A vertical packaging machine that includes a forming tube having an inner passage section and retaining means associated with the forming tube. The retaining means includes a retaining device configured to be displaced between a blocking position (P1) in which it at least partially blocks the inner passage section of the forming tube, and a release position (P2) in which it does not block said inner passage section of the forming tube. While in the blocking position (P1), the retaining device is arranged at a fixed specific height and is configured to prevent a product from passing through the inner passage section of the forming tube. Upon transitioning to the release position (P2), the retaining device is withdrawn from the path to be followed by the product.

A tubular bag machine having a longitudinal sealing element having two transverse sealing jaws which are moveable against each other to transversely seal a film tube, having a mechanism which moves the transverse sealing jaws, a filling device for filling the unsealed tubular bags with a filling material, a separating element for separating individual filled tubular bags, a dosing device disposed upstream of the filling device, and a transfer element having several transfer containers between the filling device of the tubular bag machine and the dosing device. The filling material is transferred from the dosing device to the transfer containers, and the transfer containers are transported to a dispensing station along a transfer line, and the filling material is transferred to the filling device, and the transfer containers are transported back along a return transfer line.

A twin-tube tubular bag machine having two longitudinal sealing elements for forming two parallel film tubes, two parallel transverse sealing jaws for forming sealed tubular bags, and two filling devices for filling the tubular bags. A dosing device is disposed upstream of each of the filling devices for dosing a prespecified filling quantity of the filling material to be filled into the tubular bags. A transfer element having several transfer containers is provided between the filling devices and the dosing device. The filling material is transferred from the dosing device to the transfer containers in an input station. The transfer containers are transported to a pairing of two dispensing stations along a transfer line, the filling material is transferred from the transport containers to the two filling devices, and the transfer containers are transported back to the input station along a return transfer line.

A dirt removal and piling machine is ideally suited for use in cleaning and piling individualized and non-uniformly shaped workpieces, preferably sugar beets but also potatoes, other tuber crops, and even with aggregate rocks for a tilting receiving station. A further aspect of the present machine includes a workpiece unloading or receiving station which can tip sideways after a dump truck unloads the workpieces and longitudinally drives therethrough. In another aspect, the machine also includes a cleaning station having rotatable rollers, an underlying dirt conveyor and a moveable dirt dumping conveyor, hopper or bucket adjacent an end of the dirt conveyor and external to the rollers. Furthermore, another aspect of the machine includes an automatic and/or robotic sampling arm which is operable to remove a tuber crop workpiece sample and automatically package the sample after the sample has moved through a cleaning station.

The invention relates to a tubular bag machine having a longitudinal sealing element for forming a film tube, having two transverse sealing jaws, which are moveable against each other and which thereby transversely seal the film tube, for forming sealed tubular bags, having a mechanism, which has a drive and which moves the transverse sealing jaws, having a filling device for filling the unsealed tubular bags with a filling material, having a separating element for separating individual filled tubular bags, a dosing device being disposed upstream of the filling device, said dosing device allowing for the dosing of a prespecified filling quantity of the filling material to be filled into a tubular bag, a transfer element having several transfer containers being provided between the filling device of the tubular bag machine and the dosing device, the prespecified filling quantity of the filling material being transferred from the dosing device to the transfer containers in an input station, and the transfer containers being transported to a dispensing station along a transfer line, and the filling material being transferred from the transport containers to the filling device in the dispensing station, and the transfer containers being transported back to the input station along a return transfer line.

A twin-tube tubular bag machine having two longitudinal sealing elements for forming two parallel film tubes, two parallel transverse sealing jaws, which are moveable against each other and which thereby transversely seal the film tube, being provided for each of the two film tubes for forming sealed tubular bags, having a mechanism which has a drive and which moves the transverse sealing jaws, and having two filling devices for filling the tubular bags formed by the film tubes with filling material, and having two separating elements for separating individual filled tubular bags from the two film tubes, a dosing device being disposed upstream of each of the filling devices, said dosing device allowing for the dosing of a prespecified filling quantity of the filling material to be filled into the tubular bags, a transfer element having several transfer containers being provided between the filling devices and the dosing device, the prespecified filling quantity of the filling material being transferred from the dosing device to the transfer containers in an input station, and the transfer containers being transported to a pairing of two dispensing stations along a transfer line, and the filling material being transferred from the transport containers to the two filling devices in the pairing of two dispensing stations, and the transfer containers being transported back to the input station along a return transfer line.

A method of forming dual layer water soluble packets includes drawing a base film into a cavity of a mold, drawing air through openings in the base film, metering an amount of a first product of a first color onto the base film in the cavity, metering an amount of a second product of a second color onto the amount of the first product, and, sealing a lid film to the base film.

A process for line production of plant growth medium pots or bags with a closed bottom end includes the steps of: i) continuously folding the free end of a continuous length of water and air permeable sheet material into a sheet material tube around and beyond a free end of a growth medium feeding tube; ii) forming a first sealing in the sheet material tube; iii) filling the sheet material tube with a measured amount of growth medium; iv) forming a second sealing in the sheet material tube; v) separating the part of the sheet material tube positioned downstream from the second sealing to form a first plant growth medium pot or bag with a closed end, repeating as needed to form a plurality of plant growth medium pots or bags.

A method of forming dual layer water soluble packets includes drawing a base film into a cavity of a mold, drawing air through openings in the base film, metering an amount of a first product of a first color onto the base film in the cavity, metering an amount of a second product of a second color onto the amount of the first product, and, sealing a lid film to the base film.

A system for making a cementitious composite includes a cementitious material supply system for dispensing a powdered cementitious material or a semi-powdered cementitious material into a receiving material. The receiving material includes a structural layer and a sealing layer. The structural layer includes an open continuous volume extending from a first side to a second side opposite the first side. The sealing layer is coupled to the first side. The cementitious material supply system is configured to dispense the powdered cementitious material or the semi-powdered cementitious material into the open continuous volume to fill the open continuous volume.