Abstract: A carrier tape is provided comprising a longitudinally extending base strip and a generally coextensive cover strip. The strips are extruded of a plastic material with at least one of the strips being formed with an integral longitudinal profile and the other of the strips having surfaces thereon which engage the profile in a continuous mechanical interlock. The surfaces of the other strip may comprise a mating profile. At least one of the strips is provided with longitudinally spaced cavities for receiving products to be carried. The tape is also provided with spaced sprocket holes for driving the tape.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming a vertical tubular form fill package feeding the film vertically downwardly over a spout, pressing the outer lateral edges of the film together between pressure rollers, feeding joined strips of plastic zipper consisting of interlocking elements and attaching webs between the outer edges of the film and the spout, positioning guide bars on either side of the zipper between the zipper webs and sealing bars outwardly of the guide bars with the sealing bars simultaneously forming a fin seal at the outer edge and joining the zipper webs to the inner surfaces of the film between the fin seal and the spout and thereafter cross-cutting and sealing to form packages enclosing contents dropped through the spout.

Abstract: A bag chain structure and method of making wherein fastener strips are attached across the surface of the film at predetermined intervals with the fastener strips having a plurality of rib and grooves so that the rib and grooves interlock when the strip is folded upon itself and the film is doubled so that the lateral edges are in adjacency and are joined, cross-seals are placed across the doubled film at intervals spaced from the fastener strips to form the bottom of the bag; and tear perforations are placed in the doubled film between the bottom seal and the fastener so that individual bags can be torn off of the continuous film sheet.

Abstract: A container in the form of a collapsable bag is provided with a pair of opposed expandably connected walls providing a top opening. A foldable top provided by upper end portions of the container walls is adapted to be folded over for closing the top opening. Complementary reclosable fastener structure carried on outer faces of the upper wall portions releasably holds the foldable top in folded condition. The fasteners may be in the form of complementary extruded multi-profile fastener strips. There may be one strip on each of the wall portions for holding the top in double folded condition, or there may be a plurality of complementary fastener strips on the wall portions for selectively holding the bag top in quadruple folded condition.

Abstract: Disclosed are bags especially adapted to be made from plastic material and in which the bag body film or material and extruded plastic zippers are fusibly incompatible. A pair of extruded plastic zipper strips having reclosable zipper profiles facing toward one another along the lower sides of pull flanges of the bag have the opposite ends of the strips sandwiching opposite side seal seams of the bag therebetween. The opposite side seal seams have holes therethrough, and fused connecting anchors formed from the material of the zipper strip ends extend through the holes. The bag may be closed by squeezing the zipper strips together so that the profiles interlock with one another and interlock the intervening area of the bag walls therebetween. A method of making the bags is also disclosed.

Abstract: Plastic tubular film structure for forming multiple bags. The tubular film structure has a first pair of rib elements, a second pair of diametrically opposed rib elements, a first pair of groove elements between said pairs of rib elements and a second pair of groove elements diametrically opposed to the first pair, with the elements in the pairs being closely spaced and being on the inner surface of the tube. Each of the pairs of rib elements are aligned with each adjacent pair of groove elements as the tubing is flattened to form first and second sets of the aligned pairs of rib and groove elements, so that by forming a continuous slit between the elements of one layer at one set and the elements of the other layer at the other set, and with the tube being subsequently folded so that an element adjacent the slit of the first set is folded onto the second set, and an element adjacent the slit of the second set is folded onto the first set, two continuous strips of double interlocking profile film are formed.

Abstract: Bags in a series have first and second end portions with the bags being separated from one another except for links that connect the first end portions of the bags into a continuous chain, which is wound upon itself on a storage reel. Such winding may be in a vertical spiral fashion, or it may be by engagement by a separable continuous strip, such as a ribbon tape across the second end portions of the bags as reeled upon a core, thereby maintaining the bags in the chain substantially free from skewing relative to one another. Method and apparatus for effecting the reeling of the bag chain are also disclosed.

Abstract: Zipper closures for selective attachment along elongated openings in preexisting containers such as bags or cartons to thereby convert such cartons or bags into reclosable containers. The closure for each container comprises a section of a zipper strip assembly having a pair of separable and reclosable strip members provided with respective attachment surfaces on which there is pressure sensitive adhesive. Peelable cover sheet engages the adhesive protectively to permit handling of the zipper closure either as individual lengths or in an indeterminate length from which sections may be severed. The zipper closure is easily applied by peeling the cover sheet and adhesively attaching the attachment surfaces to lips at opposite sides of the elongated opening in the container.Method and apparatus for making the new and improved zipper closure are also provided.

Abstract: Bags especially adapted to be made from fusibly incompatible bag body web material and extruded plastic zippers comprising in each instance a pair of zipper strips having reclosable zipper profiles located below upper ends of pull flanges, and fused connecting anchors extending from the zipper strips through holes in the material of the bag body and thereby permanently attaching the zipper strips to the bag body. The portions of the bag body material having the anchor holes may be received in groove sockets in the zipper strips, where the zipper strips are located at the inside of the bag. The zipper strips may be located on the outside of the bag and sealably pinch material of the bag body material in and between interlocking profiles, with ends of the zipper strips secured to the sides of the bag by fused anchors extending through holes in side seams on the bag body. Method of making the bags is disclosed.

Abstract: A reclosable extruded plastic fastener for joining sheet material such as walls of bags, and method of making the same. The fastener comprises a grooved female profile and a complementary hook-headed male profile, and a stabilizing structure especially advantageous when pressing the profiles together into closed fastener assembly. The female profile has a generally square base with at least one stop shoulder to minimize tipping of the female profile about a thin, thermal bridge minimizing, heat transfer limiting stem. The hooked jaw arms of the female profile may have various geometric shapes. The male profile has an interhooking barb which interengages with the hooked jaws of the female profile. Stabilizing ribs are spaced from the head, but the rib at the inner side of the head is closer to the head than at the other or outer side, so that there is a desirable differential fastener separating relationship retaining the fastener efficiently with greater hold against opening due to internal bag forces.

Abstract: Integrally serially connected top fillable bags have closed bottoms and sides and reclosable zippers from which pull flanges extend upwardly. The bags are separated along their sides including the pull flanges and continuous connecting strips connect the tops of the pull flanges and have guide ribs extending continuously therealong for engagement by supporting jaws which serve to open the serially connected bags one at a time at a filling station for filling. After the filling station, the filled bag is separated from the connected bags by removing the connecting strip from the tops of the pull flanges of the filled bags in line with or below the top ends of the separations between bags. The zipper of the filled bag is closed by a closing device such as pinch rolls through which the bag is pulled and the connecting strips removed.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for packaging a blocky product such as cheese, into a wrapped envelope package, with material especially adapted for said packaging and wherein a bottom face of the product article is engaged on a panel area of the wrapper sheet which sheet has extended portions that are wrapped about the article and sealed across a top face of the article, with one of the portions of the wrapper sheet having a reclosable zipper and a web portion alongside said zipper which is adapted to be severed or ruptured to provide a mouth opening for access to the article within the package and the mouth opening being reclosable by the enclosed zipper. The zipper may be provided with structure to prevent its being pulled open during the wrapping and sealing of the wrapper about the article. The web portion may have guidance for severing or rupturing the same when access is desired into the package.

Abstract: An extruded plastic reclosable fastener strip has a base from which extends a stem and a resiliently flexible, foldable hook flange projecting in normal position obliquely from the distal end of the stem toward, but spaced from, a stiff backup shoulder rib extending from the base in the same direction as, and substantially spaced from, the stem.

Abstract: Funnel material for bags and a method of making the same, wherein elongated sheet panels are disposed in face-to-face relation and secured along an intermediate longitudinally extended zig-zag joinder and separation line. This provides a pair of funnel strips each of which has a series of funnel pockets at its edge along the line. Bag body wall sheets attached to the panels are arranged to receive the funnel pockets of each strip in inwardly extending relation therebetween, for providing respective reversible funnels in bags into which the strips and bag wall sheets are adapted to be divided. The panels may carry separable fastener profiles adjacent their edges remote from the zig-zag line.

Abstract: A method of making making reclosable bags and material for making the bags, and apparatus wherein in one aspect extruded resiliently flexible plastic profiled reclosable fastener strip means for reclosable bags is located across the longitudinal formation axis of the bag wall web material, and in another aspect of the invention single strip fastener strip has at one or more suitable locations therealong separations across the profiles, such as notches, to facilitate bending or folding of the strip upon itself so that the self-interlocking profiles of the portions of the strip folded upon themselves are adapted for reclosable interlocking with one another. The interlockable portions of the strip may have separable air tight sealing ribs therealong. The web and fastener material and fastener assembly is especially suitable for machines wherein the bags are formed, filled and sealed.

Abstract: Apparatus for making flexible plastic bags with integral pressure interlocking rib and groove elements on the confronting top edges, comprises an extruder for extruding a continuous tube with pairs of closely spaced interlocking elements on the surface of the tube, the total pairs being a multiple of 2 with at least 4 pairs on the tube, a slitter for slitting the tube lengthwise between profiles of alternate pairs, and a folder for folding the tube between each adjacent pair and for bringing the profile adjacent the slit over onto the closest profile of the pair which has not been slit.

Abstract: A chain of reclosable plastic bags with the bags formed of a thin plastic material having front and rear walls with reclosable pressure interlocking rib and groove elements on the confronting faces at the lower end of the bag which will eventually form the bag top when the bag is disassociated from a chain with the bag walls being unattached along the upper end so that the bag is open and the bag may be filled by inserting contents between the edges with stiffening ribs on the surface of the bag material parallel to the unattached edges so that the bag wall and edge of the bag above the rib are prevented from collapsing with the bags interconnected to each other at the sides to form a chain.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for making reclosable bag material and wherein a continuous length of preformed, flat bag wall web of multibag width is continuously run along flat stationary supporting surface. A plurality of continuous length fastener profile strips are joined into corunning assembled relation with the web on the surface. The strips are guided to retain their longitudinal running positions on the web. Bonding fusion energy is applied by way of openings in the surface and through the web toward the base surface of each of the fastener strips.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming plastic bags with zipper profile thereon, in situ, on a form and fill machine. Plastic film sheeting containing profiles is moved over a forming collar disposed about the filling spout of the machine. A major portion of the film is formed into a tube about the spout while a minor portion of the film, including the profiles, is directed away from the spout. After the tube is formed and filled, the major and minor portions are brought into alignment and transverse seams are formed on opposite sides of the product to form the bag.

Abstract: Material for bags with flexible sidewalls having reclosable separable plastic profile bag mouth closures comprising flexible sheet material providing the bag body and sidewalls. The bag mouth closures comprise strips having separably interlockable complementary resilient plastic profiles and lateral pull flanges of greater thickness than the sheet material extending from one side of each of the base portions. The opposite side of each base portion is generally aligned with its profiles. The base portions and lateral pull flanges are secured in laminar relation to marginal portions of the sheet material, and with distal edges of the pull flanges directed toward bag top edges of the marginal sheet portions.