Apparatus and method for attaching articles to a plastic bag wall

A method of attaching at least two flat articles, such as coupons, cards, packets, etc., to a plastic bag wall, said method comprising the steps of:

• (i) displacing a bag-forming film sheet to an article insertion station;
• (ii) transferring said articles in sequence from a supply means to two or more article holding means at said insertion station, said article holding means being aligned with distinct sections of said bag-forming film sheet;
• (iii) guiding and displacing an attaching film sheet over a support roll positioned in frictional rotational contact with a nip roll at said insertion station with said attaching film sheet aligned with said distinct sections of said bag-forming film sheet, said bag-forming film sheet being in frictional engagement with said nip roll;
• (iv) positioning one of said flat articles in alternating sequence over said one or more article holding means, said article holding means having a perforated surface;
• (v) applying a vacuum under said perforated surface to create an article retention force on said perforated surface;
• (vi) causing relative displacement between said nip roll and a support roll in a direction towards said two or more article holding means;
• (vii) grasping a leading edge of an article positioned on one of said holding means by said nip roll and position same between said bag-forming film sheet and said attaching film sheet along one of said distinct sections, said article retention force being inferior to the grasping force of said nip roll;
• (viii) sealing said article captive between said bag-forming film sheet and said attaching film sheet, and wherein said step (ii) comprises grasping an article from a discharge end of one of two article supply magazines by means of a suction holding means and transferring same to said article holding means where said article is precisely positioned thereon and released from said suction holding means, and held by said suction pressure in said article holding means.

An apparatus for attaching flat articles, such as coupons, cards, packets, etc., to a plastic bag wall, said apparatus comprising a plurality of guide rolls and a nip roll for guiding and displacing a bag-forming film sheet of plastic material to an article insertion station, an article transfer mechanism having two or more article grasping means to grasp articles from a discharge end of a supply means and transfer same to two or more article holding means at said article insertion station, said article holding means being aligned with distinct sections of said bag-forming film sheet, a further plurality of guide rolls for guiding an attaching film sheet over a support roll positioned in frictional rotational contact with said nip roll at said insertion station with said attaching film sheet aligned with said distinct sections of said bag-forming film sheet, displaceable means for causing relative displacement between said support roll and said nip roll in a direction towards said article holding means to grasp a leading edge of an article positioned on each holding means and position same between said bag-forming film sheet and said attaching film sheet along one of said distinct sections, and sealing means to seal said bag-forming film sheet and said attaching film sheet together with said articles captive therebetween, said article holding means being a perforated support surface aligned side by side with each said distinct sections of said bag-forming film sheet, said distinct sections being disposed longitudinally of said bag-forming film sheet one adjacent the other, said article transfer mechanism being a turret mechanism mounted in planar alignment with said article holding means, said turret having four suction grasping elements each secured on a respective rotational shaft disposed on axes at 90.degree. to one another, a drive for rotating said turret, control means associated with said sensing means for applying a vacuum to said suction grasping elements when in position at said discharge end of said supply means to pick up a leading article and for disconnecting said vacuum at said holding means to release said article thereon at a precise position, said grasping elements being secured to said rotational shafts in an alternating offset manner to form two continuous series of grasping elements and aligned support surfaces, said supply means being comprised by two supply magazines each aligned with a respective one of said two continuous series of grasping elements.