A packaging machine for placing articles into a carton includes rotating flight assemblies that receive a carton or carton blank, and rotate the carton blank and carton with articles while the flight assemblies move downstream. The flight assemblies each include two fixed segments and one segment that includes a block and associated bracket that rotate as the flight assembly is pulled through the machine by a conveying system. A method includes carton blanks being fed by a carton feeder onto the flight assemblies. Articles are formed into an article group, which is then placed onto a carton blank. As the blank and article group move in a downstream direction, the side panels of the carton blank are wrapped around the article group and the carton and article group are rotated to assist in closing the carton end flaps.

An apparatus and method for compacting bulk material in an open container having a compacting device including a poker compactor, the poker compactor having an outer wall and being suitable to be inserted into an open container to cause the outer wall of the poker compactor to contact the bulk material and to degas and compact the bulk material in the open container. The outer wall of the poker compactor is at least partially formed by a gas-permeable, outer suction wall of a suction device and the poker compactor includes a vibration exciter to support degassing the bulk material by way of vibrating motion of the poker compactor generated by the vibration exciter. The vibration exciter is radially surrounded by a tube device and the suction wall surrounds the tube device.

The disclosure relates to a packaging system comprising a deep-drawing packaging machine configured to produce packages in a production direction, and a feeding system for the deep-drawing packaging machine, wherein the feeding system comprises at least one transport belt device configured to transport cardboard blanks in a transport direction extending transversely to the production direction of the deep-drawing packaging machine into a transfer area formed within a machine frame of the deep-drawing packaging machine, and wherein the feeding system comprises a lifting device arranged in the transfer area for collecting and lifting the cardboard blanks transported into the transfer area by means of the transport belt device, wherein the lifting device has a plurality of independently controllable lifting units positioned one behind the other in the transport direction. Furthermore, the disclosure relates to a corresponding method.

A box forming apparatus includes first holders configured to hold a first side surface of a cardboard sheet, second holders configured to hold a second side surface of the cardboard sheet, an arm, a first mover, and a second mover. The arm has a support that supports the first and the second holders. The first mover changes a position of the first holders relative to the second holders while the arm is being rotated to open the cardboard sheet. The second mover moves the arm in association with opening of the cardboard sheet so that, when the cardboard sheet has been opened, the second mover will have moved the support a predetermined distance in a second direction opposite a first direction, which is a direction heading from a rotational center of the arm to a distal end of the arm.

Disclosed is a method for arranging an edge-protection device on a package. For this purpose, an arranging device is moved from a starting position in the direction of the package. The package edge is sensed by way of a first or a second sensor. Which sensor is to be used is determined by a controller. To this end, the latter checks whether one of the sensors is arranged above the package top side. Also disclosed is an arranging device, which is used in the abovementioned method.

The present invention relates to the forming of a container by folding a cardboard sheet with at least vertical flaps, using a forming device and a forming method. Such a device comprises an upstream conveyor driving said cardboard sheet in a direction of travel, a downstream conveyor, means for folding the vertical flaps, said folding means being situated symmetrically about said upstream conveyor, and is characterized in that, on each side, said folding means comprise a pair of downstream and upstream pushers forming a gripper, said pushers being actuated jointly from an open position toward a closed position of folding said corresponding vertical flaps, a support for each gripper, said support being mobile in said direction of travel.

This box assembling and packing system is provided: a first jig which is fixed at a predetermined position and against which a side part of a body of a packing box is thrust; a second jig which is fixed at a predetermined position and against which a flap part and a tuck part of the packing box are thrust; and a robot having two articulated arms. A first articulated arm of the two articulated arms holds and moves the packing box in a flatly collapsed form by a packing box holding mechanism, folds and raises the body of the flatly collapsed packing box into a rectangular tubular shape in cooperation with the first jig, and maintains the folded and raised body of the packing box in the rectangular tubular shape by a packing box rectangular tubular shape maintaining mechanism. The second articulated arm moves a folding member into contact with the flap part and the tuck part of the packing box being held by the packing box holding mechanism of the first articulated arm, forms each of a bottom and a lid of the packing box in cooperation with the second jig, and moves an object-to-be-packed being grasped by an object-to-be-packed grasping mechanism and inserts it into the body from an end portion at a timing between forming the bottom and forming the lid.

An apparatus for making a multiplicity of packages including a feeding station, a separation station which is arranged downstream of the feeding station, a single feeding track which carries at least one multiplicity of multiple sheets from the feeding station to the separation station, at least two exit tracks which are arranged downstream of the separation station. Each multiple sheet of the multiplicity of multiple sheets includes at least two portions of sheet lying on a same geometric plane. Each portion of sheet is a single sheet of the package in a flat configuration. Each package of the multiplicity of packages includes at least one product and the single sheet of the package adapted to pass from a flat configuration to a configuration coupled with the at least one product.

A packaging machine configured to form, fill, and seal individual packages is provided. The packaging machine includes a disinfection/sterilization station configured to treat ready-to-fill packaging containers passing through said disinfection station. The disinfection/sterilization station includes a supply section configured to provide gaseous sterilizing agent into open ends of the ready-to-fill packaging containers passing the supply section, and a holding section arranged downstream the supply section. The packaging machine is configured to keep the ready-to-fill packaging containers at the supply section such that the sterilizing agent will condense on areas of the ready-to-fill packaging container having a temperature below the dew point of the sterilizing agent, and the packaging machine is configured to keep the ready-to-fill packaging containers at the holding section such that the gaseous sterilizing agent will treat areas of the ready-to-fill packaging container having a temperature above the dew point of the sterilizing agent.

The invention proceeds from a transporting apparatus for a packaging machine, for transferring pack groups, in particular groups of cardboard boxes and/or cardboard blanks, along a transporting route from at least a first pack-group arrangement in a first transporting-route portion into at least one further pack-group arrangement in at least one further transporting-route portion, wherein the first pack-group arrangement and the at least one further pack-group arrangement are spaced apart internally in each case by different distances, having at least two transporting units, which can be driven independently in a movement plane along the transporting route, at least between the first transporting-route portion and the further transporting-route portion, in a transporting direction and in a return direction, which is counter to the transporting direction, wherein the transporting units each have at least one driving element, by means of which, in at least one operating state, the respective transporting unit is coupled to a pack of the pack group which is to be transferred, at least during transfer from the first transporting-route portion into the at least one further transporting-route portion. It is proposed to mount the driving elements on the transporting units in each case such that, in a force-fitting and/or form-fitting manner, they can be coupled to the pack which is to be coupled to the respective transporting unit, and uncoupled therefrom, in one movement, in each case independently of the at least one driving element of the at least one further transporting unit.