Inflatable cushion forming machine

An inflatable cushion filling machine for forming inflated packaging cushions from a roll of tubular thermoplastic material comprising:

• a film supply section comprising a means for holding said roll of tubular thermoplastic material;
• and
• a cushion forming section comprising;
• a first pair of rolls forming a nip, one of said rolls being a drive roll and capable of being reversibly driven and a second pair of rolls positioned downstream from said first pair of rolls, said pairs of rolls each forming a respective nip, being capable of providing tension on said tubular thermoplastic material and being for delivering said thermoplastic material through said cushion forming section;
• means positioned between said pairs of rolls for forming, inflating, and separating said cushions, said means for forming, inflating, and separating said cushions comprising;
• a plurality of needles for introducing air into said tubular thermoplastic material as it is held under tension between said first pair of rolls and said second pair of rolls;
• a pair of seal bars capable of being displaced transversely across said thermoplastic material for delimiting a volume serving to form a first inflated cushion, said seal bars being for forming a top seal of said first inflated cushion and a bottom seal of a next cushion;
• means for advancing and retracting said inflating needles, seal bars and a perforating knife toward and away from said tubular material;
• and
• means for advancing and retracting said rolls of said second pair of rolls toward and away from each other so that said air may pass into said tubular material forming said first inflated cushion and sufficient residual air is left in that portion of said tubular material forming said next cushion to maintain the sides of said tubular material apart.