Disclosed are disposable containers, such as a stand-up pouch, for heating food in a microwave oven and while automatically dispensing sauce onto the food. Methods and apparatuses for making sauce packets and disposable containers are also disclosed. eodcmaster

A coupling unit for coupling a component for a container includes a coupling equipment. The coupling equipment includes: a frame, a housing constrained to the frame, a gripping device rotatably constrained with respect to the frame and including a retaining element to selectively retain the component, and a coupling device constrained to the gripping device with respect to the frame, the coupling device including a coupling element to constrain a portion of the component to a coupling surface of the container at a coupling position. The gripping device and the coupling device can move along an arc with a curved trajectory to a removal position where the retaining element is oriented to receive at least one component to be retained, and to a coupling position where the retaining element and the coupling element bring an abutment surface of the container and a couplable portion of the component into contact.

The disclosure relates to a molding station for molding packaging trays, wherein the molding station comprises an upper tool and a lower tool which can be moved relative to one another, and the lower tool comprises at least one receptacle for a packaging blank. The molding station further comprises a frame that is connected to the lower tool in a movable manner and that is arranged between the upper tool and the lower tool. The lower tool comprises at least one clamping mechanism for fixating a packaging blank in the receptacle. The clamping mechanism comprises a clamping element which can be actuated by a motion of the frame relative to the lower tool and is configured to fixate a packaging blank in the receptacle.

The disclosure relates to a molding station for molding packaging trays, wherein the molding station comprises an upper tool and a lower tool which can be moved relative to one another, and the lower tool comprises at least one receptacle for a packaging blank. The molding station further comprises a frame that is connected to the lower tool in a movable manner and that is arranged between the upper tool and the lower tool. The lower tool comprises at least one clamping mechanism for fixating a packaging blank in the receptacle. The clamping mechanism comprises a clamping element which can be actuated by a motion of the frame relative to the lower tool and is configured to fixate a packaging blank in the receptacle.

A heat sealing machine and method form blister packages. A backing material web extends between a nesting tray assembly and a seal and cut tooling assembly and a blister tray is resident within a blister nest of the nesting tray assembly. The backing material web is clamped between a clamping gasket support shoulder of the nesting tray assembly and a clamping shoulder of the seal and cut tooling assembly, and between a sealing gasket support shoulder of the nesting tray assembly and a heat seal shoulder of a heater assembly. A knife of the seal and cut tooling assembly extends between the clamping gasket support shoulder and the sealing gasket support shoulder to cut a backing sheet from the backing material web that is heat sealed to an attachment surface of the blister tray to form the blister package.

Machine (1) for filling bags (100) with a granular product comprising a filling station (2). The machine comprises a supporting device (8) for supporting bags (100) below the filling station (2). The supporting device (8) comprises an assembled supporting surface (10) pivoting on a pivot shaft (12), and actuating means (18). The actuating means (18) are a motor the angular position of which is controlled by control means (32). The supporting surface (10) has a first end (14), arranged upstream of said filling station (2) in the forward movement direction of the bags, and a second end (16), arranged downstream of said filling station (2) in the forward movement direction of the bags. The supporting surface (10) can pivot in an alternating manner around said pivot shaft (12) for moving the base of the bag (100) which is located in the filling station (2) in operation during filling. The invention also relates to a method for filling said bag.

An exemplary apparatus for making packages from a web of interconnected bags includes an indexing mechanism, an opening arrangement, a pair of engagement devices, and a sealing arrangement. The indexing mechanism is configured to move the web of interconnected bags along a path of travel. The opening arrangement is configured to open a bag such that an opening is formed in the bag and a product can be placed into the opening of the bag. The pair of engagement devices are configured to engage the bag and close the opening of the bag. Each engagement device includes a base member, a first link, a second link, a sliding pivot member, and a finger. The first link is pivotably connected to the base member, and the second link is pivotably connected to the first link. The sliding pivot member is configured to allow the second link to slide through the sliding pivot member and pivot in relation to the base member. The finger is connected to the second link. The pair of engagement devices are configured to pull a first side and a second side of the bag in opposite directions. The sealing arrangement is configured to seal the opening of the bag.

Bag-sealing apparatus is provided for heat-sealing a bag. The apparatus has a heater arrangement operable to apply heat to heat-seal an open end of the bag. A bag detector detects the location of the bag relative to the heater arrangement. The heater arrangement is formed of plural heater portions. The heater arrangement is operable such that only the or each heater portion that overlies the bag as detected by the bag detector is caused to operate to apply heat to the bag.

An apparatus for vacuumizing and sealing a package includes a plurality of platens and vacuum chambers, each chamber adapted to mate with a dedicated one of the platens; a conveying system for conveying the platens and chambers along a generally angular path having a single axis of rotation; an automated loading assembly having a linear component and configured to load a package onto each of the platens; an automated unloading assembly having a linear portion and configured to unload a vacuumized, sealed package from each loaded platen onto an outfeed conveyor; and a vacuumizing/sealing system configured to cause relative movement of each chamber/platen pair, along a portion of the angular path, to form therebetween an air-tight enclosure accommodating the package and effect vacuumization and sealing of the package.

A blister packing machine includes: a conveyor that conveys a belt-like container film having a pocket portion forming area and an expected mounting part; a preheating device that preheats the container film conveyed by the conveyor; a pocket portion forming device that forms a pocket portion in the container film softened by the preheating device; and a tension applier that applies a tension along a width direction of the container film to at least the pocket portion forming area. The pocket portion forming device forms the pocket portion while the tension applier applies the tension to the container film, the container film has an edge area between an edge in the width direction and the expected mounting part, and the tension applier includes a projection that applies the tension to the container film by pressing the edge area to form a protruding portion in the container film.