Abstract: Apparatus particularly suited for cutting continuously moving thermoplastic film such as linear low density polyethylene and includes a stationary anvil, preferably a roller of tool steel and a tungsten carbide die mounted for rotation along a circular arc intersecting the anvil. The roller is positioned at a stationary location along a circular arc for cyclicly contacting and rolling across the cutting surface for cutting the plastic film web passing between the roller and the cutting surface at the predetermined locations in the web. The roller is mounted on a support member by an assembly including a bracket mounting a shaft supporting the roller. The bracket is attached to one end of a rocker arm and the other end of the rocker arm is pivotally carried by the support member. A housing for a loading spring is carried by the support member adjacent the rocker arm. The housing has a tubular opening therethrough having an axial extending transversely to the axis of the shaft supporting the roller.

Abstract: A method and apparatus particularly suited for cutting continuously moving thermoplastic film such as linear low density polyethylene and includes a stationary anvil, preferably a roller of tool steel and a tungsten carbide die mounted for rotation along a circular arc intersecting the anvil. In an embodiment for punching holes in the film, the apparatus includes a saddle shaped hollow tungsten carbide die projecting slightly above the cylindrical surface of a roll passing under a spring biased tool steel roller for cutting a semicircular hole in a continuously moving continuous plastic film web for the manufacturer draw tape bags. A vacuum is supplied to the center of the die for removing the segment of plastic film cut out by the apparatus.

Abstract: A method and apparatus particularly suited for cutting continuously moving thermoplastic film such as linear low density polyethylene and includes a stationary anvil, preferably a roller of tool steel and a tungsten carbide die mounted for rotation along a circular arc intersecting the anvil. In an embodiment for punching holes in the film, the apparatus includes a saddle shaped hollow tungsten carbide die projecting slightly above the cylindrical surface of a roll passing under a spring biased tool steel roller for cutting a semicircular hole in a continuously moving continuous plastic film web for the manufacturer draw tape bags. A vacuum is supplied to the center of the die for removing the segment of plastic film cut out by the apparatus.

Abstract: A mechanical folding device fires a multiplicity of pins through an air table and a multiplicity of parallel endless belts forming the conveyor to lift a flexible foldable length of material, such as a plastic film bag body, into a catching device such as a pair of nip conveyors carrying sets of folding belts for completing the fold and carrying the length of material away from the first conveyor. The pins are fired through the air table and conveyor belts by means of a torsion bar coupled by means of lever arms to a carriage carrying the pins. The torsion bar is mechanically loaded by a first air cylinder while the carriage is locked in a lowered position. When the carriage is released by a second air cylinder, the torsion bar first accelerates the carriage upward then decelerates the carriage during the upper half of the extension of the pins. The bar forces the pins to return to a retracted position within the air table.

Abstract: A flexible coupling of the light weight, low inertia spring plate type having a central disk which through flex provides for angular misalignment and four supporting side leaf springs which provide for parallel misalignment. Bolted on exterior drive lugs transmit the torque to the central disk. Bronze guides provide for attachment of the leaf springs to the center disk. The drive and driven plates are connected to hubs which are split so they can be clamped onto the input and output shafts which are subject to alternating torque loads.

Abstract: Apparatus for heat sealing the respective layers of film in a pair of hems in a moving web of film in the manufacture of draw tape bags. A pair of hot air hem sealer units is provided each of the units including a hot air hem sealer heat exchanger having a plurality of nozzles which direct hot air against a continuously moving film. The nozzles are in line with film movement and the film is backed up by a metal plate positioned between the hems. Following the heating phase cool compressed air is directed against the film in the heated area to cool the film prior to contact with the hem seal on the other side of the bag. The heat exchanger includes a plurality of circumferential grooves which deliver hot air to the nozzles. A thermocouple controls the temperature of the hot air.

Abstract: A plastic film product manufacturing apparatus includes a pair of draw rollers advancing a continuous length of plastic film, a plurality of guide rollers guiding the plastic film through at least part of the apparatus to the draw rollers and an endless flexible belt driving each of the guide rollers at a circumferential surface speed equal to the speed of the continuous length of plastic film advanced over the guide rollers. When the continuous length of plastic film is intermittently advanced by the draw rollers, and the guide rollers are simultaneously intermittently rotated by the endless belt. A primer mover drives both the draw rollers and the endless flexible belt to coordinate rotation of the draw rollers with the rotation of the guide rollers. One of the guide rollers is mounted on a dancer arm and a system of pulleys is provided for driving that guide roller by the endless flexible belt.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of handling flexible foldable materials, particularly thermoplastic film webs, continuously fed from a supply by continuously moving input nip rolls to a dancer including a roll mounted for movement transversely to its central axis. Intermittently moving draw rolls intermittently advance material from the dancer roll. The dancer roll is reciprocated in coordination with the intermittent advancement so as to decouple the translational inertia of the dancer roll from the material. A flexible belt also simultaneously rotates the dancer roll so as to decouple rotational inertia of the roll from the length of material. The dancer may be driven by a cam in common with a work station reciprocating against the material fed from the dancer.

Abstract: An hydraulic index drive system including a variable displacement pump closely coupled to a fixed displacement motor through an adaptor which feeds oil to and returns oil from the motor. A lever on the pump controls the position of a swash plate which determines the pump displacement. The lever is positioned by a cam which makes one revolution per cycle. The cam is designed such that for 40% of the cycle there is no pump output which is the dwell portion of the cycle and for 60% of the cycle the output rises to a set maximum and returns to zero output which is the index portion of the cycle. The pump is driven by a variable speed motor. The system is particularly suited for use with a vacuum conveyor on a bag machine line for transfer of plastic bags to a bag folder.

Abstract: A plastic film handling apparatus includes an air table formed by a box having a surface crossed by a conveyor, in the form of endless belts surrounding the box, in which a multiplicity of individual air chambers is provided. Each of the individual chambers is selectively pressurized (negative or positive) by selective coupling of the chambers with a blower through a manifold chamber. Openings through the surface couple each chamber with an overlying plastic film. A second blower and manifold chamber, selectively coupled with the individual chambers, is provided so that at least two air pressure levels, different from atmospheric and one another, can be generated. The air manifold chambers are isolated from one another adjoining each of the individual air chambers and are selectively coupled with individual chambers by the removable gates therebetween or by the setting of other conventional settable air couplings between the individual chambers and each manifold chamber.

Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for forming a pair of inwardly turned hems in the adjoining free edges of superposed layers of a longitudinally folded moving pliable material web, particularly superposed thermoplastic film panels for forming plastic bags having draw tapes in the hems. The moving web is passed over the cylindrical surface of a roller with the free edge of the inner layer of the web passing over a plurality of rollers disposed at one end of the first-named roller. The surfaces of the plurality of rollers extend substantially to the periphery of the roller. The free edge of the outer layer of the web is passed over a semicylindrical surface adjacent the plurality of rollers. The free edges of the layers of the web are guided to a hem folder at the downstream side of a hem forming block where they are folded inwardly adjacent the respective layers of the web to provide a pair of inwardly turned hems in the adjoining free edges of the opposing layers of the web.

Abstract: A draw band bag made from polyethylene film providing a bag body having side seals and a mouth at one end of the body defined by a lip portion. A draw band extends along the lip portion of the bag and is secured at the opposite ends to the side seals of the bag. The body has an opening therethrough adjacent the lip portion and intermediate the side seals through which the draw band is adapted to be pulled for closing the mouth. The draw band covers the openings through the bag body prior to being pulled therethrough. After the draw band is pulled through the openings to close the mouth, it is used to make a half hitch around the top of the bag and pulled tight.

Abstract: A tarpaulin incorporating a novel and structure which will enable the tarpaulin to be readily utilized as an outdoor cover, drop cloth, lawn cleanup sheet and numerous other applications even under relatively adverse environmental conditions. The tarpaulin is preferably constituted of a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic film material, which incorporates corner or edge grommet structure; which enables staking or weighted components to be detachably fastened to the structure so as to ensure that the tarpaulins will not be displaced or carried off in response to extraneous forces caused by the elements, while concurrently allowing for the easy handling thereof during use, particularly when employed for outdoor purposes, such as the accumulation and removal of lawn trash constituted of leaves, grass or shrubbery cuttings and the like.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for feeding a continuous thin film plastic tape or like, pliable, foldable strip in an oscillatory fashion, which may be random, from a feed surface having a width many times greater than the width of said tape to a receiving surface having a width at least as great as a tape width and many times narrower than the width of the feed surface by spacing and positioning the feed and receiving surfaces with respect to one another to limit the maximum angle between a transverse plane bisecting the receiving surface and extending towards the approaching tape and the centerline of the tape. The maximum value of this angle, in degrees, is about 6.5 times the inverse of the tape width expressed in inches. The invention is illustrated with an apparatus which converts the oscillatory motion of a tape fed from a roll many times wider than the tape over an equally large roller surface to a pulley only slightly wider than the tape and many times smaller than the roller surface.

Abstract: A tarpaulin incorporating a novel grommet and weighting structure which will enable the tarpaulin to be readily utilized as an outdoor cover, drop cloth, lawn cleanup sheet and numerous other applications even under relatively adverse environmental conditions. The tarpaulin is preferably constituted of a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic film material, which incorporates corner or edge grommet structure and weighted components detachably fastenable to the structure so as to ensure that the tarpaulins will not be displaced or carried off in response to extraneous forces caused by the elements, while concurrently allowing for the easy handling thereof during use, particularly when employed for outdoor purposes, such as the accumulation and removal of lawn trash constituted of leaves, grass or shrubbery cuttings and the like.

Abstract: A method is described for making a fiber-reinforced composite film sheet (fiber/film laminate) by continuously forming a first planar lap from a plurality of machine-direction (MD) fibers, continuously forming a second planar lap from a single fiber as transverse-direction (TD) reaches which are connected by 180.degree. loops by stretching the fiber between a horizontally diverging pair of chain assemblies, continuously straddling both laps with a pair of co-extruded films which extend sidewardly beyond the loops, vertically converging the films and fibers to form a sandwich, edge sealing the sandwich within strips close to its side edges but inwardly of the loops, lifting the loops from the chain assemblies, sidewardly smoothing and tautening the sandwich, and laminating the sandwich with heat and pressure to form the composite film sheet and application for carrying out this method.

Abstract: A method is described for making a fiber-reinforced composite film sheet (fiber/film laminate) by continuously forming a first planar lap from a plurality of machine-direction (MD) fibers, continuously forming a second planar lap from a single fiber as transverse-direction (TD) reaches which are connected by 180.degree. loops by stretching the fiber between a horizontally diverging pair of chain assemblies, continuously straddling both laps with a pair of co-extruded films which extend sidewardly beyond the loops, vertically converging the films and fibers to form a sandwich, edge sealing the sandwich within strips close to its side edges but inwardly of the loops, lifting the loops from the chain assemblies, sidewardly smoothing and tautening the sandwich, and laminating the sandwich with heat and pressure to form the composite film sheet.

Abstract: An assembly for thermoplastic shoppings bags which are adapted for employment as containers for grocery and produce items when they are employed in conjunction with a novel loading system for retail food market check-out counters. A novel method and apparatus are also provided for opening successive bags for filling and, when a bag is fully loaded, its removal from the filling station causes opening of an adjacent bag to a loading position.