A bag closing apparatus is provided having a frame, a closure strip guide, a clip separator, and a bag feed conveyor. The frame is configured to carry a strip of closures. The closure strip guide is configured to guide a strip of closures. The clip separator is configured to sever a terminal closure on a strip of closures exiting the strip guide. The bag feed conveyor has a pair of laterally spaced-apart drive wheels and a complementary pair of laterally spaced-apart follower wheels urged into engagement for coaction with the drive wheels to deliver a bag neck into the terminal closure. The drive wheels and the follower wheels each comprise a circumferential outer periphery having a friction-reducing surface having a static dry coefficient of friction of at most 0.2. A method is also provided.
B65B 51/04 - Applying separate sealing or securing members, e.g. clips
B65B 7/02 - Closing containers or receptacles deformed by, or taking-up shape of, contents, e.g. bags, sacks
B65B 43/52 - Feeding or positioning bags, boxes, or cartons in the distended, opened, or set-up stateFeeding preformed rigid containers, e.g. tins, capsules, glass tubes, glasses, to the packaging positionLocating containers or receptacles at the filling positionSupporting containers or receptacles during the filling operation using roller-ways or endless conveyors
2.
Extruder, Extruder Screw, and Method for Extruding
An extruder screw is provided having a screw body, a flight, and a heat transfer chamber. The screw body includes a shaft extending from an upstream end to a downstream end. The flight extends helically about the screw body. The heat transfer chamber is provided in the screw body having a thermodynamic heat sink mixture operative to transfer heat in an upstream direction of the screw. An extruder and a method of extruding are also provided.
B29C 48/395 - Means for plasticising or homogenising the moulding material or forcing it through the nozzle or die using screws surrounded by a cooperating barrel, e.g. single screw extruders
A closure strip guide is provided having a front plate, a back plate and a plate keeper. The back plate is carried proximate and spaced from the front plate to provide a gap thickness configured to guide a strip of clips. The plate keeper is configured to retain together the front plate and the back plate to retain the gap thickness to slidably receive and guide the strip of clips. The plate keeper also expands the gap thickness between the front plate and the back plate responsive to a stack-up jam to accommodate multiple layers of clips in the event the strip of clips dislodges and/or jams. A bag closing apparatus and a method are also provided.
A thermoforming machine is provided having at least one frame member and a thermal regulator. The thermal regulator is provided in heat transfer relation with one of the at least one frame member configured to control temperature of the one frame member to mitigate thermal deformation of the frame member. A method is also provided.
A thermoforming platen is provided having a tooling support plate and a plurality of discrete load paths. The tooling support plate has a top tooling surface, a bottom surface, and an outer periphery. The plurality of discrete load paths interconnect the bottom surface with one or more external load sources operative to distribute and centralize load deformation of the top plate from forming loads. The load paths are provided laterally inboard of the top tooling surface at one of a plurality of inboard locations to impart minimized tooling surface deformation along the top plate tooling surface. A method is also provided.
A thermoforming apparatus is provided having a frame, a pair of opposed platens, a toggle shaft, a kinematic linkage, a form air manifold, and a pair of articulating bearing assemblies. The pair of opposed platens is carried by the frame each with a die, one die configured to engage an opposed face of another die across a heated sheet of thermoformable material in sealed relation there between. The toggle shaft is carried by the frame for rotation. The kinematic linkage is coupled between the toggle shaft and one of the dies. The form air manifold and a source of differential pressure is coupled with a die face on one of the dies. The pair of articulating bearing assemblies is carried by the frame and configured to support the at least one toggle shaft for translation towards and away from the another die and platen. A method is also provided.
B29C 43/04 - Compression moulding, i.e. applying external pressure to flow the moulding materialApparatus therefor of articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles using movable moulds
A thermoforming apparatus is provided having a frame, a pair of opposed platens, a toggle shaft, a kinematic linkage, a form air manifold, and a pair of articulating bearing assemblies. The pair of opposed platens is carried by the frame each with a die, one die configured to engage an opposed face of another die across a heated sheet of thermoformable material in sealed relation there between. The toggle shaft is carried by the frame for rotation. The kinematic linkage is coupled between the toggle shaft and one of the dies. The form air manifold and a source of differential pressure is coupled with a die face on one of the dies. The pair of articulating bearing assemblies is carried by the frame and configured to support the at least one toggle shaft for translation towards and away from the another die and platen. A method is also provided.
B30B 1/26 - Presses, using a press ram, characterised by the features of the drive therefor, pressure being transmitted directly, or through simple thrust or tension members only, to the press ram or platen by cams, eccentrics, or cranks
B30B 1/14 - Presses, using a press ram, characterised by the features of the drive therefor, pressure being transmitted directly, or through simple thrust or tension members only, to the press ram or platen by toggle mechanism operated by cams, eccentrics, or cranks
B30B 1/16 - Presses, using a press ram, characterised by the features of the drive therefor, pressure being transmitted directly, or through simple thrust or tension members only, to the press ram or platen by toggle mechanism operated by fluid-pressure means
B29C 51/10 - Forming by pressure difference, e.g. vacuum
B29C 51/24 - Thermoforming apparatus having movable moulds or mould parts mounted on movable endless supports
8.
Former to trim press automated sheet delivery system and method
A thermoformable sheet transfer system is provided having at least one frame, and upstream conveyor, a sheet cutter, and a downstream sheet manipulator. The upstream conveyor is configured to deliver a series of shots of formed articles in a thermoformed sheet from an exit end of an article forming station. The sheet cutter is carried by the at least one frame provided proximate the conveyor downstream of the article forming station and is configured to cut a leading edge of the formed articles and sheet sufficiently formed to index within dies of an article trim press. The downstream sheet manipulator is carried by the at least one frame and is configured to transport the leading edge and the sufficiently formed articles and sheet for delivery in sequential shots from downstream an article forming station to upstream an article trim station. A method is also provided.
A thermoforming machine is provided having a load shaft end adjustment apparatus. The thermoforming machine load shaft end adjustment apparatus includes a load shaft, a backlash nut, a height adjustment nut, a collar, and at least one fastener. The load shaft has a threaded end segment and an axially extending key slot. The backlash nut is threaded onto the end segment. The height adjustment nut is threaded onto the end segment adjacent the backlash nut. The collar is configured to receive the height adjustment nut for rotation, havi ng a key configured to be received within the key slot, and is configured to be mounted onto a platen of the thermoforming machine. At least one fastener extends between the backlash nut and the collar and is configured to secure together the backlash nut and collar with the height adjustment nut interposed there between. A method is also provided.
A thermoforming machine is provided having a frame, a first platen, a second platen, a platen load shaft, and a load shaft latch. The first platen supports a first mold. The second platen supports a complementary second mold and is carried by the frame for movement toward and away from the first platen to engage and disengage with the first mold. The platen load shaft has a lock ledge with an engagement surface transverse to the load shaft. The load shaft is supported by the frame and extends between the first platen and the second platen. The load shaft latch has an engagement surface transverse to a central axis of the load shaft and is movable to engage and disengage the lock ledge transverse engagement surface. A method is also provided.
A thermoforming machine is provided having a load shaft end adjustment apparatus. The thermoforming machine load shaft end adjustment apparatus includes a load shaft, a backlash nut, a height adjustment nut, a collar, and at least one fastener. The load shaft has a threaded end segment and an axially extending key slot. The backlash nut is threaded onto the end segment. The height adjustment nut is threaded onto the end segment adjacent the backlash nut. The collar is configured to receive the height adjustment nut for rotation, having a key configured to be received within the key slot, and is configured to be mounted onto a platen of the thermoforming machine. At least one fastener extends between the backlash nut and the collar and is configured to secure together the backlash nut and collar with the height adjustment nut interposed there between. A method is also provided.
A plug assist drive assembly is provided for a thermoforming press. The plug assist drive assembly includes a drive platen, a plug assist platen, a first elongated gear rack, a second elongated gear rack, a drive gear, a driven gear, and a drive source. The first elongated gear rack and the second elongated gear rack are carried by the plug assist platen in longitudinally extending and substantially parallel, spaced apart relation with a plurality of rack teeth extending on each gear rack between proximal and distal ends. The drive gear is carried by the drive platen and is operably communicating with the first elongated gear rack. The driven gear is carried by the drive platen and is operably communicating with the second elongated gear rack and the drive gear. The drive source is operably communicating with the drive gear to drive the assist platen in linearly reciprocating motion relative to the drive platen. A thermoforming machine having the plug assist drive assembly is also provided. A method is also provided.
A trim press article ejector is provided having a support base, a linear actuator, at least one article ejector and a drive mechanism. The linear actuator is carried by the base. The at least one article ejector is carried by the linear actuator for axial movement to-and-fro. The drive mechanism is configured to reciprocate the linear actuator in order to move the at least one article ejector to-and-fro. A method is also provided.
