A packaging machine for packaging portioned products which are liquid or pasty at least in a processing state in a wrapper that is cut to length from at least one packaging material web, comprising:
- a metering installation which is configured for metering a product portion of the products which are liquid or pasty at least in the processing state;
- a pre-shaping installation which is integrated in the metering installation or disposed downstream thereof, and which is configured for pre-shaping the metered product portion so as to form a pre-shaped product portion;
- a transport installation which is configured for transporting the at least one packaging material web in a direction of the pre-shaping installation;
- a cutting installation which is cooperating with the transport installation and in a transporting direction thereof is disposed upstream of the pre-shaping installation and which is configured for cutting to length a substantially planar blank of a wrapper from the at least one packaging material web;
- an upwardly open pair of folding claws which are cooperating with the pre-shaping installation and disposed downstream of the cutting installation;
- a guiding installation which is configured for transferring the substantially planar blank of the wrapper that by the cutting installation has been cut to length from the at least one packaging material web to a position above the upwardly open pair of folding claws;
- a first folding station which is configured for folding lateral longitudinal peripheries of the wrapper which is upwardly open provided with the pre-shaped product portion inward onto the pre-shaped product portion;
- and
- a second folding station which is disposed downstream of the first folding station and is configured for folding transverse peripheries of the wrapper which extend so as to be substantially perpendicular to the lateral longitudinal peripheries of said wrapper inward onto the pre-shaped product portion;
- wherein the first folding station is configured as a first folding and connecting station and has two first folding and connecting tools which are able to move toward each other until the two first folding and connecting tools exert a contact pressure on each other and are able to move away from each other;
- wherein the upwardly open pair of folding claws and the first folding and connecting station are able to be moved relative to one another to a first folding and connecting position in which the first folding and connecting station is situated directly above the upwardly open pair of folding claws so as to, by relocating the two first folding and connecting tools towards one another in a manner substantially parallel to an open upper side of the upwardly open pair of folding claws, under a first contact pressure fold the lateral longitudinal peripheries of the upwardly open wrapper provided with the pre-shaped product portion and situated in the upwardly open pair of folding claws inward onto the pre-shaped product portion and simultaneously connect said lateral longitudinal peripheries to one another;
- wherein the guiding installation has a first pair of first guides which are disposed so as to be mutually parallel, as well as a second pair of second guides which are disposed so as to be mutually parallel;
- wherein the first pair of the first guides is disclosed directly downstream of the cutting installation that is disposed downstream of the transport installation so as to receive therebetween the substantially planar blank of the wrapper that by the cutting installation has been cut to length from the at least one packaging material web;
- wherein the second pair of the second guides adjoins the first pair of the first guides so as to guide onward the substantially planar blank of the wrapper from the first pair of the first guides to the second pair of the second guides;
- wherein the first pair of the first guides terminate at a position above the upwardly open pair of folding claws, and the second pair of the second guides is able to be moved in a reciprocating manner between a first position, in which the second pair of the second guides adjoins the first pair of the first guides and in this way bridges the upwardly open pair of folding claws, and a second position, in which the second pair of the second guides is disposed at a spacing from the first pair of the first guides that leaves vacant an open cross section of the upwardly open pair of folding claws;
- wherein a first one of the first folding and connecting tools of the first folding and connecting station is disposed on the first pair of the first guides of the guiding installation, and in that a second one of the first folding and connecting tools of the first folding and connecting station is disposed on the second pair of the second guides of the guiding installation that are able to be moved in a reciprocating manner, such that said second one of the first folding and connecting tools, conjointly with the second pair of the second guides of the guiding installation, is able to be moved toward and away from the first one of the first folding and connecting tools.