Convertible form, fill and seal packaging machine

• US 6,029,428 A
• Filed: 12/22/1997
• Issued: 02/29/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Pacmac Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Pacmac Incorporated
• Inventors: Terminella, Emanuele, Terminella, Joseph, Terminella, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): JOHNSON, LINDA B
• Application Number:
  US08/996,324
• Time in Patent Office: 799 Days
• Field of Search: 53/201, 53/551, 53/552, 53/133.4, 53/139.2, 53/554
• US Class Current: 53/551
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/08 using ultrasonic vibrations non-plastics element to plastics elements B29C65/645
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/18 using heated tools
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/305 involving the use of cartridge heaters
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/58 Snap connection
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/7451 the severing tool and the welding tool being movable with respect to one-another
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/7891 of discontinuously moving sheets or webs
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/0044 using a separating sheet, e.g. fixed on the joining tool
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/112 Single lapped joints
• 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 66/133 Fin-type joints, the parts to be joined being flexible the parts to be joined being rigid B29C66/1312
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/135 Single hemmed joints, i.e. one of the parts to be joined being hemmed in the joint area
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/21 said joint lines being formed by a single dot or dash or by several dots or dashes, i.e. spot joining or spot welding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/348 Avoiding melting or weakening of the zone directly next to the joint area, e.g. by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/349 Cooling the welding zone on the welding spot
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/4312 for making flat seams in tubular or hollow articles, e.g. transversal seams
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/4322 by joining a single sheet to itself B29C66/4332 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/474 said single elements being substantially non-flat
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/49 Internally supporting the, e.g. tubular, article during joining B29C66/63 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/71 characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined welding bar compositions B29C65/125
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/73521 of different thickness, i.e. the thickness of one of the parts to be joined being different from the thickness of the other part
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/7392 : characterised by the material of at least one of the parts being a thermoplastic
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8122 : characterised by the composition of the material constituting the pressing elements, e.g. constituting the welding jaws or clamps
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/81241 : being porous or sintered
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/81422 : being convex
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/81427 : comprising a single ridge, e.g. for making a weakening line; comprising a single tooth
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/81431 : comprising a single cavity, e.g. a groove
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/81457 : comprising a block or layer of deformable material, e.g. sponge, foam, rubber pressing elements supported or backed-up by resilient material B29C66/8161
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8161 : said pressing elements being supported or backed-up by springs or by resilient material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8181 : characterised by the cooling constructional aspects
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8221 : Scissor or lever mechanisms, i.e. involving a pivot point
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8222 : Pinion or rack mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8225 : Crank mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8246 : Servomechanisms, e.g. servomotors
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/83221 : cooperating reciprocating tools, each tool reciprocating along one axis
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8412 : of different length, width or height
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/849 : Packaging machines
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/9672 : involving special data inputs, e.g. involving barcodes, RFID tags
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/98 : Determining the joining area by using markings on at least one of the parts to be joined
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/06 : PE, i.e. polyethylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2901/00 : Use of unspecified macromolecular compounds as mould material use of unspecified rubbers B29K2821/00
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2005/00 : Elements of slide fasteners
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 41/16 : by rollers
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 61/188 : by applying or incorporating profile-strips, e.g. for reclosable bags
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 65/06 : coated or treated with anti-friction or anti-sticking materials, e.g. polytetrafluoroethylene
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 9/20 : the webs being formed into tubes in situ around the filling nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 9/2007 : Means for stripping or squeezing filled tubes prior to sealing to remove air or products from sealing area
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 9/2028 : Rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 9/2042 : Means for altering the cross-section of the tube filling opening prior to transversal sealing, e.g. tube spreading devices subdividing filled tubes to form two or more packages by sealing involving displacement of contents B65B9/12
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 9/213 : the web having intermittent motion B65B9/22 takes precedence

Abstract

A convertible, vertical form, fill and seal packaging machine and method for making a variety of types and styles of bags and seals is disclosed. The machine produces durable, substantially air-tight bags at high speed and provides for the production of different size and make of bags and different amounts and types of product in the bags. The machine includes a film drive and pinch roll pair, a pair of film pull belts, and a pair of zipper driver rollers for pulling plastic film and zipper strip through the machine. The machine is convertible from one for producing reclosable edge fin seal bags to another for producing nonreclosable midline seal pillow type bags. The pinch seal assembly can be pulled out of the machine, indexed 90°, and pushed back into the machine. The film pull belts are part of a self-contained pull belt unit which can be adjusted or removed from the machine, inverted and placed back into the machine. The machine may include a bag squeezer unit having opposing squeeze plates or pads for removing excess air and/or compacting the product to form a reduced size, reclosable bag.

Claims

1. In a vertical, form, fill and seal apparatus of the type that operates in conjunction with a product supply apparatus providing product in discreet quantities and that forms a continuous, heat sealable, plastic film and zipped cap strip into separate, product-filled, reclosable, sealed bags, including 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 vertical fill tube around which the continuous film is wrapped and formed, feeding means for feeding the continuous, zippered cap strip and plastic film along the length of the vertical fill tube in bag length increments with edges of the continuous film in overlapping relationship with edges of the zippered cap strip, the feeding means including a pair of film pull belts and zipper drive rollers, vertical sealing means for sealing the edges of the continuous film to the edges of the continuous, zippered cap strip to form a flexible, plastic tube, horizontal sealing and severing means downstream of the vertical fill tube for forming upper and lower horizontal seals across the flexible, plastic tube and for severing the plastic tube, and tensioning means for horizontally elongating the flexible, plastic tube transverse to its length prior to formation of the horizontal seals, the improvement comprising:

a zipper drive roller quick drive disconnect disc and pin arrangement including a pair of spaced discs, one including a plurality of spaced through holes and the other including a plurality of corresponding pins adapted to be received in said through holes.

3. The vertical form, fill and seal apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the feeding means includes at least one motor and a drive train for each of the film pull belts and zipper drive rollers, and wherein said zipper drive roller quick drive disconnect disk and pin arrangement is located in the drive train of the zipper drive rollers.

2. In a vertical, form, fill and seal machine of the type that operates in conjunction with a product supply apparatus providing product in discreet quantities and that forms a continuous, heat sealable, plastic film into separate, product-filled, sealed bags, including means for storing and supplying the continuous plastic film, a generally vertical fill tube assembly including a vertical fill tube around which the continuous film is wrapped and formed, feeding means for feeding the continuous plastic film along the length of the vertical fill tube in bag length increments the feeding means including a pair of film pull belts, vertical sealing means for sealing the edges of the continuous film to form a flexible, plastic tube, horizontal sealing and severing means downstream of the vertical fill tube for forming upper and lower horizontal seals across the flexible, plastic tube and for severing the plastic tube, and tensioning means for horizontally elongating the flexible, plastic tube transverse to its length prior to formation of the horizontal seals, the improvement comprising:

a removable, invertible, replaceable, pull belt unit including quick disconnect means for mechanical drive elements of said pull belt unit.

4. The vertical form, fill and seal machine as recited in claim 2, wherein said removable pull belt unit includes a disk, link and rotary actuator assembly, upper and lower slide rods which serve as a track for the reciprocating motion of respective first and second slide blocks operatively attached to the links of the disk, link and rotary actuator assembly, first and second pull belts supported in a cantilevered fashion from said first and second slide blocks by respective leaf springs having attached thereto bracket members which support at least one idler roller and the drive shaft of a drive roller, and wherein said leaf springs provide for horizontal spring biasing of the pull belts against the plastic film on the fill tube while at the same time providing a strong and rigid vertical support for operating the pull belts at high speeds and rapid accelerations and decelerations.

5. The vertical form, fill and seal machine as recited in claim 4, wherein said removable pull belt unit further includes a rotary actuator support bracket attached to said slide rods and providing a rigid support for the rotary actuator, and slide rod anchoring blocks attached to opposite ends of the slide rods and adapted to be releasably secured to respective cantilevered shafts extending from brackets on the sides of the machine.

6. The vertical form, fill and seal machine as recited in claim 4, wherein said drive shafts for each of said drive rollers for said pull belts include extensible drive shaft sections including an internal, male, hexagonal shaft stub slidably received within an elongate, female, hexagonal recess, which allows for elongation and contraction of the length of the drive shaft and also permits quick separation of the respective shaft elements to provide for removal of the pull belt unit from the machine.

7. The vertical form, fill and seal machine as recited in claim 6, wherein said drive shafts of each of said drive rollers include at least one universal joint or coupling.

8. The vertical, form, fill and seal machine as recited in claim 2, wherein said removable pull belt unit includes quick disconnect means for electrical elements or said pull belt unit.

9. The vertical, form, fill and seal machine as recited in claim 2, wherein said removable pull belt unit includes quick disconnect means for pressurized air elements of said pull belt unit.