An apparatus including: a plurality of forming molds, each mold including: a leading edge; a trailing edge; a mold face; a plurality of first recesses in the mold face positioned across the mold face, each first recess in fluid communication with a first vacuum duct; a leading face extending from the leading edge in a direction away from the mold face; a trailing face extending from the trailing edge in a direction away from the mold face; wherein at least a portion of the leading face is recessed relative to the mold face proximal the leading edge or at least a portion of the trailing face is recessed relative to the mold face proximal the trailing edge; wherein the plurality of forming molds is arranged leading edge to trailing edge as a first mold belt.

The method includes covering a first opening of at least one first chute using a lid, delivering air from a pressurized air source into the at least one first chute, and advancing at least one first plunger through a first end of the at least one first chute to transfer a product through a second end of the at least one first chute and into a first open side of at least one first box.

The method includes covering a first opening of at least one first chute using a lid, delivering air from a pressurized air source into the at least one first chute, and advancing at least one first plunger through a first end of the at least one first chute to transfer a product through a second end of the at least one first chute and into a first open side of at least one first box.

A sandbagging attachment to a tiltable dolly for filling bags with scoopable materials such as sand without use of shovels and for subsequent transportation of the filled bags to the destination by using the same dolly. The attachment contains a connection member for connecting the attachment to the dolly and a scoop with a through passage for a material to be scooped. The connection member rotationally supports a scoop that can be turned between a scooping position for filling a bag and a transportation position, at which the filled bag can be transported by the dolly to the destination. The attachment eliminates a need for a special sandbagging equipment. All aforementioned operations are accomplished without the use of manual labor, except for transporting the dolly and removing the filled bag from the dolly.

A method of packaging snack food chips, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a plurality of snack food chips as a shingled assembly of the snack food chips; (b) enclosing the shingled assembly within an elongate packaging container; (c) vibrating the shingled assembly supported so as to cause the snack food chips sequentially to fall from a free output end into the elongate packaging container while progressively translationally separating a closed end and the free output end to form a shingled stack extending away from the closed end; and (d) during at least a part of step (c), rotating the elongate packaging container so that the closed end while decreasing an angle of inclination such that the shingled stack is being progressively formed.

A method of packaging snack food chips, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a plurality of snack food chips as a shingled assembly of the snack food chips; (b) enclosing the shingled assembly within an elongate packaging container; (c) vibrating the shingled assembly supported so as to cause the snack food chips sequentially to fall from a free output end into the elongate packaging container while progressively translationally separating a closed end and the free output end to form a shingled stack extending away from the closed end; and (d) during at least a part of step (c), rotating the elongate packaging container so that the closed end while decreasing an angle of inclination such that the shingled stack is being progressively formed.

A conveyance mechanism is provided. A bag body processing unit is installed with a roller unit. While the process transfer unit transfers a bag body processing unit from a first guide station to a second guide station, the roller unit moves from a first guide surface to a second guide surface and is placed on the second guide surface in the second guide station. In the second guide station, the roller unit is placed on the second guide surface, and a second guide part is moved from a first variation position to a second variation position while the roller unit is placed on the second guide surface, so that the roller unit is moved from a first height position to a second height position.

Disclosed is a method used to package article groups in outer packaging and/or to place article groups into outer packagings (22) as well as a correspondingly controllable handling apparatus and/or packaging apparatus (10). In this connection, article groups are transferred by means of a handling device (26) from a staging location (46) to a conveyor line (20) and are placed into the outer packagings (22). The conveyor line (20) in this context serves to successively transport outer packagings (22) provided and prepared for an accommodation of in each instance at least one article group that has been formed from a plurality of articles (14).

At least some of the articles (14) of a particular article group that have been placed into the outer packagings (22) by means of the handling device (26) are directed and/or guided during a placing procedure by means of a centering device (32) assigned to the conveyor line (20) and are moved along with the outer packagings (22), which are being transported there and which are in each instance to be loaded with article groups.

A method of filling packaging with pouches of product comprises conveying a plurality of spaced apart chutes along a first feed path. Each chute is loaded with pouches of product at a chute loading station. Erect boxes are conveyed along a second feed path to a chute unloading station wherein the second feed path is substantially parallel to the first feed path at the chute unloading station. The pouches of product are transferred from the chutes into interior spaces of the erect boxes at the chute unloading station as the chutes move along the first feed path and the erect boxes move along the second feed path. The chutes are returned to the chute loading station to be filled with pouches of product.

A method of filling packaging with pouches of product comprises conveying a plurality of spaced apart chutes along a first feed path. Each chute is loaded with pouches of product at a chute loading station. Erect boxes are conveyed along a second feed path to a chute unloading station wherein the second feed path is substantially parallel to the first feed path at the chute unloading station. The pouches of product are transferred from the chutes into interior spaces of the erect boxes at the chute unloading station as the chutes move along the first feed path and the erect boxes move along the second feed path. The chutes are returned to the chute loading station to be filled with pouches of product.