A packaging machine includes a first supplying unit, a second supplying unit, a placing mechanism, a moving mechanism, a guide member, and a joining mechanism. The first supplying unit supplies a first packaging material. The second supplying unit supplies a second packaging material. The placing mechanism places an object to be packaged on the first packaging material supplied by the first supplying unit. The moving mechanism moves the first packaging material, with the object to be packaged placed on the first packaging material, in a direction along a first axis. The guide member guides the second packaging material onto the object to be packaged. The joining mechanism joins the first packaging material and the second packaging material together. The object to be packaged is packaged using the first packaging material and the second packaging material.

A cartoning machine for packaging one or more products in a respective carton includes a product conveyor for conveying the products along an advancement direction, a transport device for transporting the carton along a transport path, an insertion zone wherein the products face an aperture of the carton and are inserted into the carton. The product conveyor includes a first belt on which first edges are mounted and a second belt on which second edges are mounted, each first edge defining with a respective second edge a pair of containment edges of the products. A mutual position of the first belt and of the second belt is adjustable so as to adjust accordingly a distance between the first edges and the second edges to adapt the pair of containment edges to a dimension of the products. The product conveyor further includes a first cam path and a second cam path, each first edge including a first cam follower engaging the first cam path and each second edge including a second cam follower engaging the second cam path, such that the first edges and the second edges are movable transversely to the advancement direction towards the carton at the insertion zone.

A method operates a packaging machine for wrapping a packaging film around packaging trays. The method includes: feeding the packaging film to a holding mechanism having two spaced-apart holders that hold the packaging film at two opposite sides; pressing a packaging tray against the packaging film by raising the packaging tray from below; and guiding opposite sides of the packaging film below the packaging tray. The packaging tray is raised by a raising device that raises a lifting platform from a transfer position into a packaging position, the lifting platform receives the packaging tray, and the packaging tray is transported from a loading position to the transfer position by a feed belt. The lifting platform is held in a middle position by the raising device while the feed belt is transporting the packaging tray between the loading position and the transfer position on an intermediate piece.

An apparatus for packaging of loose product includes a loading station, a box forming station and an uploading station. The loading station includes moveable chutes in spaced apart relation. Each chute has an open top, an open upstream end, and an open downstream end. The open top is configured to receive loose product while moving along a first feed path. The box forming station is operable to partially erect boxes in spaced apart relation with first and second open sides and align the first open side of each box with the downstream end of a corresponding chute while moving along a second feed path. The unloading station includes a stationary vacuum head in communication with the second open side of each box. The vacuum head provides a continuous vacuum source along the second feed path operable to move loose product from the chute into the boxes.

A bread packaging apparatus for packaging bread in a bag, includes a first urging unit that comes into contact with a loaf of bread and conveys the loaf of bread along a conveying path; and a control unit for controlling a speed of the first urging unit. The control unit controls the speed of the first urging unit such that the speed when the first urging unit comes into contact with the loaf of bread is different from the speed when the first urging unit conveys the loaf of bread.

One variation of a system for packaging a foodstuff includes: a ramp; a bag dispenser adjacent the ramp and dispensing a bag into a load position; a paddle pivotable about a hinge arranged above the ramp, comprising a leading edge opposite the hinge and engaging the ramp, and extensible between a retracted setting and an extended setting, the leading edge of the paddle in contact with the ramp in the retracted setting and inserted into the mouth of the bag in the extended setting; an actuator coupled to the paddle and extending the paddle between the retracted setting and the extended setting; and a conveyor advancing the a foodstuff toward the bag dispenser, foodstuff contacting a bottom surface of the paddle and pivoting the paddle about the hinge to separate an upper layer of the bag from a lower layer.

A system includes a carriage configured to transport a foodstuff along a path of movement. A bag dispenser positions a bag into the path of movement. A paddle includes a leading edge, a trailing edge, and an actuator. The paddle rotates about a pivot point proximate to the trailing edge. The actuator adjusts the paddle from retracted to extended, which increases the distance from the leading edge to the trailing edge. The leading edge of the paddle is configured to move into a mouth of the bag as the actuator is adjusted from retracted to extended. While the leading edge is in the extended position, the paddle rotates about the pivot point in response to movement of the carriage and the foodstuff. The rotation opens the mouth of the bag such that continued movement of the carriage and the foodstuff moves the foodstuff into the bag.

The method includes covering a first opening of at least one first chute using a lid, delivering air from a pressurized air source into the at least one first chute, and advancing at least one first plunger through a first end of the at least one first chute to transfer a product through a second end of the at least one first chute and into a first open side of at least one first box.

A machine and method for arranging objects comprising a first end with a protruding edge and a second end, on the opposite side of the protruding edge, in an alternate manner along single file rows. A guide guides objects in a single file row to a separator for receiving and separating the objects into a first and a second group and for alternately feeding the first and the second group to a collector and dropping device configured for rotating the objects of the first group and the second group according to a predetermined orientation and for stacking the objects one above the other in an alternate manner along single file rows.

A cardboard box erector that folds four flaps provided on edges of an opening of a cardboard box so as to surround the opening is disclosed. The four flaps include a locking flap folded last among the four flaps. The cardboard box erector includes a folding unit configured to fold each of the four flaps in a predetermined order to close the opening, and a pushing unit configured to perform an action to push the locking flap inside the cardboard box and pull the locking flap back. The pushing unit has a suction unit configured to such and hold the locking flap.