Abstract: Packing apparatus provides for essentially automatic packing of a cardboard carton at a significantly reduced cost compared to conventional strapping equipment and procedures. The carton preferably used with the packing apparatus includes a cardboard carton lid that is constructed so that the carton may be securely packed and shipped without the necessity for plastic strapping, and using lower strength paperboard than is conventionally provided, and is used with a carton body having side walls. The lid has elongated side panels with first and second parallel lines of weakness (e.g. perforations) formed in them. The bottom, fastening portion, of the side panels is preferably secured to the carton body side walls by cam elements of the apparatus moving the side panels outwardly from the carton side walls, and apparatus for applying adhesive to them while in that position. The carton is packed with nondeformable material such as business forms which extend above the top edge of the carton.

Abstract: A vacuum packaging machine includes an elongated frame, packaging forming stations for forming a lower container and top or cover for a package, a vacuum seal and sizing station, a chill station and a cutoff or package separating station. The vacuum seal and sizing station includes an upper tool defining an upper chamber and a lower tool defining a container chamber. The lower tool is movable towards and away from the upper tool and defines a vacuum chamber therewith. A pressure and sealing bar disposed within the upper chamber is movable to seal the package top to the container. A platform is adjustably positionable in the container chamber to vary the volume or size of the vacuum chamber. A product sizing plunger carried by the upper tool engages and compresses the product placed within the container prior to application of a vacuum and sealing of the cover or top to the container.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus are provided for securing a bed of charcoal under pressure in a plastic material housing in the manufacture of charcoal filter canisters for gas masks. The bed of particulate charcoal is placed in the housing and covered with a retainer. A compactor is placed on the retainer and loaded to produce the desired compaction of the charcoal. An ultrasonic welder is then used to secure the retainer in place for one embodiment, a spring-loaded compactor is placed on top of the retainer and an ultrasonic nodal horn is placed over the compactor. The horn presses the compactor against the retainer with the necessary compressing force to compress the charcoal bed, while at the same time producing an ultrasonic weld around the periphery of the housing, welding the retainer in place. The compactor seats on a nodal point of the horn, so that ultrasonic vibrations are not transmitted from the horn through the compactor to the charcoal bed.

Abstract: An appartus and method for packaging citrus fruit or discrete articles in a tightly packed pattern or arrangement closely resembling that of a hand packed box. A two-part telescoped box is conveyed in inverted position to a box filling and counting station, the box including an box inner part in which the side and end flaps are in open relation at the box filling station. At the counting station, fruit is being oscillated transversely of their path of travel so as to singulate the fruit into a plurality of counting stations arranged in a row and in a valley. When the row count has been satisfied, all of the fruit in the row are lifted upwardly for discharge into the open box. When the full count is satisfied, the filled box with fruit extending above the top of the outer box is moved to a box handling station in which the inner box is lifted to a height where the side and end flaps of the inner box may be folded over the top fruit.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for applying covers to seat cushions, including a frame cushion support which is rotatable between a portion in which the cushion covered thereby is compressed to facilitate placing the cover over the cushion and a position which provides access to the bottom of the cushion to facilitate fastening the cover to the cushion.

Abstract: A hydraulically operated transportable press for compressing radioactive waste materials collected within containers includes a matrix formed of two closable and openable cups receiving a waste collecting container and a stamp actuated to compress the waste within and together with the container into a small package removable from the press.

Abstract: Improved clamp, seal, sever, and brick apparatus for use in form, fill, and seal machines that form a polyfoil tube filled with a product into a plurality of sealed packages, preferably aseptic packages. The improved apparatus incorporates a plurality of sealing heads mounted on a continuously advancing structure that transversely clamps, seals, and severs the endlessly advancing tube into packages, and compresses the packages to preform them into about their final rectangular configuration. Induction heating is used to seal the web. The sealing heads include a sealing jaw and an anvil jaw hinged together and adapted to clamp the tube therebetween at predetermined locations as the sealing heads and product filled tubing advance, the locations being adjustable and the sealing and anvil jaws being adjustable to control the volume of product clamped and sealed in each package.

Abstract: Improved method and apparatus for continuously folding, heating, and tacking to the sides of the package panel the excess packaging material created by forming the package from a web of polyfoil material. The method and apparatus is particularly useful in form, fill, and seal machines that form a plurality of aseptic sealed packages from a continuously advancing tube filled with a product, and incorporate a plurality of package receiving means mounted on a continuously advancing structure that forms sealed product filled packages into rectangular finished bricks by squaring the package, heating the excess material, folding the excess material against the package until it cools to thereby tack it.

Abstract: A container used for compacting materials such as low level radioactive waste has a device used to keep the compacted material from springing out of the container when the compacting force is removed, thus resulting in a significant increase in the final compacted density. The device develops its restraining force by using the beam strength of its members. The device includes a louvre attached to the container, enabling the cross beams to be snapped into place with a wedge shape of the cross beam end or a hydraulic clamping device external to the container.

Abstract: A bag packing center accepts either open mouth bags or valve bags, particulate material to be contained in such bags and pallets upon which filled bags are to be stacked in planned layer configurations and automatically produces full pallets of filled bags stacked in such layer configurations. The packing center utilizes a novel unitary frame structure suitable for transport on a flatbed truck or rail car without any substantial disassembly to permit portability and virtually immediate operation at the user's facility without the usual specialized design, engineering and structural interface problems of the prior art. Bag placing, filling, flattening, turning, layer forming and palletizing are all accomplished automatically in a unitary, two-level integrated structure uniquely designed to occupy a minimum amount of floor space.

Abstract: Apparatus useful as a compacting device adapted to be inserted into a barrel or similar container either singularly, or in combination with a plurality of similar devices and generally comprising one or more compacting plates which plates are adapted to fit within such container and disposed therein for movement in a direction generally parallel to the axis of such container. A plurality of resilient locking tabs are secured to the upper surface of such compacting plates each by means of an angle bracket and in a manner so as to extend beyond both the peripheral surface of such compacting plate and the outermost edge of said angle bracket to thereby provide for engagement of said tabs with the inside of such container. When loose material is placed in the container, and a compacting plate is inserted thereinto and pressed downwardly, the material within the container and under said plate will be compacted.

Abstract: There is provided an overall system of packaging commodities such as garments or other like compressible articles in which the articles are initially conditioned to provide relatively low temperatures and relative humidity, following which the garments are enveloped with wrapping material, and subjected to a vacuum packaging operation. The system may include a transport system for transporting packaged commodities between the wrapping and vacuum packaging steps and stations. The vacuum packaging apparatus in which the apparatus functions to initially compress the central portion of the packaged commodity and progressively outwardly therefrom to provide improved packaging techniques to remove any entrapped air. The wrapping device may vertically envelops a commodity to be packaged. There is also provided a conditioning step and apparatus for conditioning the articles before packaging.

Abstract: Apparatus for storing pieces of fresh meat has a vessel with an open top for insertion or removal of meat and a cover which overlies the meat in the vessel and can be pushed downwardly by a jack so as to pressurize the pieces of meat and expel air by eliminating gaps between neighboring pieces of meat as well as between the pieces of meat and the internal surface of the vessel. Compression of meat results in expulsion of juices which rise and overlie the topmost layer of meat around the cover.

Abstract: A method of assembling a seat back in an automotive seat is disclosed which comprises the steps: inserting a baggily sewn trim cover assembly into a lower mold; pressing an upper mold against the front surface of the trim cover assembly to emboss a predetermined configuration in the trim cover assembly; applying an adhesive agent to the embossed trim cover assembly; pressing a cushion member against the embossed trim cover assembly to bond thereto and, turning over the portions of the trim cover assembly which are not bonded to cover the cushion member.

Abstract: An automatic packaging machine includes a loading station for simultaneously and sequentially picking up a plurality of elongated products and deposing them in a spaced parallel alignment within a box. At the time of loading each of the products has an initial volume which is substantially greater than the volume which the same product will have after it has settled over time within the box. Thus, the box id overfilled by an amount which will make it full after the products have settled. Then, the overfilled box is advanced to a closing station, where the lid is closed over the filled box without damage to the products. This immediately reduces the volume of the products to the volume which they would have after they have settled.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a method and apparatus for packaging sanitary medical sponges which are deformable articles of a shape generally disposed in a flat plane with a stacked array thereof contained between two webs of packaging material, wherein the sponges are formed on a machine, they are delivered in a fixed number of at least two sponges from the machine in a stacked array with the planes of the sponges vertically disposed in a side-by-side relationship. Two webs of the packaging material are converged into a substantially V-shaped vertically disposed reception slot adapted to receive the stacked array of sponges. They are dropped into a reception slot so that the stacked array is substantially wedged therebetween.

Abstract: Method of and apparatus for packaging product in a bag of flexible packaging material wherein a bag is sleeved on an open-ended carrier from one end thereof at a first station, product is loaded in the carrier from its other end, the bag and product lengths being such that the bag has a lip all around it at its mouth projecting beyond the product, the carrier is moved to a second station, a closure panel is inserted in the carrier through its said other end at the second station, the product and panel are pushed out of the carrier through its said one end, the bag coming off the carrier surrounding the product, and the bag with the product and panel therein are moved to a number of lip folding and sealing stations for folding over and sealing of the lip to said panel.

Abstract: A thermoformed container having a granular product therein being made from two webs of films of flexible material is provided. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a web of flexible film material is thermoformed into a series of cup-shaped containers, each cup having a peripheral flange around its mouth. The cups are then partially filled with a granular product such that there is a headspace between the product's top surface and the cup's peripheral flange. The cups are then placed in a vacuum/sealing/shaping chamber wherein substantially all the air inside the cups is removed, followed by sealing an upper web of flexible film material to each cups's peripheral flange. Before the sealed containers are removed from the vacuum/sealing/shaping chamber, a shaping die located in the bottom of the chamber is thrust upwardly into each cup's bottom wall.

Abstract: A machine for packing spring units in web material into the form of a roll comprises a winding mandrel. Conveyor means act against said mandrel from below so as to define therewith a bottom entry nip for spring units to be compressed and wound around the mandrel. Means exert pressure on the conveyor means in the direction of said mandrel.

Abstract: This invention relates to an air extractor for a bag-making filling and packaging machine for exhausting the air in a bag filled with goods. The air extractor comprises frames freely closing and opening for surrounding in an air-tight manner the bag filled with the goods. Air is supplied into the closed frames so as to squeeze the outer surfaces of the bag by the pressure of the supplied air to extract the air from the bag. In this manner, the air in the bag is reliably extracted irrespective of the shapes of the goods and their filled conditions without damaging the goods.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for applying and sealing recessed membranes to containers in a single operation. The membranes are partially cut from a continuous flexible web of film material and remain on the web due to thin necks of film material that are left after the cutting operation. An applicator head is carried on a power cylinder and acts to detach the membranes from the web, to apply the membranes to the containers at recessed locations, and to heat seal the marginal portions of the membranes to the container rims. The applicator head includes a vacuum head which attracts the membranes by suction and a sealing head which heat seals the membranes to the containers. The vacuum head has a tapered vacuum surface which properly centers the membranes and assists in expelling air from the containers before the heat seal is effected. The vacuum head is spaced from the heated sealing head to minimize the heat transfer and may be additionally cooled by a fluid cooling system.

Abstract: Apparatus for closing filled sacks, preferably large sacks, which consist at least in part of thermoplastic material, comprises a feeder for feeding the filled sacks into a closing station. The feeder preferably comprises a roller conveyor or a belt conveyor. The apparatus also comprises means for holding the top end portion the sack above the contents of the sack, pressure-applying bars, which are parallel to each other and adapted to be lowered onto the contents of the sack on both sides of the sack end portion, which is held taut, which pressure-applying bars when in a lower position define between them a gap for the passage of the sack between said bars, and closing means provided above the pressure-applying bars. The closing means comprise welding bars and backing bars, which engage the sack end portion between the end-holding means and the pressure-applying bars and are disposed on opposite sides of said sack end portion.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process and an apparatus for storing contaminated waste material by compacting. The waste material is placed in a drum, it is compressed by forcing a precover into the drum and whose edges are made deformable in order to prevent the rising of the precover, by its edges locking on the walls of the drum, particularly by engaging in grooves made in these walls. The cycle is then repeated until the drum is completely full. Application to the storage of radioactive waste.

Abstract: Slaughtered poultry, which has already been headwise introduced into a plastic bag member, is placed in a holder with a mouth of the plastic bag member being oriented upwardly. Two upper pivotal jaws are moved together to form a narrow cylinder about an upper end of the poultry, an overlying tubular member is forced down into a narrow cylinder for pressing the leg ends of the poultry downwardly, with the piston having a bottom closure which is active as a piston end but openable to enable a free bag mouth portion to be drawn into the tubular piston when vacuum is applied to the upper ends thereof. When the bottom closure is thereafter closed, the drawn up bag mouth portion will be clamped to the piston and the piston is rotated for twisting the bag mouth portion. Thereafter, the bag holder is moved past a tape applicator device for fixing of the twist bag mouth portion, with the bag portion outside of the tape being cut off and drawn away through the piston.

Abstract: In an apparatus and method for flattening a sealed pouch containing a solid flowable product, the pouch is inclined upwardly with the end thereof having a disproportionately larger amount of product located uppermost. A bucket device supports the pouch and opposes a plate, resiliently exerting a pressure against the pouch, creating an air pocket at the lower most end of the pouch, after which the product flows downwardly to that end. A car assembly movable along a conveyor has a lower part mounted on the conveyor and an upper part pivotally connected to the lower part which is raised by a cam, and which includes the bucket device.

Abstract: Apparatus for shaping liquid containing packages is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a take-off conveyor which includes a multitude of support parts which form a conveyor belt. The support parts are movable with respect to each other and point transversely outwardly from the conveyor path. A plunger moves out from the surface of the support part towards a side wall of the package to indent the same at a certain portion of the package formation cycle. A switch cam plate or the like causes movement of the plunger between a contact position in which the plunger contacts and indents a portion of the package and another position in which the plunger does not engage the package.This application is a continuation, of application Ser. No. 198,161, filed Oct. 17, 1980, now abandoned.

Abstract: A method of producing a package of a product, which product does not include a significant amount of gas, comprising taking a shape-retaining container having a charging opening, charging the container with the product to a level which leaves a substantial headspace and, in any suitable order,(a) completely sealing the opening with a closure of stretchable material, and(b) deforming the closure inwardly onto the product to reduce the headspace and continuing the deformation, to move product adjacent the closure into the remaining headspace, until the headspace is eliminated by the continued movement of product and closure,the method being such as to form a package which is substantially gas free and substantially hydraulically solid.

Abstract: A package for containing an orthopedic support constructed of open cell foam material may comprise a bag constructed of heat sealable thermoplastic multilayered film which is sealed along a single open edge after insertion of the orthopedic support therethrough into the bag. The orthopedic support is differentially compressed to such an extent as to reduce an irregular height dimension by a major amount with evacuation of a corresponding amount of air from the bag through the open edge prior to application of the heat seal along the open edge. An evacuated marginal portion of the bag extends outwardly about the orthopedic support by an amount corresponding to the reduction in height of the orthopedic support and results from the partial vacuum in the bag and the tendency of the open cell foam to rebound.

Abstract: Deformable products (that is, resizable products) which are within preformed packages are resized by the application of mechanical forces so that the products substantially conform to the size and shape of the inside surface of the package. Such resizing is accomplished by an apparatus and method utilizing a pressure generating member to apply a preselected force to the product in cooperation with a restrained cavity concept, whereby the force applied is directed and restrained to resize the product to substantially the same size and shape as the inside surface of the package. Such apparatus and method may be useful before, during or after closing the package.

Abstract: Method of and apparatus for forming, filling and sealing packages in which flexible packaging material is formed into tubing, the tubing is fed downwardly and transversely sealed at package length intervals by a pair of sealing members, a quantity of the product with which the packages are to be filled is delivered into the tubing during an interval of time between successive sealing operations, a contraction is formed in the tubing, after each delivery of product, above the level of the next seal to be made, the contraction is transmitted down on the tubing between the sealing members from above to below said level, thereby to compact the product, and the next seal is then made.

Abstract: A method for wrapping commodities comprising supplying a pair of spaced apart layers of air-impermeable wrapping material and securing the layers together transversely along a leading end. A commodity is inserted between the layers to lie adjacent the secured leading end. The side or sides of the layers are secured together. The layers are then perforated in a transverse row adjacent the commodity on its side opposite the other side adjacent the leading end. The layers are then sealed transversely between the commodity and the row of perforations to completely seal the commodity within the layers. Prior to completely sealing the commodity, but after perforating, the space surrounding the commodity between the layers is evacuated. The invention also covers an apparatus for carrying out the method.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for producing bales of tobacco compressed between opposed boards with strapping applied about the boards with predetermined tension. Tobacco is compressed in a chamber at the bottom of a charger and then ejected in one direction along a horizontal plane directly between a pair of opposed boards which are then moved with the tobacco therebetween at right angles to said one direction to the strapping station. The tobacco and boards are constrained during movement to the strapping station to control the dimension and shape of the bale prior to strapping which can then be applied with predetermined tension to maintain dimensional control over the bale.

Abstract: Intraocular lenses are terminally sterilized without any significant chemical change in the surface of the lenses by placing the intraocular lenses in a 5% to 10% sodium hydroxide solution for from 24 hours to 3 hours, respectively, and storing the intraocular lenses in the same solution until they are used.

Abstract: A machine for packaging chopped leafy vegetables in a flexible bag with the chopped leafy vegetables being reduced in volume by compressing the bag and the chopped leafy vegetables therein in a vertical direction and closing the open end of the bag thereby packaging leafy chopped vegetables in a manner that the package will occupy less volume than when the chopped leafy vegetables were in bulk form. In one embodiment of the invention, the bags with a predetermined quantity of chopped leafy vegetables therein are placed on a platform with the open upper end of the bag being received through a slot in a top plate structure after which the supporting platform is moved upwardly toward the top plate a predetermined distance to compress the bag and contents therein in a vertical direction with the upper end of the bag then being closed by a heat sealing assembly when the bag is constructed of plastic.

Abstract: A machine for making meat patties comprises a machine frame defining an inclined slideway including a bed at an output end thereof. A feed funnel is mounted on the machine frame at an upper input of the slideway and receives ground meat at an inlet and discharges a layer of the ground meat to the input of the slideway which gravity-feeds the layer to the bed. A sensing element projects into the slideway at the output end thereof and is arranged to sense a forward edge of the gravity-fed layer of ground meat. On contact with the forward edge, the sensing element emits a control signal and an electronically controlled knife assembly operates in response to the control signal. The assembly includes a knife movable into the slideway to cut the layer of ground meat in response to the control signal and an electromagnet controlling the knife movement.

Abstract: An apparatus for packaging cartons in a wire-bound box assembly includes a folding assembly which supports the unassembled box in a horizontally positioned blank, a shuttle platform which is loaded with a number of cartons and the end boards of the box assembly, a drive mechanism for reciprocatably carrying the loaded shuttle platform to a position above the bottom board of the blank, a stripper assembly including a plate which is downwardly pivotable from a position above the shuttle to a position engaging the ends of the cartons and end boards after the shuttle platform has been moved above the bottom panel, and clamping arms for holding the end boards against the cartons while the shuttle platform is removed. After the stripper plate has been lowered and the clamping arms are in place, the shuttle platform is retracted past the stripper plate such that the end boards and cartons drop onto the bottom panel of the blank.

Abstract: A machine for closing the lids of a box, especially overfilled agricultural produce boxes. The flaps of a paper box are individually closed and pressed shut to compact the contents within the box, and make ready for fastening the lid closed. The machine includes a continuously moving conveyor means on which the boxes are placed for movement through the closing and compacting portions of the machine and into and out of the lifting and fastening portion of the machine. Belt means and movable and stationary finger means are used in combination with a compacting mechanism to close the flaps and compact the box. A lifting device between and below the conveyor means lifts the boxes off of the moving conveyor into engagement with a fastening device that fastens the flaps of each box shut before it is lowered back onto the conveyor belt for movement out of the machine. The lifting device is a platform operated by a lifting mechanism which may be guided by a parallel or encircling telescoping tube.

Abstract: Apparatus for compacting loose, spongy or disintegrated solid material in which a pair of conveyor surfaces, one of which is fluid-pervious but solid-impervious, are disposed in convergent spaced relation with one another to form a compacting zone. Fluid is removed from the compacting zone through the fluid-pervious conveyor surface. Material to be compacted is supplied to the divergent end of the compacting zone while the surfaces are moved towards the convergent end of the compacting zone to cause the material to be compacted.

Abstract: There is provided an apparatus for wrapping commodities, which may be compressible, and a corresponding method, in which a commodity is conveyed along a fixed path, a pair of opposed lengths of wrapping material are fed in an opposed relationship and in registry, the commodity is inserted between the opposed lengths of the wrapping material which have a leading end which has been sealed to form an open-sided and open-trailing end envelope, the lateral sides of the wrapping material are then sealed, and thereafter, a bag length is severed from the pair of lengths of wrapping material and sealed. Preferably, the commodity is fed under compression in between the opposed lengths of wrapping material, maintained under compression while the wrapping material is side-sealed and is vacuum-packaged while also under compression.

Abstract: A packing fixture to facilitate the shaping and contouring of a slide pack containing an inflatable aircraft escape slide or combination escape slide/lift raft is disclosed. The packing fixture includes a base plate configured for receiving a partially formed slide pack with the slide pack being held in place on the base plate by brace bars that are hinged to the base plate and securably clamped against oppositely disposed side surfaces of the slide pack by jackscrews. A top pan, positionable over the slide pack, compresses the slide pack as straps that encompass the slide pack and top pan are tightened within strap tighteners that interconnect the straps and base plate. The contour of the slide pack end and side surfaces is selectively formed by a forming bar having a pressure pad that is forced against selected regions of the slide pack when one end of the forming bar is engaged with the base plate and the other end of the forming bar is forced inwardly toward the slide pack.

Abstract: A method of vacuum packaging compressible material in a sealed flexible fluid impervious container, such as a poly bag, is disclosed. One or more slits are made in the container and air in the container is withdrawn through the slits. This creates a partial vacuum in the container that results in compression of the compressible material. When the desired compression has been obtained, restraining means are placed around the flexible container to maintain the package in a compressed state when the partial vacuum is eventually lost. A novel apparatus for use in this method is also disclosed.