Method of packaging and apparatus

A form, fill and seal machine for enclosing product in a package envelope and adapted to receive a single continuous strip of wrapper sheet, and for folding said wrapper sheet into an envelope about the product and sealing the envelope, and comprising:

• means for receiving the sheet from source and with the sheet having a longitudinally extending panel area for engagement with a face of the product and longitudinal portions which extend laterally beyond the panel area, one of such longitudinal portions being folded and having reclosable zipper means and with a width of said one portion extending generally into overlying relation to said panel area and said zipper means secured against spreading open;
• means upstream from said receiving means for deflecting said width of said one portion away from said panel area;
• means for delivering product to said panel area on said receiving means while said width is deflected;
• means for moving said width and said other of said portions toward one another into envelope relation about the delivered product in cooperation with said panel area;
• means for sealing margins of said portions across said product;
• and means for cross sealing end edges of the envelope for fully enclosing the product within the envelope.

A method of producing a wrapped bulky product-enclosing package, comprising:

• forming a sheet into a wrapper having a face panel extending between opposite sides and end edges of the wrapper;
• folding the wrapper from opposite sides of the face panel into tubular envelope shape;
• sealing longitudinal margins of the wrapper into a seam opposite said face panel and extending between said end edges of the wrapper;
• forming cross seals at said opposite end edges of the wrapper;
• providing zipper means comprising reclosable separable fastener profiles within one side fold of the envelope shape and extending between said cross seals and in parallel relation to said seam;
• enclosing said zipper means within the envelope shape and by said zipper means maintaining the envelope snugged against the wrapped bulky product;
• providing a pilfer-proof web extending between said cross seals and projecting outwardly from and along said fastener profiles, so that the envelope remains fully sealed until said web is ruptured to provide a mouth opening into the package and which is adapted to be reclosed by closing said zipper means;
• providing said zipper means in the form of profiled resiliently flexible separable zipper strips having the profiles in closed zipper relation alongside said pilfer-proof web fold;
• and
• providing means for resisting separation of said zipper profiles during said product wrapping operation and in the package.