Apparatus for making a compartmented container

In an apparatus for continuously forming a series of containers from a single film of material having a first and second longitudinal edge, wherein the first edge of the film is folded onto the film to form a two-ply margin on one side of the film about a fold seam, and the film formed into a tube, the tube sealed to form two distinct compartments, the compartments filled with different substances, the filled tube gathered at two positions along its length and sealed at each gathered portion to form a unitary package, said apparatus comprising:

• a forming anvil,
• a mandrel supported adjacent said anvil, said mandrel being contoured such that the mandrel and anvil form a cylinder with a passageway therebetween,
• means for forming the tube by guiding the film around said anvil and mandrel with said mandrel positioned between the layers of the two-ply margin such that the two-ply margin completely encircles said mandrel and with the second edge of the film encircling said anvil and overlapping the outer layer of the two-ply margin,
• means for attaching a first edge of the film to the film adjacent therebelow along a continuous first seam to form the first compartment and for attaching the second edge of the film to the outer layer of the two-ply margin intermediate of the fold seam and the first edge of the film along a continuous second seam adjacent the first seam to form the second compartment such that said first and second seams are formed adjacent thereto by joining only two layers of film material.

In an apparatus for continuously forming a series of containers from a single film of material having a first and second longitudinal edge, wherein the first edge of the film is folded onto the film to form a two-ply margin on one side of the film about a fold seam, and the film formed into a tube, the tube sealed to form two distinct compartments, the compartments filled with different substances, the filled tube gathered at two positions along its length and sealed at each gathered portion to form a unitary package, said apparatus comprising:

• a forming anvil,
• a mandrel supported adjacent said anvil, said mandrel being contoured such that the mandrel and anvil form a cylinder with a passageway therebetween,
• means for forming the tube by guiding the film around said anvil and mandrel with said mandrel positioned between the layers of the two-ply margin such that the two-ply margin completely encircles said mandrel and with the second edge of the film encircling said anvil and overlapping the outer layer of the two-ply margin,
• a heater nozzle positioned adjacent said edges, said nozzle having apertures therein directed toward the first and second edges with the axes of said nozzle apertures forming acute angles with tangents at the point of intersection of the axes with the anvil and mandrel, and
• means for directing a stream of hot gas through the apertures of said nozzle against the film to join the first edge of the film to the film therebelow and the second edge to the outer layer of the two-ply margin to form the two compartments.