Method and device for arranging a pouring device on a pack

Method of sealing a pouring device made of sealable plastic material to a pack made of plastic material, comprising:

• removably positioning a pouring device on a first mandrel of a mandrel wheel;
• rotating the mandrel wheel to move said first mandrel and position the pouring device at a heating station;
• heating the pouring device at the heating station;
• moving the mandrel wheel in a translatory manner to move said first mandrel and position the pouring device at a sealing station at which is located a pair of plastic shell parts having facing surfaces to be sealed together to form a pack;
• sealing the pouring device to the shell parts while also sealing the facing surfaces of the shell parts to one another to form a pack with a pour device;
• rotating the mandrel wheel to move said first mandrel and position the pouring device and pack at a stripper station;
• and
• removing the pouring device and pack from said first mandrel at the stripper station.

A device for arranging a closable pouring device on a pack, comprising:

• a mandrel wheel which is intermittently rotatable about a rotational axis between a plurality of angular positions;
• at least two mandrels each extending radially from a hub of the mandrel wheel for removably receiving a pouring device;
• a set-down station located adjacent an outer periphery of the mandrel wheel at a first angular position relative to the rotational axis for removably positioning a pouring device on the mandrels;
• a heating station positioned adjacent the outer periphery of the mandrel wheel at a second angular position relative to the rotational axis for heating the pouring device removably positioned on the mandrel;
• a sealing station positioned adjacent the outer periphery of the mandrel wheel at a third angular position relative to the rotational axis for sealing the heated pouring device between two shell parts to form a pack with an attached pouring device;
• and
• a stripper station positioned adjacent the outer periphery of the mandrel wheel at a fourth angular position relative to the rotational axis for removing the pouring device and pack from the mandrel, the set-down station, the heating station, the sealing station and the stripper station being spaced apart from one another and the mandrel wheel being intermittently rotated to successively advance each of the mandrels in a step-wise manner from the set down station to the heating station, to the sealing station and to the stripper station to produce packs which have a pouring device, the mandrel wheel being movable in a translatory manner over a predetermined distance towards and away from the sealing station, said heating station including a pre-heating station and a final heating station which are spaced apart by a distance substantially equal to said predetermined distance.

Method of arranging a pouring device made of sealable plastic material at a hole located in an end of a pack made of deep-drawable plastic material, comprising:

• removably positioning a pouring device on a mandrel of a mandrel wheel, the pouring device including an annular lower part provided with a pouring opening and a closure part hingedly connected to the lower part;
• moving the pouring device to position the pouring device adjacent a pre-heating station;
• pre-heating the pouring device at the pre-heating station;
• moving the mandrel wheel in a translatory manner to move the pouring device from the pre-heating station to a final heating station;
• heating the pouring device at the final heating station to a sealing temperature;
• moving the heated pouring device to a sealing station at which is located a pair of deep-drawn shell parts which have facing surfaces to be sealed together to form a pack, the pouring device being moved to position a portion of the pouring device between a portion of the facing surfaces of the shell parts;
• sealing the pouring device to the shell parts while simultaneously sealing the facing surfaces of the shell parts to one another to form a pack with a pouring device;
• and
• removing the pouring device and the pack from said mandrel.