×

Vertical form, fill and seal machine for making recloseable bags

  • US 5,505,037 A
  • Filed: 12/14/1994
  • Issued: 04/09/1996
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/29/1992
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
Patent Images

1. A vertical, form, fill, and seal apparatus of the type that operates in conjunction with a product supply apparatus providing product in discrete quantities and that forms a continuous, heat sealable plastic film and zippered cap strip into separate product filled, recloseable, sealed bags comprising:

  • means for storing and supplying the continuous plastic film,means for storing and supplying the continuous, plastic, zippered cap strip,a generally vertical fill tube assembly including a forming collar and an elongate oval vertical fill tube downstream of the means for storing and supplying the continuous film and zippered cap strip, said forming collar causing the continuous film to wrap around the exterior of said oval fill tube with edges of said film meeting at one end of a major diameter of said fill tube, said vertical fill tube having a constant oval horizontal cross section with concentric interior and exterior oval surfaces and a minor diameter of at least two inches and major diameter of at least four inches,feeding means including a film drive roll upstream of said vertical fill tube and a pair of film pull belts adjacent said vertical fill tube for feeding the continuous zippered cap strip and plastic film along the length of the vertical fill tube in bag length increments with the edges of the continuous film in overlapping relationship with edges of the zippered cap strip,vertical sealing means for sealing the edges of the continuous film to the edges of the continuous zippered cap strip to form a length of flexible, plastic tube,horizontal sealing and severing means downstream of the vertical fill tube for forming first and second horizontal seals across the flexible plastic tube and for severing the plastic tube between the first and second horizontal seals, the first horizontal seal defining the downstream edge of a bag about to be filled with product and the second horizontal seal defining the upstream edge of a bag which has already received product,tensioning means for horizontally elongating the flexible, plastic tube transverse to its length prior to formation of said first horizontal seal, andbag support means including a rotatable paddlewheel having a plurality of paddles radiating from a central axis extending perpendicular to said fill tube in line with the major diameter of the fill tube and having a circular central bag support surface intersected by the paddles and means for incrementally rotating the paddlewheel around the central axis for sequentially supporting each product filled bag between adjacent paddles of said paddlewheel during formation of said first and second horizontal seals in a manner reducing wrinkling at said horizontal seals and releasing each of the completed, recloseable, product filled, sealed bags following formation of the second horizontal seal and severing of the bag from the flexible tube.

View all claims
  • 1 Assignment
Timeline View
Assignment View
    ×
    ×