초록 ▼

A convertible, vertical form, fill and seal packaging machine and method for making a variety of types and styles of bags and seals is disclosed. The machine produces durable, substantially air-tight bags at high speed and provides for the production of different size and make of bags and different

A convertible, vertical form, fill and seal packaging machine and method for making a variety of types and styles of bags and seals is disclosed. The machine produces durable, substantially air-tight bags at high speed and provides for the production of different size and make of bags and different amounts and types of product in the bags. The machine includes a film drive and pinch roll pair, a pair of film pull belts, and a pair of zipper driver rollers for pulling plastic film and zipper strip through the machine. The machine is convertible from one for producing reclosable edge fin seal bags to another for producing nonreclosable midline seal pillow type bags. The pinch seal assembly can be pulled out of the machine, indexed 90.degree., and pushed back into the machine. The film pull belts are part of a self-contained pull belt unit which can be adjusted or removed from the machine, inverted and placed back into the machine. The machine may include a bag squeezer unit having opposing squeeze plates or pads for removing excess air and/or compacting the product to form a reduced size, reclosable bag.

대표청구항 ▼

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] In a vertical, form, fill and seal apparatus of the type that operates in conjunction with a product supply apparatus providing product in discreet quantities and that forms a continuous, heat sealable, plastic film and zipped cap strip into separate, product-filled, recl

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] In a vertical, form, fill and seal apparatus of the type that operates in conjunction with a product supply apparatus providing product in discreet quantities and that forms a continuous, heat sealable, plastic film and zipped cap strip into separate, product-filled, reclosable, sealed bags, including means for storing and supplying the continuous plastic film, means for storing and supplying the continuous, plastic, zippered cap strip, a generally vertical fill tube assembly including a vertical fill tube around which the continuous film is wrapped and formed, feeding means for feeding the continuous, zippered cap strip and plastic film along the length of the vertical fill tube in bag length increments with edges of the continuous film in overlapping relationship with edges of the zippered cap strip, the feeding means including a pair of film pull belts and zipper drive rollers, vertical sealing means for sealing the edges of the continuous film to the edges of the continuous, zippered cap strip to form a flexible, plastic tube, horizontal sealing and severing means downstream of the vertical fill tube for forming upper and lower horizontal seals across the flexible, plastic tube and for severing the plastic tube, and tensioning means for horizontally elongating the flexible, plastic tube transverse to its length prior to formation of the horizontal seals, the improvement comprising:a zipper drive roller quick drive disconnect disc and pin arrangement including a pair of spaced discs, one including a plurality of spaced through holes and the other including a plurality of corresponding pins adapted to be received in said through holes.