Abstract: A method and apparatus for sealing a filled, flanged carton tray with a flat lid. The tray is advanced into a sealing machine while resting on a conveyor (3) and at random spacing between trays. At a predetermined position the tray has a lid (2) placed on it, the lid (2) engaging against a stop curtain (4) and awaiting the tray (1), this being the lid (2) which is to be sealed against the flanges of the tray. The tray with the lid on it is then advanced by rollers (5-8) into a first microwave applicator (11), which includes longitudinal rails (12, 13) with a C-shaped cross section, for sealing a pair of opposing lid edge portions against respective flanges of the tray (1), subsequent to which, compression or sealing rollers (14-17) situated in the advancing direction of the conveyor press against the lid (2), which was sealed immediately previously, and before the tray (1) is turned 90.degree.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for automatically placing large plastic lids onto containers. Lids 24 are dispensed individually from magazine 11 onto slide 33. Each dispensed lid is individually retained at the bottom of the slide 33 for pickup by a container 41. The lid is urged onto the container by a pivoted roller 47 and further leveled by a roller 58 which is extended twice by a pneumatic piston to first contact a leading edge of the lid and to secondly contact a trailing edge of the lid. Thereafter a pneumatically operated lid securement means 61 comprising a convex plate 70' burps the air from beneath the lid and fully seats the lid on the container. The apparatus has various sensing means for sensing the depletion of lids from magazine 11, for sensing that a lid has been dispensed onto slide 33 and for sensing a container at the capping station. The sensing means control the various operations of the machine in proper sequence.

Abstract: The device comprises a first pair of pressure chambers, the facing inner walls of which are provided with contoured pleating pads, and a second pair or pressure chambers, the facing inner walls of which are provided with contoured pressing and lapping pads, each said pad being outwardly shaped to substantially correspond to the shape of a bottle neck. The pleating pads have a substantially constant thickness when the pressing and lapping pads have lateral end portions of a greater thickness than the mid-portion thereof. The method comprises the step of first pressure applying the pleating pads, then the pressing and lapping pads to tightly press the cap onto the bottle neck with formation of two symmetrical pairs of outwardly extending pleats, to retract all the pads and to bring back the pressing and lapping pads into pressure contact against the neck to cause said lateral end portions thereof to overflow around the bottle neck, thereby to fold or lap over the thus formed pleats.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for selectively supplying and placing a generally planar cover of selected peripheral configuration over a cooperative opening for container while the container is in motion where the opening is surrounded by an outwardly directed generally horizontal cover receiving first flange means where the first flange has an upwardly extending peripheral second flange adapted to fully receive the cover within the second flange so the opening to the container is surrounded by the first flange which is adapted to receive and support the cover around the peripheral edges of the cover within the second flange including: conveyor means to move the container along a selected axis at a relatively constant first velocity with the opening upwardly directed; cover supply means to supply a cover to engage the first flange and in a direction generally parallel to the direction of travel of the container from a location above the moving container so the cover is received on the first flange means within the sec

Abstract: The closure mechanism includes means for tucking the trailing edge of a cover sheet beneath the trailing rim portion of a container at the opposed side rim portions of the container. A further mechanism is used to fold the remaining portion of the trailing edge of the cover sheet around the trailing rim portion of the container. A specific embodiment of the invention includes the use of two separate tucking elements laterally displaced with respect to each ther and a single folding element disposed therebetween. Means are provided to reciprocate the tucking and folding elements between a resting and working position.