Abstract: A beverage container packaging machine which employs a series of pusher plates to move groups of containers into open-ended carrier sleeves. The plates are pivotally attached to two continuous chains which are arranged so as to maintain the plates parallel to the downstream direction of travel of the containers and sleeves. The chains move the plates in a diagonal run toward the loading station wherein the downstream component of movement is at a speed similar to the speed of travel of the containers and sleeves, and the right angle component causes the plates to push the containers into the sleeves.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming stacked article groups in a packaging process, comprising a linear conveyance mechanism having an upstream end and a downstream end; and at least one article input and combining station, the article input and combining station including high and low article input lines and a combining wheel, the combining wheel being disposed tangentially with respect to the conveyance mechanism and further being arranged to receive a high single level article group from the high input line and to transport the high single level article group to a point of intersection with the conveyance mechanism, the low article input line intersecting the conveyance mechanism at a position which is located upstream with respect to the intersection point and depositing a low single level article group on the conveyance mechanism, and wherein the combining wheel merges the high and low single level article groups to form the stacked article group at the intersection point.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling the input of articles to a packaging machine. The apparatus comprises a dead plate, a plurality of stop posts and an actuator connected to each stop post. The dead plate has top and bottom surfaces and a plurality of lanes located on the top surface and extending from a proximal edge to a distal edge, across which articles are moved, and at least one aperture disposed in each lane. Each stop post is aligned for extension through a corresponding dead plate aperture. An actuator is connected to each stop post, whereby the stop posts are extendible and retractable above the top surface of the dead plate, the stop posts impeding travel of articles across the dead plate when extended and permitting travel of articles across the dead plate when retracted.

Abstract: An automatic fruit container filler machine. Such comprises a structure (1) supporting an electric motor (3) which drives a carriage lift (2) carrying an endless belt (6) having rotary and conveyor movement to form a horizontal belt surface (6b) which can be positioned coplanar with a feeder (16) for a fruit layer (18c) and can then be positioned at a lower level namely at the bottom of the container (17) or the preceding fruit layer. At this position, the belt is retracted, and the fruit layer (18) is deposited at a position (18a) without the layer being hocked or changed.The machine is applicable for filling containers with delicate fruit being extremely sensitive to hocking, such as apples, citrus fruits, tomatoes, peaches and the like.

Abstract: An apparatus for collecting, arranging and bagging a matrix of bottles. The apparatus includes a collecting platform upon which bottles are arranged into a matrix. A bagging station is adjacent to the collection platform. Adjacent the end of the bagging station opposite the collection station is a mechanism for grasping and opening a continuous sleeve. A pusher is provided to push the matrix of bottles into the open end of the sleeve. A sealing/cutter mechansim seals both ends of the filled sleeve and severs the formed bag from the continuous sleeve stock.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for introducing (small) packs, especially cigarette packs, into a box. An intermediate container (18) is used in order to fill containers, especially boxes (16), with a plurality of (small) packs arranged in rows above and next to one another. This intermediate container is formed from elongated compartments (19) which are open at both ends and which receive one pack group (20) each. The intermediate container (18) is positioned in front of the open box (16) in such a way that the contents can be pushed into the box (18) in a single push-out cycle. A feed conveyor (28) which serves for filling the intermediate containers (18) feeds a pack string (15) from a packaging machine (11) to the intermediate container (18) and directly introduces the pack string into the compartments (19).

Abstract: An apparatus and method for continuously loading containers into cartons in oriented two row arrays is provided. A supply delivers the containers individually to a depositing device for individually receiving respective containers. The depositing device is then moved to individually deposit the containers delivered thereto in a first collection device for collecting the containers in rows and columns corresponding to the array. The first collection device includes a matrix of dedicated channels similar to the array into which channels the depositing device deposits the containers in a sequential manner whereby the matrix is repeatedly filled with the containers row by row. Individually and alternately after each associated row of the matrix is filled, each row of containers in the first collection device is next delivered to a second collection device for collecting the containers in separated rows. The second collection device includes a respective bay for each respective row of the array of containers.

Abstract: A machine for conditioning filled and sealed bags for testing, to assure that the bags are accurately tested without damaging the product contained in the bags, and for packaging the bags that have passed the test in cartons with the longitudinal axis of the bags arranged vertical.

Abstract: Articles, such as small plastic bottles, or six packs consisting of such bottles, are moved by line pressure down an inclined ramp into a load station where plastic trays are continuously filled with these articles. The trays are indexed by a flight bar conveyor that raises each tray, to be in position to index the next tray, and driven separator discs above the articles have lugs that move between selected article rows to index groups of the articles as they are loaded into the tray.

Abstract: A high speed multiple conveyor packaging system having product separating bars that separate a product into specific sized groups on moving opposing conveyors. Two product streams diverge to meet the separating bars, and subsequently reconverge after separation for loading into a carton or package. Separated conveyed product is channeled from opposing conveyors into another conveyed product carton from opposing carton ends. A tight package is formed by sets of formed guide bars which cause the package flaps to be stretched or formed to the position of maximum tightness about the product.

Abstract: Apparatus for supplying stacks of paper sheets or the like to two or more packing machines has a platform for collection of successive rows of stacks, e.g., by arresting sheets forming part of discrete scalloped streams of sheets. Two or more discrete carriages for tongs are utilized to remove stacks in any desired grouping from the platform and to deliver them to two or more discrete removing units serving to transport the stacks to discrete packing machines. Each removing unit can employ a set of two or more aligned conveyors. Each carriage is or can be driven by a separate prime mover, each carriage can support two or more tongs, or each carriage can support a single tongs. All such undertakings contribute to versatility of the apparatus, namely the apparatus can be operated to ensure equal distribution of stacks among the removing units or one or more selected removing units can receive larger or smaller numbers of stacks than the other unit or units.

Abstract: An arm and cradle apparatus is disclosed for receiving empty trays from an upper conveyor having empty lettuce holding and transporting trays, lowering the received empty tray to an angular disposition in which it can most conveniently be packed, and finally off loading the packed full tray to a lower conveyor having full lettuce holding trays thereon for plunging to cartons. The arm and cradle apparatus is mechanically passive in that all movements of the trays to and from the arm and cradle apparatus are either worker assisted or occur under the natural gravity biased movement of the arm and cradle apparatus.

Abstract: Articles aligned on a belt conveyor are transferred, without being clamped, to predetermined article delivery positions at the packaging machine. To this end, articles 1 are transferred onto a positioning conveyor 21 having comb-like interteeth clearances. Articles 1 are caused to dwell at a predetermined position on the positioning conveyor 21, and the conveyor 21 is stopped and then lowered to allow the upper surface 61a of holding bars 61 of a slide conveyor 22 to be exposed through the comb-like interteeth clearances, whereupon articles 1 transfer onto the upper surface 61a of the holding bars 61. The slide conveyor 22 is advanced to move the holding bars 61 to a location below pivot shutters 79 of an elevating frame 66 which is on standby at its most elevated position. The elevating frame 66 is then lowered to allow the articles 1 on the holding bars 61 to transfer onto the pivot shutters 79.

Abstract: A compact apparatus for loading bulk ammunition, particularly rimmed cartridges, into cartridge boxes. The apparatus includes a manifold having side walls, a rear wall and a removable front spacer bar. A tray pan is indexed beneath a plurality of parallel, spaced rails in the manifold. The rails are spaced apart a distance greater than the diameter of the cartridges but less than the diameter of the cartridge rims. The manifold is vibrated by an adjustable eccentric drive. Loose ammunition is poured onto the manifold and contained on there by the walls and gate. Once the holes of the cartridge boxes are substantially filled, the operator moves the rear gate to clear off the excess ammunition. The tray pan is then released from spring detents to remove the boxes from the apparatus.

Abstract: A stacked container handling system includes an input section having an input conveyor onto which a box, containing a multiplicity of empty stacked containers arranged in a matrix of rows and columns of vertical stacks of containers, is manually or automatically placed in upside down position. Following removal of the box to expose the matrix of vertical stacks of containers, the vertical stacks of containers are moved forward by the input conveyor to a hinged lay-down table that rotates from an upright position in which one row at a time of the stacked containers is received to a horizontal position from which the received row of stacked containers is unloaded. The stacked container handling system may also include an output section having an output accumulation conveyor that serves to move a desired number of horizontal stacks of containers onto a lift table having a hinged bed that rotates from a horizontal position to an upright position.

Abstract: A number of pack units (3; 3.sup.1), such as rolls of soft tissue paper or packs of nappies, etc., which are enclosed by a banderole-like pack sleeve (2). The invention enables a pack to be produced which is well suited to efficient manufacture and which is also suitable for simple and safe handling, both in the production channel and in the consumer channel. In the area outside pairs of pack units (3; 3.sup.1) situated adjacent to one another, said pack sleeve (2) is attached to a holding device (4) running in an essentially straight path between the pack units (3; 3.sup.1). The invention also relates to a method for the manufacture of pack of this kind, and to an arrangement for the production of a pack of this kind.

Abstract: A lettuce head holding tray is defined in which both the upper tray layer and the lower tray layer are packed side-by-side at packing stations. At a carton loading station, two side-by-side arrays of plungers each are used for packing of discrete layers of the cartons. One array of plungers packs the bottom carton layer; the other array of plungers packs the top carton layer. Two cartons are disposed opened upwardly to the plunger array at the packing station; one carton is disposed to the bottom layer loading plunger array for packing of the bottom layer and the other carton--with its bottom layer previously packed--is disposed to the top layer loanding plunger array for packing of its top layer. The cartons--between the packing of the bottom layer and the packing of the top layer--are conveyed between positions underlying the plunger arrays. Thus each carton has is lower layer packed by the lower layer loading plunger array and then its top layer packed by the upper layer loading plunger array.

Abstract: A conveyor system is provided which is capable of forming precisely positioned arrays of containers for packing and other processing operations. Unique alignment pins are provided for stopping the advancement of containers being conveyed by conveyor belts. Each pin has a top surface shaped to conform substantially to the contour of the gap defined by the bases of two adjacent touching containers. The top surface engages the bases of passing containers when the pin is in its retracted position.

Abstract: Apparatus for automatically removing pasta nests from drying frames and introducing such nests into packaging containers are disclosed. The apparatus comprises a mechanism for interspacing groups of the nests on the drying frames in a checkerboard pattern with respective interspaces between adjacent groups. Also incuded is a mechanism, entering into the mentioned interspaces, for translating the groups of nests in a plane of the groups to respective locations at which the groups respectively pass through an opening transverse to the plane and into packaging containers.

Abstract: A continuous motion machine for metering and loading groups of articles onto flat pads. The machine includes endless type infeed conveyors for advancing articles in a downstream direction to a dead plate and a row metering device intermediate the ends of the upper run of the infeed conveyor for retarding advance of the articles on the infeed conveyor and for releasing the articles one row at a time. An endless type overhead conveyor has flight bars pitched therealong and an inlet run extending downwardly toward the upper end of the infeed conveyor at a location downstream of the metering device and a lower run extending in the downstream direction above the infeed conveyor and above the dead plate. A pad conveyor is disposed below the dead plate and is operated to advance pads to a pad transfer passage intermediate the ends of the dead plate.

Abstract: The present invention provides a compact apparatus for loading bulk ammunition into cartridge boxes. The apparatus includes a manifold having side walls, a rear wall and a movable front gate. A bullet pan and a tray pan are indexed beneath guide holes in the manifold. The manifold is vibrated by an adjustable eccentric drive. Loose ammunition is poured onto the manifold and contained on there by the walls and gate. Once the manifold guide holes are substantially filled, the operator moves the front gate to clear off the excess ammunition. The bullet pan and tray pan are then released from spring detents to fill the boxes and remove the boxes from the apparatus.

Abstract: The grouping of objects, for example unit packaging goods, is accomplished by automatically assembling a stepped formation of the goods and subsequently leveling-off the stepped formation. To accomplish the foregoing, a serially increasing number of the goods are delivered in steps to a grouping station until a maximum number is reached and thereafter the number of goods per step is serially decreased. By exercising simultaneous control over the in-feed of goods and the shifting of the goods step-wise in a direction transverse to the in-feed direction after each delivery, finished groups having a predetermined size and configuration are formed at a downstream end of the grouping station and these finished groups are shifted out of the grouping station in the in-feed direction in synchronism with the in-feed of goods as the number of goods per step being fed in decreases.

Abstract: A continuous packaging sleever assembly and process for wrapping packaging sleeves about product groups. The assembly has a frame structure with a generally horizontal working surface, a transfer conveyor to move the product containers across the working surface, and horizontally movable flight bar structures connected to a continuous chain structure. The flight bar structures are constructed and arranged to be selectively movable in a generally perpendicular direction to the product transfer conveyor means and to separate the product containers into predetermined groups. A packaging sleeve transfer and placement structure is provided in synchronization with the flight bar structures for depositing flat packaging sleeves between adjacent flight bar structures and above the product groups. The flight bar structures simultaneously move the product groups and the individual sleeves thereon.

Abstract: Method and device designed for arranging and packing plants and their respective root lumps. The method and device are employed in relation to plants which have grown in a seedling unit containing a large number of plants and soil lumps arranged in a plurality of rows and lines adjacent each other and in uniform rectilinear check pattern. After removal of void soil lumps containing no plants and soil lumps containing badly developed plants, the remaining healthy plants are gripped and placed in channels in the same pattern they were in in the seedling unit with a separate channel for each row. The plants are then conveyed in the channels from an input end towards an output end, and gaps between the plants are eliminated in the channels not later than upon reaching the output end. A certain number of plants so collected are then removed from the channels and placed in a transport container.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for arranging articles in a container, wherein the articles are stacked within the container. In one embodiment, a container is fed in a substantially horizontal upper position and transferred to a nonhorizontal position. Articles are horizontally fed to the container while the container is in the nonhorizontal position, and the articles are stacked in rows within the container. The articles are arranged such that the container can be used to display the articles for sale.

Abstract: A packer is especially useful for loading PET bottles into open top cases. The bottles are fed at a predetermined speed along an infeed path. An overhead pusher bar system contains vertically oriented bars that descend vertically between selected bottles at a penetration station to form the bottles into complements of the desired number. Vertical penetration is accompanied by horizontal motion of the bars as they travel in a curved path at the penetration station. The horizontal speed of the bottles at the penetration station is temporarily slowed as the bars descend between adjacent bottles. Horizontal bottle slowing is accomplished by pivoting a downstream bar to a horizontal orientation at a pivot station such that the bar acquires leading and trailing edges. The pivoting trailing edge forces the bottles upstream therefrom in the upstream direction relative to the continuous steady speed of the bar downstream end. Bar pivoting creates correct spacing between consecutive complements.

Abstract: A universal packer unfolds folded open side container blanks into fully opened containers and side loads them with complements of articles. The blanks are metered by a supply station and are propelled downstream to an unfolding station. The container flaps are spread apart, and expander arms enter the interior of each blank, thereby starting to unfold it. Erector arms strike the partially opened blank at the trailing edge thereof and push the trailing edge downward relative to the blank leading edge, thereby continuing the unfolding process. Drop lug assemblies emerge from under the blank trailing panel and pivot from a horizontal to a vertical attitude while in contact with the blank trailing panel, thereby completely unfolding the blank. Simultaneously with blank unfolding, a pair of grouper mechanisms forms the complements from a mass of the articles. The complements are propelled downstream in unison and aligned with the open containers.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for filling cases with a plurality of articles while arranged in a predetermined pattern. The apparatus includes a pair of staging areas disposed on opposite sides of a first station. Each staging area accommodates a predetermined number of articles. Disposed in vertical alignment with and beneath the first station is a second station wherein a predetermined number of cases are disposed. Adjustably mounted above each staging area is a carrier having a plurality of article gripper members. When the predetermined number of articles are accommodated at the staging areas, the gripper members engage the articles and raise same to preliminary stations above the staging areas. While at each preliminary station the gripped articles are arranged in a row and a selected article is segregated from the row and moved relative thereto in a direction towards the other row of gripped articles.

Abstract: A bagger (10) for packaging a plurality of bottles (12, 14) in plastic bags (20) comprises a main table assembly (28) and a main pusher assembly (30) at said main table assembly (28). The bagger (10) also includes a pair of identical side table assemblies (31, 33) at opposite sides (150) of the main table assembly (28), each of said table assemblies (31, 33) having a side pusher assembly (32). The bagger (10) further includes a bag holder assembly (42) and a sealing assembly (40). In operation, a bag (20) is first placed on the bag holder assembly (42). A group of bottles (12) is fed by a conveyor (16) to one side table assembly (31). A group of bottles (14) is fed by conveyor (18) to the other side table assembly (33).

Abstract: In an integrated, continuous, container packing machine, where a constant supply of filled containers are moved along an axis and separated into discrete groups with each group fed to an insert station wherein a partition is inserted between containers of the group and then the group with the partition is fed to an operation to be placed or packed in a shipping medium, improvements which permit the machine to be rapidly changed for running a new batch of containers where the physical characteristics of the group and/or the physical characteristics of the containers in the group are different from the corresponding characteristics in the previously run batch.

Abstract: A machine for loading one or more layers of product into a case from the bottom. The machine loads a first layer of received product into a product arrangement area onto an elevator platen. The platen is lowered and a slip sheet is inserted to be the floor of the arrangement area. A subsequent layer of product is arranged on the slip sheet. The slip sheet is withdrawn and the product layer thereon drops onto the layer on the lowered platen. Subsequent layers can be added accordingly. When all of the layers are stacked on the platen, then the elevator platen is raised to insert the stacked product thereon into an open case above the arrangement area. The case may be closed and sealed.

Abstract: In a carton loading machine, there is provided a mechanism which will initially displace one row of cylindrical-shaped objects with respect to its adjacent row such that load items in one row are located in a staggered relationship with respect to the load items in the adjacent row. The load items are then displaced into the open end of a container. When the assembled load is substantially fully located within the container, the movement of one row is arrested while the movement of the other row continues until the items of the adjacent rows are arranged in a side-by-side relationship. This serves to permit the width of the accumulated load to be reduced until the load is substantially fully located in a carton and thereafter the load is rearranged to its maximum width to fit in a close fitting relationship within the carton.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for packing vials into a case wherein vials are supplied through an infeed system and are organized into longitudinally extending rows defined between guide members. The guide rows or guide channels are adapted to grasp the vial below the neck for suspending it therebelow. The guide shoulders extending below the necks of the vials are not movable with respect to the guide members themselves. The guide assembly includes an inlet end through which vials enter for ordering into rows and the vial output end through which vials are removed upon placement into a case therebelow. The guide assembly is movable between an upper position and a lower position. In the lower position the vials extend to an intermediate position within the case such that removal of the case by the case pusher device will remove the vials from the guide channels and allow them to gently drop into the case as it is removed.

Abstract: To load products, particularly lipsticks or glue sticks, delivered upright from a packing unit, into a plurality of receiving trays, the products are grouped in at least two rows in a segregating station, conveyed in spaced groups to a transfer station, and moved to a filling station into a prepared tray by means of a handling unit equipped with a gripper means. Each tray, filled with products, is removed from the filling station by an output conveyor and is replaced with a similar empty tray while another group of products is formed and moved into the transfer station.

Abstract: A packaging machine for packaging containers such as bottles in a carton. Adjacent rows of bottles are conveyed downstream parallel to the downstream movement of spaced open-ended carton blanks. A separate conveying means in conjunction with stationary guides moves bottles diagonally downstream to the carton blanks. Wedge-shaped bottle separators are carried by the separate conveying means adjacent the carton blank moving means and engage adjacent bottles to separate the bottles into groups, which are then guided onto the blanks through the open ends thereof. The separators travel at the same speed as the carton blanks.

Abstract: Articles, such as glass containers, are fed continuously in end-to-end relationship through a pin spacer adapted to provide a space between adjacent rows so that cross partitions can be fed therebetween. The articles are then grouped by s pin type grouper to provide predetermined members of article rows and columns in each group. The columns of articles are then spread slightly to allow longitudinal extending partitions to be fed between adjacent columns. At the same time flat tray blanks are withdrawn from a horizontally extending magazine and provided on a lug conveyor located below the path of the grouped articles and each blank is mated with a group of articles at a load station where the blank is formed around the articles by a pocket chain conveyor and article folding means operated in conjunction with an overhead flight bar conveyor which cooperates with the trailing portion of each pocket to fold all flaps provided on the tray blank.

Abstract: A packaging arrangement for a group of containers includes a tray-shaped bottom including a planar bottom wall and circumferential walls extending substantially normal to the plane of the bottom wall to form a rim which initially confines the containers in their positions during the formation of the packaging arrangement. The packaging arrangement further includes a strap-shaped typing member that encircles the containers and ultimately confines them in their positions and that carries a handle by which the packaging arrangement and the containers accommodated therein can be held. A separate cover to be joined to the tray-shaped bottom and surrounding the containers and the strap-shaped typing member encircling the same completes the packaging arrangement and has an opening for the passage of the handle from the interior to the exterior of the cover.

Abstract: An apparatus for automatically collecting and packing a selected number of units of product in flexible bags into a carton in a vertical orientation. The apparatus includes a collecting assembly for receiving and positioning a row of such units in an inclined position. An assembly is provided to transport the inclined row of units from the collecting assembly to a loading station. The loading station is operable to raise one or more rows transported thereto from their inclined position to a substantially vertical position, then plunge the vertically positioned units into a carton. A controller is provided for synchronizing the relative operation of the apparatus.

Abstract: A system for loading groups of articles into containers includes an infeed conveyor which groups the articles into subgroups which are then selectively reoriented by a turntable-type orienting device. The oriented subgroups are then conveyed to a transfer area where they are accumulated into elements of a predetermined pattern of articles. A pusher sequentially pushes the pattern elements onto the lower reach of a window conveyor disposed at a loading station. A container conveyor runs beneath the window conveyor to deliver an empty container to the loading station, a lifter assembly then raising the empty container to a loading position immediately beneath the support reach. The window conveyor is then operated to drop the pattern of articles through the window thereof into the container.

Abstract: A bottle bagger (10) for bagging a plurality of bottles (12) in a plastic bag (14) comprises an upstream part (16), a downstream part (18), a table assembly (20), a pusher assembly (22), a sealing assembly (24) and a bag holder assembly (25). In operation, the bag (14) is first placed on the bag holder assembly (25) with the open end of the bag facing the upstream part (18) of the bagger (10). Bottles (12) are fed seriatim by a conveyor (44) onto an infeed table (26) of the table assembly (20) and are thereafter pushed downstream into the plastic bag (14) and onto an outfeed table (76) of the table assembly (20) by a pusher paddle (132) of the pusher assembly (22). Subsequently, the bag (14) is sealed and excess plastic from the bag is severed upstream of the seal by upper and lower sealing jaws (198, 192) of the sealing assembly (24). The bagged bottles (14) are then ready for storage or shipment.

Abstract: High speed dairy casing methods and apparatus assemble columns of filled containers arriving on two infeed conveyors, transfer one, two or more columns to an assembly ramp adjoining each conveyor, and then sweep the assembled columns from the conveyor and the ramp together across the ramp to an adjacent loading zone for casing, leaving the assembly ramp free for assembling succeeding columns while case loading is proceeding. Preferably two infeed conveyors deliver filled containers into two separate assembly zones with their ramps flanking a central loading zone, and a pusher with two extended positions propels each single column from its conveyor onto the assembly ramp, and then propels the final column with the assembled columns together across the ramp to the loading zone as the pusher advances to its remote extended position.

Abstract: In a case packing machine, an article transport apparatus for transporting groups of containers from a continuously-running infeed conveyor of the case packing machine to a case loading station is disclosed. The article transport apparatus includes a reciprocating carriage having longitudinally extending bladders which are inflatable for gripping a group of containers to the carriage. The reciprocating carriage moves upstream to encompass a group of containers, and upon inflation of the bladders, the bladders grip the group of containers to the carriage. The carriage then moves downstream, and upon deflation of the bladders, deposits the group of containers at the loading station.

Abstract: The present invention offers an apparatus which automatically aligns and packs fruits or vegetables like persimmons or tomatoes for example into containers. More particularly, the apparatus embodied by the invention is provided with means for conveying the delivered fruits or vegetables to a specific position below absorption unit following the location of fruits/vegetables feeding means, while the apparatus is also provided with absorbing unit moving between the vacuuming position of conveying means and the position for packing fruits or vegetables into a packing case placed at the packing position following the location of conveying means, and means for easily correcting the direction of fruits or vegetables as well as replacing rejected fruits or vegetables by allowing intervals to extend before and behind as well as between both side of a plurality of cups which make up conveying means at the direction-correcting position on the halfway of conveying route of conveying means.

Abstract: An apparatus for automatically packaging products in packages includes a collecting station, a delivery station, a packing station having a shaft-chain device with carrier members and a conveyor which travels through the delivery station and the packing station. The carrier members collect products at the collecting station and carrying the products across the conveyor. The packing station also includes fingers located in the path of movement of the carrier members to contact a first row of products and cause the products to drop into packages which are conveyed by the conveyor. Preferably a sealing station including a sealing plate fixed to a rotatably mounted ring is also provided. When the ring is rotated, the sealing plate rotates in a circular, sector-shaped path to fold over the cover of a package to seal the cover to a bottom portion of the package.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for forming a package of alternately inverted containers, wherein an array of the containers is formed with adjacent containers relatively inverted. In accordance with the invention, a supply of containers is formed into first and second product streams, with each of the containers in the second product stream inverted. The containers are presented by an indexing mechanism to a reciprocating diverting gate mechanism, wherein the forward-most container of each product stream is diverted. In this manner, a pair of further product streams are formed, wherein the containers of each stream are alternately inverted. The containers are subsequently collated for heat-shrink packaging.

Abstract: A batching machine for assembling containers in batches comprises a pair of conveyor tracks for moving the containers to an assembly station, and a pivoted gate member which carries barrier means at each end and which is rocked to cause the barriers to interrupt the flow of containers along the tracks alternately while allowing a predetermined number of containers on the other track to pass to the assembly station to form a group against a stop. Alternately operating pushers move each completed group of containers transversely from the tracks onto a central conveyor so that groups from one track alternating with groups from the other track are carried to a securing station for taping the containers together and then separating them into batches containing containers from each track in a predetermined combination.

Abstract: An article grouping technique is embodied in a machine which continuously end-loads groups of bottles into open-ended carton sleeves. The machine includes a fixed base plate 10 along which a line of bottles (B) move, a series of parallel metering bars (12) spaced apart to receive the open-ended carton sleeves which are mounted for movement together along the base plate. Fixed guides defining infeed conveyors (22, 24) are provided along which bottles to be loaded are fed into the machine. Each of the infeed conveyors converges towards the path of movement of the carton sleeves and each metering bar has a free end section which is movable obliquely across the path of movement of the bottles on the respective infeed conveyors so that a predetermined number of bottles are formed into a sub-group on each of the infeed conveyors between adjacent metering bars.

Abstract: A case packing head for the packing of rectangular containers into cases. In a first embodiment of the invention, the containers are passed through arcuate paths on skid blades such that the containers fan apart above the top edges of the cross fingers of the packing head, avoiding the cross fingers upon shifting of the skid blades. In another embodiment, the skid blades are angled downwardly and the stop blocks are adapted to withdraw a sufficient amount to allow the containers to tilt on the skide blades and separate. A separating grid is then driven between the containers to space them apart with the spaces positioned above the top edges of the cross fingers. In yet another embodiment, the skid blade assembly comprises a pair of blades, one slidable upon the other. The stop block is connected to the sliding blade which has teeth thereon for contacting the containers.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for staging a plurality of products into a grouping of a desired number of the products having a given center-to-center spacing therebetween. The staging assembly includes an endless track that indexes in order to feed, without gaps, a desired number of products thereonto, which endless track off-feeds in a generally constant manner in order to provide, in association with the takeaway speed of a receiving conveyor, the desired center-to-center spacing.

Abstract: A method for collecting commodities in a group, a longitudinal series of commodities being fed set by set into a tapered pusher on which stages having enough size to accommodate square commodities are continuously formed, a pusher advancing a length equal to one commodity so that the commodity group is pushed out in such a condition that the contacting surfaces of the commodities in the row disagree with the contacting surfaces of the commodities in the adjacent rows. A device for collecting commodities uses a tapered pusher on which stages having a longitudinal length shorter than a length of a square commodity and a substantially same lateral length as a width of the square commodity are continuously formed, the pusher being disposed on an operation table provided at a side of a conveyor for conveying commodities to move in a longitudinal direction parallel to the conveyor.