GB2288583A - Taped bag supply and dispensing method - Google Patents

Abstract

In a strip 1 of imbricated bags 3 affixed on the adhesive faces 5 of a pair of tapes 2 arranged spaced apart and side-by-side, at either or both ends of the strip 1 each tape 2 extends beyond the last bag with a leader 10 which is substantially without exposed, tacky adhesive. A variety of ways of forming the leader 10 are disclosed, including folding a length of tape 2, preferably longitudinally, with the adhesive face 5 innermost and affixed to itself. Preferably the tape is folded by relatively driving the tape 2 into a V-shaped groove in a block, and further into a slot from which the tape 2 emerges folded. Nip rollers may be provided immediately downstream of the slots to press the folded tape 2 together. The leaders 10 make it easier to arrange the strip of bags 3 on a machine for packaging items into the bags 3, particularly when leaders 10 are arranged at both ends of the strips 1 so that the leaders 10 of successive strips may be attached together to enable one strip 1 to be led through the machine by the preceding strip. <IMAGE>

Description

TAPED BAG SUPPLY AND DISPENSING METHOD The present invention relates to the production of a strip of taped, imbricated bags, for use in packaging.

Specifically the present invention relates to forming a strip of such bags with the tape at either or both ends of the strips formed with a bag-free, non-adhesive leader.

It is known to use a strip of bags when packaging, for example, blocks of cheese. Typically the strip is formed by affixing an array of imbricated bags to the adhesive surfaces of a pair of carrier tapes arranged spaced-apart and side-by-side, preferably affixing the bags to the tapes at their open ends. Use of such a strip is a convenient way of handling bags in a packaging process.

To arrange such a strip on a suitable machine it is necessary to insert the tapes through guides such as eyelets, pins or rollers used to position the tapes in their path through the machine. To achieve this it is undesirable to simply leave the tape at the ends of the strip bare because the adhesive tape surfaces become unmanageable by accidentally sticking to things. This is a particular problem when the strip is transported from one place to another, typically layered (or flaked) in a box. Normally to mask the adhesive, scrap material is attached across the two tapes, using as the scrap either a length of the bag material which has not been cut and welded into bags or else a number of extra bags deliberately affixed, perhaps with a reduced overlap.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a plurality of imbricated bags on a pair of side-by-side tapes each having an adhesive face to which the bags are affixed, wherein at either or both ends of the plurality of bags each tape extends beyond the last bag with a leader substantially without exposed, tacky adhesive but able to be threaded around and through components of a bag loading machine.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of arranging such a product on a machine for packaging items in said bags, said machine having eyelets for aligning said tapes in their path through the machine, said method including threading said leaders through said eyelets.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of making a strip of bags comprising a succession of imbricated bags on a pair of side-by-side tapes each having an adhesive face to which the bags are affixed, wherein at either or both ends of the strip each tape extends beyond the last bag with a leader rendered substantially without exposed, tacky adhesive by folding lengthwise with said adhesive face innermost to affix it to itself.

In order that the present invention may be better understood the following description is given, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a cross sectional views lengthwise along the front end of a bag strip; Fig. 2 is a top view of the arrangement shown in Fig.

1; Fig. 3 shows the preferred apparatus for forming the leader; Figs. 4 and 5 are, respectively, top and side views of the tape formed with a leader according to the present invention.

Fig. 6 shows a view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 3 taken along line A.

Figs. 1 and 2 show a bag strip 1 with the bags 3 imbricated (or shingled) so as to expose a portion 4 at the open end of each bag 3 which is affixed to the adhesive face 5 of two tapes 2. It would be possible to use a different number of tapes. The tapes are formed with a leader 10 where the adhesive face 5 has been de-activated.

As shown in Fig. 3, to form the strip 1 of bags 3 a succession of imbricated bags 3 and a pair of parallel tapes 2 are fed along respective paths 7 and 9 in respective directions B and A. The bags 3 thus come into contact with the adhesive face 5 of each tape 10 at a nip 8, whereby the bags 3 are affixed to the tape 10. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a leader 10 is formed on the tape. This may be done at either or both ends of the strip.

On reaching the end of a strip 1, the stream of bags 3 along path 7 is interrupted to form a bag-free leader 10 of each tape 2 and after an appropriate length of tape 2 has been led (bag-free) to form a leader 10, the tapes 2 are cut to separate one strip 1 of bags 3 from the next.

The leader does not have any exposed tacky adhesive surfaces. The strip 1 is continuously flaked into a box for transportation leaving the leaders 10 uppermost. Because the leaders are non-adhesive, the box may be transported without the ends of the tape 2 becoming affixed to anything.

Furthermore, because the tapes are non-adhesive, the strip 1 may be more easily handled, thereby facilitating loading of the strip 1 onto a packaging machine for filling the bags 3.

This is quicker, resulting in increased productivity without wastage of bags 3.

The leaders are particularly advantageous if a strip 3 is formed with leaders 10 at both ends. When loading a strip of bags 3, this allows the front leaders 10 of one strip 1 to be attached to the rear leaders 10 of the preceding strip 1, thereby allowing a continuous flow of successive strips 1 into the packaging machine. This simplifies the process of loading a new strip onto the packaging machine, because it is simply drawn through by the preceding strip 1 and saves time, in particular, by avoiding the need to thread the tapes 2 through guides in the packaging machine.

To attach the leaders 10 together in this way, it is possible to adhere one tape to the next using the adhesive face 5. However, the adhesive is not necessarily strong enough and so the leader 10 may alternatively be knotted together or else a separate linkage may be used. It may be necessary to adjust the attachment to maintain the tapes 2 in alignment and prevent the bags 3 crinkling.

There is a variety of ways of forming the leader, each of which may be achieved by suitable components arranged around the path 9 of the tape 2 upstream of the nip 8 to be activated when a strip 1 of predetermined length has been produced.

One way of forming the leader 10 is to fold the adhesive face 5 onto itself. This may be done with a fold line lengthwise along the centre 13 of the tape 2, with the adhesive surface 5 innermost so that the adhesive surface 5 bonds to itself. This creates a leader 10 as shown in Figs.

4 and 5 which is half its original width, thereby facilitating loading of the strip on a packaging machine because the leader 10 is stronger and also easier to insert through eyelets used to maintain the strip 1 in its path.

An apparatus used to fold each of the tapes 2 is shown in Figs. 3 and 6 and principally comprises a respective block 20 formed with an elongate V-shaped groove 21 arranged lengthways along, and therefore opposing the path 9 of the tape 2 on the opposite side of the tape 2 from the adhesive face 5. The block 20 is further formed with a parallelsided slot 22 which opens into the V-shaped groove 21 at the apex of the groove 21, the slot 22 extending along the entire length of groove 21. It will be understood that the opening comprising the groove 21 and slot 22 has a constant cross-section along its length parallel, in use, to the path 9 of the tape 2.

To form the leader 10, the blocks 20 are driven quickly towards the respective tapes 2 by means of pneumatic ram 24 in the direction C. The relative motion of the respective tape 2 into the groove 21 causes the tape 2 to fold along its length. This is particularly effective if the tape is of a material which has been orientated longitudinally. The tape 2 is further driven into the slot 22 by (i) the motion of the block and (ii) the supporting of the respective tape by a fixed axis small diameter roller 30 (Fig. 3) just upstream of the position along the path 9 each block occupies when driven down by the pneumatic actuator 24. In conjunction with the thickness of the tape 2, the width of the slot 22 is selected so that the slot 22 is able to grip the tape 2 sufficiently tightly to cause the adhesion of the inner face folded along the centre 13 of the tape 2.

Advantageously, immediately downstream of each slot 22 in its block 20 there is provided a respective pair of nip rollers 23 to press together even more firmly the two halves of each tape 2 emerging from the slots 22, thereby affixing the two halves of the tape more firmly together. Preferably the rollers 23 are provided with bevelled lower corners 25 to prevent the tape 2 fouling on entering into the nip.

The mechanism just described is a particular effective way of forming the leader 10 and results in the tape being accurately folded lengthwise along its centre 13.

Alternatively, the end of the tape may be folded about a line perpendicular to its length with the adhesive face 5 innermost so as to bond the end of the tape 2 back onto itself, thereby creating the leader 10.

Instead, the tape beyond the end bag 3 of the strip 1 may be twisted or rolled around a line along the length of the tape 2 so that the adhesive face 5 of the tape 2 bonds the tape into a cylindrical leader 10. This forms a lacelike leader which is particularly useful when loading a tape onto a packaging machine.

Another way to create a leader 10 is to cut the tape level with the last bag 3 of the strip 1 and to weld to the cut end of the tape 2 a separate leader 10 which has no adhesive.

The adhesive.may be chemically or physically stripped from the tape 5 to create the leader 10. Alternatively, an activatable adhesive might be used, such as a thermally activated adhesive. By synchronising the use of a heater with the formation of a strip 1, the tape 2 may be made to adhere to the bags along all the length of the strip 1 except all the leaders 10 which do not become heated.

Another way to create the leader 10 is to mask or neutralise the adhesive so that it is not tacky. As a mask, a powder may be sprayed onto the tape, or else a separate backing strip may be fed onto the adhesive layer just before the nip 8, when a leader 10 is required. Similarly, it is possible to use a tape 2 which is pre-formed with a backing layer which is removed along most of the length of the strip 1 (excluding the leader 10) prior to affixing the bags to it.

Claims (18)

1. A plurality of imbricated bags on a pair of side-by-side tapes each having an adhesive face to which the bags are affixed, wherein at either or both ends of the plurality of bags each tape extends beyond the last bag with a leader substantially without exposed, tacky adhesive but able to be threaded around and through components of a bag loading machine.

2. A product according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of bags is arranged layered in a box.

3. A product according to either one of the preceding claims, wherein said tapes are formed of a longitudinally oriented material.

4. A product according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said leaders are arranged as a length of tape folded with said adhesive face innermost and affixed to itself.

5. A product according to claim 4, wherein said tapes are folded lengthwise.

6. A product according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each tape at each end of said plurality has a said leader.

7. A plurality of bags constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

8. A method of arranging a product according to any one of the preceding claims on a machine for packaging items in said bags, said machine having guides for aligning said tapes in their path through the machine, said method including threading said leaders through said guides.

9. A method of arranging products according to claim 6 on a machine for packaging items in said bags, by attaching the rearward leaders of one product and the forward leaders of the succeeding product to enable the succeeding product to be led through the machine by the said one product.

10. A method of making a strip of bags comprising a succession of imbricated bags on a pair of side-by-side tapes each having an adhesive face to which the bags are affixed, wherein at either or both ends of the strip each tape extends beyond the last bag with a leader rendered substantially without exposed, tacky adhesive by folding lengthwise with said adhesive face innermost to affix it to itself.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein said tape is folded by relatively driving said tape into a notch.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein said notch is an elongate groove.

13. A method according to claim 11 or 12, wherein said notch is V-shaped.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the tape is relatively driven through the notch into a slot extending from the apex of the V-shaped notch, from which slot the tape emerges folded.

15. A method according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein the folded tape is passed through a pair of nip rollers immediately after folding.

16. A method according to any one of claims 11 to 15, wherein the notch is formed in a block which is arranged to be driven at the tape by a pneumatic actuator.

17. A method according to any one of claims 11 to 16 wherein each tape is supported on a roller immediately upstream of that location along the tape path where folding occurs.

18. A method of making a strip of bags substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.