Bags and method of making bags

A process of forming a chain of interconnected plastic bags comprising:

• a) feeding an elongate, plastic web along a path of travel through a bag formation machine;
• and,
• b) converting the web into interconnected bags by preforming the following steps:
• I) securing at least one marginal edge portion of each of a plurality of spaced bag fronts along a longitudinally extending portion of the web to delineate a first side of the chain of bags being formed;
• ii) providing a second marginal edge to delineate a second side of the chain of bags in spaced, longitudinally extending relationship with said first side;
• iii) the fronts being positioned in spaced relationship with one another to delineate a bag opening between each successive pair of fronts;
• iv) further securing the bag fronts to the web by forming transverse bag bottom seals each between a different one of the fronts and the web whereby to delineate the bottom of each bag of the chain being formed;
• and,
• v) delineating bag ends by forming transverse lines of weakness in the web each at a location longitudinally between two successive fronts and aligned with an associated opening such that each line of weakness is readily detectable through its associated opening, the lines of weakness and the openings each extending continuously from said one marginal edge portion to said second marginal edge portion whereby to provide edge to edge support for each bag as it is loaded with a product.

A process of forming a chain of preopened interconnected plastic bags comprising:

• a) feeding an elongate web along a path of travel;
• b) forming longitudinally spaced pairs of longitudinally spaced lines of severance in a bag front section of the web;
• c) forming longitudinally spaced lines of weakness in a back section of the web, each line of weakness being transversely aligned with and between and associated pair of lines of severance;
• d) folding the web to superpose the sections to form one side edge of each bag being formed;
• e) longitudinally securing the superposed sections together at a location spaced from the fold to form another side edge of each bag being formed, the side edges being located such that the lines of weakness extend substantially continuously from the first side edge to the second side edge whereby to provide edge to edge support for each such bag when a product is loaded into it;
• f) securing the sections together at longitudinally spaced locations at least certain of which are each near a pair of lines of severance and an associated line of weakness to form bottoms of the bags being formed;
• and,
• g) removing portions of the front section each, the portions extending from the first side edge to the second and being between a pair of lines of severance to form access openings in the bags being formed and each opening extending longitudinally in both directions from the associated line of weakness whereby to facilitated detection the lines of weakness during a subsequent packaging operation.

A process of making a chain of interconnected, preopened plastic bags comprising:

• a) feeding front and back plastic web sections along respective paths of travel;
• b) forming spaced, parallel, transversely extending lines of weakness in the back section;
• c) forming spaced pairs of transversely extending, spaced lines of severance in the front section at longitudinally spaced intervals corresponding to the longitudinal spacing of the lines of weakness;
• d) superposing the sections with each pair of lines of severance positioned with an associated one of the lines of weakness longitudinally located between the lines of severance of an associated pair of the lines of severance;
• e) forming spaced, transverse seals between the sections at least certain of the transverse seals delineating bag bottoms each near a line of weakness and its associated pair of lines of severance;
• f) forming at least one longitudinally extending first bag side edge seal opposite and spaced from a second side edge delineated by a selected one of a longitudinally extending side fold and a longitudinally extending second side edge seal, the side edges being located such that the lines of weakness extend substantially continuously from the first side edge to the second side edge whereby to provide edge to edge support for each such bag when a product is loaded into it;
• and,
• g) forming bag openings extending from one side edge to the other by removing portions of the face section between the lines of severance of each pair and each opening extending longitudinally in both directions from the associated line of weakness whereby to facilitate detection of the lines of weakness during a subsequent packaging operation.

A process for forming an elongate chain of interconnected, pre-opened, plastic bags comprising:

• a) feeding at least one elongate web section along at least one path of travel;
• b) forming from the at least one web an elongate flattened tube having juxtaposed face and back plies;
• c) forming a series of spaced, bag bottom delineating, transverse seals between the plies;
• d) forming transverse lines of weakness in the back ply spaced from one another at intervals corresponding to the spacing between the seals, each of the lines of weakness being near one of the seals to delineate ends of two contiguous bags being formed, the lines of weakness each extending substantially continuously across the width of the web from a first to a second side edge whereby to provide edge to edge support for each such bag when a product is loaded into it;
• e) forming bag openings in the front ply extending from the first to the second side edges, each bag opening being aligned with an associated one of the lines of weakness with each opening extending longitudinally of the web in both directions from its associated line of weakness a distance sufficient to assure detector access to the associated line of weakness;
• and
• f) collecting a quantity of the formed interconnected bags.