The invention relates to a method for forming package bodies open at one end from package sleeves open at both ends for the manufacture of filled packages. In order to allow packages with a cross section which is neither square nor rectangular to be formed more simply and reliably, the package sleeves are kept ready for further processing in a stack, folded flat along at least two folded edges running in the longitudinal direction of the package sleeve, the flat-folded package sleeves are transferred in succession from the stack to a forming station, the package sleeves are unfolded in a forming station and the unfolded package sleeves are, in the forming station, pushed onto a mandrel in order to close, in particular seal, a longitudinal end of the package sleeve.

Device for transporting containers in a packaging line, having a number of guides that determine a closed route including a horizontal stretch and upon which a first and second carrying element slide. The guides are directed on a vertical plane and each carrying element has two arms, each one of which extends to one side of the vertical plane, each arm (5a; 6a) of a carrying element is designed to work alongside the arm arranged on a same side of the vertical plane of the other carrying element adjacent to them, to jointly secure and transport a corresponding container, so as to be secured and transported along the length of the horizontal stretch of the route and at least two containers between each two adjacent carrying elements at the same time, one at each side of the vertical plane.

Device for transporting containers in a packaging line, having a number of guides that determine a closed route including a horizontal stretch and upon which a first and second carrying element slide. The guides are directed on a vertical plane and each carrying element has two arms, each one of which extends to one side of the vertical plane, each arm (5a; 6a) of a carrying element is designed to work alongside the arm arranged on a same side of the vertical plane of the other carrying element adjacent to them, to jointly secure and transport a corresponding container, so as to be secured and transported along the length of the horizontal stretch of the route and at least two containers between each two adjacent carrying elements at the same time, one at each side of the vertical plane.

An apparatus for fetching a blank from a magazine holding a number of blanks is presented. Each of the blanks is a sleeve shaped piece of packaging material folded planar. The apparatus comprises a rotary feeder provided with a gripper. The rotary feeder and the gripper are arranged to rotate around a main rotational axis, such that the gripper is moved between a fetching position in which a blank is fetched and a releasing position in which the blank is released. The gripper is arranged to rotate around a gripper specific rotational axis, such that fetching the blank in the fetching position is facilitated.

A bag opening apparatus and a bag opening method capable of efficiently opening a bag body in a short period of time are provided. A bag opening apparatus includes a gap formation unit which bends at least a front wall portion, of the front wall portion and a back wall portion that constitute a mouth portion of a bag body, so as to form a gap. When a first press drive member presses a first holding unit against the front wall portion, a contact part of the first holding unit is swung against urging force of an urging part of the first holding unit to bend the front wall portion.

A bi-directional carton opening system for opening cartons in left hand or right hand configuration. The system utilizes apparatus having a Y axis rail with a first X axis rail fixedly mounted thereto and a second X axis rail mounted moveably thereto. A carton is gripped by a carrier on the first X axis rail and a carrier on the second X axis rail. The carrier on one of the X axis rails is moved along the respective X axis rail while the carrier on the other X axis rail is held in place and the moveable X axis rail is moved along the Y axis to open the carton to a rectangular tubular shape.

A triangle sandwich packaging machine includes paired grips for holding vicinities of both sides of a bag mouth of a triangle sandwich packaging bag, a mover intermittently moving the paired grips in every one of packaging stations, and a spatula inserting mechanism for forming a crest on the triangle sandwich packaging bag held by the paired grips to shape an opening. Also provided is a triangle sandwich packaging method including a moving step of intermittently moving the paired grips holding the triangle sandwich packaging bag in every one of the packaging stations, an opening step of opening the triangle sandwich packaging bag into a sectorial shape and a spatula inserting step of forming a crest on the triangle sandwich packaging bag held by the paired grips to shape an opening and inserting a spatula for shaping the opening.

A device for shaping closed packages is depicted and described, including: a base plate for supporting the bottom or the gable of the packages, at least two support elements for supporting the side surfaces or the front surface and the rear surface of the packages and at least two sliding elements for shaping the side surfaces or the front surface and the rear surface of the packages wherein the support elements and the sliding elements include at least one shaped surface on their side assigned to the package. In order to also enable a precise shaping of the packages even in the case of closed packages with complex geometry, it is proposed for at least one of the shaped surfaces to be curved at least in sections. A method for shaping closed packages is also depicted and described.

Banknote processing equipment is disclosed, which comprises a chamber having an open end for insertion of a bag into the chamber and an extractor adapted to establish a lower ambient pressure between the chamber and the bag to that within the bag to cause the bag to expand into an open configuration during a banknote filling operation, whereby the banknote processing equipment can deposit banknotes in the bag.

Banknote processing equipment is disclosed, which comprises a chamber having an open end for insertion of a bag into the chamber and an extractor adapted to establish a lower ambient pressure between the chamber and the bag to that within the bag to cause the bag to expand into an open configuration during a banknote filling operation, whereby the banknote processing equipment can deposit banknotes in the bag.