Packaging installation including container forming and container closing means, and transfer device therebetween

Claim 1

A PACKAGING INSTALLATION INCLUDING CONTAINER-FORMING MEANS AND CONTAINER FILLING AND CLOSING MEANS, SAID CONTAINER-FORMING MEANS COMPRISING MEANS FOR PUNCHING CONTAINER BLANKS FROM A CONTINUOUS WEB OF PACKAGING MATERIAL, THE BLANKS BEING PUNCHED FROM AREAS ALIGNED LONGITUDINALLY OF THE WEB, AND MEANS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY FORMING A PLURALITY OF BLANKS INTO CONTAINERS, EACH CONTAINER HAVING A DIAMETER SMALLER THAN THE DIAMETER OF ITS RESPECTIVE BLANK, THE CENTER-TO-CENTER SPACING BETWEEN SAID CONTAINERS AS THEY LEAVE SAID FORMING MEANS BEING EQUAL TO THE CENTER-TO-CENTER SPACING OF THE LARGER BLANKS FROM WHICH THEY WERE FORMED, SAID CONTAINER FILLING AND CLOSING MEANS INCLUDING A LIDDING STATION COMPRISING MEANS FOR PUNCHING LIDS FROM A CONTINUOUS WEB OF LID PUNCHING PLACING SAID LIDS ON SAID CONTAINERS, SAID LID PUNCHING MEANS SIMULTANEOUSLY PRODUCING A NUMBER OF LIDS EQUAL TO THE NUMBER OF CONTAINERS PRODUCED DURING EACH CONTAINER-FORMING OPERATION, THE CENTER-TO-CENTER SPACING BETWEEN SAID LIDS BEING SMALLER THAN THE CENTER-TO-CENTER SPACING BETWEEN SAID CONTAINER BLANKS, AND A TRANSFER DEVICE FOR CONVEYING SAID CONTAINERS FROM SAID FORMING MEANS TO SAID FILLING AND CLOSING MEANS, SAID TRANSFER DEVICE COMPRISING A NUMBER OF GUIDE CHANNELS EQUAL TO THE NUMBER OF CONTAINERS PRODUCED DURING EACH CONTAINERFORMING OPERATION, ONE END OF EACH CHANNEL BEING ARRANGED TO RECEIVE ONE OF THE CONTAINERS AND THE OTHER END BEING ARRANGED TO DEPOSIT THE CONTAINER AT SAID FILLING AND CLOSING MEANS, SAID GUIDE CHANNELS BEING TAPERED SO THAT THE CENTER-TO-CENTER DISTANCE BETWEEN THEM AT SAID ONE END CORRESPONDS TO THE CENTER-TO-CENTER SPACING BETWEEN THE FORMED CONTAINERS AS THEY LEAVE SAID FORMING MEANS AND THE CENTER-TO-CENTER SPACING AT SAID OTHER END CORRESPONDS TO THE CENTER-TO-CENTER DISTANCE BETWEEN THE LIDS.