Chain of closure clips and device and process for closing its clips

Abstract

The invention relates to a chain of interconnected closure clips, designed for the necks of bags or film tubes, having a uniform cross-sectional profile and two free ends lockable together to close the closure clip, which chain is characterized in that the closure clips comprise projections located in mutual alignment between the ends on the outer contour and are connected only in the region of these projections, such that the projections form a through-web. The invention further relates to a device for closing closure clips, especially in a closure clip chain according to the invention, with interlockable free ends, which is characterized in that it comprises a stamp with a cavity into which an unclosed closure clip may be non-rotatably inserted, in that the stamp may be moved to and fro with respect to a bottom tool and in that the bottom tool comprises deflection means for at least one of the free ends of the closure clip, to lock the two ends together upon movement of stamp and bottom tool towards each other. Furthermore, the invention includes a method of closing closure clips, especially such as those in a closure clip chain according to the invention, which is characterized in that an open closure clip suspended on the chain is fed to a closure device stamp, in that the stamp is thereafter moved, with the closure clip, towards a bottom tool and the closure clip is separated from the chain, in that the open closure clip is then moved by the stamp over a neck to be closed, in order to pick the latter up, and in that the free ends of the closure clip are then directed towards each other and locked together by associated deflection means in the bottom tool.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.