Lipton, Division of Conopco, Inc.

Molins Plc

Thomas J. Lipton Co., Division of Conopco, Inc.

Courtaulds Plc & Sos Limited

Simon Charles Martin

Geoffrey W Vernon

Petrus W Van Der Zon

Jan J Kuipers

Michael J Cahill

Thomas William Bailey

James Goodwin

James R Stembridge

John S Selby

John F Cardwell

James H Rowan

Riyadh N Alaka

An apparatus for batching articles from a continuous stream of articles has a conduit comprising an entry duct (,) in which the articles are accelerated by suction. The suction air is drawn from the exit end of the duct, close to a pair of counter-rotating sealing rollers (,) which have resiliently yielding peripheral faces between which the articles pass. At the exit end of the conduit a pair of closure members (,) on opposite sides of the conduit are rotatable in 90&deg; steps in order to collect the articles in batches. The closure members counter-rotate so that in each step they move in the general direction of movement of the articles. In this way it is possible to batch relatively delicate articles at high rates of throughflow.

Article handling apparatus

Packets containing a flowable material are provided with a draw-string or thread to squeeze the packet contents. The packet envelope is formed from a doubled-over web which gives the packet a folded-over edge and which encloses an intermediate portion of the thread close to the folded-over edge. The end portions of the web extend from the intermediate portion of the thread to extend through the opposite edge of the packet. The external ends of the thread are secured to a tag which is attached to the outer face of the envelope. The thread intermediate portion is retained close to the folded-over edge by heat sealing. Apparatus is also described for producing the packets in a continuous or semi-continuous manner.

Infusion packets

Transferring rod-like articles

Packets containing a flowable material are provided with a draw-string or thread to squeeze the packet contents. The packet envelope is formed from a doubled-over web which gives the packet a folded-over edge and which encloses an intermediate portion of the thread close to the folded-over edge. The end portions of the web extend from the intermediate portion of the thread to extend through the opposite edge of the packet. The external ends of the thread are secured to a tag which is attached to the outer face of the envelope. The thread intermediate portion is retained close to said one edge by heat seal means. Apparatus is also described for producing the packets in a continuous or semi-continuous manner.

Packets and their manufacture

Pressure vessels

Growing community of inventors

Coventry, United Kingdom

Simon Charles Martin