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.

Abstract: A method is described of filling and sealing a popcorn package. A flexible bag is provided which may be formed from flexible sheet material such as paper having longitudinally extending gussets in which the infolded portions of the gussets approach each other closely to divide the bag into a pair of collateral tubes communicating together along a central line. The bag is held in an upright position with one of the tubes in a collapsed state while the other is expanded. The expanded tube has a smaller cross-section than the other tube. A charge of fat and corn is introduced into the tube of smaller cross-section through its open top. Preferably, a means is provided for collapsing the tube of smaller cross-section transversely at a point below the center of the bag but above the bottom end of the bag to maintain the charge at the center of the bag and in the smaller tube. The bag is then sealed.

Abstract: A charge of popcorn and fat is placed in a flexible shipping container composed of a flexible bag having longitudinally extending centrally projecting side gussets. The charge is placed between the gussets and one side panel of the bag. Another aspect of the invention is a special package of collateral tubular configuration comprising first and second longitudinally extending tubular portions. One of the tubular portions is larger in cross-section than the other and a charge of popcorn and fat is positioned within the small tubular portion of the package.

Abstract: According to the present invention, the package including a centrally-cored, dish-like container of food having a cover sealed across its mouth is provided in a carton, e.g. made of paper, which encloses a larger space than that occupied by the container of food. The cover of the container of food has regions which may be easily fork-pierced and the carton has apertures overlying these fork-pierceable regions of the container cover. Accordingly, the food may be warmed from a chilled or frozen state by fork-piercing the container cover through the carton apertures for permitting the escape of steam that will be generated in the food during the heating process, and then placing the package, still in its carton, in the microwave oven. As heating proceeds, steam escapes from the food through the pierced holes in the cover and then from the carton through the apertures which overlie the pierced holes.

Abstract: The invention concerns a disposable microwave food shipping and heating container and a method of preparing food for microwave heating. The container includes a generally bowl shaped-or dish-shaped bottom portion to hold the food product. It has a bottom wall that is transparent to microwave energy and an upwardly extending side wall. The upper edge of the side wall defines an opening for filling the container with food and for removing food when it is to be served. A cover formed from sheet material extends across the opening of the container to seal the opening. Within the container is a low loss core formed from microwave transparent packaging material. The core extends vertically between the top and the bottom of the container to provide a tubular microwave influx passage through the food within the container.To prepare the package, a food product is placed in the disposable shipping container but the interior of the core is maintained free from food. The container and food product are then chilled.

Abstract: The invention concerns a disposable microwave food shipping and heating container and a method of preparing food for microwave heating. The container includes a generally bowl-shaped or dish-shaped bottom portion to hold the food product. It has a bottom wall that is transparent to microwave energy and an upwardly extending side wall. The upper edge of the side wall defines an opening for filling the container with food and for removing food when it is to be served. A cover formed from sheet material extends across the opening of the container to seal the opening. Within the container is a low loss core formed from microwave transparent packaging material. The core extends vertically between the top and the bottom of the container to provide a tubular microwave influx passage through the food within the container.To prepare the package, a food product is placed in the disposable shipping container but the interior of the core is maintained free from food. The container and food product are then chilled.