Method of folding flat bottom bag
AssigneeGenpak Corporation
InventorsJames Trygve Wold, Edward Stanley Madej
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for folding a polymeric flat bottom bag. The process includes, in general, opening the partially folded bottom of the unfinished bag, pulling the bag bottom taught in the transverse direction, and forming a fin where the two material edges join. A sharp crease is formed between the fin and the base portions of the bag bottom, and the fin is sealed. The fin is creased and sealed while the bag is moving in its transverse direction. The bag's direction is changed, so that the bag is moving in its longitudinal direction, and the fin flaps then folded against the base of the bag bottom. The flaps are sealed to the bottom, resulting in a flat bottom bag. A label may be added to the bottom of the bag.
Claims16
A method of folding a bag, the method comprising:
- (a) providing an unfinished flat bottom bag having a sleeve defining a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction, the bag comprising a mouth end and a bottom end and longitudinal gussets extending from the mouth end to the bottom end, the bottom end having an unfinished base portion;
- (b) opening the unfinished base portion and extending the gussets transversely while the unfinished base portion is stationary;
- (c) forming a crease between an end-most portion of the bottom end while the unfinished base portion is moving continuously in the transverse direction;
- (d) forming a fin extending transversely across the unfinished base portion by sealing the end-most portion of the bottom end while the unfinished base portion and the fin are being moved continuously in the transverse direction;
- and
- (e) folding a first end and a second end of the fin against the unfinished base portion while the unfinished base portion is moved continuously in the longitudinal direction to form a base.
A method of folding at least 20 bags/minute, the method comprising:
- (a) providing an unfinished flat bottom bag having a sleeve defining a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction, the bag comprising a mouth end and a bottom end and longitudinal gussets extending from the mouth end to the bottom end, the bottom end having an unfinished base portion;
- (b) opening the unfinished base portion and expanding the gussets while the unfinished base portion is stationary;
- (c) forming a crease between an end-most portion of the bottom end while the unfinished portion is moving continuously in the transverse direction;
- (d) forming a fin across the unfinished base portion by sealing the end-most portion of the bottom end while the unfinished base portion and the fin are being moved continuously in the transverse direction;
- and
- (e) folding a first end and a second end of the fin against the unfinished base portion while the unfinished base portion is moving continuously in the longitudinal direction to form a base.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.