Sonoco Development Incorporated

Alloyd Co., Inc.

Ronald F Worden

Mark Agostini

Tom Aidich

Joe Minkwitz

A heat sealing machine may include a heater assembly, a heat plate lock assembly supporting a heat plate in proximity to the heater assembly, and a lock mechanism allowing the heat plate lock assembly to alternately open and close. The heat plate may be replaced by a second heat plate by moving the lock mechanism to a retracted position, moving a heat plate lock assembly to move the first heat plate away from the heater assembly, removing the first heat plate from the heat plate lock assembly, inserting the second heat plate into the heat plate lock assembly, moving the heat plate lock assembly to move the second heat plate into engagement with the heater assembly, and moving the lock mechanism to a locked position to maintain the engagement between the second heat plate and the heater assembly.

Heat plate lock assembly for a heat sealing machine

A heat plate lock assembly for a heat scaling machine may include clamp plates mounted on either side of a heater assembly that are movable relative to the heater assembly and engage and support a heat plate beneath a heater platen of the heater assembly. Lift arms may be mounted to and movable relative to the heater assembly, and operatively connected to the clamp plates so that movement of the lift arms causes movement of the clamp plates relative to the heater assembly. In an open position, the heat plate can be inserted between and removed from between the clamp plates. In a closed position, the clamp plates move the heat plate into contact with the heater platen and a lock mechanism engages the heater assembly to retain the heat plate lock assembly in the closed position.

Heat plate lock assembly for heat sealing machine

A blister packaging machine for packaging product includes a frame, a heater that is supported by the frame and movable with respect to the frame, a hydraulic clamp connected to the heater, an insulator is provided to adequately thermally insulate the hydraulic clamp from the heater, and a heat sealing member for contacting a heat sealable item during use. The heat sealing member is adapted to be connected to the heater by way of the hydraulic clamp. The heater and the heat sealing member are adapted to move so that the heat sealing member contacts the heat sealable item.

Heat sealing apparatus and method

A blister packaging machine comprises a combination load/offload station having a blister magazine that is filled from the outside of the machine rather than the inside of the machine. The load mechanism includes a pick and place mechanism that is adapted to place individual blisters into nesting trays on a rotary carousel. The offload mechanism includes a pick and output mechanism that is adapted to pick formed blister packages from the nesting trays and output them into a collection bin. The load mechanism is arranged to cooperate with the offload mechanism without interference. The load and offload mechanism may be incorporated into a six station blister packaging machine.

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Maple Park, IL, United States of America

Ronald F Worden