Abstract: A packaging machine is provided for producing single and multiple compartment film wrapped pouches. Multiple linear motors allow aspects of the forming, filling, cutting and discharging to run at different speeds. The pouches are formed, filled and discharged from platens that are secured to movers that proceed through the packaging process by following magnetic fields created by independently controlled linear motors. Overall, cycle time is decreased as a result of speeding up parts of the process, including the platen return process, possible because there is no mechanical connection and not a single conveyor moving the platens while the other parts of the process may be simultaneously slowed down or even temporarily stopped. Changeover of platens, to accommodate different products, such as single compartment pouch to multiple compartment pouches, is also simplified because platens are simply connected to the movers and are thus easily removed and replaced.

Abstract: The invention relates to an inspection station for crimped sheet material. The station comprises a light source to illuminate crimped sheet material in an inspection location, a vibrating device to vibrate crimped sheet material in the inspection location. The vibrating device comprises a vibrating element, wherein crimped sheet material is guidable along or over the vibrating element for the crimped sheet material to be vibrated by the vibrating element. The inspection station further comprises a detector for detecting light received from the vibrated crimped sheet material, thereby providing images of the crimped sheet material, and a controller to determine loose material on the crimped surface of the sheet material. The invention also relates to an inspection method and an apparatus comprising an inspection station.

Abstract: A squeezable, flexible tubular package for an edible product is compartmented to simultaneously hold a first edible product in one compartment separate from a second edible product in another juxtaposed compartment. The package includes an elongated enclosure defined by a pair of transparent, flexible film strips bonded to one another around the periphery thereof by a liquid tight seal; and a membrane situated between the film strips, bonded to the periphery of the film strips by a liquid tight seal, partitioning the enclosure into a pair of juxtaposed, liquid tight compartments. An extrudable, edible product is separately contained in each of the compartments. Apparatus for continuously and successively forming, filling and sealing articulated arrays of such packaged products is also disclosed.

Abstract: A curing oven includes a set of pivoting, rotating trays within a curing chamber. The trays are attached to a mechanism that rotates the trays through a curing cycle, and the speed and timing of the rotation may be set by an operator, as desired. In a preferred embodiment, the oven includes a plurality of heating elements, a commercial dehumidifier, a recirculating fan and system, temperature and humidity sensors, and a series of pivoting trays attached to a motorized rotational assembly. The oven is controlled by a various controllers, which may be programmed to set the temperature, humidity levels, rotation speed and cycle time, and other aspects of oven operation. A loading and unloading chamber is effectively sealed off from the curing chamber within the oven, preventing or reducing a transfer of air between the curing chamber and the ambient air outside of the oven.

Abstract: The device for the roll-sealing of sheets has a mating roll and a sealing roll, which presses against the mating roll with a sealing force, so that a molded sheet and a cover sheet can be guided between the sealing roll and the mating roll and sealed to form a sealed composite sheet structure. The surface of the mating roll has recesses to accept blister pockets of the molded sheet and a rippled structure. The elevations formed by the rippled structure comprise contact areas of different sizes.

Abstract: Closed reinforcement fiber package includes a material disintegratable in concrete, such as fiber concrete. Reinforcing fibers are present in a loose form in the package. The reinforcing fibers may be provided in a substantially mutually parallel position in the package. The reinforcement fiber package may be provided in a chain packing or package including a number of such closed reinforcement fiber packages. The reinforcing fibers may be made of steel.

Abstract: A bag-making and packaging machine, in which a horizontal bag-making machine and a packaging machine are provided, including a positioning conveyor for positioning bags fed out from the horizontal bag-making machine, a feed conveyor for feeding the bags to the packaging machine, and first, second, and third transport mechanisms provided between the positioning conveyor and the feed conveyor. The first transport mechanism lifts up the bags up and change their attitude to a vertical attitude with the bag mouths oriented upward. The second transport mechanism receives the bags from the first transport mechanisms, transports them, and rotates the bags to orient bag surfaces in the feed direction of the feed conveyor. The third transport mechanisms receives the bags from the second transport mechanisms, changes their attitude to a horizontal attitude, and places them on the feed conveyor with the bag mouths oriented in the feed direction.

Abstract: This invention concerns a process and a device for producing strip elements for electronically securing articles and a corresponding produced strip element. The aim of the invention is to present a process, a device, and a strip element which can be economically produced according to said process. As for the process, the aim is achieved in that an endless strip of electronically detectable material is fed and is cut into individual segments of a defined length, in that the individual segments are advanced by means of a conveyor, the speed of which is greater than the speed at which the endless strip is fed, the relative velocity being adjusted to provide the desired interval between two consecutive strip segments, and in that the segments separated by intervals are given a coating on one or both sides.

Abstract: A device 10 for bagging dry ingredients, wherein a packaging mechanism 16 is integrally disposed under a weighing mechanism 13 for stored dry ingredients 12 and through a common frame 18. The weighing mechanism 13 comprises a plurality of juxtaposed dispensing pipes 22–25 for dispensing the dry ingredients 12 in a hopper 21, and weighing buckets 27–30 having an open/close dumper 26 for weighing the dispensed dry ingredients 12 and temporally storing them. The dry ingredients 12 in each of the weighing buckets 27–30 are discharged into a dispensing chute 31 through the open/close dumber 26 and are supplied at high speed to the packaging mechanism 16 immediately therebelow through the dispensing chute 31.

Abstract: A sheet package producing system includes at least a cutter module and a packaging module. The cutter module has a cutter blade, for producing X-ray films by cutting a continuous sheet material. The packaging module has packaging robots, for producing a sheet package by packaging the X-ray films stacked on one another. In the sheet package producing system, a first module control unit is incorporated in the cutter module, for controlling the cutter blade. A second module control unit is incorporated in the packaging module, for controlling the packaging robots. A CPU is connected with the first and second module control units removably by a component network, for controlling the cutter module and the packaging module in synchronism.

Abstract: Closed reinforcement fiber package includes a material disintegratable in concrete, such as fiber concrete. Reinforcing fibers are present in a loose form in the package. The reinforcing fibers may be provided in a substantially mutually parallel position in the package. The reinforcement fiber package may be provided in a chain packing or package including a number of such closed reinforcement fiber packages. The reinforcing fibers may be made of steel.

Abstract: A manufacturing method for forming gelatin capsules comprising: supplying two gelatin sheets having preformed pockets between die rollers; partially suturing the gelatin sheets together by means of the die rollers to form a pocket; weighing powder or particulate capsule content in a weighing hole aligned with said pocket; utilizing a pusher to push said capsule content through said weighing hole and into the pocket; and completing the suturing of the gelatin sheets by means of the die rollers to envelop said capsule content in said pocket.

Abstract: In a multiple automatic packing machine comprising a slitter for slitting a wide sheet-like packing material supplied from a take-up roll into a plurality of packing films, a heat sealing device for seal molding each of the packing films into an elongated bag-like configuration by a vertical heat sealer and a lateral heat sealer, and a material filling device for filling a material to be packed into each of the packing films which has been seal molded into an elongated bag-like configuration through a feed pipe with a filling screw disposed therein which screw is rotatable by a motor, the slitting, heat sealing and material filling operations being repeatedly performed in a consecutive manner by the slitter, heat sealing device and material filling device, respectively, thereby a plurality of stick-like packing products are seal molded at a time automatically and in a consecutive manner, a packing film feeder for the multiple automatic packing machine being characterized in that the feed pipes constituting th

Abstract: A method for producing and coating melt portions includes two sheet strips, which form coating material layers, being continually fed. The melt portions embedded between the sheet strips are cooled and calibrated according to their thickness. The sheet strips are longitudinally and transversely separated in the region of their connection points such that the melt portions become isolated and the sheet strips are connected to each other such that each melt portion is embraced tightly.

Abstract: A container forming apparatus to form fluid filled containers from a tube of flexible packaging material includes a fluid delivery conduit to deliver fluid into the tube. A heat sealing mechanism receives the tube and forms spaced seals across the tube between which fluid is located. The seals are formed in a downstream to upstream succession and are non-orthogonal with respect to a longitudinal axis of the tube. Hydraulic equalization supports associated with the heat sealing mechanism support the tube indirections generally orthogonal to the longitudinal axis adjacent the seals as the seal is formed.

Abstract: A package and apparatus and a method for assembling the package, of a feminine hygiene article, wherein the package is laminated around all the side edges of the article. The apparatus and method feature multi-lane processing wherein at least two parallel lanes of articles are processed simultaneously by laminating outer side edges of two opposed cover sheets, as well as the middle portion, with side-by-side articles disposed between the cover sheets.

Abstract: A perforated separation line forming apparatus which is characterized by: an edged rotary body (2) having a round slitting edge (1); and a receiving rotary body (4) having a receiving circumferential surface (3) that the round slitting edge engages; wherein the edged rotary body (2) and the receiving rotary body (4) are arranged to clamp a perforated line forming position (6) of a continuously fed transfer material (5) therebetween; wherein the receiving circumferential surface (3) of the receiving rotary body (4) is formed with non-slit portion forming recesses (7), which the round slitting edge (1) of the edged rotary body (2) cannot engage, at predetermined intervals in the direction of rotation, so that the perforated separation line (8) formed at the perforated line forming position (6) has slit portions (8A) and non-slit portions (8B) alternated successively; wherein the receiving rotary body (4) is movably adjustable relative to the edged rotary body (2) in an axial direction, the non-slit portion form

Abstract: The plant for packaging cans or other disposable drink containers by use of a heat-shrinkable film which includes a support frame; at least two feed lines for cans, with respective buffer zones, and including sensors for sensing passage of an individual can; a device feeding the cans recumbent and aligned into the at least two lines; a device feeding at least one heat-shrinkable film web associated with a device for wrapping the film web over the cans of each line; a welding and cutting unit with a longitudinal welder on each line and at least one welder oriented transverse to both of the lines; a heat-shrinking tunnel common to the various lines; and a package expulsion zone.

Abstract: A multiple automatic packing machine packs a material by continuously and repeatedly slitting a wide sheet-like packing material into a predetermined number of packing films fed from a take-up roll, seal-molding each of the packing films into a bag-like configuration by a vertical sealer and a lateral sealer, filling the material to be packed into each of the packing films, withdrawing each of the packing films by lowering the lateral sealer a portion equal to the length of the bag to be formed, raising the lowered lateral sealer back to a location before the lateral sealing by laterally opening the lateral sealer, and cutting a center line portion of the lateral seal of each of the packing films.

Abstract: The welding jaws 7, 8 in a tubular bagging machine 1 for the creation of cross seams are driven by a drive 3 acting perpendicularly with respect to the foil-transporting direction 4 through a movable element 11. The jaw force (sealing force) is clearly increased through a lever 15 rotatable about a pivot point 17, and is precisely adapted to the requirements of a particle bagging operation. A drive with a small force, for example a linear motor 9, can be utilized in an economical manner in the tubular bagging machine of the invention. By providing a second drive, and connecting this drive to the lever (15), any desired motion path curves of the cross jaws and a continuous run sequence of the machine can be achieved. If the second drive stopped, then one has an intermittent tubular bagging machine.

Abstract: A system of the present invention includes a deep draw package enclosing a three dimensional item such as for example a blood collection tube or the like, and an apparatus and method for making the same. The deep draw package includes an upper film and a lower film each having a cavity formed therein, with the films sealingly joined together along the periphery of the cavities to form an item containing compartment therein. A tab member is provide along one edge of the films to facilitate opening of the package. The apparatus and method of the present invention include a number of sub-assemblies for providing an upper film and a lower film, forming cavities in the films, placing the item in one of the cavities, sealing the films together along the periphery of the cavities to form a continuous web and cutting the continuous web into strips having the desired number of packages formed therein.

Abstract: A peripherally sealed, juxtaposed, multi-compartment, flexible package is provided which includes a pair of outer walls and at least one separator wall disposed between the outer walls for dividing the package into a plurality of compartments. All of the walls are sealed at a common peripheral terminus, and flowable material is disposed within each of the compartments. The package is adapted to be torn open to simultaneously dispense and admix the flowable material. The multi-compartment dispensing package is manufactured by feeding at least three sheetings of heat sealable flexible film through a first embodiment of form-and-fill packaging instrumentation. A two-compartment dispensing package is manufactured by feeding two sheetings of film through a second instrumentation embodiment including an assembly dividing one sheet into two halves which become outer walls.

Abstract: A bag making machine for making bags from a sealable film is disclosed, wherein the heatable film is advanced along forming tubes. Most particularly, the invention is concerned with a bag making machine for the parallel manufacture, especially of tubular bag packings of a low width made from a foil cut into a plurality of strips of identical width, with the strips being continuously and cyclically formed around a corresponding number of parallel tubes.

Abstract: A traveling web (11) having adjacent rows of infusion containing pockets (7) has a strip of web material (20) removed from between these rows to produce strips (19) of pockets (7) which are then attached to a cover member. The strip removal is achieved by co-rotating cutting wheels (26, 36) having co-operating shearing edges (32, 33, 34, 37). Removed strips (20) are guided into vacuum ducts (40) by fingers (41).

Abstract: A travelling two-ply web of infusion packages (11) is cut transversely by rotary cutting device (50) to form individual packages (1) which are attached to a styrene cover web (70). The packages 91) and web (70) are fed at the same speed rotary attachment device (100) comprising heated welding tips (102) cooperating with an anvil roller (90). The web (70) is fed to the attachment device at constant speed, but the packages (1) are accelerated up to the speed of the web (70) by accelerating rollers (62, 63) which grip the sealed edges of the packages. This introduces the necessary gap between successive packages. A hinge line (5) is produced in the web (70) by hinging device which facilitates folding of the cover and the package when the web carrying attached packages is cut into individual lengths.

Abstract: A package for dispensing a substance that imparts a desirable property to a body of water. The dispensing package comprises a water permeable bag of non-woven fabric enclosing a predetermined quantity of particulated product, such as tea or coffee that releases a flavouring substance in steeping liquid. The non-woven fabric has a thermally activated bonding surface permitting to permanently close the bag by peripherally heat-sealing the bag walls to one another. The heat-sealing operation is performed by driving in the wall portions to be joined a multitude of heated projections that rapidly transfer heat to the thermally activated bonding layers in order to quickly effect the seal. The resulting joint area displays a plurality of perforations formed by the heated projections. The invention also extends to a method and apparatus for heat-sealing the dispensing package.

Abstract: The apparatus for manufacturing bags for medical use includes an extruding machine, a device for forming an extruded tube, a device for supplying outlet devices, and a device for conveying the extruded tube horizontally. The device for forming the extruded tube has a die through which pass a sterile air supply line, a medical fluid supply line, an air recovering line and a second sterile air supply line which passes through the medical fluid supply line. The extruding machine extrudes a tube in a fused state and outlet devices are welded to the extruded tube in the fused state. The extruded tube is pressed by the formation device at intervals along it to form fused portions bounding chambers and a fluid passage through each fused portion to connect the chambers. Sterile air is fed into the extruded tube and the shape of the extruded tube is maintained by the pressure of the sterile air.

Abstract: An annular article-wrapping member includes a shrinkable wrapping material is wound on the outer periphery of an annular article to be wrapped in such a manner that the direction of shrinkage of the shrinkable wrapping material coincides with a circumferential direction of the outer periphery of the annular article. The overlapped portions of the wrapping material subsequently are joined together. The shrinkable wrapping material is heated to be shrunk to provide an intermediate wrapping member having sleeve openings having a diameter smaller than an inner diameter of the annular article. Sleeve forming portions of the intermediate wrapping member together in a ring-shape along an inner periphery of the annular article. The portion of the shrinkable wrapping material disposed inwardly of the joined portion is removed by cutting, thereby obtaining the annular article-wrapping member.

Abstract: A pouch for holding viscous food product for dispensing from a specific hand held or similar type dispenser, is formed so as to include a tear strip to open a funnel-shaped, centrally disposed outlet spout formed to be sealingly held in the specific dispenser. The pouch includes a pair of alignment/holding openings formed on either side of the outlet spout for securing the pouch in a fixed position in the dispenser. The invention also includes head seal tooling having a pair of heated jaws which are brought together to simultaneously form the bottom seal of a top unfilled, pouch and the outlet spout and angularly disposed top seals of a filled lower pouch, while at the same time forming perforations for the tear strip, the pair of openings in the lower pouch and cutting-off the formed, filled and sealed lower pouch from the upper pouch.

Abstract: The invention relates to a packaging machine made up of two vertical packaging groups (1 and 2) set on the opposite sides (3 and 4) of a central structure (5) equipped with a horizontal bilateral station (6) that carries out the transversal sealing of both resulting packets (15 and 16). Compared with the utilization of two different packaging machines, this structure allows smaller overall dimensions, cheapness and an easier way of realization and use, even making two packets with different features simultaneously.

Abstract: An apparatus for supplying flat, disc-like articles, such as pharmaceutical compacts and similarly configured technical small parts, in particular tablets (1), and for sealing the articles in hot-sealing sheet (5, 105) comprises a conveyor for supplying the articles and two hot-sealing rollers (30, 130), one of which is arranged on either side of a conveying path (3). A hot-sealing sheet (5, 105), is supplied from each roller so that the rollers receive the articles in seal wells (32, 132) between the hot-sealing sheets and seal the articles between the sheets. A finger roller (10) for positioning the articles is arranged on the conveying path (3) in front of the hot-sealing rollers (30, 130). Between the finger roller (10) and the hot-sealing rollers (30, 130) on both sides of the conveying path (3) there is a respective polygonal roller (20, 120) for geometrical constrained guiding and separating of the articles.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods of manufacturing flexible containers are disclosed. The containers typically enclose fluid absorbing polymers so that fluid contacting the containers can migrate through their outer fabric and be absorbed by the polymers.

Abstract: A multiple bag forming and filling apparatus and method utilizes a plurality of filling tubes which have a cross-sectional width in the range from one-third to one times the width of the tubular preform between the vertical seals at the filling tube means. There is also disclosed the directing of horizontally adjacent vertical tubular bag preforms to opposite sides of a center sealing bar prior to forming transverse seals by movable seal bars on the opposite sides. The horizontal displacement of the horizontally adjacent bags prevents the adjacent bags from being sealed together.

Abstract: An apparatus is described for welding the sealing seam (23) on a package (24) and which consists at least partially of synthetic plastics coated paper, with a welding tool comprising dies (25, 28) and counter-dies, a support and a drive means (1) for generating the pressure force.So that two welding tools (25, 25a) can be used and operated simultaneously and so that substantially the same pressure forces are available at both working stations, it is according to the invention envisaged that two welding dies be mounted on respective outer hollow shafts (7, 9) in such a way as to be rotatable about a common axis (2), each outer hollow shaft (7, 9) being rotationally rigidly connected to a common torsion spring (3) as part of the drive means (1) (at 14, 16, 17), the torsion spring (3) being driven from outside (at 11, 12).

Abstract: A method and apparatus for packaging a plurality of cylindrical paper rolls in a compressed state. Rolls are conveyed in a side-by-side relationship and are first progressively compressed in the vertical direction to a partially compressed state. The compressed rolls are then rotated 90.degree. to orient their flattened dimension vertically, and are further compressed as they are further conveyed. The compressed rolls are then joined, wrapped in a plastic flim, and the film is sealed to package the rolls and retain the rolls in their compressed state.

Abstract: A medicine tablet is described as a new article of manufacture. The table is enrobed in a gelatin coating formed by application of respective layers of elastic gelatin film to opposite sides of the tablet. The applied gelatin layers conform tightly to the tablet surface, bond securely to the tablet, and are sealed together in essentially edge-to-edge manner at a seal line which extends around the tablet at a desired place on the tablet. The gelatin layers can be colored differently from the tablet and differently from each other. A range of formulations are described for film which can be peelable from a tablet or other product core, and for films which bond to the core. A presently preferred formulation for producing tablets having a bonded tamper-evident coating comprises a water-based gelatin preparation having about 45% gelatin and about 9% plasticizer (glycerin and/or sorbitol) by weight.Method and apparatus for producing such new products are also described.

Abstract: To provide for simultaneous wrapping or packaging of products, particularly flat, and especially folded printed products (1), in pockets, a foil or web (29) is pulled from a supply roll in a predetermined path over a plurality of cutter rails (23, 118) associated with pairs of holder elements (42, 42'-50). The so-pulled foil is continuously fed, even after it is stretched over the cutter elements, and a deflection bar or rail is passed between the holder elements to deflect the foil into zig-zag shape, to form reception pockets. The products are introduced into the pockets, the zig-zag shaped pockets are severed along a connection line and welded shut at the sides, as well as along the connection lines, for example by heat welding.

Abstract: An apparatus for continuous bakery products includes a carriage having opposed sealing jaws. Upper and lower webs of wrapping material extend between the jaws of the carriage along a bakery product path. Bakery products to be wrapped are advanced along the bakery product path between the webs of wrapping material and between the initially open jaws of the carriage. The jaws of the carriage are then closed to form transverse seals at the trailing edge of a leading package of bakery products and at the leading edge of a trailing package of bakery products. The carriage is advanced along the bakery product path during the sealing operation so that sealing of the bakery product packages is carried out on a continuous basis.

Abstract: A method of forming a flexible pouch which includes a sealed product-containing pocket, and which pouch also incorporate integral collar-forming structure adapted to enable the pouch to be suspended from an object, such as a bottle neck or the like. More particularly, the invention provides for a method of continuously forming a sequence of pouches, wherein the pouches are produced through successive process steps from two superimposed flexible sheet material webs having pocket-forming seals and collar structure formed therein. Additionally, there are provided flexible pouches incorporating sealed product-containing pockets and integral collar-forming structure through the inventive method.

Abstract: A dual compartment powder cartridge including a porous shell formed by fusing the lapped side edge portions of a blank of sheet material to a central portion thereof to form two compartments, a pointed closed first end on the cartridge, powder in the dual compartments, and a sealed second end on the cartridge for closing the compartments. A machine for forming a dual compartment cartridge including a first station for scoring a strip of material with spaced parallel score lines, a second station for folding the strip of material along the score lines to cause opposite edge portions to be placed in lapped engagement with each other and with the central portion of the strip, and a third station for ultrasonically welding the lapped portions to provide a seam between two adjacent compartments.

Abstract: A conveyor belt of medium-soft thick material is advanced, and a film of polymer material is laid thereon to advance therewith. A moldable material, usually a food material, is extruded onto the advancing base film. A portion-forming wheel having portion cavities around the periphery thereof is positioned with its portion cavities facing the conveyor belt. A cover film is fed onto the portion-forming wheel and is preferably drawn into the portion cavities. As the conveyor belt advances, the portion cavities cut the extrusion of moldable material into individual portions which are enclosed by the two films as the conveyor belt advances. The portion cavities have portion-cutting walls therebetween, and a ramped area around the cavity squeezes all of the moldable material into the portion cavities.

Abstract: An apparatus for making sealed packages from two superposed, sealable flexible wrapper sheets, has first and second convex support rings which are radially adjacent for guiding respective first and second wrapper sheets towards one another. First and second sealing discs are supported coaxially with the respective support rings at opposite sides thereof. The sealing discs form sealing disc pairs for longitudinally pressing and sealing together the wrapper sheets along opposite edge zones thereof to form longitudinal seams. There are further provided deflecting rollers situated upstream of the respective support rings for defining loop-around paths for the wrapper sheets on the respective support rings. Each support ring carries a shaping element for shaping the wrapper sheets immediately upstream of the sealing discs. The apparatus also has a sealing station for providing a transverse cutter for severing the sealed sheets into predetermined lengths whereby packages of defined dimensions are obtained.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for packaging an edible liquid in individual sterilized containers. The apparatus comprises a conveyor for the containers wherein the containers are sterilized on the lower level thereof and then are filled and sealed on the upper level thereof. The sealing means comprises the use of a payout wheel to feed a ribbon of sterile cover stock over an idler wheel and onto a heated sealing wheel. The payout and sealing wheels are provided with indexing buttons for the ribbon of cover stock to ensure precise registration thereof onto the containers.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for making bag-type packages from strip web material in which a lead end portion of strip web material is formed around a forward end portion of a mandrel and the sleeve is advanced with the mandrel during at least a portion of the forward stroke of the mandrel. A sleeve opening device on the lead end of the mandrel is extended through the end of the sleeve to open the sleeve and the mandrel is retracted and transversely sealed and severed at a location inwardly of its open end to form a bag. A turret is provided for gripping the open end of the bag at a bag loading station and transferring the bag with its open end up sequentially to a bag filling station and to a top closing and sealing station.

Abstract: From a row of objects which are conveyed on an intermittently movable feeding conveyor, every second object is deposited on lines of wrapping materials at a first station, which lines are advanced continuously under the feeding conveyor, and the remaining objects are deposited on the same lines of wrapping materials at a following station. In connection with one or both depositing steps, the objects are shifted transversely of the direction in which said lines are advanced. Thus, the number of lines of wrapping material is only half the number of objects in each row, whereas the distance between the lines will be increased so much that the lines may be sealed lengthwise and crosswise by means of rotating sealing means.

Abstract: Pharmaceutical dosage forms comprising an edible web having deposited thereon or at least partially thereon a particulate medicament, the webs being thereafter fabricated and finished to pharmaceutically elegant solid dosage forms having no medicament exposed on an exterior surface. The dosage forms have a consistency of release of medicament which can be controlled to exacting specifications. The disclosed solid dosage forms are prepared by high speed automated equipment and the process by which they are made is characterized by non-destructive quality control analysis and performance evaluation both conducted on-line and integrated into the manufacturing operation. Included in the scope of the disclosed invention are certain apparatus and methods of manufacture.

Abstract: The method is of the kind whereby a number of strips of packing material is conducted through a cross section shaping station, through a filling station at which articles are arranged on the strips, through a longitudinally extending welding station at which each strip of material is welded into tube form, through a cross welding station wherein cross welding seams are made between the articles arranged in the packing tubes, and through a separation station for separating the finished packings from the strips of material. In order to obtain registration of the cross welding seams with respect to a pre-printed pattern on the strips of material, the cross welding means are individually controlled as regards their disengagement from the strips of material by means of pulses issued by indication marks arranged along the strips of material and arranged with a pitch corresponding to the length of the packings to be produced. The invention also relates to an apparatus for carrying out the method.

Abstract: A packaging method and apparatus are disclosed. Two separate streams of bags are formed. The successive bags of each stream are alternately deposited on two side-by-side tracks of a conveyor, thus obtaining four partial streams of bags which are then successively conveyed to filling, sealing and discharge stations.

Abstract: An apparatus for making cushioning, shock absorbing, insulating or packaging material formed of webs of plastic material sealed together to make fluid or air filled cells in a quilted fashion. A tube forming roller forms tubes of the material. Heat sealing elements seal the webs into tubular formation and additional heat sealing elements seal the webs transversely across the tubular formation to form a series of cells. A fluid blower maintains fluid or air within the tubes during the cellular formation.

Abstract: A packaging machine of the type primarily designed to package objects normally having an outer curvilinear configuration within heat shrinkable material. A conveyor assembly is mounted on a housing and maintained in continuous motion along a predetermined path of travel whereby the conveyor assembly comprises a plurality of roller elements at least a portion of which are maintained in constant rotary motion so as to impart this rotary motion to the material and the objects being packaged. A plurality of heated cutting elements are disposed in adjustable, spaced apart position in substantially transverse relation to the path of travel and in interruptive, severing relation to the material at least partially encasing the objects being packaged. A heat tunnel is further provided to apply an additional heat environment to the severed packaging so as to conform the packaging essentially to the configuration of the object being packaged.