Abstract: Dual flexible plastic pouches and a method of making the pouches where the pouches are reuseable and reclosable and have a double fastener strip arranged along the center between the pouches, the double strip is formed with a lower layer and upper pull flanges folded in from the edge of the lower layer with the pull flanges having reclosable rib and groove elements between the flanges and lower layer, an upper film web is juxtaposed over the lower web and bonded thereto over the peripheral edge to form pouches, the flanges are heat sealed to the upper web with a heat blocking thermal barrier between the flanges and lower layer of the fastener to prevent unintentional bonding.

Abstract: A method of forming a series of tray containers from plastic sheet film including intermittently continuously advancing a sheet of film, forming pockets in the film by heating and pressure differential across the film, laterally delivering closure strips between the pockets with the closure strips doubled, and having upper and lower layers with rib and groove fastener profiles therebetween, attaching the lower layer of the fastener to the web at the upper and lower edges of the fastener, laying an upper layer of film over the lower layer and attaching it to the lower layer around the edges of the pockets and attaching the upper layer of film to the top edge of the doubled fastener strip with the upper layer of the fastener strip having a tear perforation sealed by a sealing strip below the rib and groove elements.

Abstract: Plural strips of package making sheet material are directed toward a forming and filling tube in a form, fill and seal machine for making packages, and the strips are guided into cooperative relation along the tube for joining of the strips into tubular form about the tube. In a preferred arrangement, the strips are derived by slitting a continuous single sheet of package making material, provided with complementary zipper profiles along the slit margins of the strips. A three-bar guidance system is provided for guiding each of the strips cooperatively to the forming and filling tube.

Abstract: An extruded plastic zipper structure comprising a continuous series of predetermined length zipper sections, and hinges connecting the zipper sections together so that the sections can be fan-folded upon one another.

Abstract: Sealing jaw structure and method for securing zippered package making foil or film material, comprising sealing jaws, one of which carries a pair of spaced material engaging ribs for not only sealing but also tightening the material between the ribs during sealing cooperation of the jaws. The tightening facilitates cutting of the material being engaged between the jaws by a knife carried reciprocably by the jaw that carries the ribs.

Abstract: An extruded plastic zipper assembly comprises a pair of matching zipper strips having complementary reclosably interlocked zipper profiles with laterally extending confronting webs, and complementary non-zipper stabilizing rib means on the webs cooperating with the interlocked profiles for maintaining the webs substantially parallel to one another so that the assembly can be stacked in substantially uniform parallel relation with like zipper assemblies in a magazine package container, and a method of making the same.

Abstract: Zippered material for packages comprising a zipper strip having longitudinally extending complementary reclosable interlockable zipper profiles with a web separating the profiles. In one aspect, the strip is notched out to the web from opposite sides at package section intervals and with limited respective areas of the web providing links connecting the sections of the strip at the notches, the links being sealed and flattened onto package making sheet material. In another aspect, the web and the material have matching lines of weakening, the web is hermetically bonded to the material and at least the line of weakening of the web is hermetically sealed to prevent leakage through the lines of weakening, but enabling tear-open separation along the lines of weakening.

Abstract: A plastic film bag for foodstuffs or the like having opposed film bag walls joined at their edges and forming a mouth between the walls and at one side reclosable fastener strips between the walls at the bag mouth having facing releasably interlocking profiles thereon with a sealing strip extending from one profile to the wall of the other profile with the sealing strip being sufficiently broad to avoid stress thereon and preferably with the sealing strip having a frangible fracture line extending substantially parallel to the profile to be torn when the profiles are first separated with the fracture line formed in various ways including perforations, or a score line, or an insert in the sealing web defining the frangible fracture line or the web being formed of multiple parts joined by a portion that fracture more easy than the sealing web.

Abstract: In a form, fill and seal package or bag making machine having a vertical forming and filling tube and cross-sealing and pull down mechanism below the discharge end of the tube, a mechanism by which the filled bag is supportingly manipulated during cross-sealing to avoid bag contents weight induced stretch stress damage to the thermosealed top edge of the filled bag, and avoiding bag contents weight caused pleats and tucks in the bag body film, and redistributing the filled bag contents to avoid central sagging of the filled bag.

Abstract: A spreader device for the lower end of a forming and filling tube of a form, fill and seal machine has an operator located on the outside of the upper end of the tube. The operator may effect oscillations causing the finger to swing into and out of spreading position, or the operator may cause the finger to reciprocate into and out of spreading position.

Abstract: A zipper guide tracking device and method whereby zipper profiles on package making film running over a forming shoulder about a forming and filling tube of a form, fill and seal machine are tracked in grooved tracking structure which may comprise either or both of a grooved tracking roller and a grooved tracking bar.

Abstract: Zippered film which is spirally wound on a non-oscillating rotary spool is guided to a constant point of infeed by running the zippered film from the spool to such infeed point through an oscillating guide device.

Abstract: A plastic film bag for foodstuffs or the like having opposed film bag walls joined at their edges and forming a mouth between the walls at one side, reclosable fastener strips between the walls at the bag mouth having facing releasably interlocking profiles thereon with a base for each of the strips, each base web having an outer portion and an inner portion which is adjacent the contents of the bag, one inner portion bonded to the wall of the bag and the other inner portion substantially unattached, the inner portions of the webs being continuous with a perforate tear line therethrough, a sealing strip over the tear line, the outer edges of the film at the mouth bonded to each other above the fastener strips so that the outer edge can be cut leaving pull flanges with the inner portions of the base webs sealing the interior of the bag until the tear lines are torn.

Abstract: Straight zipper sections are attached to a carrier tape for attachment to the mouth end of a bag. The straight zipper sections are mounted on the continuous tape in longitudinal series orientation, or in spaced side-by-side orientation across the length of the tape. The tape in either case may be fan folded and packed into a storage or shipping container. The tape provides for closing attachment across the mouth of a bag to provide a security membrane and/or a tamper evident structure required to be ruptured to gain initial access into the bag after the zipper is opened.

Abstract: A device for assuring substantial smoothness in bags formed on a form, fill and seal machine comprising structure engageable with a closure along one edge of flattened bag making material below a forming and filling tube, and cooperating members operating cyclically from a position at the stabilizer in a flattening stroke across the material. The flattening members are desirably rollers which may be heated to effect a flatness retaining seal across the flattened material.

Abstract: Thermoplastic film bag making material is processed between a hotseal jaw and cutoff knife assembly. The apparatus has complementary first and second jaws between which the material is received for sealing bag side edge areas of the bag making material. The first jaw has a groove and the second jaw has a cutoff knife for extension into the groove for separating the material into individual bags. A rubber anvil block is in a groove underlying a zipper of the bag material and the knife thrusts into the block and attains substantially straight edges in the bag cutoff. Improved end sealing of the zipper also results.

Abstract: A support is provided for filled bags in a form, fill and seal package or bag making machine to avoid stretch stress damage to the thermosealed top edge of the filled bag during the cross-sealing and pull-down action of cross-sealing and pull-down bars functioning below the lower or discharge end of the forming and filling tube of the associated form, fill and seal machine. The supoprt may comprise a supporting constant force spring biased finger or a platform plate similarly supported.

Abstract: A flexible plastic film reclosable package for foodstuffs or the like having opposed plastic film walls joined to each other completely around their circumference and having a bag mouth between the walls at one side, fastener strips between the walls in the bag mouth having reclosable pressure interlocking rib and groove profiles joined to close the bag with a peel seal material in the base of the groove to initially hermetically seal the bag and lock the rib in the groove, the fastener strips having outwardly extending base webs to form pull flanges with one of the strips having an inwardly extending base web laminated to the film and either no base web or a very short protective base extending inwardly from the other fastener strip and a protector board inserted in the bag between the profiles and the contents.

Abstract: A forming shoulder for a forming and filling tube of a form, fill and seal machine has a skirt provided with a guide channel for a longitudinal zipper area of a package making material sheet running over the forming shoulder, thereby retaining the zipper area and the sheet against lateral drifting.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming bags from a thin plastic film in a tube form fill operation wherein plastic film is fed over the outer surface of the tube and the edges of the film are joined to provide a bag tube and an antistatic friction reduction surface treatment is provided on the outer surface of the tube for encouraging sliding movement of the film and insuring uniform feed with the friction reducing and electrically insulating material in the form of a plastic coating or ribs to produce the desired result.