US2506311A - Bag pouch - Google Patents

Description

lMay 2, 1950 G. A. MOORE 5059311 BAG oUcH Sept. 1l, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 17 21 1.6 /7 l 9 l rfa' a l A 6 IV- |15 J /l/'g 4- v earye ,4r/:hymn More [Manda/701101 4 Bcl-MMM www My 2, 1950 G. A. MOORE. l 2,506,311

BAG Poucl-x Filed Sept. l1, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 'fparyf fir/12790 Maart Patented May 2, 1950 *UNITED STATES PATENT ori-ICE BAG roUcH George Arlington Moore, New York, N. Y., assignor to Reynolds Metals Company, Richmond, Va., a corporation of Delaware' Application September 11, 1946, vSerial No. 696,203

4 Claims. (Cl. 229-53) for the protection of the contained merchandise and comprises an improved means for converting the bag into a pouch which may be opened for the convenient removal of the merchandisel and closed to protect the remaining merchandise.

One of the characteristic features of the bagpouch of the invention is that it is formed of exible thin sheet material that is non-resilient and remains where folded. Advantageously, I use a soft metal sheet such as annealed aluminum, or laminated sheet material coamprising paper or the like with a soft metal foil, such as aluminum foil, bonded thereto. The annealed dead soft aluminum is non-resilient and imparts this property to the laminated sheet. The bagpouch of my invention is constructed and arranged for complete sealing to protect the merchandise, for facile opening and closing during use, is simple in form, and inexpensive to produce. The bag-pouch is preferably proportioned ier convenient carrying in the pocket and maintains its general shape during use. For these reasons it is advantageously applicable for smoking tobacco. The lbag-pouch may, however, be used for other merchandise, especially merchandise which requires protection during storage and which is used piecemeal requiring frequent opening and closing.

The bag-pouch of my invention comprises a gusset type bag with relatively long'front and back panels in comparison with the size of the lled and sealed bag-pouch. The ends have the usual gusset folds. One of the important features of my bag-pouch is the use of such panels and gusset folds with the seal closing the top close to the merchandise and almost midway between the ends of the panels. The back panel is proportioned to include an integral closure flap, preferably comprising the major part of the panel. I provide a section integral with both panels defined by lines of weakness, such as perforated lines, which enables the consumer to remove the section, thus leaving the flap as a tangible element and making accessible a large mouth closed by the top seal. The retention of the removable section in the initially formed bag accomplishes three purposes: (l) It stiffens the bag forrshipping, handling and display, (2) lit permits'production on standard bag machines,

, 2 iand (3) it facilitates mechanical filling of the ags.

Il use sheet material having on its surface,` either in pattern form or continuous, a suitable thermoplastic sealing adhesive such as a coating,

nlm, lacquer, or pellicle which f orms a skin over the material.- I prefer to seal the mouth along a narrow strip a short distance below the removable section leaving a free lip at the mouth to facilitate pulling the panels apart and to so 1ocate the sealed strip with respect to the contents filling the bag that it may be folded over to form a more or less flat top normal to the panels.

I have found it advantageous to use a bottom closure made simply by sealing a narrow strip across the panels, which strip is left as a sort of fln projecting from the center of the bag bottom. This n may be used in combination with the flap to effect an engagement which holds the ilap in position. I prefer to fold the flap and iin so as to form a fiat bottom giving the bag a more or less rectangular shape which is especially suitable in a bag-pouch used for smoking tobacco. When the pouch flap is folded over,

the mouth is held closed because the flap lies flat against the package and presses the panels at the mouth tightly together. The mouth preferably embraces the long dimension of the bag and this gives a tobacco pouch of convenient dimensions with a large mouth into which a pipe may be inserted for filling.

The invention provides the tobacco industry with a bag-pouch that will completely seal the tobacco in, preventing the ingress and egress of moisture, preserving the aroma of the tobacco and providing a tangible shape of high decorative appeal which, when opened by the consumer, affords excellent service utility as a pouch.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 shows a. `strip of sheet material with a blank within the cut lines for forming a bagpouch of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view from the front of a bag-pouch of the invention as initially folded into a tube;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view along line 3 3 of Fig.2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary enlargement of sheet material for forming the blanks;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary enlargement of another form of sheet material for forming the blanks;

Fig. 6 is a perspective of the tube of Fig. 2 with the bottom sealed and ready to receive the merchandise;

Fig. 7 is a perspective of the bag-pouch when filled and sealed:

Fig. 8 shows the bag-pouch of Fig. 'I as completely closed and ready for slr' pment;

Fig. 9 is a perspective of the bag-pouch of Fig. 7 showing it in a first stage of opening, and

Fig. 10 is a perspective of the bag-pouch of Fig. 9 when fully opened illustrating the accessibility of the contents.

The strip of flexible, non-resilient sheet material shown in Fig. 1 may be a sheet of annealed or dead soft aluminum, or a laminated sheet formed of paper or like material and a sheet of soft metal such as lead or annealed aluminum foil.

The sheet material is usually supplied in narrow rolls containing thermoplastic adhesive and printed withAmulti-colored designs appropriate for the brand of the merchandise to be packaged. The exterior surfaces may be coated with a lm of such heat-sealing materials as vinylite, ethyl cellulose and the like. As a pellicle, the sheet may have bonded thereto a material such as Pliofilm, Koroseal, MST cellophane, or polymerized ethylene. A very suitable material may be soft aluminum sheet mounted on each side of a paper sheet, such material being known as Ply-foil, which will provide the facility of having metallic surfaces both inside and outside of the container pouch. The sheet material may be coated on one entire exterior side with the thermoplastic material, or the surface may be printed with a predetermined pattern of thermoplastic to conserve such material. When a pellicle is employed on one side of the foil, it should preferably be of heatsealing material but may require, on the aluminum side thereof, a pattern of thermoplastic adhesve as in some instances the pellicle material may seal to itself but not to aluminum. Therefore, it may be advisable to have a prime surface of adhesive on the aluminum that makes contact with the pellicle. Such application of thermoplastic pattern may be made at the time of printing and may be considered as an actual color printing operation.

As shown in Fig. 1, the strip of sheet material comprises longitudinal score lines I to 6, score lines I, 3, 4 and 6 defining the edges of the front and back panels, and score lines 2 and 5 the gusset folds. The folds for the bottom are formed by the lateral score lines 1 and 8 and the angular corner score lines 9 and I0. The top fold at the mouth of the bag is formed by the lateral score lines I2 and I3 and the angular corner score lines I4 and I5. The sealing area for the top seal is between the score lines I3 and I'I, lines I3 and I'I serving as hinges for the closure flap. The material between lines 'I and 8 and between lines 'I and the cut line I6 is, respectively, the bottom and the area for sealing the bottom and providing the bottom n. The material between the top cut line I8 and the lateral score line I9 is a hinged catch 2I on the end of the flap which engages the bottom n, and the material between score line I9 and score line 20 forms the exterior bottom of the nished bag-pouch. The broken lines 22 and 23 represent lines of weakness, such as perforations, in which the sheet material is cut through but retained by intermediate lands or uncut portions.

Fig. 4 shows, in section, a sheet of soft metal, such as aluminum foil I9', with a pellicle 20', such as Pliolm or the like, bonded or suitably attached thereto. Fig. shows. in section, a sheet of laminated material comprising a core of paper 22', such as groundwood or kraft paper with exterior layers of aluminum foil 23 and 24' bonded thereto. The bonding is preferably effected with a pellicle such as Pliolm applied in sheet form or any one of the several suitable thermoplastic materials previously mentioned. The seals are preferably formed by the application of heating irons or by passing the contacting sheets over heated rolls.

In using certain types of sheet material, such as aluminum or laminated sheets, the lines, especially the longitudinal lines I to 6, perform the important function of facilitating passage through the packaging machinery. They, of course, give form and outline to the finished bag-pouch. In thin types of materials, it may not be necessary to pre-score the blanks. however, suitable lines of weakness, such as the perforated lines 22 and 23, are cut into the ma.- terial. Depending upon the type of bag making machinery used, the strip of sheet material is cut into blanks before, during, or after the forming of the bags. In one type of operation, the strip of sheet material is folded with the longitudinal edges overlapped and sealed as in Figs. 2 and 3. The bottom is sealed forming a complete bag which is filled and then sealed across the top. The lled bag is then cut from the strip material along the bottom cut line.

The strip of sheet material shown in Fig. 1 may be fed into a packaging machine from a suitable roll, such as embossing rolls or the like. When the adhesive material is in pattern form, a suitable electric eye registration device is employed to register the cutoff and the blank may be folded to the position shown in Fig. 2, sealed along its longitudinal seam 24, and across the bottom at 25, all in accordance with conventional practice. The container thus formed has a completely sealed bottom and longitudinal seam, an

' open top, and end gussets 26 and 2'I. The longitudinal seam and gusset folds are best shown in Fig. 3.

As best shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 6, the front panel 28 and rear panel 29 are considerably longer than the lled bag of Fig. 8, thus providing the flap 30 and the removable section 3I.

Fig. 6 shows the bag of Fig. 2 in open position ready to receive the merchandise to be packaged, and for purposes of illustration, a very convenient way to load the bag is to thread the bag over a hollow thin wall tube through which the merchandise, previously weighed, is introduced into the bag by a suitable plunger. The bag is then stripped from the tube and folded and sealed along the narrow top strip 32, as shown in Fig. 7.

. The seal is close to the top of the merchandise,

giving the bag a fairly flat top when the seal,

is folded over as in Fig. 8-. (The sealing areas 24, 25 and 32 are shown stippled.)

The bottom n 33, as shown in Figs. v6 and 7, embraces the sealing strip 25, and by reason of the folds in the bottom, projects out from the bag-pouch of Fig. 8, this upper flattened portion comprising the closure flap 30 and the removable section 3I is folded over with the extreme end, catch 2I, folded over the n 33 and pressed together to form a clinched connection. When using the bag-pouch for smoking tobacco, a revenue stamp 34 is placed over these folded In either case,V

.the panels apart and pull olf the entire central .chored at the bottom, as shown in Fig. 8.

ends to effect a permanent secondary closure. It will be seen that this flap closure covers part of the top, the front panel, and the bottom. This provides a more or less rectangular bag with fairlywell defined edges and at surfaces suitable for display advertising.

To open the package of Fig. 8, the revenue stamp 34 is severed, as with the thumb nail, and the catch unfolded from engagement with the -fin 33. When this ilap is in an extended position, as in Fig. 7, it is a simple matter to pull section 3| within the perforated lines 22 and 23, leaving the single flap closure comprising merely the upper portion of back panel 29. This leaves the front panel 32 with a short free lip 35 which may be grasped to pull open the mouth ofthe bag to the position shown in Fig. 10. The thermoplastic sealing material is of such character that the'panels separate along the seal 32 without tearing the sheet. Because of the side - gussets 26 and 21 and the relative length of the mouth, the bag-pouch has. a wide open mouth which facilitates removal of the contents.4 This is particularly important when the bag is used for smoking tobacco because it enables the smoker to insert the bowl of a pipe into the bag to ll it, as is usually done with tobacco pouches. When it is desired to close the bag-pouch to protect the remaining contents, the front and back panels are pressed-together causing the gussets to fold to their original positions and the flap 39 is folded over to the closed position shown in Fig. 8 with the end thereof foldable along score line'` I9interlocking with the n 33.

One of the'advantages of the bag-pouch of the invention is that it reduces in thickness as the contents are removed. The length and width dimensions remain substantially as in the original package. by reason of the gusset construction and the interlocking of the closure ap with the fin. The general shape of the bag ismaintained, with the exception that it becomes thinner. This is an important feature, especially in tobacco pouches because it maintains the ba'g in a convenient size and shape for carrying in ones pocket. Thisis in preference to having the height of the lbag reduced Ain dimension as the contents are removed. When the bag is reclosed, the extending free lip 35 folds down against the top of the package and the ap pulls it down into close contact when the flap is an- This not only -prevents sprinkling or sifting of the contents but affords substantial protection until the contentsA are fully used.

The invention provides a bag container fabricated of materials which lend themselves to high quality sales appeal affording maximum facility to the consumer, and particularly when used as a tobacco pouch. Its imperviousness to moisture,

such as perspiration, and its flexibility, make it desirable to carry as a pouch. The closure' features are such that it provides maximum protection to the merchandise packed therein and a' sprinkle-proof re-closure after the original seals are broken.

I claim:

1. A bag-,pouch for merchandise which comprises a gusset type bag formed of flexible, nonresilient laminated sheet material including at least one exterior layer 'of sott metal and having front and back panels, gusset ends, a closure flap forming the. major portion of the back panel, an adhesive sealing strip across the front and back panels approximately midway between their ends and close to the merchandise closing the mouth of the bag, said adhesive having such low adhesive strength that it permits the panels to open along the seal Without tearing, said closure ilap being foldable over the closed mouth, along the front panel and over the bottom, and means on the bottom to engage the flap and hold it in position.

2. A bag-pouch for merchandise which comprises a gusset type bag formed at least in part of soft sheet aluminum having front and back panf els, gusset ends, a flap forming the major portion of the back panel, means closing the bottom of the bag leaving a projecting n, an adhesive sealing strip across the front and back panels spaced between the top and bottom and near the merchandise, said adhesive having such low adhesive strength that it permits the panels to open along the seal without tearing, said flap being foldable over the top of the -merchandise to close the mouth, along the front panel and into engagement with the fin.

3. A bag-pouch for merchandise which comprises a gusset type bag formed of flexible, nonresilient sheet material having front and back panels, gusset ends, a flap forming the major portion of the backpanel, adhesive sealing the bottom and the mouth of the bag completely across the front and back panels, a fin projecting-from the sealed bottom, a section of the sheet material integral with but severable from the flap and front panel, said section being removable to make the bag mouth accessible, said flap being fo1dable over the closed mouth, along the front panel and into engagement with the n.

4. A bag-pouch for merchandise which comresilient sheet material having front and back panels, gusset ends, a flap integral with and comprising a substantial part of the back panel, adhesive sealing the mouth of the bag completely across the front and back panels, said adhesive having such low adhesive strength that it permits the panels to be opened along the seal without tearing, a bottom closure for the bag including a sealing strip leaving a projecting fin, a longtudinal seam through the front panel extending across the bottom and top seals, a removable section integral with the flap and front panel defined by a perforated line, said section being removable on the initial opening of the bag to fa- .5 cilitate access to the mouth, and means on the flap to engage the fin and hold the flap in position.

GEORGE ARLINGTON MOORE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record vin the flie of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Rose. May 4, 1943 prises a gusset type bag formed of flexible, non-

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