Abstract: A machine for forming, filling and sealing pouches out of continuously fed film material wherein the material forming the pouches extends in a horizontal direction during all steps of the process. Continuous film is fed from a roll thereof with the roll being power driven to prevent stretching of the material as it passes through the various processing stations. The film material can be stamped for marking thereon and can include a header area which is sealed and may or may not have a card placed therein or thereon. The top of the individual pouches may include an aperture therethrough for display mounting or air evacuation. The film then travels to a side sealing device which extends laterally across the moving film for sealing between adjacent pouches. The pouches are loaded with product at a position where immediately thereafter the ends thereof are sealed. At all times the pouch extends in a horizontal position to prevent the weight of the product from interfering with the filling and sealing operations.

Abstract: A conventional envelope stuffing machine is provided with a chopper of cutter for providing a stack of individual inserts from pre-connected booklets. The chopper operates in synchronism with the stuffing machine through the provision of a pair of simple cam-operated switches.

Abstract: A machine for making and filling packets has an intermittently fed sheet material which is recurrently severed into packet strips. These strips are successively pushed downwardly by a battery of filling tubes which shift vertically, bear against the sheet strip, and fold it into a vertical trough-shaped receptacle open at the top. After the filling tube battery has moved downwardly, sets of vertically spaced sealing or clamping jaws operate to effect laterally spaced side seals in an upper strip and conjointly create top seals in the lower or preceding sheet strip. Product is metered to the packet strips. The sealed packets are severed from the strip after the sealing operation. The filled packet has outwardly bowed side walls and the juncture of the bottom wall and the side walls will assume a line, the configuration of which is a function of the size and cross-sectional configuration of the filling tubes, providing a unique advantageous form.

Abstract: A packaging machine for forming pouches from a continuous web having confronting sections adapted to provide opposed walls of the formed pouches. The machine includes sealing means for sealing the opposed bag walls together in longitudinally spaced-apart regions to provide the side seals of the formed pouches, and a cutting section for cutting the discrete pouches from the sealed continuous web. The machine has positively driven feed means for directing the continuous web material through the cutting means, and the feed means is adjustable in the machine-direction of movement of the web material for controlling the width of the pouches to be formed. Drive means are associated with the driven feed means and include elements movable with the feed means when the feed means is adjusted to thereby automatically change the speed of the feed means to direct the desired amount, or length of sealed web material past the cutting means between operating strokes of the cutting means.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for making bag-type packages from strip web material in which a lead end portion of strip web material is formed around a forward end portion of a mandrel and the sleeve is advanced with the mandrel during at least a portion of the forward stroke of the mandrel. A sleeve opening device on the lead end of the mandrel is extended through the end of the sleeve to open the sleeve and the mandrel is retracted and transversely sealed and severed at a location inwardly of its open end to form a bag. A turret is provided for gripping the open end of the bag at a bag loading station and transferring the bag with its open end up sequentially to a bag filling station and to a top closing and sealing station.

Abstract: Apparatus for opening the filling openings of bags connected together in the manner of a band. The apparatus includes two conveyor belts between which the opening edges of the bags are guided and each of which is guided around at least one compensating roller displaceable in the direction of movement of the bags. A spreader arrangement engages between the opening edges of the bags and comprises two flexible elements each fixedly mounted at one end and displaceable at the other end, and which together with the associated conveyor belts grip the opening edges of the respective bag and are displaceable in an outward direction by adjuster means for the purpose of forming a filling opening. A rotary member is arranged above at least one of the opening edges of the filling opening substantially parallel to the direction of movement of the bag and is driven in opposition to the filling direction of the filling material.

Abstract: Packaging apparatus is described for forming a series of containers from an elongated strip of film and for disposing materials, illustratively a liquid, into each of the containers. The packaging apparatus comprises a supply of the film, a mechanism for withdrawing the film from the supply and for advancing the film along a path, and a mechanism disposed at a first station adjacent the path for shaping the film into the series of containers. A material injection mechanism is disposed at a second station along said path downstream of the first station for injecting a measured quantity of liquid at periodic intervals into a single one of the series of containers as it is brought one at a time to the second station. A mechanism is provided for imparting a relatively stationary relationship between each container of the series and the material injecting mechanism, thereby permitting the injection of materials into each of the containers before they are severed from each other.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for cutting and sealing a two-ply web of thermoplastic material of tubular, flexible stock includes a sheet member formed of a non-stick material interposed between an intermittently advancing web of thermoplastic material and a sealing pad, and apparatus for moving the non-stick sheet member in the downstream direction subsequent to a blade severing the web downstream from the sealing pad and a heated sealing member sealing the plies of the portion of the web which overlie the sealing pad while the web is at rest between intermittent advancements thereof, so that any portion of the sealed portion of the web which may have become stuck to the sheet member is stripped therefrom.

Abstract: An improved machine and method of making and folding an insert and a personalized envelope therefor.

Abstract: A package forming and sealing machine receiving articles confined within a conveyed tubular wrapper of sheet material, a rotor having sealing and cutting heads radially adjustable for changing the span between adjacent heads on the periphery of the rotor, there being a swingable jaw and a stationary jaw on each of the heads, a locking linkage to operate the swingable jaw, a rotary shaft to operate the linkage, and substantially continuously driven from a sprocket through a disengageable clutch operated by a trip arm and stationary stop cams also radially adjustable with respect to the rotor axis, a chain loop embracing revolving sprockets on the rotor to produce operation of the swingable sealing jaws.

Abstract: A manually operable combination strapping tool for applying plastic strapping around an object includes a strap-tensioning and gripping mechanism for holding the strap in a tensioned loop around the object with the supply portion of the strap overlapping the leading end thereof, and a heat-sealing mechanism which includes a movable pressure block and a heater movable to and from a heating position between the overlapping strap portions. As the heater is moved between the overlapping strap portions, the pressure block is moved to cooperate with an anvil to press together the heating element and strap portions for melting thereof. After retraction of the pressure block and the heater by separate bias means, the pressure block is moved for cooperation with the anvil to clamp therebetween and bond together the melted strap portions and sever the supply portion of the strap.

Abstract: Pouching apparatus for increasing the volume of material packed into a pouch. The apparatus includes a filler wheel assembly, means for rotating said assembly, a vacuum transfer wheel mounted below said filler wheel assembly and rotatable therewith, a plurality of vertical lands circumferentially spaced around said transfer wheel to receive a web of pouches, means for applying vacuum to said lands, a plurality of tuck fingers movably mounted on the transfer wheel between said lands, a stationary, circumferential cam mounted adjacent said transfer wheel to raise said tuck fingers to form an upward tuck in the bottom of each pouch of said web thereby increasing its capacity. The apparatus also includes clips to hold the web on the lands of the transfer wheel. The apparatus also includes a feed roll which feeds said web onto said transfer wheel at a preselected speed somewhat greater than the speed of said transfer wheel to force pouches into the space between said lands.

Abstract: A continuous paper web is fed in a longitudinal path. Glue is applied in transverse strips at regular intervals along the longitudinally disposed continuous web over a part only of the width of the web. A first plow folds over a portion of the web having the transverse glue strips to a position above an adjacent flat portion of the web. An insert or stuffer is fed into the web between the folded over portion and the flat portion and against an inner crotch thereof formed by the fold line. The space between the folded over portion and the flat portion away from the fold is open and forms a wide mouth to readily receive the inserts delivered thereto. This first folded over portion is then closed down over the inserts lying on the flat portion causing the glue strips to seal onto the flat portion. The folded over portion and the flat portion of the web contain inserts between each of the transverse glue strips.

Abstract: An envelope-type pouch is divided into two compartments by a divider panel which is disposed between and is sealed to the two side panels of the pouch. The top margin of the divider panel and the top margin of one of the side panels are disposed above the top margin of the other side panel to facilitate opening of the pouch by an automatic packaging machine. Sealing of the upper end of the pouch is effected by first sealing the top margin of the divider panel to the top margin of the one side panel and then by sealing the top margin of the other side panel to the divider.

Abstract: A machine for manufacturing, filling and conveying envelopes obtained from a heat sealable sheet material, comprising a first closed loop conveyor, a second closed loop conveyor the first and the second conveyors having drive means imparting a continuous motion of constant speed thereto a plurality of envelope forming and delivering sets arranged along an envelope accepting path portion of the first conveyor and in spaced relationship to each other and adapted selectively to deliver open envelopes to the first conveyor along the envelope receiving path portion thereof, the first conveyor having first gripper means carried thereon second gripper means on the second conveyor and arranged therealong in spaced relationship to each other, the second gripper means having a pair of gripper arms mounted on the second conveyor for oscillation about respective axes parallel to each other, thereby to allow the gripper arms to approach and move away from each other when the arms are oscillated to maintain the envelopes g