A method is described for making a pack of smoking products having an ordered group of packets containing smoking products and positioned in contact with each other wherein the group of packets has a closed lateral surface around a theoretical axis of the group of packets, which delimits two opposite surfaces of the group of packets, each of which surfaces is defined by the set of homologous surfaces of all the packets. The method includes: unwinding from a reel at least one adhesive tape and applying it to the closed lateral surface and completely around the latter, to hold the packets of the group together solely by means of the at least one adhesive tape.

A binding machine for gardening includes a main handle to draw out a tape, a clincher arm rotatably attached to the main handle, and a tape gripping device attached to the clincher arm to grip the tape. The tape gripping device includes a support portion, a gripping member, a gripping member urging unit, a lock member and a lock member urging unit. The support portion is provided along a drawing direction of the tape. The gripping member is provided to face the support portion. The gripping member urging unit urges the gripping member toward the support portion. The lock member is engaged with the gripping member to hold the gripping member against an urging force of the gripping member urging unit. The lock member urging unit urges the lock member in an engaging direction with the gripping member. The lock member is rotatably attached to the clincher arm.

A system and method for packaging pine straw and a packaged mass of pine straw made therefrom, the method including providing an electronically-controlled system configured for packaging pine straw, the system including system logic that controls conveying, fluffing, cleaning, compressing and packaging of the pine straw, and using the system to compress a mass of pine straw into a rectangular mass of pine straw and enclosing the rectangular mass of pine straw within a flexible plastic sheet thereby forming a substantially rectangular packaged mass of compressed pine straw.

A baling machine may be adapted for use in stacking packages to support binding operations such as strapping, banding or wrapping. A stack of filled packages is accumulated in a chute that is disposed above and in registration with a conveyor, with a baseplate disposed above the conveyor in registration with the chute. The stack of filled packages is released from the chute into a magazine disposed between and in registration with the chute and the baseplate, so that the stack of filled packages rests on the baseplate inside the magazine. The magazine then moves in a conveyor-forward direction to move the stack of filled packages off the baseplate onto a conveyor surface of the conveyor, and the stack of filled packages is released from the magazine to move forward along the conveyor toward a binding machine, such as a strapping machine, banding machine or wrapping machine.

An article bundling device for stacking articles and securing the stack of articles with a band includes a banding support, onto which the articles are stackable, an automatic banding machine with a band guide, with which the band is guided around the stack of articles, a first conveying system for inbound-transporting the articles, from which the articles are discharged onto the banding support, and a second conveying system for outbound-transporting the secured stack of articles. The conveying device of the first conveying system with its end located downstream in a first conveying direction is arranged spaced in vertical direction apart from the banding support and above the banding support. A picking system has such an article bundling device and a method operates such an article bundling device.

The present disclosure relates to a baling apparatus that includes a baling chamber. The baling chamber is configure to receive material to be baled. Material to be baled can be compressed into the baling chamber. Adjacent to the baling chamber is a set of baling guides configured to guide baling ties. Each baling guide has an entrance and an exit, such that the baling tie enters and exits the baling guide some distance apart and at the same wall of the baling chamber.

The present disclosure relates to a baling apparatus that includes a baling chamber. The baling chamber is configure to receive material to be baled. Material to be baled can be compressed into the baling chamber. Adjacent to the baling chamber is a set of baling guides configured to guide baling ties. Each baling guide has an entrance and an exit, such that the baling tie enters and exits the baling guide some distance apart and at the same wall of the baling chamber.

An apparatus for sealing or tying products, comprising a housing with at least a first tape dispenser and a star wheel, a slot defined by or through the housing, wherein the star wheel extends at least partly in said slot, wherein the star wheel comprises a series of first cells and a series of second cells, the first and second cells being intermittently disposed in the star wheel, each cell being open to a periphery of the star wheel and two opposite sides thereof, wherein an urging device is provided having at least one edge portion for urging at least one product to be tied into one of the cells, especially a first cell.

A system and method for packaging pine straw and a packaged mass of pine straw made therefrom, the method including providing an electronically-controlled system configured for packaging pine straw, the system including system logic that controls conveying, fluffing, cleaning, compressing and packaging of the pine straw, and using the system to compress a mass of pine straw into a rectangular mass of pine straw and enclosing the rectangular mass of pine straw within a flexible plastic sheet thereby forming a substantially rectangular packaged mass of compressed pine straw.

A system and method for packaging pine straw and a packaged mass of pine straw made therefrom, the method including providing an electronically-controlled system configured for packaging pine straw, the system including system logic that controls conveying, fluffing, cleaning, compressing and packaging of the pine straw, and using the system to compress a mass of pine straw into a rectangular mass of pine straw and enclosing the rectangular mass of pine straw within a flexible plastic sheet thereby forming a substantially rectangular packaged mass of compressed pine straw.