Apparatus for making reinforced reclosable package seals

A flexible package entirely formed from a continuous web of substantially constant thickness packaging material, comprising in combination,

• a) a closed package body comprising at least one thickness of flexible material and having opposite ends and at least upper and lower faces,
• b) at least one package body end seal,
• c) at least one package longitudinal seal extending longitudinally between said package ends and forming a part of one of said upper and lower faces, said longitudinal seal being positioned between and non-adjacent to the edges of the package face of which it forms a part,
• d) a repeatably openable and resealable interlocking closure comprising inner and outer interlocking portions integral with the said package body and comprising multiple stacked and sealed together continuously connected layers of the packaging material, said closure being operative to open and close said package body to provide and prevent respectively access to the package interior, said interlocking closure outer portion including at least the portion of the package face which contains said package longitudinal seal.

A flexible package entirely formed from a continuous web of substantially constant thickness packaging material, comprising in combination,

• a) a closed package body comprising at least one thickness of flexible packaging material and having opposite ends and a longitudinal package seal extending between said package ends,
• b) at least one package body end seal,
• c) a repeatably openable and resealable interlocking closure comprising inner and outer interlocking portions integral with said package body and comprising multiple stacked and sealed together continuously connected layers of the packaging material, said closure being operative to open and close said package body to provide and prevent respectively access to the package interior, and
• d) at least one additional thickness of flexible heat sealable material heat sealed to and forming a part of at least a portion of said interlocking closure outer portion.

A method of making a resealable interlocking closure for a resealable package, consisting of the steps of,

• a) transporting in lengthwise direction a web of flexible packaging material of selected width and indeterminate length,
• b) layering said web to form at least one stack of packaging material,
• c) securing together the layers of said at least one stack of packaging material to form at least one strip,
• d) forming inner and outer portions of a resealable interlocking closure, at least said interlocking closure inner portion being formed from said at least one strip of packaging material and for at least a part of its length being thinner in cross section than said interlocking closure outer portion.

Apparatus for making a package comprising a package body, a resealable interlocking closure, and end seals at opposite ends of the package, comprising in combination,

• a) means for transporting in lengthwise direction a web of flexible packaging material of selected width and indeterminate length,
• b) means for layering said web at package length intervals to form stacks of packaging material extending widthwise of the web,
• c) means for securing together the layers of each of said stacks of packaging material to form a strip,
• d) packaging means for wrapping a product within that portion of the flexible packaging material extending between and including one of a sequential pair of said strips of packaging material, said packaging means folding said strip upon itself with the ends of said strip in overlapped relationship,
• e) package sealing and severing means for sealing and severing from one another adjacent ends of successive packages, and
• f) interlocking closure forming means for simultaneously forming the inner and outer separable portions of said resealable interlocking closure with the inner portion fitted within the outer portion, said outer portion including said overlapped strip ends.

Apparatus for making a resealable interlocking closure for a resealable package, comprising in combination,

• a) means for transporting in lengthwise direction a web of flexible packaging material of selected width and indeterminate length,
• b) means for layering said web in the direction of the running length to form a stack of packaging material extending widthwise of the web,
• c) means for securing together the layers of said stack of packaging material to form a strip,
• d) means for folding said strip upon itself with the ends of said strip in overlapped relationship, and
• e) means for forming said folded strip into inner and outer portions of a resealable interlocking closure, said outer portion including said overlapped strip ends.

Apparatus for making a resealable interlocking closure for a resealable package, comprising in combination,

• a) means for transporting in lengthwise direction a web of flexible packaging material of selected width and indeterminate length,
• b) means for fanfolding said web to form at least one stack of packaging material,
• c) means for securing together the fanfolded layers of said at least one stack of packaging material,
• e) means for forming inner and outer portions of a resealable interlocking closure, at least said interlocking closure inner portion being formed from said at least one stack of packaging material and for at least a part of its length being thinner in cross section than said interlocking closure outer portion.