There is described a machine for packaging products in tubular wrappings of thermoplastic material obtained from continuous film unwound from a reel, equipped with a double transverse heat-sealing and intermediate cutting assembly that, with a horizontal translation movement, accompanies the pack that the assembly is closing the trailing end of to be unloaded while it is simultaneously closing the leading end of the tubular wrapper of the future pack that the heat-sealing and cutting assembly, also due to the presence thereon of pressers and counter-pressers, extracts from a tube-forming and longitudinal heat-sealing mandrel and that, by the same assembly, is separated from the pack upstream with a transverse cut.

At the end of its active movement, the transverse heat-sealing and cutting assembly opens and with a horizontal movement in the opposite direction to and at a higher speed than the preceding one returns to the cycle start position, upstream of a new pack already filled and ready to be heat sealed at the trailing end and accompanied to be unloaded, repeating the cycle described. The transverse heat-sealing and cutting assembly is aided by a conveyor that supports and advances the packs being formed and those finished and separated, and that is equipped with a gap with variable geometry, which opens during the active horizontal movement of the same assembly and closes during the reverse horizontal movement of the same assembly.

A method of changing container sizes on a container filling carousel, the carousel and container supports thereon, which carousel has one or more pairs of side-by-side first and second container supports, each container support having a frame, a container support platform and at least one pair of container support arms above the container support platform. Each of said container supports is structured to accept a first small-sized container. The second container support is structured to accept a second larger-sized container, relative to said first small-sized container. The carousel includes a product filling head above each of said first and second container supports. The first container support can be radially retracted from a side of the second container support and from beneath its corresponding product filling head to allow the second container support to accommodate a larger-sized container.

A weigh/fill type box filler for cherries, cherries and similar small produce that incrementally moves and fills an array of individual packaging bags within conventional packing boxes. The box filler includes a box conveyer, a producer conveyer, a metering gate, a weigh/fill scale assembly and three independent box lifters. The box conveyer moves the packing boxes incrementally over the weigh/fill scale assembly to position each row of bags within successive packing boxes beneath the metering gate. As one packing box is incrementally moved across the weigh/fill scale assembly and each row of bags is weigh/filled, the box lifters sequentially raise the adjacent preceding and following packing boxes out of contact with the weigh/fill scale assembly. The metering gate uses independently actuated gate paddles to selectively control the flow of produce into the individual bags first at a high volume gross fill rate and finishing with a lower volume or fine fill rate.

A modular manufacturing system for wrapping and bundling or case packing rolled product. The modular manufacturing system includes a first end and a second end, a first module comprising a first piece of equipment, a second module comprising a second piece of equipment, and a third module comprising a third piece of equipment. The first piece of equipment comprises a wrapper. The second piece of equipment comprises a bundler. The third piece of equipment comprises a case closer. The first, second, and third modules are three of a plurality of additional modules arranged in a series configuration for metered product flow of the rolled product from the first end to the second end.

The invention relates to device, method and packaging facility having a transport section (17) for feeding article arrangements (5) in a transport direction (TR) to a packaging module (18). The transport section (17) comprises a transfer plate (15), on which the articles (2) of the article arrangements (5) are movable in a sliding manner. Located above the transfer plate (15) are pushing devices (16) for moving the articles (2) on the transfer plate (15), with the pushing devices (16) being movable in transport direction (TR) at least in some areas. The transport section (17) furthermore comprises outer guide elements (20) and inner guide elements (21) disposed on the transfer plate (15), with the outer guide elements (20) laterally delimiting the transport section (17) and, with the inner guide elements (21) being readjustable by at least one readjustment mechanism that is disposed at least partly below the transfer plate (15).

Disclosed is a method for packaging articles (2). Outer packages (3) are moved by a first conveying device (10) and then by a second conveying device (20), which second conveying device (20) is located next to the first conveying device (10). Furthermore, articles (2) are inserted into an outer package (3), while the outer package (3) is located on the first conveyor (10) and/or the second conveyor (20). The outer packages (3) are received on the first conveyor (10) by format parts (5) and, together with their respective format part (5), are transferred to the second conveyor (20). The outer packages (3), which will be continuously arranged on the format parts until then, will be removed from the format parts (5) together with the inserted articles (2). The format parts (5) will then be returned to the first conveyor (10) for renewed seizure of outer packages (3).

The invention relates to a device for moving objects, in particular portions, each portion comprising at least one slice cut from a food product, comprising a plurality of individually movable transport movers for at least one object each, a track system for the transport movers, in which the transport movers can be moved along at least one specified track in a transport direction, and a control apparatus for controlling the motions of the transport movers in the track system, wherein at least one track segment and/or at least one transport mover has at least one support, which is frame-free at every point in time or at least at times, for at least a part of a holder, in particular a bowl-like holder, for holding at least one object to be transported, in particular for a packaging or a part of a packaging, preferably for a tray for holding at least one portion, and wherein, in addition to the support, fastening means are provided, which are designed to fasten the holder to the support at least at times.

The invention relates to an apparatus (1) with at least two modules that are selectively transferable into a specific operating position (BL) for handling of individual articles or article sets. The apparatus (1) comprises at least one transport module (3) that moves individual articles or article sets with a first packaging type and at least one work module (5) that moves individual articles or article sets with a second, different, packaging type. The work module (5) can handle packaging material during the movement, with the packaging material being in contact with the individual articles or article sets. The apparatus (1) has an operating position (BL) and a waiting position (W1), into which operating position (BL) the transport module (3) or the work module (5) can be selectively inserted, and into which waiting position (W1) the transport module (3) is transferable by removing it from the specific operating position (BL).

Disclosed is a system (1) for forming a transport section for a packaging line and for coordinating the transport section to individual articles or article sets with different packaging types. The system (1) comprises at least one module (3), which at least one module (3) has at least two individual module units (5, 7), which at least two individual module units (5, 7) cooperate in a first operating mode (B1) of the system (1) for the transport of individual articles or article sets provided for a first packaging type. It is furthermore provided that the at least two individual module units (5, 7) are each designed to be movable, and that the system (1) is transferable by way of a movement of the at least two individual module units (5, 7) into a second operating mode (B2), which is aligned to a transport of individual articles or article sets provided for a second packaging type that differs from the first packaging type.

A format-part fastener for attaching an interchangeable format part to a machine frame includes a first connecting element having a mounting stud that extends along the stud's axis and that has an angled face that defines an acute angle relative to the stud's axis. A second connecting element has a locating sleeve for receiving the mounting stud. The locating sleeve has walls forming a slot. When used to attach a format part, a spring cotter's undulating section surrounds part of the locating sleeve's circumference while the slot supports the spring cotter's shank against the mounting stud's angled face. This converts some of the spring cotter's radial force into an axially directed force along the stud's axis.