GB2439835A

GB2439835A - Packaging of doses of product

Info

Publication number: GB2439835A
Application number: GB0712790A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Chandra Parmar
Original assignee: Kitchen Guru & Co Ltd
Current assignee: Kitchen Guru & Co Ltd
Priority date: 2006-07-04
Filing date: 2007-07-03
Publication date: 2008-01-09
Anticipated expiration: 2027-07-03
Also published as: GB0613232D0; GB2439835B; GB0712790D0

Abstract

Doses of material such as particulate material are formed by dispensing material from a dispensing means 16 into an array of recesses 46 of a dosing member 18. The recesses may be through-holes closed beneath by a plate 50 having apertures 52 which may be brought into alignment with the recesses 46 to transfer the doses into containers beneath. The dispensing means 16 may be movable in direction A relative to the dosing member 18 such as by means of an hydraulic ram arrangement 44. A retail unit may comprise a plurality of such containers of doses of different particulate materials in respective apertures, with a printed sheet forming a front surface of the unit giving information about the material adjacent to each container, Figures 8a and 8b.

Description

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Method and Apparatus for Producing and Packaging Dosed Product The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for the dosing of material such as for the dosing of the material into multiple compartments which may then serve as a packaging cart-jet for the doses of material.

It is well known within the art to provide pre-measured amounts of material in individual containers. There are numerous instances of products which are packaged in this manner in, for example, the food industry.

One such example involves known canning or bottling plants.

Such plants require a continuous supply of open-ended cans or bottles to be provided along a conveyor-type system such that the containers can be inividua1ly filled with a predefined amount of material. Such systems are generally used when the material to be entered into the containers is a fluid. The dosing apparatus is generally provided with a nozzle through which the fluid flows into the container such that the fluid can be metered to ensure the containers are correctly filled to the required level.

Whilst such systems operate at a required level of efficiency for :. relatively large doses of fluid, those systems become less efficient when a smaller amount of material is provided into each container.

One known example of a smaller quantity of material to be provided is the provision of a particular material, such as for : example, sugar, into individual cup-shaped containers. Despite the reduced efficiency for smaller cup sizes, the filling of individual cups in a Continuous conveyor system can still provide a suitable production rate provided that the system can run for extended periods of time without interruptions.

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However a significant problem arises when smaller runs of different types of products are to be catered for. Indeed, in some scenarios the amount of time taken to set up a given run can exceed the actual time for which the dosing system is operational, resulting in an unacceptable production rate.

One solution is to increase the number of compartments for containers being filled with material at any one given time. One known product which can be packaged in this manner is yoghurt. Multiples of 4 or 6 containers in the form of yoghurt pots can be moved along a conveyor system in a predefined array. The array is then moved under a corresponding number of nozzles to deliver the required amount of yoghurt into each of the containers within the array simultaneously. Thus a different product can be provided to each of the containers within the array at the same time, or else all of the containers within the array can be provided with the same material, so as to improve the efficiency of the dosing system by multiple times when compared to a single container conveyor system.

While such system provides a suitable solution for the dosing of fluid material, significant problems are encountered when the material to be dosed is in particulate form. Particulate material does not flow freely and so the material to be dosed cannot be provided via elongate conduits. If large amounts of particulate material are stored, for example in a hopper, to be dispensed under gravity, then the particulate material can become compressed such that it does not flow at all, resulting in clogging of the system.

:u1 The above problems are further compounded when the particulate material is to be provided in small doses. In view of the foregoing problems, the present invention aims to provide an improved dosing method and apparatus for the dosing of particulate material into compartments at an adequate production rate, whilst still allowing the flexibility to change the set up without significant disruption.

According to the present invention in a first aspect there is provided a dosing apparatus for filling compartments with particulate material, the apparatus comprising a dosing member with a plurality of recesses at least one dispensing means for the dispensing of the material into the recesses, wherein the dispensing means is moved and positioned over the dosing member whereupon said material is released to at least partially fill said recesses.

The invention is particularly advantageous in that it allows the dosing of material in batches by passing the dispensing means over the apertures within the dosing member.

Preferably the recesses are of a predetermined volume so as to accommodate the required doses to be placed therein. Typically the particulate material falls under gravity into the recesses and, according to one embodiment, the recesses are shaped so as to define a volume of dosed material which is to be deposited into correspondingly shaped compartments.

Such an arrangement is mechanically uncomplicated since the dispensing means need only pass over the apertures such that the particulate material can fall into the recesses and fill the recesses to the required level. In addition, this arrangement avoids the need for nozzle-type arrangements for dispensing of the particulate material, which are prone to clogging.

Trpicall)T the dispensing means moves in a linear path over the . : apertures within the dosing member and may in one embodiment be actuated by way of a hydraulic ram. Preferably the dispensing means has one or more walls arranged adjacent the dosing member such that movement of the walls draws an amount of particulate material over the apertures. The walls may be deformable or else may have a deformable edge for contact with the dosing member surface. In one embodiment the one or more walls takes the form of one or more wiper elements mounted for movement with the dispensing means.

The provision of one or more wiper elements is particularly advantageous since once the material has been dispensed into the recesses, the wiper element then removes any excess material from the dosing surface, ensuring that the recesses are correctly filled with the required dosage of the particulate material. The wiper may take form of a single wiper blade, or else multiple blades, or else a line of bristles.

in one embodiment the dispensing means is manually actuated and takes the form of a single wall or paddle which is gripped by an operator and pulled or pushed across the dosing member.

Such an arrangement is particularly advantageous in the event that delicate material is to be packaged, such as, for example, seeds.

Typically the apparatus further comprises a pre-metering means for providing the dispensing means with a predetermined amount of material prior to operation of the dispensing means.

The pre-metering means may take form of a slot formed in a cylindrical drum, the drum being rotable to empty any material contained within the slot into the dispensing means. Typically, :. each of the pre-metering means and the dispensing means are * .:. elongate in form such that the material can be dispensed evenly across the entire width of the planer member. **** * S S S. S

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In an alternative manually operated apparatus, the dosing means is provided with an extension portion, on which the particulate material can be stored prior to being drawn over the apertures.

Once the recesses have been filled, any excess material can be wiped back onto the extension portion for later usage.

Preferably the dosing member is planar in shape. The dispensing means may be disposed on one side of the dosing surface and a series of compartment members may be disposed on the opposing side of the dosing member. In this manner the particulate material is dispensed in the recesses to form the required doses which are then passed into the compartments. A number of compartments may be provided in an array, the compartments being arranged to correspond to the arrangement of the recesses within the dosing member. Thus the compartments and the recesses may be provided in corresponding arrays. Typically the multiple compartments are provided in the form of a tray which serves as a carrier and packaging for the doses of material.

The recesses may be provided within the planer dosing member, with an outer surface of the dosing member forming the dosing surface. The recesses may pass entirely through the depth of the dosing member so as to provide through holes. In such an embodiment, a plate may be provided adjacent the dosing member on the opposite side to the dispensing means. This :. plate therefore seals one end of the through holes, so as to form :..::: recesses with an open end for receiving the dispensed particulate material. The plate may be provided with a number of :. apertures, shaped and spaced to match the apertures within the dosing member. The plate may be provided in a first position in which the apertures are offset from the corresponding apertures within the dosing member. This therefore forms the closed recesses as described above. In a second position, the apertures within the plate are moved so that they are aligned with the apertures within the dosing member, allowing the material within the recesses to be released.

The arrangement of a plate as described above is particularly advantageous since it allows all of the recesses within the planer member to be empted simultaneously by a single movement of the plate. The dosed material can thus fall into the compartments below. The plate can then subsequently be moved back to the first position to allow refilling of the recesses.

Typically the compartments can be moved into position below the dosing surface for filling and subsequently removed once filled. The compartments may be provided on a slider arrangement, or else a continuous conveyor such that they can move in a substantially linear fashion relative to the dosing surface.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of supplying multiple compartments of a retail unit with predetermined doses of material, using a dosing member with a plurality of recesses therein and at least one dispensing means, the method comprising the steps of, providing the material within the dispensing means; dispensing the material from the dispensing means into a dosing means so as to provide a predetermined array of doses of the : material; and transferring the array of doses from the dosing means into the number of compartments.

Typically the compartments form a carrier which allows an array : of dosed materials to be handled at once. According to a preferred embodiment the array of doses are then sealed within the compartments within the carrier to form a retail pack. This may be achieved by applying a single sheet of material over the entire carrier which can be sealed over all of the compartments within the array. Typically the sheet is heat sealed or else sealed by other means such as adhesive.

Tn one embodiment the dosing of the material into the multiple components occurs simultaneously.

The compartments may then be removed from the array so as to provide a plurality of individually sealed containers, each containing the required dose of material. In one embodiment the carrier and the compartments may be integrally formed by way of, for example a plastic tray.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a retail unit, said pack including a plurality of compartments, each compartment containing a dose of material provided in accordance with the method of the present invention.

According to a preferred embodiment, the compartments are transparent and are arranged to project from a planar backing member so as to form the retail unit. The provision of a retail unit of this type is particularly advantageous since it allows for particulate material to be displayed within the common retail unit within one or more compartments, the contents of which : are visible to the consumer. *... * I I...

:. According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided * *: a retail unit having a backing and a plurality of sealed compartments held against the backing, the compartments *:::: containing a pre-dosed amount of particulate material therein, wherein the sealed compartments are selected and arranged relative to the backing so as to form the retail unit with the rcc1uired various particulate material types provided therewith.

In a further aspect of the invention there is provided a retail unit, said unit including sheet material forming a front surface of the unit with printed matter thereon and a plurality of spaced apertures, at least one of which receives a compartment positioned to pass through and be located by said aperture, each of said compartments having particulate material located therein and wherein the type of particulate material and/or information relating to said particulate material is indicated on the sheet material adjacent the respective compartments.

In OflC embodiment each of the compartments carries a particulate material which differs from the material in the other compartments and the information on the front of the pack indicates each of the particulate material types.

In one embodiment each of the particulate material types is a plant seed, and each compartment has a different type of seed therein.

In one embodiment the respective seed types are linked by a common theme, such as for example, types of herb plants, types of salad plants or the like.

In one embodiment the pack includes a front layer and a rear layer hingedly connected thereto and on the inner surfaces of the said front and/or rear layer there is provided information as :. to how to further use the particulate material held in the * .: compartments. In one example the information relates to planting instructions for each of the seed types. * * * *. S

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In one embodiment the pack includes at least one aperture to allow the pack to be suspended for display purposes.

In one embodiment each of the compartments is provided as a separate sealed unit thereby allowing each compartment to be removed from the pack independently of the others. In one embodiment the compartments are retained within the pack by an adhesive label.

Typically at least the portion of the compartments which protrudes through the apertures is formed of a transparent material to allow the particulate material to be viewable.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in further detail below with reference to the following figures, in which; Figure 1 is a schematic view showing the flow of material into the retail units according to one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a front view of one embodiment of a dosing apparatus according to the present invention; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a pre-dosing apparatus provided for use with the apparatus shown in figure 2;

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:*, Figure 4 shows a cross section of a dispensing means and dosing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present :. invention; S *S*

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Figure 5 shows a plan view of one embodiment of the dosing *SSS : means according to the present invention;

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Figure 6 shows a perspective view of means for conveying the compartments as shown within the embodiment of figure 1; Figure 7 shows a perspective view of an alternative apparatus according to the present invention; and Figures 8a and b show retail units in accordance with embodiments of the invention.

The embodiments shown in figures 1-6 provide an improved method and apparatus for dosing of particulate material in batches which is particularly advantageous in that the present invention can be either manually operated, semi-automated or else fully automated to suit production requirements.

Furthermore the present invention is flexible in that it can be adapted for short production runs and variable batch sizes, simply by replacing the dosing means as described in further detail below.

The Invention is best suited to the dosing of particulate material. By the term "particulate material", it is meant any material which is provided in the form of a number of discrete elements and includes, for example powdered material, granular materials, diced or chopped materials, as well as materials which naturally take the form of discrete elements, such as seeds, grains, corn, or else man-made materials. Whilst the following description proceeds in relation to the dosing of foodstuffs such as herbs and spices the present invention is not to be limited to *

such examples. * *

Turning firstly to figure 1 there is shown in general a dosing apparatus 10 for the dosing of particulate material into a series of compartments 12. The compartments 12 may be provided as a singic carrier having multiple compartments therein or else may be provided as individual containers which may be removable from a carrier, or else which may be handled individually once filled. Furthermore the compartments 12 may be made of a transparent material such that the contents of the compartments, once filled, is visible.

Thc apparatus 10 comprises generally a pre-dosing means 14, a dispensing means 16 and a dosing member 18. The pre-dosing means 14 provides a predetermined amount of material to the dispensing means 16, which then dispenses the material to the compartments 12 via the dosing member 18. The dosing member allows the material to be separated into predetermined doses such that each dose can be provided into a corresponding corn part men t.

Turning now to figure 2, there is shown an apparatus according to the present invention shown with the pre-dosing portion 14, the dispensing portion 16 and the dosing member 18 labelled in accordance with figure 1.

The pre-dosing portion 14 includes a cylinder 20 which is rotatably mounted within a housing 22 as show in figure 3. The housing 22 has an elongate opening 24 therein for reception of material. The cylinder 20 is provided with a slot 26 for the reception of materials. During use, the cylinder can be rotated by handle 28 such that the slot aligns with the opening 24 so that material can be provided directly into the slot.

Upon rotation of the cylinder, the material within slot can be :. emptied into the chute 30 shown in figure 2 such that the : material is transferred to the dispensing means 16. In addition, it is to be noted that the rotating cylinder arrangement allows metering of the material in that any excess material provided in the opening 24 will be cut off from the slot 26 upon rotation of the cylinder 20. Thus any excess material will remain within the opening 24 and will not be transferred to the dispensing means 1 6, resulting in a reliable pre-dosing of material to the dispensing means.

Turning now to figure 4, a cross section through the width of the dispensing means 16 is shown. The dispensing means has side walls 31 and 32 which are spaced apart so as to define a cavity 34 into which the material can be dispensed via the chute 30. The dispensing means is positioned adjacent the dosing means 1 8 such that the cavity 34 is defined by an inner surface of each of the side walls as well as an upper surface of the dispensing means 18. In addition each side wall 31, 32 is provided with an associated wiper element 36, 38 extending between the corresponding sidewall and the upper surface of the dosing means 18.

Within the cavity 34 there is mounted an agitator 40. The side wall 32 is connected to an arm 42 which is movable by way of a hydraulic ram arrangement 44 such that the dispensing means 16 can be moved in a linear fashion back and forth over the surface of the dosing means 18 during use in the direction of arrow A. The agitator is rotatable as shown by arrow B during use such that any particulate material contained within the cavity 34 can be agitated to prevent clogging. This is particularly useful when using powdered material, such as for example spices since the agitator 40 allows the powder to be aerated such that the powder can flow freely under the force of gravity. *1*

The dosing means 18 takes the form of a dosing surface 48 vlijch forms an upper surface of a generally planar member 49 having a predetermined depth. The planar member thus takes : the form of a slab or block. The dosing surface has a number of : apertures 46 which define a number of corresponding recesses & 46 in the planar member in the form of holes which extend through the entire depth of the planer member 49.

In addition the dosing means 18 includes a plate 50 disposed below the planer member 49. The plate 50 also contains through holes 52 which are shaped and spaced to correspond to the holes or bores 46 provided in the planer member 48.

However as shown in figure 4, the holes 52 within the plate 50 are offset from the holes 46 within the planar member so as to form recesses which are closed at one end but are open at an opposite end for reception of the material.

During use the dispensing means 16 passes over the recesses 46 and material is deposited into the recesses as required. As the dispensing means passes over the upper surface of the planar member 48 the wiper elements 36 and 38 remove excess material from the upper dosing surface 48 of the planar member 49 and thus prevent over filling of the recesses 46. Once the material has been correctly dispensed, the plate 50 is then moved relative to the planet member 48 such that the holes 52 within the plate align with the recesses 46 and allow the material to fall from the recesses into compartments disposed below the dosing means 18, as shown in figure 1. Preferably the compartments 12 are of slightly larger diameter than the holes 52 to ensure that all the material within each recess 46 is caught within the associated compartment 12.

Figure 5 shows the arrangement of multiple recesses within the **.. . . . planer member 48 in a two dimensional array. The dispensing :. means 16 is positioned above the planer member 48 and extends * across the entire width thereof such that a single pass of the dispensing means 16 is sufficient to fill the entire array of I...

: recesses 46. In addition it can be seen in figure 5 that runners 54 are provided at the outer edges of the planar member 49 so I. * as to guide the dispensing means 16 in a substantially linear fashion.

Figure 6 shows a conveyor arrangement for the compartments 12. The conveyor arrangement 56 includes a frame 58 onto which a carrier can be located such that the carrier and the compartments 12 are held in spaced relationship relative to the frame 58. The frame 58 can then be slid by way of guide rails 59 into position beneath the dosing means into direction of arrow ready for use. Once filled the conveyor 56 can then be slid in the reverse direction such that the filled compartments can be i. e moved.

Whilst the apparatus described above can be manually operated, it will be appreciated that the filling operation is isolated from the operator to avoid contact with the material. In addition the manually operated handles may be replaced by semi-automated push buttons which control the operation of the apparatus 10.

Alternatively a push button operation could be replaced by a fully automated system, in which the rotation of the cylinder and also the actuation of the ram is controlled by a computer.

The parts of the apparatus which come into contact with the material, namely the cylinder 20, the housing 22, the chute 30, the side walls 31 and 32, as well as the planer member 49 and plate 50 may all be made of anti-static plastic materials. The :. materials may be charged so as to repel powdered material so as to prevent the build up of deposits which would serve to clog the apparatus.

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in addition whilst the apparatus discussed above is provided with a single planar member 49 it is to be noted that the doses : of the material can be easily be altered by adding additional planer members with apertures aligned with the holes 46 in the original planer member 49. Thus multiples of the original dosage can easily be catered for.

A further embodiment of an apparatus according to the present invention is shown in figure 7. The dosing apparatus 62 takes the form of an open-ended trough 64 with rear wall 66 and side walls 68. The base of the trough is formed by way of a dosing member 70 which is provided with apertures 71 in accordance with the dosing member 18 described in figures 4 and 5. The dosing member is provided with a backing plate 72 in accordance with the plate 50 of figure 4.

However in this embodiment, the dosing member 70 is provided with an extended portion 74 in which there are no apertures.

This extended portion provides a region in which particulate material (not shown) can be held. In addition, in place of the automated dispensing means of figures 4 and 5, the embodiment of figure 7 is provided with a paddle 76. The paddle 76 is of width substantially equal to the width of the dosing member 70 and has a soft edge 78 which may be made of deformable material such as rubber or the like.

The embodiment of figure 7 can be manually operated. An operator provides a surplus of material to be dosed onto the extension portion 74. The operator then grips the upper edge of the paddle 76 and manually draws the material over the array of apertures 71. Once the recesses are filled, any excess material will sit on the upper surface of the dosing member and can be wiped away to the extension portion 74 for later use.

The plate 72 is then manually operable to release the doses of material into compartments below. In this regard the plate 72 : may be provided with a handle to allow the plate to be pulled and pushed as required.

Once thc compartments 12 have been provided with the required doses using the apparatus according to either embodiment, they can be sealed by applying a sheet material over the ends of all of the compartments 12 at once. The sheet material can be heat sealed or sealed by way of adhesive.

Typically the sheet material can be pressed and sealed over a carrier in a linear, piston driven motion.

The compartments 12 are then separated using a cutter which is shaped to cut out the compartments 12 from the carrier in a single step. The cutter may have one or more cutting edges shaped to cut a perimeter around each compartment, thus leaving a flange around the sealed surface of each formed container This flange is useful in mounting the filled containers within a substrate such as a card support to be used for mounting the containers as shown in figures 8a and b.

Retail units in accordance with embodiments of the invention are shown in figures 8a and b and comprise a plurality of sealed compartments 12 which have been removed from the carrier and selectively arranged as required with respect to sheet material 80. The compartments may be adhered to the sheet material 80 or, as shown in Figure 8b, the sheet material may be provided with openings for insertion of the compartments therethrough and from which the compartments protrude to the front of the sheet material. In this arrangement the apertures through which the compartments pass typically include engagement means 79 such as a tab formed of the sheet material and which protrude inwardly to contact with the outer wall of the compartments and :. thereby exert a gripping action on the compartment to retain the compartment in the aperture. At the rear of the compartment S...

there is provided a flange which is advantageous since it allows the compartments to be correctly positioned within the openings and also as the flange is larger than the aperture, prevents the compartment frompassing wholly through the aperture and therefore retains the compartment as part of the retail unit.

The sheet material 80 may also comprise a fold over rear portion 82 which is folded over to contact or lie close to the rear of the compartments to prevent them falling out of the openings once in place.

In Figure 8b the fold over portion 82 is shown separated from the front portion 80 but initially at the time of retail display, the front and rear portions 80, 82 will typically be engaged by labels and or location formations to lie in parallel and thereby the fold over portion also prevents access to the rear of the compartments at that time. The interior surface 84 of the fold over portion and/or interior face 85 of the front portion 80 may also be provided with printed information relating to the subsequent use of the material held in the compartments, once purchased. The front display face 86 can also carry advertising material and information 88 relating to the type of particulate material 90 in the compartment 12 adjacent thereto and with which the appropriate compartments have been positioned during the formation of the retail unit.

When the compartments are made of transparent material it will be appreciated that the present invention provides for a retail unit with pre-dosed material individually sealed in separate * compartments which are visible to a consumer. The retail unit comprises multiple compartments containing different materials for saic as a single unit. As such a variety of different materials :. can be provided as required, but which materials will typically be * *:. linked in some manner. I...

The Applicant has found the present invention to be particularly advantageous when provided for particulate material such as seeds, cooking ingredients or the like. It should also be appreciated that different size compartments may be provided in any one pack as shown in Figure 8b and the retail unit of the present invention may usefully be attached to a larger item such as a bag of flour, sugar, rice, pasta or the like or another article linked to the particulate material. It is also envisaged that the retail pack could be useful in terms of providing a sample of certain materials, in relatively small doses prior to a purchaser purchasing the normal pack size.

The present invention has also found multiple further applications in, for example, the packaging of seeds for sale in retail environments. Furthermore the present invention has been applied to other materials such as confectionery and has been found to provide a suitable format for the provision of con fec ti one r y.

In accordance with a further use of the present invention, a retail unit can be provided for non-food materials which are to be used in conjunction with arts and crafts kits. In this way the cardboard backing can be provided with instruction as to how to make best use of the materials provided in the accompanying compartments. e.. * . *t. I. S * S *S*

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Claims

Claims: 1. A method of supplying a plurality of compartments with

predetermined doses of material, using a dosing member with a plurality of recesses therein and at least one dispensing means said method comprising the steps of; providing the material within the dispensing means; dispensing the material from the dispensing means into a dosing means so as to provide a predetermined array of doses of the material; and transferring the array of doses from the dosing means into the number of compartments.
2. A method according to claim I wherein the material is transferred from the dosing means to the compartments by the movement of a plate adjacent to said dosing means, said movement substantially aligning apertures of both the dosing means and the plate for transfer of said material therethrough.
3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the one or more compartments form a carrier in which an array of dosed materials are handled at once.
4. A method according to claim 3 wherein the array of dosed materials are sealed within the compartments in a carrier to form at least one retail unit. *S.. *.

: ...
5. A method according to claim 4 wherein the dosed materials are sealed within the compartments by at least one sheet of *** material. * * * S. * :

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein the single sheet of material is attached to the compartments using a heat sealing method and/or adhesive.

7. A method according to claim I wherein the compartments are individually removable from the array.

8. An apparatus for the dosage of particulate materials into compartments, said apparatus including a dosing member with a plurality of recesses therein, at least one dispensing means for the dispensing of the material into said recesses, wherein the dispensing means is moved and positioned over the dosing member whereupon said material is released to at least partially fill said recesses.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the recesses are shaped to define a volume of dosed material to be deposited into correspondingly shaped compartments.

10. An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the dispensing means passes over the apertures in the dosing member in a linear fashion.

11. An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the dispensing means has one or more walls.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the one or :. more walls of the dispensing means are located adjacent to the * *S.

dosing member, said walls drawing an amount of material over *SS.

the apertures when passing over the same.

13. An apparatus according to claim 11 wherein at least a *:::: portion of the walls of the dispensing means are deformable.

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* 14 An apparatus according to claim 11 wherein walls are manually operated by being pushed or pulled over the dosing member. * I *

15. An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the apparatus includes at least one pre-metering means to provide the dispensing means with a measured amount of material.

16. An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the dispensing means is located on one side of the dosing member and the compartments for receiving the material are located on the opposite side of the dosing member.

17. 1-\n apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the compartments are arranged in an array, said array arrangement substantially corresponding to the arrangement of the recesses within the dosing member.

18. An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the recesses of the dosing member pass through the same thereby providing apertures therethrough.

19. An apparatus according to claim 18 wherein a plate is provided adjacent to the dosing member, on the opposite face to that of the dispensing means.

20. An apparatus according to claim 19 wherein the plate is :. provided with one or more apertures a spaced distance apart which correspond to match apertures within the dosing member.

21. An apparatus according to claim 20 wherein when in a first position the apertures of the plate are offset from those of the *:::: dosing member thereby sealing one side of the dosing member apertures.

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22. An apparatus according to claim 21 wherein when the plate is in or being moved towards at least a second position the apertures of both the plate and the dosing member align.

23. An apparatus according to claim 34 wherein the dosing member has one or more extension portions.

24. An apparatus according to claim 23 wherein the extension portion provides a surface for material to be stored prior to and/or after being drawn over the dosing member.

25. A retail unit, said unit including sheet material forming a front surface of the unit with printed matter thereon and a plurality of spaced apertures, at least one pf which receives a compartment positioned to pass through and be located by said aperture, each of said compartments having particulate material located therein and wherein the type of particulate material and/or information relating to said particulate material is indicated on the sheet material adjacent to the respective compartments.

26. A retail pack according to claim 25 wherein the compartments project from the retail unit.

27. A retail pack according to claim 25 wherein the pack includes a planar backing member from which the compartments

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project.

28. A retail pack or unit according to claim 25 wherein each compartment carries a material which is different from those in * S. other compartments.

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29. A retail pack or unit according to claim 25 wherein the materials are different types of plant seeds. I *

30. A retail unit according to claim 25 wherein the pack comprises at least a front layer hingedly connected to at least a rear layer.

31. A retail pack or unit according to claim 30 wherein on at least a portion of the inner surface of the hingedly connected pack there is provided information on how to further use the particulate material contained in the compartments.

32. A retail pack according to claim 25 wherein each compartment is separately sealed thereby allowing each compartment to be removed separately.

33. A retail pack according to claim 25 wherein the compartments are retained within the pack by one or more adhesive labels. S. * S * *S. ***.

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