Method of manufacturing an improved bag for the cultivation of mushroom spawn and apparatus therefor

An apparatus for practicing the improved method of manufacturing gas permeable water vapor barrier bags for the production of mushroom spawn comprising:

• roller means for dispensing plastic film from a web of thermoplastic film and for dispensing a continuous strip of gas permeable hydrophobic film;
• a conventional bag making machine attached to said roller for making said plastic film into bags;
• a cutting die within said conventional bag making machine for cutting a series of substantially aligned apertures in said film to form a series of openings;
• a vacuum system means adjacent said cutting die for removing cut film from said series of apertures by said cutting die;
• at least one roller means for dispensing said continuous strip of gas permeable hydrophobic film over said series of openings, said at least one continuous strip of gas permeable hydrophobic film being of sufficient size to cover and be circumferentially sealed around each of said series of opening and to contribute to manufacturing ease of said bag and a reduction in the amount of labor associated with the production thereof;
• a pair of sealing dies for continuously sealing said continuous strip of gas permeable film to said web in a pattern which circumscribes and seals said continuous strip of gas permeable film around each of said series of openings;
• and
• a cutting bar adjacent said seal die for cutting said continuous strip of hydrophobic film and said thermoplastic film to form a bag having enhanced moisture retention within the bag to thereby reduce dry spots in said mushroom spawn and improve spawn yield.

An improved apparatus for manufacturing gas permeable water vapor barrier bags for the production of mushroom spawn from a web of thermoplastic film and a ship of gas permeable material, and a bag making machine, the improvement comprising:

• roller suitable for dispensing a web of thermoplastic film;
• a cutting die for cutting a series of substantially aligned apertures in said film to form a series of openings;
• a vacuum system adjacent said cutting die for removing cut out film from said series of apertures;
• means for applying said continuous strip of gas permeable material to said film and over said series of openings, said continuous strip of gas permeable material being of sufficient size to cover and be circumferentially sealed around each of said series of openings and to contribute to manufacturing ease of said bag and a reduction in the amount of labor associated with the production thereof;
• a sealing die for sealing said continuous strip to said film in a pattern which circumscribes and seals said continuous strip around each of said series of openings;
• and
• a cutting bar for cutting said film and said strip to form a bag having enhanced moisture retention within the bag to thereby reduce dry spots in said mushroom spawn and improve spawn yield.