Packaging machine

A vertical, form, fill and seal apparatus of the type that operates in conjunction with a product supply apparatus providing product in discrete quantities and that forms a continuous, heat sealable plastic film and zipper strip into individual product filled, recloseable, sealed bags comprising:

• a first controlled release festooner arrangement for storing and supplying a continuous plastic film;
• a second controlled release festooner arrangement for storing and supplying a continuous, plastic, zippered strip;
• a generally vertical fill tube assembly including a vertical fill tube downstream of the first festooner arrangement for the continuous film and around which the continuous film is formed and wrapped,
• feeding means including a film drive roll upstream of the vertical fill tube, a pair of endless pull belts adjacent the vertical fill tube, a pair of selectively operatively and inoperatively connected zipper drive rollers located downstream of the vertical fill tube and a common drive source for the drive roll, pull belts and drive rollers for feeding the zippered strip and plastic film along the length of the vertical fill tube in bag length increments with edges of the plastic film in overlapping relationship with edges of the zippered strip;
• vertical sealing means for sealing the edges of the plastic film to the edges of the zippered strip to form a length of flexible, plastic tube;
• a pinch seal assembly downstream of the vertical fill tube for forming first and second horizontal seals across the flexible plastic tube and for severing the plastic tube, the first horizontal seal defining the downstream edge of a bag about to be filled with product and the second horizontal seal defining the upstream edge of a bag which has already received product;
• and,
• a bag grabber mechanism having opposing air cylinder units for gripping and horizontally elongating the flexible, plastic tube transverse to its length prior to formation of said first horizontal seal, for sequentially supporting the upstream edge of each product filled bag during formation of the second horizontal seal and for sequentially releasing each completed, recloseable, product filled, sealed bag following formation of the second horizontal seal and severing of the bag from the flexible tube,
• said zipper drive rollers and said bag grabber mechanism being mounted on a common reciprocating element with the operatively connected zipper drive rollers and bag grabber mechanism vertically aligned so that said zipper drive rollers and said bag grabber mechanism are moved in unison relative to the vertical fill tube between a first position spaced from and close to the vertical fill tube and a second position in which the zipper drive roller and bag grabber mechanism are spaced further from the vertical fill tube and wherein the zipper drive rollers are moved from connection into an inoperative connection and wherein the zipper drive rollers and bag grabber mechanism are moved from the first position to the second position prior to and during formation of said horizontal seals and from the second position back to the first position following severing and horizontal sealing of the product filled bag and prior to incremental movement of the plastic film and zippered strip along the vertical fill tube.