Described is a method for determining whether a brown egg contains undesired matter such as blood. In two wavelength ranges the transmission of the egg is examined, one of those wavelength ranges corresponding to an absorption peak of blood. The transmission signal of the other wavelength range is corrected with a fixed fraction .gamma. to correct for the egg being brown.

The apparatus includes an L-sealer and a supply of folded film which is fed across a horizontal table to the vicinity of the sealer, where a product to be packaged is placed between the upper and lower sheets of folded film. The sealer is then operated to hold closed the open side of the film opposite the fold and thus to form a bag which is closed, but not sealed, on three sides. The edge of the table facing the open end of the bag is provided with a vacuum chamber which is operated to remove a...

An improved method of vacuum packaging by using a specific laminated film as a package film, the laminated film being composed of a plastically deformable layer of a synthetic resin having a yield stress more than 50 kg/cm.sup.2 at a temperature of 23.degree. C. and an elongation of less than 30% at elastic limit at a shaping temperature of 50.degree. to 180.degree. C. and an elastic layer of a synthetic resin having an elongation of more than 40% at elastic limit at the shaping temperature.

An improvement in the wrapping of successive articles in heat-sealable film supplied in a continuous length to an elongated generally tubular former which progressively wraps the film around the sides of the articles and seals the margins together while air is being evacuated from the interior of the wrapping material comprises the provision of a lengthwise slot in the tubular former and placing the vacuum supply pipe outside the former and near the slot so that the articles do not ride on, or c...

The meat packaging machine of the present invention is designed to vacuum pack meat products between two webs of heat sealable thermo-plastic material. One web of each package is formed with at least two pockets connected by and bounded by a sealing flange extending outwardly therefrom. The second web which closes the pockets also extends over the sealing flange and the entire interface between the two webs is heat sealed to prevent migration of meat juices. The machine includes a sealing head a...

An improved sealing gasket for a vacuum-sealing station of a vacuum packaging machine which is made such that the outer perimetric portion thereof is made of a greater hardness than the rest of the sealing gasket, whereby the sealing heat-elements of a reciprocal heating element only substantially contacts against the softer material of the sealing gasket, allowing this softer material to conform to the uneven or non-level condition of the heating element. In the preferred embodiment, the outer-...

A head space inserting system is used in a packaging machine for forming, filling and sealing packages. The inerting system directly introduces an inerting gas into the head space of the formed package subsequent to filling and prior to sealing. The inerting system includes an inerting gas source, an inerting gas heater to heat the inerting gas and an inerting gas nozzle. The inerting gas nozzle is disposed within the form, fill and seal packaging machine to introduce the inerting gas directly i...

Packaging apparatus for making vacuum or gas-filled packages of the type including a flanged cup-shaped receptacle with a closure film sealed to the flanges and stretched down into the cup to engage and press against the product. The apparatus comprises a first packaging station where the film is sealed to the cup flanges part way around the cup mouth; simultaneously the film is heated in pre-selected locations to soften it for subsequent stretching. In a subsequent station, the partially-comple...

In a vacuum packaging machine there is provided the combination of a sealing unit and vacuum unit. The sealing unit comprises first and second sealing dies and the vacuum unit comprises a primary spacer located adjacent the input end of the sealing dies. The primary spacer is spaced from the first die to form a first web feeding passage therebetween and is spaced from the second die to form a second web feeding passage therebetween. The vacuum unit also includes a secondary spacer located adjace...

Packaging apparatus for making hermetically sealed vacuum packages from two continuous webs of plastic packaging material supplied as roll stock. The lower web is formed into product receptacles, and the upper web is applied over the receptacles to serve as the top. The apparatus includes a single-station evacuate-and-seal head where the two webs are initially sealed together around the flanges of the receptacle. The resulting package is then evacuated through a slit in the lower web, and the ev...