Draw tape machines

A machine for providing a draw tape in a plastic web, the plastic web having top and bottom layers, the top layer having a first main body portion, a first top layer edge portion, and first top layer free edge, the bottom layer having a second main body portion, second bottom layer edge portion, and second bottom layer free edge;

• the first top and second bottom edge portions of the top and bottom layers respectively being folded onto respective first and second main body portions of the top and bottom layers, to form respective first top layer and second bottom layer hems, with respective first top layer and second bottom layer draw tapes being incorporated into the hems, the first and second edge portions being sealed to the respective main body portions to form first top layer and second bottom layer sealed hems, with the first top layer and second bottom layer draw tapes in the respective sealed hems, said machine comprising:
• (a) hole forming apparatus for folding the first and second edge portions nested together back onto one of the top and bottom main body portions and forming holes therein, at spaced locations adjacent respective first and second free edges of the web, then unfolding the first and second edge portions;
• (b) tape unwind apparatus following the hole forming apparatus for feeding draw tape material into proximity with, and aligned with, the first and second edge portions;
• (c) hem forming apparatus following the tape unwind apparatus for receiving the draw tape material as first and second draw tapes, and for receiving the unfolded edge portions of the web, with holes therein, re-folding the first top and second bottom edge portions, toward each other and onto first and second ones of the main body portions of the respective layers, and incorporating the draw tapes into the hems, thus forming the first and second hems and incorporating the draw tapes inside;
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• (d) hem sealing apparatus downstream from the hem forming apparatus for sealing the first and second edge portions to the respective first and second main body portions, thus sealing the hems and securing the respective draw tapes therein.

A machine for providing a draw tape in a plastic web, the plastic web having top and bottom layers, the top layer having a first main body portion, a first top layer edge portion, and first top layer free edge, the bottom layer having a second main body portion, second bottom layer edge portion, and second bottom layer free edge;

• the first and second edge portions of the top and bottom layers respectively being folded onto respective first and second main body portions of the top and bottom layers, to form respective first top layer and second bottom layer hems, with respective first top layer and second bottom layer draw tapes being incorporated into the hems, the first and second edge portions being sealed to the respective main body portions to form first top layer and second bottom layer sealed hems, with the first and second draw tapes in the respective sealed hems, said machine comprising:
• (a) hole forming apparatus for forming holes, at spaced locations in the first and second edge portions adjacent respective first and second free edges of the web;
• (b) tape unwind apparatus adjacent the hole forming apparatus for feeding draw tape material into proximity with the first and second edge portions;
• and
• (c) hem forming and sealing apparatus following the tape unwind apparatus for receiving the draw tape material as first and second draw tapes, and for forming the first and second hems, incorporating the draw tapes into the hems, and sealing the first and second edge portions to the respective first and second main body portions of the respective layers using respective first and second hem sealing elements, thus sealing the hems and securing the respective draw tapes therein, said hem forming and sealing apparatus including first and second stretching rollers applying transverse stretching forces to the respective layers at the first and second hems, with the draw tapes therein, upstream of the respective first and second hem sealing elements, while holding the main body portions of the top and bottom layers in surface-to-surface contact with each other.

A machine for providing a draw tape in a plastic web, the plastic web having top and bottom layers, the top layer having a first main body portion, a first top layer edge portion, and first top layer free edge, the second bottom layer having a second main body portion, second bottom layer edge portion, and second bottom layer free edge;

• the first and second edge portions of the top and bottom layers respectively being folded onto respective first and second main body portions of the top and bottom layers, to form respective first top layer and second bottom layer hems, with respective first top layer and second bottom layer draw tapes being incorporated into the hems, the first and second edge portions being sealed to the respective main body portions to form first top layer and second bottom layer sealed hems, with the first and second draw tapes in the respective sealed hems, said machine comprising:
• (a) hole forming apparatus for forming holes, at spaced locations in the edge portions adjacent respective first and second free edges of the web;
• (b) tape unwind apparatus downstream from the hole forming apparatus for feeding draw tape material into proximity with the first and second edge portions;
• (c) hem forming and sealing apparatus, adjacent the hole forming apparatus for separating one of first and second edge regions of the top and bottom layers from the other of the first and second edge regions, turning the plane of the second edge region through a dihedral angle of at least 30 degrees with respect to the plane of the first edge region while holding the main body portions of the top and bottom layers in surface-to-surface contact with each other, receiving the draw tape material as first and second draw tapes at the respective edge regions, forming the first and second hems and incorporating the draw tape material into the hems, said hem sealing apparatus sealing the first and second edge portions to the respective first and second main body portions of the respective layers, thus sealing the hems and securing the draw tapes in the respective sealed hems while the first and second edge regions are separated;
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• (d) a turning member comprising an upstanding turning cone disposed downstream of said hem forming and sealing apparatus, for assisting in returning the separated one of the edge regions into face-to-face relationship with the other of the edge regions.

A machine for providing a draw tape in a plastic web, the plastic web having top and bottom layers, the top layer having a first main body portion, a first top layer edge portion, and first top layer free edge, the bottom layer having a second main body portion, second bottom layer edge portion, and second bottom layer free edge;

• the first and second edge portions of the top and bottom layers respectively being folded onto respective first and second main body portions of the top and bottom layers, to form respective first top layer and second bottom layer hems, with respective first top layer and second bottom layer draw tapes being incorporated into the hems, the first and second edge portions being sealed to the respective main body portions to form first top layer and second bottom layer sealed hems, with the first and second draw tapes in the respective sealed hems, said machine comprising:
• (a) hole forming apparatus forming holes, at spaced locations in the edge portions adjacent respective first and second free edges of the web;
• (b) a plow downstream from the hole forming apparatus for separating the first and second edge portions and turning the plane of the bottom edge portion through a dihedral angle with respect to the plane of the top edge portion,
• (c) tape unwind apparatus following the separating plow for feeding first and second draw tapes into proximity with the first and second separated edge portions;
• and
• (d) hem forming and sealing apparatus following the tape unwind apparatus for receiving the draw tapes, forming the first and second hems, incorporating the draw tapes in the hems, and sealing the first and second separated edge portions to the respective first and second main body portions of the respective layers using respective first and second hem sealing elements, thus sealing the first and second hems and securing the respective draw tapes therein, said hem forming and sealing apparatus including an electrostatic pinning device pinning a formed hem, with draw tape therein, to an underlying support, and thereby controlling transverse positioning of the formed hem with respect to said machine as the hem traverses from the hem forming to the hem sealing apparatus.

A machine for providing a draw tape in a plastic web, the plastic web having top and bottom layers, the top layer having a first main body portion, and a first top layer edge portion, the bottom layer having a second main body portion, and second bottom layer edge portion;

• the first top layer and second bottom layer edge portions of the top and bottom layers respectively being folded onto respective first and second main body portions of the top and bottom layers, to form respective first and second hems, with respective first top layer and second bottom layer draw tapes being incorporated into the hems, the first and second edge portions being sealed to the respective main body portions to form first and second sealed hems, with the first top layer and second bottom layer draw tapes in the respective sealed hems, said machine comprising:
• (a) tape unwind apparatus for feeding draw tape material into proximity with the first and second edge portions;
• (b) hem forming apparatus following the tape unwind apparatus for receiving the draw tape material as first top and second bottom draw tapes, and for forming the first top layer and second bottom layer hems and incorporating the draw tape material into the hems;
• (c) hem sealing apparatus for sealing the first top layer and second bottom layer edge portions to the respective first and second main body portions of the respective layers, thus sealing the hems and securing the respective draw tapes therein;
• and
• (d) hole forming apparatus disposed up-stream in said machine from said hem forming apparatus, said hole forming apparatus comprising:
• (i) in-turn and back-fold plows for receiving the first top and second bottom edge portions of the web in a flat disposition and folding the first top layer and second bottom layer edge portions nested together back onto one of the first and second main body portions of the web,and
• (ii) a cutter for forming holes, at spaced locations in the nested top and bottom layer edge portions adjacent respective first top and second bottom free edges of the web before said hem forming apparatus forms the first and second hems.

A machine for providing a draw tape in a plastic web, the plastic web having top and bottom layers, the top layer having a first main body portion, and a first top layer edge portion, the bottom layer having a second main body portion, and second bottom layer edge portion;

• the first and second edge portions of the top and bottom layers respectively being folded onto respective first and second main body portions of the top and bottom layers, to form respective first top layer and second bottom layer hems, with respective first top layer and second bottom layer draw tapes being incorporated into the hems, the first and second edge portions being sealed to the respective main body portions to form first and second sealed hems, with the first and second draw tapes in the respective sealed hems, said machine comprising:
• (a) hole forming apparatus, comprising:
• (i) plows for receiving the first and second edge portions of the web in a flat disposition and folding the first and second edge portions nested together back onto one of the first and second main body portions of the web,
• (ii) a cutter for forming holes, at spaced locations in the nested top and bottom layer edge portions adjacent respective first and second free edges of the web;
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• (iii) a plow for returning said nested first and second edge portions to the flat disposition;
• (b) tape unwind apparatus downstream from the hole forming apparatus for feeding first and second draw tapes into proximity with, and aligned with, the first and second edge portions;
• (c) hem forming apparatus adjacent the tape unwind apparatus for receiving the first and second draw tapes and folding the first and second edge portions about respective ones of the first and second draw tapes and onto respective first and second main body portions of the respective layers, thus forming the first and second hems about the draw tapes, with the draw tapes inside;
• and
• (d) hem sealing apparatus following the hem forming apparatus for sealing the first and second edge portions to the respective first and second main body portions, thus sealing the hems and securing the respective draw tapes therein.

A machine for providing a draw tape in a plastic web, the plastic web having top and bottom layers, the top layer having a first top layer main body portion, a first top layer edge portion and a first top layer free edge, the bottom layer having a second bottom layer main body portion, a second bottom layer edge portion, and second bottom layer free edge;

• the first top and second bottom edge portions respectively of the top and bottom layers respectively being folded onto respective first top and second bottom main body portions of the top and bottom layers, to form respective first top layer and second bottom layer hems, with respective first top layer and second bottom layer draw tapes being incorporated into the hems, the first and second edge portions being sealed to the respective main body portions to form first top layer and second bottom layer sealed hems, with the first and second draw tapes in the respective sealed hems, the machine comprising:
• (a) hole forming apparatus for forming holes at spaced locations in the web, in the edge portions adjacent respective first top and second bottom free edges of the web, said hole forming apparatus including:
• (i) an in-turn plow for receiving the first and second edge portions of the web in a flat disposition and turning the first and second edge portions nested inwardly toward the main body portions of the web,
• (ii) a back-fold plow following the in-turn plow for receiving the in-turned edge portions of the web and folding the nested edge portions back onto one of the first and second main body portions of the web, the back-fold plow having a notch,
• (iii) a hole cutter located adjacent the notch in said back-fold plow for cutting holes in the web as the web traverses the notch, and
• (iv) an out-turning plow following the hole cutter for receiving the first and second edge portions from the back-fold plow and restoring the first and second edge portions to a flat condition;
• (b) tape unwind apparatus adjacent the hole forming apparatus for feeding draw tape material into proximity with the first and second edges;
• (c) hem forming apparatus disposed downstream in the processing sequence from the hole forming apparatus for receiving the draw tape material as first and second draw tapes, and forming the first and second hems;
• and
• (d) hem sealing apparatus adjacent the hem forming apparatus for sealing the first and second edge portions to the respective web layers, thus sealing the hems and securing the respective draw tapes therein.