Meadwestvaco Packaging Systems, LLC

Southwire Company, LLC

Westrock Shared Services, LLC

Meadwestvaco Corporation

Michael F Flagg

John W Cash, Iii

Rafe T Patterson

William M Berry, Iii

Jeffrey G Jacob

Thomas Dean Graham

Amer Aganovic

Claudio D'Alesio

Doyle B Charles

Bobby C Gentry

Larry Chuba

John Hotchkiss

James L Rhyne

Patrick King

David Warren Windom

James Wilburn Langston

Alan P Martin

John Wilson Cash

A machine for filling a tertiary container with secondary containers is provided. The machine includes a frame and a tray loading station positioned to receive a plurality of streams of the secondary containers. The machine also includes a front gate at an upstream end of the tray loading station, the front gate moveable between a first position, in which the secondary containers are obstructed from passing downstream, and a second position, in which the secondary containers are not obstructed. The machine further includes a back stop proximate a downstream end of the tray loading station, the back stop moveable between a first, upstream position and a second, downstream position. The tray loading station is sized such that when a first row of secondary containers is positioned against the back stop in the first position, a portion of an upstream row of secondary containers is positioned directly above the front gate.

Methods and machine for packaging primary containers in secondary containers and a shipping tray

A machine for filling a secondary container with a plurality of primary containers is provided. The machine includes a frame, a secondary container filling section coupled to the frame and configured to position the primary containers within the secondary container, and a first rail member coupled to the frame. The first rail member includes a chain, a support rail that extends in a longitudinal direction between a supply source of secondary containers and the secondary container filling section, and at least one longitudinally extending interface surface coupled to the support rail and configured to receive the chain, such that the chain is movable in the longitudinal direction. The first rail member also includes an articulated chain cover secured to, and movable with, the chain, the articulated chain cover defining a support surface on which the secondary containers are conveyable between the supply source and the secondary container filling section.

A packaging machine includes an article conveyor for transporting articles in a flow direction and a plunger assembly for displacing articles from the article conveyor. The plunger assembly is supported and positioned by a system that includes a frame assembly and a pressure sensitive coupling as means for releasably fixing the position of the plunger assembly. The frame assembly includes a first frame structure that is attached to the plunger assembly and a second frame structure. The first frame structure and the second frame structure are slidably coupled to one another such that a resistive force that overcomes the holding power of the pressure sensitive coupling will cause the first frame structure to slide and translate the plunger assembly out of its operating position in which it can displace the articles.

Packaging machine with system for supporting and positioning a plunger assembly

A packaging apparatus in an automated packaging process, for sealing a carton having minor flaps and a bottom end flap, comprising: means for holding the minor flaps in a closed position; and a cycle stop compression plate for, upon the occurrence of a cycle stop operation, folding the bottom end flap over the minor flaps and holding the bottom end flap in place until the carton is sealed.

Packaging machine with pivoting minor flap retainer

A loading apparatus for loading blister cards into sleeves includes a blister card magazine for receiving a stack of blister cards and a sleeve magazine for receiving a stack of sleeves. A loading conveyor moves a lug along a path to load a blister card into a sleeve. A gate releasably retains the sleeve in a loading position as the blister card is loaded into the sleeve. The loading apparatus also includes a hopper that facilitates loading sleeves into the sleeve magazine and sensors that ensure the blister cards are properly loaded into sleeves.

Loading apparatus

A packaging machine having a folding apparatus for closing an end of an end loaded carton that includes leading and trailing side end flaps. The packaging machine includes a carton conveyor for transporting a carton in a flow direction along a carton path. The folding apparatus includes a lug assembly that has at least one folding lug that travels along an endless lug path. The folding lug travels in the flow direction and in parallel to the carton path along at least a portion of the lug path such that the folding lug can operate in concert with separation guide and a combination guide to fold the leading and trailing side end flaps in the desired sequence.

Packaging machine with folding apparatus

A packaging machine () includes a lane assembly () that includes one or more lanes (L) which guide cylindrical articles (B), such as cans or bottles, across a series of substantially parallel conveyors. The lane assembly () includes an adjustable guide bar () which defines an adjustable portion (V) of the lane (L) that can be adjusted to adapt to the diameter of articles (B). The lane assembly () also includes lane extensions () that can be adjusted to control the position of rows or articles (B) as the articles (B) exit the lanes (L) onto a conveyor ().

Adjustable lane assembly

An infeed station for conveying and positioning a stack of carton blanks for sequential removal by a carton feeder, for automatically adjusting the rate of advancement of the carton blanks to compensate for excessive tilting and gaps between the carton blanks, and for providing alerts to signal the need for operator intervention or automatic shutdown. The infeed station includes a hopper and a magazine that receives carton blanks from the hopper. The magazine includes a sensing mechanism including a control sensor and a warning sensor mounted in proximity to the carton blanks in the infeed station, and a processor that, according to a condition signaled by the sensing mechanism, controls the rate at which advancing belts advance a queue of carton blanks toward the magazine.

Carton magazine with control sensor

A plunger assembly () is disposed on the access side of a conveyor (). The conveyor () has a conveying surface upon which it transports articles by moving the conveying surface in a direction of flow (F). The plunger assembly () is mounted overhead vertically with respect to the conveying surface of the conveyor () such that sufficient clearance below the plunger assembly () is maintained to provide an access space through which the conveyor () and mechanisms and elements thereof can be accessed. Further, the plunger assembly () may be mounted both above and at least partially offset horizontally from the conveyor surface of the conveyor (), such that no operative portion of the plunger assembly () breaks the plane (C) of the conveyor surface.

Offset overhead plunger

A stabilized and guided conveyor belt () includes multiple transport chains () and interchangeable conveyor plates () that form the surface of the conveyor belt (). The conveyor plates () can be easily attached independently of one another in a side by side fashion onto the transport chains () and are readily detachable from the transport chains () to facilitate replacement or rearrangement. Certain of the plates () function selectively as a platform on which to mount accessories such as lug members () and include means for receiving () accessories and for locking () accessories into place. The conveyor belt () is guided and supported by a smooth rail (). Both the plate () and the rail () include interacting stabilizing features () that cooperate to prevent buckling and rippling of the transport chain ().

Stabilized guided conveyor belt with multiple base chains and interchangeable conveyor plates

A packaging machine () includes a lane assembly () that includes one or more lanes (L) which guide cylindrical articles (B), such as cans or bottles, across a series of substantially parallel conveyors. The lane assembly () includes an adjustable guide bar () which defines an adjustable portion (V) of the lane (L) that can be adjusted to adapt to the diameter of articles (B). The lane assembly () also includes lane extensions () that can be adjusted to control the position of rows of articles (B) as the articles (B) exit the lanes (L) onto a conveyor ().

This invention relates to a payoff device particularly suited for coiled wire which is packaged without a reel. The device includes a clamp assembly rotatably supported at one end by a frame which may be affixed to a truck or other vehicle. The clamp assembly has a mandrel featuring a plurality of clamp pads connected to a main rotatable shaft by a scissors linkage which may be stationary or may push the pads in a radial direction against the interior surface of the coiled wire. Two end plates support the coil laterally and one of the end plates is removable so that the coil can be placed on the clamp assembly. The clamp assembly is supported by a frame whose upper portion is rotatable such that the payoff direction can be changed. The device also includes a brake and a stop pin to prevent unwanted rotation of the clamp assembly and a locating pin to prevent the unwanted rotation of the upper portion of the support frame.

Payoff device for a reeless package

Method and apparatus for providing proper tension on a stranded conductor, as the conductor is formed and collected on a take-up reel or bobbin, by using a strain gage to monitor the tension of the conductor being collected and to provide a signal to a controller which in turn increases or decreases the speed of a direct current, variable speed, motor used to drive the take-up reel or bobbin, thereby providing proper tension to the conductor being collected.

Method and apparatus for controlling takeup tension on a stranded

A cable take-up and payoff apparatus for the controlled payout of a continuous cable from a reel comprises a pair of laterally movable housings which support a reel on a pair of pintles and are horizontally spaced from one another by a telescoping member. A power mechanism is provided for operating the telescoping member to laterally move the housings toward and away from one another. The housings are also supported for vertical movement along a pair of upstanding masts and a power mechanism is provided for simultaneously moving the housings up and down. The pintles are independently supported for both vertical and horizontal movement relative to the housings and are thereby independently adjustable by power mechanisms into alignment with openings on the axis of the reel of cable.

Reel support with horizontal and vertical adjustment

A cable payoff apparatus for the controlled payout of a continuous cable from a reel comprises a pair of laterally movable housings which support a reel on a pair of pintles. A power mechanism is provided for laterally moving the housings toward and away from one another. The housings are also supported for vertical movement along a pair of upstanding masts and a power mechanism is provided for simultaneously moving the housings up and down. The pintles are independently supported for both vertical and horizontal movement relative to the housings and are thereby independently adjustable by power mechanisms into alignment with openings on the axis of the reel of cable.

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Newnan, GA, United States of America

Michael F Flagg