Abstract: There is provided a heat shrinkable, high barrier laminate film which includes a hot blown, melt oriented high oxygen barrier film, of relatively high crystallinity and correspondingly relatively low ultimate elongation, laminated to a stretch oriented base film having a shrink tension substantially greater than that of said barrier film, the extent of orientation of said base film being sufficient such that its ultimate elongation is reduced so as to be commensurate with that of said barrier film. In one preferred mode, the barrier film is a layflat tubular film having its interior layflat surfaces laminated together. Representatively, the high barrier layer of the barrier film is vinylidene chloride copolymer having at least about 85% by weight vinylidene chloride content, preferably at least about 90%. Associated methods for making the laminate films are also provided.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of vacuum packing by defining a "dummy product" 17 alongside a product article 14 on a support sheet so that any "webbing" 18 is to the side of that projection 17 which faces away from the adjacent product article 14. That projection 17 can subsequently be trimmed to leave a webbing-free pack. Cutting down webbing reduces the risk of leakage of the pack. Preferably the height of the projection 17 is adjusted in response to the height of a product article 14 so that the extent of such webbing 18 is at a minimum.

Abstract: The invention is directed to an improved open-ended flexible plastic container which is adapted to package a meat article having protruding bone sections. In particular, the container comprises a flexible bag preferrably formed from an oriented, i.e. heat shrinkable, and heat sealable plastic material. Since the bag material is susceptible to puncture by bone sections which may protrude from a meat article, one face of at least one side of the bag is provided with a sheet of material which is more resistant to bone puncture than the bag material. The sheet may be adhered on an interior or exterior face of the side of the bag, as desired. The puncture resistant sheet is located on and adhered to the bag in such a manner that it can be aligned with and overlie the protruding bone sections upon insertion of the meat article into the bag. Preferably the sheet of puncture resistant material is smaller in size than the face of the side of the bag to which the sheet is adhered.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a new and improved vertical form, fill and seal apparatus which is adapted to individually package relatively large and heavy articles such as, for example, grapefruits, melons, oranges and the like. The apparatus comprises a tube forming mandrel having an upper article entrance orifice, an interior and a lower article discharge orifice. The interior of the mandrel is adapted to contain a group of articles in substantially vertically successive alignment. The mandrel is adapted to progressively form a sheet of flexible plastic film into a vertically depending upwardly open tube having overlapping longitudinal edges which are sealed together. Upon formation of the tube the discharge orifice communicatively connects the interior of the mandrel to the interior of the tube. The form, fill and seal apparatus also comprises article indexing means adapted to selectively retainingly engage and release the lowermost article contained within said mandrel.

Abstract: A multi-layered thermoplastic film having improved physical characteristics is formulated through utilization of a linear low density polyethylene or linear medium density polyethylene resin as a core and/or an intermediate layer constituent.

Abstract: A plastic bag is opened by positive contact with a run of adhesive tape over two guide rolls which are then lifted to raise the upper panel of the bag at locations above spreader bars which can enter the bag in a relatively closed configuration and then spread apart to hold the bag thereon. The spreader bars are then caused to lift the bag from the bag-opening location and to transport it to a bag-loading location leaving the next successive bag at the opening station for contacting with the adhesive tape which has by now been indexed.

Abstract: This invention is a hang bag and the method for making it. The hang bag is designed to be hung on peg board displays at supermarkets and the bag comprises a non-shrinkable, heat sealable strap across the width of a side seal heat shrinkable bag. After the product has been put in the bag and the bag has been shrunk, the unshrunken strap forms a convenient loop for easy hanging.

Abstract: A five layered thermoplastic film having a desired combination of physical characteristics is disclosed. The film may be utilized to form storm windows. A preferred palindromic embodiment of the film comprises a core layer consisting essentially of either (a) a copolymer of ethylene and vinyl acetate or (b) a three component blend of (a) a linear low density polyethylene, (b) a linear medium density polyethylene and (c) an ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer. The preferred embodiment also comprises two intermediate layers each consisting essentially of a linear low density polyethylene and two surface layers each consisting essentially of a four component blend of (1) a linear low density polyethylene, (2) a linear medium density polyethylene, (3) a copolymer of ethylene and vinyl acetate and (4) one or more light stabilizers. Appropriate slip, antiblock and antioxidant agents may also be present.

Abstract: A heat sealing layer is provided for multiply tubular film preferably of the type having an inner shrink layer of an irradiatively cross-linked ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, a core barrier layer of vinylidene chloride-vinyl chloride copolymer, and an outer abuse layer of an ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, the sealing layer being melt bonded onto the shrink layer and being composed of a propylene ethylene random copolymer. Heat seals formed in making bags from the improved film demonstrate enhanced high temperature strength and grease resistance. An associated method for making the tubular film is also provided.

Abstract: The invention comprises an oriented multi-layer film having a different orientation distribution between at least two layers and a novel process for forming oriented multi-layer films having a different orientation distribution between the layers. An important feature is the formation of a first tubular layer which is folded and fed into the interior of a second tubular layer of smaller diameter. Upon inflation of the inner tubular layer of larger diameter to its maximum unstretched diameter the smaller diameter outer tubular layer will be stretched and will also be oriented if the stretching occurs while the temperature of the smaller diameter outer tubular layer is maintained within the orientation temperature range of that material.

Abstract: An apparatus and process for forming and dispensing individual wrappers of varying lengths from a supply roll of flat-folded tubular film is provided. The apparatus includes a rotatable turret which defines a plurality of appertures and has a plurality of hollow mandrels secured thereto in such manner that the interior of each hollow mandrel is communicatively connected to a respective apperture. In operation, a mandrel and tubular film loaded on the external periphery thereof is rotatively indexed from a stock receiving station to a stock dispensing station where the tubing is sealed, loaded with a product and severed to form an individual wrapper. A guide bullet is provided at the stock receiving station to assist in the loading of the tubular film onto the external periphery of a hollow mandrel upon the mandrel being indexed to the stock receiving station. In a preferred embodiment the guide bullet may be retracted through the interior of a mandrel by way of a reciprocal thrust rod.

Abstract: A portable work station for transporting a device sensitive to external electrical forces and, in particular, to static electricity is provided. The work station which is manufactured from an electrically conductive composition which acts to shield the contents of the container from external electrical forces is provided with an electrically conductive window means and electrical charge grounding means all of which are in electrically conductive communication with each other. In one embodiment the work station is provided with an internal electrically conductive anti-static pad.

Abstract: There is provided a method for making a supply of partially separated multibag units, comprising first passing a perforated chain of side-sealed bags through a first set of driven nip rollers, then passing said chain directly to a second set of nip rollers having a partial nip of selected width less than the width of said chain, while driving said second nip rollers at a speed greater than said first nip rollers sufficient to partially separate the bags at their respective lines of perforation, and while cyclically completing the nip of said second nip rollers at predetermined intervals corresponding to the number of bags desired in each multibag unit. Associated apparatus for making said partially separated multibag units is also provided.

Abstract: An integral hinged blow molded container having a single wall is produced by inflating a parison within a mold having a hinge forming area with a draw ratio of greater than 1 whereby the parison is reduced in thickness within the hinge forming area relative to the adjacent area. The thus formed parison is severed about a circumference adjacent the formed hinge to create a top portion and a bottom portion openable and closable about the hinge.

Abstract: An integral hinged blow molded container having a single wall is produced by inflating a parison within a mold having a hinge forming area with a draw ratio of greater than 1 whereby the parison is reduced to thickness within the hinge forming area relative to the adjacent area. The thus formed parison is severed about a circumference adjacent the formed hinge to create a top portion and a bottom portion openable and closable about the hinge.

Abstract: A plurality of multi-walled bags of flexible plastic material is formed by taking a longitudinally folded flat web of a first flexible plastic film; at least partially separating the superposed plies of said first flexible plastic film at the edge opposite the fold line and moving the film past a corona discharge electrode between the separated plies of the film to pre-treat at least a part of the inwardly facing surface of each of said two plies; taking a longitudinally folded flat web of a second flexible plastic film; corona discharge-treating the outwardly facing surfaces of the two plies of said second flexible plastic film; passing the pre-treated web of said second flexible plastic film over a diverter guide into the space between the two at least partially separated plies of said first flexible plastic film to bring the fold lines of the first and second flexible plastic film webs substantially into register with the two webs moving synchronously in a single direction; and sealing the composite of the

Abstract: The invention deals with means for producing a manifold for a strutted film. In particular, the connection of a plastic tubular conduit to a strutted film to form a fluid tight communication between the strut passageway and the interior of the conduit is disclosed. The present method is especially advantageous where the struts of the strutted film, as a result of their method of manufacture, are not readily heat sealable. Where necessary, the method may also be applied to provide a manifold for a group of individual tubes.

Abstract: A vacuumizing and sealing operation on a package comprises initially reducing the external pressure on the package, before sealing of the package, to a value at which the flexible film covering of the package is capable of ballooning, and ensuring heating of the flexible film of the package, preferably while an intermediate pressure is maintained (at which intermediate pressure ballooning could just be sustained without excessive evacuation to reduce the thermal capacity of the circulating air). Finally the pressure inside and outside is reduced still further before re-pressurizing.

Abstract: A pasteurizable and/or cook-in shrink film is provided that includes a first or sealing layer of a nonlipophillic polymeric material having a softening point greater than that of the following shrink layer; a second or shrink controlling layer, melt bonded to the first layer, of an ethylene homopolymer or copolymer; a third or adhesive layer, melt bonded to the second layer, of a chemically modified polyethylene being irradiatively cross-linkable and having functional groups with a relatively strong affinity for the following barrier layer; a fourth or barrier layer, melt bonded to the third layer, of a hydrolyzed ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer; a fifth or adhesive layer as in said third layer, melt bonded to the fourth layer; and a sixth or abuse layer, melt bonded to the fifth layer. An associated method for making the film is also provided that includes full coextrusion and selective irradiation and orientation.