Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.a.

Illinois Tool Works Inc.

Mathias N Coulomb

Alessandro Morselli

Tony Kinas

Brian Alfred Williams

Mark W Davidson

Giorgio Santoni

Roy A Johnson

Jon Paul Laskis

Slobodan Milosevic

Gregory Bruns

Joshua Alexander

Fabio Ferrari

John Griffin Miller

Folding apparatus () for folding sheet packaging elements (), comprising main conveying means (), configured to sequentially receive the packaging elements () from a feeding station () and to advance each packaging element () along a first path (A), forming means (), carried by the main conveying means () and configured to cooperate in use with a first face () of each packaging element () while the packaging element () is advanced along the first path (A), and folding means (), advanced by auxiliary conveying means () along a second path (Q), having a first portion (Q) distinct from the first path (A) and a second portion (Q), which is in common with the first path (A) and along which the folding means () cooperate with a second face (), opposite the first face (), of each packaging element () to fold the packaging element () against the forming means ().

Folding apparatus for folding sheet packaging elements

A wrapping unit () for a packaging line () comprises a conveyor () for feeding a succession of products () in a first direction () and a wrapping station () arranged along the conveyor () for wrapping a film () of wrapping material around said products (), said wrapping station () comprising a wrapping device () provided with a plurality of wrapping members (), each of said wrapping members () extending in a second direction () perpendicular to said first direction (), said wrapping unit () further comprising a stability control group () for preventing said products () from tipping along said conveyor (), said stability control group () comprising a plurality of anti-tip devices (), each of said anti-tip devices () being associated, during operation, with a respective product () to move together with said respective product () through said wrapping station ().

Product wrapping unit for a packaging line

Package grouping unit for a packaging line operable to produce multipacks; the grouping unit () comprises a linear conveyor () operable to feed a succession of packages () at a first speed (V); and at least one grouping assembly () formed by two sub-assemblies (); wherein each sub-assembly comprises a pair of endless conveyors () and define, with the endless conveyors () of the other sub-assembly (), a package grouping channel () having a package inlet () and a group outlet (); each endless conveyor is provided with a number of package retaining elements (); the endless conveyors are operable independently from each other to move a first retaining element () through the package inlet () at a second speed (V) lower than the first speed (V) so as to intercept and slow down a first package () in the succession and cause the packages () to group; and to move a second retaining element (), carried by a different endless conveyor (), through the package inlet () so as to intercept the last package () in the succession and define, with the first retaining element (), a seat that is so sized as to accommodate a package group () and is movable, with the package group (), along the grouping channel ().

Package grouping unit with package linear speed reduction

Apparatus, flight bar assemblies, and methods are disclosed for nesting objects into a substantially staggered arrangement. Such nesting may be done in a nesting zone of a machine, for example, just upstream of a shrink wrapping machine. The nested arrangement allows the grouping of nested objects to be shrink-wrapped without use of trays or cardboard blanks if desired. The flight bar assemblies may include movable spacers for orienting rows of objects before, during, and after nesting. Lane dividers may be provided having lengths corresponding to a contour of an outer guide and cam surface, cooperating with the lane dividers to selectively urging the rows of objects inward in an organized fashion to allow efficient and reliable nesting.

Flight bar assembly, apparatus and methods for nestable collation of objects

Growing community of inventors

Greenville, SC, United States of America

Mathias N Coulomb