US 5,400,565 A · Vertical form, fill and seal packaging machine for making recloseable product filled bags

A vertical, form, fill, and seal apparatus of the type that operates in conjunction with a product supply apparatus providing product in discrete quantities and that forms a continuous, heat sealable plastic film and zipper strip into separate product filled, recloseable, sealed bags comprising:

a first controlled release festooner arrangement for storing and supplying a continuous plastic film,
a second controlled release festooner arrangement for storing and supplying a continuous, plastic, zippered cap strip,
a generally vertical fill tube assembly including a vertical fill tube downstream of the first festooner arrangement for the continuous film and around which the continuous film is formed and wrapped,
feeding means including a film drive roll upstream of the vertical fill tube, a pair of endless pull belts adjacent the vertical fill tube, a pair of zipper drive rollers located downstream of the vertical fill tube and a common drive source for the drive roll, pull belts and drive rollers for feeding the zippered cap strip and plastic film along the length of the vertical fill tube in bag length increments with edges of the plastic film in overlapping relationship with edges of the zippered cap strip,
vertical sealing means for sealing the edges of the plastic film to the edges of the zippered cap strip to form a length of flexible, plastic tube,
a pinch seal assembly downstream of the vertical fill tube for forming first and second horizontal seals across the flexible plastic tube and for severing the plastic tube, the first horizontal seal defining the downstream edge of a bag about to be filled with product and the second horizontal seal defining the upstream edge of a bag which has already received product, and
a bag grabber mechanism having opposing air cylinder units for gripping and horizontally elongating the flexible, plastic tube transverse to its length prior to formation of said first horizontal seal, for sequentially supporting the upstream edge of each product filled bag during formation of the second horizontal seal and for sequentially releasing each completed, recloseable, product filled, sealed bag following formation of the second horizontal seal and severing of the bag from the flexible tube,
wherein said zipper drive rollers and said bag grabber mechanism are mounted on a common reciprocating element so that said zipper drive rollers and said bag grabber mechanism are moved in unison transverse to the vertical fill tube between a first position in which the zipper drive rollers and bag grabber mechanism are vertically aligned along a vertical axis parallel to the vertical fill tube and a second position in which the zipper drive roller and bag grabber mechanism are spaced further from the vertical fill tube and wherein the zipper drive rollers and bag grabber mechanism are moved from the first position to the second position prior to and during formation of said horizontal seals and from the second position back to the first position following severing and horizontal sealing of the product filled bag and prior to incremental movement of the plastic film and zippered cap strip along the vertical fill tube.

5 more elements

A vertical, form, fill, and seal apparatus of the type that operates in conjunction with a product supply apparatus providing product in discrete quantities and that forms a continuous, heat sealable plastic film into separate product-filled sealed bags comprising:

first controlled release means for storing and supplying a continuous plastic film,
second controlled release means for storing and supplying a continuous, plastic, cap strip,
a generally vertical fill tube assembly including a vertical fill tube downstream of said first controlled release means for the plastic film,
feeding means including a plastic film drive roll upstream of said fill tube, a pair of pull belts adjacent said fill tube, and a pair of cap strip drive rollers downstream of said fill tube for feeding the cap strip and plastic film along the length of said vertical fill tube in bag length increments with edges of the continuous film in overlapping relationship with edges of the cap strip,
vertical sealing means for sealing the edges of the plastic film to the edges of the cap strip to form a length of flexible, plastic tube,
each of said pair of pull belts being mounted on a respective side of the vertical fill tube and biased against the plastic film and said vertical fill tube,
horizontal sealing and severing means downstream of said vertical fill tube for severing the plastic tube and forming horizontal seals across the plastic tube, and
tensioning means for horizontally elongating the plastic tube transverse to its length prior to severing and formation of said horizontal seals.

5 more elements

A vertical, form, fill, and seal apparatus of the type that operates in conjunction with a product supply apparatus providing product in discrete quantities and that forms a continuous, heat sealable plastic film and zippered cap strip into separate product filled, recloseable, sealed bags comprising:

means for storing and supplying the continuous plastic film,
means for storing and supplying the continuous, plastic, zippered cap strip,
a generally vertical fill tube assembly including a vertical fill tube downstream of the means for storing and supplying the continuous film and around which the continuous film is formed and wrapped,
feeding means including a film drive roll upstream of said vertical fill tube, a pair of film pull belts adjacent said vertical fill tube, and a pair of zipper drive rollers downstream of said pull belts for feeding the continuous zippered cap strip and plastic film along the length of the vertical fill tube in bag length increments with edges of the continuous film in overlapping relationship with edges of the zippered cap strip,
vertical sealing means for sealing the edges of the continuous film to the edges of the continuous zippered cap strip to form a flexible, plastic tube,
horizontal sealing and severing means downstream of the vertical fill tube for forming horizontal seals across the flexible plastic tube and for severing the plastic tube,
tensioning means including said zipper drive rollers for horizontally elongating the flexible, plastic tube transverse to its length prior to formation of said horizontal seals, and
bag support means for sequentially supporting each product filled bag during formation of said horizontal seals and releasing each completed, recloseable, product filled, sealed bag following severing of the bag from the flexible tube.

5 more elements

A vertical, form, fill, and seal apparatus of the type that operates in conjunction with a product supply apparatus providing product in discrete quantities and that forms a continuous, heat sealable plastic film into separate product-filled sealed bags comprising:

means for storing and supplying the continuous plastic film,
means for storing and supplying a continuous, plastic, cap strip,
a generally vertical tube assembly downstream of said means for storing and supplying the continuous plastic film, said tube assembly including a vertical fill tube and means for forming said film around said fill tube,
feeding means including a film drive roll upstream of the fill tube, a pair of film pull belts, and a pair of cap strip drive rollers downstream of said pull belts for feeding the cap strip and plastic film along the length of said fill tube in bag length increments with edges of the continuous film in overlapping relationship with edges of the cap strip, each belt of said pair of film pull belts being mounted on a respective opposing side of the vertical fill tube and biased against the plastic film and said fill tube,
vertical sealing means adjacent said fill tube for sealing the edges of the continuous film to the edges of the cap strip to form a flexible, plastic tube,
horizontal sealing and severing means downstream of said fill tube for forming horizontal seals across the flexible plastic tube and for severing the plastic tube, and
tensioning means including said cap strip drive rollers for horizontally elongating the flexible, plastic tube transverse to its length prior to formation of said horizontal seals.

4 more elements

Vertical form, fill and seal packaging machine for making recloseable product filled bags

Life of this patent

Vertical form, fill and seal packaging machine for making recloseable product filled bags

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims35