Package making – Methods – Closing package or filled receptacle
Patent
1996-12-04
1998-12-29
Sipos, John
Package making
Methods
Closing package or filled receptacle
531342, 53116, 53120, 493254, 493447, B65B 5110
Patent
active
058529179
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This application is the national phase of international application PCT/IT96/00066 filed Apr. 2, 1996 which designated the U.S.
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method of pleating and folding a tubular blank of filter paper, elongated in appearance and containing measured and separate quantities of a substance with which to prepare an infusion, in such a way as to obtain a filter bag exhibiting two distinct envelopes. The method in question comprises the steps of: feed direction extending substantially tangential to a rotatable wheel equipped with radial grippers providing respective arms by which each filter bag is taken up, compacted and conveyed further; three bearing elements ordered along the feed direction, of which two are stationary, shaped in such a way as to converge toward the wheel and offered to opposite ends of the tubular blank, while the third is capable of movement transversely to the feed direction; envelopes together, by inducing a movement that commences in the position at which the tubular blank is taken up above the bearing elements and terminates at a position in which the tubular blank, guided by the stationary bearing elements, comes to rest between the arms of the gripper with the two ends close together.
The method relates in particular to a twin envelope type of filter bag in which the pockets containing the substance terminate in closures created with folds made in the paper mechanically.
Bags of the type now being described are utilized widely in the packaging of substances intended for infusion, in particular tea, herbal powders, etc., for the reason that the division of the measure into two half-measures results in an easier and swifter contact with water and therefore a better preparation of the beverage. The bag is fashioned from a tubular blank of filter paper, cut initially from a continuous strip that has been folded and secured longitudinally to produce the tubular section: a pleat of familiar "W" profile is formed across the middle part of the blank, serving to separate the two pockets or envelopes, whereupon the two envelopes are rotated about the pleat and brought together side by side to establish the final shape of the bag.
2. Background Art
In a first method of the type now being described, implemented using a manufacturing machine of broadly conventional design (see DE 1 001 944), the tubular blanks are directed onto a wheel equipped with grippers, which is rotatable and capable thus of movement intermittently through a succession of work stations. The pleat is formed by interaction with the wheel at one of these stations, whereupon the two envelopes are folded double and brought together by respective arms emerging from the wheel.
Having thus received its essential shape, the filter bag undergoes further operations, chief among which being the formation of a closure effected by folding the ends of the tubular blank in suitable manner.
By reason of the fact that the manufacturing operations mentioned above are brought about on a structure moving at high speed, and intermittently moreover, the contents of the bag are subjected to a certain agitation that can cause the substance in the envelopes to shift and collect in localized areas; the dimensions of the bag thus become enlarged at the points which favor the accumulation of the substance, and it becomes impossible to obtain a package of compact proportions when several bags are assembled for wrapping.
By reason also of the fact that the ends of the tubular blank remain open when the envelopes are folded double, it can happen that the contents drift across the areas where the end folds are to be made subsequently, thus compromising the efficiency of the resulting closures.
A second method of manufacturing this type of filter bag from tubular blanks (see IT 1 207 630) comprises the step of heat-sealing the closures of the envelopes before forming the central pleat and then folding the chambers together.
The pleating and folding steps both occur remotely from the gripper wheel in this instance
REFERENCES:
patent: 3493226 (1970-02-01), Weir
patent: 3656271 (1972-04-01), O'Shea et al.
patent: 3977152 (1976-08-01), Rochla et al.
I.M.A. Industria Machine Automatiche S.p.A.
Kim Gene L.
Sipos John
LandOfFree
Method of manufacturing double-chambered infusion bags by foldin does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Method of manufacturing double-chambered infusion bags by foldin, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method of manufacturing double-chambered infusion bags by foldin will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-1416333