Abstract: In an apparatus for making plastic bags or the like from a continuous film of material comprising a sealing drum having at least one seal bar for imparting transverse seals to the film at regularly spaced intervals and a perforator having a rotatable perforator blade for imparting transverse perforations to the film at regularly spaced intervals, an apparatus and method are disclosed for tracking the positions of each seal and each perforation and comparing the difference between these positions to a desired difference and thereafter adjusting the rate of rotation of the perforator blade until the difference between the positions of each seal and each perforation is equal to the desired difference to thereby maintain a desired spacing between each seal and each perforation.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing bags that are rectangular when collapsed and which comprise two superimposed flat sides, sealed at the edges, and a handle member. The method comprises the steps of: laying out a web forming three parallel subordinate webs, one extending longitudinally in the middle and one on each lateral side thereof; folding two top flanks out of the middle subordinate web to create a handle-top portion; V-folding a center strip of the middle subordinate web to create a handle member; providing the handle member with a finger slot and with depressions that allow the middle part to be pulled apart along the handle member to form a gusset; bringing the two lateral subordinate webs together; and attaching the lateral subordinate webs together along seams to create bag edges and cutting off the bags along their edges.

Abstract: An apparatus for making flat packaging bags from a flexible web of indeterminate length includes a machine frame; a sled mounted on the machine frame for travel parallel to the direction of web advance; a first drive for reciprocating the sled parallel to the direction of advance; a mandrel mounted on the sled; a tubular folding body fixedly mounted on the machine frame and coaxially surrounding the mandrel for bending the web about the mandrel to form a web hose; a first sealing shoe mounted on the sled; a second drive for pressing the first sealing shoe against an outer face of the mandrel for providing a longitudinal sealing seam on the web hose situated between the mandrel and the first sealing shoe; a second sealing shoe mounted on the machine frame for displacements perpendicularly to the direction of web advance; a third drive for actuating the second sealing shoe for providing a transverse sealing seam on the web hose; and a cutter for severing a length of web hose from the web.

Abstract: In an apparatus for making plastic bags or the like from a continuous film of material comprising a sealing drum having at least one seal bar for imparting transverse seals to the film at regularly spaced intervals and a perforator having a rotatable perforator blade for imparting transverse perforations to the film at regularly spaced intervals, the film comprising print marks appearing thereon at regularly spaced intervals, an apparatus and method are disclosed for tracking the positions of each print mark and each perforation and comparing the difference between these positions to a desired difference and thereafter adjusting the angular position of the perforator blade until the difference between the positions of each print mark and each perforation is equal to the desired difference to thereby maintain a desired spacing between each print mark and each perforation.

Abstract: A flexible heat-sealable web is shaped continuously into a tubular cross-sectional shape, e.g. as an intermediate stage in the production of infusion bags comprising severed and sealed lengths of the tubular shape. The web is drawn along a shaped shoe and side margins of the web are folded over opposite sides of the shoe by rollers and fingers to place the opposite side edges of the web in overlapping relationship against the shoe. The overlapped edges pass between a roller mounted in the shoe and an external heated roller to be pressed between the two rollers in order to lap weld the edges together as the web travels along the shoe. The shoe continues to form the web downstream of the welding station into a flattened tube.

Abstract: A transverse seal bar produces triangular air pockets between straight, parallel transverse seals. providing stress supports as well as rigidity to the seal The seal is fail-proof and is applied to plastic or other materials laminated to plastic such as; aluminum, paper or metallized materials. The seal bar is adaptable to commercial bag seal machines or other such commercial sealing machines.

Abstract: The invention has to do with the modification of well known heat sealing bag machines to increase the production capability of the machines. The use of servo drives for selected components of the bag machine permits the reduction of film acceleration and consequential peak film velocity, thus allowing faster machine cycles at the same film acceleration and consequential film velocity.

Abstract: A system and method for constructing sealed printed packages and one-piece mailers provides fixedly applying printing toner to predetermined locations upon a first part of a face of a printable sheet. The sheet is then folded so that a second part of the face overlies the first part which includes the locations having the toner thereon. The toner is then sealed so that the first and second parts are joined together. The toner may comprise a heat activated xerographic powdered toner. The second part of the face may include toner at locations that overlap the toner upon the first part and sealing may involve preheating of the toner prior to folding and then applying additional heat and pressure to the toner by means, for example, of rollers subsequent to folding. The sheet may then be cooled.

Abstract: A system for dampening deflections which occur in an elongate rotating fly-knife includes camming elements along the length of the beam carrying the fly-knife. A second beam spaced from the knife is also mounted for rotation and includes spaced apart camming elements adapted to rotate and contact the fly-knife camming elements at that point during the rotational cycle when the fly-knife will cut and/or perforate the material with which the apparatus of the present invention is employed. In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the system is used to perforate, slit or cut plastic film, e.g., in the manufacture of bags. In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the system is used with a coversheet winding machine. The rotating beams of the invention are preferably driven by a single motor to maintain registration of the knife camming elements with the support beam camming elements.

Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing bags in which a band of a packing material is shaped into a tube about a shaping mandrel and which comprises a reciprocating transverse sealing device for dividing the tube into separate bags, a rotatable conveying device frictionally engaging the tube in an area of the shaping mandrel for intermittently feeding the tube, and a drive for synchronously moving the rotatable conveying device and the transverse sealing device during feeding the tube by a bag length.

Abstract: An arrangement in a bag-making machine for forming bag-defining lines of perforation and weld lines in an elongate web (7) comprises a driven roller nip including a nip roller (4) and a backup roller (5), by means of which the web (7) is fed through the machine (1), an elongate cutter (10) which is parallel to the rollers (4, 5) and rotatable about its longitudinal axis, and which when rotated is moved into engagement with the back-up roller (5) for making the lines of perforation, and two welding units (8) with sealing jaws (22) for making the weld lines. In order to allow optional adjustement of the spacing between consecutive lines of perforation and weld lines, the cutter (10) is separately connectible and disconnectible independently of the operation of the roller nip (4, 5) or of other drive means in the machine (1).

Abstract: A back-up pad is provided over an anvil surface of a back-up plate, and between the anvil surface and a sealing surface of a sealing die, in an apparatus for forming seals between layers of film material. The back-up pad has a slip surface on one side thereof and a spring surface on an opposite side thereof, the slip surface opposing the sealing face of the die so that the layers of film material pass between the sealing die and the back-up pad during seal formation. The spring surface is comprised of a plurality of outwardly extending resilient spring loops that act against the back-up plate during seal formation, the spring loops resiliently urging the layers of film material against the sealing face to effect seal formation between the film layers while cushioning the film layers to prevent damage to the film layers due to drag between layers and the die face.

Abstract: A composite protective laboratory specimen bag (A) and method is illustrated which includes folded tubing (D) having a releasable lock (26) for forming a first fluid-tight compartment (B) for containing a laboratory specimen container. J-folded sheeting (E) with a reverse flip (46) forms a second compartment (C) for containing associated paper work. The tubing and sheeting are heat sealed together across a web (32) of the tubing to form a closed top composite bag with side mouth openings (24,48) for the compartments. A protective plate (62) avoids damage to the lock during the heat sealing step.

Abstract: Disclosed is a bag including a front wall and a rear wall and having an open mouth portion in which the front wall and rear wall are joined by pleated portions or gussets. The bag is manufactured so that a longitudinal, thermally welded seam is placed inside a portion of at least one of the gussets at a point other than the central fold. The bag preferably includes handles which are integral extensions of the front and rear walls and the gussets. The bag manufactured according to the principles of the present invention thus eliminates or minimizes failure of thermally welded seams.Also disclosed is a method for manufacturing the bags and an apparatus for manufacturing the bags.

Abstract: A draw tape bag is formed from a plastic web. An edge folding unit, a notching unit, a tape inserting unit, a heat sealing unit and a web folding unit form a compact continuous line in a rectangular path. The hem folder includes a L-shaped plate within the hem to receive a draw tape. The plate is pivotally mounted the tape within the hem. A wheel is rotatably and pivotally mounted for pulling the hem onto the plate. A single strap on a roll has a width equal to both tapes. The roll is driven and the strap passes over a knife to sever the strap from the tapes. A tension control roll is coupled to moving the strap and controls the strap feed to hold a constant tape tension. A folding board includes spaced edge channels in a V-shape for folding the flat web. An air layer is interposed between the web and the folding channels to provide a low friction movement.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for manufacturing draw tape bags from a web of plastic material are disclosed. The apparatus and methods relate to draw tape bags in which a hem seal, enclosing the draw tape, is formed in the bag without stopping the movement of the web through the hem sealing station.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for continuous fabrication of bags from a longitudinally advanced multi-layer thermoplastic film web fed tangentially onto a rotating drum for carrying out transverse web seam welding and severing, the principal novel feature being provision of preliminary heating carried out across at least part of the width of web at which the final seam and sever is to take place. The preliminary heating step is advantageous where the thickness of film layers to be sealed and severed is not uniform across the width of the web or in which the uniform thickness of the film layers is such that seaming and severing in a single step requires an undesirably long time for continuous high speed production. The method can be adapted for production of bags of different widths.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming draw tape bags wherein the bag material moves continuously during the manufacture, except for the last step. The apparatus may be used with an in-line system wherein a tube is extruded and a side gusset is formed to create a hem; or the apparatus may be used with an off-line system wherein folded bag material is used, and a continuous hemmer is provided to turn the loose edges. In the off-line system a constant tension dancer precedes the hemmer to maintain constant tension on the web regardless of the size of the supply roll. The web continues to move, and a cutter is actuated to move through a circle and engage the web to punch finger holes in the hem. A reel of a strip of material is continuously fed, the strip being slit longitudinally to provide the draw tapes which are inserted into the hems. A tape guide tensions the tape and assures that the tape is well within the hem, the hems are sealed, and the bags are side welded.

Abstract: Improved form, fill, and seal machine for making aseptic sealed packages incorporating a plurality of sealing mechanisms mounted on a continuously advancing structure in a form, fill, and seal machine. Induction heating is used to longitudinally seal the edges of the web together to form a tube and to transversely seal the tube. A circuit means is used for controlling the electromagnetic energy source output to form longitudinal seals and transverse seals. The plurality of sealing mechanisms include a sealing jaw and an anvil jaw hinged together and adapted to pinch the tube therebetween at predetermined locations as the sealing mechanisms and web tubing advance. Each sealing jaw contains a transverse induction coil for transversely sealing the tube. Coupling and energization means select for forming a longitudinal seal segment or a transverse seal or both.

Abstract: An apparatus for stacking and delivering double bags of plastic film receives the bags from a transfer device at a stacking station which includes vertical pins on which the bags are impaled to form a stack. A stack conveyor with built-in grippers moves a completed stack to a severing station where a heated knife separates the double bags lengthwise of their travel while they are still in the grip of the grippers. The severed bags are then transferred to a delivery station where the grippers are released. The conveyor has separate side-by-side runs and separate gripper jaws are carried on each run. The stacking pins and the severing knife are located between the conveyor runs.

Abstract: The present invention is used to heat seal seams, and the like, of item holding means such as plastic bags holding loose fill product like beans, hard candy, pretzels, potato chips, etc. The heating station of the present invention has at least two independently controlled heating positions in each half of a pair of jaws and each heating position is heat insulated from the other and each respectively can provide different amounts of heat to material coming in contact therewith. Accordingly, the bonded areas of item holding means can be manipulated to control local package characteristics, i.e., sealed to have a stronger bond strength at one location that at another location, adjust tear properties to suit marketing methods (such as hole punched top seals) and to control seal integrity.

Abstract: A seamless, puncture resistant bag is made by advancing a lay-flat seamless tube of thermoplastic film; forming an alternating series of fused-unfused segments along said lay-flat tube by internally fusing said lay-flat tube at regular intervals, the unfused segment length being approximately equal to the fused segment length; treating the external surface of the lay-flat tube to render said surface self adherent; periodically folding back the lay-flat tube towards its treated surface at the juncture between the leading fused-unfused segments of the lay-flat tube; pressing the folded portion of the lay-flat tube; and severing the folded portion from the tube.

Abstract: An apparatus for joining sheet material and cutting joined material comprises a set of drums rotating against one another. A first drum is provided along its surface with a raised pattern serving as welding surfaces when operating in conjunction with one or more ultrasonic resonators. As sheet material is fed through the nip formed between the drum and the resonator, the material is joined in accordance with the pattern. A second drum is provided along its surface with a complementary raised pattern of cutting surfaces. As the material subsequently is fed through the nip between both drums, the welded portions are severed from the surrounding material. The welding and cutting pattern surfaces are constructed to mesh for providing positive severing of the material interposed therebetween.

Abstract: Bags for packaging cut tobacco are severed from a continuous longitudinally moving film sheet along transverse welding seams 28 which are made by a thermal welding unit 29 having three, transverse-welding jaws, during each working cycle. The welding unit can be moved to and fro and is movable with the film sheet 25 for a part section (conveying section). During the return movement of the welding unit to its starting position, the film sheet is conveyed onwards by a special draw element, until a conveying cycle has been completed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming draw tape bags wherein the bag material moves continuously during the manufacture, except for the last step. A roll of folded web is provided, and the loose edges are turned inwardly to form upper hems for the bags. The web continues to move, and a cutter is actuated to move through a circle and engage the web to punch finger holes in the hem. The web is further carried to a tandem sealer, the web passing over a roll where heated air is directed at the area of the hem. A "Teflon" strip is placed between the hems to prevent sealing them together. The web continues to a second sealing roll where the opposite side is sealed in the same way. The final step utilizes a stop-start apparatus with a side sealing blade. The side sealing blade has one radius for the body of the bag, and a larger radius for the hemmed area.

Abstract: A dual compartment powder cartridge including a porous shell formed by fusing the lapped side edge portions of a blank of sheet material to a central portion thereof to form two compartments, a pointed closed first end on the cartridge, powder in the dual compartments, and a sealed second end on the cartridge for closing the compartments. A machine for forming a dual compartment cartridge including a first station for scoring a strip of material with spaced parallel score lines, a second station for folding the strip of material along the score lines to cause opposite edge portions to be placed in lapped engagement with each other and with the central portion of the strip, and a third station for ultrasonically welding the lapped portions to provide a seam between two adjacent compartments.

Abstract: A machine for making plastic bags, such as trash or garbage bags, includes a rotary sealing drum of variable diameter, the drum including one or more sealing bars for cross-sealing a flattened plastic film tube passing through the machine. A blanket tensioning system surrounds the drum and is adjustable to compensate for different drum diameters. The sealed film passes over a chill roll after leaving the drum-blanket assembly and is drawn over folding boards by pull rolls. The sealed and folded film is then perforated by a fly knife and is preferably also cut on the sides to produce a connected series of bags which may easily be separated from one another to make the bags suitable for easy dispensing packages. A variator assembly may also be provided to insure a proper skirt length between the cut-perforation and the bag seal.

Abstract: An apparatus for making plastic handle bags from an advancing flat tubular web includes a knife supported above the moving web and reciprocated transversely by a cam roller to produce a sinusoidal-wave-like cut longitudinally of the web. A support guide having a slot at least as wide as the wave amplitude is positioned beneath the web so that in the event of an interruption of feed the guide lowers, withdrawing the web from the knife, which continues to reciprocate, thereby avoiding start-up inertial friction or chatter. Downstream of the cutting station a detour assembly phase shifts one of the half-tubes 180.degree. to align the transversely extending bag edges for heat sealing. The cutting support assembly is longitudinally movable of the web.

Abstract: A flat bottom plastic film bag includes triangular gusset portions formed by a plurality of parallel heat welds which fuse portions of opposed pleats together and cooperate with a transverse central bottom seam to form a flat bottom bag from a seamed or seamless plastic film tube. The longitudinal side and end walls of the bag are provided with heat embossed corrugations which enhance the freestanding characteristics of the bag and a transverse crease is formed along the fold line between the sidewalls of the bag and the bottom wall to enhance the bottom forming characteristics of the bag when it is snapped from a folded position to an opened position.

Abstract: For converting a web of wrapping material from a U-shaped cross section into a tubular shape, an edge guiding mechanism is used having two edge engaging means which may be performed as suction means. Each of the suction means is supported by a pair of guiding rods converging from a forming means and towards a longitudinal welding means. When the suction means are moved along the rods, the suction means are moved towards one another. The suction means provide an engagement with the outer surface of the edges of the web of material and ensure the movement of the edges towards one another and towards the longitudinal welding means so that a web even of a thin and flexible material is securely engaged with the longitudinal welding means.

Abstract: A handle bag of a predetermined width is made from a synthetic-resin tube. This tube is fed at a predetermined feed speed through a cutting station where it is spanned over a cutting drum formed with an endless circumferentially extending and undulating cutting groove. A blade engages radially inwardly through this groove so that as the tube passes over the drum it is subdivided transversely into a pair of tube halves. The blade reciprocates back and forth transversely of the tube in the cutter groove by rotation of the drum at such a rate as to form on the confronting cut edges of the tube halves interfitting and staggered handle flaps. One of these tube halves is then detoured through a distance equal to an odd whole-number multiple of half of the bag width and then is realigned with the other tube half with the flaps in transverse alignment. The two tube halves are then seamed together simultaneously.

Abstract: Heat sealing bars are spaced circumferentially around a rotatable drum and seal together two face-to-face strips of material as the strips are drawn continuously around the drum. The sealing bars are automatically moved radially inwardly and outwardly to change the circumferential distance between the bars and the effective diameter of the drum and thereby keep the bars in register with printed material on the strips.

Abstract: In apparatus for producing bag packages and including a shaping mandrel presenting a shaping surface and a longitudinal seal forming device for forming a panel of sealable material into a tube and transverse sealing jaws and severing blades for dividing the tube into individual bags, the mandrel includes members defining two carriages mounted at diametrically opposite sides of the mandrel and forming at least in part the shaping surface of the mandrel, and there are further provided clamping members each mounted to face a respective carriage and to be moved toward the shaping mandrel to press the tube against the carriages and thus clamp the tube, and elements connecting the carriages and clamping members together for movement in unison in the longitudinal direction of the mandrel.

Abstract: A web of flattened, tubular, heat-sealable bag material travels above and at the speed of a moving belt. Above the belt is a seal shaft which rotates a heated seal bar. The working edge of the seal bar may be adjusted inward and outward relative to its shaft. The edge causes a transverse seal to be made on the web at intervals. A rotary perforating knife is driven at the same speed as the seal shaft and, at a subsequent station, perforates the web proximate the seal. The linear speed of the edge of the seal bar is at the speed of the belt at the time of sealing contact (about 65.degree.). The speed of the seal shaft for the remaining 295.degree. is adjustable and thereby the distance between seals and perforations is adjustable.

Abstract: An apparatus for making thermoplastic carrier bags (so-called T-shirt bags) comprises means for feeding a continuous tubular strip of thermoplastic film, either side of which comprises a gusset fold, said strip being advanced with a constant velocity to a cylindrical drum the housing of which comprises embedded heatsealing means, said apparatus further comprising a cutting member and a transverse cutting knife co-operating with the strip said member sequentially providing the tubular strip with a U-shape cut upstream of the drum and said cutting knife operating synchronously with the cutting member in co-operation with the drum for transversely cutting through the strip somewhat beyond the legs of said U-shape cut so as to produce strip portions, said drum further comprising folding means for said strip portions.

Abstract: Successive pouches severed from the leading end of a continuously moving strip of pouches are picked up by a series of spaced paddle assemblies and are turned from edgewise positions to broadwise positions. Each paddle assembly ducks into the pouch to pick up and turn the pouch and opens the pouch just prior to turning it to a broadwise position. Thereafter, the paddle assemblies release the pouches to carriers which advance the pouches through filling and closing stations. The carriers are more closely spaced than the paddle assemblies and are advanced at a slower rate than the paddle assemblies.

Abstract: The invention contemplates an improved deflection-switch mechanism for a conveyor system which continuously handles a succession of articles, such as like sheets or sheet-like workpieces, on a first conveyor, and which sorts them in alternation to one and then to the other of two further conveyors, whereby in each of the further conveyors the sorted articles are more greatly separated and therefore can be subjected to more effective deceleration prior to their uniformly stacked accumulation. The deflection mechanism of the switch is vacuum-operative upon individual articles, relying upon their spatial distribution in the first conveyor as a basic determinant of whether a particular article is to be automatically deflected or switched, by effectively synchronous commutation, into one or into the other of the two further-conveyor paths.

Abstract: A method for dividing an extruded tube into a plurality of smaller tubes is disclosed. The method includes the steps of flattening the tube into a web, sealing one or more longitudinal strips, or paths, along the web, and cutting generally the middle of the paths to separate the different smaller pieces. The apparatus includes a roll having a raised platen circumferentially thereof, and an air distributor to direct heated air against the web on the platen to effect a seal in the area of the platen. The web, with the sealed strips, is moved past a knife that severs the strip, and the knife is heated to prevent the accumulation of material thereon.

Abstract: A composite laboratory specimen bag (A) and method is illustrated which includes folded tubing (D) having a releasable lock (26) for forming a first fluid-tight compartment (B) for containing a laboratory specimen container. J-folded sheeting (E) with a reverse flip (46) forms a second compartment (C) for containing associated paper work. The tubing and sheeting are heat sealed together across a web (32) of the tubing to form a closed top composite bag with side mouth openings (24,48) for the compartments. A protective plate (62) avoids damage to the lock during the heat sealing step.