Form-fill-seal type packaging machine

Abstract

A form-fill-seal packaging machine, which pulls out an elongated film from a film roll and transports it to a former to form it in a tubular shape, includes a mechanism with two parallel rollers such that the film path can be shifted transversely. The two rollers are formed as two sides of a linked parallelogram unit, of which the shape is automatically changeable according to the direction of the rollers so as to reduce the transverse distance by which the film will have to slide on the rollers. According to another embodiment, the packaging machine has its film-supporting shaft extending in backward direction. A horizontal rod disposed diagonally to the path of the film causes it to turn by 90 degrees towards the former at a front part of the machine. This diagonal rod is adapted to move horizontally in the forward-backward direction, depending on the width of the film being transported such that the film is accurately directed to the former. A pair of such packaging machines, plane-symmetrically built with respect to each other, can be used advantageously in combination with a weigher having two discharge chutes because of the reduced separation between their formers.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.