Packaging film feeding and splicing apparatus and method

A form, fill and seal packaging machine including a splicing assembly to allow substantially continuous feeding of packaging film with spaced registration eyemarks and from at least two rolls comprising:

• means for supporting and unwinding an active and a standby roll of film to the machine;
• each roll having a head-end and tail-end of its film;
• means for substantially continuously feeding film along a feed path from said active roll into and through the machine;
• means for splicing the tail-end of said active roll to the head-end of said standby roll;
• said splicing means creating a recognizable splice section in said film;
• means for forming said film into a package;
• means for sealing the package;
• machine drive means for synchronously actuating said forming means and said sealing means;
• means for filling each formed package with product;
• control means for coordinating said machine drive means and said product filling means to provide a series of sealed packages containing the product and a dry cycle at said splice section,
• whereby, all completed formed, filled and sealed packages are acceptable.

The method of substantially continuously feeding packaging film into a form, fill and seal packaging machine from an active roll and standby roll, comprising the steps of:

• supporting and unwinding the packaging film from the active roll of film, each said roll having a head-end and a tail-end;
• substantially continuously feeding the film of the active roll along a feed path into the machine;
• applying adhesive means to the head-end of the film of said standby roll;
• holding said head-end and said adhesive means at a splicing station adjacent said feed path;
• tensioning the film of said active roll along said feed path at least adjacent said tail-end of the film of said active roll;
• and
• rapidly applying positive pressure at said splicing station to generate sufficient air flow to blow at least one of the said tail-end and said head-end of the films toward each other to cause said tail-end to stick to said adhesive means,
• whereby the film of said standby roll is securely spliced to the film of said active roll to provide film feeding to said machine substantially without interruption and without slow-down.

The method of continuously feeding, splicing and tracking packaging film into and through a form, fill and seal packaging machine forming a series of filled packages comprising the steps of:

• supporting and unwinding an active and a standby roll of film, each said roll having a head-end and a tail-end of its film;
• continuously feeding the film of the active roll along a feed path into the machine;
• splicing the tail-end of the film of said active roll to the head-end of the film of said standby roll substantially without stopping movement of the film along the feed path;
• creating a recognizable splice section where said tail-end and said head-end are spliced;
• tracking the splice section through the machine;
• forming, filling and sealing each completed package;
• generating a dry cycle mode of the machine when said splice section is positioned at least the package forming or filling station of the machine;
• and
• removing the splice section from the series of completed packages,
• whereby all completed formed, filled and sealed packages are acceptable.

An assembly for substantially continuously feeding an indeterminate length web into a machine for processing means for supporting and unwinding an active and a standby roll of webs;

• each roll having a tail-end and a head-end of its web;
• means for continuously feeding the web of the active roll along a feed path into the machine;
• adhesive means on the head-end of the web of the standby roll;
• first pneumatic means for tensioning the web of said active roll at least adjacent said tail-end;
• second pneumatic means opposed to said first pneumatic means for holding said head-end and said adhesive means at a splicing station adjacent said feed path;
• at least one of said first and second pneumatic means including a vacuum source to provide suction for the tensioning and holding functions and a pressure source to generate an air blast to blow at least on of the tail-end and head-end of the webs toward each other;
• control means for rapidly switching at least said first pneumatic means between said vacuum source and said pressure source;
• said pressure source providing sufficient air flow to cause said tail-end to stick to said adhesive means;
• whereby the web of said standby roll is securely spliced to the web of said active roll to provide web feeding to said machine substantially without interruption and without slow-down.