Abstract: A packaging bag for containing a product is provided. The bag includes an end with four bag projections that are to be folded over the product. A first pair of opposing bag projections are folded down to form generally triangular portions, and the other pair of opposing bag projections are folded onto the triangular portions and connected together in the overlap area while basically maintaining their rectangular shape and catching the corners of the first pair of bag projections. In order for the first pair of bag projections to be formed along the long side of the bag, the fold edges between adjacent bag projections run at least partially outside of the contour of the bags when folded and the angle formed between the side and base of the triangular portion when folded in is less than 45.degree..

Abstract: A device for feeding a packaging machine via a bag stack feeder possesses at least one holder to secure a stack of bags. To date an operator placed the corresponding empty bags in stacks on a chain conveyor which fed the bags into the packaging machine. Due to the short cycle time, the manual loading tied an operator continuously to the machine. In order to avoid this, a bag stack feeder is equipped with a plurality of tray-like carriers, each fitted with a holder and each being detachable from the bag stack feeder. These carriers are respectively stored in large numbers in a magazine, which is exchangeable as a unit.

Abstract: Heat-sealable packaging films, particularly plastic bags, are hot pressure welded with an apparatus having at least one, and often two welding terminals, each having an electrically heated welding wire stretched thereacross. The welding terminal preferably has an elastic silicone backing which is protected from the welding wire by a covering material in the form of a sheath which surrounds the welding wire. The sheath is preferably made of plastic, such as polytetrafluoroethylene, which surrounds the welding wire with a minimum of play. When the sheath is formed from a sheet with overlapping edges, the area of overlap runs longitudinally with the wire and is arranged on the welding terminal such that it faces away from the packaging film being welded.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for the transport of products in the course of a packaging process, where at least two pushers, pivotably mounted along a guide rod, are driven by a traction mechanism alternately back and forth in opposite directions along a product track. The pivotable mountings allow their respective pushers to swing between active and passive positions so that in the active position the pusher moves a product in one direction along the track, while a pusher in the passive position is pivoted away from the track while being driven in the opposite direction to return to a starting point. Upon reaching the starting point, the pusher in the passive position is pivoted back to the active position for moving the next product. The traction mechanism is preferably a toothed belt which is driven by a servomotor with a programmable speed profile, and the pushers are preferably connected to the traction mechanism by overload couplings.