Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods for autonomously packing unfolded laundry articles into a box are described. The system includes a box configured to receive the laundry articles, a movable surface for receiving the box, and at least one actuator for imparting at least one of a shaking, twisting, vibrating, oscillating, shushling, and tilting motion to the box. A plunger is configured to compress the articles within the box and at least one sensor is configured to detect that the mass of articles is flattened and substantially level across a top surface. A controller in communication with drive motors, actuators, and at least one sensor is configured to determine whether the articles are flattened sufficiently for delivery to a packing station for receipt of folded laundry articles placed atop the plurality of unfolded laundry articles.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for loading stacked food product into packages. Open top containers are arranged in rows and movable into a loading station. A shuttle conveyor has a retractable and extendable conveying surface, the conveying surface having an end region extendable to a position arranged above the containers of a row of the containers. A guiding and pushing apparatus is arranged above the row and includes guides that are lowered to capture a row of stacked food products on the conveying surface, and plungers within the guides that lower and press a top of the stacks. When the conveying surface is retracted from beneath the guides and the row of containers, the guides are lowered further, adjacent to the containers, and the plungers are lowered with respect to the guides to push the stacks into the containers.

Abstract: A device for filling a container with a plurality of objects standing substantially upright on a floor portion of the container includes: a depositing cavity temporarily created and maintained in the container for receiving one of the plurality of objects; a first moveable planar restraining member having a first anterior surface facing the depositing cavity and a first posterior surface, the first posterior surface restraining a previously deposited object against movement; and a second moveable planar restraining member having a second anterior surface facing the depositing cavity and a second posterior surface. The first and second restraining members are operationally arranged to be removably insertable into and between the opposing side walls of the container.

Abstract: A bagging assembly for use with a bale bagging apparatus is disclosed. The bale bagging apparatus includes a frame assembly, a bale stuffer, and a bale chute. The bagging assembly includes a carriage frame having a first and a second side rail, a pivot end, and a movable end. The pivot end is mounted adjacent the bale chute and the movable end is secured to the frame assembly. A first and a second carriage assembly are movably mounted on the first and the second side rails and each includes an upper and a lower bagger arm that are configured to open simultaneously. A pincher assembly is supported by the upper bagger arms and the lower bagger arms. The pincher assembly is configured to grasp portions of a bale bag, thereby causing the bale bag to open as the upper and lower bagger arms are opened simultaneously.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing a shipping container for holding an object has a base for receiving the article is described. A plurality of corner posts is affixed to the base. Each post has a first end affixed to a portion of the base and a second, opposed end in a spaced apart relationship to the base. A flexible material is positioned over the base and corner posts. The flexible material is capable of being removed from the base and corner posts without being torn or destroyed. The object is positioned in a shipping container by positioning the object on the base and positioning the posts adjacent corners of the object. The base with the corner posts affixed thereto is placed in a flexible material having an open end and a closed end. A removable top is secured to the corner posts.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for individually bagging bundles into stretchable open bags. The apparatus comprises a bag stretching structure about which a bag can be turned inside out for wrapping an underlying bundle in response to continuous downward movement of the bag stretching structure once the closed end of the bag opposite the open end thereof has engaged the top surface of the bundle.

Abstract: System and method for packing loose fill materials in bags to form cushions for use in protecting articles in shipping cartons. The bags are produced from a length of flexible plastic tubing which is gathered or bunched to form a coil which is disposed about the outlet of a loose fill dispenser. A section of the tubing is pulled from the coil, and its lower end is closed to form a bag which is then filled with loose fill material dispensed through the outlet. Another section of tubing is then pulled from the coil, and the tubing is drawn together to close the upper end of the first section and the lower end of the second section. The closed ends are secured with tape, and the tubing is severed to separate the first section from the second. The cushions thus formed are placed in the shipping cartons with the articles, and in some embodiments are compressed and reexpanded in conformance with the contour of the articles.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for continuously counting, stacking, and packaging relatively rigid and stackable articles, such as frozen meat patties, is provided. The apparatus includes a bottom stacker for stacking stackable articles in a column, a stack mover for moving the stack of articles to a packaging station, and a packager for packaging the stack of articles. The packager can provide an open plastic bag without injecting air.

Abstract: A breathable girth former for a packaging machine for bathroom tissue and kitchen toweling rolls wherein the entrance funnel (preformer) has two halves resiliently mounted to conform to the product dimension most likely to jam in the downstream girth former. The funnel halves movement is transmitted to the girth tube former halves by a mechanical linkage to provide the same spacing as in the funnel.

Abstract: A packaging machine and method of packaging utilizing chains of interconnected preopened bags which are fed sequentially and one at a time to a load station. Bag tops are clamped against spreading horns by sensor equipped clamps which cause disablement of a bag filling mechanism unless a bag is properly located at the load station. The horns include mirror image subassemblies each including stationary and moveable sections. Each subassembly includes a prime mover interposed between the sections to relatively move the sections between collapsed and bag extending positions.

Abstract: On a cigarette packing machine, groups of cigarettes forming the content of respective packets are inserted inside a folding spindle and wrapped in a sheet of wrapping material which is folded on to the outer surface of the spindle before being unloaded off the spindle together with the respective group; the spindle being defined by a tubular shell, the relatively thin walls of which are reinforced internally by substantially triangular longitudinal ribs, each engaging, in use, the longitudinal gap defined by two adjacent peripheral cigarettes in the group.

Abstract: An improved leaflet inserter includes a series of adjacent leaflet trays carried by a conveyor along side of a cartoner and each tray includes a leaflet pusher movable in a slot transverse to the direction of the conveyor to push a leaflet placed in the tray out the side of the tray and into a synchronized carton or into a product bucket which is moving along side of the tray. In an embodiment of a leaflet tray, the leaflet pusher includes a downwardly extending cam pin which engages an adjustable cam positioned beneath the trays which urges the cam pin to slide the leaflet pusher transversely across the tray. In another aspect of the present invention, an integrated product bucket loader includes a plurality of product load receiving buckets mounted on a conveyor and each bucket has an integral, movable end wall which is slidably mounted on the bucket for movement across the width of the bucket.

Abstract: A bale bagging method and apparatus are disclosed. Bales are passed through a collapsible tunnel, preferably formed of panels of flexible, yet self-supporting plastic material. A plastic film tube is supported on the tunnel as the bales are passed through. The tube has the same circumference as the bales so that the tunnel is held tightly against the bales. At the rear end of the tunnel is a retaining hoop over which the tube is stretched. Once the tube passes over the hoop, it contracts onto the bale to fit very tightly onto the bale, thus minimizing wind fatigue in the bag.

Abstract: An improved actuating system for a plurality of tucker plates used to compress and tuck arrays of fruit placed by an automated fruit handler into shipping cartons is described. The timing and motive force used for operation of the tucker plate is derived from motion of the fruit handler. Contact of the fruit and the fruit handler with an inclined tucker plate on each of four side is sufficient to cause tucker plates to rotate about a hinge assembly which couples the tucker plate to the packer table through which the fruit handler disposes the layers of fruit into the shipping cartons positioned on a conveyor underneath the packer table. Each tucker plate is provided with an upper finger which contacts the fruit handler as the fruit handler move upwardly thereby causing a torque to be applied to the tucker plate to reorient the tucker plate from the vertical packing position to an open tilted receiving position.

Abstract: An apparatus for inserting stacks of goods (1), for example sausage slices, into hollow containers (4) for packaging, the interior size of the hollow containers (4) corresponding substantially to the dimensions of the goods, includes grippers (2, 7) some of which (7) remain substantially above the edge of the opening of the hollow containers during the insertion procedure and some of which (2) are insertable slightly in the opening to facilitate depositing the goods in the desired position for packaging. Extension members (5) which grip below the goods for packaging can also be provided.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for bagging a cylindrical object in one bag in a plurality of bags. The apparatus includes a finger assembly with fingers that are placed into a partially opened open end of the bag that is to receive the cylindrical object. After insertion into the open end of the bag, the fingers are separated uniformly in all directions and moved away from the rest of the bags, providing an appropriately shaped opening for the object to pass into the bag. The object passes through the expanded plurality of fingers into the opened open end of the bag. After the bag has been filled, a gripper finger grasps one edge of the bag and the finger assembly moves upwardly away from the bag as the bag is pulled onto a conveyor, where the bag is closed in a bag closure machine.

Abstract: An apparatus for filling bags with bulk material includes a filling device for consecutively charging bags with the bulk material; a traction device leading into and out of a region of the filling device; and a plurality of spaced spreading devices, carried by the traction device, for expanding each bag to facilitate charging thereof by the filling device. Each spreading device has first and second mutually cooperating pivotal spreading fingers having a retracted state and an expanded state.

Abstract: A tray-like mandrel for an automatic packaging machine has a telescoping bottom so that it may be made wide in order to receive a product or narrow in order to fit into a box. The telescoping is controlled by a slot track cam extending along a path followed by the mandrel. A cam follower riding in the slot track adjusts the tray width.

Abstract: An apparatus for filling sacks is disclosed which has opposed clamps for engaging the initially collapsed sacks adjacent to the side portions of their opening-defining edges, suction devices included in the clamps, which engage mutually opposite side walls of the sacks adjacent to their opening-defining edges and pull said side walls apart, and a filling pipe. The carriers for the suction devices are provided each on each side of the sack at least below the suction device or suction devices with a transversely extending bar, which is made of elastomeric material and urges the pulled apart edge portions of the sacks into sealing contact with the side walls of the filling funnel.

Abstract: A bale bagging apparatus for bagging round bales in tubes of plastic film includes a hoop and an annular flexible tube support projecting to the rear of the hoop. The tube support conforms to the shape and size of the bales being bagged, so that a tubing may be used that is fairly close in size to the size of the bales. This reduces the amount of air inside the bag and the ultimate looseness of the bagging tube on the bale, which affects its wind resistance and allows the bagging of bales in smaller tubes, which significantly reduces the cost of plastic film.

Abstract: A lettuce packing machine for the packing of heads of lettuce in corrugated, carboard cartons is disclosed. A lettuce head holding tray is loaded with lettuce. Thereafter, the tray is utilized to pack cartons. The lettuce head holding trays has discrete lettuce receiving cells upwardly exposed. Each tray contains four columns of cells, each column of cells being three wide for a capacity of 12 heads of lettuce. Each discrete lettuce receiving cell in the tray is defined by four semirigid, flexible sides, which sides extend downwardly and inwardly, are elastically biased and form an inverted pyramid-like profile truncated at an open bottom. The lettuce head holding tray is loaded at a picking station and conveyed to a packing station. When the lettuce head holding tray arrives at the packing station, a packing apparatus having discrete plungers--one for each cell--unloads the tray overlying a box to be packed.

Abstract: A grid finger is disclosed which is attachable to a grid structure for guiding articles delivered to the grid structure from an article supply source into containers. The grid finger includes a compressible resilient member projecting from the upper end thereof. A grid finger receiving member defining a receiving recess receiving the upper end of the grid finger and the compressible resilient member is provided. The grid finger receiving member has portions defining an aperture for receiving the compressible resilient member such that the grid finger may be inserted into the receiving member in a correct orientation only. Also disclosed are grid structure guide members having oppositely angled upper portions which contact the lower surfaces of articles delivered to the grid structure for both separating articles and for guiding the articles into passages provided in the grid structure.

Abstract: An apparatus for loading a group of side-by-side stacked articles into a relatively flimsy enlongated open-top container. The containers are conveyed on a conveyor and each container, when positioned beneath a loading unit, is elevated from the conveyor to an elevated position where a pair of parallel spreader plates are received within the container. The spreader plates are pivoted outwardly deflecting the opposite elongated side walls of the container to a generally flat planar condition. With the side walls spread apart, a stack of articles is lowered by the loading unit into the container and the filled container is then lowered back onto the conveyor.

Abstract: A device for temporarily holding containers on a feed connection piece includes a plurality of expanding segments surrounding the connecting piece and being held in position thereon by a resilient sleeve. Lower parts of respective segments extend over a lower edge on the connecting piece and are tilted by levers attached to a top edge of respective segments so as to expand the elastic sleeve into engagement with an inner surface of a container. The expanding segments are returned into their rest position by the resilient constricting force of the sleeve.

Abstract: An item is placed into a relatively close fitting pliant bag by first turning the bag inside out over a horizontal ring mounted over a work surface on at least one upright support leg. Desirably, at least half of the peripheral extent of the ring is unsupported to facilitate pulling the bag over the ring and to facilitate removal of the bagged item. The item is placed within the ring in contact with the interior surface of the bottom of the bag and then moved downward through the ring, pulling the open top of the bag up, over, and through the ring. This turns the bag right side out, with the item inside. The ring has circumferentially spaced openings on its upper surface leading to a hollow interior that communicates via a valve to a source of pressurized air.

Abstract: Bag-filling apparatus comprises gripping means for gripping flat bags adjacent to their top edges and side edges, vacuum cups for engaging the bag on opposite sides near its top edges and for pulling said top edges apart, and a filling pipe, which is provided with filling hopper halves, which are adapted to be pivotally movable about parallel axes by drive means. The filling hopper halves are hinged on respective axes which are transverse to the line which connects the grippers and the spreading members of the filling hopper halves have in cross-section laterally inverted, outwardly protruding or convex shapes the apices of which are disposed on the line which connects the grippers. The arrangement may be such that the end edges and side walls of the filling hopper halves are in sealing contact with each other when the filling hopper halves are in their swung-in position.

Abstract: A device for packing poultry with means (7) for supporting an opened bag (9) and means (12,13) for pushing a fowl into said bag, a pushing member (12) having a vertical central baffle (26) oriented in the pushing direction to guide the legs of the fowl in order to prevent a twisting movement of the pushed fowl, which otherwise at times could happen and provoke irregularity or even disturb of the pushing operation.

Abstract: A guide mechanism for a case packer is characterized by a mounting member, a plurality of guide member fingers, and a plurality of expansion springs, each spring connecting a different finger to the mounting member and also biasing the bottom of the finger towards a converging position with the other finger bottoms. The springs act substantially vertically, enabling substantially unlimited universal pivoting of the fingers relative to the mounting member and thereby reducing the likelihood of finger breakage in the event of a jam.

Abstract: Apparatus for packing layers of objects into a box, wherein a pickup head equipped with multiple vacuum cups picks up a layer of the objects and descends into the box. The box is initially positioned in a packing station in an approximately correct position relative to the path of descent of the pickup head and as the pickup head approaches the top of the box, a chute structure is provided in which four guide panels snap into engagement with the four inner walls, respectively, of the box for four purposes: (1) to position the box precisely correctly relative to the path of descent of the pickup head; (2) to crowd the layer of objects on the pickup head together to conform to the dimensions of the box; (3) to guide the pickup head into the box; and (4) to serve as guards to prevent damage to the descending objects by the rim of the box.

Abstract: A case loader for placing articles such as beverage packs in cases or cartons includes a supply conveyor for articles and a carton conveyor which merges into the article conveying path and pairs of spaced guide plates or loading plates supported on overhead endless chains arranged along the sides of the conveying path to grip and center the articles on the supply conveyor and to "shoe horn" the articles into the cartons. A case displacement lever pivots in the gap between spaced runs of the case conveyor to raise the leading edge of the case or carton upwardly to lessen the drop distance of the article into the case to minimize damage.

Abstract: Finger mounting apparatus for a case loading grid is disclosed. Pyramidal shaped blocks are fixed to conventional bars in a packing grid, and a plate is selectively fixed to the bottom face of a block. The plate has an opening to hold a finger. The same block can mount two or more types of plate to carry two or more different types of finger. A single plate can be removed from a grid without removing the entire grid, so the grid can be serviced without removing the entire grid.

Abstract: An apparatus for inserting a carton into a thermoplastic bag includes a table for supporting the bag, a pusher assembly for transferring a carton into the bag, and a guide assembly for first opening the bag mouth and for thereafter guiding the carton into the mouth of the bag while supporting the carton above the table until after it has been fully inserted into the bag. A vacuum is applied through apertures formed in the table to initially hold the bottom panel of the bag against the table, and a reciprocatable suction cup assembly is mounted above the suction apertures for engaging the top panel of the bag and for partially opening the mouth of the bag so that the guide assembly may be inserted therein.

Abstract: Poutlry dropped from a moving conveyor is loaded into bags through a nozzle assembly that expands each bag in advance of bird entry by means of a two-stage motion. A ram packs each bird fully into the bag during the second stage of nozzle operation followed by detachment of the bag and drop onto a receiving surface.

Abstract: Fresh processed poultry suspended by double leg hooks from conveyor mounted carriers are dropped onto an inclined guide surface of a bagging device having a stack of flexible film bags positioned to receive the dropped birds. Each bird is suspended from its carrier by a hook that pivots downwardly when released, resulting in free fall to an angular impact position substantially matching the incline of the guide surface along which the bird descends into an opened bag.

Abstract: Double leg suspended poultry dropped from a moving conveyor and guided into bags by a nozzle assembly that effects limited expansion of each bag in advance of entry of each bird into the bag. A ram packs each bird fully into the bag after partial entry resulting in tight fit packaging upon withdrawal of the ram and nozzle assembly from the bag as it is detached and dropped onto a receiving surface.

Abstract: A stretch bagging apparatus of the type having a reciprocable table top, including a pair of transversely extensible horns which are advanced axially into an open ended bag supported upon a bag elevator. After the horns advance into the bag, they are transversely extended so as to stretch the bag sides during filling of the bag. After the bag is filled with a chicken or the like, a carriage supporting the table top is axially retracted. The present apparatus is characterized principally by its provision for a longitudinally reciprocable table top which supports and axially advances both the article being bagged and the transversely extensible horns. The bag elevator includes a pivoted hocking plate valving mechanism which enables the operator to override the packaging system by pushing the filled bag against the hocking plate.

Abstract: A case packing apparatus for assembling packages or trays of fragile objects, such as eggs or fruit, into case filling stacks, and depositing the stacks into cases. Packages or trays are transported by a conveyor to a transfer plate and transferred thereby onto superposed pairs of opposed retractable support ledges on the opposite inner sides of an adjacent vertically movable stacking cabinet. When a set number of layer arrays has been assembled in the cabinet, the support ledges are retracted sequentially, uppermost first, to cumulatively lower the layer arrays into a solid stack form and lastly to lower the solid stack onto a pair of opposed flexible aprons extending horizontally from the sides of the cabinet under the stack and held taut by bowed flat springs each attached at one end to the corresponding cabinet wall below the upper reach of the extended apron and enveloped by the extended outer reaches of the apron.

Abstract: In a case packer, wide mouth bottles are conveyed to a platform where they are arranged in alignment with the cells in the case and thereafter held in position by suction cups. The platform is rotated to suspend the bottles, mouth down, over the case. The bottles are gravity fed into cells in the case formed by upstanding partitions. A guide mechanism is interposed between the platform and the case to correct misalignment of the partitions and to guide the bottles into the cells. The guide mechanism includes, for each cell, a pair of rigid guide members aligned with opposing corners of the cell. The guide members are pivotally mounted to a grid, in opposing spaced relationship, such that the members are movable between a closed, closely opposed and preferably mutually engaging position, inclined towards one another, and an opened mutually separated, generally vertical position. Each member includes first and second sections.

Abstract: The invention relates to a split horn arrangement for packaging meat in a stretchable netting material, and to a method of packaging the meat using the split horn arrangement. In accordance with the invention, the split horn arrangement includes an upper member with depending side walls which overlap and cover upwardly extending side walls of a lower member so as to form a tunnel for passing the meat through. Disposed on the depending side walls are longitudinally extending rails which lift the netting material stretched over them so that the threads of the netting can be caught by the teeth of a pulling block to load the netting on the horn. The rails can also act as guides for the pulling blocks when loading the netting on the front end of the split horn. The pulling blocks include rows of fingers which grasp the lateral threads of the netting to pull the netting onto the horn.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for placing a band on a ball of yarn or the like, wherein the band may be placed on the ball by means of two band carriers displaceable with respect to the ball.

Abstract: An improved apparatus for packaging a plurality of flexible liquid filled pouches in an outer flexible container.Known similar machines have been limited in their speed of operation, such that production from such machines has not been as high as desired. To increase the speed of operation of the apparatus, it is proposed to utilize a feed conveyor incorporating a fluid-actuated clutch assembly which engages and disengages one of the conveyor pulleys from the conveyor belt. Operation of the clutch permits instantaneous operation of the feed conveyor assembly. Further, during high speed operation of the prior machines, flexible pouches tend to somersault when leaving the conveyor belt from the discharge end thereof. To prevent this somersaulting effect, it is proposed to utilize a pivotable barrier adjacent the output end of the feed conveyor. By utilizing the barrier, alignment of flexible pouches within the cradle assembly is achieved, even during high speed operation of the packaging apparatus.

Abstract: Poultry articles are advanced on an upwardly inclined conveyor one at a time through a wing and neck training jig mechanism which forms each such article into a packaging configuration, and, at the top of the upwardly inclined conveyor, tilted downwardly to advance by gravity into a stretched open flexible packaging bag at a packaging station.

Abstract: An automatic packaging machine for sanitary paper products such as rolls of toilet tissue, packs of paper napkins, towels, etc. The machine comprises an article feeding section, a bag-supporting magazine section, and a package sealing section. The feeding section includes a reciprocal device having a support surface for underlying a plurality of articles and pushing means for moving the articles or packs. The feeding device is shifted in one direction from beneath a selected quantity of articles or packs to displace the articles downwardly, and in a reverse direction to push the displaced articles or packs into a wrapper to form a package. Continued movement of the feeding device causes the package to be transferred to the sealing mechanism.A magazine section is provided for supporting an irregularly shaped stack of bags. The magazine includes hinged table sections which are automatically pivoted as the stack is raised.

Abstract: A carton is held in position at a filling station in order to permit insertion of objects thereinto by pivotable flap means which engage the sides of the cartons to maintain the cartons in an open position during filling thereof. The flap means are mounted upon a vertically movable mounting frame which is lowered to insert the flap means into the cartons whereupon engagement by the flap means of stop members causes the flap means to pivot about horizontally extending axles provided on the mounting frame to bring the flap means into engagement against the inside of the carton walls.