Packaging device

A system for controlling the environment in a stream of continuously moving containers, each container having a wall configured to define an interior region and an open end, the system comprising

• closure means for selectively closing the open end of each container,
• support means for supporting each container in aligned relation to present each open end toward the closure means in spaced-apart relation thereto,
• first boundary means for providing a first edge bordering on one side of the stream of continuously moving containers and extending between the support means and the closure means,
• second boundary means for providing a second edge bordering on the other side of the stream of continuously moving containers and extending between the support means and the closure means the first and second boundary means being arranged in spaced-apart relation to position the open ends of the containers therebetween and cooperating with the support means, certain of the containers in the support means, and the closure means to define passageway means having a selected length,
• conveyor means for continuously moving the support means to transport the stream of containers through the passageway means at a selected rate,
• first gas supply means extending through the first edge for introducing gas into the passageway means so that the gas is able to communicate with the interior region of each continuously moving container through its open end as said container move through the passageway means, and
• vacuum means extending through the second edge for evacuating the passageway means to assist in drawing gas from the first gas supply means into the passageway means and to conduct gas and any other existing atmosphere from the passageway means to the exterior surroundings so that the environment in the interior region of the continuously moving containers exiting the passageway means is a selected gas composition consisting essentially of said gas introduced into the passageway means via the first gas supply means.

A system for defining a selected gas environment in a continuously moving stream of containers, each continuously moving container having a wall configured to define an interior region and an opening, the system comprising

• passageway means for providing an environment space surrounding the open end of a selected number of containers ion the continuously moving stream of containers so that the environment space is in fluid communication with the interior region of said selected number of continuously moving containers, the passageway means including inlet means for receiving the continuously moving stream of containers, outlet means for discharging the continuously moving stream of containers, and first and second boundary means extending between the inlet and outlet means in a spaced-apart relation for defining opposing first and second side walls of the passageway means,
• first gas supply means for introducing a gas into the passageway means via the inlet means to flood the passageway means with gas so that gas is introduced into the interior region of each container in the continuously moving stream of containers each container having its open end in communication with the environment space to define the selected gas environment, and
• space-flushing means extending through at least one of the first and second side walls for maintaining the selected gas environment in the environment space so that the interior region of each container in the continuously moving stream of containers upon initial filling with gas due to operation of the first gas supply means remains substantially free of other atmospheric gases while the open end of each such continuously moving container is in fluid communication with the environment space.

A system for providing a selected environment to a stream of containers continuously moving along a path, each container having a wall configured to define an interior region having a top opening, a leading end, a trailing end, and a pair of sides extending between the leading and trailing ends, the system comprising

• means for introducing a continuously moving covering material over the path of continuously moving containers such that a space is created between said continuously moving containers and the continuously moving covering material,
• first gas supply means extending across the path to overlie leading and trailing ends of each container continuously moving along the path for introducing gas into the interior region of each container continuously moving along the path to provide the selected enviornment,
• second gas supply means extending a predetermined distance along at least one side of the path for directing flow of a gas from one side of the continuously moving container toward the other side across the top opening of the continuously moving container in said space to provide a layer of said gas in said space above the top opening to aid in maintaining the selected environment in the interior region of the continuously moving container, and
• vacuum means extending a predetermined distance along the other side of the path opposite the second gas supply means for evacuating said space to assist in drawing gas from the second gas supply means into said space and to conduct gas and any other existing atmosphere from said space to the exterior surroundings.