembly, which has a rotatable turret, an inserter and a bag handler. The turret has a number of magazines for receiving from the cutter and for discharging the filaments into bags.

Abstract: A quick connect clamp for a bottling machine is provided. The quick connect clamp includes a bayonnet clamp having a rod portion and a complementary rod grasping portion. The rod portion including a handle at one end for actuating the clamp and locking projections on the other end for inserting within the rod grasping portion, the rod portion including a spring mechanism for placing the clamp in tension in a locked position. The locking projections coact with a cam surface on the rod grasping portion to lock and unlock the clamp.

Abstract: A cartridge of wound-up photographic film has an elongate housing within which the film is received, the housing having an outlet through which the film leader projects. In order to insert the cartridge of film into a cylindrical container it is necessary to wrap the film leader around the housing of the cartridge. A method of inserting the cartridge into the container involves conveying the cartridge into the open end of the container whilst simultaneously rotating the cartridge about its longitudinal axis so that the film leader is brought into engagement with the rim of the open end of the container whilst it is rotating. This causes the film leader automatically to be wrapped around the housing of the cartridge to permit the ready insertion of the cartridge and the film leader into the container. An apparatus for automatically performing the function of inserting the cartridge into the container using this method is also described.

Abstract: A positioning apparatus operates to advance and rotationally orient a container during packaging of a product and broadly comprises a conveyor, a rotor assembly mounted to the conveyor, a rotary drive means and orientation sensing means. The rotor assembly includes a holder adapted to receive a container in a supported state with the supported container being aligned along the rotor axis such that the container may be rotated thereabout. The rotary drive means operates to selectively engage the rotor assembly and the supported container for rotatably orienting the supported container with respect to the rotor axis. The orientation sensing means monitors rotational orientation of the supported container, and the conveyor operates to advance the rotor assembly and the supported container during the packaging of the product.

Abstract: A system and method for automatically feeding, inspecting and diverting tablets for continuous filling of tablet containers includes a tablet conveyor system which divides the tablets in a plurality of tablet streams for inspection by color, size and shape. Following the tablet inspection, each tablet passes through a tablet diverter which diverts the tablets to a recycle stream, reject stream or one of two bottle filling positions based upon instruction from the inspection. A bottle conveyor system is provided which feeds empty bottles into a bottle escapement mechanism which positions the empty bottles for filling. Filled bottles are moved from the bottle escapement mechanism to an exit conveyor. The entire system is computer controlled by various control mechanisms to enable the system to be fully operational without operator assistance.

Abstract: A packaging arrangement for packaging products, such as contact lenses, in packages such as blister packs. The packaging arrangement includes a rotary index table defining on its upper surface a plurality of identical, radially-oriented support pallets, equally spaced apart around the rotary index table. Each support pallet is designed to support an array of individual package bases thereon, and is sequentially rotated to stop at angularly spaced radial positions in the rotary packaging machine. At a first radial position, the rotary packaging station receives blister package bases, each having a product deposited therein, and places the package bases in the support pallet then at the first radial position.

Abstract: A rotary knife apparatus for depositing filled pouches in preselected count stacks along a travelling product conveyor. The rotary knife apparatus includes a rotating disc valve intermediate negative and positive pressure sources on one side and a rotary knife hub on the other side. The rotating disc valve includes a plurality of arcuate slots and apertures which communicate with the negative and positive pressure sources and axial ports in the knife hub such that the knife hub holds and expels the filled pouches along defined segments of rotation of the knife hub. The rotating disc valve has a dynamically variable rotational speed relative to a rotational speed of the knife hub for changing a predetermined number of different angular drop-off points during a period of rotation of the knife hub to correspondingly change the preselected count of pouches in a stack.

Abstract: An apparatus for loading ligating clips into ligating clip cartridges. The apparatus has a frame and a rotatable indexing table mounted to the frame. A plurality of nest members for holding cartridges and cartridge components is mounted to the outer periphery of the indexing table. The nest are rotated and indexed to a plurality of work stations located proximately on or about the frame. Components are loaded into the nest members at the work stations to form assembled cartridges loaded with ligating clips. One work station removes the assembled cartridges from the nest members.

Abstract: A carousel bagger having a frame, a table rotatably mounted on the frame, a plurality of conveyor troughs extending radially outwardly from the table, each of the conveyor troughs including a trough and a conveyor, bag-gripping structure mounted at the outer ends of the troughs, and chutes formed integrally with the bag-gripping structure such that when a bag is properly gripped, the chute will always be in a position to guide produce from the conveyor into a gripped bag. A chute-clogging detection structure located in relationship to the chutes for stopping the bagger in the event a clogged chute is detected. A bag-detection structure for preventing the deposit of produce from a hopper into a conveyor trough in the event that a bag is not being held by the bag-gripping structure associated with the trough.

Abstract: A method for loading and closing containers, such as bags, with flexible open ends employs a chute with an inflatable bladder at the open end, and an elastic closure device. A flexible open end of the container is placed around the end of the chute and the inflatable bladder. The elastic closure device is placed around the open end of the container. The bladder is inflated to secure the container to the chute. Material is delivered into the container through the chute. When a specified quantity of material is loaded into the container, the bladder is deflated causing the container to slide off the chute. When the container slides off the chute, the elastic closure device contracts and closes the flexible open end of container by constricting the size of the flexible open end of the container such that material will not fall out during shipment. Multiple chutes may be supported on a moveable support structure and operated to provide a semi-automatic container loading and closing apparatus and method.

Abstract: A device is provided to combine printed products that are supplied to a folded envelope. A rotating conveying member is equipped with receiving pockets that are distributed over its circumference and can be closed and opened. The receiving pockets have an associated charging station for the envelopes and a supplying station for the enclosures on the opposite side of the conveying member as well as a subsequently connected removal station, with the charging station and the supplying station being connected by means of an undercut conveying region of the conveying member.

Abstract: Trailer-mounted apparatus of the type with a platform that can rotate on a central fifth wheel-like support with a vertical axis, particularly for the loading and handling of coop frames for poultry and the like, which includes: a substantially rectangular rotating platform which is driven by a motor; two fifth wheel-like supports with a vertical axis which are individually driven with a preset rotation angle by individual independent motors; and a horizontal secondary frame which is anchored to each one of the two end fifth wheels, and which has a retention sidewall for accommodating in succession a frame of coops to be loaded with poultry while another coop frame, arranged on the secondary frame that is rigidly associated with the opposite fifth wheel, is being loaded; each coop frame to be filled is arranged on the rotating secondary frame located opposite to the one that supports the coop frame during loading so that its longer longitudinal axis is orientated like the longitudinal axis of the platform by

Abstract: The invention provides machines and methods for continuously filling and closing containers supplied in random orientation. In one embodiment, apparatus in accord with the invention comprises a machine frame 10 that supports devices for continuously orienting, filling and closing containers. Device A supplies the containers in random orientation. Device B continuously orients the containers into a predetermined orientation. Device C continuously fills containers. Device D supplies powder or granular filler material to device C. Device E supplies plugs or stoppers for closing the containers. Device F continuously inserts plugs into filled containers to close the containers. The machine frame 10 contains the driving elements for the various devices of the apparatus.

Abstract: During the packaging of articles in cartons, preparatory to shipment to consumers, the cartons are removed from filling/closing apparatus and stacked on pallets. The removal apparatus includes transporting the cartons singly to a stacking plane, orienting the cartons and then employing a robotic gripping device to move the oriented cartons to the proper stacking positions.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for capping containers, primarily used with capping machines, that increases the engagement time that a driven roller maintains with a cylindrical side of the container cap so that the roller subtends a predetermined arc about the cylindrical axis of the container. The apparatus comprises a mechanism for resiliently urging the rotatably driven roller into the path of the container and then into engagement with the cap as the container advances on a predetermined path.

Abstract: An automatic packaging machine is provided which has a chute for directing objects such as cooked french fries into the interior of a rotatable loading drum. The drum is rotated by a motor about a horizontal axis at a speed to cause the french fries to first be carried upwardly and then to fall through a predetermined path within the drum. A staging carousel is provided for carrying a supply of varying sized packaging containers such as cups. The carousel can be rotated to a dispensing position where a single selected size container will be dispensed to an index carousel. The index carousel will move the container to a position within the drum to intercept the falling french fries to fill the container. A detector is provided for sensing when the container has been filled. Once the container is filled it is moved via various transfer mechanisms to a deposit or storage area which can accommodate a plurality of containers and has a mechanism for clearing space to receive additional containers.

Abstract: A wicket of bags are joined to a common header. Each of the bags has an open pocket formed on the front side. The bags are placed front side down on a support surface. The top most back of the wicket is turned over to expose the front side while being transferred to a sealing station. The sample is placed in the pocket, the pocket is sealed and the bag removed. The remaining bags of the wicket are filled with samples in a similar manner. These steps are accomplished without removing any of the bags from the common header.

Abstract: An apparatus for filling blocks into containers individually by placing the container as turned upside down over the block and inverting the container with the block fitted therein. A block feeder and a container feeder are arranged as horizontally spaced apart from each other. An intermittenly driven container-inverting slat conveyor has slats each adapted to stop at the block feeder and then at the container feeder while traveling along an upper path of transport of the conveyor.