US 4,674,268 A · Apparatus and method for forming foam cushions for packaging purposes

Abstract

A method and apparatus for successively forming, opening, filling and sealing plastic bags formed from a stock supply of plastic tubing and characterized by the elimination of handling of cut bags during formation and filling. The apparatus comprises a heat seal member and anvil for forming seals across portions of flattened plastic tubing advanced from a stock supply, a cutting blade for forming a slit partially across the flattened plastic tubing and extending through both juxtaposed portions of the flattened plastic tubing to thereby produce a sleeve defined by a seal and a slit and serially attached to the stock supply of plastic tubing across the unslit portions of the plastic tubing, suction apparatus for opening the sleeve at the slit, an injection cartridge for filling the sleeve with the desired filling material and a cutting blade for severing the filled sleeve at the slit from the remainder of the stock supply of plastic tubing while simultaneously forming a second seal across the sleeve and adjacent the severed portions thereof and while simultaneously forming a next corresponding seal across the next successive portion of flattened plastic tubing advanced from the stock supply.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A method of forming a foam cushion for packaging purposes wherein the foam cushion comprises a closed plastic bag substantially filled with a plastic foam, said method comprising:

(a) advancing a length of plastic tubing in flattened form along a predetermined path of travel with the leading end of the tubing being sealed to provide a closed leading end;
(b) cutting a transverse slit through both layers of the flattened tubing substantially parallel to said sealed leading end and across only a medial portion of the tubing with the slit being substantially parallel to and spaced from the closed leading end of the tubing and spaced from the side edges of the tubing to leave uncut portions adjacent the side edges;
(c) moving the tubing apart adjacent the slit to provide an access opening into the tubing and thereby forming an opened bag defined by the access opening and the sealed leading end;
(d) directing a foamable composition for a plastic foam into the opened bag so as to fill the bag with plastic foam;
(e) closing the bag by moving the opposing sides of the bag adjacent the opening into contact with each other and then heat fusing the contacting sides of the bag;
and
(f) severing the uncut portions at opposite sides of the slit to completely separate the bag from the tubing and while sealing the new leading end of the tubing.

4 more elements

An apparatus for successively forming foam cushions for packaging purposes which cushions comprise closed plastic bags substantially filled with a plastic foam;

said apparatus comprising:
means for advancing a predetermined incremental length of flattened plastic tubing having a sealed leading end from a stock supply along a predetermined path of travel;
means for cutting a transverse slit through only a medial portion of both layers of the tubing at a location spaced said incremental length from the sealed leading end of the tubing and substantially parallel thereto while leaving uncut portions adjacent the side edges;
means for moving the tubing apart adjacent the slit to provide an access opening into the tubing to thereby form an opened bag defined by the access opening and the sealed leading end;
means for directing a foamable composition for a plastic foam into the opened bag so as to fill the bag with a plastic foam;
means for closing the bag comprising means for moving the opposite sides of the bag adjacent the opening into contact with one another and means for heat fusing the contacting sides of the bag;
means for severing the uncut portions at opposite sides of the slit to completely separate the formed and filled bag from the tubing;
and
means for sealing the new leading end of the tubing prior to said means advancing another incremental length from the stock supply.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Apparatus and method for forming foam cushions for packaging purposes

Life of this patent

Apparatus and method for forming foam cushions for packaging purposes

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19