B65B - Definition

Definition statement

This subclass covers:

Machines, apparatus, or methods of general application for packaging individual articles, groups of articles or quantities of material in solid, pulverulent, liquid, semi liquid or mixed solid and liquid form including mainly the following operations:

• filling portable containers or receptacles with articles or materials to form packages;
• inserting articles or groups of articles into containers or receptacles;
• closing filled containers or receptacles otherwise than by metal-, glass-, or wood-working operations;
• enclosing, or partially enclosing, articles or quantities of material, in sheets, strips, blanks, webs, or tubes of thin flexible material, e.g. wrapping;
• applying removable coatings, e. g. strippable coatings;
• bundling articles, e.g. holding articles together in groups by applying string or wire;
• attaching articles to cards, sheets, or webs.

Machines, apparatus, or methods adapted for packaging articles or materials presenting special problems or for special packaging operations e. g. packaging of specially shaped articles, of fragile, sensitive, tacky objects or of all sorts of foodstuffs.

Machines, apparatus, or methods adapted for packaging of articles or materials in packages that can have an additional function e. g. packaging of tea in tea-bags or of food intended to be cooked in the package.

Machines, apparatus, or methods adapted for packaging of articles or materials under special atmospheric or gaseous conditions.

Filling aerosol containers with propellants.

Packaging articles by applying removable e.g. strippable coatings.

Details of, auxiliary devices applied to, or auxiliary measures taken in, machines, apparatus, or methods

- relating to the articles or materials to be packed:

• supplying, feeding, arranging, or orientating articles to be packed;
• supplying or feeding fluent-solid, plastic, or liquid material, or loose masses of small articles to be packaged;
• nozzles, funnels, or guides for introducing articles or materials into containers or wrappers;
• miscellaneous auxiliary devices operating on articles or materials to be packaged and not otherwise provided for;

- relating to the containers, packages or receptacles in association with packaging:

• forming, feeding, opening, or setting-up containers or receptacles;
• supplying or feeding container-forming sheets or wrapping material;
• apparatus or devices for supporting or holding wrappers during wrapping operation;
• apparatus or devices for forming pockets or receptacles in or from sheets, blanks, or webs;
• devices for folding or bending wrappers around contents;
• devices for, or methods of, sealing or securing package folds or closures, e.g. twisted bag necks;
• shrinking wrappers, containers, container covers or container cover securing members during or after packaging;
• miscellaneous auxiliary devices for operating on sheets, blanks, webs, binding material, containers or packages, and not otherwise provided for;

- relating to the machines, apparatus, or methods themselves:

• automatic control, checking, warning, or safety devices of packaging machines;
• arrangements to give access for cleaning or maintenance purposes;
• arrangements to enable machines to handle articles of different sizes, to produce packages of different sizes, to vary the contents of packages;
• details peculiar to packaging machines and not otherwise provided for, e. g. special gearing, anti- sticking material, devices for counting and registering;
• preserving, protecting, or purifying packages or package contents in association with packaging.

Apparatus or devices facilitating manual packaging operations.

Sack holders.

Unpacking of articles or materials.

Relationship between large subject matter areas

Operations like filling, inserting, enclosing or bundling of articles or attaching articles to webs or cards that are employed in the manufacture of the articles and not part of a packaging process, are covered by the appropriate subclasses, e.g. making confectionery products by casting in moulds formed by wrappers A23G, filling ammunition, e.g. cartridges, F42B 33/02.

Relationship with subclass B65D:

B65B does not cover methods of packaging, which are wholly characterised by the form of the package produced, or the form of the container or packaging-element used, which are covered by B65D.

Relationship with subclass B65G:

B65G covers storage or transport devices (e.g. conveyers) in general whereby B65B covers those devices if they are restricted to packaging.

Relationship with subclass B67C:

The group B67C 3/00 covers primarily the filling or bottling of bottles, cans, jars, barrels or casks with beverages or other (similar) liquids or semi-liquids, on a relatively large production scale, for example as is done in the beverage, soft drink or wine industry or in breweries.

The filling of containers with liquids or semi-liquids using apparatus other than bottling or like apparatus is covered by the group B65B 3/00.

References relevant to classification in this subclass

This subclass does not cover:

Informative references

Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:

Special rules of classification

NONE.

Glossary of terms

In this subclass, the following terms or expressions are used with the meaning indicated: