BACKGROUND ART There are numerous different types of packages for various liquid contents available on the market. These packages may, for example, be manufactured from aluminium, plastic or laminated paperboard. For different types of liquids, different materials and designs of the package may be appropriate.

The material in the package is also selected on the basis of the physical design of the package. One type of package which is particularly suitable for still drinks consists of a sleeve, a top and a bottom, where the parts included are not necessarily of the same material. For example, the sleeve and the bottom may be of laminated paperboard and be formed in one piece, and the top may consist of injection-moulded plastic. Such a package is described in EP-B1-0 960 014 and WO 98/32666. A similar design where the sleeve is of laminated paperboard and the bottom and top are of plastic and the top is injection-moulded on the casing/sleeve is described in EP-A1-0 862 980.

Both of these types of package may be employed for largely the same type of contents, but are manufactured in different ways and in different machines. These machines are often constructed at a machine manufacturer and are subsequently sold to a packaging manufacturer. Because of the large range of packages available, the variation in machines is consequentially large. In order that a machine manufacturer be able to meet the demand for different types of packing and filling machines, it is necessary that a large number of machine parts to different types of machines be kept in store. Also in product development, it is necessary that every improvement be introduced into a multiplicity of different machine types. For a manufacturer of the machines, it would, therefore, be advantageous to be able, in one way or another, to reduce the number of different machine parts which must be kept in store for

manufacture and sale without reducing the range of products available on offer of machines for manufacturing different types of packages.

In the case when a packaging manufacturer wishes to replace package type, the manufacturer must, at the present time, obtain a totally new plant which gives rise to large capital investment costs. It would, therefore, be desirable to realise a plant which may be retooled or retro constructed for different types of packages without the entire machine needing to be replaced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is therefore to realise an apparatus for manufacturing and handling packages, the apparatus permitting the construction, on a common basis, principally of two different types of packing and filling machines.

This object has now been attained as a result of the present invention by means of an apparatus which displays the characterising features as set forth in appended Claim 1, with preferred embodiments disclosed in appended subclaims 2 to 12. The object of the present invention will also be attained by a method as disclosed in appended Claims 13 to 16, as well as by an apparatus as disclosed in appended Claim 17 and a method as disclosed in appended Claim 18.

Hence, the concept of the present invention is, by altering the configuration in one type of packaging machine from the simplest to a slightly more complicated by employing double indexing, to gain the advantage that it is possible to employ a common basis for two different types of packing and filling machines. The term a common basis is taken to signify a common frame, a common shaft suspension, a common housing, a common base plate etc. The infeed of common packaging material and the discharge of packages also take place at the same position in both variations of the machine. To be able to build two machines on the same basis also affords the advantage of more economical store keeping of spare parts, simpler service and better yield of product development, since this, as regards the common parts, realises an improvement for both of the machines. Since it is the acceleration and retardation at the different stations which takes time and not the transport distance, the double indexing does not result in any appreciable increase in the production time for a package. It may even be an advantage for a manufacturer of

packages to be able to replace only a part of the packing and filling machine when it is desired to alter the type of package being manufactured. The capital investment costs are approximately halved compared with the case when a totally new machine must be procured.

In the single indexing state, the apparatus may be disposed to rotate the arms in a first direction of rotation, and in the double indexing state be disposed to rotate the arms in a second direction of rotation opposite to the first direction of rotation.

This affords the advantage that the apparatus can, on configuration, readily be adapted to different manufacturing processes.

Further, at least one of the treatment stations may include means for applying a packaging sleeve on an arm which is located at this station, which affords the advantage of efficient and simple manufacture.

At least one of the treatment stations may further include means for applying a package top on an arm which is located at this station. This strengthens the above- outlined advantage in the manufacture of a package which has a prefabricated top.

Further, at least one of the treatment stations may include means for closing a joint between the package top and the package sleeve, which also affords simplified and efficient manufacture.

At least one of the treatment stations may also include means for heating a package sleeve and top disposed on an arm, which affords the advantage of simplifying the above-mentioned sealing operation.

According to a second embodiment of the apparatus, this may include means for injection-moulding of a package top on a package sleeve. This affords the advantage of simplifying and making more efficient the manufacture of a package which displays a sleeve with a top injection-moulded thereon.

The apparatus according to the present invention preferably has five arms.

This affords the advantage of a simple configuration for realising variations of a machine for the manufacture of the two different packages.

According to one embodiment, the apparatus has, in the single indexing state, a first treatment station in a first sleeve application position a radial distance from the axis for applying a sleeve on an arm, a second treatment station for injection- moulding of a top on the sleeve and a third treatment station in a first discharge

position a radial distance from the axis for discharging the sleeve with the top from the arm, and, in the double indexing state, a first treatment station for applying a top on an arm, a second treatment station in a second sleeve application position a radial distance from the axis for applying a sleeve on the arm, a third treatment station for closing a joint between the top and the sleeve, and a fourth treatment station in a second discharge position a radial distance from the axis for discharging the sleeve with the top from the arm.

According to one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first and second sleeve application positions lie in the same place and the first and second discharge positions in the same place. This gives the advantage mentioned by way of introduction that one basic version may be employed for building different variations which are used for the manufacture of different packages.

The foregoing advantages will also be attained using a method according to appended Claims 12 to 15, as well as by an apparatus according to Claim 16 and a method according to Claim 17.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWING The present invention will now be described in greater detail hereinbelow, with reference to the accompanying Drawing which shows, for purposes of exemplification, one presently preferred embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention.

The sole figure is a side elevation of an apparatus according to the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The apparatus 1 in Fig. 1 has five arms 2 which are secured at uniform spacing on a wheel 3 which rotates about a geometric axis X. At each arm, there may be a treatment station 4, but only one such station is shown in the figure. Applied over each arm in the figure, there is a package sleeve 5. In the figure, a package top 6 is also shown.

The wheel 3 may intermittently rotate either clockwise or counterclockwise.

The direction of rotation is selected on the basis of that type of package which is to be manufactured. Further, the apparatus 1 is set in a single or double indexing state.

In the single indexing state, the arms 2 move during the rotation of the wheel 3 intermittently clockwise from one treatment station 4 to the next in sequence around the axis A, without passing any interjacent station. Thus, the arms move one distribution step at a time. In the double indexing state, the arms 2 move during rotation of the wheel 3 counterclockwise from one treatment station to the second next in sequence around the axis A. Thus, in each step one interjacent treatment station is leapfrogged in that the arms move two spacing distribution at the time.

In order to describe how the machine is configurated for two different types of packages, reference numerals A, B, C, D, E will, in accordance with the figure, be employed for describing the positions of the treatment stations.

When the machine is adapted for the manufacture of a package consisting of a package sleeve and a prefabricated plastic top, the station C is the first station in the manufacturing process. There, a plastic top is applied on the arm. The arm is then rotated counterclockwise to station A where a package sleeve is applied. The arm is then rotated counterclockwise two spacing distributions to the next station in the sequence which is station D, where possible preheating of the sleeve and the top takes place. Thereafter, the arm is rotated through two spacing distributions counterclockwise to the station B where a joint between the top and the sleeve is sealed. Finally, the arm is rotated two spacing distributions counterclockwise to station E where the package is discharged for, for example, filling and sealing.

When the machine is instead adapted for the manufacture of a package consisting of a sleeve on which a top is injection-moulded, station A is the first station. There, just as before, a package sleeve is applied on the arm. Thereafter, the arm is rotated one spacing distribution clockwise to station B where a top is injection-moulded on the sleeve. During the subsequent rotation to station C and subsequently to station D, the top cools in order, at station D possibly to be provided with an opening arrangement on the now cooled top. Finally, the package is, as previously, discharged from the arm at station E for example for filling and sealing.

The application of the sleeve and the discharge of the package thus take place at the same place for both of the variations.