R. A. Jones Co., Inc.

Frank G Oliverio

Boris E Makutonin

Daniel J Rack

James A Glazier

Matthew J Zdinak

Robert B McCaslin

Bandoliers of pouches or separate pouches are carried by suction cups on a transfer wheel and operated to hold and release pouches through solenoid valves, each coupled to a respective cup. The solenoid valves are operated by a controller to release pouches from the respective cups at precise angular positions of the wheel to control the configuration of the bandolier in a package or tray. Embodiments provide lateral shifting or rotation of pouches held by the cups. Fold-leading or fold-trailing bandolier configurations are produced. Solenoid valves are disposed proximate cups at the wheel periphery or elsewhere and operably coupled to the cups.

Pouch transfer apparatus and methods

The invention is a sealing system and a method of operation thereof. A sealing system which forms spaced apart thermal seals along a moving at least one web () by contact of the moving the at least one web with heated portions () of sealing elements () mounted on a sealing wheel () during rotation in accordance with the invention includes seal forming elements () which peripherally contact the at least one web to form the thermal seals by heat transfer to the at least one web; and wherein each seal forming element has an outer section () on which is located at least one electrical heater (), an inner section () which contacts the sealing wheel and an intermediate section () which includes thermal insulation () which insulates the outer section from the inner section.

Sealing system for forming thermal seals and methods of operation thereof

An adjustable, side discharge side discharge volumetric feeder particularly suitable for handling products of large articulate configurations. Product is rate fed to a plurality of volumetric chambers having a movable bottom for volume adjustment and an open side wall covered and uncovered by a belt for product discharge. Process and alternatives are disclosed. The feeder manages large particulates such as snacks, pet foods, cereals, candy and the like in a volumetric manner, at high speeds up to 1500 pouches per minute in a gentle manner that minimizes product breakage.

Adjustable volume side discharge feeder

A pouch machine includes a modular feeder having feeder components mounted in a module. The pouch machine has a common socket for receiving a selected one of a plurality of feeder modules in operative position proximate a pouch filler apparatus.

Modular product feed

The invention is a sealing system and a method of operation thereof. A sealing system which forms spaced apart thermal seals along a moving at least one web ( ) by contact of the moving the at least one web with heated portions ( ) of sealing elements ( ) mounted on a sealing wheel ( ) during rotation in accordance with the invention includes seal forming elements ( ) which peripherally contact the at least one web to form the thermal seals by heat transfer to the at least one web; and wherein each seal forming element has an outer section ( ) on which is located at least one electrical heater ( ), an inner section ( ) which contacts the sealing wheel and an intermediate section ( ) which includes thermal insulation ( ) which insulates the outer section from the inner section.

Sealing system for forming thermal seals and method of operation thereof

A pouch knife and transfer apparatus has two discharge points where severed pouches are discharged onto separate conveyors with one of the conveyors being a direct drop conveyor. Such direct drop conveyor operates initially in a direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the knife or to the axis of rotation of the transfer wheel feeding the conveyor. The other conveyor may be a direct drop conveyor or any other form of a conveyor. Methods are disclosed.

Rotary knife and transfer apparatus

A product transfer apparatus for transferring individual product from a rotary feeding station to downstream apparatus such as a cartoner conveyor in preselected count stacks for subsequent discharge at a cartoner machine. Stacks of product are formed by dropping the product into stacks on a transfer conveyor and from there dropping the stacks directly into buckets of a cartoner conveyor. A transfer bucket conveyor is disposed beneath and transverse to an axis of the rotary feeding station and includes an upper fill run and a lower discharge run of product transfer buckets. The cartoner conveyor is disposed beneath and aligned with the transfer bucket conveyor and includes a series of cartoner product buckets operating in speed register with the lower run of product transfer buckets for receiving the preselected count stacks from the lower discharge run. The transfer bucket conveyor is capable of intermittent or decreased speed in the upper fill run for accommodating stack building, rejection of the product, varied product sizes, varying counts of the product in the upper fill run, a varied bucket pitch, while maintaining a constant speed in the lower discharge run for continuously feeding product stacks to the cartoner product buckets. Any combination of continuous and intermittent motion in the upper and lower transfer runs can be used for desired effect, including synchronization between varied upstream and downstream product handling stations.

Direct drop transfer apparatus

Methods of converting pitch on a pouch machine include using a standard drive table with above table change parts including sealer wheel, filler wheel and knife. The sealer wheels and filler wheels are retained at respectively the same diameters to facilitate use of the common drive and to facilitate maintenance of the pouch web path through the machine for all pouch pitch ranges. Pouch stations on the sealer and filler wheels are not limited to whole degree movements and pouch web speeds are preferably maintained constantly for all pouch pitch ranges.

Growing community of inventors

Cincinnati, OH, United States of America

Frank G Oliverio