442,744. Making and filling packets. CHALMERS, J. W., HORGAN, G. D., and MOLINS MACHINE CO., Ltd., 2, Evelyn Street, Deptford, London. Aug. 17, 1934, No. 23750. [Classes 18 and 94 (i)] The machine makes containers from blanks, feeds them on to intermittent conveyer mechanism, and fills and closes them. Mechanism as described in Specifications 396,492, 437,690, 357,970, and 442,464 may be used for actuating the mandrels, weighing and feeding the materials, detecting faulty working, and flap folding respectively. The machine as shown in plan in Fig. 3 comprises a table 34 along which mandrels 71 are moved for the formation of the packets. The packets are stripped on to a transfer table 90 which moves them into pockets 100, on an endless chain and each adapted to hold a group of packets. Filling takes place from apparatus 355, six packets being filled simultaneously. A plunger 158 moves the packets between guides 159, 160, and further plungers 161, 162 feed them into pockets on an endless chain which presents them to gumming, closing, and delivery mechanism. Making packets. A web 324, Fig. 2, of cardboard is fed between scoring rollers 325, 326, and between guides 327, 328. Knives 329, 30 sever a strip which is retained between guides 32, 33, Figs. 1 and 2, when one of a series of mandrels 37 engages it and carries it to the right between guides which fold it into a U -shape about the lines made by the scoring rollers. The mandrel next engages a strip of waxed paper which has been severed from a web 43 by knives 46, 47 and fed by suction rollers 49, 50 to a guide 53. Adhesive is applied from a bath 51 and a scraper 511 deflects the leading edge of the wrapper into the guide, which is moved upwardly out of the path of the mandrel by links 54, 55 when engagement takes place. The assembly is next moved between a top plate 56 and the bed 34 of the machine, which bends the paper into a U-shape about those sides of the mandrel not engaged by the cardboard strip. Stationary folders 57 make the narrow end folds 58, Fig. 8, and folders 59, 62 make the side folds 60, 61, the previously applied lines of adhesive securing these folds to the cardboard strip 31. An outer blank 63, Figs. 4 and 9, slit at 69, is now placed about the packet. The blank is fed from a magazine 64 by rollers 65, 66 into a pair of guides 67, 68, pivoted at 73, which are moved so as not to engage the flaps 70. Upon the mandrel engaging the blank, the flaps 70 are first folded and a top guide 76 and the machine bed 34 fold the blank into a U-shape, folders 77 fold up the folds 78, and folders 79 fold the flaps 80 into an upstanding position for adhesive to be applied by wheels 81. Folders 85 complete the packet, which is then removed from the mandrel by pushers 88. The pushers deliver the packets on to a platform 90 which turns through 90‹ and passes them into pockets 100 on a conveyer chain. The mandrels 37 are tripped rearwardly in the manner described in Specification 396,492. Filling packets. The pockets 100, Fig. 1, each hold two packets, side by side, so that a double row is advanced towards the filling station, which may be done at half the speed of the packet making mechanism. Six containers are filled simultaneously. The hopper and weighing machine are as described in Specification 437,690. The charges arrive in a series of shoots carried by rollers or guides so that they move with the packets while the material passes into the packets, and return for the next cycle. Detecting mechanism of the kind described in Specification 357,970 may be used to detect whether any of the elements 31, 42 or 63 is lacking from a container, and to prevent the weighing machine from delivering material to the defective container. In order to agitate the material to cause it to assume the proper level in the packet, the side walls of the pockets are arranged to slide on pins 112, Fig. 18, and are controlled by springs 113. Extensions carry rollers 114 running in guides 115 carried on arms pivoted at 117. A lever 119 engages a toothed cam 120 slidably mounted on a shaft 121, and normally held in position by a spring 123. The amount of agitation to be imparted can be adjusted by a hand wheel 124. At the next station the packets are tested so that those with insufficient contents may be removed. A plunger 129 sliding in a frame 130, Fig. 15, on guides 131 descends into the packet. If the level is correct, the plunger is arrested and holds up a bracket 134. If, however, the contents are deficient, the plunger, and with it the bracket, descends to the level shown in Fig. 16. The bracket carries a fixed plate 137, which passes into the packet, and a movable gripper 138 pivoted at 139 which is opened against the action of a spring 140 by a cam 142 and snaps into the closed position after passing the cam. The container is now held by the jaws and is lifted from its pocket when the frame rises, the cam 142 being tripped upwards. At the top position the frame 144 carrying the spindles 135 is tilted by cam action, the grippers are opened and the packet falls down a shoot, and is led out of the machine. After the containers arrive at position 157, Fig. 1, a plunger 158 moves them to the right between guides 159, 160, and the leading one is removed from the line by a plunger 161 so that a plunger 162 can push it into a pocket 163, Fig. 21, for removal to closing mechanism. Closing packets. In order to control the flaps which are not reinforced by the strips 31, members 167 on an arm 165 are lowered into the open end of the packet, and the flaps 168, 169 are folded as described in Specification 442,464. A guide 199 maintains these flaps in position while folders 200 turn the upstanding flaps downwardly against the sides of the container. Adhesive applying wheels 201, Figs. 1 and 21, with segments 202 apply gum to the flaps. One flap 205 is brought into the position shown in Fig. 28 by a fixed plate 206, and the other flap 207 is turned over by a folder 208 carried on an arm 209 pivoted at 210. The folder 208 is pivoted at 213 and turns over into the position shown in broken lines owing to the action of a roller 215 on an arm 216, which continues its movement after the arm 209 has been arrested by a stop 220. On arrival at position 221, Fig. 1, a plunger 222 with a flap controlling element thrusts the packet between guides 223, 224 and beneath a plate 229, and thence to heating and stacking mechanism.