A shrink-wrapping arrangement can be used for shrink wrapping containers or packages, including bottles, boxes, cans, or similar containers or packages, and a method of operating a shrink-wrapping arrangement can be used for shrink wrapping containers or packages, including bottles, boxes, cans, or similar containers or packages.

A rotary filling machine for filling containers with bridgeable dry materials includes a turret supporting a plurality of circumferentially spaced drop buckets and a plurality of funnel assemblies located under the drop buckets. A stationary slide plate is located vertically between the funnel assemblies and the drop buckets. When viewed in a direction of turret rotation, the slide plate has an upstream end, a downstream end, and inner and outer edges. A portion of the slide plate is tapered progressively in diameter toward its downstream end such that flow paths from the bottoms of the drop buckets to the inlet openings of the funnel assemblies increase progressively in diameter with the taper of the slide plate. Also provided is a funnel assembly that dilates bridgeable materials before dispensing those materials into a container.

Transfer device configured to transfer smoking articles in a direction of transfer from a feed store to a transfer conveyor with pockets of an apparatus to feed and form organized groups of smoking articles. The transfer device includes a forming drawer comprising an upper wall and a bottom wall. The upper wall is disposed fixed in a position opposite the bottom wall and the bottom wall is configured automatically mobile with respect to the fixed upper wall between a closed position and an open position.

Method to feed and form organized groups of smoking articles, providing to feed a plurality of pockets of a transfer conveyor with pockets moved step-wise, thrusting said organized groups of smoking articles, by means of thrusters actuated independently from each other, in a direction of transfer and through respective forming drawers, into said pockets on the basis of a predefined production rhythm. The method provides, in the event of obstruction, stoppage or blockage of a forming drawer, to vary the operating speed of the thrusters associated with the other forming drawers in coordination and in synchrony with the step-wise feed speed of said transfer conveyor with pockets, in order to obtain an effective production rhythm equal or near to said predefined production rhythm.

A rotary filling machine for filling containers with bridgeable dry materials includes a turret supporting a plurality of circumferentially spaced drop buckets and a plurality of funnel assemblies located under the drop buckets. A stationary slide plate is located vertically between the funnel assemblies and the drop buckets. When viewed in a direction of turret rotation, the slide plate has an upstream end, a downstream end, and inner and outer edges. A portion of the slide plate is tapered progressively in diameter toward its downstream end such that flow paths from the bottoms of the drop buckets to the inlet openings of the funnel assemblies increase progressively in diameter with the taper of the slide plate. Also provided is a funnel assembly that dilates bridgeable materials before dispensing those materials into a container.

Systems and methods for measuring tobacco for packaging in pouches are disclosed. A system includes a hopper structured and arranged to hold a granular material in a hopper cavity. The system also includes a measuring system including a measuring cavity and a tube that is slidable in the hopper cavity between a first position unaligned with the measuring cavity and a second position over and aligned with the measuring cavity. The measuring system is configured to continuously communicate a vacuum to the measuring cavity. The measuring system is configured to move a portion of the granular material from the hopper cavity to the measuring cavity when the tube is in the first position. The measuring system is configured to move the portion of the granular material from the measuring cavity to a pouch making machine using pressurized gas that overcomes the vacuum when the tube is in the second position.

An apparatus for dosing solid particulate material into one or more receptacles, the apparatus comprising: a reservoir for containing an amount of solid particulate material; a dosing unit comprising a dose collection position for collecting a predetermined dose of solid particulate material from the reservoir, and a dose release position for releasing the solid particulate material into the one or more receptacles; a receptacle handling unit for retaining the one or more receptacles, arranged to at least periodically align at least one of the one or more receptacles with the dosing unit when in the dose release position; and optionally a receptacle closing unit for closing the one or more receptacles once filled with the solid particulate material; wherein the dosing unit comprises one or more dosing chambers arranged to displace relative to said reservoir, and/or vice versa, along a perpendicular axis Y such that at least a portion of the chamber(s) is capable of being immerged into, and emerged out of, the solid particulate material at least when the dosing unit is in the dose collection position, the reservoir being arranged to impart a fluid-like state to the solid particulate material at least for the duration of the displacement.

An apparatus for emptying bags containing loose material. The apparatus comprises a cutting member for cutting the bags and a support grid including a row of rods arranged downstream of the cutting member and onto which the bags are carried once they have been cut. The rods are associated with a motovibrator designed to cause the rods to vibrate, facilitating the emptying of the bags. Furthermore, a resilient spacer is interposed between each pair of adjacent rods.

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 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.