A flexible container is provided. The flexible container includes four panels. The four panels form (i) a body portion; (ii) a neck portion, and a flare portion that extends from the neck portion; (iii) a tapered transition portion between the body portion and the neck portion; and (iv) the neck portion has a reduced width. The flare portion has an expanded end. The width of the flare portion gradually increases from the neck portion to the expanded end.

A riveting system, for use in mechanically linking adjacent workpieces, including a rivet having a height greater than a sum of thicknesses, measured along a line of riveting, of the workpieces being linked, so that the rivet can pass fully through the workpieces. The system also includes a riveting die, which may be a separate product. The die includes a protrusion extending from a peak toward a transition point; and a trough having a trough surface. The trough surface includes a trough inner wall, extending from the transition point to a trough bottom, and a trough outer wall, extending from the trough bottom to a trough outer edge. The technology also includes computerized systems for comparing a load-displacement profile of riveting to a pre-set profile to determine whether the riveting was performed properly.

A method of producing a golf ball applies ultrasonic welding on two half shells to form at least one intermediate layer, at least one cover layer, or at least one intermediate layer and at least one cover layer. The ultrasonic welding may include pressing the two half shells together, delivering a high power electrical signal to a welding stack, and converting the high power electrical signal at the welding stack to ultrasonic energy. The converting may include converting the high power electrical signal into a mechanical vibration, modifying an amplitude of the mechanical vibration to generate a modified mechanical vibration, and applying the modified mechanical vibration to an interface of the two half shells to weld them together ultrasonically. Aspects also relate to golf balls, or one or more layers thereof, made using ultrasonic welding.

A method of producing a golf ball applies ultrasonic welding on two half shells to form at least one intermediate layer, at least one cover layer, or at least one intermediate layer and at least one cover layer. The ultrasonic welding may include pressing the two half shells together, delivering a high power electrical signal to a welding stack, and converting the high power electrical signal at the welding stack to ultrasonic energy. The converting may include converting the high power electrical signal into a mechanical vibration, modifying an amplitude of the mechanical vibration to generate a modified mechanical vibration, and applying the modified mechanical vibration to an interface of the two half shells to weld them together ultrasonically. Aspects also relate to golf balls, or one or more layers thereof, made using ultrasonic welding.

A method of bonding a connector to a first object includes providing the connector, the connector being separate from the first object and including a thermoplastic material; arranging the first object and the connector relative to one another so that the connector reaches from a proximal side of the object through a first opening in the object; generating and applying vibrations and mechanical pressure to the connector until a flow portion of the thermoplastic material is liquefied and caused to flow sideways radially into an open space; and removing the source of the vibrations and causing the liquefied thermoplastic material to re-solidify, resulting in the connector with a foot portion, a head portion, and a shaft portion between the foot portion and the head portion. The shaft portion extends along an axis through the first opening, and secures the connector to the first object.

A film fin sealing device is disclosed herein which may have a groove defining a base. The base of the groove of the fin sealing device may be oriented at a skewed angle with respect to a longitudinal direction of the conveyor of a heat sealing machine. Edges of a thermoplastic sheet or two stacked layers of thermoplastic sheets are introduced into the groove of the film fin sealing device and placed in contact therewith to both heat and fuse the distal edge portions of the thermoplastic sheet(s) to join the edge portions thereof to form a fin seal.

A method is provided for plastic forming of a ball which forms a connecting element or part of a connecting element intended for connecting at least two components. At least some of the energy required for the plastic forming of the ball is introduced into the ball by way of ultrasound.

An apparatus to join two panels together includes a chamber, a horn positioned within the chamber, the horn moving reciprocally within the chamber, and a set of heating elements positioned about the horn to heat the horn. One of the panels has a post molded to it, the post extending through the other panel, and after the horn is heated an end of the horn is placed on top of the post and is ultrasonically vibrated to form a head of the post to join the two panels together.

The present invention provides, in various embodiments, a rotary-type machine (M) for continuously sealing individual foil bags (B) by way of ultrasonic welding between an anvil (6) and a sonotrode (5) in at least one welding station (S) of a carousel (1), where each foil bag (B) can be positioned by way of holders (11). In some embodiments, the rotary-type machine (M) comprises at least one welding station (S) composed of a sonotrode (5) being located stationary at least relative to the direction of circulation (8) and anvils (6) which with intermediate spacings (7) rotate past said sonotrode (5) successively in the direction of circulation (8) of the carousel (1). According to the invention, the foil bags (B) are sealed at the stationary sonotrode (5) when the anvils (6) equipped with the foil bags (B) are rotated past.

A method of forming reinforced packages. The method can comprise forming an attached web by adhering a blank to a web of material and moving the attached web in a downstream direction through at least a tube forming assembly and a carton forming assembly. The method also can comprise at least partially forming a tube by folding at least a portion of the web of material as the attached web moves through the tube forming assembly, forming a reinforcement sleeve by folding at least a portion of the blank so that the reinforcement sleeve extends at least partially around the tube as the attached web moves through the carton forming assembly, and forming a reinforced package comprising the reinforcement sleeve and a tube portion by separating the tube portion from a remainder of the tube, the reinforcement sleeve being adhered to the tube portion.