Vertical form, fill and seal machine for making reclosable bags

• US 6,047,521 A
• Filed: 06/22/1998
• Issued: 04/11/2000
• 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:
  US09/102,594
• Time in Patent Office: 659 Days
• Field of Search: 53/133.4, 53/139.2, 53/373.6, 53/389.4, 53/551, 53/552, 53/554
• US Class Current: 53/133.4
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 61/188 by applying or incorporating profile-strips, e.g. for reclosable bags
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 61/28 for discharging completed packages from machines
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 9/20 the webs being formed into tubes in situ around the filling nozzles
• 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 vertical form, fill and seal machine, components and method is disclosed which makes reclosable bags having a safety seal exterior to a reclosable seal and also produces durable, substantially air-tight bags at high speed and provides for the production of different size bags and different amounts of product in the bags. The disclosed machine includes a drive and pinch roll pair for pulling plastic film off of a plastic film supply roll, a pair of film pull belts biased against the plastic film wrapped around the fill tube and driven to pull the plastic film down along the side of the fill tube, and a pair of drive rollers for pulling the zipper strip through the machine. The production of different size bags is facilitated by having the plastic film drive roll, endless film pull belts, and zipper strip drive rollers all driven by a common drive source which is operated in bag length increments. Also, to accommodate the production of different size bags, a vertically adjustable ejector paddlewheel is located at the base of the machine. Further, the vertical form, fill and seal machine, components and method of the present invention insures reliable seals along the edges of each product-filled bag by having the zipper drive rollers elongate or stretch the bag material prior to cross-sealing the bag material. Also, the ejector paddlewheel serves to support the base of the bag is a manner which reduces wrinkles in the bag material along the upper edge during cross-sealing.

Claims

1. A common drive arrangement for a vertical, form, fill and seal apparatus of the type that includes a film drive roll, film pull belts, and zipper drive rollers and that operates in conjunction with a product supply apparatus providing product in discrete quantities to form a continuous, heat sealable plastic film and zippered cap strip into separate, product-filled, reclosable, sealed bags comprising:

an electric servo-motor having a drive output shaft providing drive to a T-transmission having a first transmission output shaft providing drive to said zipper drive rollers and said film pull belts, and a second transmission output shaft providing drive to said film drive roll, wherein said first and second transmission output shafts are oriented perpendicular to each other.

2. The common drive arrangement as recited in claim 1 wherein the first transmission output shaft provides drive to said zipper drive rollers by having a hexagonal shaft end extending transverse to and spaced from a fill tube, and wherein a first drive belt pulley having a hexagonal central opening is mounted for sliding movement along at least a portion of the hexagonal shaft end, and a first drive belt passes over the first pulley and a second pulley operatively connected to one of said zipper drive rollers.

3. The common drive arrangement as recited in claim 2 wherein each of said zipper drive rollers has a set of gear teeth at one end thereof, the gear teeth of each zipper drive roller intermeshing with one another to cause the drive rollers to rotate in opposite directions.

4. The common drive arrangement as recited in claim 1 wherein the apparatus includes a vertical fill tube and said zipper drive rollers are mounted for reciprocation between first and second positions in a plane transverse to the vertical fill tube.

5. The common drive arrangement as recited in claim 1 wherein the servo-motor is activated by a computer control system to feed the plastic film and zipper cap strip in bag length increments.

6. The common drive arrangement as recited in claim 1 wherein the first transmission output shaft provides drive to said film pull belts by being operatively connected to a horizontally compact, vertical belt transmission.

7. The common drive arrangement as recited in claim 6 wherein the belt transmission is operatively connected to respective drive shafts which drive each of the pull belts at equal speed, but in opposite directions.

8. The common drive arrangement as recited in claim 7 wherein each of the drive shafts include an expanding universal joint at at least one end thereof.

9. The common drive arrangement as recited in claim 1 wherein the second transmission output shaft provides drive to said film drive roll via a first drive sprocket mounted on the second transmission output shaft, a second drive sprocket mounted on a shaft extending from one end of the film drive roll, and a toothed belt passing over both of the first and second drive sprockets.

10. The common drive arrangement as recited in claim 9 wherein the rotational axis of the second transmission output shaft is parallel to the rotational axis of the drive roll shaft.

11. In a vertical, form fill and seal apparatus of the type that includes a film drive roll, film pull belts, and zipper drive rollers and that operates in conjunction with a product supply apparatus providing product in discrete quantities to form a continuous, heat sealable plastic film and zippered cap strip into separate, product-filled, reclosable, sealed bags, the improvement comprising:

a common drive arrangement comprising an electric servo-motor having a drive output shaft providing drive to a T-transmission having a first transmission output shaft providing drive to said zipper drive rollers and said film pull belts, and a second transmission output shaft providing drive to said film drive roll, wherein said first and second transmission output shafts are oriented perpendicular to each other,

said first transmission output shaft provides drive to said film pull belts by being operatively connected to a horizontally compact, vertical belt transmission operatively connected to respective drive shafts having an expanding universal joint at at least one end thereof and which drive each of the pull belts at equal speed, but in opposite directions.

12. A common drive arrangement for a vertical, form, fill and seal apparatus of the type that includes a film drive roll, film pull belts, and cap strip drive rollers and that operates in conjunction with a product supply apparatus for providing product in discrete quantities and that forms a continuous, heat-sealable plastic film and a continuous cap strip into separate product-filled sealed bags comprising:

an electric servo-motor having a drive output providing drive to a T-transmission having a first transmission output shaft providing drive to said cap strip drive rollers and said film pull belts and a second transmission output shaft providing drive to a said film drive roller, wherein said first and second transmission output shafts are oriented perpendicular to each other.

13. The common drive arrangement as recited in claim 12 wherein the first transmission output shaft provides drive to said cap strip drive rollers by having a hexagonal shaft end extending transverse to and spaced from a fill tube, and wherein a first drive belt pulley having a hexagonal central opening is mounted for sliding movement along at least a portion of the hexagonal shaft end, and a first drive belt passes over the first pulley and a second pulley operatively connected to one of said cap strip drive rollers.

14. The common drive arrangement as recited in claim 13 wherein each of said cap strip drive rollers has a set of gear teeth at one end thereof, the gear teeth of each drive roller intermeshing with one another to cause the drive rollers to rotate in opposite directions.

15. The common drive arrangement as recited in claim 12 wherein the apparatus includes a vertical fill tube and said cap strip drive rollers are mounted for reciprocation between first and second positions in a plane transverse to the vertical fill tube.

16. The common drive arrangement as recited in claim 12 wherein the servo-motor is activated by a computer control system to feed the plastic film and cap strip in bag length increments.

17. The common drive arrangement as recited in claim 12 wherein the first transmission output shaft provides drive to said film pull belts by being operatively connected to a horizontally compact, vertical belt transmission.

18. The common drive arrangement as recited in claim 17 wherein the belt transmission is operatively connected to respective drive shafts which drive each of the pull belts at equal speed, but in opposite directions.

19. The common drive arrangement as recited in claim 18 wherein each of the drive shafts include an expanding universal joint at at least one end thereof.

20. The common drive arrangement as recited in claim 12 wherein the second transmission output shaft provides drive to said film drive roll via a first drive sprocket mounted on the second transmission output shaft, a second drive sprocket mounted on a shaft extending from one end of said film drive roll, and a toothed belt passing over both the first and second drive sprockets.

21. The common drive arrangement as recited in claim 20 wherein the rotational axis of the second transmission output shaft is parallel to the rotational axis of the drive roll shaft.

22. A common drive arrangement for a vertical form, fill and seal apparatus having a film drive roll, film pull belts, and zipper drive rollers, comprising an electric servo-motor having a drive output connected to a transmission having a first transmission output providing drive to said zipper drive rollers and said film pull belts, and a second transmission output providing drive to said film drive roll.

23. A common drive arrangement for a vertical form, fill and seal apparatus having a film drive roll and zipper drive rollers comprising an electric servo-motor having a drive output connected to a transmission having a first transmission output providing drive to said zipper drive rollers and a second transmission output providing drive to said film drive roll.

24. A common drive arrangement for a vertical form, fill and seal apparatus having a film drive roll and film pull belts comprising an electric servo-motor having a drive output providing drive to a T-transmission having a first transmission output shaft providing drive to said film pull belts, and a second transmission output shaft providing drive to said film drive roll, wherein said first and second transmission output shafts are oriented perpendicular to each other.

25. A common drive arrangement for a vertical form, fill and seal apparatus having zipper drive rollers and film pull belts, comprising an electric servo-motor having a drive output connected to a transmission having a first output providing drive to said zipper drive rollers and said film pull belts.

26. A zipper roller drive arrangement for a vertical form, fill and seal apparatus having zipper driver rollers comprising an electric servo-motor having a drive output operatively connected to a hexagonal shaft extending transverse to and spaced from a vertical fill tube, a first drive belt pulley having a hexagonal central opening mounted for sliding movement along at least a portion of said hexagonal shaft, a first drive belt passing over said first drive belt pulley and a second drive belt pulley operatively connected to at least one of said zipper drive rollers.

27. A reciprocating and rotary zipper roller drive arrangement for a vertical form, fill and seal apparatus having zipper drive rollers comprising an electric servo-motor having a drive output operatively connected to a hexagonal shaft extending transverse to and spaced from a vertical fill tube, a first drive belt pulley having a hexagonal central opening mounted for sliding movement along at least a portion of said hexagonal shaft, a first drive belt passing over said first drive belt pulley and a second drive belt pulley operatively connected to one of said zipper drive rollers, and each of said zipper drive rollers being mounted on a movable member for reciprocation between first and second positions in a plane transverse to the vertical fill tube.

28. A reciprocating and rotary zippered cap strip drive roller arrangement for a vertical form, fill and seal apparatus of the type that has a film drive roll, film pull belts, and a pair of zippered cap strip drive rollers and 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, reclosable, sealed bags comprising:

means for rotating each of said pair of zippered cap strip drive rollers about a horizontal axis in opposite directions but at equal speeds, and

means for reciprocating the pair of zippered cap strip drive rollers as a unit in a horizontal plane.

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

means for supplying the continuous plastic film,

means for supplying the continuous plastic, zippered cap strip,

a vertical fill tube assembly including a forming collar and a fill tube downstream of the means for supplying the continuous film and zippered cap strip,

feeding means including a film drive roll upstream of said vertical fill tube,

a pair of film pull belts adjacent said vertical fill tube,

zippered cap strip drive rollers located below said vertical film tube,

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 first and second horizontal sealas across the flexible plastic tube and for severing the plastic tube between the first and second horizontal seals, and

tensioning means for horizontally elongating the flexible plastic tube transverse to its length prior to formation of the horizontal seals, said tensioning means including said zippered cap strip drive rollers and a depending whisker extending from a lower end of the fill tube and located opposite the zippered cap strip drive rollers.

30. The vertical form, fill and seal machine of claim 29, wherein said horizontal sealing and severing means comprises a horizontal pinch seal mechanism.

31. The vertical form, fill and seal machine of claim 29, wherein said feeding means includes an electric servo-motor having a drive output shaft providing drive to a T-transmission having a first transmission output shaft providing drive to said zippered cap strip rollers and said film pull belts, and a second transmission output shaft providing drive to said film drive roll.

32. The vertical form, fill and seal machine of claim 31, wherein the first transmission output shaft provides drive to said zippered cap strip drive rollers by having a hexagonal shaft and extending transverse to and spaced from said vertical fill tube, and wherein a first drive belt pulley having a hexagonal central opening is mounted for sliding movement along at least a portion of the hexagonal shaft end, and a first drive belt passes over the first pulley and a second pulley operatively connected to one of said zippered cap strip drive rollers.

33. In a vertical form, fill and seal machine, the improvement comprising a horizontal pinch seal mechanism located downstream of a vertical fill tube for forming first and second horizontal seals across a flexible plastic tube and for severing the plastic tube, 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, said pinch seal mechanism including opposing clamping elements which reciprocate in a plane substantially transverse to the vertical axis of said fill tube with the plastic tube located between the clamping elements which reciprocate toward each other to clamp the plastic tube therebetween during horizontal sealing and severing of the plastic tube.