Product shaping mechanism for horizontal pouch-making machines

In a packaging machine of the class described having means for transporting a web of flexible packaging material in a horizontal plane through a succession of web feeding cycles, and filler means disposed above said web for discharging measured amounts of a granular free flowing product for deposit on a said web each web feeding cycle, lay down means for forming each deposit of said product into a predetermined shape and depositing it in a pre-determined area of said web each web feeding cycle, said lay down means comprising:

• (a) a product forming member disposed above said web and having apertures therethrough of a configuration corresponding to that of said pre-determined shape, said member being vertically movable into and away from engagement with said web defining therewith at each aperture therein an open flat-top cavity for shaping and positioning the free flowing product delivered thereto, said cavity being defined by the upwardly extending side walls of said aperture within said product forming member and the top surface of said web when said product forming member is vertically moved into engagement with said web so as to define the bottom of said cavity, and
• (b) a product deposit member supported on said forming member in slidable relation thereto between a product receiving position and a product discharging position, said deposit member being formed with an opening therethrough associated with each aperture of said forming member, each said opening being in communication with said filler and adapted to receive a measured amount of product therefrom when in its product receiving position and sealed off from its associated aperture, said deposit member when moved into its product discharging position placing each opening therein into communication with the associated aperture in said forming member, so as to completely fill said cavity with product from said deposit member evenly and uniformly and imparting a flat topped configuration to said product, whereby said product is deposited on said web and spread into a flat top configuration corresponding to that of said cavity when said product forming member is raised away from the web.