Abstract: A plastic bottle includes an expanded blow-molding preform of plastic film. The expanded preform has a base configured to support the bottle in a free-standing upright position, a neck containing a fitment, and seams including only a single full-height seam extending from the base to the neck.

Abstract: A flexible container includes a panel structure of flexible web material. The panel structure defines a pouch that has a top opening. A rigid fitment, in the top opening, has a surface section adjoining the pouch. The panel structure defines a handle. The pouch is configured to be carried by the handle in an upright orientation in which the handle projects upward from the pouch at a juncture that is not above the bottom of the pouch-adjoining surface section of the fitment.

Abstract: A flexible container has flexible top and bottom handles for facilitating dispensing of a flowable substance stored therein. The container includes a flexible panels enclosing an interior of the container and forming a top segment, an opposite bottom segment, a front side segment, a rear side segment, and a pair of side segments bounding the interior. A rigid fitment provides an access opening through either the top segment or a front side segment. A flexible bottom handle structure surrounds a handle opening. It is defined by at least one of the flexible panels, the bottom handle structure being positioned along a center portion of the bottom segment between the front side and rear side segments. The bottom handle has a folded portion at the opening to provide a smooth gripping surface.

Abstract: A plastic bottle includes an expanded blow-molding preform of plastic film. The expanded preform has a base configured to support the bottle in a free-standing upright position, a neck containing a fitment, and seams including only a single full-height seam extending from the base to the neck.

Abstract: A flexible container includes a panel structure of flexible web material. The panel structure defines a pouch that has a top opening. A rigid fitment, in the top opening, has a surface section adjoining the pouch. The panel structure defines a handle. The pouch is configured to be carried by the handle in an upright orientation in which the handle projects upward from the pouch at a juncture that is not above the bottom of the pouch-adjoining surface section of the fitment.

Abstract: A flexible container has flexible top and bottom handles for facilitating dispensing of a flowable substance stored therein. The container includes a flexible panels enclosing an interior of the container and forming a top segment, an opposite bottom segment, a front side segment, a rear side segment, and a pair of side segments bounding the interior. A rigid fitment provides an access opening through either the top segment or a front side segment. A flexible bottom handle structure surrounds a handle opening. It is defined by at least one of the flexible panels, the bottom handle structure being positioned along a center portion of the bottom segment between the front side and rear side segments. The bottom handle has a folded portion at the opening to provide a smooth gripping surface.

Abstract: A web transport system operates cyclically to advance a web and provide a synchronization signal at a known point in a cutting cycle. A drive system oscillates a cutting knife from a resting position to an active position and back in response to an actuating signal. A sensor in the path of the cutting knife provides a position signal when the cutting knife is at a predetermined position that is substantially different than the resting position. A controller receives the synchronization signal, provides the actuating signal at a time relative to the synchronization signal, receives the position signal, and adjusts subsequent actuating signals in response to the position signal so that the cutting knife arrives at the predetermined position substantially at a predetermined point in the cutting cycle.

Abstract: A container including a fitment providing a closure and a plurality of panels of plastic film. Each of the panels has a pair of opposing longitudinal edges with each edge joined to a longitudinal edge of an adjacent panel to form an outwardly extending seam. The panels collectively form a tube-like structure. A first end of the tube-like structure is sealed to the fitment. An opposing second end of the tube-like structure is closed by seams joining adjacent panels. A first portion of each of the panels adjacent the second end of the tube-like structure is expanded such that the first portion of each of the panels is not flat. A second portion of each of the panels between the first end and the second end is left substantially unexpanded such that the second portion of each of the panels is substantially flat.

Abstract: A plastic film preform is expanded to form a container. The preform has a longitudinal axis that extends from an open top to a closed bottom. The preform is pressurized with a first pressure sufficient to cause side walls of the preform to expand outwardly and the bottom of the preform to be drawn inwardly thereby reducing a length of the preform along the longitudinal axis. Side molds are closed around the side walls of the preform, the closed side molds being larger than the expanded side walls. A bottom mold is closed to be adjacent to the bottom of the preform after pressurizing the preform with the first pressure. The preform is pressurized with a second pressure sufficient to expand the preform to fill the closed molds. The preform is thereby significantly stretched in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and minimally stretched along the longitudinal axis.

Abstract: A triangularly shaped flexible bottle having a gusseted body section, and a neck section comprised of narrowed portions of the side panels and gusset of the body section, with a fitment in the neck section. The bottle has a flat bottom that may be created by tapering the webs forming the bottom at about 30 degrees. The body has a triangular cross section when filled, but may be contoured in the vertical direction. A process for fabricating the bottle is also disclosed which involves feeding webs, including a side gusset, creating perimeter seals around only the top portion of the bottle, inserting the fitment from the input end of the machine in the direction of web travel, forming the remainder of the perimeter seams, detaching the nascent bottle from the web, and sealing the neck section of the bottle to the fitment by clamping the neck section with a heated clamp, and preferably repeating the seal operation at a different radial angle.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a fitmented flexible bottle is disclosed which involves feeding webs including one or more gussets, creating perimeter seals around only the top portion of the bottle, inserting the fitment from the input end of the machine in the direction of web travel, forming the remainder of the perimeter seams, detaching the nascent bottle from the web, and sealing the neck section of the bottle to the fitment by clamping the neck section with a heated clamp, and preferably repeating the seal operation at a different radial angle. Sealing the fitment by application of ultrasonic energy is also disclosed. In another embodiment, the fitment is sealed to the neck section of the bottle by utilizing heated wheels against the neck and rotating the bottle to create a seal all around the neck.

Abstract: A punching station for a web includes a web transport system that operates to advance the web in a first direction at a first rate. A clamp intermittently grips a portion of the web to advance the portion in the first direction at a second rate. A punch is coupled to the clamp such that the punch moves in the first direction together with the clamp. A punch block cooperates with the punch. The punch block is coupled to the clamp such that the punch block moves in the first direction in unison with the clamp. A punch actuator causes the punch to penetrate the web and then to be withdrawn from the web while the web is gripped by the clamp.

Abstract: An electric actuator Includes a first plate and a substantially parallel second plate. A linkage system couples the first plate to the second plate such that moving the linkage system toward an over-center position causes the second plate to move away from the first plate. An electric motor is coupled to the linkage system to move the linkage system toward the over-center position. A force transducer is coupled to the actuator to produce a force signal responsive to a force produced by the actuator. A control system is coupled to the electric motor and the force transducer to provide a control signal to the electric motor to move the linkage system to a position that was determined by the control system in response to the force signal in a previous movement of the linkage system.

Abstract: A flexible bottle having a gusseted body section and a neck section comprised of narrowed portions of the side panels and gussets of the body section, with a fitment in the neck section. The bottle has a flat bottom that may be created by tapering the webs forming the bottom at about 45 degrees. The body has a substantially square or rectangular cross section when filled, but may be contoured in the vertical direction. A process for fabricating the bottle is also disclosed which involves feeding webs, including a pair of gussets, creating perimeter seals around only the top portion of the bottle, inserting the fitment from the input end of the machine in the direction of web travel, forming the remainder of the perimeter seams, detaching the nascent bottle from the web, and sealing the neck section of the bottle to the fitment by clamping the neck section with a heated clamp, and preferably repeating the seal operation at a different radial angle.

Abstract: A pouch making machine with a rotary die cutter, which sets a repeat distance between die outlines on a die roller greater than the repeat distance of printing on a web. An eyespot is placed adjacent to each pouch on the web. A die encoder monitors the position of the die outlines on the die roller. A photosensitive sensor reads the position of the eyespots on the web. A pair of nip rollers are driven by a variable speed motor and monitored by an encoder. A controller inputs location information from the rotary die cutter and the photosensitive sensor. The controller instantaneously slows the speed of the pair of nip rollers to retard the advance of the web, relative to the die outlines, such that printing on the web will be continually registered with the die outlines.

Abstract: A flexible bottle having a gusseted body section and a neck section comprised of narrowed portions of the side panels and gussets of the body section, with a fitment in the neck section. The bottle has a flat bottom that may be created by tapering the webs forming the bottom at about 45 degrees. The body has a substantially square or rectangular cross section when filled, but may be contoured in the vertical direction. A process for fabricating the bottle is also disclosed which involves feeding webs, including a pair of gussets, creating perimeter seals around only the top portion of the bottle, inserting the fitment from the input end of the machine in the direction of web travel, forming the remainder of the perimeter seams, detaching the nascent bottle from the web, and sealing the neck section of the bottle to the fitment by clamping the neck section with a heated clamp, and preferably repeating the seal operation at a different radial angle.

Abstract: A pouch making machine which simultaneously creates perimeter seams for a plurality of pouches on a web and temporarily stores the seamed web in an accumulator at the conclusion of the seaming step, and then withdraws the web from the accumulator to sever the individual pouches from the web. The individual pouches are severed from the web by a cutoff knife that is moving at the same velocity as the web during the cut. The withdrawal of the web from the accumulator is carried on independent of the seaming step, except that regulating means is included to make the long term average web speed the same through the seaming step as through the cutoff step.

Abstract: A sterilizable container which includes an internal flap or a chute which is deployed when the container is opened to provide a sterile passageway through which the stored items may be removed. The flap or chute shields the contents of the container from contact with unsterile areas while the removal is in progress.