The Procter Gamble Company

Thomas K Gerwe

Gregory John Erickson

A method of forming arrays of articles, comprising: (a) providing a stacker having a plurality of compartments for receiving the articles, the stacker traveling along a closed loop path; (b) transporting a plurality of the articles along a first path to the stacker in sequential fashion; (c) introducing the articles into the compartments at an inlet position; (d) removing a first array of the articles from the stacker at a first stripping position by urging the articles from the compartment in a first stripping direction; (e) transporting the first array along a second path away from the stacker in a direction substantially opposite to the first stripping direction; and (f) repeating steps (b) through (e) for subsequent articles. An apparatus for use in this method is also provided.

Apparatus and method for forming arrays of articles for packaging

A method of forming arrays of articles comprising providing a stacker having a plurality of compartments for receiving the articles, the stacker traveling along a closed loop path; transporting a plurality of the articles along a first path towards the stacker in sequential fashion; introducing a first portion of the articles into the compartments at a first inlet position located adjacent to the interior of the closed loop path; and removing an array of the articles from the stacker at a stripping location located downstream from the inlet position. An apparatus for performing this method is also provided.

A method and apparatus for successively sealing open ends of a plurality of packages being conveyed in series along an infeed lane is provided. A sealing station aligned with the infeed lane for receiving the packages to be sealed is employed. A first package is transported from the infeed lane to the sealing station, the open end of the first packaged is engaged for sealing operations, and this engagement is maintained for a minimum sealing time while a second package is transported from the infeed lane to the sealing station. The open end of the second package is engaged for sealing operations, and the engagement is maintained for the minimum desired sealing time while a subsequent package is transported to the sealing station. These steps may then be repeated for subsequent packages. A plurality of sealing rigs moveable between receiving and holding positions may be employed for sealing operations.

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Cincinnati, OH, United States of America

Thomas K Gerwe