To an apparatus for the groupwise packing of bags, the bags are fed in an interconnected longitudinal series forming a bag band having successive rows formed of a single bag or a plurality of tranversally adjoining, interconnected bags. The apparatus includes a mechanism for imparting to the leading bag row of the advancing bag band a velocity that is greater than the advancing speed of the bag band. As a result, the leading bag row is, along a weakening line, torn off the bag band.

This invention relates to a new and useful apparatus for filling cartons with pre-packaged bags of a product from a Bag Form Fill and Seal Machine. The apparatus comprises, in combination, a horizontal feeder that transfers the bags to a vertical flite conveyor; said conveyor conveying the bags to a hopper having a trap door. A carton is positioned under the trap door of the hopper for receiving the bags. When a pre-set number of bags have passed through the hopper into the carton, the trap door closes. The carton, while it is being filled, is continually subjected to a series of impacts that enables the bags to lay flat within the carton. When the carton receives the pre-set number of bags, the impacting ceases and the carton is transferred to an output conveyor.

A system for individually commissioning packaged goods from a supply path, in which the goods are arranged in rows, to containers with a movable or positionable transporting device. The packaged goods lie on a slanted chute against a first stopping surface and are picked up by the transporting device which is positionable against a second stopping surface and are released over a selected remote container.

The present inventin is an apparatus and method for inserting articles into packages. The apparatus includes a dispensing assembly and a feeding assembly; and the dispensing assembly, in turn, includes a dispenser body, a gate and an actuator. The dispensor body defines a loading chamber for holding the articles, an inlet for conducting the articles into the loading chamber, and an outlet for dispensing the articles from the loading chamber. The gate is connected to the dispenser body for movement between a closed position, wherein the gate extends across the outlet of the dispenser body to hold the articles in the loading chamber, and an open position to allow the articles to pass through the outlet of the dispenser body. The actuator of the dispensing assembly is provided to move the gate from its closed position to its open position to dispense articles into the packages from the dispenser body. The feeding assembly extends adjacent the inlet of the dispenser body for receiving the articles from a source thereof and transporting the articles into the inlet of the dispenser body. Preferably, the apparatus further comprises a control assembly to coordinate the operation of the dispensing assembly and the feeding assembly so that each time one of the packages passes beneath the dispenser, one, and preferably only one, of the articles is inserted into that package.

The station comprises a conveyor belt to bring empty containers to a basket housing station, and for removing the containers when filled, and a conveyor belt for transporting baskets inwardly of the containers; the baskets are housed in an ordered fashion in the containers by a movement device of the baskets inside the containers.