Pouch conditioning methods and apparatus
AssigneeR. A. Jones & Co. Inc.
InventorsHarold T. Benner, Jr., Gary A. Dunhoft, Mark D. Smith
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A pouch conditioner inverts a group of pouches, urges them together while conditioning the by vibrating them, reinverts them and deposits them into a confine container. Product is more evenly dispersed throughout the pouch, reducing the maximum pouch thickness and allowing packaging of a group of pouches in a smaller case than possible with pouches having product which is settled in the pouch bottom.
Claims23
A method of conditioning pouches to minimize the maximum thickness of the pouches, including the steps of:
- inverting selected pouches;
- confining selected inverted pouches in a face-to-face disposition;
- conditioning selected inverted pouches;
- reinverting selected pouches;
- and
- depositing conditioned pouches into a confined means.
A method of conditioning pouches including the steps of:
- segregating pouches face-to-face into a group of pouches;
- inverting the pouch group;
- confining the pouches in the group together;
- conditioning the pouches while confined;
- reinverting the pouch group while maintaining pouch confinement;
- and
- discharging the confined pouch groups into a pouch group confining container.
Apparatus for packing pouches including:
- means for inverting a plurality of pouches;
- means for urging said pouches together face-to-face;
- means for conditioning said pouches urged together;
- means for reinverting said pouches after said pouches have been conditioned;
- and
- means for receiving said pouches from said reinverting means.
A method of conditioning pouches including the steps of:
- segregating pouches face-to-face into a group of pouches;
- inverting the pouch group;
- then confining the pouches in the group together;
- reinverting the pouch group while maintaining pouch confinement;
- and
- discharging the confined pouch groups into a pouch group confining container.
Apparatus for packing pouches including:
- means for inverting a plurality of pouches;
- means for urging said pouches together face-to-face;
- means downstream of said urging means for tamping the pouches face-to-face;
- and
- means for receiving tamped pouches for packaging in a confining container.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.