Package making – Methods – Forming or partial forming a receptacle and subsequent filling
Reexamination Certificate
1998-05-19
2001-04-10
Vo, Peter (Department: 3721)
Package making
Methods
Forming or partial forming a receptacle and subsequent filling
C053S374400, C053S374500, C053S450000, C053S479000, C053S550000, C053S562000, C493S205000, C493S208000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06212859
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an improved packaging machine concerning the method and apparatus for continuously forming, filling and sealing packages while linked together to a continuous web of material. More specifically the present invention provides an improved horizontal top sealer that allows packages to hold a greater volume of fill while providing a smooth, uniform seal across the top horizontal edge.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various prior art packaging machine devices are known in the art. In general, packaging machines are categorized into horizontal and vertical machines depending on the general direction of movement of a continuous web of material. The present invention relates to a horizontal packaging machine with an improved horizontal rotary top sealer and is designed to operate in a continuous manner.
In the manufacturing and production of packaged goods, cost factors are highly related to the costs of materials used in the packaging process. In the group of materials commonly found in continuous webs of film material: PET and polyethylene, and paper-polyethylene have heat sealable synthetic films that have a relatively low cost in comparison to other film materials. With these principles in mind, the present machine was developed to produce fusible film packages on a large production basis to be used for packaging products such as food powders, small candies, and the like. The machine and method further enables packages to be formed having a further expanded capacity for receiving an even greater volume of fill than prior packaging methods.
A number of U.S. patents have issued to a couple of the above-identified inventors concerning various packaging machine methods and apparatuses, with the following list being only a brief representative list of some issued patents to serve as additional background information in the field of continuously operating horizontal packaging machines:
U.S. Pat. No.
Inventor
Date of Issue
3,453,799
Cloud et al.
July 8, 1969
3,478,492
Cloud et al.
November 18, 1969
3,505,776
Cloud
April 14, 1970
3,597,898
Cloud
August 10, 1971
3,667,188
Benner and Cloud
June 6, 1972
5,094,657
Dworak and Cloud
March 10, 1992
5,722,217
Cloud
March 3, 1998
These and other types of packaging machines used in the past do not offer the flexibility and inventive features of our packaging machine with a rotary top sealer. As will be described in greater detail hereinafter, the method and apparatus of the present invention differs from those previously proposed and employs a number of novel features that render it highly advantageous over the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a horizontal packaging machine with a rotary top sealer and is designed to operate in a continuous manner utilizing a continuous web of film material for automatically forming, filling and sealing packages.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for manufacture of filled packages from a continuous web of material, which packages are formed, filled and sealed using a rotary top sealer while linked together to the web.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved method and apparatus for manufacture of filled packages made from oriented polymers such as polypropylene, nylon, and polyester with seals that do not exhibit distortion wrinkles, and more particularly providing a rotary top sealer that allows the filled packages to hold a greater volume of fill while still providing a uniform, smooth seal across the top edge of the filled packages.
To achieve the foregoing and other objectives, and in accordance with the purposes of the present invention, a method and apparatus of continuously forming, filling and sealing of packages with a continuous web of film material is provided. The method includes the steps of providing a continuous web of film material and folding the web to provide confronting sides joined along a bottom edge, then forming a vertical seal at spaced intervals along the web thereby providing a series of horizontally disposed adjoining pouches having opposed sidewalls with each pouch unsealed along a top edge. The pouches are then opened by separating the opposed sidewalls and then the pouches are filled with a material. The top edge of each pouch is then sealed to close the filled pouches by training the pouches onto a horizontal rotary sealer having a heated circular sealer plate and progressively forming a continuous horizontal seal as the top edge of each pouch is being continuously moved along with a circumference of the heated circular sealer plate while at the same time applying an adequate temperature to provide a sealing action and allowing the top edge of each pouch to be joined together and smoothly sealed to enclose the filled pouches.
In accordance with an aspect of the invention, the horizontal rotary seal former has a heated circular sealer plate mounted for rotation. The heated circular sealer plate has a flat outer surface positioned about its circumference for engagement with an upper portion of the pouches for progressively forming a continuous horizontal seal as the web is continuously moved along with the circumference of the heated circular sealer plate while at the same time applying an adequate temperature to provide a sealing action and allowing the upper portion of the pouches to be joined together and smoothly sealed.
Still another feature of this invention concerns the horizontal rotary seal former as described above, wherein the horizontal rotary seal former further includes a land plate and a plurality of lands, the land plate has a diameter slightly smaller than the heated circular sealer plate and is positioned directly below the heated circular sealer plate. The land plate is mounted in corresponding rotation with the heated circular sealer plate, each of the lands has a relatively rectangular shape and has a thickness less than a thickness of the vertical seals on the series of horizontally disposed pouches. The plurality of lands are pivotally mounted at an upper end along the outer edge of the land plate allowing each of the lands to freely pivot radially inward and extend vertically downward from the land plate. The plurality of lands are equally spaced about the circumference of the land plate wherein the distance between each land is equivalent to the distance between the vertical seals on the series of horizontally disposed filled pouches, whereby when the web of horizontally disposed pouches are trained onto the horizontal seal former to join and seal the upper portion of the pouches, the vertical seals extending below the upper edge of the filled pouches will engage with the lands and curve radially inward in engagement with the lands, thereby helping to keep the horizontally disposed pouches properly aligned.
Yet another feature of the present invention concerns the packaging apparatus as described above, wherein the horizontal rotary seal former further includes a land stop, the land stop acts to stop each of the lands from pivoting radially inward beyond a predetermined distance.
A still further feature of the invention concerns the packaging apparatus as described above, wherein the horizontal rotary seal former further includes a bottom plate. The bottom plate has a diameter equivalent to the heated circular sealer plate and is mounted in corresponding rotation with the heated circular sealer plate. The bottom plate is positioned a predetermined distance below the heated circular sealer plate to allow the bottom edge of the horizontally disposed pouches to rest thereon.
An even further feature of the invention concerns the packaging apparatus as described above, wherein the position of the bottom plate in the horizontal rotary seal former is adjustable at varying heights to accommodate pouches of varying lengths.
Yet still another feature of the invention concerns the packaging apparatus as described above, further comprising at least one press roller
Anderson Robert
Bielik, Jr. Richard
Cloud Charles E.
Czolek Robert
Dworak Adam
Cloud Corporation LLC
Huynh Louis
Meroni & Meroni P.C.
Meroni, Jr. Charles F.
Vo Peter
LandOfFree
Packaging machine with rotary top sealer does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Packaging machine with rotary top sealer, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Packaging machine with rotary top sealer will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2543594