METHOD FOR MAKING POUCHES

• US 20160221702A1
• Filed: 01/29/2015
• Published: 08/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Molins PLC, Teepack Spezialmaschinen GmbH & Co. KG
• Original Assignee: Molins PLC, Teepack Spezialmaschinen GmbH & Co. KG
• Inventors: Whitlock, Peter, Haddow, Phil, Wiggett, Bradley, Lambertz, Stefan
• Granted Patent: US 9,902,516 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/18 using heated tools
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/7891 of discontinuously moving sheets or webs
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1122 Single lap to lap joints, i.e. overlap joints B29C66/45, B29C66/472, B29C66/52272 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/43121 Closing the ends of tubular or hollow single articles, e.g. closing the ends of bags closing tube ends B29C57/10
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/73921 characterised by the materials of both parts being thermoplastics
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/81422 being convex
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/83421 band or belt types B29C66/83431 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/849 Packaging machines
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 2039/009 Multiple outlets
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 39/12 movable towards or away from container or wrapper during filling or depositing
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 39/145 in an endless path
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 43/267 Opening of bags interconnected in a web
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 43/32 by external pressure diagonally applied
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 43/34 by internal pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 43/465 for bags
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 51/18 by endless bands or chains
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 61/02 for perforating, scoring , slitting, or applying code or date marks on material prior to packaging scoring ampoules B65B3/006
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 61/12 by tearing along perforations or lines of weakness
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 61/28 for discharging completed packages from machines
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 9/087 the web advancing continuously

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for making pouches providing a continuous web; folding the web to provide confronting side surfaces joined along a bottom edge; forming a vertical seal between the confronting side surfaces, thereby providing a series of adjacent pockets having opposite side walls with each pocket having an unsealed opening along a top edge; filling the pockets through the unsealed opening with material; sealing the unsealed opening. In the inventive method, which facilitates handling of the continuous web forming the pouches, the web is perforated by a perforation between a leading length piece of the web adapted to form a leading pocket and a trailing length piece of the web adapted to form a trailing pocket, and the distance between a trailing edge of the leading length piece and a leading edge of a trailing length piece is increased for tearing the leading and the trailing lengths pieces apart at the perforation.

Claims

1. A method for making pouches comprising:

providing a continuous web;

folding the web to provide confronting side surfaces joined along a bottom edge;

forming a vertical seal between the confronting side surfaces, thereby providing a series of adjacent pockets having opposite side walls with each pocket having an unsealed opening along a top edge;

filling the pockets through the unsealed opening with material; and

sealing the unsealed opening, wherein the web is perforated by a perforation between a leading length piece of the web adapted to form a leading pocket and a trailing length piece of the web adapted to form a trailing pocket,

wherein the continuous web is abutted against an outer circumference of a rotating filler wheel to follow a circular path and wherein a distance between a trailing edge of the leading length piece and a leading edge of a trailing length piece is increased for tearing the leading and the trailing lengths pieces apart at the perforation while the length pieces are moved on the circular path.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the continuous web is perforated after the pockets have been formed.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the trailing edge of a leading pocket is pierced by a trailing arm of the filler wheel and that the leading edge of a trailing pocket is pierced by a leading arm of the filler wheel and that the leading and the trailing pockets are torn apart for forming open pouches by pivoting at least one of the leading and the trailing arms of the gripping unit toward the other of the trailing and the leading arms of said gripping unit.

4. The method as defined in claim 3, wherein the continuous web is pressed against the leading and the trailing arm by a rotating pressure roll.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein a longitudinal opening guide means is introduced between the confronting side surfaces and through the unsealed opening as the continuous web is abutted against the outer circumference of the rotating filler and that the confronting side surfaces are separated from each other by the longitudinal opening guide means until a spout of a spout wheel has been introduced into the pocket.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the leading and the trailing length pieces are torn apart as the longitudinal opening guide means are received between the confronting side surfaces.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein after filling, the pouches are closed by pivoting at least one of the leading and the trailing arms away from the other of the trailing and the leading arms.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pouches are transferred from the circular path to a linear sealing path for sealing the opening.

9. A method for making pouches comprising:

providing a continuous web;

folding the web to provide confronting side surfaces joined along a bottom edge;

forming a vertical seal between the confronting side surfaces, thereby providing a series of adjacent pockets having opposite side walls with each pocket having an unsealed opening along a top edge;

filling the pockets through the unsealed opening with material; and

sealing the unsealed opening, wherein a longitudinal opening guide means is introduced between the confronting side surfaces and through the unsealed opening as the continuous web is abutted against the outer circumference of a rotating filler and that the confronting side surfaces are separated from each other by the longitudinal opening guide means until a spout of a spout wheel has been introduced into the pocket.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the web is perforated by a perforation between a leading length piece of the web adapted to form a leading pocket and a trailing length piece of the web adapted to form a trailing pocket, wherein the continuous web is abutted against an outer circumference of a rotating filler wheel to follow a circular path and wherein a distance between a trailing edge of the leading length piece and a leading edge of a trailing length piece is increased for tearing the leading and the trailing lengths pieces apart at the perforation while the length pieces are moved on the circular path, and wherein the continuous web is perforated after the pockets have been formed.

11. The method as defined in claim 9, wherein the trailing edge of a leading pocket is pierced by a trailing arm of the filler wheel and that the leading edge of a trailing pocket is pierced by a leading arm of the filler wheel and that the leading and the trailing pockets are torn apart for forming open pouches by pivoting at least one of the leading and the trailing arms of the gripping unit toward the other of the trailing and the leading arms of said gripping unit.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the leading and the trailing length pieces-are torn apart as the longitudinal opening guide means are received between the confronting side surfaces.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein after filling, the pouches are closed by pivoting at least one of the leading and the trailing arms away from the other of the trailing and the leading arms.

14. The method according to claim 9, wherein the pouches are transferred from the circular path to a linear sealing path for sealing the opening.