A packaging machine is provided for producing single and multiple compartment film wrapped pouches. Multiple linear motors allow aspects of the forming, filling, cutting and discharging to run at different speeds. The pouches are formed, filled and discharged from platens that are secured to movers that proceed through the packaging process by following magnetic fields created by independently controlled linear motors. Overall, cycle time is decreased as a result of speeding up parts of the process, including the platen return process, possible because there is no mechanical connection and not a single conveyor moving the platens while the other parts of the process may be simultaneously slowed down or even temporarily stopped. Changeover of platens, to accommodate different products, such as single compartment pouch to multiple compartment pouches, is also simplified because platens are simply connected to the movers and are thus easily removed and replaced.

A web (8) of cleaning products (10) and a method of manufacturing the same is disclosed. The web includes first (20) and second carrier (30) sheets and a plurality of pouches (50) containing a cleaning composition. Each of the pouches is disposed in a respective depression (26) formed in an upper surface (28) of the first carrier sheet. A first internal atmosphere (80) is enclosed within each of the pouches. The first carrier sheet is sealed to the second carrier sheet such that a second internal atmosphere (82) exists between the second carrier sheet and the plurality of pouches. The second internal atmosphere has a greater absolute pressure (P) than the first internal atmosphere so that the plurality of pouches and at least a portion of the cleaning composition in the plurality of pouches are compressed into the plurality of depressions in the first carrier sheet by the second internal atmosphere.

A bend-open package includes a sealant without unsealing an opening until the package is bent to a predetermined bend angle or less to prevent leakage of the content in a package body. A method for manufacturing the bend-open package includes preparing a sheet member for a bend-open package, including in sequence, (a) forming cuts in the surface of a sheet base, and (b) press-bonding sealants press-cut from a sealant base to the surface of the sheet base to cover the cuts. The steps include embedding a periphery of the sealant in the surface of the sheet member by a predetermined depth, and forming a protrusion having a height smaller than a thickness of the sealant protruding outwardly from the surface of the sheet member along the entire periphery of the sealant.

A method for producing a portion unit of a detergent by inserting a base element made from a first film portion into a deep-drawing mold that forms a holding volume from the first film portion, the holding volume having a plurality of chambers spaced apart from one another; pouring at least one detergent composition into the chambers; placing a cover element made from a second film portion onto the filled chambers; connecting the cover element to the base element, which forms a film wrapping, sealing seams being formed between adjacent wall portions of the chambers; removing the portion unit from the deep-drawing mold, wherein the outside of the film wrapping is then wetted at least in the region of the adjacent wall portions and, by pressure being exerted, the sealing seams are compressed and the adjacent wall portions are brought into contact with one another and interconnected.

In an example embodiment, a doser assembly includes a hopper assembly configured to receive plant material, a bracket assembly connected to the hopper assembly, and a roller in a hopper opening defined by the hopper assembly extending through the hopper assembly. An interior surface of the hopper assembly may define the hopper opening. The bracket assembly may include a shaft extending across a portion of the hopper opening. The roller may be in the portion of the hopper opening of the hopper assembly and may extend between a first part and a second part of the interior surface of the hopper assembly. The roller may be connected to the shaft and may be configured to rotate with rotation of the shaft.

A wetting unit for wetting a surface of one of a first and a second continuous water-soluble films to be coupled and sealingly joined to each other so as to delimit therebetween recesses containing dosed quantities of at least one fluid composition for producing unit dose articles. The wetting unit is configured to wet only surface areas of one of the first and second continuous water-soluble films which are to be joined to the other of the first and second continuous water-soluble films.

An apparatus for making a beverage pad having an amount of extractable or soluble beverage preparation product as a compacted puck enclosed between two sheets of filtering material comprises dosing means arranged for supply of a dose of extractable or soluble beverage preparation product to a puck forming device of the apparatus and further comprises a packaging device arranged to package a compacted puck received from the puck forming device between two sheets of filtering material to form the beverage pad. The puck forming device comprises a cylindrical rotating drum with an outer side surface having recesses for receiving in each recess a dose of extractable or soluble beverage preparation product. A bottom wall of each recess is formed by a movable piston arranged to move with respect to the outer side surface of the drum to vary a height of the recess in relation to an angular position of the recess on the circular circumference of the drum. The puck forming device further comprises a compression body adjacent to the rotating drum arranged to provide a counter surface to compress a dose of extractable or soluble beverage preparation product against. The compression body comprises drive means arranged to drive the counter surface moving along a circumferential part of the outer side surface of the rotating drum with a velocity corresponding to a velocity of the outer side surface of the rotating drum.

A cleaner assembly for an apparatus for making pouch products includes a cleaner roller and a poker roller. The cleaner roller may counter rotate with a rotatable drum of the apparatus, in contact with an upper surface of a first elastic layer on the rotatable drum, and at a greater tangential speed than at least one surface of an outer circumferential surface of the rotatable drum or an upper surface of the first elastic layer. The poker roller includes projections that are each configured to extend into one or more divots of the rotatable drum. The poker roller may counter rotate with the rotatable drum and at a same tangential speed as the at least one surface such that the projections extend into and out of separate, respective divots of the rotatable drum based on the counter rotation of the poker roller and the rotatable drum.

Plastic container that is to be filled with a hot product includes a threaded neck portion, a base portion including a standing surface and a moveable element, and a body portion including a dome portion, first and second label stop portions, a supplemental vacuum panel and a sidewall relatively free of structural geometry that surrounds an interior of the body portion. During cooling, the hot product is contracted so as to create an induced vacuum. The supplemental vacuum panel is configured and operative to remove a first portion of an induced vacuum, and the moveable element is configured and operative to move from a first position to a second position to remove a second portion of the vacuum, wherein the first portion of the vacuum and the second portion of the vacuum constitute substantially the entire vacuum.

The containers are thermoformed in groups, filled, and closed. Then, the containers are separated, and placed adjacent to one another in such a manner that segments of their respective rims face each other and define between them a line of separation. On said line, at least one spot weld is formed that forms a breakable connection between the facing rim segments.