Automated Packaging Systems, Inc.

William M Easter

Rick Steven Wehrmann

Eric P Gifford

John L Gereby

Hershey Lerner

Dana J Liebhart

A tabletop machine for automatically loading and sealing flexible containers such as plastic bags forming part of a chain of bags. The apparatus includes structure for supporting a supply of preformed, interconnected bags which are sequentially fed to a loading station. At the loading station, the bag is inflated by a blower having a shutter controlled outlet so that the flow of inflation air is reduced or terminated during feeding and which provides a blast or surge of air to 'pop' the bag open when the bag arrives at a loading station. A residual air stream maintains inflation of the bag. After loading, a clamping mechanism is activated which applies a substantially increasing clamping force as a clamp bar nears a heat sealing unit so that should an obstruction or other obstacle be encountered as the clamping bar moves towards the bag, motion in the clamping bar can be resisted by the obstacle without damage to the obstacle or clamping mechanism. While the bag is clamped to the heat sealing unit, a perforation breaking mechanism comprising a blade-like member driven into the web path intermediate a locked web feed roll and the heat sealing unit causes severance of the loaded bag along a line of weakness formed by perforations. A relatively small, low volume air compressor in combination with a storage tank is used to provide the motive force for fluid pressure operated actuators used to operate the clamping bar and the perforation breaking mechanism so that a single source of electrical power is all that is needed to operate the machine.

Packaging machine and method

An apparatus and method for applying tubular labels to a product container at a labeling station including a reciprocally movable labeling assembly. The assembly is adjustably secured to carriage that is mounted for reciprocating movement at the labeling station. A drive system including a drive cam defining an asymetrical profile is operatively coupled to the carriage by a lever arrangement including a cam follower driven by the drive cam. The profile of the drive cam is configured to have a steep rise and a gradual drop so that the average speed at which the labeling assembly is driven through a label applying strobe is substantially less than the speed at which the assembly is driven through a return stroke thus reducing the stress applied to the label as it is installed. A fluid pressure operated actuator pressurized to a first predetermined pressure exerts a biasing force on the lever to urge the cam follower into contact with the drive cam. A sensor monitors the contact between the follower and cam and de-energizes the drive system and arrests rotation of the drive cam in the event loss of contact between the follower and the cam is sensed. The fluid pressure operated actuator can also be pressurized to a second predetermined pressure in order to drive the carriage to a retracted position. An indexing cam is co-driven with the carriage drive cam and operates a bottle advancing mechanism in synchronization with the labeling assembly.

Labeling apparatus

Apparatus for cutting slaughtered poultry into individual pieces including a keel cutting station for severing a front breast section from the carcass. The station includes a first cutter for cutting a rear portion of the keel and a second, reciprocating cutter for effecting a second cut that intersects a cut made by the first cutter such that the keel is completely severed from the carcass. The movement of the second cutter is coordinated with the movement of a carcass supporting module so that the reciprocating knife remains substantially vertically aligned with the carcass supporting module during the cutting sequence. A size sensor is provided for adjusting the relative position of the reciprocating knife with the module to compensate for changes in bird size. A pair of interconnected actuators provide a three step adjustment for the reciprocating knife. An intermediate conveyor is provided for receiving the severed keel and transferring it to a primary conveyor. Movement in the conveyors are synchronized so that the keel is discharged into a conveyor bin on the primary conveyor that contains the other severed parts of the carcass so that all parts are reunited for further processing or packaging.

Growing community of inventors

Solon, OH, United States of America

William M Easter