Adjustable pouch forming, filling and sealing apparatus and methods

A method for continuously filling pouches while said pouches are moving, said method comprising the steps of:

• sequentially and continuously introducing separate, discrete pouches, independent one from the other, each having leading and trailing sides and an unsealed top side defining a pouch mouth, into respective sets of moving pouch grippers carried on a continuously rotating filler wheel and while said sets are moving in a circular path, each set having a leading and trailing gripper, gripping respective leading and trailing sides of a discrete pouch;
• continuously moving said discrete pouches in said circular path;
• opening a mouth of each discrete pouch by relatively moving at least one of said leading and trailing grippers in one direction toward the other, to move leading and trailing pouch sides proximate the pouch mouth relatively toward each other, while said discrete pouches are moving in said circular path;
• filling said discrete pouches through said open pouch mouths while said discrete pouches are moving in said circular path;
• closing said pouch mouths by relatively moving at least one of said respective leading and trailing grippers in a second direction opposite said one direction and pulling respective leading and trailing pouch sides proximate said mouths relatively away from each other and while said discrete pouches are moving in said circular path;
• sealing said pouch mouths closed while said discrete pouches are moving in said circular path;
• and
• discharging discrete pouches from said gripper sets and said wheel.