Concurrent Severing Patents (Class 53/552)
  • Patent number: 4759170
    Abstract: A film made of synthetic resin is pulled continuously from a roll thereof and formed into a tubular shape the overlapping longitudinal edge portions of which are fused. The interior of the resulting tubular film is filled with a liquid or viscous material to form a tubular body fed while it is being formed. The tubular body is squeezed intermittently at a predetermined time interval by a pair of rotating cylindrical rollers to form flattened portions devoid of the material, after which each flattened portion is constricted transversely of the tubular body to form a constricted portion. An ultrasonic horn and an anvil are brought into abutting contact with the constricted portion, which is sealed ultrasonically by holding the ultrasonic horn and anvil in abutting contact therewith at a constant contact pressure for a set period of time while the ultrasonic horn applies ultrasonic waves to the constricted portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 1987
    Date of Patent: July 26, 1988
    Assignee: Kureha Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuji Sawa, Shoji Ohnishi
  • Patent number: 4750313
    Abstract: A packaging machine for manufacturing filling and closing of bags. A foil tube (4) is pulled off continuously by means of unwinding belts (13) on a packaging machine contracted as a tubular bag-forming machine. Cross sealing seams are created by means of continuously moving cross sealing jaws. The cross sealing jaws are maintained in a horizontal position during their entire movement by being guided in guide grooves. The guide curves have straight curve pieces in the area of a sealing zone, which curve pieces extend parallel with respect to the unwinding direction of the foil tube (4). The packaging machine permits a high operating speed, since the cross sealing occurs simultaneously with the unwinding movement and the cross sealing jaws, are guided exactly in an optimum position with respect to the foil tube. (4). The machine can be operated such that the unwinding speed for the thin sheet material is only a little slower than the speed of the goods to be packaged at the end of the fill pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1986
    Date of Patent: June 14, 1988
    Assignee: Rovema Verpackungsmaschinen GmbH
    Inventors: Ing. R. Kammler, Reiner Ade, Walter Baur
  • Patent number: 4727707
    Abstract: A form, fill and seal packaging machine includes a tube former for forming a film having spaced apart registration marks thereon into a tube around a hollow mandrel. A pair of endless belt devices driven by stepping motors, located at the sides of the hollow mandrel advances the film through the machine. A stripping and sealing apparatus is located beneath the mandrel, for stripping product from the area of the film tube to be sealed, and sealing and cutting a filled package from the tube. A photoelectric cell located upstream of the tube former senses the passing of each registration mark as the film is fed. The photoelectric cell is operatively associated with the belt drive and the actuator for the stripper and the sealer through an index controller. The index controller deactivates the stepping motors. A master controller activates the stripper/sealer actuator at a predetermined point in each packaging cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1986
    Date of Patent: March 1, 1988
    Assignee: Kliklok Corporation
    Inventor: William A. Hadden
  • Patent number: 4726171
    Abstract: A bag having an article applied to an inside surface thereof is formed in a continuous bag-making operation by conveying a bag-making film web and a continuous strip of material in joinable proximity with each other. The article is formed by severing the strip of material and at least one edge portion of the severed article is bonded to the continuous web of bag film. The longitudinal margins of the web are then brought together and bonded to form a tube with the article bonded to the inner surface of the tube, and bags are formed and severed from the tube with the article bonded to one inner surface of the bag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 1986
    Date of Patent: February 23, 1988
    Assignee: Frito-Lay, Inc.
    Inventors: William D. Kreager, Stephen R. Holten, Stephen M. Callahan, Kenneth R. Berger
  • Patent number: 4718217
    Abstract: Apparatus for packaging particulate product in bags for deposit into cartons of predetermined cross section and height.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 1986
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1988
    Assignee: Pneumatic Scale Corporation
    Inventor: Graham J. Ross
  • Patent number: 4714506
    Abstract: A dunnage shock absorber and a method and apparatus for making the same is disclosed. The shock absorber is constructed from plastic material which forms a series of trigonal-shaped, gas-filled units which maintain adequate shock absorbing characteristics over a broad range of temperature conditions. This disclosed method includes the steps of forming a plastic tubular body, introducing a cooled gas into the body and forming individual trigonal-shaped units having cooled gas entrapped through angularly heat sealing the edges of such units. The disclosed apparatus forms plastic film into a series of gas-filled trigonal units through the use of fin seal rollers to seal the film into a tubular body. Sponge-like rollers downline of the fin seal rollers grip the tubular body and a conduit injects cooled gas into the tubular body. Horizontal and vertical sealers are provided downline of the sponge-like rollers to heat seal the tubular body with gas entrapped therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 1985
    Date of Patent: December 22, 1987
    Inventors: Hiroshi Yamashiro, Ko Suzuki
  • Patent number: 4709532
    Abstract: A vertical form, fill, and seal process and apparatus for individually packaging easily bruised articles of produce such as apples, pears, tomatoes, etc. by catching each article as it is dropped through a tube of thermoplastic, heat sealable film and simultaneously sealing and severing the tube below the caught article without the article forceably contacting the hot seal or striking the heat sealing means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1986
    Date of Patent: December 1, 1987
    Assignee: W. R. Grace & Co., Cryovac Div.
    Inventor: Monroe F. Taylor
  • Patent number: 4709533
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming a vertical tubular form fill package feeding the film vertically downwardly over a spout, pressing the outer lateral edges of the film together between pressure rollers, feeding joined strips of plastic zipper consisting of interlocking elements and attaching webs between the outer edges of the film and the spout, positioning guide bars on either side of the zipper between the zipper webs and sealing bars outwardly of the guide bars with the sealing bars simultaneously forming a fin seal at the outer edge and joining the zipper webs to the inner surfaces of the film between the fin seal and the spout and thereafter cross-cutting and sealing to form packages enclosing contents dropped through the spout.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1986
    Date of Patent: December 1, 1987
    Assignee: Minigrip, Inc.
    Inventor: Steven Ausnit
  • Patent number: 4693058
    Abstract: A sealing bar for heat sealing a length of heat-sealable material, such as tubing, to form packages and the like. The sealing bar has a surface adapted for pressure engagement with the heat-sealable material for flattening it and heating it. A slot extends substantially through the bar substantially parallel to and adjacent the surface of the bar, thereby defining the portion of the bar between the slot and the surface as a relatively thin resiliently flexible bridge. The bridge is engageable with a portion of the flattened heat-sealable material, such as a portion of tubing having a longitudinal seam or a gusset, thicker than other portions of the heat-sealable material and the bridge is adapted resiliently to yield on engagement with the thicker portion of the material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 1986
    Date of Patent: September 15, 1987
    Assignee: Hayssen Manufacturing Company
    Inventor: Lloyd Kovacs
  • Patent number: 4678390
    Abstract: An automated handling system intended notably for storehouses in which miscellaneous articles are kept, for allowing either the restocking of the storehouse, or the regrouping of articles picked up in the storehouse for constituting lots or articles which correspond to a customer's order. The system comprises a central control and management computer and one or a plurality of self-powered trucks adapted to handle stock bins and order receiving bins in the storehouse, and to pick up articles from the bins to constitute lots of articles and gather the various customers' orders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1986
    Date of Patent: July 7, 1987
    Assignee: Societe Anonyme REDOUTE CATALOGUE
    Inventors: Marc Bonneton, Dominique Janvier
  • Patent number: 4676051
    Abstract: A plastic bag is formed, filled, sealed and separated from a continuous web of longitudinally folded plastic material. The web passes downwardly between complementary L-shaped heat sealing jaws that reciprocate and cooperate to provide seams which form a pocket that is closed after it has been filled from above and indexed downwardly. The top seam of one pocket is formed simultaneously with the bottom seam of an adjacent pocket and a weakened line of juncture is provided therebetween. Grippers carried on the heat sealing jaws engage opposite sides of the plastic web above the location of the top seam of the filled pocket and cooperate with a separator that tensions the web along the weakened line to rupture the filled pocket from the web while the web is still in a thermally weakened condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 1986
    Date of Patent: June 30, 1987
    Assignee: Moore Push-Pin Company
    Inventors: Marlin J. Hoskinson, Eugene Lorincz
  • Patent number: 4663917
    Abstract: A sealing and stripping assembly for a packaging apparatus, the assembly includes two shafts which are held in a spaced generally parallel co-extensive relationship with an arm extending from each shaft, and co-operating pairs of closing and stripping bars mounted on the radial extremity of each arm so as to engage a bag material passing through the assembly so as to seal and strip same during a packaging operation, with said arms being driven in synchronism and in opposite rotational directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 1985
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1987
    Inventors: Alfred A. Taylor, John P. North
  • Patent number: 4604854
    Abstract: A vertical form, fill and seal packaging machine is described for forming a flat strip of packaging material into a tube and for filling the tube with solid and liquid products which mix in situ within the bags thus formed. Folding blades form gussets in the tube between parallel spaced apart front and rear tube forming surfaces. Sealing jaws seal the filled bags transversely, along the top and bottom edges. Additional pair of jaws seal the gusset material to the side panels at the bottom of the bag causing the gussets in that area to conform to a flat bottom portion of the bag. Additional jaws seal the walls of the bag together to provide a locating seal to keep the product in about the center of the bag and preventing it from falling to the bottom of the bag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 1983
    Date of Patent: August 12, 1986
    Assignee: Golden Valley Foods Inc
    Inventor: David W. Andreas
  • Patent number: 4603536
    Abstract: An apparatus for shaping a web of film with attached fitments into a tubular shape. The apparatus including a plate member including a cut-out portion and an oblong member. The plate member and oblong member defining a channel and cooperating to fold a web of film with attached fitments into a substantially tubular shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 1985
    Date of Patent: August 5, 1986
    Assignees: Societe D'Etude et D'Application Industrielle de Brevets, Baxter Travenol Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Roland de la Poype
  • Patent number: 4598533
    Abstract: In a lateral sealer device for a vertical packaging machine, a strip of film is wound in a cylindrical form around the outer circumferential surface of a supply pipe by a film former, to form a bag-like package, both side edges of the resultant film are overlapped and heat-bonded together, and the bag-like package of film is then heat-bonded laterally at a predetermined pitch. In this sealer device, a sealer frame, which is provided with a pair of lateral sealer members which can toward and away from each other, is attached rotatably to a main frame of a packaging machine. The sealer frame is turned to a desired angle according to the packaging mode being employed and is fixed at a suitably-selected position, so that lateral heat-bonding of packages made of a strip of film can be done in a desired manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 1984
    Date of Patent: July 8, 1986
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Sanwa Jidoki Seisakusho
    Inventor: Ichiro Takagaki
  • Patent number: 4597240
    Abstract: Apparatus for forming, filling and sealing bags with a product wherein sheet material is formed into a tube on a hollow mandrel, feed belts are employed to move the tube downwardly on the mandrel and the product is delivered through the mandrel into the tube comprising a sensing device operable to control operation of the feed belts to on the one hand enable the drive for the feed belts when there is product at the discharge end of the mandrel and on the other hand to disable the drive for the feed belts when there is no product at the discharge end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 1985
    Date of Patent: July 1, 1986
    Assignee: Pneumatic Scale Corporation
    Inventor: John W. Scully
  • Patent number: 4590735
    Abstract: A vertical packaging machine having a supply of film folded upon itself, the film passing between two jaws pivoted at their lower ends. One of the jaws has a thin, L-shaped knife which is resistance-heated. The jaws clamp the film and the knife cuts and seals the film transversely and vertically along the free edges of the film to enclose an article within the package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 1984
    Date of Patent: May 27, 1986
    Assignee: Nordson Corporation
    Inventor: Hans A. Dohrendorf
  • Patent number: 4580392
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for the processing of a material web to convert the same to individual packing containers filled with contents. Flexible packing containers for milk or other beverages are manufactured from tubular material which is filled with contents, formed and divided to packing containers with the help of alternately working forming and sealing jaws which are given a reciprocating movement in the longitudinal direction of the tube and in the transverse direction of the tube. In accordance with the invention the jaws are guided and driven by guiding and driving rods which run parallel with the material tube and to which different reciprocating movements are imparted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 1983
    Date of Patent: April 8, 1986
    Assignee: Tetra Pak International AB
    Inventors: Jan Lagerstedt, Esko Heinonen-Persson
  • Patent number: 4571926
    Abstract: Apparatus for forming, filling and depositing filled bags into cartons wherein the portions of the tube which are to become bags upon sealing and severing are suspended in a forming device above a conveyor for vibration to conform the cross section of the bags to the cross section of the forming device at a height such that the lower end of the forming device is above the upper end of the cartons resting on the conveyor and that filled cartons can be moved away from the lower end of the forming device and empty cartons moved into position below the forming device while a bag is being vibrated, wherein there is a conveyor for moving the cartons in timed relation to the release of the bags from the forming device and means for venting the cartons while the bags are being deposited therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 1982
    Date of Patent: February 25, 1986
    Assignee: Pneumatic Scale Corporation
    Inventor: John W. Scully
  • Patent number: 4566249
    Abstract: An apparatus for the dosed filling of highly viscous material, particularly pasty sealing compound, into tubular bags has a dosing device and a filling device connected thereto, which is provided with a filling tube projecting into the foil tube. The apparatus also has a closing device for the filled tubular bags. In order to permit a dosed filling of highly viscous, stringy materials into tubular bags, the filling device has a foil tube formation device surrounding the filling tube. There is also a conveying mechanism for the foil tube and a pick-up for determining the dosed material quantity and a pick-up for determining the conveying length of the foil tube. A device for cutting through the material strand is positioned directly at the end of the filling tube. There is also a transverse welding means with a cutting device below the filling device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 1984
    Date of Patent: January 28, 1986
    Inventors: Ernst Schwerdtel, Hans-Jorg Lang
  • Patent number: 4563862
    Abstract: A combined holding and stripper jaw apparatus is provided for use in a form, fill and seal packaging machine. The apparatus includes a pair of opposed holding jaws operated in reciprocating fashion to close and grasp the packaging film tube following the product filling step of the cycle. A stripper jaw is pivotally mounted to the underside of each holding jaw. The stripper jaws are each movable between a ready position adjacent the holding jaws and a strip position for stripping the product in the packaging film tube. Sealing jaws independently mounted between the holding and stripping jaws are separately cycled to close and seal the packaging film into a bag. As the sealing jaws close, a cam surface on the sealing jaws contacts an angled portion of the stripper jaws forcing the stripper jaws downward against spring tension to the strip position. In addition, the holding and stripper jaws include relief features in the edges contacting the packaging film for the venting of trapped air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 1984
    Date of Patent: January 14, 1986
    Assignee: Kliklok Corporation
    Inventor: Howell T. McElvy
  • Patent number: 4562691
    Abstract: A machine for forming, filling and sealing bags from a flexible tubular web comprising a hollow rectangular mandrel over which the web passes, a pair of crimping jaws which crimp the web below the mandrel to form a flap, a knife mounted in at least one of the crimping jaws for severing the crimped web into individual bags, a shovel for folding the bottom flap of the bag and pressure heads for securing the ears to the sides of the bag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1983
    Date of Patent: January 7, 1986
    Inventor: Gino Rapparini
  • Patent number: 4552613
    Abstract: The apparatus for producing pouch packages in pairs has two tube shaping devices disposed beside one another and two crosswise closure devices. To prevent having to stop both tubular pouch shaping devices at the same time in the event of an interruption or malfunction, or when changing a roll of packaging material, the crosswise closure devices are disposed on separate carriers. The carriers which are movable up and down individually can be coupled with a reciprocating element, which is moved incrementally up and down by a drive mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 1984
    Date of Patent: November 12, 1985
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Hugo Auer
  • Patent number: 4550553
    Abstract: Apparatus is mounted on the rear of a riding lawn mower for utilizing a large supply of large size plastic sheet tubing to form plastic bags as needed for receiving the grass cuttings being discharged from the lawn mower, so that the mower operator need not leave his seat on the lawn mower in order to seal the plastic bag after it is full of cuttings, and to discharge the bag away from the lawn mower. This apparatus is vertically mounted. The grass cuttings are blown to the top of the apparatus into a first air-release funnel. Beneath this funnel is a supply of large plastic sheet tubing folded lengthwise into an annular cartridge. A throttle section is positioned beneath the cartridge for collapsing the sheet tubing into a rope-like formation. Then a pair of vertically-spaced sealing tape dispensers serve to seal the rope-like formation at two locations. Then a cutter severs the plastic to complete sealing the top of a filled bag and for sealing the bottom of the next plastic bag to be filled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 1983
    Date of Patent: November 5, 1985
    Assignee: Richard L. Caslin
    Inventor: John L. Gaither
  • Patent number: 4537007
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for endless-cycle sterilization of the sheet material utilized in aseptic packaging of pre-sterilized fluid food-stuffs, and to plant therefor. The process involves sterilization of a continuous sheet of material--caused subsequently to assume tubular format--by means basically of its being bathed on both sides and then sprayed with superheated steam jetted likewise at either side. Following such heat treatment, the sheet is shaped into a continuous tube and filled, this dual operation coming about within an enclosure maintained in sterile conditions. Plant for carrying the process into effect basically comprises a first chamber (3) inside which the alreadly-bathed sheet (1) is sprayed with steam, and a second chamber (5) inside which sterile conditions are maintained, wherein the sheet is duly shaped into a tube (10) and filled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 1983
    Date of Patent: August 27, 1985
    Inventor: Ettore Lattanzi
  • Patent number: 4537012
    Abstract: A vertical form, fill and seal packaging machine having plows for forming an advancing web of thermoplastic material into a depending upwardly opening tubular configuration. A heat sealing belt located below the forming plows, seals overlapping marginal portions of the web together to form a long seam. A sealing jaw mechanism located below the plows in vertically stationary relation thereto includes a pair of coupled rotary actuators which move links in opposite directions to open and close sealing jaws which form transverse seals at spaced intervals along the formed tube to complete the packages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1983
    Date of Patent: August 27, 1985
    Assignee: Package Machinery Company
    Inventors: James S. Groom, Paul J. LaFleur, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4534159
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for forming, filling and sealing bags from a continuous supply of bagging material, the apparatus including a pair of sealing jaws transversely movable toward each other to engage the bagging material to form a transverse seal providing the top closure for a filled bag and the bottom closure for a succeeding bag. The improvement includes stretch assemblies attached to the sealing jaws and engageable with the bagging material at opposite edges thereof to provide opposing forces in directions perpendicular to the movement of the sealing jaws to flatten the bag and remove any wrinkles therefrom prior to sealing of the bags by the sealing jaws.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1982
    Date of Patent: August 13, 1985
    Assignee: General Packaging Equipment Company
    Inventor: Robert C. Kelly
  • Patent number: 4532753
    Abstract: Method of and apparatus for forming, filling and sealing packages in which flexible packaging material is formed into tubing, the tubing is fed downwardly and transversely heat sealed at package length intervals by closing a pair of sealing members, a quantity of the product with which the packages are to be filled is delivered into the lower end of the tubing to provide a fill for each package, the tubing is pinched closed, after the delivery of each fill, above the level of the next seal to be made, the pinch is maintained as the sealing members are opened, following the formation of each seal, to keep product for the next fill from dropping down on the seal, and air is blown on the seal to cool it while the pinch is maintained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 1983
    Date of Patent: August 6, 1985
    Assignee: Hayssen Manufacturing Company
    Inventor: Lloyd Kovacs
  • Patent number: 4524567
    Abstract: A machine for making, filling and sealing bags containing liquid, pulverulent, granular and other noncoherent materials, which is of the type having a vertical operating structure comprising structure for the formation and advancing of a continuous tube of heat-sealable material and also for feeding the product which is to be packed and for the longitudinal and transverse heat-sealing of the tube containing the product to be packed. In a machine of this kind the advancing structure and the transversal heat-sealing structure are associated with a support controlled by a mechanism belonging to the continuous motion kinematic structure, the advancing structure being formed by two sector members having cylindrical surfaces and contrarotating tangentially to a plane containing the axis of descent of the tube of heat-sealable material, while the mechanism comprises a cyclic differentiator device for the transmission of the motion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1982
    Date of Patent: June 25, 1985
    Assignee: MAPA - Societa Per Azioni
    Inventor: Ferruccio Patelli
  • Patent number: 4517790
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for continuous rotary ultrasonic sealing of form and fill machines to produce packages utilizes a rotary anvil and cutter knife and an ultrasonic horn having adjustable simulated rotary motion movable in synchronism with the anvil for providing an end seal on packages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 1984
    Date of Patent: May 21, 1985
    Assignee: Frito-Lay, Inc.
    Inventor: William D. Kreager
  • Patent number: 4516379
    Abstract: A device for the packaging of powder, granulates, slurries and viscous materials in a tubular film which is formed from an endless web of film by a forming shoulder into a tube which is filled by means of a filling pipe with the material to be packaged and subdivided at intervals by transverse closures which are formed by a clamp which is moved against the tubular film transverse to the direction of film movement by two cooperating gathering irons which are moved against the tubular film from opposite sides, to gather the tubular film and therby form the transverse closure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1982
    Date of Patent: May 14, 1985
    Assignee: Maschinenfabrik Fr. Niepmann GmbH & Co.
    Inventor: Stewart Iain
  • Patent number: 4514959
    Abstract: A plurality of elongated articles such as french fried potato strips are aligned with their longitudinal axes substantially parallel and packaged in such aligned condition by the apparatus and method of the invention. The articles are prealigned by a vibrating conveyor having longitudinal partitions dividing it into four tracks, so that the longitudinal axes of such articles are substantially parallel to their direction of travel which forms acute angle of about 45.degree. with the front wall of an alignment container into which the articles are fed. The alignment container is vibrated at a different frequency than the vibrating conveyor in order to settle and to further align the elongated articles with their longitudinal axes substantially parallel to the front wall of such container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 1982
    Date of Patent: May 7, 1985
    Assignee: Lamb-Weston, Inc.
    Inventor: David Shroyer
  • Patent number: 4512138
    Abstract: A form, fill and seal machine packages products in a thermoplastic material which is formed into a tube and sealed with a measured amount of the product within. The transverse seals in the tube are formed in a cyclic operation by a pair of cooperating sealing heads. The heads clamp the tube walls together above and below a line of severance between two sequentially formed packages and weld the tube walls together along transverse sealing areas at each side of the line of severance. To heat the material to a fusing temperature, the one sealing head has a chamber from which hot gas is directed onto one side of a sealing area, and the other sealing head has an electrical heater for applying a thermal impulse of heat to the other side of the sealing area. The hot gas presses the thermoplastic material against the electrical heater and provides a "free form" clamp for uniform sealing pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 1982
    Date of Patent: April 23, 1985
    Assignee: The Dow Chemical Company
    Inventor: Eddie L. Greenawalt
  • Patent number: 4495748
    Abstract: The invention provides a container preferably made from sheet plastics comprising a bag containing a tubular valve member, the bag being sealed with a seam at each end, the top seal having an opening therein for entry of an access tube into the valve member, and the valve member having a sealing seam which facilitates piercing of the access tube through the valve member into the bag. A second bag may be provided within the first bag.The invention includes a machine for making the containers continuously from sheets of material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 1981
    Date of Patent: January 29, 1985
    Inventor: Frank J. Rowell
  • Patent number: 4446677
    Abstract: A packing apparatus, in particular for provisions in a squeezed style package, is provided comprising a hopper to supply a predetermined amount of the provisions into a synthetic resin film tube, a heat-seal and fusion cutting device disposed beneath the hopper to heat seal and cut the tube, a squeezing device disposed beneath the heat-seal and cutting device comprising two pairs of horizontal parallel bars disposed at right angles such that the confronting bars of each of the pairs are adapted to be moved towards and away from each other, a taping device disposed near the squeezing device and adapted to tape around the squeezed portion of the packing with an adhesive tape, a cutting device to sever the adhesive tape after taping, and a driving means to actuate the various components in a synthronized manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 1981
    Date of Patent: May 8, 1984
    Inventor: Toshiyuki Kokido
  • Patent number: 4446676
    Abstract: A bag making machine includes a generally vertically oriented forming element on which bags are formed in succession; a conveyor extending underneath the forming element and having a generally horizontal direction of advance, a first drive for intermittently advancing the conveyor, bag grasping tongs supported underneath th forming element below the conveyor, a second drive for moving the tongs upwardly through the conveyor to the forming element and for moving the tongs downwardly from the forming element through the conveyor, whereby the tongs draw a bag off the forming element and deposit the bag on the conveyor. There is further provided a third drive for moving the tongs in a direction having a component parallel to the direction of advance of the conveyor. The second and third drives are synchronized with one another and with the first drive for moving the tongs simultaneously upwardly and in the direction of advance of the conveyor during motion thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 1981
    Date of Patent: May 8, 1984
    Assignee: SIG-Schweizerische Industrie-Gesellschaft
    Inventor: Bruno Grundler
  • Patent number: 4442656
    Abstract: An apparatus for forming a pliable package having a flat bottom is disclosed. The apparatus includes a hollow guide form (16). The guide form, in a preferred embodiment, has a rectangular cross-section. Also provided are means (2) for forming pliable sealable material (12) which is received from a continuous roll, around guide form (16) to form a continuous seamed packaging preform (30). Members (32), (34) are also provided for advancing the continuous packaging preform (3) such that a seamed preform (58) extends below bottom (20) of guide-form (16). A pair of opposing and movable tucking jaws (60) and (62) are located close to the bottom end (20) of guide-form (16). Each of the tucking jaws includes a pair of pointed extension members (68) and (70), and (72) and (74) respectively separated a selected distance, for contacting and partially collapsing preform (58) to form a tuck in the preform (58) when tucking jaws (60) and ( 62) are moved toward each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1981
    Date of Patent: April 17, 1984
    Assignee: Universal Packaging, Inc.
    Inventor: James C. Wylie, Sr.
  • Patent number: 4391081
    Abstract: Method of and apparatus for forming, filling and sealing packages in which flexible packaging material is formed into tubing, the tubing is fed downwardly and transversely sealed at package length intervals by a pair of sealing members, a quantity of the product with which the packages are to be filled is delivered into the tubing during an interval of time between successive sealing operations, a contraction is formed in the tubing, after each delivery of product, above the level of the next seal to be made, the contraction is transmitted down on the tubing between the sealing members from above to below said level, thereby to compact the product, and the next seal is then made.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1980
    Date of Patent: July 5, 1983
    Assignee: Hayssen Manufacturing Company
    Inventor: Lloyd Kovacs
  • Patent number: 4384438
    Abstract: The invention relates to a regulating arrangement in particular on packing machines for the feed of weblike packing material in register with decorations or folding indications, so-called crease lines, present on the web. In accordance with the invention the desired control is obtained by regulating the tension of the web with the help of a guide roller over which the web is passed. The speed of the guide roller is regulated so that a web tension required for a feed according to register is obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1980
    Date of Patent: May 24, 1983
    Assignee: Tetra Pak International AB
    Inventor: Anders E. Hilmersson
  • Patent number: 4365459
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1980
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1982
    Assignee: SIG - Schweizerische Industrie-Gesellschaft
    Inventor: Bruno Grundler
  • Patent number: 4353196
    Abstract: This invention relates to a method of automatically forming packages of materials or goods such as milk packages from flexible film and to the novel packages produced thereby. The roll stock film is passed over a forming shoulder to give it a tubular shape and the opposite edges are joined by a sealing bar to form a tubular portion. The milk pouches or other material to be packaged are then dropped into the tubular portion which has previously been laterally sealed across the bottom. The weight of the pouches draws the film down between a pair of reciprocating cutting and sealing jaws when they are opened until the pouches come to rest upon a pivotal support member. The jaws are then closed to form two lateral seals, i.e. one for that package and one for the next package, and a lateral cut separates the packages. The package thus formed may also have an upper handle portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1980
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1982
    Inventors: Frederick W. Beer, Robert A. Davis, Fedor P. Kresak, Conio C. Kuev
  • Patent number: 4348851
    Abstract: Disclosed is a packaging machine which forms, fills, and seals bags in vertical orientation, and includes a heat sealing and severing jaw mechanism located below a vertical forming and filling tube. One of the sealing jaws includes a defective package detector which responds to resistance to pressure exerted on the filled package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 1980
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1982
    Inventor: Bouwe Prakken
  • Patent number: 4338761
    Abstract: A machine for making packages with labels is provided. The packaging machine utilizes a supply of packaging material in the form of a length of plain plastic tubing and a supply of labels in the form of a continuous strip thereof. In a previous cycle of the machine, the tubing was heat sealed along a transverse strip near the leading edge thereof. The strip is subsequently advanced a predetermined distance between a first set of jaws which close, with a first sealing wire carried by one of the jaws then energized to seal a leading edge of the tubing which will form the next package. A knife severs the tubing below that seal and the upper edges of the severed section which has been advanced are engaged by clamps. These move apart with the jaws to open the upper edges, thereby enabling an article to be dropped into the resulting pocket in the severed package section. The jaws then close once again and a second sealing wire below the clamps seals the upper edges of the severed section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 1981
    Date of Patent: July 13, 1982
    Inventor: Larry C. Gess
  • Patent number: 4288968
    Abstract: A heat sealing device in a packaging apparatus utilizing a plastic film for continuously seal both ends of a plurality of cylindrical bags made from the plastic film. The device comprises a pair of heat sealing members provided separatably and oppositely against each end portion of each cylindrical bag which is to be sealed transversely across the film. Each heat sealing member has a heat sealing surface which is to be pressed against the film and at least a pair of sealed chambers inside the heat sealing surface containing working liquid as a heat medium. A heat source is provided to heat at least a portion of the sealed chamber so that the working liquid generates vaporized gas by the heat. The sealed chamber is controlled to be kept at a pressure and a temperature so that the vaporized gas is condensed substantially at a temperature under which the film is sealed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1979
    Date of Patent: September 15, 1981
    Assignees: Fuji Machinery Co., Ltd., Japan Packaging Machinery Manu. Assn.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Seko, Mamoru Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 4254601
    Abstract: An improved assembly for forming a plurality of individual packages, containing articles, such as crackers or the like therein. The assembly includes a first roller member and a second roller member which is mounted in cooperative relationship with the first roller member. Each of the roller members includes cooperating members for simultaneously heat sealing, crimping and transversely severing a tubular strip containing the crackers in order to form the individual packages containing the crackers. The improvement includes a slitter member mounted on each of the sealing, crimping and severing members carried by the first roller member. The slitter members slit the film along the end portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 1979
    Date of Patent: March 10, 1981
    Assignee: Keebler Company
    Inventors: Edward N. Prager, Louis E. Burnett
  • Patent number: 4241563
    Abstract: A heat-sealable foil is shaped around a shaping pipe to form a tube and during removal from the shaping pipe is provided with transverse seams by means of transverse heating jaws. The resulting bags are filled by means of a fill pipe and a dosaging worm or auger. A conduit leads from the lower end of the shaping pipe to a bellows and to a bottle of protective gas. The bellows forms a closed chamber whose volume is periodically increased and reduced in the operating rhythm of the bag forming apparatus by means of drive members. Thus the pressure conditions at the end of the shaping pipe can be influenced periodically, so as to avoid that the filled or sealed bags contain undesirable air inclusions or, when filling under protective gas, so as to avoid greater losses of protective gas from leaking into the open air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 1979
    Date of Patent: December 30, 1980
    Assignee: SIG Schweizerische Industrie-Gesellschaft
    Inventors: Werner Muller, Hans Heinzer
  • Patent number: 4235064
    Abstract: A bagger for automatically forming and sealing a plurality of bags of predetermined size and filled by a predetermined weight of content from a single, continuous plastic sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 1978
    Date of Patent: November 25, 1980
    Assignee: Wilfred O. Schmidt
    Inventor: Harvey M. Wenger
  • Patent number: 4223508
    Abstract: A chub packaging machine, or the like, incorporates a double-knife cut-off or severing device of the invention. Chub packages are elongate tubular packages which are gathered at their opposed ends and have metal clips clinched therearound to close those ends. The double-knife cut-off device is mounted on the closure head assembly of a conventional chub packaging machine, with appropriate modification, and produces a shorter and cleaner stub end on a chub package than heretofore available. The appreciable amounts of product trapped in the stub ends of chub packages formed on conventional chub machines are substantially eliminated by shortening the stub ends to approximately one-third the usual length. The double knife cut-off device severs a short gathered portion of the tubing between two packages at two spaced apart positions rather than in the center of the portion as heretofore known.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 1978
    Date of Patent: September 23, 1980
    Assignee: The Kartridg Pak Co.
    Inventor: Roy E. Wells
  • Patent number: 4215520
    Abstract: An apparatus for making, filling, closing and boxing bags includes a vertically oriented hollow mandrel about which a hose of sealable sheet is continuously formed, a device for cylindrically providing a transverse seam on the hose; a cutting device for cyclically severing the hose at the transverse seam for providing precedingly filled, sealed bags; a base plate situated underneath the mandrel for supporting thereon serially positioned and advanced, upright-oriented bag-receiving boxes open at their top and bottom; an opening provided in the base plate and aligned with the mandrel; and a vertically displaceably supported bag grasping device for penetrating through the opening into a box positioned underneath the mandrel and for downwardly pulling a filled and closed bag into the box.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 1978
    Date of Patent: August 5, 1980
    Assignee: SIG Schweizerische Industrie-Gesellschaft
    Inventors: Hans Heinzer, Werner Muller
  • Patent number: 4199919
    Abstract: The invention refers to an automatic apparatus for producing nearly parallelepipedal containers of flexible packaging material, particularly suitable for packaging liquids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 1977
    Date of Patent: April 29, 1980
    Assignee: I.B.P. Industrie Buitoni Perugina S.p.A.
    Inventor: Silvano Moscatelli