A method is described for making a retort container having one or two metal ends. A heat-sealable material is present on one or both of the container side wall and the/each metal end. The/each metal end is seamed onto the container body, and the resulting container assembly is conveyed on a conveyor adjacent to an induction sealing head and then adjacent to a cooling device. A pressure belt engages the upper end of the container assembly to keep the metal end from coming off the container body during the induction heating and cooling processes.

A heat-sealing apparatus for forming a composite heat seal structure, includes a belt conveying, heating and press bonding portion configured to convey and heat a heat seal material to form a band-shaped peelable seal, and a die roll press bonding portion configured to add a linear peelable seal to the band-shaped peelable seal in a longitudinal direction of the band-shaped peelable seal for forming the composite heat seal structure.

A method is described for making a retort container having one or two metal ends. A heat-sealable material is present on one or both of the container side wall and the/each metal end. The/each metal end is seamed onto the container body, and the resulting container assembly is conveyed on a conveyor adjacent to an induction sealing head and then adjacent to a cooling device. A pressure belt engages the upper end of the container assembly to keep the metal end from coming off the container body during the induction heating and cooling processes.

A methods of executing start, run, and stop sequences on a machine for converting a web of preformed pouches into inflated dunnage units. The pouches are defined by transverse seals extending from a remote edge to within a predetermined distance from an inflation edge.

A packaging apparatus with an improved pinch roller apparatus, fluid supply apparatus, and/or a sealing apparatus. The pinch roller apparatus (e.g., comprising one or more guide and/or pinch rollers) is used to deliver film material to the fluid supply apparatus (e.g., nozzle and blower apparatus, or the like) that fills one or more chambers of the film material with fluid (e.g., air, gas, or other like fluid), and the film material is then sealed by a sealing apparatus (e.g., using one or more heating elements with an improved temperature sensor configuration) that seals the fluid within the one or more chambers in order to form the inflated article (e.g., inflated packaging material). In particular, the sealing apparatus provides improved sealing through the improved accuracy of the temperature reading in the heating zone, in part, by locating a sensor between a heating element and a protective member that covers the sensor.

A protective packaging formation device is disclosed herein. The device includes an inflation assembly that directs fluid between first and second overlapping plies of a web material. The device also includes a sealing mechanism that includes an arcuate web-support surface. The web-support surface includes a heater that defines a heating zone that is operable to heat the plies to create a longitudinal heat seal that seals the first and second plies together as the web is driven over the heating zone in a downstream direction. The web-support surface also includes a cooling zone disposed downstream of the heating zone operable to allow the heated plies to cool at the longitudinal heat seal as the web is driven over the heating zone in a downstream direction, such that the cooled longitudinal heat seal retains the fluid between the plies.

A method is described for making a retort container having one or two metal ends. A heat-sealable material is present on one or both of the container side wall and the/each metal end. The/each metal end is seamed onto the container body, and the resulting container assembly is conveyed on a conveyor adjacent to an induction sealing head and then adjacent to a cooling device. A pressure belt engages the upper end of the container assembly to keep the metal end from coming off the container body during the induction heating and cooling processes.

A system for forming a tendon sleeve on an atmospheric balloon is described herein, the system comprising a coupling assembly including a seam coupling mechanism that forms a seam joint between a first gore panel and a second gore panel, the seam joint is spaced from respective first and second lateral edges of the first and second gore panels to form first and second edge flanges, and an edge coupling mechanism that forms an edge joint between the first and second edge flanges and closes a tendon sleeve, the edge joint spaced from the seam joint, the tendon sleeve includes a tendon sleeve passage between the seam joint and the edge joint and between the first and second edge flanges. The system also includes a tendon positioning mechanism that positions a tendon within the tendon sleeve passage. A tendon sleeve formed by this system is also described herein.

Devices and methods for producing sandwich composite materials having at least one layer of plastic disposed between at least two outer metallic covering layers may comprise providing at least two semifinished products coated with plastic on one side, activating at least one of the plastic-coated sides of the metallic covering layers directly from the side of the covering layer having the plastic-coating, and connecting the plastic-coated sides of the metallic covering layers to form the sandwich composite material. The activation of the plastic may be performed by way of a heat source that utilizes an activation medium, radiation, or plasma, for example.

Provided are multi-beam meltblowing apparatuses having a ridged collecting surface, methods for making multilayer meltblown composites using such apparatuses, and multilayer meltblown composites made therefrom. Also provided are a multilayer composite comprising an elastic layer and at least one ridged layer and a method for making the multilayer composite.