An aroma-tight cigarette pack with an outer pack (12) configured in the form of a hinge-lid box, and also with an inner pack (11) configured in the form of a sealed block with an opening aid which can be used a number of times. The opening aid has a removal opening (51) which extends in a sub-region of an inner front wall (39) and of an adjacent inner end wall (41) and is covered over by a closure label (54) with an adhesively bonding connecting periphery (55). The inner pack (11) has closure seams (37) which are designed in the form of fin seams.

A form, fill and seal machine for making a reclosable package with a reclosable fastener includes a reclosable fastener handling assembly, a forming tube, a vertical seal assembly and a sealing jaw assembly. The handling assembly includes a flattening device, a reclosable fastener feed device and a slack sensor. A form, fill and seal machine alternatively includes a forming tube, a vertical seal assembly disposed adjacent the forming tube, wherein the vertical seal assembly is configured to continuously seal the film tube, and a tear notch applicator positioned downstream of the vertical seal assembly and configured to apply a slit to the continuously moving film tube. The tear notch applicator is positionally fixed in the machine direction. Methods for continuously forming a reclosable package are also provided.

There is described a unit (1, 1, 1) for forming/advancing at least one pack (3) or at least one portion of a pack (3), comprising a frame (11, 12a, 12b), a selectively activatable/deactivatable source of power (42) and at least one carriage (14a, 14b) operationally coupled with source of power (42), movable along a path (13a, 13b) comprising at least one vertical portion (18a, 18b, 19a, 19b), and adapted to convey said at least one pack (3) or said at least one portion of a pack (3); unit (1, 1, 1) comprises stopping means (45) fitted to frame (12a, 12b) and which can be operated: to leave carriage (14a, 14b) free to advance along vertical portion (18a, 18b; 19a, 19b), when source of power (42) is activated, and to stop carriage (14a, 14b) along vertical portion (18a, 18b; 19a, 19b), when source of power is, in use, deactivated.

A horizontal packaging machine for packaging a product fed in a horizontal direction comprising a control panel and a cut-sew group to make on a packaging film transverse welds and a cut to close and separate from each other two successive packs. The cut-sew group comprises a plurality of cut and sew tools to make said transverse welds and the cut. The transverse welds define the edges of the packs according to different packaging sizes for said product. The horizontal packaging machine can change the size of the aforesaid packs simply by selecting through the control panel one of the cut and sew tools of the plurality present in the cut-sew group, and by positioning said cut-sew group so that the product to be packaged is fed at said cut and sew tool selected to make the packs according to a prefixed and set size through the control panel. The cut-sew group comprises an upper shaft and a lower shaft independently controlled in rotation by means of a respective upper motor and a respective lower motor. Each shaft mounts on it said plurality of cut and sew tools and wherein each cut and sew tool consists of an upper tool and a corresponding lower tool. Each cut and sew tool comprises one or more heat-sealing spatulas to make said transverse welds for closing the packs and one or more cutting elements to make said cut which mutually separates two successive packs.

There is described a packaging apparatus (1) for forming sealed packages (2) from a tube (3). The packaging apparatus (1) has an endless conveyor device (7) arranged in a conveyor zone (8), conveying carts (9) and operative units (10, 10) moved by the plurality of conveying carts (9) along a path (P, Q). Each operative unit (10, 10) moves between an operative configuration, in which the operative unit (10, 10) manipulates the tube (3) and a rest configuration in which the operative unit (10, 10) is detached from the tube (3). Each operative unit (10, 10) has a half-shell (36) and one of a sealing element (37a) or a counter-sealing element (37b) and each operative unit (10, 10) is carried by one respective conveying cart (9) and extends laterally away therefrom so that the conveyor zone (8) is laterally spaced apart from an operative zone (33) where the tube is manipulated.

A method for wrapping hygroscopic products includes feeding a succession of products and wrapping each product in wrapping material to define a wrapper for the product. The wrapping including 1) folding a sheet of wrapping material into a U-shape around at least part of a respective product and sealing to each other at least two edges of the sheet of wrapping material along a first, longitudinal sealing line defining a tubular body in which the product is disposed and having a first and a second open end; 2) sealing at least two portions of the tubular body along a second and a third sealing line transverse to the first longitudinal sealing line, thereby enclosing the product in the wrapper; and 3) creating a vacuum in the tubular body before the sealing the portions of the tubular body along at least one between the second and the third sealing line.

A sealing assembly for packaging lines of the type having mutually opposite sealing heads between which the polymeric sheets to be mated translate, includes mutually opposite synchronously rotating carousels. At least two eccentric shafts are pivoted on each carousel, and at least one respective sealing head is pivoted on each one of the shafts at an axis. Each eccentric shaft includes a respective slider that can move along a fixed contoured profile for the movement of the respective shaft. A linkage connects corresponding levers which are substantially integral with the eccentric shafts. The levers are opposite to the point of coupling to the respective slider. Each sealing head is controlled by orientation elements which are integral with the respective carousel.

The film sealing and wrapping machine with a rotary cut and seal jaw is provided. The rotary cut and seal jaw has an internal sliding mechanism which provides for smooth and quiet operation. The rotational speed of the jaw may be varied to increase through put and to provide for a title bag around products. The rotary cut and seal jaw may comprise a seal bar and pressure pad may both be spring loaded to self align the seal bar and pressure pad during the sealing and cutting process. Lastly, a gap defined by a belt disposed upstream and downstream of the seal bar and pressure pad may be mechanically linked to the pressure pad through a control carriage.

A packaging assembly (10) that includes a weighing machine (11) that delivers batches of product to a packaging machine (18). A film drive assembly (17) pulls strip bag material pass a former shoulder (41), to form tubular bag material into which batches of product are to be delivered, with the tubular bag material being longitudinally sealed, transversely sealed and transversely cut by the packaging machine (18).

A device for joining filter bags includes two operating units located on opposite sides of a continuous tubular strip of filter material movable along a feed direction; each operating unit includes a supporting body, a sealing head connected to the supporting body and two kinematic units equipped with a corresponding eccentric rotary system for moving the supporting body along a first trajectory and to move the sealing head between a position of contact with the strip and a position away from the strip; each operating unit includes a carriage associated with the sealing head for and slidably connected to the supporting body to translate in both directions along a second trajectory.