An automatic packaging machine, comprising an input conveyor belt, a reel holder, containing a reel of single-fold film, a contoured shaped film former, a sealing bar, a collecting device, an output conveyor belt, and a pulling device with at least an upper driving wheel and a lower driving wheel in contact with a layer of single-fold film interposed between said wheels which, rotating in opposite directions, move the single-fold film along the automatic packaging machine; a drive shaft, which transfers a rotational motion to the driving wheels to move the single-fold film along the automatic packaging machine; a lifting actuator, which moves the upper driving wheel away from the lower driving wheel (or vice versa) when sealing the single-fold film, so as to reduce the tension exerted by the driving wheels on the single-fold film during the sealing step and having a lifting actuator actuated by the drive shaft.

A form-fill-seal system includes a tube feeding system, an end seal carriage (420), and a computing device. The tube feeding system feeds a tube (410) of flexible material at a first velocity (v1). The computing device controls the end seal carriage (420) to cause an increase in a velocity of the end seal carriage to substantially the first velocity (v1), a start of a dwell time of the end seal mechanism (424, 422) on the tube (410) of flexible material while the velocity of the end seal carriage is at substantially the first velocity (v1), and an increase in the velocity of the end seal carriage to a second velocity (v2) during the dwell time. The end seal mechanism cuts a package (440) from the tube during the dwell time. The increase in the velocity of the end seal carriage to the second velocity (v2) results in an increased distance of the package from the tube.

A spring feeding device configured to feed a spring (9) comprises a feeding member (60) delimiting a channel (68), a pusher (70) configured to push the spring (9) along the channel (68) delimited by the feeding member (60), and a drive mechanism con-figured to displace both the feeding member (60) and the pusher (70) such that the feeding member (60) and the pusher (70) move in opposite directions (91, 92).

A spring feeding device configured to feed a spring (9) comprises a feeding member (60) delimiting a channel (68), a pusher (70) configured to push the spring (9) along the channel (68) delimited by the feeding member (60), and a drive mechanism con-figured to displace both the feeding member (60) and the pusher (70) such that the feeding member (60) and the pusher (70) move in opposite directions (91, 92).

A form-fill-seal packing apparatus of the flow wrapper type accepts individuated items via in-feed conveyor. Items are moved through horizontal open lower-sided forming tube 10 by resting indirectly on an underneath transit conveyor, through the underside part of a continuous film bag forming from a supply of film around the forming tube, using a forming shoulder. The bag is longitudinally sealed beside the forming tube. Data may be printed on an upper film surface over a platen including an upper part of the forming tube. An outfeed conveyor carries transversely sealed wrapped items on to a vacuum sealer.

A multilayer, heat-shrinkable film has a first portion containing an outer heat seal layer and a second portion containing a PVDC barrier layer and a second outer layer comprising polyester. Both film portions comprise polymer networks which are strained by solid-state orientation, but only the first portion contains a crosslinked polymer network. The film has (i) a total free shrink at 85° C. of at least 90% and (ii) an instrumented impact energy-to-break of at least 0.0.65 J/mil and/or an instrumented impact peak load of at least 70 N/mil. The film is primarily made from ethylene-based polymers. Packaging articles can be made by sealing the film to itself. The film comprises no polyamide or polyamide in an amount up to 10 wt %, on a total film weight basis.

A control apparatus for controlling a packaging machine that includes a conveyance mechanism for conveying an item to be packaged includes: an acquirer configured to acquire a detection result from a sensor for detecting an item to be packaged; a determiner configured to obtain elapsed time from a predetermined time point until when the item to be packaged is detected by the sensor, based on the detection result acquired by the acquirer, and determine a shift direction in which the item to be packaged is shifted from a predetermined position, based on the elapsed time; and a controller configured to control, for the item to be packaged for which detection is performed by the sensor, implementation of any one of downstream units that are downstream of a unit in which the detection is performed by the sensor, based on the shift direction that is determined by the determiner.

A control apparatus for controlling a packaging machine that includes a conveyance mechanism for conveying an item to be packaged includes: an acquirer configured to acquire a detection result from a sensor for detecting an item to be packaged; a determiner configured to obtain elapsed time from a predetermined time point until when the item to be packaged is detected by the sensor, based on the detection result acquired by the acquirer, and determine a shift direction in which the item to be packaged is shifted from a predetermined position, based on the elapsed time; and a controller configured to control, for the item to be packaged for which detection is performed by the sensor, implementation of any one of downstream units that are downstream of a unit in which the detection is performed by the sensor, based on the shift direction that is determined by the determiner.

A cushion package can be formed around an object. The object can be removed from and reinserted into the cushion package. The cushion package includes a cushion material (104) having a longitudinal length and two longitudinal edges (110). The two longitudinal edges (110) of the cushion material are folded into an overlapping position to form a tube of the cushion material. The cushion package includes first and second transverse seals (148,150) in the tube of the cushion material. The first and second transverse seals (148,150) respectively form first and second ends of the cushion package. Each of the first transverse seal and the second transverse seal (148,150) seals the cushion material with the two longitudinal edges (110) in the overlapping position. The two longitudinal edges (110) of the cushion material are uncoupled between the first transverse seal and the second transverse seal (148,150).

A cushion package can be formed around an object. The object can be removed from and reinserted into the cushion package. The cushion package includes a cushion material (104) having a longitudinal length and two longitudinal edges (110). The two longitudinal edges (110) of the cushion material are folded into an overlapping position to form a tube of the cushion material. The cushion package includes first and second transverse seals (148,150) in the tube of the cushion material. The first and second transverse seals (148,150) respectively form first and second ends of the cushion package. Each of the first transverse seal and the second transverse seal (148,150) seals the cushion material with the two longitudinal edges (110) in the overlapping position. The two longitudinal edges (110) of the cushion material are uncoupled between the first transverse seal and the second transverse seal (148,150).