US3344576A

US3344576A - Method and apparatus for packaging

Info

Publication number: US3344576A
Application number: US290725A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles E Cloud; James R George; Lloyd N Krohn
Original assignee: Cloud Machine Corp
Current assignee: Cloud Machine Corp
Priority date: 1963-06-26
Filing date: 1963-06-26
Publication date: 1967-10-03
Anticipated expiration: 1984-10-03
Also published as: CH446165A; FR1403967A; NO121649B; SE323315B; DE1297521B; GB1056548A

Description

Oct. 3, 1967 c. E. CLOUD ET AL 3,344,576

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING Filed. June 26, 1963 10 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS Char/es 5 6704/0? c/am as 54666 //6earye ya 4 g! ATTORNEYS Oct. 3, 1967 c. E. CLOUD ET AL 3,344,576

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING Filed June 26, 1963 v 1o Sheets-Sheet 2 Q (Thar/es 5 C/oad rfamas/fiagsjf/k'ejye ATfl gflfYs Oct. 3, 1967 c. E. CLOUD ET 3,344,576

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING Filed June 26, 1963 10 Sheets-Sheet 3 a F; g. 3

INVENTORS Char/es f C7000 L/a a /l. Bro/2n BY a ATTORNEYS Oct. 3, 1967 c. E. CLOUD ET AL 3,344,576

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING Filed June 26, 1963 l0 Sheets-Sheet 4 Fig.4

INVENTORS Char/es E C/oud dam es Emssefleorye lf/ 3 Y d A Oct. 3, 1967 CLOUD ET AL 3,344,576

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING Filed June 26, 1963 l0 Sheets-Sheet 5 I l V )r W A L4 INVENTORS Char/es E 67000 r/ames ,assefl Gea e 4/ d/i 6 3m; ATTORZIEiS ,7

Oct. 3, 1967 c, CLOUD ET AL 3,344,576

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING Filed June 26, 1963 10 Sheets-Sheet 6 JZZZP- INVENTORS Char/es 5670 ad (James EmssaV/'eary a /I. M" 6/7 m 044 kl/oi ATTORNZYS Oct. 3, 1967 c, CLOUD ET AL METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING l0 Sheets-Sheet '7 Filed June 26, 1963 29 INVENTORS (bar/es 5. 67mm! c/ames Baasefl Geo Z46; K waif/7 ATTORNEYS Oct. 3, 1967 c, CLOUD ETAL 3,344,576

I METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING Filed June 26, 1963 10 heets-Sheet 8 FEEDZOLLS Z4 G FLY KAI/F5 PEI NTEE MOTO L 7'0 'CAPVSVTWN I 3 5 PE E 0 BED /24 TO v52 T/ CAL SEAL/HG BULL A27 /25 INVENTORS Char/es EC/aud c/am es @asseflG'eorga Z. ayd Hob/7 Bym ATTORNEYS Oct. 3, 1967 c, CLOUD ETAL 3,344,576

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING Filed June 26, 1963 10 Sheets-Sheet 9 YNVENTO Char/es E 6/0 ame: @msuel/ Geo/ye /0ya/ W rab/1 h; ATTORNEYS Oct. 3, 1967 c, cLOUD ETAL 3,344,576

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING Filed June 26, 1963 10 Sheets-Sheet l0 INVENTORS C/lar' /es 56/04/07 dames Ea.rse//George aM/Hr/M 3m Z ATTORNZS United States Patent METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING Charles E. Cloud, Wilmette, James R. George, Franklin Park, and Lloyd N. Krohn, Chicago, 111., assignors to Cloud Machine Corporation, Skokie, 11]., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 26, 1963, Ser. No. 290,725 36 Claims. (Cl. 53-28) This invention relates to a machine and method for continuously forming a series of filled packages from a continuous length of flexible material. The material may be any flexible medium, such as a plastic, paper, cloth, or metal strip, transparent or otherwise, or in fact any material that will conform to the herein described requirements. If desired, the strip material may be plastic coated where the pockets are to be formed by a heat sealing operation.

An important object of the invention is to provide an improved machine and method for high-speed production of filled packages.

Further objects severally are, the method of making such filled packages from a strip or strips of material by a series of steps performed thereon, the method of filling the pockets during the course of manufacture, and the method of making such flexible-filled packages from strip material, and filling the same during the course of forming the packages and before the packages are sev ered from the continuous strip.

Important features of the present invention relate to an improved apparatus for high-speed manufacture of filled packages from continuous strip material, which apparatus has means for filling the strip pockets with the desired amount of material such as salt or sugar following the formation of the spaced pockets along the length of the strip of material, and means for sealing open ends of the pockets and then severing the thus filled packages from the continuous strip of material.

A more specific feature of my invention relates to a new and improved packaging apparatus having an endless rotating filling station such as a drum, which filling station or drum is provided with spaced lands and valleys about its periphery around which the continuous strip is guided and longitudinally moved and with the distances between the lands being less than the distances between the vertical heat seals disposed along the length of the strip material.

According to other features of our invention, means is provided for holding the heat sealed areas of the continuous strip against the lands and means for pressing the sides of the pockets into the valleys on the filling station.

Yet another important feature of our invention relate to new and improved means for opening the pockets by moving one side wall of the pocket out of the valley to enable the pocket to be then filled with material, sealed, and then severed from the continuous length of strip material.

Further objects and advantages will appear from the detailed description and claims to follow, particularly in connection with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate more or less diagrammatically, and by way of example and not of limitation, single and double strip type machines and apparatus for carrying out the new process and producing filled packages.

On the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of our machine;

FIGURE 2 is a side view of our machine;

FIGURE 3 isan enlarged fragmentary view of rivertical heat sealer mechanism with portions shown in section as viewed on lines IIIIII looking in the direction indicated by the arrows as shown in FIGURE 1;

3,344,576 Patented Oct. 3, 1967 FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view of our bag opening and fillin g station;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged vertical section through our bag opening and filling station as viewed on the lines V-V looking in the direction indicated by the arrows shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section of a heat sealing mechanism shown in full and dotted lines for sealing tops of filled pockets or bags as viewed on the line VI-VI looking in the direction indicated by the arrows shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view of our machine illustrating a mechanism for severing the bags from the continuous strip and which section is taken substantially on the line VII-VII looking in the direction indicated by the arrows as seen in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged fragmentary end view with parts shown in section further illustrating the mechanism for severing the filled bags or packages from the continuous strip and which section is taken substantially on the line VIII-VIIIlooking in the direction indicated by the arrows as seen in FIGURE 7;

FIGURE 9 is a schematic view illustrating the drives for the mechanisms of our machine;

FIGURE 10 is a perspective view of a filled bag or package produced by our machine;

FIGURE 11 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view of a modified type of roller for engaging a continuous film strip with our fillin g station;

FIGURE 12 is a side view of a filling drum having modified means for holding heat sealed areas of a film strip thereagainst;

FIGURE 13 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line XIII--XIII looking in the direction indicated by the arrows shown in FIGURE 12;

FIGURE 14 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view of a filling station having modified means for presssing the film strip into the valleys on the drum;

FIGURE 15 is an enlarged fragmentary view similar to FIGURE 14 only illustrating still another modified means for engaging the film strip in the valleys on the drum;

FIGURE 16 is a fragmentary top plan view of a machine similar to FIGURE 1 only one adapted to form filled packages from separate strips of stock;

FIGURE 17 is an enlarged fragment partially section view taken substantially on the line XVIIXVII looking in the direction indicated by the arrows as seen in FIG- URE 16; and

FIGURE 18 is a fragmentary perspective view of another modified type of continuous strip adapted for use in our machine.

General description According to the illustrated form of the invention, a filled package 9 'of the type shown at FIGURE 10 is adapted to be produced by our packaging machine 10. The present machine has been found to be capable of producing hundreds of these packages per minute. The package 9 may be produced from a continuousstrip of material or from several continuous strips of material, as shown in FIGURE 16. The type of machine used will depend upon the type of film to be used. Some films can be more readily folded than other films and machines of the type shown in FIGURE lcan be readily used for producing filled packages of this type. Where other types of films are employed, such as celluloid, which films cannot be readily folded, it may be desirable to use a modified type of machine as shown in FIGURE 16.

The machine 10 has a base 11 supporting various components of our machine. Mounted on top of the base 11 is means comprising a roll stand 12 for supporting a roll or strip of packaging material 13. The roll 13 is supported on an arbor 14 in such a way that when the strip is unrolled, the strip is disposed generally in a horizontal plane. The strip 13 may be of any suitable type and can be coated on at least one side with a scalable material such as plastic or other suitable adhesive.

Mounted at one side of the roll stand and included as optional equipment, is a printing device 15. The strip 13 may be suitably printed by moving the same through the printing device 15.

A suitable paper plow 16, supported on a paper plow bracket 17, is disposed forwardly of the printer 15 for folding the strip 13. When the strip is folded at 13a, the fold is disposed at the bottom of the strip as the strip then assumes generally a V-shape.

In order to further prepare the strip 13 so that filled packages may be formed, a pair of

guide rollers

18, 18 is disposed on the downstream side of the plow and the folded strip 13 is guided therebetween to a vertical sealer 19. The strip 13 is adapted to be pulled and moved through an arc as the vertical sealer is driven contemporaneously with the capstan and drive rolls 20. The vertical sealer has a series of vertically extending circumferentially spaced heated lands 19a which are provided to form longitudinally spaced vertically extending heat seals 13b in the strip. After the strip has been heat sealed in the manner described, pockets 130 are formed and each is disposed between a pair of pocket side walls 13d. The strip is then moved through a filling station 21 and any suitable material may be inserted in the pockets 130 in the desired amount. Each pocket may be filled with the desired amount of sugar or salt or a cracker or a slice of bread. Where material such as sugar is to be placed in the pockets, the pockets are filled in a pouring operation as illustrated. Where each pocket is to be filled with a cracker or the like, and a pouring operation is not necessary, the cracker can be inserted from a side of the strip into an open pocket. Thereafter, the strip is moved through a top heat sealer 22 which provides a horizontal heat seal 13a to close each pocket 130.

The generally vertical strip is then turned so as to again move in a generally horizontal plane over an index roller (FIGURE 7). A pair of feed rollers 24-24 is positioned beneath the index roller 23 in vertical alignment with a fly knife mechanism 25. The rotation of the index roller 23 is synchronized with the fly knife mechanism 25 so that the filled packages or pouches 9 (FIGURE are severed from the strip 13 at the areas of the heat seals 13b.

Vertical sealer and drive rolls The vertical sealer 19 (FIGURE 3) is mounted on a hollow vertical shaft 127 supported on the base 11 by a bearing 28. A junction box support bracket 29 is suspended from an underside of the base 11 and carries a junction box 30 having brushes or sliding

contacts

31 and 32 which are engaged with electrically insulated collector rings 33 and 34 carried by the hollow vertical shaft 27 and rotatable in unison therewith. Electrical lead lines 35 and 36 are joined with a heater 26 and a heater thermostat 26a (FIGURE 3) which heats the lands 19a for forming the spaced vertical seals 13b in the folded strip 13. The wire 35 is connected with one terminal of the heater 26 while the wire 36 is connected with the thermostat 26a.

After the folded strip 13 is formed with vertical seals 13b, the strip is drawn between the drive rolls 20. The drive rolls 20 each have a vertical axis and are rotatably mounted on the base 11. A pivot arm 37 is joined at 38 (FIGURE 1) with one of the rolls 20 and has a pivot 39 at an opposite end. The arm 37 is further connected to a lever arm 40 which is joined to a spring 41. The spring 41 is attached to the base at 42. The spring 41 serves to hold the rolls against opposite sides of the strip 13. The one roller 20 can be pivoted away from the other roller on its pivot 39 to facilitate threading of the strip between the drive rolls. The spring insures that the drive rolls are snugly engaged with the strip to drive the same.

Pouch filling The filling station or drum 21 is keyed at 43 on a drive shaft 44 for rotating on a suction block or plate 45 disposed between the base 11 and the drum 21. The suction block 45 is affixed to the base and the drum 21 rotates on the block 45 (FIGURE 5). The suction block 45 has a C-shaped suction passage 45a (FIGURE 4) and a suction inlet pipe 46 is connected therewith.

A vertical suction passage 47 is joined with a set of vertically spaced radial suction passages 48. The

passages

47 and 48 are grouped in circumferentially spaced sets and lower ends of the vertical passages 47 are in alignment with the C-shaped suction passage 45a in the suction block 45.

As will be seen in FIGURE 4, the drum 21 has vertically extending circumferentially spaced lands and

valleys

49 and 50 about its perimeter. The valleys 50 may be of any desired shape such as arcuate or semi-square, and it is not absolutely essential that the strip contact the valley bottom when engaged about the drum 21. The circumferential distance between the lands is less than the distance between the vertical heat seals 13b when the strip 13 is engaged about the drum 21. In order to hold the strip 13 snugly against the drum 21 while the pockets are opened and then filled, outer ends of radial suction passages 48 terminate at radially outer faces of the lands 49. The

drum suction passages

47 and 48 are activated only when in communication with the C-shaped suction block passage 45a. When the drum suction passages are disconnected from the suction block passages 45a, the strip 13 is no longer positively secured with the drum 21 as shown in FIGURE 4.

Means is provided for corrugating the strip 13 and for snugly engaging the strip against the lands and

valleys

49 and 50 of the filling station or drum 21 which, in the form shown in FIGURE 4, comprises a bouncing roller assembly indicated generally at 51. The assembly 51 includes a roller 52 supported on a roller support arm 53 which arm is pivotally mounted at one end on a plate 54 secured to the base 11. A lever arm 55 is operatively connected with the pivot arm at one end and with a spring 56 at an opposite end, the spring being anchored at 56a to the plate 54. The spring 56 exerts a force which tends to pull the lever arm toward the anchored end 56a of the spring 56 thus causing the roller 52 to be urged against the perimeter of the drum 21. Immediately after the strip 13 is pressed against the drum 21, the block and drum suction passages are operatively connected so that the land against which the strip is engaged has suction at its outer surface for holding the strip in snug engagement with the drum.

Co-rotatably secured with the drum 21 by bolts 57 (FIGURE 5) is a funnel support plate 58 which has a series of material passages 58a in vertical alignment with the valleys 50. A series of funnels 59 have lower ends 59a telescoped inside of the material passages 58a.

Before the funnels are supplied with material to be poured into the strip pockets 13c, means is operated to open the pockets 13c by spreading the radially outermost pocket side wall 13d from the radially innermost pocket side wall 13d. This means, in the form illustrated in FIG- URES 4 and 5, comprises an air spout or tube 60 having an inlet tube 60' which is connected with a suitable air supply source for causing an air stream to be directed against uppermost edges of the corrugated or flexed side walls 13d to spread them and open the pockets 13c.

Positioned downstream of the air spout for unloading material into the funnels 59 after the air stream has been utilized to open the pockets 130, is a material supply or hopper 61. The material supply or hopper 61 is fixedly supported on the base by hopper posts 62.

In order to guide the strip 13 having the filled pockets 13c away from the filling station 21, a guide roller 63 is mounted adjacent to the station 21 and the strip is moved, around this roller to the top heat sealer 22.

Top heat sealer The heat sealer 22, for closing the filled pockets 130, includes a support bracket 64 mounted by bolts 65 on the base 11. An angle 66 has one leg 66a secured to the bracket 64, and support arm 67 is secured to other bracket leg 66b (FIGURE 6).

A hinge 68 has one hinge plate 68a secured with an underside of the support arm 67 and an opposite hinge plate 68b is secured with a handle 69 and a guide sealer 70. The handle 69 and the guide sealer 70 are movable on the hinge 68 through an are into an elevated position as shown by the dotted lines in FIGURE 6. A heated block 71 is secured with the support arm 67. Disposed internally of the block 71 is a heating element or unit 72. The upper edges of pocket side walls 13d are pulled longitudinally between guide sealer 70 and heated block 71 to close the pockets 13c.

Mounted adjacent the top sealer 22 is a pair of guide rolls 74 and 75. The guide roll 75 is swingably mounted on one end of a pivot arm 76 that is pivotally secured at 77 to the base 11; A screw adjustment mechanism 78 is provided to adjust the roll 75 with the desired amount of tension against the strip 13 (FIGURE 1).

Cut-ofi mechanism The index roller 23 is mounted on an index roller shaft 78' which is journalled at opposite ends on support arms or plates 79 and 80 (FIGURE 1). The arms 79 and 80 are pivotally mounted at one end at 81 and 82 on rock shaft 83 carried on bearing

blocks

84 and 85.

An index roller adjustment mechanism 86 is provided for vertically moving the index roller with respect to the fly knife so that it will be properly aligned with the transverse heat seals 13!) to cut the filled pockets from the strip at these areas. The mechanism 86 includes a U- shaped frame 87 having a vertical screw 88 secured on the frame 87 with a lower end engaged against the base 11. By moving the screw 88, the index roller 23 will be pivoted on pivot axis or rock shaft 83.

The index roller 23 has a series of teeth 23a about its perimeter which are spaced apart a distance slightly in excess of the width of the filled pocket 13c on the strip to engage with the pocket and move the pocket in timed relation to the fly knife 25. A tension roll 89 is supported on an arm 90 carried on the plate 79 for applying tension to the strip 13 to hold the strip against the index roller 23. It will further be noted that after the strip 13 leaves the top sealer 22, it is moved to an essentially horizontal plane as the strip passes beneath the tension roll 89.

The feed rollers 24 are mounted on the base below the index roller 23 for drawing the strip from the index I roller 23 and for guiding the strip to the fly knife 25. As will be noted from FIGURE 8, the feed rolls 24 engage the strip only at the area of the horizontal heat seal 13a. The feed rollers 24 do not engage with the filled pouch. or pockets 130 to avoid possible damage to them. The feed rollers 24 are supported on the underside of the base 11 and are journalled on a pair of

support brackets

91 and 92. The support bracket 91 extends below the support bracket 92, and the fly knife support bracket 93 is secured by fasteners 94 to the lower end of the bracket 91. The bracket 93 has a sleeve-like journal 95 at its outer end. Supported in the sleeve-like journal 95 is a fly knife drive shaft 96. The drive shaft has a radial arm 97 and a knife blade 98 is supported and After the filled package is severed from the strip 13, the package will fall to a conveyor 101 (FIGURE 2) and the filled pouches can then be dumped into cartons for further packaging. If desired, the strip can be perforated at the parting line 100, to permit the user to separate the packages 9 from one another.

Drives Our packaging machine 10 may be operated by means of an electric motor through a chain 111 and

sprockets

112 and 113 to drive a speed reducer 114. The speed reducer 114 is joined through a chain 115 and sprockets 116 and 117 to a first jack shaft 118. It will be appreciated that While a continuous drive is preferable, an intermittent type drive could be used such as by providing the speed reducer 114 with a conventional Geneva drive. The first jack shaft 118 drives feed rolls 24 through a chain 119 and sprockets 120 and 121. The first jack shaft 118 through chain 122 and sprockets 123 and 124 is connected to a second speed reducer 125. The speed reducer has a power take-off shaft 127 carrying a small sprocket 128 which is connected through a chain 129 to a sprocket 130 mounted on the drive shaft in the suction roll. The second and larger sprocket 131 is also mounted on the drive shaft 127 and is connected by means of a chain 132 to a sprocket 133 for driving the capstan or drive rolls 20.

The first jack shaft 118 drives a second jack shaft 134 through chain 135 and sprockets 136 and 137. A chain 138 and

sprockets

139 and 140 connect the second jack shaft 134 with the printer 15. The printer 15 has a power take-off shaft 15a and a chain 138' and sprockets 139 and 140' serve to drive the index roll drive shaft 78 and the index roll 23.

The jack shaft 134 is further provided with a chain 141 and

sprockets

142 and 143 for driving the conveyor 101, as seen in FIGURE 9. The conveyor may be of any suitable type.

The speed reducer 114 is also joined by means of a chain 144 and gears 145 and 146 to a beveled gear 147. The beveled gear 147 is mounted on a shaft 148 and a chain 149 is connected by means of

sprockets

150 and 151 to the fly knife 25. The gear sprocket is carried on the shaft 148.

Modifications In our experiments With our machine, we have found that a paper depressor roller 150 may be substituted for the bouncing roller assembly 51, as shown in FIGURE 11. The roller 150 can be rotated by a vertical shaft 151' as the drum 21 rotates to cause the strip 13 to be pressed against the lands 49 and into the valleys 50 in the same manner previously described. The roller is provided with a series of circumferentially spaced rounded protuberances 152, each having a configuration corresponding to the curvature of each of the valleys 50 so that as the roller 150' co-rotates with the drum 21, the protuberances 152 can be nestingly engaged in the valleys 50 to bottom the strip against the valley bottoms.

Our experiments have further revealed that layers of sticky adhesive material such as uncured gum rubber can be mounted on lands 49 of drum 21', as shown in FIGURES 12 and 13. It will be appreciated that the adhesive material will serve to hold the strip 13 against the drum 21' and that suction will not be employed as used on the drum 21. Where the strip 13 is comprised of certain types of material such as celluloid, the uncured gum rubber may be used very effectively for holding the same on the drum. Where the strip is made from a rather porous-type paper, it is generally preferable to use a suction type drum 21 rather than the drum 21 having gum rubber layers 160 on its lands 49'.

A rotating wheel 165, having circumferentially spaced radially extending arms 166, may be substituted in place of the air spout 60 for opening the pockets 130, as shown in FIGURE 14. The radially outer ends of the arms 166, as here illustrated, are preferably provided with adhesivelike material such as gum rubber 167. The wheel 165 is adapted to be co-rotated with the drum 21 and the radially outer ends of the arms 166 are spaced so that the adhesive-like material 167 will engage against the corrugated strip 13 at the bottom of the valleys 50 to pull out the radially outer pocket side Wall from the valley bottom and away from the radially inner pocket side wall which is left engaged with the valley bottom. During the rotation of the wheel 165, the arms 16 move free of the lands 649, for the adhesive material 167 engages the valley bottoms 50.

Another type of means may be substituted in place of the air spout 60 as shown in FIGURE 15, which comprises a rotary suction type wheel 170. The rotary suction type wheel 170 is adapted to co-rotate with the drum 21 in much the same manner as the wheel 165 co-rotates with the drum 21, as shown in FIGURE 14. In this instance, however, the wheel is provided with circumferentially spaced radially outwardly extending arms 171 each of which has a suction cup 172 at its outermost end. The arms 171 are hollow providing a suction passage 171a. The rotating wheel 170 is mounted on a suction block (not shown) having a suction passage 173 which extends radially toward the drum 21 in alignment with the valley bottom which radially confronts the suction passage 173. In operation, as the wheel 170 is rotated, the arms 171 will be connected with the suction passage 173. Each arm will be connected with the suction passage 173 for only a short interval during each revolution of the wheel, which interval occurs when the suction arm immediately adjacent to the drum 21 is projected into and engaged with the unopened pocket disposed in the valley bottom. At this time, the suction forces will operate to cause the suction cup 172 to grasp the radial outer pocket side wall 13d and to pull the side wall out of the valley bottom and away from the radial inner side wall to open the pocket 130 for filling.

Shown in FIGURES 16 and 17 is a modified packaging apparatus or machine The machine 10" difiers from the machine 10 in that a pair of strips 13', 13' is fed into the machine between a pair of guide rollers 18', 18' over a vertical sealer 19'. The vertical sealer 19 is identical to the vertical sealer 19 only sealing means is provided for forming pocket bottoms along a bottom edge of the strips 13'. The machine 10 illustrated how a single strip 13 can be folded to form a pocket bottom. The machine 10" can be used with strip materials which have a tendency to crack when folded. Where a cellophane type of strip is used in our machine 10, there is a tendency for the lacquer to crack and after the packages are filled, the cracks may permit moisture or other material to enter the package. In order to successfully use certain types of strip materials such as cellophane, we have found that it is preferable to form the filled packages from a pair of strips rather than a single folded strip. The machine 10' illustrates how a pair of strips 13, 13' may be used in the formation of filled packages. This machine 10 could also be used with a single strip such as the strip 13 where it is desired to form a heat seal along the longitudinal folded area at one margin of the strip.

The vertical sealer 19" has circumferentially spaced vertically extending lands 19a which are joined at bottom ends with a circular land 1%. The vertical sealer 19 operates in the same manner as the vertical sealer 19 which has been previously described herein. As the strips 13' are moved about the circumference of the vertical sealer 19', the strips are formed with transversely extending longitudinally spaced heat seals which correspond to the heat seals 13b on the strip 13. In addition,

the strips are formed with a longitudinally extending heat seal by the use of the circular land 1%, which longitudinal seal extends along one edge of the thus joined strips 13" and forms the bottom of the pouches. These lands are heated by heater 26'.

The other components for filling the pouches, formed by the machine 10', are identical to those already illustrated and described in connection with the machine 10 and further illustration and description of such components is believed unnecessary.

It is further contemplated that other types of strips may be used on our machines such as the strip 13" shown in FIGURE 18. The strip 13" can be used in our machine 10 to form pouches having gusset-shaped bottoms.

Method The steps of our method have already been described at length herein, but in order to summarize the previous description, the following statements are submitted.

In all forms of our invention, it is contemplated that filled packages 9 may be continuously formed from one or more continuous strips and that after the packages are formed and filled with any suitable material, the packages may then be severed from the strip or strips. By manufacturing packages in this manner, the packages can be formed and filled at higher rates of production than has been attainable with prior types of machines and methods.

After the strip or strips have been formed with vertical heat seals, the strip or strips are corrugated whereby the vertical heat seals are caused to be moved closer together. All of the pocket side walls project outwardly from the same side of the strip or strips when the strip is in a corrugated condition. Thereafter, it is contemplated that the pocket side walls of each pocket be spread to open the pocket and then the pockets are filled with material. In accordance with our previous description herein, it will be appreciated that several methods may be employed for opening the pockets. The pockets may be blown open or mechanically pulled open, as desired, and depending upon the type of material of which the strip is comprised. The open ends of the pockets and then sealed shut and the filled pouches may be cut or perforated at the area of the transverse heat seal to permit ready severance of the filled pouches from the continuous strip or strips.

Although minor modifications might be suggested by those versed in the art, it should be understood that we wish to embody within the scope of the patent warranted hereon, all such modifications as reasonably and properly come within the scope of our contribution to the art.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a packaging apparatus,

means for guiding and longitudinally moving a continuous strip having longitudinally spaced pockets separated by transversely spaced heat seals with ends of the pockets being open and with each pocket having sides, a moving filling station having spaced lands and valleys about its periphery around which the continuous strip is guided and longitudinally moved and with the distances between the lands being less than the distances between the transversely spaced heat seals, means for pressing the sides of the pockets into the valleys and engaging the continuous strip about the periphery of the endless station,

means for holding the heat seals on the continuous strip against the lands as the filling station is moved while the pockets are integral with the continuous strip,

means to spread the strip sides of each pocket between the seals at opposite ends of the pocket,

means to fill the open pockets with material, and means for sealing the pocket sides together at the open end of each pocket after filling.

2. In a packaging apparatus,

means for guiding and longitudinally moving a continuous strip having longitudinally spaced pockets 9 separated by transversely spaced heat seals with ends of the pockets being open and with each pocket having sides,

a rotating filling station comprising a drum having circumferentially spaced lands and valleys about its circumference around which the continuous strip is guided and longitudinally moved and with the distances between the lands being less than the distances between the transversely spaced heat seals,

means for pressing the sides of the pockets into the valleys and for engaging the vertical heat seals against the lands,

means for holding the heat seals on the strip against the lands as the drum is rotated,

means to spread the pocket sides between each pair of seals to open the pockets while the pockets are integral with the continuous strip,

3. The apparatus of claim 2 further characterized by said means to open the pockets including a rotating wheel having circurnterentially spaced suction cups engageable with the radially outer sides of the strip for pulling the outer sides out of the valleys on the drum and which cups are releasable from outer sides as the pockets are opened.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 further characterized by said means to open the pockets being operable to direct an air stream against edges of the strip sides of each pocket to separate the sides and to openeach pocket.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 further characterized by said means to open the pockets including a rotating wheel having radially extending arms having means comprising an adhesive-like material such as gum rubber on radially outer ends which are engageable with outer sides of the pockets for pulling the outer sides of the strip out of the valleys and which are releasable from the outer sides as the pockets are opened.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 further characterized by said means for holding the heat seals against the lands including suction outlets on the lands enabling suction forces to be generated to effect the holding of the heat seals against the lands.

7. The apparatus of claim 2 further characterized by said means for holding the heat seals against the lands comprising a thickness of a sticky adhesive material such as uncured gum rubber mounted on each land.

8. In a packaging apparatus,

a source of packaging material having at least one sealable surface,

means for forming the packaging material into a continuous strip having longitudinally spaced pockets separated by vertical heat seals with upper ends of the pockets being open and with each pocket having sides,

a rotating filling stat-ion comprising a drum having circumferentially spaced lands and valleys about its circurnference around which the continuous strip is moved and with the distances between the lands being less than the distances between the vertical heat seals, means for pressing the sides of the pockets into the valleys and for engaging the vertical heat seals against the lands,

means to radially spread the pocket sides between each pair of seals to open the pockets while the pockets are integral with the continuous strip,

funnels positioned to discharge material into the opened pockets between each pair of seals,

a fixed material supply positioned to discharge material constantly into said funnels as they pass thereunder,

timed means for rotating said drum and tunnels successively past said material supply to flow material into open pockets,

heat means for sealing the pocket sides together at the open end of each pocket after filling, and

means for successively cutting filled packages from the continuous strip between successive pairs of vertical seals on the continuous strip.

9. In a packaging apparatus,

means for guiding and longitudinally moving a continuous strip having longitudinally spaced pockets separated by heat seals with upper ends of the pockets being open and with each pocket having sides,

a rotating filling stat-ion comprising a drum having circumferentially spaced lands and valleys about its circumference around which the continuous strip is guided and longitudinally moved and with the distances between the lands being less than the distances between the vertical heat seals,

means to radially spread a radially outer pocket side from a radially inner pocket side leaving the radially inner pocket side in the associated valley to open each of the pockets while the pockets are integral with the continuous strip,

means to successively pour material into the open pockets,

means for sealing the pocket sides together at the open end of each pocket after filling, and

10. The method of forming filled packages from at least one continuous strip of flexible material, which comprises, processing the strip forming successive pockets along the length of the strip with ends of the pockets along one margin of the strip being open,

converting the strip from an essentially flat form to an undulated form,

successively opening the pockets along the length of the strip by moving one pocket side wall on each pocket relative to an adjacent pocket side wall, successively filling the pockets, and

closing open ends of the pockets along the length of the strip. 7

11. The method of continuously forming filled packages from a pair of continuous strips of flexible material as the strips are continuously advanced together, which comprises,

processing the strips by sealing them together at bottom edges and also sealing the strips to form successive pockets along the length of the strips with upper ends of the pockets being open and with the pockets being separated by vertical heat seals,

converting the thus joined strips from an essentially fiat form to an undulated form with the joined strips being bent at the vertical heat seals and with side walls of each of the pockets being concentrically curved,

successively opening the pockets along the length of the I joined strips by moving one vertical pocket side Wall on each pocket relative to an adjacent vertical pocket side wall,

successively filling the pockets,

closing upper ends of the pockets along the length of the joined strips, and

successively severing the pockets from the continuous strip to form filled packages.

12. The method of continuously forming filled packages, Which comprises,

processing the strip material forming successive pock ets along the length of the strip material with ends of the pockets being left open,

corrugating the strip material with the pockets all disposed on the same side of the length of strip material, successively opening the pockets along the length of the corrugated strip material by moving and spreading at least one of the pocket side walls relative to the associated pocket side wall, successively filling the thus opened pockets, sealing open ends of the pockets, and severing the filled pockets from the continuous length of strip material to form filled packages. 13. The method of continuously forming filled packages, which comprises,

processing the strip material forming successive pockets along the length of the strip material with the pockets being separated by transversely sealed areas and with ends on one side of said pockets being left open, corrugating the strip material by moving the transversely sealed areas along the length of the strip material closer together and by bulging the pockets in a common direction away from and along one side of the length of strip material, spreading the pocket side wall of each pocket to open the same, filling the open pockets, sealing the open ends, and severing the pockets from the continuous length of strip material at the transversely sealed areas to form filled packages. 14. The method of continuously forming filled packages, which comprises,

processing the strip material forming successive pockets along the length of the strip material with the pockets being separated by transversely sealed areas and with ends on one side of said pockets being left open, corrugating the strip material by moving transversely sealed areas along the length of the strip material closer together and by bulging the pockets in a common direction away from and along one side of the length of strip material, spreading the pocket walls nearest to the transversely sealed areas away from the other pocket side Walls disposed while holding the other pocket side walls against movement to open the pockets, filling the pockets, sealing shut the open ends of the pockets, and cutting the pockets along the transversely sealed areas to form filled packages. 15. The method of continuously forming filled packages, which comprises,

processing the strip material forming successive pockets along the length of the strip material with upper ends of the pockets being left open, corrugating the strip material with the pockets all disposed on the same side of the length of strip material, successively opening the pockets along the length of the corrugated strip material by moving and spreading at least one of the pocket side walls relative to the associated pocket side wall, successively filling the thus opened pockets, sealing upper open ends of the pockets, turning the strip material from a generally vertical plane to a horizontal plane, moving the thus turned strip material in a downward direction, and severing the pockets therefrom by cutting the strip material at the areas disposed between the pockets to continuously form filled packages. 16. In a packaging apparatus, means for supporting a strip of packaging material coated on at least one side with a scalable film moving forward in a horizontal plane, means for forming the strip with longitudinally spaced pockets separated by vertical heat seals and having upper open ends,

a rotating filling station comprising a drum having alternating lands and valleys around which said strip is moved,

means for pressing the strip into the valleys to draw the longitudinally spaced vertical heat seals closer together to facilitate opening of the pockets between the heat seals,

means for impelling air between each pair of seals to open and balloon pocket sides between each pair of seals into open pockets,

timed means for rotating said drum and funnels successively past said air impeller means and said material supply to flow material into the open pockets, and

heat means for sealing the strip together at the open end of each pocket after filling.

17. In a packaging apparatus,

means for supporting a strip of packaging material coated on at least one side with a scalable film,

means for longitudinally folding said strip with the film innermost and with the folded edge of the strip at one strip margin,

means for forming transversely spaced heat seals transversely of said strip between its sides,

a rotating filling station comprising a drum around which said strip is moved,

timed means for rotating said drum and funnels successively past said air impeller means and said matercilal supply to flow material into the open pockets, an

18. In a packaging apparatus for packaging material 1n a series of spaced pockets in a continuous film strip wherein the pockets open along one strip margin,

a moving station about which the strip is trained and progressively moved, the station having alternating land and valleys,

means for pressing the strip into the valleys and thereby corrugating the strip,

means for blowing open the pockets,

means for filling the pockets, and

means for closing by heat-sealing the material of the strip at the open end of each pocket after the same has been filled.

19. In a packaging apparatus for packaging material in a series of spaced pockets in a continuous film strip wherein the pockets open upwardly,

a rotating station about which the strip is trained and progressively moved with the spaced pockets opening upwardly, the station having alternating lands and valleys,

means for pressing the strip into the valleys and there- 'by corrugating the strip,

means for blowing open the pockets,

a series of annularly arranged funnels overlying said station and said valleys each for discharging directly into a pocket of the strip trained about the station,

means for delivering material successively to the series 13 of funnels as they rotate past and below said means for delivering material,

a rotary element having peripheral spaced transverse ribs between each pair of which a filled pocket on the strip is adapted to be wedged for holding the pocket in spaced relation, and

means for cutting the filled pockets successively from said strip as it progressively moves forward from said rotary element with filled pockets upstream on said rotary element holding the pockets spaced for cutting.

20. In a packaging apparatus,

a base, 7

an index roller journalled on said base having a series of circumferentially spaced teeth about its perimeter for receiving a continuous strip having longitudinally spaced filled packages and with the teeth being spaced a distance slightly in excess of a transverse dimension of a filled pocket on a strip for receiving filled pockets between said teeth,

a knife positioned below the index roller for cutting filled pockets from a continuous strip at longitudinally spaced areas between filled pockets,

means for rotating said index roller and for actuating said knife for making transverse cuts in a continuous strip between filled pockets, and

means for moving said index roller with respect to said knife for adjusting the spacing therebetween to enable the knife to make its cuts at areas between filled pockets on a continuous strip to form filled packages.

21. 'In a packagingapparatus,

a rotating filling station comprising a drum having circumferentially spaced lands and valleys about its circumference around which the continuous strip is guided and longitudinally moved and with the dis tances between the lands being less than the distance between the vertical heat seals,

means for pressing the sides of the pockets into the valleys and for engaging the vertical heat seals against the lands, means for holding the heat seals on the strip against the lands as the drum is rotated,

means to radially spread the pocket sides between each pair of seals to open the pockets which the pockets are integral with the continuous strip comprising a rotating wheel having a series of circumferentially spaced arms provided with suction cups at radially outer ends which arms are spaced and positioned to project into the valleys as the wheel and drum are rotated in side-by-side relation, the arms having radial suction passages with each passage being connected with a main suction passage when its associated suction cup is engaged in a valley for pulling the side walls apart,

means to fill the open pockets, and

means for sealing the pocket sides together at the open end of each pocket after filling.

22. In a packaging apparatus,

a rotating filling station comprising a drum having circumferentially spaced lands and valleys about its circumference around which the continuous strip is guided and longitudinally moved and with the distances between the lands being less than the distances between vertical heat seals,

means for pressing sides of pockets into the valleys and for engaging vertical heat seals against the lands, means for holding heat seals on a strip against the 'lands as the drum is rotated,

means to radially spread pocket sides between each pair of seals to open each pocket,

means to pour material into open pockets,

means for sealing the pocket sides together at the open end of each pocket after filling,

an index roller journalled having a series of circumferentially spaced teeth about its perimeter for receiving a continuous strip having longitudinally spaced filled pockets and with the teeth being spaced a distance slightly in excess of a transverse dimension of a filled pocket on a strip for receiving filled pockets between said teeth,

23. In a packaging apparatus,

a base,

an index roller journalled on said base having a series of circumferentially spaced teeth about its .perimeter for receiving a continuous strip having longitudinally spaced filled packages and with the teeth being spaced a distance slightly in excess of a transverse dimension of a filled pocket on a strip for receiving filled pockets between said teeth,

a rotating fly knife positioned below the index roller for cutting filled pockets from a continuous strip at longitudinally spaced areas between filled pockets,

means for synchronized rotation of said index roller and of said rotating knife for making transverse cuts in a continuous strip between filled pockets, and

24. In a packaging apparatus,

a base,

a tension roller mounted adjacent said index roller for holding a continuous strip against said index roller,

a knife positioned adjacent the index roller for cutting filled pockets from a continuous strip at longitudinally spaced areas between filled pockets.

feed rollers disposed between said index roller and said knife for feeding a continuous strip to said knife and with said feed'rollers only being engageable with a longitudinal heat sealed area extending along one margin of a continuous strip,

adjusting means for moving said index roller with respect to said knife for adjusting the spacing therebetween to enable the knife to make its cuts at areas between filled pockets on a continuous strip to form filled packages, said index roller being journalled on a frame which frame has a frame pivot and with said adjusting means being operable to move said index roller and said frame on said frame pivot.

25. The apparatus of claim 2 further characterized by said means for pressing sides of pockets into said valleys comprising a bouncing roller urged against the perimeter of the drum and having a yieldable suspension enabling the roller to move radially of the drum about its perimeter for pressing a continuous strip firmly against said drum, the lands and into the valleys, the roller and the drum being rotatable in opposite directions with respect to one another.

26. The apparatus of claim 2 further characterized by said means for pressing sides of pockets into said valleys comprising a roller rotatably mounted adjacent said drum and having protuberances about its circumference each having a shape corresponding to a rounded shape of each of said valleys for periodic projection into said valley as said drum and roller are rotated, the drum and the roller being rotatable in opposite directions with respect to one another.

27. The packaging apparatus of claim 1 further characterized by said means for holding the heat seals on the continuous strip against the lands comprising a fixed suction block having a suction passage continuously connected with a suction source, said filling station having sets of suction passages with each associated with one of said lands adapted for periodic communication with the suction passage on the fixed suction block enabling suction forces to be generated to hold heat sealed areas of a continuous strip against the lands while strip pockets are opened and filled 28. In a packaging apparatus,

means for supporting a strip of packaging material having at least one sealable surface,

a rotatable sealer having peripherally spaced lands engageable against only one side of the strip for simultaneous formation of a series of spaced heat seals transversely of the strip between its vertical sides,

means carried by the rotatable sealer for heating the lands,

a rotating filling station comprising a drum around which the strip is moved,

the means for supporting a strip and said filling station being positioned relative to the rotatable sealer to cause the strip to be engaged against a series of said lands at the same time,

means for opening up pockets along the length of the strip,

means to fiow material into the open pockets, and

heat means for sealing the strip at the open end of each pocket after filling.

29. In a packaging apparatus,

means for feeding a strip with confronting sides,

means for forming upwardly opening spaced pockets in the strip which pockets are separated by vertical heat seals,

an endless rotating filling station having spaced lands and valleys about its periphery around which the continuous strip is guided and longitudinally moved and with the distances between the lands being less than the distances between the veritcal heat seals,

means for pressing the sides of the pockets into the valleys and snugly engaging the continuous strip about the periphery of the endless station,

means for holding the heat seals on the continuous strip against the lands as the filling station is rotated while the pockets are integral with the continuous strip,

means to pour material into the open pockets, and

30. In a packaging apparatus,

means for feeding a strip with confronting sides,

means for forming spaced pockets opening along one 16 margin of the strip which pockets are separated by heat seals,

a filling station having spaced lands and valleys along which the continuous strip is guided and moved and with the distances between the lands being less than the distances between the vertical heat seals,

means for pressing the sides of the pockets into the valleys and against the lands,

means for holding the heat seals on the continuous strip against the lands as the pockets are filled and while the pockets are integral with the continuous strip,

means to fill the open pockets, and

31. The method of forming filled packages, which comprises,

processing a continuous length of sealable strip material forming successive pockets along the length of the strip material with the pockets being separated by transversely sealed areas and with ends of said pockets along one margin of the strip being left open,

corrugating the strip material by moving the transversely sealed areas along the length of the strip material closer together and by bulging the pockets in a common direction away from and along one side of the length of strip material,

spreading the pocket side wall of each pocket to open the same,

filling the open pockets, and

sealing the open ends before detachment of the packages from the strip material.

32. In a packaging apparatus,

guide means for supporting a strip of packaging material having at least one sealable surface,

means disposed adjacent the guide means for forming spaced heat seals extending transversely of the strip leaving pockets between the seals along its length comprising a rotatable sealer,

means carried by the rotatable sealer for heating the same,

means for pulling the strip from the guide means about the sealer in the formation of the heat seals,

a filling station positioned at one side of the guide means and related with respect to the guide means so that the strip is trained generally in the shape of a U and about the sealer to the filling station and with the strip being engaged only at one side of the strip,

the filling station having spaced lands and valleys about its periphery along which the strip is guided and moved,

means for holding the continuous strip against the filling station as the filling station is moved, means to spread the strip sides of each pocket between the seals,

means to load material into the open pockets, and means for sealing the pocket sides together at the open end of each pocket after filling.

33. In a package manufacturing and filling machine,

means for supporting a strip of packaging material having at least one sealable surface including plow and guide means,

means disposed adjacent the guide means for forming spaced heat seals extending transversely of the strip leaving pockets between the seals along ts length comprising a rotatable sealer,

means carried by the rotatable sealer for heating the same,

means for pulling the strip about the sealer in the formation of the heat seals,

a filling station related with respect to the guide means and the sealer so that the strip is trained from the guide means generally in the shape of a U and about the sealer to the filling station and with the sealer being engageable only along one side of the strip,

means to open each pocket,

means to deposit material into the open pockets,

means to sever filled packages from the strip by cutting the strip at the transverse seals.

34. In a package manufacturing and filling machine,

means for supporting a strip of packaging material having at least one sealable surface including guide means,

means carried by the rotatable sealer for heating the same,

means to open each pocket,

means to deposit material into the open pockets,

means to angularly turn the strip to facilitate severance of filled packages from the strip, and

means to sever the thus turned strip to sever the filled packages by cutting the strip at the transverse seals.

35. In a packaging apparatus,

means for guiding and longitudinally moving a'continuous strip having longitudinally spaced pockets separated by transversely spaced heat seals with ends of the pockets being open and with each pocket having sides,

a rotating filling station having circumferentially spaced lands and valleys about its circumference around which the continuous strip is guided and longitudinally moved and with the distances between the lands being fixed relative to one another and relative to the axis of the rotating filling station and less than the distances between the transversely spaced heat seals,

means for holding the strip against the filling station,

means to fill the open pockets with material,

means or sealing the pocket sides together at the open end of each pocket after filling, and

means for severing filled packages from the strip.

36. The method of forming filled packages from at least one continuous strip of flexible material, which comprises,

training the strip generally in the shape of a U and applying heat from only one side of the strip at an inside surface of the U at spaced intervals along the length of the U-shaped strip to prolong heat dwell time thereby forming successive pockets along the length of the strip with ends of the pockets along one margin of the strip being open, converting the strip from an essentially fiat form to an undulated form,

successively opening the pockets along the length of the strip by moving one pocket side wall on each pocket relative to an adjacent pocket side wall,

successively filling the pockets, and

closing open ends of the pockets along the length of the strip.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,269,532 1/ 1942 Howard 5328 2,546,059 3/1951 Cloud 53-28 2,597,994 5/1952 Hoag 53-180 X 2,649,674 8/1953 Bartelt 53-183 2,976,657 3/1961 Cloud 53-75 3,189,702 6/1965 Wall et a1. 5328 X 3,192,684 7/1965 Iannucci 53-18O 3,199,551 8/1965 Hall et a1 53183 X ROBERT C. RIORDON, Primary Examiner.

FRANK E. BAILEY, Examiner.

N. ABRAMS, S. ABEND, Assistant Examiners.

Claims

10. THE METHOD OF FORMING FILLED PACKAGES FROM AT LEAST ONE CONTINUOUS STRIP OF FLEXIBLE MATERIAL, WHICH COMPRISES, PROCESSING THE STRIP FORMING SUCCESSIVE POCKETS ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE STRIP WITH ENDS OF THE POCKETS ALONG ONE MARGIN OF THE STRIP BEING OPEN, CONVERTING THE STRIP FROM AN ESSENTIALLY FLAT FORM TO AN UNDULATED FORM, SUCCESSIVELY OPENING THE POCKETS ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE STRIP BY MOVING ONE POCKET SIDE WALL ON EACH POCKET RELATIVE TO AN ADJACENT POCKET SIDE WALL, SUCCESSIVELY FILLING THE POCKETS, AND CLOSING OPEN ENDS OF THE POCKET ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE STRIP.