Method and apparatus for forming sealed packages

A fin sealing means, in combination with a package wrapping machine, for heat sealing opposed portions of heat sealable material of a package or the like comprisng a support frame, a pair of jaws pivotally connected to said support frame and being selectively movable toward and away from each other, linkage means interconnecting both said jaws and being movable for enabling generally equal movement and application of forces by said jaws and for moving said jaws towards and away from each other, pivotal actuating rod means connected to said linkage means and being operable for effecting movement of said linkage means and said jaws, motor means connected to said pivotal actuating rod means and being energizable for operating said actuating means to thereby correspondingly move said jaws towards each other, at least one motion transmitting link connected to said support for enabling a generally vertical raising and lowering of said jaws, motion transmitting means adapted for being driven by an oscillating drive shaft operatively connected to said machine for moving said motion transmitting link to thereby raise and lower said jaws, resilient means interconnected between said motion transmitting means and said support frame for forcing said side fin sealing means downwardly, and heater means secured to a bottom of one of said jaws for heat sealing the material whenever the material is located between said jaws.

In an automatic wrapping machine adapted for wrapping and sealing a package made from a foil of thin, flexible and heat-sealable wrapping material in which said machine includes a support means, a rotatable indexing turret means carrying a plurality of discrete forming mandrels which are circumferentially spaced with respect to each other and are successively rotated in an intermittent step-by-step fashion from a first operating position to at least second, third, and fourth operating positions and a clamping means being effective to clamp a portion of the wrapping material to respective ones of the mandrels at said first operating position, the improvement comprising, foil supply and cutting assembly means operatively connected to said support means for advancing a predetermined length of severed wrapping material to said first operating position, foil finding and sealing assembly means operatively connected to the machine and including foil folding means for folding a side edge of the unclamped portion of the wrapping material about said mandrel and toward the opposite side edge of the clamped portion of the wrapping material as said mandrel is advanced from said first operating position to said second operating position, side sealing means for heat sealing the opposed side edges together at said second operating position to thereby form a side fin seal, fin folding means for folding the formed side fin seal at said third operating position, bottom fin forming and sealing means for forming and heat sealing a bottom fin seal at said third operating position, and top fin forming and sealing assembly means operatively connected to said machine for forming and sealing a top fin seal on respective ones of the packages, said foil folder means includes a connection means operatively connected to said foil folder and sealing drive means for transmitting driving motion therefrom, a pivotal lever arm mechanically operatively connected to said support means and said connection means for pivotal movement in response to movement of said connection means, a foil folder unit secured to said pivotal lever for pivotal movement conjointly therewith toward and away from a respective one of said mandrels whereby whenever said foil folder unit pivotally moves toward a respective one of said mandrels it folds the unclamped portion of the wrapping material toward a respective one of said mandrels, and foil folder unit biasing means interposed between said connection means and said pivotal lever for ensuring firm engagement of the wrapping material with said mandrel, and for compensating for misalignment of said mandrels, and for preventing said folder unit bouncing from said mandrel.

In an automatic wrapping machine adapted for wrapping and sealing a package made from a foil of thin, flexible and heat-sealable wrapping material in which said machine includes a support means, a rotatable indexing turret means carrying a plurality of discrete forming mandrels which are circumferentially spaced with respect to each other and are successively rotated in an intermittent step-by-step fashion from a first operating position to at least second, third and fourth operating positions, and a clamping means being effective to clamp a portion of the wrapping material to respective ones of the mandrels at said first operating position, the improvement comprising, foil supply and cutting assembly means operatively connected to said support means for advancing a predetermined length of severed wrapping material to said first operating position, foil folding and sealing assembly means operatively connected to the machine and including foil folding means for folding a side edge of the unclamped portion of the wrapping material about said mandrel and toward the opposite side edge of the clamped portion of the wrapping material as said mandrel is advanced from said first operating position to said second operating position, side sealing means for heat sealing the opposed side edges together at said second operating position to thereby form a side fin seal, fin folding means for folding the formed side fin seal at said third operating position, bottom fin forming and sealing means for forming and heat sealing a bottom fin seal at said third operating position, and top fin forming and sealing assembly means operatively connected to said machine for forming and sealing a top fin seal on respective ones of the packages, said side fin sealing means is operatively connected to said wrapping machine and includes a support frame, a pair of jaws pivotally connected to said support frame and being selectively movable toward and away from each other, linkage means interconnecting both said jaws and being movable for enabling equal movement and application of forces by said jaws and for moving said jaws towards and away from each other, pivotal actuating rod means connected to said linkage means and being operable for effecting movement of said linkage means and said jaws, motor means connected to said pivotal actuating rod means and being energizable for operating said actuating means to thereby correspondingly move said jaws towards each other, at least one motion transmitting link connected to said support for effecting a generally vertical raising and lowering of said jaws, motion transmitting means adapted for being driven by an oscillating drive shaft operatively connected to said machine for moving said motion transmitting link to thereby raise and lower said jaws, resilient means interconnected between said motion transmitting means and said support frame for urging said side fin sealing means downwardly, and heater means secured to a bottom of one of said jaws for heat sealing the wrapping material whenever the wrapping material is located between said jaws.

In an automatic wrapping machine adapted for wrapping and sealing a package made from a foil of thin, flexible, and heat-sealable wrapping material in which said machine includes a support means, a rotatable indexing turret means carrying a plurality of discrete forming mandrels which are circumferentially spaced with respect to each other and are successively rotated in an intermittent step-by-step fashion from a first operating position to at least second, third and fourth operating positions, and a clamping means being effective to clamp a portion of the wrapping material to respective ones of the mandrels at said first operating position, the improvement comprising, foil supply and cutting assembly means operatively connected to said support means for advancing a predetermined length of severed wrapping material to said first operating position, foil folding and sealing assembly means operatively connected to the machine and including foil folding means for folding a side edge of the unclamped portion of the wrapping material about said mandrel and toward the opposite side edge of the clamped portion of the wrapping material as said mandrel is advanced from said first operating position to said second operating position, side sealing means for heat sealing the opposed side edges together at said second operating position to thereby form a side fin seal, fin folding means for folding the formed side fin seal at said third operating position, bottom fin forming and sealing means for forming and heat sealing a bottom fin seal at said third operating position, and top fin forming and sealing assembly means operatively connected to said machine for forming and sealing a top fin seal on respective ones of the packages, said bottom fin forming and sealing means includes track means operatively connected to said support, bottom fin carriage means cooperating with said track means for generally longitudinal movement with respect thereto, said foil folding and sealing assembly means including seal drive means operatively connected to said bottom carriage means for reciprocally moving said bottom carriage means between an operative position and an inoperative position in response to operation of said drive means, a pair of pivotal clamps pivotally connected to said bottom carriage means, linkage means connected to said clamps for moving said clamps towards and away from each other, bottom spreader means connected to said track means, motor means connected to said bottom carriage means and being actuatable for operating said linkage means for moving said clamps together, said bottom spreader means being actuatable whenever said bottom carriage means is moved to said operative position for spreading the foil material on said mandrel and heater means connected to one of said clamps for heat sealing the foil material.

In an automatic wrapping machine adapted for wrapping and sealing a package made from a foil of thin, flexible, and heat-sealable wrapping material in which said machine includes a support means, a rotatable indexing turret means carrying a plurality of discrete forming mandrels which are circumferentially spaced with respect to each other and are successively rotated in an intermittent step-by-step fashion from a first operating position to at least second, third and fourth operating positions, and a clamping means being effective to clamp a portion of the wrapping material to respective ones of the mandrels at said first operating position, the improvement comprising, foil supply and cutting assembly means operatively connected to said support means for advancing a predetermined length of severed wrapping material to said first operating position, foil folding and sealing assembly means operatively connected to the machine and including foil folding means for folding a side edge of the unclamped portion of the wrapping material about said mandrel and toward the opposite side edge of the clamped portion of the wrapping material as said mandrel is advanced from said first operating position to said second operating position, side sealing means for heat sealing the opposed side edges together at said second operating position to thereby form a side fin seal, fin folding means for folding the formed side fin seal at said third operating position, bottom fin forming and sealing means for forming and heat sealing a bottom fin seal at said third operating position, top fin forming and sealing assembly means operatively connected to said machine for forming and sealing a top fin seal on respective ones of the packages, said foil folding and sealing assembly means including a foil fold and seal drive means operatively mechanically connected to each of said bottom fin-forming and sealing means, said fin folding means, and said foil folder means for conjointly operating said bottom fin forming and sealing means, said fin folding means, and said foil folder means, said foil fold and seal drive means comprising mounting means operatively associated with said machine, oscillatable motion producing means adapted to be operatively mechanically driven by said machine, common transmission drive means operatively connected to said oscillatable motion producing means, first and second oscillatable drive shafts being driven in unison by said common transmission drive means, motion converting means operatively connected to said second shaft and said bottom fin forming and sealing means for converting the oscillation of said second shaft into reciprocal motion of said bottom fin forming and sealing means for enabling the forming and heat sealing of the bottom fin seal, and first and second drive members, each of which is respectively connected to said first and second drive shafts, said first drive member being connected to said fin folding means for moving said fin folding means toward and away from said mandrel for folding the formed side fin seal in response to oscillation of said first drive shaft, said second drive member being connected to said foil folding means for folding said side edge of the unclamped portion in response to oscillation of said second drive shaft.